Week 10 of the NFL season finishes on Monday night with a bit of a clunker NFC West matchup between the 2-6 San Francisco 49ers and the 4-4 host Seattle Seahawks. Seattle is -9.5 on WagerWeb.com.
Seattle needs a win tonight to hold onto first in the division; lose and the Seahawks will be in a tie with Arizona.
This game could be ugly, as Seattle has lost three of four games since beating San Francisco in Week 4, and the 49ers haven't won since mid-September.
Seattle will be without two of its best offensive players, with running back Shaun Alexander and receiver Deion Branch out with injuries. Maurice Morris will start in Alexander's place, while Nate Burleson likely will see an increased role with Branch out.
"Now that it's an eight-game season, if there wasn't a sense of urgency before - which there should be all the time - there certainly is now," Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said.
Meanwhile, the 49ers started 2-0, but the wheels have fallen off, with mostly the offense to blame.
Frank Gore was a preseason MVP candidate after rushing for 1,695 yards last season, but he hasn't gained 100 yards in a game this season. He has a sore ankle that caused him to miss last week's loss at Atlanta and is listed as questionable tonight, although 49ers assistant coach Mike Singletary said Gore would play.
San Francisco QB Alex Smith also has struggled, completing less than 50 percent of his throws and 133.3 yards per game, with the lowest passer rating in the league. The 49ers are last in the NFL in total offense (224.3 yards per game) and passing offense (132.8).
Smith had his right shoulder separated on the third play of the Week 4 23-3 loss against the Seahawks in San Francisco when he was sacked by defensive tackle Rocky Bernard.Smith sat out the next two games, and has struggled in the past two since returning -- including a three-interception performance and a 22.8 passer rating in last week's loss in Atlanta.
San Francisco has not lost seven in a row since Nov. 6-Dec. 18, 2005, but actually can be in the thick of the NFC West race with a win tonight.
"It's tough to be 2-6, but we find ourselves in a unique position and with a unique challenge at only two games out playing our division leader this week," said coach Mike Nolan, who will be on the sideline tonight despite his father dying on Sunday night. "The season is a long way from being over."
Look for Seattle, meanwhile, to pass more than it has this season. Holmgren has promised a "return to his roots" in the West Coast offense, meaning a 60-40 pass-run split. That and the fact the Seahawks haven't scored a rushing TD in the past six games and are averaging only 34.7 yards rushing in the past four.
So it will be up to Matt Hasselbeck to move the chains, especially with Alexander out. Hasselbeck has 2.023 passing yards, 13 of the team's 17 touchdowns and an 88.7 passer rating.
Hasselbeck is more than ready to throw it more.
"It gives us an advantage, because if you're going to play us you haven't seen a lot of what we're about to do," he said. "So that's exciting and that's fun."
Hasselbeck threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns in the last meeting with San Francisco; he has thrown six TDs and three interceptions in his last three games and topped the 300-yard mark in two of his last three contests. His favorite target often has been Bobby Engram, who has 48 receptions for 607 yards and 3 touchdowns this year.
The lowdown: The 49ers have lost seven of the last nine meetings with the Seahawks. ... The 49ers have not scored more than one touchdown in any of their past six games. ... Seattle defensive end Patrick Kerney (oblique) and tight end Marcus Pollard are both questionable. ... If Gore plays, the 49ers could well cover, but it's tough to see how Seattle doesn't win this game.
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