The Week 5 meeting between the 49ers and Seahawks has the feel of a game that could shape the NFC West race, and San Francisco’s path runs straight through a handful of key matchups.
One of the biggest is along Seattle’s right side, where Haynes has struggled this season and has been splitting time with rookie Beau Stephens. The Seahawks have not settled the spot at right guard, and that opens the door for Mykel Williams.
He’ll rush off the edge, but the 49ers also like to move him inside to create favorable matchups. Getting Williams lined up against Haynes would be a smart way to help him get rolling early.
Then there’s the battle with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The 49ers did not move Lenoir into the slot last year, and Seattle took advantage by putting Smith-Njigba in spots where he could work against weaker defenders. San Francisco has said it does not intend to have Lenoir shadow Smith-Njigba for the full game, but there will be moments when they are willing to slide Lenoir inside and try to shut him down.
That matters because Smith-Njigba has 481 yards, while the next Seattle receiver has just 114. If the 49ers can take him away, the rest of the passing game may struggle to get going.
Seattle’s ground game is another area San Francisco has to handle properly. The 49ers’ run defense has been shaky this season, but it has not been fully exposed because they have been able to play with leads.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, do not have the same rushing punch with Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker out of the picture. San Francisco cannot let that lesser run game find success.
Up front, the 49ers’ interior offensive line has outperformed expectations so far, but this will be a real test. Seattle’s interior defensive line is among the toughest groups they will see all year, which makes this a meaningful spot for Puni and Connor Colby.
Is Puni really in for a career year, and did Connor Colby take a step forward? We will know for sure soon.
And then there is the coaching edge. Shanahan is one of the league’s best offensive minds, but he has not handled McDonald well.
Seattle’s defense held the 49ers in check in all three meetings last season, and it is not often Shanahan enters a game as the lesser coaching option. This one will test him.
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