Seahawks @ 49ers
Final Score: SEA 20-SF 17
Writer: Matt Bevins (MBevinsQBList at X/Reddit)
Two Up
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Jaxon continues his mid-season tear, leading the way in both targets and receptions as the Seahawks needed him badly to take out a win right from underneath the Niners squad. In the past 2 weeks, he’s had 13 and 10 targets as his ascension to the #1 option for the Seahawks continues.
- Jauan Jennings – Jauan Jennings has had an enigmatic start to his career. A 7th-round pick, he received a contract extension in the offseason and has become the player Brock Purdy looks for almost as much as Christian McCaffrey. He continued to build off his season totals this week.
Two Down
- Jordan Mason – This one doesn’t need much explanation. With McCaffrey back, Jordan Mason is the de facto #2 back and backup until further notice.
- Deebo Samuel – The Deebo Samuel adoration for the Niners may have finally worn off, either due to continued inability to stay healthy or the return of weapons like McCaffrey and Jennings. Either way, he will continue to lose targets and opportunities as the season progresses.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Geno Smith- 25/32, 1 int| 4 carries, 29 yards, 1 rushing TD
Geno has had a very up-and-down season after a ceremonious coming-out party two years prior. It seems as though his talent is having trouble intertwining with the youth at hand. Today was saved by a semi-mediocre showing by the Niners. While he’s having a bit of trouble getting up and showing out like he did a year ago, he’s found a number one in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Geno was able to carry the ball for another 30 yards but was mostly playing keep away on a large scale.
Running Back
Kenneth Walker – 14 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 5 yards
Zach Charbonnet– 4 carries, 3 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 2 yards
The running game has struggled immensely over the past 2 weeks, as Kenneth Walker barely got above 50 yards this week and last week didn’t average two yards per carry. While Walker is seeing some downplay in his game, Zach Charbonnet hasn’t taken over the reins either. Walker looks completely sapped for rushing speed and has had trouble finding lanes to get out and to the edges. The team is looking to move a bit away from rushing, and this could make the second half of the season a big struggle for Walker owners. Saved by a one-game rush into the end zone halfway through the second half, a short dive into the end zone could have likely saved some fantasy owners.
Wide Receiver/Tight Ends
Jaxon Smith-Njigba – 11 targets, 10 receptions, 110 yards
D.K. Metcalf – 9 targets, 7 receptions, 70 yards
Tyler Lockett– 3 targets, 2 receptions, 19 yards
A.J. Barner– 4 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards
The offense may not look spectacular in the scoring column, but the team is starting to churn out some yardage between the two-headed duo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and D.K. Metcalf. Both players have had a strong month despite Metcalf being out the week before their bye. While JSN wasn’t able to get himself a touchdown to cap off a spectacular game, it seems as if somewhere between 8-13 targets is going to remain the expectation. While the offense showcased Lockett before the bye due to Metcalf being out, it seems as if he’s being phased out for the youth that is embracing their ascensions. Between the two possible running backs behind Geno, then the youth of Metcalf and JSN, the Seahawks are a sneaky good squad that may come out of this division punching above their expected weight. The lone thing that worries watching the receiving core is that they’re putting a lot of responsibility in a mostly untested 1-2, and while it could work out, there’s still a bit of uncertainty.
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
Brock Purdy – 21/28, 159 yards | 5 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD
Brock Purdy isn’t going to go down without a fight, but 159 yards in the air isn’t going to get it done. Over two-thirds of his passing yards went to Jauan Jennings, and it almost seemed in this game that without George Kittle, this team lost a lot of their flexibility in their game planning. While the team had some solid overall lines, it’s looking like this team is not anywhere close to being the Super Bowl contender they have been in the past. Deebo Samuel looks neutralized, and the team only seems to funnel through CMC on the ground and Jauan Jennings in the air. Between this and the rest of their offense being young or practice squad players, there seems to be a ton of ups and downs ahead for this squad, and this could be seen in the fact that Purdy found a ton of “check-down” style play between CMC and Jauan Jennings.
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey – 19 carries, 79 yards | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 27 yards
Jordan Mason – 2 carries, 13 yards
Remember how, for almost 3 months of the season, we heard every length of runway on CMC’s injury concerns, from “he’ll never play a down again” to “he’s going to pick right back up whenever he sees the field?” While he’s back and playing with a resurgence, it’s a bit worrisome watching his numbers continue to pile up just two weeks into a return with no sense of an end in sight. Did we not just go through the result of using this guy too much? Surely, the team has some idea on weening him down after he gets back to total game speed and we see Kittle returning, but this doesn’t seem to be a great idea when you’re dealing with a player who packs up a yearly bag with dings. Jordan Mason saw an entire two carries and is an afterthought unless something happens to McCaffrey. As a huge fan of the Mason fellow, it’s hard to see him completely downsized, but we may see him start to blend back in more with a revitalized McCaffrey.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jauan Jennings– 11 targets, 10 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD
Deebo Samuel – 7 targets, 4 receptions, 22 yards
Two players were the length of the passing game today, as Ricky Pearsall saw zero targets today, Kittle’s backup saw a lone reception, and the team continued to funnel itself through a couple of key players. Jennings continues to make impressive plays, and his target concentration is sitting somewhere between 9-15 yards deep. There doesn’t seem to be much of a plan to change anything, and this game seemed to be a proverbial “take the game and try and lose as little as possible.” Disheartening for Niners fans, as it seems the team needs to build some expectations other than Kittle and CMC, as they’ve both been known to drop out due to injury woes. The Niners are flying too close to the football sun in the sky. Hope their wings don’t melt.