Niners Look to Grind Out Victory Against Seattle in Thursday Night Football

Dec 24, 2011, Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) gets a play call from head coach Jim Harbaugh against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. San Francisco defeated Seattle, 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

Tonight’s Thursday Night Football match-up will feature two teams with identical records (4-2), who also happen to be division rivals. So folks, be prepared to watch the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks go at it tonight.

The 49ers are coming off one of their worst losses in recent memory, as they took a beating against the New York Giants last Sunday in San Francisco. Alex Smith played horrible, as he threw for zero touchdowns and three interceptions. It was a game that nobody saw coming, especially with how well Smith was playing prior to the showdown. To top it all off, Eli Manning didn’t even have to bring his A-game. He only threw one touchdown and failed to pass for over 200 yards. The 49ers really need to put the 26-3 loss behind them, as they will have their hands full with the young and surging Seattle Seahawks tonight.

On the other side, the Seattle Seahawks are coming off a very impressive win against the defending AFC champions, none other than the legendary New England Patriots. Russell Wilson played a tremendous game, as he threw for three touchdowns and zero interceptions, while also passing for just about 300 yards. After trailing 23-10 in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks scored two touchdowns in the final eight minutes to secure the 24-23 home victory. The game-winning touchdown came from a pass that Russell Wilson threw 46 yards to Sidney Rice, who blew by the defenders and snagged the ball in the end zone.

These two NFC West teams may be coming off of very different performances last week, but in reality, they have one major thing in common.

Defense.

During this 2012 season, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks both have unbelievable defenses. In terms of opponents’ yards per game, the 49ers allow the fewest (275.8), while Seattle allows the fourth-fewest (294.7). The Seahawks also allow the second-least rushing yards per game (70.0), while San Francisco sits at 9th in the league (92.7). And finally, for total points allowed per game, both teams rank in the top three. Seattle is proudly up at second-best in the league (15.5), while the 49ers are a close third, allowing just 15.7 points per game. The Chicago Bears lead the league in that category, as they allow just 14.2 points per game.

And so with such elite defenses going against each other, what can fans expect?

I assume that we will see a low-scoring game, with both teams combining for fewer than 25 points. Field goals and touchdowns won’t come easy tonight, so we’ll have to see which team can grind it out for those extra yards.