As I was watching that unbelievable game a couple of weeks ago between the Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, I found myself feeling, as a Seattle Seahawks fan, that I have missed the rivalry between these two teams. During the early years of the Pete Carroll/LOB/Russell Wilson era the Jim Harbaugh led 49ers set the standard of greatness in the NFC West, so for our team to get where it wanted to go it had to go through the 9ers. Starting in 2012, with the arrival of Wilson and the LOB coming into its own, this led to a series of awesome games between the two teams, culminating in one of the greatest NFC Championship games ever played, Seattle’s “Richard Sherman Immaculate Deflection” 23-17 victory that launched them into the 2014 Super Bowl against the Broncos. To my way of thinking, with the Hawks destroying Denver in the Big Game, that NFC Championship game was the real Super Bowl that year.

Sadly, by 2014 the 49ers had begun to decline. Conflict between the combative Harbaugh and his front office, injuries and the inevitable salary cap casualties each took their toll. From 2014 to 2018 the Hawks defeated the 49ers nine consecutive times, and the once great rivalry faded into recent history. But then things began to change in San Fran. In 2017 they hired current head coach Kyle Shanahan along with John Lynch as GM, and traded to get quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots. Shanahan, son of famous NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, had a successful history in the league as an offensive coordinator; and you probably recognize Lynch as the Hall of Fame safety who played for the Tampa Bay Bucs during their glory years nearly two decades ago.  Together Shanahan and Lynch went about rebuilding their team; and when they finally defeated Seattle in the second meeting of the two teams in 2018 it was obvious the 49ers were nearly back. With their 8-0 start this season they’ve confirmed it.

Though I truly bleed the Seahawks gray-blue and green, I am glad to see the San Francisco resurgence. Years ago, at the height of the rivalry, Pete Carroll commented that because of their excellence Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers brought out the best in himself and his team; and because of this he relished the opportunities to play them. I did too. Those games were magnificent drama, much like the one we recently witnessed on Monday Night Football. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Seahawks “D” made its first real appearance of the season a few days ago against the 49ers. The team from the Bay area is back, and once again is bringing the best out of the Hawks; and that’s a good thing.

Which brings me to the essence of this article—the game played by Seattle defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and the Seahawks D against the 49ers. It is no exaggeration to say that to this point in the season the Seahawks have been winning because of the offense and the stellar play of quarterback Russell Wilson. Defensively our team has had a hard time stopping anybody. Including this 49ers game, in total defense (yards allowed) the Hawks are ranked 24^th in the league; and in points allowed they are 22^nd. The biggest culprit in all this has been Seattle’s pass defense, which is surrendering 272 yards per game—5^th worst in the league. The Hawks pass rush has been a critical problem area. Even with the 5 sacks recorded against the 49ers, Seattle only has 20 sacks on the season, which is 28^th (4^th worst) in the league.  Understanding this, going in to this game against San Francisco I certainly hoped the Hawks would win, but I had to be realistic. The 49ers, 2^nd best in total defense and number 1 in pass defense in the league, just looked too strong. It would be their strength (defense) against Seattle’s strength (Wilson and the offense); while our weakness (defense) took on the 49ers offense and their NFL #2 ranked rushing attack. Add to this the fact that the game was at San Fran’s home field, Levi Stadium, and I had a hard time seeing the Hawks coming out on top. What I did not anticipate, of course, was that for the first time this season the Seahawks defense would show up and play to their potential. How could I have? Going in to this 49ers game our team had played 9 games and had yet to show any semblance of elite “D”, so why expect it now against the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team?

But, as they say in sports, that’s why you actually play the game—they aren’t won or lost on paper or in stat columns, a fact the Seahawks definitively demonstrated against the 49ers with their 27-24 victory.

The way this game started provided no inkling as to how it would end. San Francisco took the opening kick-off and drove right down the field, taking the lead 3-0 with a field goal. Following a 3 and out on Seattle’s first possession, Garoppolo took the 49ers right down the field again, this time scoring a touchdown. With two minutes left in the first quarter the Seahawks were losing 10-0 to an undefeated team with the best defense in the league. The game was going pretty much as I feared it would; but then, inexplicably, things began to change. Seattle’s offense was still having difficulty getting much going against the 49er’s vaunted “D”, but the Seahawks defense, and in particular defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, began to stop the 49ers. On one play, at the 10:11 mark of the 2^nd quarter, Clowney dismissed 49ers right tackle Mike McGlitchey with an incredible move, using his hands and arms to force McGlitchey to the left, which gave Clowney a direct route to Garoppolo. The resulting pressure forced the quarterback to throw the ball in to the turf in front of the receiver. Two plays later, this time against 49ers left tackle Joe Staley, Clowney once again used his arm strength and speed, pushing Staley to the outside which opened another lane to the inside, straight to Garoppolo. The 49ers quarterback barely got the pass off before he was enveloped by Clowney; and though he somehow completed that throw for a first down, Clowney’s pressure on him was a harbinger of what was to come.

From that point on the Seattle defense dominated the game. Using a formula of having 5 defenders, and sometimes 6 or even 7, at the line of scrimmage to stop the run, thus forcing the game into Garoppolo’s hands, the Hawks were at last able to unleash their long dormant pass rush; and the key to it all was Clowney. He seemed to be everywhere, making tackles, pressuring Garoppolo into happy feet and bad throws, even scooping up a Jimmy G fumble deep in 49ers territory late in the 2^nd quarter and running it in for a touchdown. The fumble was caused when Seattle defensive linemen Poona Ford and Jaron Reed executed a beautiful stunt, in which Reed, who lined up to Ford’s inside, crossed in front of Ford, split a double team block, and then strip-sacked the 49ers quarterback, leaving the ball rolling around on the turf for the Clowney scoop and score.

There is so much that happened in this game, far too much for me to chronicle completely in this article. I have now watched the game three times through, and it surely represents the best of what we love about NFL football. The twists and turns, the sudden changes, the incredible plays, all made for high drama. Looking back at it all, however, it’s the play of Clowney that stands out. Illustrating this are 3 plays that took place across a one minute span late in the 3^rd quarter. The first took place at the 4:37 mark of the quarter. The Seahawks had just taken the lead 14-10 after scoring on a short Wilson TD pass to recently acquired tight end Jacob Hollister. That score was set up with an interception by safety Quandre Diggs, himself recently acquired in a trade with the Lions and playing his first game ever for the Hawks. Following the kick-off San Francisco had the ball, 1^st and ten at its own 25-yard line. On the first play of the possession Garoppolo took the snap from under center, faked a hand-off, and then retreated a few steps to pass. Almost immediately he was assaulted by Clowney, who had broken through an attempted double team block by two 49ers players, forcing the quarterback to duck beneath his rush, whereupon he was sacked by Seattle’s Quinton Jefferson. Though the Hawks were penalized because Jefferson was called for leading with his helmet on the sack, the play epitomized the pressure being brought by Clowney and the Seattle defense.

Clowney’s pressure continued on the 49ers very next play. After the penalty, they had a 1^st and ten at their own 40-yard line; once again Garoppolo took the snap from under center, and once again he faked a hand-off and looked to pass. From his position at right defensive end, on the snap of the ball Clowney, who incredibly was unblocked on the play, headed straight towards Garoppolo, launching himself into the air towards the quarterback just as he was getting ready to throw. The pressure caused Jimmy G to hold the ball an extra count, disrupting the timing of the play. He then had to hurry the pass, which went incomplete, hitting the turf in front of the intended receiver.

On the next play, a swing pass from Garoppolo to slot receiver Deebo Samuel, the 49ers were called for holding, which set them up with 2^nd down and 18 yards to go at their own 32 yard line—an obvious passing situation. This time, as the 49ers broke huddle and came to the line of scrimmage, Garoppolo was in the shotgun while Clowney was lined up on the left side of the Seahawks defensive line, once again matched up with 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey. With the snap of the ball, as Garoppolo started to scan through his reads, Clowney went straight at McGlinchey, using his hands and arms brilliantly to keep the offensive tackle’s hands off him, and simply bull rushed him into Garoppolo’s lap, at which point the Seahawk defensive end stripped the ball away from the quarterback while also sacking him. The ball fell to the turf at the 49ers 24 yard line and was pounced on by Seattle’s Poona Ford. From there Wilson and the offense needed just 4 plays to punch it in, giving Seattle 7 more points and a 21-10 lead; and for the first time this season the 49ers found themselves in an 11 point hole in the 4^th quarter of a game. Now they would need to come from behind if they were to remain undefeated, and though there were a number of twists, turns and momentum shifts yet to come in this game, in the end the task proved just a little too difficult for San Francisco, as the Hawks came away with the 27-24 overtime win.

With the victory the Seahawks are now 8-2 with 6 games left, and control their own destiny as regards winning the NFC West Division and making the playoffs. To do that they must keep winning games, which won’t be easy with contests upcoming against Philadelphia, Minnesota, the Rams, Carolina, the Cardinals and the 49ers again to end the regular season. The task will be made immeasurably easier, however, if Jadeveon Clowney and the Hawks D continue to play as they did against the 49ers.

I hope they do, as if they do we could be in for another magical playoff run. I want another Super Bowl parade in Seattle!

Go Hawks!!!

Copyright © 2019

By Mark Arnold

All Rights Reserved