An Insider’s Look At the Seahawks’ Week 6 Opponent, The San Francisco 49ers

Christian McCaffrey has been a thorn in Seattle’s side in past meetings, how is his absence affecting the offense, and how are the 49ers compensation until he can make it back?

Pallares: I think any time a team has to carry on without the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, it’s likely you’re going to see the effects of that absence somewhere. Christian McCaffrey was the most dominant offensive player in the league in 2023, scoring 21 touchdowns, closing out the {regular season} as the rushing triple crown winner and overall, just a huge presence on and off the field. He also was a big reason the 49ers were so effective in the red zone – 18 of his 21 scores were red zone touchdowns. This is an area the 49ers stand to improve on in the current season, but in terms of rushing yardage and more generally, just moving the ball well, the 49ers roster has proven to have the star power and depth to still be a productive offense.

One of the bright spots early in the season has been the emergence of former undrafted free agent Jordan Mason, who is the second-leading rusher in the NFL right now (536 rushing yards). He’s just 36 yards behind four-time Pro Bowler and the 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Derrick Henry. The 49ers are also looking to “wideback” Deebo Samuel Sr. to take some additional snaps out of the backfield and have started working in rookie running back Isaac Guerendo.