The 4-3 San Francisco 49ers will take on the 5-1 Seattle Seahawks in Week 8 in a must-see NFC West showdown.
After getting smacked by the Miami Dolphins in Week 5 by a final score of 43-19, the 49ers have bounced back with two solid wins over the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, suffered their first loss of the season in Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals. The game went into overtime and Seattle lost by three points. Star quarterback Russell Wilson uncharacteristically threw three interceptions in that contest, helping the Cardinals upset the Seahawks at home.
With the 49ers-Seahawks game almost here, let's take a look at four bold predictions for the contest from a San Francisco perspective.
1. Jimmy Garoppolo throws one touchdown, two interceptions
In five games this season, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has thrown for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 66.9 percent of his passes. The gunslinger does have four interceptions, though, and he's coming off a Patriots game in which he threw two picks and no touchdown passes.
In three career games against the Seahawks, Garoppolo is 1-2. While he's thrown two touchdowns compared to one interception, the former Patriots signal-caller hasn't exactly lit it up against Pete Carroll's defense.
With that being said, we have Garoppolo throwing for one touchdown and two interceptions in Week 8 against the Seahawks. Seattle's defense is going to be flying around after losing to Kyler Murray and the Cardinals in Week 7, a game the Seahawks should have probably won since they had the lead for most of regulation.
Garoppolo is still dealing with a high ankle sprain. If the Seahawks' defensive line can get pressure on Jimmy G, the 49ers' starting QB will likely throw some errant passes and make some bad reads.
2. George Kittle has at least six catches and scores one touchdown
One of the best tight ends in the NFL, George Kittle has 35 receptions on the season for 435 yards and two touchdowns. For the 49ers to have a shot of defeating the Seahawks on the road, Kittle is going to have to have a monster game in the middle of the field.
In five career games versus Seattle, Kittle has caught 19 balls for 234 yards. However, he has zero touchdowns, so look for the 27-year-old to be extra motivated to score a TD in Week 8 since it's a huge, must-win game for the 49ers, who are in last place in the NFC West division.
We have Kittle catching at least six balls from Garoppolo and getting in the end zone for the first time against the Seahawks. It's not going to be easy, though, since the Seahawks usually play the 49ers well despite their current struggles on defense.
3. 49ers allow more than 20 points
The 49ers are currently allowing only 19.4 points per game, which is good for fifth in the NFL. However, they are about to face the No. 1 offense in the league, as the Seahawks are averaging a league-best 33.8 points a contest with Wilson leading the way.
Look for the 49ers to have trouble stopping Wilson, D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Greg Olsen. Metcalf is a matchup nightmare since he's built like Superman, while Lockett is one of the best deep threats in the NFL and has tremendous chemistry with Wilson.
After throwing three picks against the Cardinals, you know that Wilson is going to be eager to redeem himself. The one-time Super Bowl champion is as fierce of a competitor there is in the NFL and he's going to want to put on a show against the 49ers following his three turnovers versus Arizona.
In this NFC West matchup, look for the 49ers' defense to allow more than 20 points, as the Seahawks' offense is just too much to handle right now.
4. 49ers lose to Seahawks to drop to 4-4
The Seahawks have a better offense than the 49ers and Wilson and Co. are likely going to come out firing on all cylinders with how the Cardinals game ended in Week 7.
Since Garoppolo hasn't been all that great this season due to his ankle injury, look for the 49ers to lose this game and drop to 4-4 on the season. The loser of the Super Bowl seemingly always struggles the next season and that is what we are seeing with the 49ers in 2020 despite their current two-game winning streak heading into Week 8.
Wilson is 12-4 against the 49ers in his career. For whatever reason, the Niners just can't seem to figure out the six-time Pro Bowler, who is playing at an MVP level right now despite his off game in Week 7.
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