When the San Francisco 49ers needed a big play against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, their superstars delivered.
Where was the play-action in Seahawks’ opener?
George Kittle hauled in a touchdown pass on third-and-goal in the first quarter. Christian McCaffrey finished with 142 scrimmage yards, including a key fourth-down conversion that kept alive a field-goal drive. Fred Warner flew around the field and made plays, showcasing once again why he’s a four-time All-Pro linebacker.
And in the waning moments, with the Seahawks knocking on the door of a potential go-ahead touchdown, 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa overpowered right tackle Abraham Lucas and forced a game-sealing strip-sack fumble that handed the Seahawks a crushing 17-13 season-opening loss.
For NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, the 49ers’ superstars were the story of the game.
“I think the collective of Seattle, it’s deeper, younger, faster,” Jeremiah said Tuesday during his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “But when (the 49ers) needed plays, … their star guys made those key plays in those key moments.”
That storyline laid bare one of the key questions facing the Seahawks: While they have a lot of good players on their roster, do they have enough elite, blue-chip talent?
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler’s annual preseason ranking of the top 10 NFL players at each position – based on input from league executives, coaches and scouts – suggest that’s still a shortcoming for Seattle.
The Seahawks had just three players ranked in the top 10 of their respective positions, and none in the top five. Leonard Williams was ranked sixth among defensive tackles, Devon Witherspoon was 10th among cornerbacks and Julian Love was 10th among safeties.
The 49ers, meanwhile, had five players ranked among the top five of their respective positions.
And the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles? They had 10 players in the top 10 of their respective positions – including seven in the top five.
“I go through all my notes and I’m writing down all these good things I’m seeing from all these different Seahawk players,” Jeremiah said. “I think there’s more depth (on Seattle’s roster), and I think it’s going to prove itself out over a long season when (teams like) the Niners are already getting crushed with injuries.
“There’s a lot of really, really good here. But who are the elite guys, when that play needs to be made, that are gonna make that play? That was the big takeaway.”
Listen to the full conversation with NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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• What Brock Huard saw on Seattle Seahawks’ last-minute fumble
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• ‘Not the start that we wanted’ for Seattle Seahawks’ offense
