After such a wild game, I like to take some time to take a breath before looking back at the performance.  A win is a win is a win and even more so when it's a divisional opponent who has won that very division four straight seasons.  As long as they've got Holmgren and Hasselbeck, Seattle is a dangerous opponent, as they showed today.

However, after this kind of win, it's important to look back at the mistakes.  I can't make the team make adjustments, but hopefully they recognize what we recognize and adjust accordingly.  I'd been pondering a column on the defense for this week and Bob On The Coast's comment in the recap combined with something in one of the beat writer recaps pushed it up to the day after, instead of later in the week.

Simply put, what was up with all the nickel and dime defense?  During the game it felt like we were seeing a lot of nickel and dime defense and a lack of pass rush.  Turns out there was a reason.  The team played pretty much the entire game in a nickel or dime defense.  One piece of fallout from this, aside from a 5.0 ypc from Seattle running backs?  Manny Lawson didn't play a single defensive snap.  Lawson spent the entire game on special teams as he is not a member of the nickel or dime defense.

Coach Nolan felt going into the game that Seattle would not change their offensive scheme in light of all the injuries, so Nolan figured why change the defensive scheme.  Two season ago when the 49ers beat Seattle on the road they used this same style of defense and pulled off the upset.  They felt they could get enough of a pass rush from the defensive line and contain Hasselbeck.  In regards to the results, Nolan had this to say:

Seattle's got an outstanding offensive scheme.  It would be foolish for them to change and try to go to something else because of some injuries. What I thought they did do effectively was use their young tight end (John Carlson) several times over the middle. We had had him covered, but he still did a very good job.

I have numerous questions about this strategy and the results.  Obviously the win is important so clearly something was working.  At the same time, wouldn't adjustments on defense have made this a little bit easier of a win?  When John Carlson was catching all sorts of passes over the middle and Julius Jones was gashing the 49ers at 4.9 a pop, wouldn't something go off in your head hinting that maybe a change is necessary?

Would using a more traditional 3-4 or 4-3 have contained Carlson a bit more?  This is just speculation, but would an extra linebacker across the middle have kept Carlson in check while bringing more pass rush at the same time?  The team talked about how they used this kind of defense two years ago, but I really understand why you'd play the same way against a beaten down offense like we saw today?

In two games now, the 49ers have employed what might qualify as bend, hopefully not break, but likely will break on occasion style of defense.  While running their nickel and dime defenses, they've been absolutely nickeled and dimed to death by Hasselbeck and Warner.  Hasselbeck struggled in the passing game, but he was still able to make enough plays to make for a long afternoon.  And after an impressive pass rush in the first half last week, the 49ers pass rush has looked abysmal in the six subsequent quarters.

This all comes across as rather negative.  Considering how snake-bitten the 49ers have seemed at times this season, 1-1 is as good as I could expect.  I actually figured they'd have won last week and lost this week, but I won't quibble with where they're at right now.  I just think with some of the offenses they'll be facing this season, the defense will need to perform much better.

Considering the talent in the division, the NFC West remains very winnable for all parties involved, except probably St. Louis.  Seattle will be getting back Branch and Engram and is probably at rock bottom in terms of injuries.  Considering the Three Stooges nature of the 49ers performance last week, it's hard to tell where Arizona stands, aside from 2-0 and in first place.  Considering all the turnovers, the 49ers defense was not all that bad against the Cardinals.  However, repeat performances like today do not win division titles.

I'm awaiting some additional info from Nolan via the 49ers PR people so I certainly hope to bring you more solid info in the coming days.  As the offense stepped up today, the defense took a bit of a step back and needs to figure out what's up exactly.  The Lions come to town next week with a big time air attack behind Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams.  They will definitely not nickel and dime us to death.  The 49ers offense is improving, but I'm not sure if they're ready to compete in a track meet with the Lions.

Unbelievable.  Just UN-BE-lievable.  The 49ers seemed to do everything they possibly could to blow this game.  Fumbles, blown blocking assignments, turnovers, a missed field goal from Mr. Reliable.  And yet, in spite of all this, the 49ers managed to win.  The 49ers made numerous mistakes, but somehow they made enough plays in the end to win it.  I'm about as excited as I've ever been after a win.

The Good
Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce - After being shutout and left for dead in week 1, Isaac Bruce went in the way back machine finishing with 4 receptions for 153 yards.  More importantly is that all 4 of his receptions led to 49ers first downs, none so important as the 33 yarder on 3rd and 7 in overtime.  So much for having lost a step

JTO - For as much grief as he gets (and got in the game thread) O'Sullivan made plays.  As I said just before the season started, there will be times he makes exciting plays and there will be times he makes you grimace.  There were several times we wished he'd throw the ball away, but then late in the game, holding onto the ball allowed him to make some big plays.  It's only been 2 games, but this is clearly going to be a wild ride.

Bamm Bamm - Patrick Willis had the game changing play when he ran back that interception for the touchdown.  When he was out after that the Seahawks ran all over the defense, but when he returned the 49ers defense stepped up to make some plays.  Not a coincidence.

Bryant Johnson - He wasn't flashy but he made six big catches and has been the most consistent receiver through two weeks.  Isaac Bruce stepped up as the #1 guy this week, but Johnson just made plays.

The Bad
Special Teams - There was the missed field goal (not all Nedney's fault), the bad kick near the end of the first half, the big returns by Seattle's returners.  There is definitely some work to be done here.

The Ugly
Coaching Adjustments - As John Carlson was shredding the passing defense, the coaches were not making adjustments at all.  This game should not have been this difficult, but it seemed like our defensive coaches were struggling to figure out this Seahawks offense.  Maybe having all these new receivers was actually to Seattle's benefit.

Pass Rush - They redeemed themselves with a big sack late in the fourth quarter, but other than that, they might as well have gone without any defensive linemen they way they were performing.

There is plenty more to discuss as this went from the ugliest of losses to the biggest of wins in no time.  J.T. O'Sullivan certainly still has plenty to prove, but even the biggest skeptic has to see some of the positives he brings to this team.  Coming off such an emotional win, the 49ers can NOT have a letdown next week at home against Detroit.

Thanks again to everybody who took part in the open thread.  After the jump is the breakdown of commenters for the game.  The emotion ran high and it was definitely an exciting afternoon of football.

Continue reading this post »

  vs. 

Date: September 14, 2008
Time: 1:05pm PST
Location: Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Records: 49ers (0-1) Seahawks (0-1)
Bodoglife.com Spread: 49ers +7; Over/Under 38; Money Line: 49ers +240, Seahawks -280 - With all the injuries, bet on this at your own risk
Weather: 68°, 20% chance of showers, wind N 8 mph
TV Broadcast: Fox - Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Radio: 107.7 The Bone, 680/1050 KNBR - Joe Starkey, Gary Plummer, Rod Brooks
Spanish Radio: KIQI 1010-AM, KATD 990-AM - Fernando Arias and Ambrosio Rico
Seahawks Coverage: Field Gulls

Sports Bar Thread - If you forgot to pick miss any of the games, you can always just predict the later ones to get any points you can.  If you miss all of today's you can just pick MNF if you want.

Week 2 Prediction Contest

Injuries
49ers: Probable - C Eric Heitmann; Questionable - CB Donald Strickland

Seahawks: Probable - CB Marcus Trufant, LB Lofa Tatupu, DE Baraka Atkins; Doubtful - OT Sean Locklear, WR Deion Branch; Out -WR Bobby Engram, RB Maurice Morris

Editor's Update 1:08pm - Seneca Wallace OUT with leg injury

Inactives (Updated 11:57pm)
49ers: QB Jamie Martin, CB Marcus Hudson, CB Donald Strickland, CB Reggie Smith, C Cody Wallace, LB Tully Banta-Cain, G Chilo Rachal, LB Ahmad Brooks

Seahawks: OT Sean Locklear, WR Deion Branch, DE Baraka Atkins, RB Maurice Morris, WR Bobby Engram, DT Red Bryant, K Brandon Coutu

Matt Maiocco describes this game as a GPS game for the 49ers.  In spite of all the injuries to Seattle, I agree that this will definitely give the 49ers a better idea of where they're at in the NFL world.  If healthy, the Seahawks defense brings a great pass rush, a solid secondary and great linebackers.  Even if their offense does struggle, the defense will be able to keep them in this game.

This is not a game for a close, moral defeat.  If the 49ers want to be relevant in 2008, I think they need to win this game.  It's going to be a tough game and Seattle has plenty of healthy talent to win this game.  Throw in a crazy crowd for the home opener and it's going to be a battle.  However, if the 49ers can avoid too many turnovers and even create some of their own, this has definite upset potential.

For the second straight week I think we'll just use this as the open thread for all early games.  If we get a repeat of last week's commenting I'll open up a second half thread.  And as always, I'll be back with a post-game recap.

GO NINERS!

As I look back at my posts this week, you'd think this was a lock-win for the 49ers and anything less than a two touchdown victory might be a disappointment.  The gambling folks appear to agree with my initial thoughts (maybe they read NN, right?).  The Seahawks opened as 9.5 point favorites, but as of this evening they sit as only 6.5 point favorites, meaning heavy money is going on the 49ers.

So I thought I'd take a step back and see what the folks at Scouts Inc. and the rest of the World Wide Leader have to say about our favorite team.  In their predictions, there's a 4-4 split among ESPN analysts.  However, the scouts are predicting a 24-14 as they think the defense will be its stellar self and the offense wil somehow find a way to make plays.

While I realize Matt Hasselbeck is a very solid quarterback, it's hard for me to fathom what he will create Sunday.  But as they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  According to the scouts, when the Seahawks are on offense:

The pass protection . . . must improve after Hasselbeck was repeatedly dropped by an aggressive Bills pressure package. More three-step drops and quick throws can limit the hits on Hasselbeck, but will the timing be there with a group of inexperienced wideouts? The Seahawks could get the backs and tight ends more involved on short zone reads and checkdowns. Yet another injury -- RB Maurice Morris' knee -- will mean more carries for RB Julius Jones, which could be beneficial. A rotation keeps backs fresh but can make it difficult for runners to find a rhythm.

If the Seahawks go to a lot of short reads and checkdowns, how will that affect the 49ers defensive scheme?  I'd imagine Manny Lawson will get a lot of time covering the likes of John Carlson and Will Heller.  With Parys Haralson and the defensive line able to bring the heat, it opens up a guy like Lawson for coverage.

The Scouts also pointed out three keys to success.  For Seattle these were:

1. Give Hasselbeck more time: "Expect more conservative two-man routes and max-protect schemes this week if the 49ers try to emulate the Bills by pulling out the stops."

2. Develop a run game: "The front side of the line needs to be more physical on wide run plays, and all Seahawks blockers need to do a better job of sustaining contact."

3. Make dramatic improvements in the third phase (special teams): "Preseason concerns about coverage units were well-founded, but the Seahawks need to get much better in all areas of the kicking game."

As far as the third one is concerned, it will be tough without your regular return man, so hopefully the 49ers can take advantage.  The other two will be interesting.  Julius Jones was mostly a platoon running back with Marion Barber down in Dallas.  So, if he's going to be carrying the load tomorrow, I'm curious how he can handle it.  TJ Duckett is there to spell him, but it sounds like they want Jones to be the guy, at least for now.

It's obvious to state, but the running game will play a major role in the success of the Seahawks.  It's tough enough when your top receivers are all injured, but the running game is huge for winning, but also for that first key to success.  The offensive line will need to create time, but an established running game slows down the pass rush considerably.  I think Matt Hasselbeck could make some nice, short plays with me as a wide receiver if given enough time.  If Jones can be contained, the 49ers will be able to send additional blitzers without fear of getting burned.  Furthermore, the lack of a running game would kill any play-action plays, freeing up the linebackers and safeties for blitzing or pass coverage.

I do think this will be a relatively low-scoring, defensive battle.  Neither offense did much of anything last week and both defenses are going to be solid this season.  It's a huge game, particularly for the 49ers.  A loss drops them to 0-2 in the division.  Considering the crappiness of the division and the tough non-division schedule, every divisional win is huge.

The theme of this week has been injuries, injuries, injuries.  Sometime later tomorrow or early Saturday we'll have final word on the actual probability of the players below playing.  For now, we at least know how much they practiced the last couple of days.

49ers
C Eric Heitmann - Did not participate in Wednesday or Thursday practice sessions with the shoulder injury suffered Sunday against the Cardinals.

CB Donald Strickland - Did not participate in Wednesday or Thursday practice sessions with a knee injury.

If I was a gambling man (which I tend to be), I'd guess both guys will be listed as questionable and be "game-time decisions."  Hopefully Heitmann is just resting the shoulder and will be fine on Sunday.  The same holds true for Strickland as he is quickly proving to be a very solid option as a 4th cornerback.

If Heitmann could not play, I'd imagine Tony Wragge would play center, David Baas would play right guard and Adam Snyder would play left guard.  That would leave Chilo Rachal as the sole backup at guard.  While you can't keep too many players due to roster restrictions, this goes to show the importance of Tony Wragge's versatility.  They're stuck with a rookie backing up at guard, but considering he's their third option when everybody's healthy you can't really complain too much.

If Donald Strickland couldn't go on Sunday and was deactivated, it'd be a battle between Tarell Brown, Marcus Hudson and Reggie Smith for that extra DB spot.  Smith is probably the first one out of those three as a rookie and it seems like Hudson is a guy they really like, so I'd say Hudson would be active.  We'll see.

Seahawks
WR Bobby Engram - Out - Shoulder (definitely will not play, as opposed to DNP in practice which means he could still play this Sunday).

RB Maurice Morris - Out - Knee (see above)

T Sean Locklear - DNP Practice - Knee

WR Deion Branch - Limited Participation in Practice - Knee - Scoresandodds.com has him down as doubtful and as far as I know he's not playing this Sunday.

LB Lofa Tatupu - Limited Participation in Practice - Knee

CB Marcus Trufant - Fine on Wednesday, but limited participation on Thursday with a hand injury after colliding in practice with Tatupu.  Rotoworld says he appeared fine in the lockerrom, but did have on a protective guard.

DE Baraka Atkins - Full participation in practice in spite of a back injury.

As we've discussed many Seahawks injuries ad nauseum, there's not a whole lot left to say with this injury report.  Tatupu and Trufant will probably go on the injury report as probable, but obviously will be playing.  If they're in the lineup, this defense presents a real tough challenge to the 49ers.  I'd expect a lot of pressure all day long.  This will be a big test of J.T. O'Sullivan's pocket presence and ability to make things happen when chaos is unleashed around him. 

Over at Field Gulls, John Morgan discussed the importance of smart blitzing this weekend.  If the 49ers are going to have success on offense it will take a balanced attack and some very solid pass protection from the offensive line.  The talent is there, it's just a matter of execution.

We started out discussion of 49ers-Seahawks matchups yesterday.  Some of today's discussion centers on matchups that have been affected by injury, be it significant or otherwise.  You never want to get too confident, but when you're facing a team that has been decimated by injury, your chances have to improve (assuming you can take advantage of the weaknesses).

Match-Up #4: 49ers Pass Rush vs. Seahawks pass protection
Advantage: 49ers - In accumulating three combined sacks, Parys Haralson and Justin Smith spent a good chunk of time taking on the right side of the Cardinals offensive line.  Seattle recently placed right guard Rob Sims on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle.  In the first half of the Cardinals game the 49ers established a very solid pass rush.  The Cardinals brought in additional protection in the second half and stunted the rush and the 49ers couldn't make any adjustments.

The lack of wide receiver depth could be important in the developing pass rush.  If the 49ers can go straight man-to-man on the outside, that frees up a guy like Michael Lewis or a nickel back to add to the pass rush.  The 49ers are also thin at running back, so one would hope the 49ers try and tire them out with repeated blitzes.

Match-Up #5: Seahawks Passing Game vs. 49ers secondary
Advantage: 49ers - Matt Hasselbeck is still a very solid quarterback.  He's getting a little old, but given sufficient protection, he can pick apart defenses.  However, I can't imagine many quarterbacks who could make big plays with all unproven receivers.  This is probably the biggest story of the week considering the sheer volume of injury. 

Last weekend the 49ers secondary gave too much of a cushion due to fears of being beaten deep.  It's entirely possible Courtney Taylor or Jordan Kent could absolutely destroy the 49ers secondary.  However, it's not something the 49ers should play for at the beginning of the game.  The 49ers top 4 corners (Clements, Harris, Spencer, Strickland) is not the best group in the league, but I'd bet they're one of the better collections of talent.  They're paying these guys to shut down the pass game and this is the perfect opportunity for them to make a big impact on the overall defense.

Match-Up #6: Seahawks return game vs. 49ers return coverage
Advantage: 49ers - The injuries have even impacted the return game.  Nate Burleson was the primary return man for the Seahawks, averaging 18 yards per punt return against Buffalo (with a long of 21 yards).  The 49ers dealt with a serious averaging starting field position issue, although that was due to turnovers.  However, anything that will potentially hurt Seattle's field position is a good thing. 

The 49ers did a very good job the few times Arizona returned the ball and will look to continue this week.  The preseason was a disaster at times on special teams but so far that hasn't carried over to the regular season.  I realize it was mostly due to turnovers, but if the 49ers can avoid giving Seattle phenomenal field position, the defense might not have to exert themselves quite so much.

In the past I've run quotations from Mike Nolan with some of my initial thoughts.  Considering the circumstances of this weekend's 49ers-Seahawks matchup, I thought I'd also include some info from Mike Holmgren's conference call with reporters.  The Seahawks offense has been decimated by injuries, which is something for which he certainly needs to adjust.

The Seahawks are missing several wide receivers (one betting site just says "multiple WR injuries) and Maurice Morris appears likely to be out this weekend.  Also, StrictlyFootball informs me that starting right guard Rob Sims has been placed on injured reserve.  For thos of us who are Oakland A's fans, this run of injuries certainly sounds familiar. 

The Seahawks are at a point where they just need healthy bodies on the field.  They signed WRs Samie Parker and Billy McMullen. 

Holmgren on the two new receivers
It’s a tough task for any guy to come in and be expected to function pretty well on Sunday. Billy [McMullen] comes from the [Philadelphia] Eagles and most recently from Washington [Redskins] he has a leg up because of the terminology is somewhat similar. [With] Sammy [Parker] there’s a little bit more of a learning curve. Teams that have had to do this in the past, and I’ve had to do it a couple of times in the past, what you ask them to do, you just get them ready to do a few things and then hopefully they can do that.

On Seneca Wallace playing at wide receiver
He’s going to practice a little bit at wide receiver, which he did last week. I really didn’t stick him in the game last week. We have done that with him over the years and now it just intensifies just a little bit because [of] the real chance that he could play a little bit. Some of that will be determined by how fast [Willie] Parker and [Billy] McMullen can absorb things.

On committing to the run this week
I suppose on the surface you could probably think that way and then each game kind of unfolds in its own way. We have a really fine quarterback and we have young people who I think can play the wide receiver position, we’re just a little thin there. So, I think that any game that you go in offensively and say ‘you’re only going to do one thing offensively’ and try and do that, I think that you put everybody at a disadvantage. So we’re going to have our normal week of preparation then as the game unfolds, we have to kind of see how we’re going to handle it.

In the preseason interview I had with Scot McCloughan he mentioned the fact that no matter how good one facet of your offense is, if you force just that, most decent NFL defenses will eventually be able to stop you.  The 49ers bring what I think is a better than average defense to the table.  If they're able to tee off on Seattle's running game, it should conceivably be game, set and match.  Mike Nolan addressed the issues of the Seattle offense and how the 49ers can gameplan accordingly.

Nolan on the wide receiver injuries and having to face some unknown quantities
That’s a great question for a couple of reasons. One is that obviously they’re working guys out and there are guys coming off the roster. They don’t have to finalize their roster until Saturday so they could actually have practice squad players that will, on that day, be elevated to the active roster. So it is very difficult to really know. And we won’t know until Saturday what their roster is made up of. Like I said, that’s a great question because we probably will not know until Saturday because of that…because they can practice anybody they want and not make any moves until then.

On the lack of Maurice Morris and the expectation of different looks
Their offense is very multiple already. They use all of their personnel groups, whether its . . . three wide receivers and a tight end, three wide receivers without a tight end and two back, they use them all. Mike Holmgren is outstanding at basically using all those personnel groups and keeping it very simple from a play standpoint what they run. At least it appears to me that if you’re a player that’s been in that offense long enough, you get pretty certain what you’re job is and what the plays will be.

Mike Nolan certainly has the coach speak down pretty well.  I think he'd be foolish to not recognize the opportunity the Seahawks offense presents to the 49ers defense this weekend.  No matter who the backups are, when a team is decimated by injuries the talent level clearly takes a hit.  These guys are backups for a reason.  At the same time, Nolan obviously can't say how weakened the Seahawks are.  Doing so would probably motivate the Seahawks and might make it easier for a letdown by the 49ers.

I wanted to include one more quotation that dealt with Parys Haralson, that I thought was interesting.

On Parys Haralson getting an expanded role (he appeared in 19 plays according to Nolan)
[G]ame plan will determine some of that. Some of what he did too was because of freshness. People sometimes ask, ‘Why do you take those guys off and put those guys on?’ Well, the offense is doing it too. For one, you have got to match up. But, the other reason is, if it – it’s nice if a guy is tired and it’s 3rd down, you’d like to get him off and get a fresh guy on to go because obviously that offensive tackle is not coming off the field, and if you can apply a little more speed to the edge it happens. So, there’s – although a guy might be playing good, some of that is freshness.

What Nolan said certainly makes sense.  Does this mean they want to turn Parys Haralson into mostly a pass-rush specialist?  There's certainly nothing wrong with that as he provided a nice taste of things to come last weekend.  You like versatility in a player, but if he can be a bad-ass pass rusher, I'm fine with him being in a limited role.  Two sacks on 19 plays certainly seems like a decent ratio.

One last note, the NFL ruled Justin Smith got the entire sack on that play he split with Haralson.  So Haralson dropped from 2.5 sacks to 2 sacks and Smith was bumped up from .5 to 1.

Last week we did a breakdown of matchups with Revenge of the Birds.  Unfortunately, Field Gulls is a bit busy this week so we won't be able to compare our thoughts.  I still like the idea of comparing matchups, so I'm going to go ahead with it on my own.  Due to injuries things have changed, but there are still plenty of significant matchups to consider.

Match-Up #1: Seahawks pass rush vs. 49ers pass protection
Advantage: Seahawks (slightly) - I used the phrase pass protection because this includes running backs stepping up to block.  The Seahawks linebacking trio of Julian Peterson, Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill are quite impressive.  While they are solid dropping into coverage, Peterson and Tatupu are bad-ass pass rushers as well.  Patrick Kerney is tough enough on the line, but the Seahawks will also welcome back Rocky Bernard, the man who began the injury saga of Alex Smith.  If the 49ers aren't careful, one of those guys could very well take JTO's head off and think nothing of it.

After a strong preseason, the 49ers offensive line struggled a bit against the Cardinals.  JTO was sacked 4 times and the pocket collapsed several other times.  If they perform the same way this week in pass protection, it could be an ugly day.  It will be important to establish the running game, but if the offensive line isn't stopping the speed rush, it won't matter all that much.

Match-Up #2: Seahawks secondary vs. 49ers receivers
Advantage: Even - The Seahawks bring a solid secondary in Marcus Trufant and Kelly Jennings.  Nickel back Jordan Babineaux returns after a one-game suspension, which definitely gives them more depth.  The 49ers wide receivers were not exactly spectacular last week, but the talent is definitely there to make plays.  While Isaac Bruce was blanketed last week, Bryant Johnson was able to get open a few times to make some solid gains.  Throw in Arnaz Battle not getting a reception until the second half and you'd think the wide receivers were completely useless.

However, I remain convinced that the 49ers have enough weapons to make plays against this secondary.  Vernon Davis is getting a chance to line up wide, which adds a potent weapon.  There were a couple of 3rd and shorts last week where I wished they ran a wide receiver screen with him.  On this quick plays, he's a virtual guarantee of 3 or 4 yards simply because of his size.

I leave this as an even matchup because the potential is there for both units to be rather solid.  Either side could have a big day and it wouldn't surprise me.

Match-Up #3: Seahawks Running Game vs. 49ers rush defense
Advantage: 49ers - I think I've made it very clear my thoughts on the Seahawks running game.  It's not very good.  Now, Maurice Morris will be out and Justin Forsett was released, leaving a running back duo of Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett.  Combining two guys have been relative underachievers for their careers does not create one good running back that will overachieve (I used to be an accountant, I know how this math will work out).

We'll discuss the Seahawks passing game more tomorrow, but with a relative weak passing attack, it puts more of an onus on the running game, which I don't think they can reach.  The 49ers linebacking corp provides solid backdoor protection to the defensive line.  The 49ers linebackers have a lot of speed which should be sufficient to cut off the outside running lanes.  The primary weakness of the 49ers defense is Aubrayo Franklin.  If he gets shoved around it opens up holes in the middle of the field.  Fortunately tackling machine Patrick Willis and a combination of Takeo Spikes and Jeff Ulbrich can back him up there.  The 49ers held the Cardinals to 2.8 yards per carry, primarily because they were busy being shredded through the air.  The Seahawks might average more than 2.8 yards per carry but I'd be surprised if they successfully mounted much of an attack.  The league average is 4.0 (which they reached last week) and I don't see anything better than that.

We'll have some more matchups tomorrow....

After two seasons in the NFL, Parys Haralson had accumulated 2.5 sacks.  At that point, his scouting report read as follows:

He is not as tall or as fast as you'd like for an outside backer, but he has good initial quickness and a short burst. He reads blocking schemes well and does a good job of locating the level of the ball. He can adjust on the move and understands angles. He is a natural pass-rusher with body control and a good feel for pressure and when to counter pass blockers . . . with the ability to take on blockers and shed with hand use and natural leverage. However, he can get engulfed by bigger linemen due to his lack of size . . . and does not show great route recognition or ability to read the quarterback's eyes . . . You'd love to have him as backup and role player, but he can start if needed and fill in admirably.

Here at Niners Nation (and I'm sure in message boards across the Internet), Haralson was a guy everybody liked and thought could be somewhat of an impact pass rusher.  However, it was more just the thought of it than actual production that would indicate otherwise.

Then Sunday happened and he walked away with 2.5 sacks, doubling his career total.  I don't have the video in front of me but at least in the first half, Haralson was all over the field and bringing some serious pressure behind Justin Smith.

Over at sf49ers.com, they're going to have a different player break down each game, and Parys Haralson was there for Week 1:

On defense I worked primarily against their right tackle Levi Brown. Brown is a bigger guy than me, so leverage is everything. That’s really true in football period. Some guys study and plan different techniques against a certain guy, but to be honest, I just go out and play. I think if you just go out and play hard and give effort, you’ll just react well and make the right moves. If I’m out there thinking too much, I know I’m pretty much getting nothing done. I just try to go out and play hard and then look up at the end and see the outcome . . .

In the second half, I’m not going to take anything away from Arizona. They did do some good things against us, but we also did some things to hurt ourselves out there. We were on the field for a long time in the third quarter, but that was really our own fault. We should have gotten off the field, and made the stops. Regardless of the turnover on the kickoff, we have to keep playing hard and give it our all.

So, will we see a second strong effort from Haralson this weekend against Seattle?  Levi Brown (mentioned above) is the Cardinals right tackle, so I believe that means Haralson would be lining up against 4th year right tackle Ray Willis.  Willis was a backup prior to this season, but his scouting report indicates he "lacks the lateral range to get out with some of the better speed rushers."

Haralson has always been on the edge of the radar.  I didn't discuss him very much in the offseason and focused my thoughts more on Ray McDonald bringing the rush.  However, if we've got McDonald and Smith coming in from the line and Haralson busting in right after them it could be quite overwhelming for an offensive line.

So, what kind of season can we expect out of Parys Haralson?  It probably would require a couple more weeks to make an accurate assessment, but for now just general thoughts are welcome.  I'm sure we'll see some inconsistency from time to time, particularly against the better offensive linemen.  And of course part of it depends on the defensive linemen opening up holes.  However, I think his natural talent will allow him to take the next step in his development.  Maybe not to full-on Lawrence Taylor pass rusher, but definitely a threat other teams have to game plan for every week.

Normally I'd get to this sort of issue when the injury reports come along, but I think this is sufficiently big enough to discuss now.  Seahawks WR Nate Burleson is out for the season.

Deion Branch and Bobby Engram are both out for the foreseeable future, leaving Seattle with a wide receiver corp consisting Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent and Logan Payne.  I'd imagine they'll sign somebody in the coming days, but that passing game is in a world of hurt.  This is definitely a bit different than facing the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

EDITOR'S NOTE 3:30PM - I forgot that Seneca Wallace played some WR the last few years for them.  Not a big addition, but certainly another option.

During his midday press conference today, Mike Nolan was asked about giving up the short stuff in order to prevent the long ball:

No. It wasn’t until the second half where they were able to. Now, obviously, they are a big play offense. They make big plays, and that’s one of their m.o’s. I thought that the secondary did a good job on [Larry] Fitzgerald. But that was not our goal – to give them anything underneath. We typically play a lot of man[-to-man defense] so it’s very tight coverage. There are certain situations they created some formations that they’ve done in the past as well. But we didn’t execute as well underneath the second half to get off the field. Some of those third downs for example were a case of that.”

First, it's entirely possible one of the three guys mentioned above becomes a big play threat this weekend.  It's entirely possible Hasselbeck just shreads the secondary.  I'm not betting on it, but anything is possible.

However, the 49ers should show very little respect for the pass to start the game.  Hasselbeck is a very solid QB, but if he doesn't have legit receivers out there, why not stuff the box against the run?  Does the combination of Seattle's receivers and the trio of Clements/Harris/Spencer inspire confidence that straight man-to-man coverage is sufficient?  This could open up increased blitzing and increased protection against the run.

The Seahawks did get a decent performance from TE John Carlson.  If you're looking for a tight end in fantasy football, he might be a guy worth having until Branch and Engram return.  Until the Seahawks receivers show they can make plays I'd expect to see a lot of passes to the tight end.

While there Seattle running backs are certainly decent, they do not inspire fear.  They managed 4 yards a carry (much better than Arizona's 2.8) against the Bills so they can certainly gain some ground.  If the 49ers don't worry about the big play they could provide solid depth in the defensive secondary to prevent large gains.

So am I getting ahead of myself?  The Seahawks have a solid defense so I'm not going to say this is anything remotely resembling an easy win.  The 49ers will have to play a great game to win.  However, I believe the game plan has been somewhat altered with this injury.  Mid-game adjustments are certainly a possibility, but why not be a little more aggressive early on?

EDITOR'S UPDATE 5:00PM - Apparently Maurice Morris is also out for this weekend with a sprained knee.  TJ Duckett will get more carries and I'd imagine former Cal Bear Justin Forsett will be active for the first time.  He had a great preseason, so we'll see what kinds of touches he gets on Sunday.  I've never been a huge Morris fan, but we'll see who brings the backup for Julius Jones...