Five 49ers to watch in huge Thursday night game vs. Seahawks

Five 49ers to watch in huge Thursday night game vs. Seahawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The season is young, but this is getting old for the 49ers.

The 49ers blew double-digit second-half leads against two NFC West opponents. And, now, they face the division-leading Seattle Seahawks in a game that could prove pivotal.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said. “It’s not a must-win because technically your season’s over if it’s a must-win, but it definitely feels like it. We’re treating it that way.”

The 49ers are 2-3 on the season, including 0-3 in the NFC. They are not setting themselves up well for any tie-breakers.

But, first things first, they just have to win games.

Here are five 49ers to watch in their key NFC West matchup at Lumen Field in Seattle:

Safety Malik Mustapha

The 49ers turn to rookie Malik Mustapha, a fourth-round draft pick from Wake Forest, with Talanoa Hufanga out of action for at least four weeks due to torn ligaments in his right wrist. San Francisco placed Hufanga on injured reserve on Wednesday.

Mustapha has risen above veteran George Odum on the depth chart after Odum started the first two games of the season when Hufanga was still recovering from the ACL injury that ended his season last November.

“I think his strides have come just because he has played a lot,” 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. “We’ve had a lot of guys play and I think it’s good that guys gain knowledge through getting their snaps.”

Kicker Matthew Wright

The 49ers are not running away and winning games handily, so every point counts. And that figures to be the case on Thursday against the Seahawks.

Kicker Jake Moody is expected to miss approximately a month of action due to a high right ankle sprain. He was injured while trying to make a tackle in the 49ers’ Week 5 game against the Cardinals.

The 49ers need a fill-in, and Matthew Wright gets the call after winning a tryout inside Levi’s Stadium.

Wright,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/five-49ers-watch-huge-thursday-004641103.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-10-10 00:46:41

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