After Paying Back Ravens, 49ers Now Have Chance To Do The Same To Seahawks
By Sam McPherson
In 2011, the San Francisco 49ers lost a heartbreaking playoff game in overtime at home to the New York Giants. Those Giants went on to win the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. In 2012, the 49ers lost a heartbreaking Super Bowl matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. In 2013, San Francisco lost a heartbreaking playoff game on the road to the Seattle Seahawks. Those Seahawks won the Super Bowl that season over the Denver Broncos.
Somehow, the NFL schedule gave the 49ers those same three teams in a row this year in that same order. In Week 5, San Francisco lost another last-minute heartbreaker to the Giants on the road, but the 49ers rebounded in Week 6 to beat the Ravens at home. Now, in Week 7, San Francisco gets its shot at revenge against Seattle at home.
This "Revenge Tour" lost some of its luster when former 49ers coach, Jim Harbaugh, left to go coach the Michigan Wolverines. As a result, of course, the reality of the modern NFL means there has been a lot of personnel turnover for all these teams. After all, the two wide receivers that started Super Bowl XLVII for Baltimore, Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, are now starting for San Francisco. After being swept by the Seahawks last year, the 49ers certainly have some payback on their mind this week.
Thursday night's matchup at Levi's Stadium takes on additional meaning as both San Francisco and Seattle have 2-4 record, tied for last place in the NFC West, the division the two teams dominated from 2011-14. It's odd to see both teams at the bottom of the pile in 2015. If the 49ers can beat the Seahawks, they will leave the two-time defending NFC champions with a 2-5 record and all but out of the postseason chase after seven weeks. That's certainly some extra motivation for the San Francisco players that have lost five of the last six games against Seattle.
Let's review those last six games quickly.
- December 23, 2012: Even though the 49ers would go on to the Super Bowl, this was really the game that exposed S.F. quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The Seahawks beat San Francisco in Seattle, 42-13, and left a lasting blueprint on how to shut down the 49ers offense.
- September 15, 2013: The host Seahawks beat San Francisco, 29-3, demonstrating the pounding from 2012 was no fluke.
- December 8, 2013: The 49ers finally beat Seattle with Kaepernick at quarterback, beating the Seahawks, 19-17, at Candlestick Park. It took a last-minute field goal for S.F. to win, however.
- January 19, 2014: In the NFC Championship Game on the road in Seattle, the 49ers blow a second-half lead and lose when Kaepernick tosses a late interception. The 23-17 win launches Seattle to its first Super Bowl title.
- November 27, 2014: On Thanksgiving night, the Seahawks all but eliminate the 49ers from the playoffs with a dominant 19-3 win at Levi's Stadium. San Francisco gains just 164 yards on offense.
- December 14, 2014: The 49ers play very tough on the road, but Seattle wins, anyway, 17-7. Harbaugh leaves the S.F. organization to coach at his alma mater.
Quick math tells us the Seahawks have outscored the 49ers 147-62, in the last six games with the last four being much more competitive games than the first two. San Francisco has closed the gap somewhat and Seattle is reeling right now, coming off two straight losses where the defense surrendered double-digit, second-half leads. Throw in the Super Bowl loss for the Seahawks, and this is an organization searching for itself right now.
Sound familiar? Both teams are looking for that 2015 identity. Fortunately, this game is at home for the 49ers, where they play a lot better than on the road. If this game was in Seattle, then perhaps San Francisco wouldn't stand a chance with its inconsistent offense and leaky defense. However, at Levi's Stadium with the rabid crowd aching for a win over the Seahawks, the 49ers have a very good chance of winning.
Despite being 2-4, Seattle has outscored its opponent. Their four losses have come by a combined 20 points, thanks to two overtime losses. The Seahawks still are more talented than the 49ers on both sides of the ball and now they're a desperate champion, needing to win almost every week from here on out to have a shot at the postseason. They are not an opponent to be taken lightly, especially with running back Marshawn Lynch now healthy. That means better options for quarterback Russell Wilson too.
Seattle is 15th in total offense and 4th in total defense, while San Francisco is 30th in offense and 31st in defense. By those measures, the 49ers are one of the worst teams in the NFL; they will have to play the best game they've played yet in 2015 to beat the Seahawks on Thursday night. But as Harbaugh learned on Saturday night in Ann Arbor, MI, anything is possible in the American game of football.
Sam McPherson is a freelance writer covering baseball, football, basketball, golf, hockey and fantasy sports for CBS, AXS and Examiner. He also is an Ironman triathlete and certified triathlon coach.
