Welcome back to another week of football. Week 3 is upon us, and the San Francisco 49ers wrap up their first set of back-to-back road games. The team heads north to the Emerald City to face the Seattle Seahawks. The game kicks off at 1:05 p.m. PT on FOX, with Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, and Pam Oliver on the call. It is primarily a regional broadcast, but you can check out the broadcast maps here.
The 49ers and Seahawks had a fantastic rivalry in 2012 and 2013, and it had some high points in the mid-2000s. But things have gone downhill the last two years following the 49ers 2014 NFC title game loss up in Seattle. The Seahawks have won four straight since then, all by double digits.
The 49ers are underdogs, ranging between 9.5 and 10.5 points. The Seahawks have covered nine straight in this series, but a lot of money is pouring in on the 49ers; upwards of 65 percent as late as Saturday evening. The Seahawks offense has been atrocious the first two games, thanks to Russell Wilson’s high ankle sprain, and the team’s awful offensive line. The defense remains dominant, but oh boy, that offense is bad.
Christine Michael will get the start on Sunday, and should receive a large chunk of carries. However, he is playing an offensive line that theoretically should be outmatched by the 49ers defensive line. That doesn’t mean the 49ers will actually take care of business, but the matchup advantage is there for them.
On the other side of the ball, we are left to hope and pray that the team can avoid turnovers. They have one fumble lost in each of the first two games. Blaine Gabbert did not turn the ball over in the Week 1 shutout, but then threw two picks in Week 2. Can he avoid costly turnovers against the Seahawks. He did not throw any interceptions against them last season, but it’s difficult to see him repeating that feat. If he does and the 49ers can get at least one touchdown, an upset is very possible.
Nuts and bolts
Location: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA
Game time: Sunday, September 25, 10:00 a.m. PT
TV channel: FOX
Online streaming: NFL Game Pass
Radio: 810-AM, 107.7 (Ted Robinson, Tim Ryan) | Full listings
Spanish Radio: KTRB 860-AM (Jesus Zarate, Luis Landero/Gabriel Sotelo)
Matchup history: 8-11
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, Kevin Lynch, Pam Oliver (sideline reporter)
Enemy blog: Field Gulls
Twitter: @ninersnation
Facebook: Go ahead and give us a like!
49ers regular season schedule
Week 1: vs. Los Angeles Rams - 28-0 WIN
Week 2: @ Carolina Panthers - 46-27 LOSS
Week 3: @ Seattle Seahawks, 1:05 p.m., FOX, Sunday, September 25
Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys, 1:25 p.m., FOX, Sunday, October 2
Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals, 5:25 p.m., CBS Thursday, October 6
Week 6: @ Buffalo Bills, 10:00 a.m., FOX, Sunday, October 16
Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:05 p.m., FOX, Sunday, October 23
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints, 1:05 p.m., FOX, Sunday, November 6
Week 10: @ Arizona Cardinals, 1:25 p.m., FOX, Sunday, November 13
Week 11: vs. New England Patriots, 1:25 p.m., CBS Sunday, November 20
Week 12: @ Miami Dolphins, 10:00 a.m., FOX, Sunday, November 27
Week 13: @ Chicago Bears, 10:00 a.m., FOX Sunday, December 4
Week 14: vs. New York Jets, 1:05 p.m., CBS Sunday, December 11
Week 15: @ Atlanta Falcons, 1:05 p.m., FOX, Sunday, December 18
Week 16: @ Los Angeles Rams, 1:25 p.m., FOX Saturday, December 24
Week 17: vs. Seattle Seahawks, 1:25 p.m., FOX, Sunday, January 1