Hey guys. Panther fan here who recently moved to the area. Lot of respect for your fan base, and how you cheer your team on with class and pride.
I am pretty bummed about my Panthers losing, obviously. I guess I am an adopted 12th man now. Anyways... I just wanted to give my thoughts on how Seattle can win this week. Here goes...
1. Stop Kaepernick. Contain his running ability and get pressure on him. He doesn't do well when the pocket breaks down, but you gotta make sure to keep an eye on him so he doesn't break for long scrambles. He's kind of a whimp, so sack him early and often.
2. Don't get sucked into the smack talk and mind games. I noticed how much the 49ers players liked to talk smack and it seemed to distract our players and ruin their focus.
3. Win the battle in the trenches. This one speaks for itself. Your OL especially needs to have the attitude and come ready to rumble. San Fran has a pretty good front seven.
4. Avoid turnovers. Part of the reason we lost was because we lost the turnover battle. If you win the turnover battle, you have a much better shot at coming out with a "W".
5. Don't let the refs beat you. The 49ers seemed to get a lot of shady calls against us, and their coach, Harbaugh, seemed to do a lot of talking to the refs. Maybe he paid them? I don't know. Just don't be surprised if that continues this week, and try to keep your heads if it does.
That's all I got. Here's to a great contest this weekend and a Seahawk victory (I HATE the niners)!
I suppose you want a prediction, too. How about.... Seahawks 34, 49ers 17. I don't think it will be close.