The 49ers are strutting into Lumen Field this Sunday with a perfect 4-0 record, facing our 3-1 Seahawks. But let’s rewind a sec, 12s, because here’s the real talk: the Niners’ offense has not scored a single touchdown against our swarming defense for EIGHT straight quarters. Yep, you read that right. Last season, our Hawks took two of three matchups, including that epic divisional round win and the season finale right there in Levi’s Stadium. Now, with Mike Macdonald dialing up the pressure, the 49ers are gonna have to work harder than ever to even think about putting points on the board.
Our Pass Rush Is Coming For Them
Our defense, led by Coach Macdonald, is just different this year. ESPN says our pass rush ranks number one in pass rush win rate, and get this, we’re doing it while sitting at the bottom of the league in blitz rate! That means our guys are just flat-out beating offensive linemen, one on one, without having to send extra bodies. The 49ers’ offensive line might have kept Brock Purdy clean through four weeks, but that’s nothing compared to the test they’re about to face here in the Emerald City. You think they want to live in straight drop-back situations against us? No chance. While our defense is second in EPA/play allowed overall, the Niners will try to exploit some cracks we’ve shown on quick throws, where we’re 19th in EPA/play allowed on throws quicker than 2.5 seconds and 28th on short throws. They’ll probably go after Deebo Samuel on those, with Mike Evans needing to get past the sticks quick. But our guys know what’s up; this isn’t last year.
Coach Macdonald Has Purdy’s Number
Let’s be real, it’s not like Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan *never* beat a Mike Macdonald defense before. They did. But that was before our defense truly gelled, before our organization got the right personnel together. SumerSports shows the tale of two Purdys against Macdonald’s scheme: in their first three meetings, Purdy put up solid numbers, hitting 87th, 65th, and 87th percentile performances by EPA/dropback. Those were good. But then our swarming Seahawks dialed it up, holding him to a measly 10th and 5th percentile in the last two matchups. The proof is in the pudding, folks: the 49ers offense has not put a single touchdown on the board against us in eight whole quarters. Shanahan and Purdy have a mountain to climb, even if the deck is set more fairly for Purdy this time.
The Niners’ Offense: Where They *Think* They Can Win
Now, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Niners, they do have some tendencies that have worked for them. They’ve absolutely torched base defenses this season, racking up a league-leading 0.29 EPA and facing base defenses at a league-high rate of 48.6%. When teams have gone nickel against them, which has been the second-to-last percentage at 41.4%, they still lead the league with a 0.24 EPA. And against light boxes? They are crushing it with a league-leading 0.52 EPA. Our coaching staff, especially Macdonald, knows this cold. They know what the Niners like to do and how they exploit certain looks. So, you can bet they’ve got a game plan to counter every one of those tendencies.
Sunday at Lumen Field is more than just another game against a division rival. This is our chance to show the entire league that the Emerald City’s defense is the real deal, and that what happened in the last two matchups wasn’t a fluke. We’ve owned Purdy, and our pass rush is relentless. Get ready for an absolute battle, 12s, because our Hawks are ready to inflict some more pain on those guys.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
Leave a Reply