Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
SEATTLE - Mike Holmgren is hoping to get a better defensive effort against
this time.
"I think we'd like to tackle him," the Seattle coach said. "We didn't do that in the first game."
Less than a month ago, Gore slashed through the Seahawks' questionable run defense for a San Francisco-record 212 yards rushing in the 49ers' 20-14 victory that made the defending NFC champion look anything but formidable.
San Francisco (5-8) will need a similar performance from its young, standout running back on Thursday night if it want to avoid watching Seattle (8-5) clinch the NFC West for a third straight season.
A win for the Seahawks will wrap up the mediocre division they've dominated the last three seasons and preserve their slim chances for getting the NFC's No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
The first step is stopping Gore, who surprised the Seahawks on Nov. 19 with his speed in the open field and power breaking tackles. Seattle linebacker Julian Peterson was one of the few not surprised, having seen Gore develop last season when he was with the 49ers.
"When I saw him on the field I thought, 'Wow, he's coming off two knee surgeries and he's looking this explosive,'" Peterson said. "He has a lot of talent and you could see it day after day. You saw the star in the making so to speak."
Gore had 24 carries, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt, as the 49ers capped a three-game win streak to pull even at 5-5. Even though it was his fifth 100-yard rushing game, doing it against the defending conference champions drew more attention.
"When we played them they were down positions here and there, and we took advantage of it," Gore said. "I know it's going to be real tough to do it again."
Since that breakthrough victory, the 49ers' struggles have returned. They lost in the closing seconds at St. Louis and were dominated in every phase of a 34-10 loss to New Orleans. Last week, Brett Favre starred again at Candlestick Park and led struggling Green Bay to a convincing 30-19 victory.
Niners quarterback Alex Smith has become erratic, coverage mistakes are festering in the defense, and a lack of overall sharpness has made the positive feelings from their win over Seattle a memory. And now comes a short week, with only three days of preparation and travel, to prepare for the Seahawks.
"We've just been very sporadic and inconsistent the last few games, but before that we had a few games ... three games in a row, where we saw what it was supposed to look like," San Francisco coach Mike Nolan said.
With slowing Gore expected to be the focus of Seattle's defense, Smith knows his own play must improve. He was an efficient 19-for-25 for 163 yards and a TD in the first meeting, but the last three weeks, Smith completed just 47.5 percent of his passes.
"We have to be able to do other things with our passing game," he said. "The more we can spread the ball around to different guys and give the defense some different thing to think about, the better off we're going to be."
To handle the quick turnaround, both Holmgren and Nolan placed a few phone calls to coaches who have endured the tight schedule already. Playing on Thursday is a first for Nolan, who called colleagues in Dallas and Detroit to get suggestions and said the 49ers' plans this week mirrored those used by the Lions and Cowboys.
Holmgren drew on his previous experience coaching in a few Thanksgiving Day games to plan out his week. Still, he expressed concern over playing games with such a short turnaround this late in the season, when bumps and strains linger. While still a member of the NFL's competition committee, Holmgren said he voiced those reservations about Thursday night games.
"It's like fighting city hall," Holmgren said. "You can have an opinion and you might listen to it briefly, but you're the only one."
Seattle will have both Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck together this time. Alexander played his first game after missing six games with a cracked foot when Seattle played at San Francisco, and Hasselbeck was missing the last of his four games with a knee sprain.
Alexander managed just 37 yards the first time, and Hasselbeck's replacement, Seneca Wallace, threw three interceptions. Although Hasselbeck will be without top receiver Darrell Jackson, he believes he gained an advantage watching the first game from the sidelines.
"They do some things that are tough to recognize; their coverages and stuff like that," Hasselbeck said. "But still I feel as good as I could expect to feel."