Did Seattle’s win give NFL the blueprint for beating 49ers?

San Francisco 49ers running back Tevin Coleman (26) runs past Seattle Seahawks strong safety Bradley McDougald (30) during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

SANTA CLARA — Every good team needs to lose a game.

With the exception of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins, every Super Bowl champion lost at least once along the way. And they learned from losing and improved.

The 49ers just lost their first game. They’re still good, and could become even better if they study the hard truths the Seahawks taught them Monday night. Here’s what the Seahawks revealed about the 49ers. Call it the anti-49ers blueprint.

The blueprint to defend the 49ers’ offense.

This is the blueprint, one the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers’ next opponent, likely will follow: Take away the run. The 49ers lead the league in rushing attempts — they’re a run-first offense. That’s their identity. Make them become a drop-back passing offense, and live with the results.

The blueprint sounds simple, but zero teams pulled it off until the Seahawks Monday night, when they limited the 49ers to 87 rushing yards, dangerously substandard for the 49ers.

The Seahawks used a special alignment with six defenders on the line of scrimmage — the same alignment the Patriots used in the Super Bowl when they held the Rams to just three points. Placing six defenders on the line of scrimmage makes it extremely difficult for the opposing offense to run the ball or roll the quarterback out of the pocket. He needs to drop back and throw, because he’s caged in the pocket. The upside is that the middle of the field is open if he can take advantage of it.

Normally against this alignment, Jimmy Garoppolo would throw to George Kittle, often over the middle. But Kittle missed Monday’s game with knee and ankle injuries, and could miss more games. He has not practiced this week.

The 49ers have to find new ways to beat this defensive alignment, because other teams most likely will copy it.

“Anytime you lose your best player, you need guys to step it up,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “You really miss George on those checkdowns. A normal guy gets seven yards. George has a chance to go 60 yards. Always makes it tougher when you got to have 10 plays instead of three.”

Click here to read the rest of the article.

This article has 92 Comments

  1. This boils down to two items… can Jimmy improve at reading the defense and do the 49ers have any recievers capable of winning his trust.

    1. I would throw in the OL protecting Garoppolo long enough to for him to get a pass off.
      Rust may have been the reason McGlinchey and Staley struggled in their first game back, but Grant is right that the latter looked old on Monday night. Hopefully Skule does better.

  2. Sure if they gave one on how to injure players.
    It’s literally this simple. THE 49ERS couldn’t overcome the injuries to the team.
    Seattle is Nobody special.
    Just good timing.

  3. Grant the Cardinals did that before Seattle. Naturally teams will take away the run forcing the 49ers to pass more so no secret there. It works when Kittle and Sanders aren’t healthy. The bigger problem that you and others should address to Shannahan and Lynch is why have they passed on better WR prospects in past drafts. Losing 1 WR to injury exposed the 49ers to the whole world. As many high in the round draft picks they have had, why is quality depth a problem in such an important area?

  4. Definitely think the Seahawks gave the rest of the league the Blue Print to beat the 49ers. Every team must sign an All Pro QB having an MVP caliber year so he can take 4.5 quarters to put up 20 points against the great 49ers defense. Then the blue print calls for NFL teams to have the 49er WRs drop 7 passes and give away 2 possessions on TOs on those 7 drops. Then the blue print calls for NFL teams to play the 49ers for 3.5 quarters with the 49ers missing 3 of their top playmakers on offense. Then the blue print calls for NFL Teams to have the 49ers kicker get injured so the 49ers have to sign a kicker off the street on Thursday who misses the game winning field goal in OT. Then the blue print calls for the officials to obvioulsy blow the spot on a 49er 1st down in OT which killed a much easier scoring chance.

    So the easy answer is the blue print for other NFL Teams to beat the 49ers is for the 49ers to beat themselves.

    1. We also had the worst DC in the league last year and now we have the best even though it was less than 12 months ago that he was the worst and it’s the same guy.

      Grant tends to be pretty reactionary.

      Take it all with a grain of salt.

      1. I thought Saleh was good last year. I think Saleh is good this year. I really dislike how he plays players out of their natural position. But his Xs and Os are sound.

        1. “I thought Saleh was good last year. I think Saleh is good this year.”

          Same, and kept saying it last year as some called for his head.

  5. Perhaps some of this falls on Wes Welker as the WR coach. He’s relatively new to coaching. Perhaps some of this is on him for not getting the most out of his position group. Although it doesn’t seem like they’re missing assignments or running the wrong routes. Seems like it has more to do with the “dropsies” than anything else. If I were Welker/Shanahan, I’d make the lot of them spend each entire practice just on the jugs machine.

  6. I have to disagree that the Seahawks gave the other NFL teams a blueprint on how to beat the 49ers. If some of dropped passes were caught by Goodwin, Bourne, Juice, and Pettis, it would have been a different game and potentially a different outcome.

    1. I think the Cardinals showed other teams how to take away the best part of the 49ers offense and force the 49ers offense to rely on the weakest part of their offense. If we had decent receivers, it wouldn’t have been a problem as Jimmy G would have carved them up in the middle. I have no doubt that had Kittle/Sanders played, the game would have continued on in the 49ers favor as it started in the 1st Quarter. Cardinals and Hawks took away the run and made the team beat them with the pass. Not much of a problem when Sanders and Kittle were on the field; huge problem when they weren’t.

      1. What you stated is the reason I don’t see it as a blueprint. Any time a team loses its top weapon(s) , said team usually struggles with getting the needed wins.
        With that said, I do agree that it could be a blueprint if Kittle and Sanders do not play for an extended period of time because the offense does not have anyone outside of Samuel that can force defenses to protect against the pass. It also does not help that Garoppolo is good for at least one interception a game.

        1. I see what you are saying. Let me rephrase. The Cardinals exposed the chink in the armor and showed that the receivers as a whole are not top notch. Even though the 49ers won, the Cardinals showed that the best way to attack the 49ers offense is to force them to pass instead of allowing them to run over an opponent. Once the top two receivers were lost for the Hawks game, the chink became a chasm.

          1. …And Garoppolo responded with the best game of his career. I hope once both Kittle and Sanders are in, teams continue to stack the box and dare Jimmy to beat them. It wont work.

          2. Nah, that chink was already known to be there, which is why the 49ers traded for Sanders.

            1. Agree. The hole was closed to a chink when they brought in Sanders, but it is still the weakest part of the offense. The good thing is that drafting Sanders and Hurd was an initial acknowledgement about how weak the position was. The failure of Bourne, Goodwin or Pettis (BGP) to step up has required bringing on Sanders. So they recognize there is a problem. If the problem continues, I expect them to address it in the offseason the way they addressed pass rusher this past offseason.

    2. BS watched ALL OF THE FILM not just Grant’s……5 of the 7 drops were bad passes poorly thrown or to the wrong friggin guy….there were 4 dropped INT’s and one called back…..it could have been a 5INT night for JimmyP….then what would you argue??; Jimmy is who most of us thought he was, a mediocre talent QB with a high price tag…

      1. You obviously did not watch the film, and if you actually did, it was with a preconceived conclusion. Or are Booger McFarland in disguise.

    3. This theme is tantamount to someone saying that the NBA Raptors gave the the rest of the NBA the blueprint on how to beat the Warriors all the while having Durant and Klay Thompson injured.

  7. The template is now set going forward. Defenses will load the box, take away the run and force Jimmy to beat them with his arm.. If he whiffs vs New Orleans, Green Bay and Baltimore I think you must sit him and go with Mullins the final two games then decide which of the two will give you the best opportunity in the Playoffs..

      1. Well, let’s hope my scenario never happens but if it does your joy for not executing my plan B is gonna look pretty stupid..

        1. Plugging in Mullens with two games left to play would be a foolish move unless it is because the team is resting its starters.

        2. Don,
          Let me get this right. You’re suggesting that a guy with a 3-5 win/loss record with 13 TD and 10 INTs take over for a guy with a 8-1 record based on “if.”?

          Try to at least deal with facts. The above comment are facts not based on IF.

      2. Backup QB is aways the most popular player with the most excitable fan base segment. But not usually on teams winning at a .889 clip. Gotta say, Niners have a helluva fan base.

        And don, define “whiff”.

    1. Alert Alert!

      We have a troll.

      Anyone who suggest Mullens (and doesn’t know to spell his name with an E, not an I, he’s not Chris’ son) should start is just a lame troll.

      Be gone!

  8. The blueprint to win by a field goal with no time left in overtime. If the blueprint is forcing the 49ers to have a back up previously cut kicker miss a game winning kick in overtime, or have Clowney have one of his best games ever. Gould will be back and very few teams have a Clowney level player. I have more confidence in the 49er defense than before the game. Wilson the Almighty that apparently has been awarded the MVP already was fortunate that his defense scored, and set up two short scores for the offense. People act like the 49ers got blown out. The receivers don’t get me started. At the beginning of the season I would’ve be psyched if they were 6-3, and 8-1 with the best record tie with the Pats is awesome. The 49ers are the only team that hasn’t been dominated in a game this season.

    1. Agree, but I hope the Browns don’t release him. Yes, this hope is purely for selfish reasons, because I know the Seahawks will sign him even if he has to sit out the remainder of this year.

      1. I think a 4 game suspension is in order, since Rudolph put his fingers in Garrett’s facemask.
        .
        OT. Cubus, you were correct about this blog site. There are no safeguards, and names can be easily compromised.

        1. Nobody seems to be linking any responsibility for the debacle to Rudolph. If he doesn’t grab Garrett’s face mask or go charging at him the helmet never gets swung..

          1. Agree. Garrett should get the harshest punishment, but Mason Rudolph is not an innocent victim in this fight.

          2. Garrett took Ruldolph to the ground well after Rudolph had gotten rid of the ball. While it appears to be a legit tackle and Rudolph’s reaction was unwarranted (which included him trying to take off Garrett’s helmet), there is no excuse that Garrett ripped off Rudolph’s helmet and hit him with it, especially where DeCastro was trying to separate the two.

            1. Agree. No excuse for Garrett swinging the helmet. He should get a big suspension. Rudolph started the facemask pulling and then kicked Garrett in the nuts. Garrett way over-reacted but IMO Rudolph deserves a 1 game suspension. He was not an innocent bystander.

        2. I also firmly believe Rudolph’s agent should need my advice and seek a restraining order against Garrett.
          .
          This would be the intelligent thing to do and guarantee that they don’t have to face Garrett 2x a year (or more).

    1. He succumbed after rubbing penii with country Indiana boyz and enjoying it too much. It is what it is, I’m not mad.

  9. Unless the blueprint reads force the 49ers in to unforced errors there is no blueprint that wasn’t already there. imho

    1. what about the dude kicking him the head??? that was bad as well……

      I remember Alzado used to rip off helmets nobody said anything….football has sure changed

      1. Monty,
        I think Pouncey got 3 game and to Alzado ripping off helmets, there is a difference between ripping one off and ripping one off and hitting someone with it. Norm VanBrocklin used to pull off his own helmet and swing it.

  10. I have been calling for the Niners to shut down the run, and make the other team one dimensional. That is called shaping the opponent, something that Sun Tzu had advocated 2500 years ago.
    .
    This is nothing new.

    1. I also co-authored the Art of Humbleness with Kanye West.
      .
      Just putting this out there as an FYI. My fans know I am as humble as they come.

  11. Al Sacco
    @AlSacco49
    Marquise Goodwin’s last three games:
    7 targets, 2 catches, 15 yards

    Dante Pettis’ last four games:
    9 targets, 2 catches, 26 yards

    1. I wonder if they only reason these two are still on the team is that no one was willing to give up a 7th rounder for either.

  12. He’s having a rough rookie season(so did Jerry) but there is a lot too look forward to with Deebo. He’s going to be a big weapon for us.

    FF SF 49ers
    @PFF_49ers
    Rookie Deebo Samuel has forced 10 missed tackles this season, which is tied for second among all receivers.

    1. Coffee,
      I agree 100% as to Samuels also I would love to see them release Petit and Goodwin and activate Taylor and Hurd.

      1. Taylor is done for the season. Hurd is practicing so he’ll probably be activated, along with Kentavious Street..

      2. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict Dante Pettis has a good game against the Cardinals. I think Jimmy G is going to be fired up to come back after his bad game. Pettis is going to have the right amount of focus and determination. I’m going with 5 catches for 80 yards and 1 TD for Pettis this weekend. I’m not a huge proponent for Pettis. Just my hunch.

        1. Houston I told my buddy the same thing.
          Bourne and Pettis will have no drops this game. Seems when the heat is on they both follow with a decent game.

          Then when everything dies down and you need them. They will continue to drop crucial catches.
          I’m with you on this one

          1. I think your right about Pettis having a good game, he has to start thinking that the Niners won’t be keeping him on the payroll next season.

        2. Houston,
          What’s interesting about Pettis is that he showed good promise as a rookie. I have a hard time believing that the kid has lost any skills from one season to the next.

          Pettis’ biggest issue seems to be the fear of being hit. Some players have a seamless transition from college to the NFL. But other players seem to be intimidated by the speed and strength of the NFL.

          If Pettis wants to have a future in the NFL he needs to cowboy up. If he can’t, he’ll be out of the NFL in less than 5 years.

  13. Blueprint for beating the 9ers…

    Wait till George Kittle is injured and Sanders leaves the game, and then be a very good team… and you can beat them.

    This article is stupid. The cardinals sold out on stopping the run and were beaten by Jimmy G through the air the last time they played two weeks ago.

  14. How to beat the stacked box?
    1. Do not run into the teeth of the defense.
    2. Spread them out and attack the edges.
    3. Run 4 verticals, so one may be uncovered.
    4. Use short crossing routes.
    5. Use quick slants.
    6. Use swing passes.
    7. Take advantage of the defense’s speed by running counters, misdirections and reverses.
    8. Run the no huddle with quick varied snaps so the defense cannot substitute.
    9. Be deceptive, and unpredictable.
    10. Line up the RB deep in the I, and let him build up a head of steam before hitting the line of scrimmage.He can go either left or right. Let him choose the weak spot in the defense.

    1. 11. Gap Integrity. Always. It’s right there in the Richard Simmons playbook on modern gay warfare.

  15. I thought it was very telling that when Wilson broke out of the pack on third and long in OT and ran for the big first down that there was not a single 49ers within 15 yards of the LOS. That’s stretching the field, something we cannot do without Kittle and Sanders.

  16. “For a 28-year-old quarterback, Garoppolo still plays like a rookie at times “. Sorry but that was a pretty lame and inaccurate comment, it is not like he has started for 8 years, he played in about 20 games. That is a little more than a season. Yes he will make rookie mistakes but will get better. The line sucked, no running game, the receivers suck, his two best players were hurt, hard to win under those circumstances.

  17. Anybody willing to give 13 in the 9er game? I hate betting against my team but the Cards +13 is about as much of a lock as last weeks Balt. -10 Vs. Cinn. was. I got very healthy last week on that game.

    1. OC,

      I wouldn’t touch that. All season we’ve heard people talk about trap games. If there is one, this is it. Short week, really banged up, big time opponent coming up next week. This is a game that I think will determine how the second half of the season goes.

    2. I don’t really get these spreads. Divisional game, really close last time, short week, and suddenly niners are expected to win by two tds? Hell no. I think it could happen, but no way am I betting that.

  18. The advantage of teams using this approach at this point in the season is that the 49ers will be able to scheme to beat for the second half of season. I think it’s a blessing in disguise that we were so successful early with our standard approach, now have time to adjust.

    1. That’s true Jack but now Shanny has to come up with a scheme to take guys out of the box, and run or pass even if they don’t stack it.
      Maybe they were becoming too predictable and now it’s time for Shanny to change gears.I’m pretty sure he is still going to stick with the run first mentality but at some point he might have to start passing on first down which I suggested after week four.

      1. Meh. This stuff that the blueprint came from Seattle is nonsense. It started the week before. The 49ers averaged 3.2 yards per carry on Monday night and lost. They averaged 3.2 yards per carry the week before on Thursday night and won.

        What was different between the two games?

        On Monday night Kittle didn’t play and Sanders left early in the 2nd. Oh, and they were up 10-0 with Sanders out there.

          1. My point was their becoming too predictable on first and second down. So maybe passing on first down gets them in better situations, so that the defence can’t dictate their calls.
            Earlier in the year they were left with more manageable 3rd downs. Now with zero passing game playmakers, this might reverse that trend again.

            1. “So maybe passing on first down gets them in better situations”

              For the season they’ve run the ball 66% and passed 34% on 1st down.

              On Monday night they ran the ball 14 times and passed it 16 times on first down. How’d that work out for them.

              First down is Garoppolo’s worst, lowest rating, highest rate of interceptions.

              The play calling on Monday night wasn’t the problem, just like it wasn’t the week before in Arizona.

      1. LOL. They were up 10-0 with only Sanders in the game.

        We saw Arizona sell out to stop the run the week earlier. Kittle and Sanders were the receivers to get the offense rolling.

        Those two are the consistent guys. Samuel shows flashes, he is 3rd. The rest are just role players.

    1. PS….. if it was a normal week I might be.
      The reasons I’m not are these
      1…3 days rest after stomping an opponent 3 days prior
      2…. the traveled on 3 days rest
      3…. the cardinals are a divisional opponent
      4…. the cardinals had beaten them 3 straight years
      5….. first time seeing a running QB.

      After Sunday I still wouldn’t be worried if they barely win.
      They are depleted offensively and again, it’s a divisional game.
      Nobody believes Cle is better than Pitt at this point. You saw what happened last night

  19. Yeah the blueprint is to get Kittle, Sanders, Kwon and Gould in a car and run it off a cliff.

    Are you serious?

    The 49ers lost because they were without two big weapons on offense, one before the game and one early on in the game.

    They were without their veteran kicker who should…SHOULD hit a 40 yard field goal to win in OT AT HOME!

    And they were without a inside lb, but you know what, give the 49ers those 3 guys listed above back and thats not an issue as the backups filled in great.

    Oh…

    Can the rest of the NFL also have an idiotic ref crew every game who miss horrible holding calls and who have a asinine spot of a ball that would have ended the game.

    Once again Cohn comes with the hot trash take.

  20. Seattle’s first-string beat the Niner’s second string. That is essentially what it boiled down to. A 100% healthy SF team would have run up the score on the Seahawks.

  21. Would the article be the same if the kicker didn’t miss the Game winner?

    And btw Mostert was beyond the Line of Gain as the Side Judge originally marked it, and he was on top of a player so not down…

  22. Quietly, #24 is putting together a Pro Bowl season. Another excellent prove-it signing deal (and subsequent contract extension at reasonable price) by Shanalynch, IIRC, he caused 3 fumbles against the Seahawks:
    Passer rating allowed on slot coverage, NFL rankings (PFF):
    Williams, 49ers: 50.9
    Tramon Williams, Packers: 56.9
    Kenny Moore II, Colts: 65.3
    Nickell Robey-Coleman, Rams: 72.6
    Javien Elliott, Panthers: 80.4

  23. For you mathematicians.
    Jimmy has played in 35 NFL games. 19 of those are starts. He’s 16-3 in those starts. He’s thrown 31 TD’s and has 16 INT’s. He’s 8-1 this year.

    Nick has played in 9 games. 8 of those are starts. He’s 3-5 in those starts. He has thrown 13 TD’s and 10 INT’s. He’s 0-0 this year.

    They’re 8-1 and the only loss is against one of the best teams in the NFC, if not the NFL, in OT no less. Yet, numbskulls are still calling for the mediocre, if that, backup QB? Seriously ?

    Is Jimmy (and co.) good enough to win the SB? The jury is still out. They have problems like every team. However, Jimmy gives them their best chance to win, period. I still say they’ll end up 11-5. They are going to win this week and then lose three in a row. Oh God!! Then we’ll really hear the calls for Nicky. Just stop already! Enjoy the great season they are having and stop calling for a little used mediocre eternal backup QB! It’s NOT going to happen!

    Do the math!
    :)

  24. This isn’t rocket science. The 49ers had the same issue when Harbaugh/Roman ran a run heavy offense.

    It’s simple; if a team is run heavy.…not just runs the ball a lot but actually is largely dependent on the run for the offense to function….then commit everything to shutting down the run game. Much of the 49er’s offense is dependent on the run game to get the receivers open and to make reads easier for the QB, to protect the QB from pass rushers. But what the Harbaugh Niners and Shanhan Niners do not have is a mostly independent passing game facet to their offense. Drop back, read the entire field make a quick decision and pass the ball. The run game has covered up a lot of warts in the passing game. The pass protection isn’t the greatest (even with a healthy pair of starting tackles) and of course the receivers (possibly outside of Sanders) aren’t dominant (or can even consistently catch the ball) outside of being schemed open…again largely due to the run game.

    I’ve wondered if the 49ers shouldn’t install a package (3-4 plays?) of Air Raid plays (maybe steal a few plays from the Cardinals?) that the QB can call on the field and in the hurry up. If the defense crowds the line of scrimmage and box, then spread them out. In fact spreading out not only the receivers but also the linemen splits will in theory help give the QB a another second from the edge rush (though it may expose the interior pass blockers). The Niners could even run this out of of 21 personnel by having both Juzycyzk and Coleman/Brieda spread out and possibly freeze opponents in their base personnel spread out. The 49ers do this to some degree at times but I think if they ran these plays together as a system for the QB to call on the field it might be more effective. It seems like it could be a shortcut way to implement a way to lean on the pass when necessary for a temporary period of time. Of course no changes made to the passing game matter unless the receivers learn to catch the ball.

  25. One thing that the Seahawks did, should be emulated by the Niner defense.
    .
    When they rushed the passer, they rushed to contain the QB, to force him to deliver from the pocket. They also rushed into the passing lanes, and held up a hand to disrupt the QB’s line of sight. It was very effective with less than 2 minutes to play in OT.
    .
    Since Murray is even shorter than the Smurf, getting a hand in the air will be very disruptive, and maybe lead to a tipped ball. That could create a turnover. They do not need to get to the QB to be impactful.

Comments are closed.