The 49ers went shopping for help at the trade deadline, and the name they landed on says plenty about where they think this season is headed: Keenan Allen.
San Francisco’s wide receiver room has been hit hard again. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season, Christian Kirk and De’Zhaun Stribling are on Injured Reserve, and Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are banged up and listed as questionable. With the group thinned out, the 49ers made a move for a veteran who was available and familiar as a short-area safety valve.
Allen arrives after a quiet two months with the Indianapolis Colts. He had to wait until mid-August to join a team, then managed just 40 receptions for 351 yards and one touchdown in Shane Steichen’s offense. At 34, the longtime Los Angeles Chargers standout was largely limited to short-yardage work and didn’t create much after the catch.
That’s the version of Allen the 49ers are betting on now, even if the fit is obvious and the ceiling looks limited. He’s stepping into a better setup with a stronger quarterback, coach and supporting cast, but this still feels like a move made out of necessity more than confidence.
The backdrop matters because San Francisco already knows what it’s up against in the NFC West. The 49ers beat the Seahawks earlier this season, but the final score covered up a messy Seattle performance.
Sam Darnold’s turnovers kept handing the ball to San Francisco, and the Seahawks gave up 21 points off four giveaways, three of them deep in their own territory. The 49ers turned 269 total yards into 32 points in that game.
That’s why the rematch in Week 12 doesn’t suddenly look different just because Allen is in the building. Mike Macdonald’s defense has already shown it can make life difficult for Brock Purdy. In the first meeting, Seattle picked him off once and sacked him five times, and the Seahawks’ secondary and pass rush made their presence felt throughout the game.
Macdonald has Shanahan’s number, and everyone knows it. San Francisco made a move, but it reads more like damage control than a true answer to Seattle. The 49ers deserve credit for not standing still, yet Allen doesn’t look like the kind of addition that changes the matchup when these teams meet again.
In Other News...
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There is a little better news on the way back, though, with edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed expected to return after missing previous games. Even so, the Seahawks are walking into a game that now looks less like a routine November test and more like a survival exercise, with the roster thinned out just enough to make every snap against Las Vegas feel a little more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
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Seattle is scheduled to take its charter flight to Las Vegas on Saturday for Sundays game against the Raiders, and coach Mike Macdonald said the team will adjust plans as needed. For a club trying to keep its routine intact on the road, the timing of the FAA disruption adds one more variable to a trip that already comes with enough football pressure on its own. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks May Have Found Their Answer For A Growing Defensive Problem
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That usage is no accident, especially with another difficult matchup looming against Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers. Emmanworis blend of size, range and versatility has already drawn comparisons to Baltimores Kyle Hamilton, and Seattle appears to be testing whether he can help solve a growing problem in the middle of the field while also expanding what this defense can do around him. [Read more 🡒]