We are hours away from Round 3 between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. Round 1 was narrowly San Francisco\u2019s, while Round 2 was clearly Seattle\u2019s. What do we have in store for Round 3? I don\u2019t care if it\u2019s narrow or emphatic, it just needs to be a win, because whoever loses this NFC Divisional Round tilt is headed home for the year.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get to some game predictions for Seahawks vs. 49ers, Act III. First, let\u2019s review what happened last time out<\/a>!<\/p>\n Bold prediction: Better late than never for Rashid Shaheed<\/p>\n Seahawks offense prediction: The Seahawks finally score multiple 1st half offensive touchdowns<\/p>\n They got one, which was an important one, and it was enough.<\/p>\n Seahawks defense prediction: Multiple turnovers off of Brock Purdy again<\/p>\n They got one, which was an important one, and it was enough.<\/p>\n 49ers prediction: George Kittle still has a big day<\/p>\n Didn\u2019t happen. And unfortunately for George, we don\u2019t know how many more big games he has left after that awful Achilles tear against the Eagles.<\/p>\n Game prediction: Seahawks are the kings of the NFC West<\/p>\n Bold prediction: Rashid Shaheed\u2026 for real, this time<\/p>\n This is my last Rashid Shaheed bold prediction for the season, win or lose. He had a bye week for the first time all season; when he was traded to Seattle, the New Orleans Saints didn\u2019t have their bye yet. That bye week included a couple of practices, aka two practices to gain more chemistry with Sam Darnold.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve loved Shaheed\u2019s special teams value and his presence may have opened the running game a bit, but he was brought here to be a formidable receiving threat. Outside of the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts games, that hasn\u2019t really materialized. Something hasn\u2019t quite clicked and maybe it just needs another offseason to click. I\u2019d rather it start clicking now, and perhaps it\u2019s time he get some WR2 looks over Cooper Kupp and see if anything changes.<\/p>\n Shaheed doesn\u2019t have to be typecast as a deep threat; get him on shallow crossers, screen passes, anything that allows him to use his speed for yards after catch.<\/p>\n Jaxon Smith-Njigba is surely going to lead the Seahawks in receiving yards and receptions, but I think Shaheed won\u2019t be too far behind.<\/p>\n Seahawks offense prediction: Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets his first touchdown vs. 49ers<\/p>\n JSN has scored against the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, but his first TD awaits against the 49ers. He\u2019s already had two 100+ receiving yard games against San Francisco, so he\u2019s ready to be a thorn in their side for a long time.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t care if he scores on Deommodore Lenoir, who probably won\u2019t be matched up with him at all on Saturday. He just needs to get into the end zone, and I see him taking advantage of the second-year corner Renardo Green for an explosive play touchdown.<\/p>\n Seahawks defense prediction: Brock Purdy will be strip-sacked<\/p>\n This sounds crazy, but for as many sacks as the Seahawks have managed on the year, their only strip sacks have come against Jacoby Brissett in that blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals. Tyrice Knight had both sacks, while DeMarcus Lawrence ran both fumbles back for touchdowns.<\/p>\n Purdy will have a much healthier Trent Williams protecting him this evening, but he\u2019s but one guy on a five-man line. Brock has only fumbled three times all season, but two were turnovers against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. With all of the pressure the Seahawks have put Purdy under through two meetings, eventually one of those sacks will have to involve a Cliff Avril-esque chop of the arm. It\u2019s of paramount importance that Seattle continues to keep Purdy in the pocket instead of letting him escape, where he is very dangerous operating off-script with his legs. I\u2019ll go with Uchenna Nwosu to get a potential takeaway for Seattle.<\/p>\n 49ers prediction: Ricky Pearsall makes things a little more difficult for Seattle<\/p>\n By no means am I making Pearsall out to be an elite receiver; I think he\u2019s good and going to get better if he stays healthy. If Pearsall doesn\u2019t play then this prediction is worthless and the 49ers passing game will be really up against it. Should he return to the field, he provides the type of viable vertical and intermediate threat on the boundary that Seattle generally didn\u2019t have to respect in the first meeting. Seattle ran more man coverage<\/a> than normal against the 49ers, and while I believe that should still be the approach in this game, Pearsall is still more dangerous on a consistent basis than Jauan Jennings or Demarcus Robinson.<\/p>\n Unless he really can\u2019t go or is a shell of himself, I expect Pearsall to be the 49ers\u2019 leading receiver and hit a couple of explosives (if not score) against Seattle\u2019s secondary\u2026 ideally not to the same level as Week 1. Riq Woolen ought to be locked in now.<\/p>\n Game prediction: Seahawks march to the NFC Championship Game<\/p>\n I can\u2019t not fret about this game. I\u2019ve seen a lot of proclamations of no chance for the 49ers to win this, which I feel is a bit disrespectful and wishful thinking. Seattle is the better and healthier team, but it\u2019s still a division game and unless Brock Purdy\u2019s elbow falls apart the 49ers have historically gone down with a fight under Kyle Shanahan.<\/p>\n Sam Darnold won\u2019t shrink, the run game will thrive with Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet, the defense won\u2019t be as lockdown as the first meeting but still play more than well enough to win, and Jason Myers won\u2019t malfunction when called upon for field goals. It\u2019ll be competitive, hard-fought, but I\u2019m still picking the Seahawks to win 27-17 to move a step closer to the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n Have at it in the comments! Make your predictions for tonight\u2019s game!<\/p>\n