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Steve Busichio had an excellent post up earlier that is worth checking out. In it, he details some keys for the offense for beating Seattle's superior defense. His comments regarding the 49ers' YAC this season are particularly good. I had never even considered the fact that our receivers weren't doing so well in that department; although, now that it is pointed out, it seems obvious to me.
The logic of the post, though, is something I would like to make explicit for the sake of discussion. Obviously, we want to win and to win big on Sunday. A trouncing would not just be good for the team, but also for us fans. It would feel mighty good.
But, I think this game is a sort of measuring stick for the team as it, hopefully, heads into the playoffs. What sorts of problems do we have still as a team? Is our o-line depth going to cover up for some injuries? Can our secondary maintain is stellar ways? Will the pass rush continue to develop?
And while I think we stand a very good chance of winning, what sort of loss would make you comfortable? I have been thinking about the first game we played against the Seahawks earlier this year. Even though the score doesn't represent it, the game was actually pretty close for, at least, the first half. Both defenses were clicking. We were able to harass just about every player on the Seahawks' offense, never letting them get into a rhythm. It was great defensive football.
But, our offense. It was putrid. And, since you have Steve's post detailing his thoughts on the offensive side of the ball, I won't try to step on his toes.
So, this begs a question for discussion: what sort of game do you want to see on Sunday? And, for the sake of discussion, let's try to avoid answers like "a big win!" (though this guarantees that the first person's comment will be, of course, "a big win!").
Win or loss, I'd like to see the pass rush have a big day. Russell Wilson is a tough QB to bring down. And even though he is not having as good of a season as some people claim he is, he can still be very dangerous as a runner and passer. I'd like to see a game in which sacks are a-plenty. Pass rushers need to get to him quickly and wrap up, not letting him dance out of their grasp. Obviously, this is easier said than done. But, if we can continue to electrify teams with our pass rush, we could use this to go far in the playoffs. So, win or lose, this would be a good sign for me.
