49ers / Seahawks Preview: Even the Fastest Cars Run Out of Gas

49ers / Seahawks Preview: Even the Fastest Cars Run Out of Gas

by Gabriel Rauch – NFL analyst for Wannamakeabet.com

Buh Golly, a primetime game in Seattle with major playoff implications! The chill in the air, the thousands of blue and green coats in the stands and the deafening sound (if Amazon fixes their audio) of the fans. It is an important primetime rivalry game in Seattle the likes we haven’t seen at least since the pandemic season or before. 

Enough nostalgia, you know how the rest of the preview goes: these teams don’t like each other, throw out the record books when they play, this atmosphere is going to be rocking, the 12th man has come out… Yes, it is going to be a big game with an electric crowd, something that Thursday Night Football has sorely missed this season in its first year with Amazon. But who will win? Will the Seahawks solidify their playoff position, or will the 49ers lock up the NFC West and continue their streak as the hottest team in the NFL?

At first glance, these are two teams are going in completely different directions. The 49ers have won six in a row, the biggest current win streak of any team this season. They just annihilated the Bucs at home even while on their third string quarterback, nicknamed by the team “Big Cock Brock” a player who literally dubbed as irrelevant for being picked last in the draft in 2022. The Seahawks were the best story in the NFL earlier in the season with comeback player of the year candidate Geno Smith leading their offense convincingly. Yet they have faltered recently, barely beating an awful Rams team and losing to the Panthers team that is in the process of rebuilding. 

Analysis

The 49ers’ stock is up, the Seahawks stock is down, however, the pick is not so simple as taking San Francisco. The 49ers are by far the more beat up team losing star duel threat Deebo Samuel, and their new quarterback will need more than his extra large appendage to overcome the rib injury he suffered last week. His O-line will also be tested by breakout star Uchenna Nwosa, not quite a household name, but an excellent player along with ball hawk Tariq Woolen and a defense that will challenge the young injured quarterback much more than the Bucs defense did. The Seahawks also are getting a key addition back in Kenneth Walker, who is essentially their entire rushing attack, which will give Seattle the boost they need and Geno more options on offense.

I know it’s risky to pick against the hotter team, but in road rivalry games, sometimes the cliches are accurate and you really can throw out the record books. In general, the 49ers are the better team but not every game in the NFL is played on paper. Seattle is the less beat up team, at home, with more gas in their tank and their most dynamic offensive player back. At times all you need toward the end of the season is to be less hurt and more rested. I am expecting the Seahawks to get to an early lead and outlast the 49ers in this race on Thursday night. 

The Pick: Seahawks +3