What can we learn from Week 1 between the two teams?
Week 1 in the NFL is the most unpredictable week of the year. Super Bowl contenders fall to bottom five teams, last place teams begin a turnaround into playoff teams, and overall sloppy football. The 49ers know this better than anyone after losing to the Bears.
Enter the Seattle Seahawks minus Russell Wilson, for once. Led by Geno Smith, Seattle is absolute world-beaters after knocking off Russ and the Broncos on MNF. Not so fast. What if I told you the 49ers and Seahawks played in near mirror image games? The result is flipped, but the similarities in game flow, stat lines, and miscues are clear.
The team with the better roster committed tons of penalties, turned the ball over, and outgained the opponent on the way to defeat. Sound familiar? Denver looked at what the 49ers did against the Bears and duplicated it. Toss in a clock management blunder at the end of the game, and Seattle gets revenge on Russ.
No matter the roster discrepancy, you can’t have mistake after mistake and expect to win. Denver outgained Seattle 433-253, outrushed Seattle 103-76, and had seven more penalties. One hundred six penalty yards is hard enough to overcome, but two fumbles at the goal-line make it impossible. Denver blanked Seattle in the second half and still couldn’t come away with the win.
There’s an overall anxiousness with 49ers fans when Seattle comes to town, but it’s heightened after losing in week one. The 49ers are the superior team. Sure, there is some rain in the forecast. But, it will pale in comparison to the Chicago monsoon. I find it very hard to believe this team will come out undisciplined again.
In conclusion, if this team is what many believe them to be, they will handle business. I’ve detailed the week one struggles for Kyle Shanahan-coached teams. It’s a literal about-face in week two for his teams. Expect the 49ers to come out sharp and ready to go in front of the home crowd. The NFL is a week-to-week league, and after week one, both teams were involved in the same game. This is a bigger game for the 49ers, who will roll into Denver in week three.
Execute and stay disciplined, and the 49ers should roll.
About the Author: Insidethe49
