Can we take 2 from Seattle?

[Rollin' with 49ers]

Though I said we might split with Seattle, think with addition of V Davis, Larry Allan, how are our chances with Seattle/J Peterson? Think we can win at Seattle?

[bigkev401]

win at? more than likely not. not this year at least. next year, with the addition of another highly rated draft pick, yes. i think we would have a shot. now, beating seattle at home this season is a very good chance.

[49ers 4 Life]

The only way the 49ers can take two from Seattle is a healthy o-line to protect Alex Smith.There must be a ground game from the start of the game to take preassure off the q.b.,our receivers must try to make plays or try to get open and not get jammed by their corners at the line of scrimmage.Our corners can not afford to get burned by Seattle's physical receivers,d-line must contain Shaun Alexander.The defense as an entire unit must be able to put preassure on Matt Hasslebeck and not let him pick them apart.Hopefully with the additions of Larry Allen,Manny Lawson and Vernon Davis and maybe some more key free agents added to the team from the June 1st cuts,the 49ers can beat the SeaHawks.

[BrentJones84]

Wow, a thread on the Hawks and Seachicken (*cough largeant*) isn't already in here.

I think we'll split this season.

As for a sweep, it could happen, considering history shows us the Super Bowl looser generally implodes the very next season.

Although they retained enough starters, I don't see them imploding unless someone is injured.

[Ninerpheen]

Wow, a thread on the Hawks and Seachicken (*cough largeant*) isn't already in here.

I think we'll split this season.

As for a sweep, it could happen, considering history shows us the Super Bowl looser generally implodes the very next season.

Although they retained enough starters, I don't see them imploding unless someone is injured.

Yeah, i see a sweep coming. Them sweeping us. But really, i hope we can steal one away from them, especially with the new additions and without all the injuries we had last year. Its a sad day when were discussing the Seahawks and Cardinals being good:down: . What the hell happened?

[NinerRider]

In Seattle? Maybe if they have injuries. At home? I'd say we have a good shot considering we came within a missed 2 pt conversion of sending it to OT last season.

And who knows, maybe by the time we play them next season the Super Bowl Losers Curse willl be in full swing by then.

[49ersFutureGM]

I'ts going to be tough to beat the seahawks. I love their defense. they are just as athletic as ours. their front line and linebackers are very solid. it will be tough to run on. If anything we have a better shot at beating them with a passing attack. they did give up alot of big yards last year. granted, their secondary is very young.
If we are successful with our running game, i do believe we have a great shot in beating the hawks. If not, we are going to have alot of trouble putting up points.

Note: the loss of hutchinson is definately going to hurt alexander. The hawks always ran left because of hutchinson. he was so great in opening up holes for alexander.

[r0b81]

Tiz, I think the problem (at least last year) was two fold. Of course an improved pass rush would have helped but you know how Holmgren does it.

"Oh, you guys want to turn up the pressure? Fine. Draw play. Five yard in. Screen. Do we have the DEs hesitating yet? Good. Now let's play jump ball with their corners."

IMO, Manny Lawson was a huge pickup for the 49ers and will be a significant upgrade over Carter. But what about the LBs? And where is the upgrade in the secondary?

Alex Smith will be a year wiser and will have better weapons surrounding him. Not to mention, he'll have a much wiser OC working with him. I have no doubt that the offense will be more productive. But where are the upgrades to the back seven on defense (or actually eight in the case of the 3-4)? Lawson and possibly even Haralson should be able to contribute right away but the corners need help. And if you think about it, the Seahawks receivers are the least of the concerns. Who exactly is going to shut down Torry Holt or Anquan Boldin?

Who's your guys new LG?

[MAC87]

this year i think we will be competitive, and i've always been a fan of Rhodes's defenses..but i dont see us beating them this year. prob next year we will split..

[49ertime]

this year i think we will be competitive, and i've always been a fan of Rhodes's defenses..but i dont see us beating them this year. prob next year we will split..

At home we can absolutely beat the chickens. As for in their house.... that is another matter. They have a great staduim and great crowd noise, i think it is one of the noisiest places to play... wasn't that the stadium where they were showing on field decibles at over 100? Seattle is also very strong at home so i think it will be difficult for us to go there and steal it, since that crowd will really be pumping up the seachickens w/ energy. Still it isn't impossible and i am definately hoping for a sweep, i just wouldn't be suprised if we split w/ em each taking our own home game.

[Sum49er33]

:spy: I think we can beat them at home. The road, however, even with Alex having some experience under his belt will be EXTREMLY TOUGH. First, U can't deny the Seahawks talent. 2ndly, they have a proven leader in Mike Holmgren who most of us admire here on the board. Finally, U can't deny the power of the "12th" man. I feel sweeping the Seahawks 2-0 is just not realistic, but stranger things have happened in the NFL. That's Y the games are played right??

[49ersCatch]

I think we have a better chance than some people think.. we do have Vernon Davis, Larry Allen, the Madden Curse and the superbowl losers curse on our side.

[Eric 80]

Trust me when (if) we win I will not be blaming it on a curse.

[Niner'sFanatic]

We might get lucky at home but I doubt we'll beat them on the road.

[Kamron]

Well since we swept the Cardinals two seasons ago, the Rams last season, we might be able to do it this season. Or at least that's what I like to tell the one Seahawk fan at my school. Honestly though, no sweeping of the Seahawks will happen this season. I can definitely see us win at home though.

[daredevil2-5]

Seahawk fan? Sorry, but your team reminds me of the Raiders: They got spanked in the Superbowl and went downhill since then. I don't think you'll make it to the Superbowl for the next 20 years, you'll be messed up like the Rams are.
You've compared the current Seahawks to the current Rams and 02 Raiders in one paragraph. That's an amazing accomplishment.

[Captain America]

Well lets just hope that we can win the game thats at home in SF. Im tired of watching Seattle beat us both games year in and year out. But hey, in 2004 we swept AZ, last year we swept STL, could this year be SEA's turn?:whistling:

[Joe Montana]

I think a split with Seattle would be great in 2006.

[Mini_Me]

Seriously dude, why not just say "I hate the Seahawks" and be done with it. But you're just making yourself look stupid with the "crystal ball" predictions and other nonsense.

I don't know how any longtime Niner fan can have developed a hatred for the 'Hawks at this point. I have a hard time developing a sense of rivalry with regards to them- no offense, Large Ant- but a couple of lopsided losses over two years does not automatically make them a rival in my book.

On the other hand, I got a tremendous sense of satisfaction from sweeping the Lambs last year, and, especially in light of where the Niner's came from (2-14 in 2004), had they been able to hang on to a double digit lead against the Cowgirls, I would have been tempted to call last year a huge success.

[Mini_Me]

I would argue against the Seahawks and Rams being rivals quite yet. I think that these two teams have moved closer to being rivals, and I think you're right when you contend that the lack of competitiveness between the Niners and 'Hawks the last couple of years has not lent itself towards them becoming rivals with each other.

That being said, the 'Hawks have no geographical commonality with anyone. From having friends in the area, I know that Californians are not looked upon favorably up in Seattle, but that isn't anything new. Some Californians don't even know where Seattle is on a map- the feeling is not mutual. I know the Rams are no longer in SoCal, but the rivalry formed when the Niners-Rams was San Francisco vs. Los Angeles; NorCal vs. SoCal.There is a rivalry between NorCal and SoCal; even if you're not a sports fan, and Californians take sides on this.

Furthermore, aside from one other stint into the AFC Championship, Seattle has always been the underdog in the NFL. People that are not fans of these teams get tired of the success that Dallas, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, the Dolphins of the 70's and early 80's, perhaps even the current Patriots team- but I'm not sure that anyone's tired of Seattle's success yet- they haven't had any.

Sustain a dominance in the NFC West for a decade and things will no doubt change. Sustain regular appearances in Super Bowls (winning them more than losing them) and NFC Championship games over a long period of time, and people will begin to abhor the Seahawks rather than feel sorry for them.

That's the stuff from which rivalries are born, IMHO.

[Mini_Me]

Good post Mini Me. Incidentally, you might be one of the few that don't already know that I live in California. I'm well aware of the rivalries between up there and down here.

My bad. I have seen that as a reader of the board for the last several months.

I know that there used to be a rivalry between S.F. and the Rams but that has weakened since they left the state and especially since S.F. has fallen on bad times. Even the Cowboy / 49er rivalry seems to have cooled significantly.

The combination of the two things you mentioned (re:Rams) have probably weakened the rivalry, no doubt. For a grizzled older guy like me, these are just lulls that happen in the cycle of things. The rivalry will intensify again.

The Cowboys/Niners rivalry could weaken; it did in the late 80's when the Cowboys sucked. However, when two teams meet as often as these two have with the NFC title at stake, there is going to be bad blood.

As for Seattle, I don't know that a rivalry is important for them. I have enjoyed the back and forth with the Rams the past few years but I believe that in such a fluid league (teams moving and free agency most of all), I think rivalries will become much more fluid as well. I think you may end up seeing the Cardinals actually have a rival soon sometime in the near future... and that's just weird.

That's probably because the closest thing to a rival that Seattle has ever had is the Raiders. Note that when the AFC needed a team to jump ship to the NFC, no divisional foe was really up in arms about the Seahawks leaving the division.

Contrast this to the NFC East- when they had to lose a team, whenever anyone breached the subject of Dallas being the team to leave the East, three teams (NY, Philly and Washington) screamed bloody murder. Washington/Dallas may be as intense a rivalry as there is in the NFL. Likewise, logistically the St. Louis Rams might make more sense within our relatively new directional league in another division, but the Niners would never allow that.

You may have a point with the league being more fluid if that trend continues, but free agency itself has been around for a while, and rivalries continue to be well established between some teams (see above) and are budding between others. What stands between these fledgling rivals is time for some (the Seahawks & Rams?) and legitimacy for others (tell us how Brownies fans feel about your team, Tiz! And do your fellow fans feel the same about them? What if they started winning some AFC North titles?)

Good discussion!

[sublime]

coming away with one win against the reigning NFC champs would be incredible!

I'd be content though, in my honest and humble opinion, if we the team is competitive in each outing and does not allow a beat down of say more than 2 td's.

Now, with that said, I begin to stick needles in my JP santeria/voodoo doll.

Go SF!

[D-Man]

Mark my words....WE WILL SWEEP THE POULTRY! :thankyou: :fishing:

[Donut!]

too early to predict but with all things the way they are now we'd be lucky to split with the seahags :francis: