Seattle at San Francisco

San Francisco stands at 2-1 but are they that good? The numbers would say no. Frank Gore, who ripped through defenses last year, is finding the going a bit more difficult this season. He has rushed for just 3.4 yards per carry. It has left the Niners with an offense producing very little, ranked 31st in the league. Alex Smith has hit just 51.8% of his passes, and has only found the endzone once. The Niners defense is below the middle of the pack at #19, and they have been shredded on the ground. Arizona churned out 161 and last week Pittsburgh pounded them for 205 on the ground. Concerning for San Francisco is the fact that they aren't controlling the clock (27:26 average time of possession). That bodes well for a Seattle team that has covered 16 of their last 21 games vs. teams with a TOP of less than 28 minutes per game. Last year this 49ers team only gave up 150+ yards rushing three times. They did not cover any of the games that followed after giving up 150+. Gore shredded this Seahawks defense last year so you can bet they have devised a plan not to allow that again this season. Shaun Alexander will be playing with a broken bone in his hand, but he seems to have gained the form of two years ago, and he will be the key in this one. Matt Hasselback has found the endzone five times already, completing 65% of his tosses. That combination will put a lot of pressure on the San Francisco defense. Teams with a dual threat (like Pittsburgh last week and Seattle this week) are going to cause a lot of trouble for the Niners this year. This is a pivital game, and it isn't likely that the Seahawks will be a no-show. They own this division until someone takes it from them and they want to make a statement here that the time has not yet come! They came out of week three very healthy, and we expect them to come away victorious on the road in this one.