49ers vs. Seahawks 1st quarter thread: Don’t give the underdog any hope

The Seattle Seahawks have left a sour taste in 49ers fans' minds during the past decade. Russell Wilson is gone, but Pete Carroll has caused enough nightmares in the Bay Area to know that any close game heading into the fourth quarter favors him.

The 49ers are the best team in the NFC. They are favored as big as they are for a reason. But as long as you let the underdog hang around, the longer you allow them to believe they have a chance.

Nerves are high, and rightfully so. However, the talent disparity is real. The Niners have better players across the board. Geno Smith is a different quarterback when he’s playing from behind. He tends to press, which leads to mistakes.

When Smith is up, or the game is tied, he’s confident and makes “highlight” throws. Smith hasn’t had the type of success against the 49ers' defense as he has against other teams. San Francisco looks to keep it that way this afternoon.

The rain is coming down much harder now that we’re getting closer to kickoff. We’ll see which offense the weather affects the most.