San Francisco 49ers Vs. Seattle Seahawks: Bold Predictions For Week 3 Of The 2016 NFL Season

The San Francisco 49ers will be facing their division rival on Sunday afternoon. According to ESPN, the 49ers will travel to Seattle, Washington to face off against the Seattle Seahawks. This game will be televised on Fox at 3:05 p.m. Central time. San Francisco is coming into this match-up as a big underdog. The Seahawks are 11-point favorites.

Last week, both teams had disappointing losses. The Seahawks came up short in their last game against the Los Angeles Rams. The final score was 9-3. It was a defensive slug fest. Russell Wilson threw for 254 yards. Christine Michael had 60 yards on 10 carries. Tyler Lockett had 99 yards on four receptions.

The 49ers came up short on a comeback victory against the Carolina Panthers. They lost that game 46-27. Blaine Gabbert threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Carlos Hyde had a rough day against the Panthers defense. He had 34 yards on 14 carries. The bright spot for San Francisco was that they forced four turnovers.

Get up to speed on what the 49ers are saying about our matchup in Seattle. #SFvsSEA

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— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 22, 2016

There have been some concerns for the Seahawks to start off the season. They have won one game and lost one. Seattle has struggled to find their offense. Russell Wilson and the offense have only managed to score 15 points thus far. The biggest problem for the Seahawks is the offensive line. They only have one starter returning from last year.

Injuries are one of the factors of the Seahawks recent struggles. Russell Wilson suffered an ankle injury in the season opener against the Miami Dolphins. Tyler Lockett missed most of the second game due to a knee injury. Running back Thomas Rawls is listed as doubtful due to a shin injury. Doug Baldwin was hobbled after the game last week. Lockett and Baldwin are expected to play.

For the Seahawks to win this game, they will need the offensive line to have an incredible game. They will need to give Russell Wilson some time in the pocket. Running back Christine Michael has been playing great to start off the season. He has 126 yards on 25 carries.

Seattle’s defense is one of the best defenses in the NFL. They are ranked first in points allowed with 9.5 per game and total yards allowed with 248.5. The Seahawks are third against the run and fourth against the pass. They have play makers at every level of their defense.

The Chip Kelly era has started off with one win and one loss to start off the season. The 49ers are averaging 27.5 points through two games. They are ranked 28th in the passing game.

For San Francisco to win this game, they will need their run game to get it going with their passing game struggling. The 49ers defense will need to attack a struggling offensive line of the Seahawks to keep them in the game.

Blaine Gabbert will need to play a very efficient game to keep the 49ers in it against the Seahawks. Vance McDonald has been a big play threat for the Niners. Jeremy Kerley is the leading receiver for them. San Francisco’s offensive line will need to hold off defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril.

The 49ers defense has forced five turnovers in two games. They will need to continue that to give their team a chance of winning this game.

With the Seahawks offense struggling to find their groove, the 49ers have a good chance of winning this game. This game could be a defensive slug fest and a game of field goals. Seattle has a 65 percent chance of winning this game. The Seahawks are 0-2 this season as the favorites.

[Featured Image by Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images]