NFL San Francisco 49ersSeattle Seahawks

Predicting the Final Score Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers

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By @sdmeyers1

NaVorro Bowman Russell Wilson

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The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have developed the preeminent rivalry in the NFL, and that feud will be reignited with a Thanksgiving night clash between the NFC West foes. With both teams struggling throughout the campaign, however, the battle could go a long way in determining the playoff fates of the squads.

This rivalry is never short on storylines, whether it be the battle of similar quarterbacks, the longstanding animosity between the coaches, or the infamous exchange between Richard Sherman and Michael Crabtree from last season.

Seattle is coming off of perhaps its finest victory of the season, as the Seahawks knocked off the division-leading Arizona Cardinals 19-3 in Seattle. Conversely, the 49ers extended their winning streak to three games, but did so in unimpressive fashion, as they narrowly edged the disappointing Washington Redskins at Levi’s Stadium.

With identical 7-4 records, Seattle and San Francisco are both in contention for the NFC Wild Card spots. The winner of Thursday’s tilt will have a firm grasp on a top-six spot, while the loser will face an uphill battle over the final four games.

In the five matchups between the teams over the past two seasons, the home team has always held serve. As a result, history indicates that the host 49ers could have the upper hand.

San Francisco’s offense has been problematic recently though, as the 49ers have been limited to 17 or fewer points in four of their last five games. Although quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been efficient, his passing yardage has been modest due to a lack of big plays.

The signal caller has victimized by an under-performing cast of receivers, however. Heading into the campaign, the additions of Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd appeared to give the 49ers perhaps the best collection of offensive weapons in the NFL.

Thus far, though, Johnson and Lloyd’s roles have been inconsistent, and Crabtree and Vernon Davis, former stalwarts of the team, have suffered through perhaps their worst professional seasons. Anquan Boldin has been the one constant in the passing attack, and Boldin enjoyed a monster performance on Sunday, as he accounted for 137 yards and a score.

Boldin has struggled against the imposing Seahawks’ secondary though, as has Crabtree, as evidenced in last season’s NFC Championship Game. San Francisco will either need its receivers to provide their best effort of the season, or else the 49ers may need to quickly turn on Kaepernick and running back Frank Gore to find offense on the ground.

Similarly, Seattle’s offense wasn’t prolific in its victory on Sunday, but quarterback Russell Wilson made the plays when he needed to in order to secure the victory. Wilson misfired on only five of his 22 passing attempts, and he accounted for a game-high 73 yards rushing.

With fewer weapons at receiver, Wilson’s passing numbers are down slightly from a year ago, but he’s already set a career-high in rushing yards. His legs have become a premier option for the Seahawks’ offense, so the 49ers must look to contain the mobile quarterback.

San Francisco’s impressive rookie linebacker Chris Borland will be key to limiting Wilson’s ability to run, but recently re-instated Aldon Smith, who registered a pair of sacks against Washington, could also prove crucial if he can provide pressure through the pass rush.

It’s hard to imagine either team falling out of the playoff picture, but right now, the 49ers’ issues appear to be more deeply-routed than Seattle’s. Seattle has experienced a Super Bowl hangover, and clearly the Seahawks don’t possess the same playmakers offensively as a year ago. San Francisco, however, has struggled almost all season long, even in its triumphs. The 49ers’ inability to finish games is a real problem, and their offense seems lost for long stretches of time.

As a result, the Seahawks will finally score a victory for the road team in this great rivalry.

Prediction: 27-16 Seahawks

Sean Meyers is a professional wrestling writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and “Like” him on Facebook.

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