This is going up a little earlier than usual because I will be out of town this weekend and unable to see the game. Not that much would be different if I typed this early Sunday morning. Let's begin.

When The Seahawks Have The Ball

Don't expect top see the gameplan change much from last week. The Seahawks are going to be heavily reliant on Matt Hasselbeck again, while still trying to give Jones/Edge/Forsett their touches. Unfortunately, the 49ers actually have the look of an NFL defense this year, unlike the Rams, so scores may not be as easy to come by this week. Patrick Willis and Nate Clements are still fantastic players, and Mike Singletary, for all his eccentricities and pantslessness, should get credit for getting the 49er's defensive system together in a way Mike Nolan never could. Any defense that holds Kurt Warner to a sub-70 passer rating and the explosive Cardinals to just 16 points does something right.

When The Niners Have The Ball

Expect frustration. The 49er offense does not have the promise that their defense does. Their quarterback is Shaun Hill (and this is an improvement over that last few years) and their best receiver is 36 (or hasn't signed yet, depending on your opinion of Crabtree). Some may argue that Frank Gore still makes their offense dangerous. Unfortunately for the Niners, after posting an elite season three seasons ago Gore has been no better than above average and is coming off one the worst games in his career where he managed to get only 30 yards on 22 carries. If the Seahawks defense plays even close to the level it played at last week, San Fransisco will be lucky to score a touchdown.

From The Trainer's Room

Obviously the big news is that Hill is out for at least six weeks. This is bad news, but Will Herring has proven capable in limited action, especially as a pass defender. Unfortunately, several Seahawks are banged up, with Houshmanzadeh, Tatupu, Mebane, and Branch all on the injury report. Rumblings have it that Tatupu and Houshmanzadeh will likely play, with Mebane and Branch as gametime decisions. Walter Jones and Chris Spencer may be a few more weeks away.

Weekly Broncos Update

Last week, the hated Broncos won in heartbreaking fashion on the most perfect combination of luck and defensive ineptitude culminating in an 87 yard touchdown with less than a minute left. This does not mean that the Broncos are a good team: They aren't. They just got a break. They'll get another one, facing the Browns at home this week. The Browns just came off a disappointing home loss, giving up 180 yards to Adrian Peterson in the long awaited Game That Brett Favre Won Singlehandedly Despite Throwing For Less Than 200 Yards Because He's Just That Special. If only the Broncos had Adrian Peterson.

Prediction: Seahawks 20, 49ers 9