Coming into Saturday's game, the San Francisco 49ers made their way up north to face a rejuvenated division foe in the Seattle Seahawks that's been riding a red-hot running game led by Marshawn Lynch. And though the 49ers began their magical season by blowing out the same Seahawks squad by double-digits during week 1 in San Francisco, Jim Harbaugh and company knew the rematch could very well sing a different tone at Seattle's Quest Field which is known for having one of the most hostile environments in all of football. As if the raucous crowd that serves as one of the biggest home field advantages in the entire league wasn't already a big enough obstacle to overcome, the 49ers run defense which ranks number one in the NFL would face a tall order in Seattle's Marshawn Lynch.
Prior to Saturday's game I noted that Lynch who's coming off one of his better years to date could very well be the 49ers' toughest rushing opponent yet and had all the intangibles to threaten San Francisco's magnificent run of not allowing a rushing touchdown or a 100 yard rusher all season. Little did I know he would accomplish both. By half time, Lynch was already ahead of pace to record over 100 yards and in the 4th quarter eclipsed that mark before finishing the night with a game-high 107 rushing yards. Not only did Lynch become the first back to hit the 100 yard plateau against the 49ers this season, but he also became the first back to rack up triple-digits since Green Bay's Ryan Grant did so in Week 11 during the 2009 season. The former Pro-Bowler didn't stop there as he also put an end to San Francisco's streak of not allowing a rushing touchdown all season by trotting into the end zone during the 4th quarter.
All season long Marshawn Lynch's theme has been "Beast Mode" which was very fitting coming into the game considering Lynch had scored in Seattle's last 10 contests before making Saturday's game his 11th. And despite facing the league's stingiest run defense, Lynch still managed to record a Pro-Bowl performance thanks in large part to all the Skittles the fans and coaching staff have treated him with. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, a steady diet of Skittles wouldn't be enough to win the game as San Francisco's tandem of running backs Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter combined for 156 total rushing yards to go along with a touchdown. Alex Smith contributed another turnover-free game with wide-receiver Michael Crabtree and tight-end Vernon Davis hauling in a majority of the receptions and receiving yards balancing out the offense. Most of San Francisco's offense, however, would be generated by kicker David Akers.
After breaking Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's single-season franchise scoring record last week, Akers continued his brilliance with four field goals including his 41st and 42nd on the year which this time made its way into the NFL record books, giving him the record for the most field goals in a single-season, surpassing the previous mark of 40 held by Neil Rackers. Akers' fourth field goal of the day would also be the game winner as he split the uprights from 39 yards out with under three minutes remaining in the game. Backup middle linebacker Larry Grant who's done a phenomenal job the last several weeks filling in for the injured Patrick Willis would then steal the show by getting to Seahawks quarterback Tavaris Jackson and forcing a fumble with a minute left in the fourth quarter which the 49ers recovered. Similar to Lynch, the 49er fans in attendance showered Grant with a pack of Skittles behind the 49ers bench as San Francisco improved to 11-3 on the year en route to a 19-17 win.
Preview & Prediction: With the victory, the 49ers held on to the no. 2 seed in the NFC with the New Orleans Saints at their heels. Though a week 17 match up against a hapless St. Louis Rams team would normally be meaningless with the division already wrapped up, for the 49ers however, their upcoming match up would be anything but. With a win in St. Louis on Sunday, the 49ers could gain sole possession of the no. 2 seed which would not only give them home-field advantage, but also a much needed first-round bye. If the 49ers lose however, and the Saints were to win, New Orleans would steal the no. 2 seed. With that being said, Sam Bradford and the Rams will try to do anything in their power to play the roll of spoilers against their division-rivals. With this game being just as important as the last for San Francisco, expect Harbaugh to start a majority of his starters which should lead to a 23-13 win in San Francisco's favor.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
No comments:
Post a Comment