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While the Seattle Seahawks have already taken two losses to the San Francisco 49ers, the Niners have already had to hear Pro Bowl wide receiver D.K. Metcalf remind the NFL world how hard it is for teams to beat someone three times.
Now, Seahawks starting linebacker Uchenna Nwosu is the latest to send an advanced warning to the 49ers with the opener of Super Wild Card Weekend on the horizon. His message? They want to take away a strength on the 49ers that they believe will effect Brock Purdy behind center.
“You just have to go into the game taking away something,” Nwosu said Tuesday, January 10 to reporters. “For us, it’s going to be the run game. That’s still been our Achilles heel. Make them one-dimensional.”
As efficient Purdy has been with 13 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions as proof, he’s backed by a ground attack that’s eighth in rushing yards and fifth in ground-based touchdowns with 20. And as teams and fans know, Kyle Shanahan has proven to be masterful at getting the run game going — but this time having Christian McCaffrey at his disposal.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, have been among the league’s worst at stopping the run. They ranked 30th in rushing yards allowed and surrendered an average of 4.9 yards per carry during the regular season.
Nwosu, who tied for the team lead in sacks at 9.5, believes that by forcing Purdy to throw the advantage no longer goes to the 49ers’ side.
“As long as we don’t allow them to run the ball, I feel like we can rush anybody. We’ve got guys on the back end that can cover. If we can eliminate the run, we can get after them,” Nwosu said.
Opposing Defensive Coordinator Chimes in
Nwosu’s coordinator Clint Hurtt will face a Purdy-led offense for the second time. Purdy went 17-of-26 for 217 yards and tossed two touchdowns in the 21-13 win back on December 15. Hurtt remembered what impressed him from the last time he game planned against the seventh rounder.
“His composure,” Hurtt said Tuesday. “For a guy that’s a rookie, and they make the big deal about where he was drafted and whatnot; that’s why the draft stuff is always an inexact science. The guy is highly composed. I’ve never seen him get fazed or rattled. He’s cool and collected in the pocket. And obviously, just knowing he can rely on the run game, rely on the players around him; he’s been executing at a high level since he got in there.”
Hurtt reminded that while scheming for Purdy is a must, a Shanahan-led offense will make any defense need to raise their level of play, including theirs.
“Kyle is going to make you have to defend the entire field,” Hurtt explained. “And because of the amount of weapons that he has, obviously you have to account for everybody. It makes it a difficult challenge because it’s not like you can rotate your coverage or do things where you can eliminate one guy. You have to defend all 11 guys that’s out there on the field.”
But as Nwosu suggested, the 49ers have been forewarned about what the ‘Hawks intend to do.
“First and foremost, you’ve got to stop them from running the football,” Hurtt said. “If they can stay balanced and 50 [percent running plays], 50 [percent passing plays], they can keep him in the comfort zone. You want to try to create ways to make them one-dimensional.”
New Wideout for Purdy?
The focus is on Purdy and his postseason debut. But are the 49ers secretly rolling out a new receiver? Let alone…a tall and massive target who’s already a Pro Bowler?
Captured by David Lombardi of The Athletic on Thursday, January 12, Purdy was seen throwing passes to 6-foot-5, 320-pound “wideout” Trent Williams.
Already, reactions poured in about the possibility of Williams running fades or slants.
“Don’t get me excited like this, David!” was what @TheSFNiners shared.
“That’s one tackle the free safety doesn’t want to attempt!” added Michael Hauff of Sharp Football Analysis.
Time will tell if the Seahawks will now have to account for Williams in the air attack. But they may have to prepare for this motion play that was ran in last year’s playoffs:
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