It\u2019ll also be a meeting of one of this year\u2019s best defenses against a red-hot San Francisco offense. Brock Purdy has 10 touchdowns in the last two weeks, and the 49ers are averaging 42 points per game over their last three. Meanwhile, the Seahawks\u2019 defense has limited opposing offenses to the second-fewest points per game and hasn\u2019t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 25 consecutive games.<\/p>\n
But you\u2019ll hear plenty about those two sides of the ball. That\u2019s why your two numbers that matter for Week 18 tell the story of the Seahawks\u2019 offense and the 49ers\u2019 defense.<\/p>\n
Your first number that matters is\u2026 30<\/p>\n
You know the Achilles heel of this Seahawks offense. It\u2019s giveaways. It could end up costing them in the playoffs. With the spotlight on a phenomenal season for Seattle\u2019s defense, it\u2019s easy to feel like Seattle\u2019s offense is, well, anemic. Slow starts, interceptions and fumbles, an inconsistent run game\u2026<\/p>\n
But not so fast. It may not be the single greatest strength of this team, but Seattle\u2019s offense is tied for the most 30-point games in the NFL this year (8) and has the most 35-plus-point games in the league (6). The 49ers\u2019 defense is the fifth-worst against the pass Seattle has faced, and the Seahawks have scored 30-plus points against three of those other four teams. And while some of the scoring has been a product of defense and special teams, consider that this year\u2019s Seahawks have scored 470 points \u2013 the most of any Seahawks team ever, beating the 2020 squad (that was also the last time this team won the NFC West).<\/p>\n
The Seahawks need to score earlier and more often in the first half. It\u2019s risky to fall behind in the postseason. But for now, they can at least hang their hat on being the highest-scoring third quarter offense this year.<\/p>\n
Your next number that matters is\u2026 18<\/p>\n
The 49ers\u2019 defense has made key plays. A pick-six of Philip Rivers in a Monday night win over the Colts, key stops late of Caleb Williams and a surging Bears offense on Sunday night.<\/p>\n
But overall, they\u2019ve struggled to get to the quarterback. They\u2019re last in sacks, with just 18 this season. They\u2019ve registered fewer pressures than the Raiders. Personnel changes are a massive part of that story \u2013 it\u2019s tough to be stellar without your two best defenders on the field \u2014 but a struggling defense is an underrated part of the 49ers\u2019 season. It\u2019s wildly impressive that they\u2019ve been able to fight for the top seed without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, but it\u2019s also meant there\u2019s another obstacle to overcome: getting to a Super Bowl with a bottom-third defense. You\u2019d assume Robert Saleh\u2019s group would try to blitz more often in this one, considering Darnold\u2019s struggles against mounting pressure this season. But fail to get home with that pressure and you risk a massive day from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had 124 yards in their Week 1 meeting<\/a>.<\/p>\n More on the Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Bump: It\u2019s the Seattle Seahawks O-line\u2019s time to shine vs 49ers<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0The Reset: The reasons the Seattle Seahawks will beat the 49ers<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Seahawks-49ers Injury Report: Shaheed to play; Cross ruled out<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Stacy Rost: Defense wins championships? Seahawks are counting on it<\/a>
\u2022 Daniel Jeremiah: What\u2019s changed since Seahawks\u2019 Week 1 loss to 49ers<\/a><\/p>\n
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