Um...the 49ers are tired, the Seahawks are fresh

[ivotuk]

Add to that, San Francisco has played a lot of playoff games the last 3 years. All the way to the NFCCG, then all the way to an emotional loss in the Superbowl last year.

I have to admit, I admire their tenacity to be able to play that much, for a DC that rarely rotates players, for 3 years in a row, with a lot of players that are in the twilight of their career is impressive.

I wonder if Harbs has Special Smoothies made for his players like Chip Kelly does? Chip also has a former Navy Seal direct the conditioning and training of his players.

Some of those guys are likely to be 'blowing beads' on the sidelines this Sunday.

 

[Lady Talon]

and the parallels between the Giants two years ago and the 49ers today are uncanny.

Interesting. So those 2011 Giants

didn't win their own division, won 3/4ths of their regular season games, didn't have the #32 rushing attack in the NFL, didn't allow more points than they scored, weren't 4-0 in NFC Championship games, weren't quarterbacked by a superbowl MVP on his way to a second, who was known for completing miracle passes in Superbowl crunch time to no name receivers (rather than 4 straight incompletions to a former #1 pick), against the greatest defensive minded coach of our generation?

Unfreakincanny the resemblance.

 

[Heisenberg]

I doubt fatigue will be any issue for the 49ers. THey are world class athletes. So they were on the road last week, they were home by sunday night. all they lost was half a day of rest that they would have had if they were already home. thats it. a couple hour flight to seattle wont phase them. This team is full of road warriors. So all the ancillary issues involved with being on the road doesnt phase them at all- they are 8-2 on the road this year for a reason.

 

[mikeak]

Heard they are flying to Seattle today. So Monday off, Tuesday through Thursday practice then travel today and Saturday spent on the road

I prefer the Seahawks staying home approach

 

[Treefiddy]

It's like a two hour flight so I don't think that's a big deal. But I do agree that they'll be fatigued by the 2nd quarter.

 

[Weadoption]

The only fatigue factor I worry about is if Russel Wilson goes fuggin full Tarkenton mode on a wet field.
tired of that Benny Hill shyat its maddening and makes me cry inside.

 

[Canuck49]

There's a lot of wishful thinking on both sides of an argument like this. We don't really know how any of the players are feeling. The only people limited in practice are those with pre-existing injuries or obvious injuries.

I mentioned this in an earlier thread, the older guys on the niners defence like Justin Smith have had their snaps limited over the course of the year. The defensive line and the outside linebackers have been part of a more consistent rotation to keep the front 7 fresh. Smith and McDonald each played less than 40 snaps last week again Carolina. That will help this week. There's no question Seattle has the advantage of being fresher. But there are bigger factors once the game starts, such as in-game injuries, than how many weeks highly conditioned professional athletes have had to be on planes.

Also - one big factor -- Aldon Smith should be well rested this post season. Five or six weeks in rehab keeps the legs fresh!

 

[Sgt. Largent]

That's the story of Sunday to me. I don't think this is a close game. Not because the 49ers aren't good...they are. But because the 49ers are tired, and we will see it in the 2nd half.

You could have made a case for this last week if we played the Niners. Teams with a 1st round bye are indeed fresher, but that doesn't fly this week as both teams played.

In fact you could argue that out of both games, the Hawks had a more tough game than the Niners did, both physically and mentally. The Niners cruised in the 2nd half against Carolina, while we struggled all the way til the last whistle.

 

[mikeak]

It's like a two hour flight so I don't think that's a big deal. But I do agree that they'll be fatigued by the 2nd quarter.

2 hour flight but add - packing for players and the team staff. then getting to the airport, getting from the airport to the hotel etc

I said it last year when we went to SF for the TNF game - you lose a day travelling and while this is normal for NFL teams Seattle had one more day between games plus the day of not travelling. It is more time to prepare - it helps

 

[Hawks46]

I do not think that anyone is denying that the Seahawks pretty much have all the situational advantages (besides the fact that Harvin is unlikely to play, which is more of a key injury than the 49ers have right now), but you could say the same thing about Green Bay and Carolina too.

The 49ers probably should have beat New York in the NFC Championship game back in 2012. The Giants snuck into the division championship spot one game better than .500. They had to face a brutal away game in Green Bay during the winter while the 49ers got a bye and faced the Saints at home, a team that was not known to play physically punishing football. They had to face what was for San Francisco, some of the harshest weather imaginable, in the 50's and pouring down rain on a muddy, unfriendly field against a 49ers run game and defense that was better suited to the conditions.

But New York was on a tear coming into the playoffs and two fumbled punts by Kyle Williams allowed New York to kick a field goal in overtime and advance to the Superbowl.

So yeah, Seattle holds all the advantages in this game, but a good team can still find a way to win under disadvantageous conditions, and the parallels between the Giants two years ago and the 49ers today are uncanny.

I'd agree with all of this. I'm seeing the 49ers get fatigued if we can establish a run game and keep the defense on the field. If we can play ultra physical and the time of possession is even, I still see them wearing down in the 4th quarter.

Keep in mind, Seattle rotates a ton more guys on the DL than SF does. That will wear guys out soon, if not already.

 

[CandlestickBum]

I do not think that anyone is denying that the Seahawks pretty much have all the situational advantages (besides the fact that Harvin is unlikely to play, which is more of a key injury than the 49ers have right now), but you could say the same thing about Green Bay and Carolina too.

The 49ers probably should have beat New York in the NFC Championship game back in 2012. The Giants snuck into the division championship spot one game better than .500. They had to face a brutal away game in Green Bay during the winter while the 49ers got a bye and faced the Saints at home, a team that was not known to play physically punishing football. They had to face what was for San Francisco, some of the harshest weather imaginable, in the 50's and pouring down rain on a muddy, unfriendly field against a 49ers run game and defense that was better suited to the conditions.

But New York was on a tear coming into the playoffs and two fumbled punts by Kyle Williams allowed New York to kick a field goal in overtime and advance to the Superbowl.

So yeah, Seattle holds all the advantages in this game, but a good team can still find a way to win under disadvantageous conditions, and the parallels between the Giants two years ago and the 49ers today are uncanny.

I'd agree with all of this. I'm seeing the 49ers get fatigued if we can establish a run game and keep the defense on the field. If we can play ultra physical and the time of possession is even, I still see them wearing down in the 4th quarter.

Keep in mind, Seattle rotates a ton more guys on the DL than SF does. That will wear guys out soon, if not already.

Both Kapernick and Wilson have posted near career-low numbers in Seahawks/Niners matchups, so if one of them has a breakout game, it is probably going to be the deciding factor.

But more realistically, it is going to be won on defense. The last time the two teams met in Seattle, there were 3 earned points in the first half. The two teams managed a total of 6 points in the second half of the game at Candlestick.

Seattle has the better running back but San Francisco has the better running defense. It should be an interesting game. I think time of possession (if more than a 5 minute difference) will decide it. Whichever defense gets more rest will be able to hold on longer.

 

[SeahawkTalons]

Seattle outscores 49ers 20-7 in second half

 

[Polaris]

Seattle outscores 49ers 20-7 in second half

Yep, and notice that Lynch started gashing the Niners in the second half. Almost sure that fatique was a definate factor even though Harbraugh explicitly denied it.