Alright, Seattle, listen up, because the news out of Santa Clara isn’t exactly a party for us. The 49ers are about to get last year’s first-round pick Mykel Williams back on their defensive line for Week 5, and guess who he’s playing first? Our Seattle Seahawks, this Sunday. Williams is making his first appearance since tearing his ACL last November, a huge boost for their depth and someone who can play inside or out. Even star edge rusher Nick Bosa is practicing and targeting a Week 6 return against Washington. This D-line, which felt desperate a few weeks ago, is suddenly looking a lot scarier.
The 49ers D-Line Just Won’t Quit
It felt like the 49ers D-line was in trouble a while back. Williams was out since November. Bosa picked up a calf injury. C.J. West, Alfred Collins (who’s out for the season), and Sam Okuayinonu all hit injured reserve. Seriously, it looked like they needed to go big on the trade market just to find some bodies. But hold up, because these guys have totally surprised everyone. They’ve somehow pieced things together incredibly well, with a bunch of unheralded players stepping up big-time, helping both the pass rush and the run defense. They beat the Broncos 24-14 in Week 4, remember? So they’re getting it done.
Romello Height, Club Hand and All, Is Wrecking Havoc
Wanna talk about stepping up? Take rookie edge rusher Romello Height. He actually missed the Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals because of surgery for a broken hand. But what does a dog like Romello do? He comes back in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos with a club on that hand and throws down the best performance of his young career! Seriously, the guy had the sixth-highest pressure rate among all edge rushers with at least 20 pass rush snaps last week. Their defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was all over it, saying Romello “had a couple of really good rushes” and was “able to get around there and do some really good things.” Morris called him a “dog” and added, “He might have two clubs on and go out there. He’s that kind of guy.” That’s the kind of guy we’re facing, 12s. Keion White was 13th in pressure rate, so those guys are definitely making plays even if the ball is coming out fast. The Niners knew what they were doing drafting Height, and he’s proving it.
So, here we are, Week 5, and our Seahawks are heading into a tough divisional matchup against a 49ers D-line that’s not just getting healthy, but has some serious momentum from these unexpected contributors. Height’s wild performance and Williams’ return mean our offense, and specifically Sam Darnold, needs to be ready for some serious heat on Sunday. This is early in the season, but every single game against these guys is a battle, and the stakes are always sky-high in this rivalry. Let’s hope our guys can find a way to silence that suddenly surging D-line. Go Hawks!
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.
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