The Seahawks left Week 1 with a win over the New England Patriots, but the rest of the NFC West sent a louder message the following evening in Australia.
That game was supposed to belong to the Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford was expected to outplay Brock Purdy, and the Rams defense was supposed to set the tone. Instead, the San Francisco 49ers walked away with the win, Purdy got the better of Stafford, and San Francisco’s defense took control of the matchup.
At the center of that performance was Fred Warner, whose return gave the 49ers a different kind of edge. Warner was outstanding against the Rams, Nick Bosa looked and played healthy, and Trent Williams shut down Myles Garrett, even though Garrett was dealing with a significant knee injury and clearly was not fully healthy.
That result matters for Seattle because the Seahawks face the 49ers in four weeks. If the defense San Francisco showed in Australia is real and sustainable, the division picture changes fast.
The Rams’ defense is not likely to stay quiet all season, and Garrett should be better when he gets back to full strength. But the bigger question is whether the 49ers defense can still be the better unit when everyone else settles in.
Health and the move from Robert Saleh to Raheem Morris were two of the biggest concerns around San Francisco’s defense before the season, and plenty of people were quick to doubt it as a real threat to Seattle and the Rams. Against Sean McVay’s offense, though, Morris’s schemes worked beautifully, and Stafford had a rough day throwing the ball.
From the opening series, the 49ers kept forcing stops, and that’s the part Seattle has to notice. With Warner playing like the Hall of Fame middle linebacker he showed in Week 1, Bosa staying on the field, Williams anchoring the front, and a secondary that handled the Rams’ passing attack, San Francisco’s defense may be headed well past the modest expectations around it.
If that version of the 49ers shows up again, the NFC West gets tighter in a hurry. And for the Seahawks, the biggest threat in the division may not be the Rams at all.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Sam Darnold Problem They Can't Yet Solve
Sam Darnolds status in Seattle has gone from day-to-day concern to a more immediate lineup issue, with the Seahawks now calling it a glute injury rather than the hip problem that was first reported. The expectation is that he will miss Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, leaving the team to lean on Drew Lock while Darnold gets reassessed afterward.
For a Seahawks team still trying to settle into the early part of the season, the timing makes this more than a routine injury update. Seattle is hoping for a quick recovery, but for now the offense has to keep moving without the quarterback it brought in to help stabilize things, and that puts a spotlight on how well Lock can manage the group if Darnold is forced to sit longer than hoped. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Just Got A Break In A Crucial 49ers Matchup
A key piece of the 49ers passing game has suddenly gone missing, and that matters for the Seahawks as they look ahead in the NFC West race. Rookie receiver DeZhaun Stribling was injured in Week 1 against the Rams and initially tried to play through it before leaving on a non-contact sequence, a sign the issue was more serious than it first appeared.
Now San Francisco will be without the downfield threat for at least a month, leaving a noticeable hole in an offense that counts on his speed to stretch defenses. For Seattle, it is the kind of early-season break that can alter how a division matchup is played, even if the ripple effects will only become clearer once the 49ers start adjusting to life without him. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Terrion Arnold Contract Question To Watch
The Seahawks left Week 1 with a win over the Patriots, but there is still a roster issue hanging over the early part of the season with Terrion Arnold. He remains on the Commissioners Exempt List while pending legal charges work their way through the process, and he is still being paid his base salary of $1,075,000 this season even as he sits away from team activity.
The bigger question for Seattle is what this means for Arnolds contract standing down the road. Time on the Exempt List does not count toward accruing seasons for free agency, which could affect how his future is classified if the situation lingers long enough. For a team trying to settle into the year after opening with a win, it is another off-field matter worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]