Since it’s such a big game, we’ll flip the script and talk about the players on the other side of the ball. Some matchups in this game the San Francisco 49ers have to win. There are a couple of players they should avoid.
Here are five Seattle Seahawks to watch in Week 5.
LB Nick Emmanwori
This is a linebacker. This is a pass rusher. This is not a safety. He’s more Bruce Irvin than Kam Chancellor.
Seattle can play nickel against heavy personnel groupings because of Emmanwori. To me, it’s base. They ran dime personnel (6+
defensive backs) at a season-high 27.9% of the time. That’s nickel.
Emmanwori had been playing a little less than half of the snaps up until last week, when he was on the field for more than 77% of the snaps. He played on the line of scrimmage or in the box on 73.6% of his snaps. He rushed the passer eight times and had four pressures.
He’s one of the best linear athletes in the NFL. You have to make him flip his hips. You can’t let Emmanwori run in a straight line. Put him in conflict, whether with high-low concepts, or isolate him on George Kittle or Christian McCaffrey by giving them two-way go’s. Despite all the plays he can make, Emmanwori is not a player the 49ers should shy away from.
RG Beau Stephens
The 49ers must win this matchup. Stephens was one of my draft crushes. The rookie is currently in a time-share with Christian Haynes after Seattle placed starter Anthony Bradford on the injured reserve.
Haynes has out-snapped Stephens 112-76, but I found it interesting that Seattle played Stephens last week while running the clock out to end the game.
Stephens has a 5.2% blown-block rate. Haynes is at 1.8%. Historically, the league average has been right around 2.7%. Stephens whiffed a couple of times in the run game last week. He’s also allowed a team-high 8.1% pressure rate.
Keion White has been a terror rushing over guards. White has a pressure rate over 17% as a 3-technique. His quickness off the snap should make a difference. It’s also a great opportunity for Mykel Williams to get his feet wet. Stephens arm length is in the first percentile. Morris would be wise to hunt matchups and get Stephens into 1-on-1 situations.
S Julian Love
It looks like the Seahawks may get Ty Okada back, which means they’ll have both starting safeties. One player to steer clear of is Julian Love. In my opinion, he’s one of the best, if not the best, safeties in the NFL. He can do it all.
Love isn’t your traditional. Mike MacDonald has no issue blitzing him. He had a couple of unblocked pressures last week.
He’s the kind of playmaker who’ll bait quarterbacks into thinking he’s going one direction, or that a route down the middle is wide open, only to appear out of nowhere and snag an interception. You think you’re looking him off, but you’re playing right into Love’s hands.
He will miss a tackle here and there, but he times MacDonald’s run blitzes well and is just as comfortable in the open field. Love doesn’t get the recognition that Devon Witherspoon does. He’s just as big of a star. Be careful, Brock.
TE A.J. Barner
Brian Fleury has used play-action on over 37% of Sam Darnold’s dropbacks. While he has a high completion percentage (69.2%), he’s thrown a pair of interceptions and been sacked twice, which is why there’s a -0.193 EPA per play. The success rate is good at 53.6%.
It’s comical that no player has been targeted more than 15 times other than Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Tight end A.J. Barner has more targets than JSN with Darnold under center on play-action. It’s only one more target, but it’s also happened on three fewer routes. Barner has six targets on Darnold’s 22 play-action dropbacks.
If you’re the 49ers, you’re welcoming targets to Barner. Any play where the ball isn’t going to No. 11 should be considered a win. Barner caught a 32-yard screen pass against Washington, but the Commanders missed multiple tackles.
Outside of a screen, Barner is rarely Darnold’s first read. If he’s getting the ball, it’s likely because the first two options were covered.
Barner dropped a would-be first-down target on 3rd and 5 last week. Remember, Fleury has been coaching George Kittle for years. Seattle ran the screen where you pump one direction, then the other, and hit the tight end down the middle. They picked up 12 yards on it last week. Barner isn’t mentioned here because he’s a threat, but on play-action and in the red zone, he’ll get opportunities.
DT Byron Murphy
Hard-hitting analysis here. “Look out for one of the best defensive tackles in the game.” This is matchup-based. Unfortunately, it could be a long day for the former Hawkeye offensive linemen.
On 3rd and 4 last week, Seattle put a wide-9 defensive end to Murphy’s side and used Leonard Williams to occupy the center. That left Murphy 1-on-1 with the right guard. Murphy beat the guard in under a second and sacked the quarterback. Last year, Murphy generated a league-high 33 pressures when aligned inside the guard. He’s picking up where he left off.
He’s 29th in pressure rate, but that doesn’t account for how often Murphy gets double-teamed. Leonard Williams will spend a lot of time going against Dominick Puni. If you’re the Niners, as good as Williams is (8th-most quick pressures in the league, so pretty good!), you have to trust Puni. He’s been great all season. Last week was the first time Puni had a blown block in pass protection.
Connor Colby came close a couple of times in the first three weeks, but Zach Allen got the best of him in Week 4. He had three blown blocks in pass protection. Murphy is the final boss in the Allen hierarchy.
I’d like to see Colby be aggressive and use jump sets against Murphy. Colby has the prototypical farmer-boy frame from Iowa, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s a subpar athlete. Against Murphy, I’d like to see Colby be the aggressor, rely on some of that quickness and strength before Murphy can initiate his move. That could go a long way in how the offense can attack.
