The Seattle Seahawks will face off against the San Francisco 49ers for the second time in three weeks on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PT. This time however, a Seattle win would guarantee them a spot in the NFC playoffs as one of the two wildcard spots.
The playoff spot is the biggest storyline for this game, but there is plenty of other intriguing things to watch for when Seattle faces off against Richard Sherman and company once again.
Will we see more of the George Fant vs. Richard Sherman matchup?
The last time these two teams faced off, the Seahawks sent left tackle turned tight end George Fant out wide to line up across from former Seahawks corner Richard Sherman. At the time it seemed like more of a decoy than anything, a way to keep Sherman occupied and out of trouble.
However, since then the Seahawks have incorporated Fant into the passing game, completing a nine-yard pass to the big man on Monday. It would have gone further, but Fant tripped himself up after a few yards.
This offensive set seemed to work against San Francisco last time, and the threat that Fant may actually catch a pass could keep Sherman, or another defensive back, a little more occupied.
Can Seattle’s defense stop George Kittle?
Seattle did a decent job against Kittle last time out, when he had six catches for 70 yards. Last week he hauled in 210 yards – including an 85-yard touchdown. The dynamic tight end has 69 receptions for 1,103 yards on the season, and is a major threat to disrupt Seattle’s defense.
“He’s really good,” defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. said. “He catches a lot of balls. He’s a threat. He runs well, he catches well, he runs after he catches, he blocks well. He’s a dynamite, sharp, big-time NFL player, so it’s going to be a challenge to hold him down.”
If Seattle can neutralize Kittle, which few teams have been able to do, it will help keep the San Francisco offense off the field.
Does J.D. McKissic replace Rashaad Penny in the offense?
The Seahawks will be without rookie running back Rashaad Penny on Sunday, who is battling a knee injury. Chris Carson and Mike Davis will shoulder most of the running back duties in Penny’s absence, but coach Pete Carroll did indicate that running back J.D. McKissic could get involved in the offensive game plan as well.
“He’s likely to play more yes,” Carroll commented on Friday after practice. “He’s really rearing to go. He looks terrific in practices at full speed. I don’t have any hesitation with him playing in the game. He’s got some good things to do in the game plans so we are excited to see him.”
McKissic was a big part of Seattle’s offense in 2017, and having him step up on Sunday would be a big boost for this Seahawks offense.