Seahawks at 49ers: Live Game Thread

The San Francisco 49ers (7-4) face the Seattle Seahawks (7-4) in a Turkey Day matchup that features two teams fighting for a wild card berth in the tough NFC.

Make no mistake about it: these teams do not like each other.

Whether Michael Crabtree vs. Richard Sherman or Jim Harbaugh vs. Pete Carroll, there is no love shared between these rosters. 

More from San Francisco 49ers

• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
• 49ers sign TE Daniel Helm off the Buccaneers practice squad
• 49ers: Jordan Reed could miss up to two months, will be placed on IR

As is often the case with evenly matched rosters, the home team has won the last five games. Seattle currently holds bragging rights following their 23-17 victory over the 49ers in last season’s NFC Championship Game.

This won’t shock anybody, but it’s unlikely today’s game turns into a shootout. Most ‘experts’ are predicting a low scoring affair, as defense is the modus operandi for each powerful franchise.

The 49ers have been especially poor on offense of late, failing to score more than 17-points in either of their last two games. They are, however, riding a three-game winning streak and have recaptured momentum in the NFC playoff race.

The outcome of today’s game will change the NFC Playoff picture, as both teams control their own destiny. They’ll face each other again just two weeks from now in Seattle, so a win today for the Red and Gold is infinitely more important than a win for the Blue and Green.

Here’s a brief breakdown of modern football’s greatest rivalry:

• The Seahawks have a slight advantage in head-to-head play with a 16-15 record, the difference coming from their 2013 NFC Championship Game victory.
• Although the head-to-head battle is tight, Seattle has dominated in point differential, holding a 137-point advantage, 734-597.
• The first game between these teams occurred on September 26, 1976 at the old Seattle Kingdome. The 49ers won the game 37-21 due to three touchdown passes by quarterback Jim Plunkett.

Injury Reports

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Prediction

Picking anyone but the home team in this rivalry is foolish. The Niners need this game more than the Seahawks, and I think this urgency shows on both sides of the ball. Going against history, Colin Kaepernick will throw a game winning touchdown to Vernon Davis with less than :45 seconds remaining, and for the 49ers to pull out a pivotal win at the less-than-raucous Levi’s Stadium, 14-13.

Who You Got?

Make your voice heard in today’s live game thread by submitting a comment below! Let’s have some quality feedback!