Week nine of the NFL season saw the fall of the undefeated New England Patriots by the hand of Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The loss not only ended the Patriots' second legitimate shot at an undefeated season but shot the San Francisco 49ers to the top of the NFL power rankings.
Now ranked number one in the league according to ESPN, the Niners enter week ten as the NFL's premier team. Led by Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Bosa, San Francisco is the only remaining team yet to suffer a loss. Easily the BushLeagueSports game of the week, the Niners will look to stay undefeated as the Seattle Seahawks travel to San Francisco for a Monday Night Football showdown.
Week ten also brings us a Sunday Night Football matchup between the Vikings and Cowboys, and the morning slate of games is highlighted by the possible return of reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes against the Tennessee Titans.
Seattle Seahawks (7-2) vs. San Francisco 49ers (8-0)
The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers boast a rich history but an even more illustrious last half-decade as bitter rivals. The Niners rose to prominence in 2011 with the help of a defense full of pro bowl talent and quarterback Alex Smith. Colin Kaepernick took the reigns from Smith only pushing the Niners further ultimately to be halted by the up and coming Seahawks, led by Russell Wilson.
Since coming into the league, Wilson has been named to five pro bowls, currently leads the MVP voting, but worst of all for Niner fans, Wilson won a Super Bowl before what was expected to be the next 49er dynasty.
As the Niners have risen back to prominence after a dreadful four-year stretch, where Seattle won ten out of their last eleven meetings, the bad blood has resurfaced. Good news for San Francisco is their lone win came in their last matchup, meaning the 49ers currently own a winning-streak over the Seahawks.
The question is whether that will continue on Monday night.
The 49ers are the best team in football. They have the seventh-best offense and average the third-most points a game 29.4. Their rushing attack ranks second in the NFL and, what was presumed their weak link, Jimmy Garoppolo had the best game of career last week against the Cardinals becoming the first Niners' quarterback to throw four touchdowns and 300+yards since 2000.
The 49ers' defense is even better. Ranking first in the league, the Niners have limited opponents to just 12.8 points. While their rush defense ranks 14th in the league, their passing defense tops the NFL, due in part to the impact of their front seven.
Led by Nick Bosa's seven, the 49ers have totaled 30 sacks and 57.5 tackles for losses. San Francisco, following a win against the Cardinals, felt some bad news for the time this season as linebacker Kwon Alexander suffered a torn pectoral, effectively ending his season.
Without Alexander's pro bowl level play over the middle, the 49ers defense is sure to take a step back, which is where Wilson can strike.
Wilson is the MVP thus far, leading the NFL in passing touchdowns with 22. He also has a new weapon to play with as Seattle picked up receiver Josh Gordon off the waiver wire. Speaking of Seattle receivers, Bleacher Reports' Adam Lefkoe called Wilson and Tyler Lockett the best quarterback and receiver tandem in the NFL. Connecting for 59 passes (4th) and six touchdowns (3rd), it is hard to disagree with Lefkoe.
With that said, the 49ers can take away anything Seattle throws at them with the likes of former Seahawk Richard Sherman roaming the secondary.
Good thing for Seattle, they are not built on the back of Wilson. Despite what analysts and the stat sheet may show, the Seahawks are a power-run offense. Chris Carson has carried the ball 175 times, good for second in the league while Seattle ranks fourth in total rushing attempts this season.
The ground game is where Seattle can take control and wear down San Francisco's defense. Seattle has the ability to take the ball away from San Francisco's offense and slow the game down, limiting how much time the 49ers have to work with.
Unfortunately for Seattle, their defense is one of the worst in the NFL. Ranking 25th, Seattle allows an average of 25.6 points and has shown little ability to stop the pass, meaning Garoppolo could have a field day.
Play-action is how both teams thrive, and it is where both teams will fail. The stats say the Niners have the edge, considering San Francisco has the better passing offense, but how could anyone bet against Russell Wilson this season.
Through his eighth season, Wilson ranks third with 218 touchdown passes, placing him in the same company of Hall of Famers Brett Favre, Dan Marino and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. To say Wilson has been anything but phenomenal would be an understatement. His five touchdown game last week, against the Buccaneers alone, is a season-defining outing. Despite Wilson's success, the Niners have more of an advantage than some think.
Come Monday the 49ers will have had four extra days to prepare for Seattle, and with Richard Sherman's knowledge of his former quarterback, the 49ers remain favorites.
Verdict:
The San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFL. They have the best defense and one of the best offenses in the league. Kyle Shanahan is a mastermind when it comes to moving the ball down the field, and with the return of the three offensive starters (Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey, and Kyle Juszczyk) the Niners will have an even bigger boost.
Having defeated the 49ers too many times to count, Peter Carrol and Russell Wilson know how to knock around their Bay Area rival. While Seattle defense may be lacking, Carrol will surely have the defense ready to do what Baltimore did to New England just a week ago.
If the play-action is working for Seattle, it could spell the end of the Niners win streak, but Robert Saleh's defense may have something to say about that.
The running games will be highlighted with Carson and the 49ers' Matt Breida leading the charge, but Tevin Coleman could easily find himself as the feature back as Shanahan will undoubtedly change it up.
By the end of week ten, the NFL could have no undefeated teams, which could lead to another substantial change in the power rankings. Good news for San Francisco as week ten will not be that week.
Finals Score: 49ers 31, Seahawks 26
Week 10 Predictions:
Chargers (4-5) vs. Raiders (4-4) - Chargers 26, Raiders 24
Giants (2-7) vs. Jets (1-7) - Giants 27, Jets 24
Falcons (1-7) vs. Saints (7-1) - Saints 33, Falcons 20
Chiefs (6-3) vs. Titans (4-5) - Chiefs 31, Titans 24
Ravens (6-2) vs. Bengals (0-8) - Ravens 36, Bengals 17
Bills (6-2) vs. Browns (2-6) - Bills 24, Browns 23
Cardinals (3-5-1) vs. Buccaneers (2-6) - Cardinals 26, Bucs 24
Lions (3-4-1) vs. Bears (3-5) - Lions 27, Bears 20
Dolphins (1-7) vs. Colts (5-3) - Colts 26, Dolphins 16
Panthers (5-3) vs. Packers (7-2) - Packers 29, Panthers 20
Rams (5-3) vs. Steelers (4-4) - Rams 27, Steelers 17
Vikings (5-3) vs. Cowboys (5-3) - Cowboys 30, Vikings 23
Bye Week: Eagles, Redskins, Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Texans
Record: 93-43
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