SEATTLE — The San Francisco 49ers is set for a major Week 5 test at Lumen Field against the Seattle Seahawks, with star defensive end Nick Bosa targeting a Week 6 return against the Washington Commanders and rookie Mykel Williams confirmed to make his season debut Sunday.
Bosa, sidelined by a calf injury, said his recovery has turned a corner in recent days while handling two-a-day running sessions and his normal lifts in the weight room. "But the fact that I'm already feeling like I could go out on Monday night and definitely not wait," Bosa said. "Definitely Atlanta, possibly next week. Probably." He added he was initially concerned the injury could be a long-term issue. "I've never had a calf, so I didn't really know," he said. "They told me they're pretty finicky sometimes, calves. But, actually, I checked with my brother (Joey), who had one last year in OTAs. He said three weeks, and he never even noticed it (after that)." Bosa said, "I'm feeling better and better."
Williams is listed as questionable, but coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Friday that he will be back for the 49ers. The defensive line picture also includes tackle Sebastian Valdez, who until two weeks ago worked on the practice squad and scout team mimicking opponents in the three-technique to prep the interior offensive line. Right guard Dominick Puni said Valdez "is No. 1 for me; he has been for the last two years," while left guard Connor Colby praised his effort in padded practices. In the secondary, Renardo Green has gotten off to the best start of his three-year career, surrendering only 12 receptions for 101 yards and no touchdowns in four games with an interception of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in the season opener. He faces Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who already has 32 receptions for 481 yards and six touchdowns.
The tactical matchup centers on quarterback Brock Purdy against a Seattle secondary that condenses windows with Cover-6 and Cover-8 looks. The preview notes the boundary, not the middle of the field, is the better place to beat Seattle, with vertical stretch concepts requiring time that Seattle usually offers little. Seattle is dominant against under-center runs but can be vulnerable against counter, while the Seahawks' center-right guard pairing is identified as the place to direct pressure. "You HAVE to get pressure against Darnold. He's been abysmal when you speed him up," the preview states. Other key battles include Puni against Williams, who ranks eighth in quick pressures, and Colby against Byron Murphy. Puni had his first blown block in pass protection last week, while Colby had three blown blocks against Zach Allen in Week 4. At safety, Nick Emmanwori is described as "one of the best linear athletes in the NFL," with the note to make him flip his hips and put him in conflict with high-low concepts or isolations on George Kittle or Christian McCaffrey.
Prediction models lean toward Seattle at home, with Tim Kawakami projecting Seahawks 20, 49ers 17. The projection notes San Francisco has won at Lumen Field several times in the Shanahan/Purdy era but usually needs Bosa to close, and the team will be without Bosa plus a few others in this one, with two more shots against Seattle likely later this season.