Seattle Seahawks go to San Francisco, and take on some guys named after people who made their livings standing in rivers

At the beginning of the year the Seahawks Week 14 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers seemed like it would be a pivot point relative to the division title, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Both teams have played the New Orleans Saints this year, and each had a relatively tough schedule.

Right now the team leads the 49ers by three games in the division, and has a tiebreaker over the Saints for home field advantage to go with a two game lead. The Seahawks are in the virtual driver’s seat. They’re driving. This is good.

One thing that has been underspoken about this iteration of the Seahawks is the quality of their offense. The defense gets a lot of ink – and deservedly so – but the two sides of the ball are intertwined. The Seahawks have scored on 44.4 percent of their offensive drives, second best in the league, and only half a percent behind the Denver Broncos. The 49ers, by contrast have scored on 34.7 percent of their drives.

The 49ers defense is very good, allowing only 25.3 percent scoring drives, best in the league. The Seahawks are third best with a 26.1 percent rate.

This week they take on a 49ers team that has been very good of late, but that had a stretch in the early part of the season where Colin Kaepernick looked like a very average quarterback. Football Outsiders has Colin Kaepernick as functionally the 12^th most efficient quarterback in the NFL per DVOA. Russell Wilson is sixth best, and has been climbing in recent weeks.

Of course, this time around there is no “eyebrow bet,” and of course, the last bet proved Kaepernick to be a welcher, anyways.

Injuries

Seattle

Brandon Browner, CB (Groin) – Out

Percy Harvin, WR (Hip) – Out

Bruce Irvin, LB (Thigh) – Probable

Golden Tate, WR (Hip) – Probable

San Francisco

Mike Iupati, OG (Knee) – Questionable

Mario Manningham, WR (Knee) – Questionable

Aldon Smith, LB (Shoulder) – Probable

Frank Gore, RB (Ankle) – Probable

Quarterback	Russell Wilson	Colin Kaepernick
DVOA	22.8%	9.4%
DYAR	724	425
QBR	67.5	66.9
RushDYAR	117	37
Running backs	Marshawn Lynch	Frank Gore
DVOA	4.2%	4.3%
DYAR	120	86
RecDYAR	29	1
	Robert Turbin	Anthony Dixon
DVOA	-19.1%	-9.8%
DYAR	-24	-2
RecDYAR	1	N/A
Wide Receivers	Doug Baldwin	Anquan Boldin
DVOA	42.6%	20.6%
DYAR	251	246
	Golden Tate	Mario Manningham
DVOA	13.5%	-17.4%
DYAR	146	-6
Tight End	Zach Miller	Vernon Davis
DVOA	10.8%	29.3%
DYAR	47	154
Team Defense	Seattle	San Francisco
DVOA	-20.7%	-9.8%

The obvious caveat to a Seahawks win here is that this game is in San Francisco. The other caveat, though ostensibly Pete Carroll would call me an idiot for bringing this up, is that the Seahawks have a huge advantage in the playoff standings with very little season left.

Predictions

Nobody tackles Vernon Davis by his penis.

Richard Sherman invokes his penis verbally amid on-field discussion. By his I mean both his and Vernon Davis’.

Colin Kaepernick throws two interceptions.

Russell Wilson throws for less than 200 yards.

Seahawks win 24-17.