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There aren’t many expectations for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Wild Card matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
But what else is new for the Seahawks? They have been dealing with low expectations on a national level since training camp, and yet, they have defied the odds to earn a playoff spot.
In response to the lack of faith, Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett addressed how his team plans to attack their playoff matchup.
“I mean, for us it’s like, man, we’re just going to go out there and just play free. … We’re just going to play like we’ve got nothing to lose,” said Lockett to the media on January 12.
The Seahawks don’t really have “nothing to lose” because a trip to Philadelphia in the NFC Divisional Round is on the line. But if the Seahawks “play free” as Lockett described, they could be a dangerous team and tough out for the 49ers in the wild card round.
Seahawks ‘Believe’ They Can Beat 49ers
The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta described the feeling around the Seahawks as “free as a bird” heading into the playoffs.
There’s no pressure to win because everyone is on the 49ers bandwagon. San Francisco hasn’t lost since before Halloween, and Seattle needed help in Week 18 just to make the playoffs.
But that doesn’t mean the Seahawks are just happy to be in the postseason.
“We believe that we can win, but nobody else does,” Lockett said. “Nobody thought that we would be able to do any of the things that we were able to do (this season). Everybody was shocked that we even got into the playoffs.”
Seahawks veteran safety Quandre Diggs explained that he understood why the 49ers are favored by as many as 10 points and added that the team is “just taking it and enjoying it, and whatever happens, happens.”
Such a free flowing attitude from Seattle could be a dangerous one for San Francisco during the game. Because of the lopsided betting lines for the game and their winning streak, pressure could be building up on the 49ers, especially rookie quarterback Brock Prudy.
Purdy has played very well but has only made five career NFL appearances. Like Geno Smith, he will be making his first NFL postseason start on January 14.
With the Seahawks playing loose, they could make unconventional aggressive decisions such as going for more fourth downs, fake punts, etc. That unpredictability would be a big advantage for Seattle.
“We are going all out, giving it everything we have, and we are not going to leave anything in our back pocket,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told the media. “We are going for it, and it wouldn’t matter what’s happened before — that’s how we think and how we operate.”
Seahawks Attempting to Buck History
Like Lockett, fellow Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf delivered a message to the 49ers ahead of the playoff matchup.
“It’s going to be hard to beat … it’s hard to beat a team three times,” Metcalf told the media on January 10. “We’re looking forward to the matchup.”
Metcalf is not entirely accurate with that cliché. NFL teams with a chance to beat an opponent a third time are 14-10 in NFL history, including 10-6 since 1994.
One of those six losses, though, was the 49ers last year. San Francisco had a chance to defeat the Los Angeles Rams a third time in the NFC Championship Game but lost.
Perhaps that recent history will repeat itself. The NFL world doesn’t believe it will, but the Seahawks will have a say on January 14 whether it will or not.
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