The Seahawks have had a challenging season so far, with injuries to key players and a tough schedule. However, they have shown promise in establishing their identity as a team with talented and hard-hitting defenders. In Week 13, despite the loss, Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense put up a strong fight against the Cowboys. Smith even played through a knee injury. The Seahawks will need to continue to improve and stay healthy to make a push for the playoffs in the remainder of the season.

Here are our bold predictions for the Seattle Seahawks as they face the San Francisco 49ers in a Week 14 matchup of the 2023 NFL season.

Geno Plays

Geno Smith faced limitations during Thursday’s practice due to a groin injury. Sure, Smith managed to avoid inclusion in the Seahawks’ initial Week 14 practice report on Wednesday. However, his addition to the list a day later has heightened concerns about his availability for Sunday’s game. Despite coming off a remarkable 300-yard passing performance last Thursday against Dallas, Smith struggled in the previous Week 12 encounter with the 49ers. He recorded only 180 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception on 18-for-27 passing.

On Friday, head coach Pete Carroll expressed that Smith will be a game-time decision for the Sunday matchup with the 49ers. After being limited on Thursday and then held out of practice on Friday, Smith is officially listed as questionable. However, long-time Seahawks pundits have voiced skepticism. They believe, as do we, that Smith would play.

Charbonnet in Action

In the game against Dallas on Thursday, Charbonnet got a knee bruise. There are signs that the injury is not serious after leaving the game in the fourth quarter. Carroll was upbeat about Charbonnet’s availability against the 49ers on Friday. This week, Charbonnet and teammate running back Kenneth Walker (oblique) went through the identical drill regimen. They didn’t practice on Wednesday, moved up to some light exercise on Thursday, and then resumed full practice on Friday.

Walker’s return to the starting lineup following a two-game absence may have an effect on Charbonnet’s stats. They’d probably go back to sharing time in the backfield that existed prior to Walker’s injury. Week 12 saw the Seahawks play their first game without Walker, with Charbonnet accounting for 87 percent of the offensive snaps.

Metcalf’s Impact

DK Metcalf had an outstanding performance in the Seahawks’ loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night. He hauled in six of eight targets for 134 yards and three touchdowns. Metcalf’s standout moment came with a 73-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. This marked the first of his three scores. He added two more touchdowns from one and three yards away in the second and fourth quarters, respectively.

This game doubled Metcalf’s season touchdown tally in just over three quarters, and his yardage total set a season-high. Thursday’s game also marked his first regular-season contest with multiple touchdowns through the air since Week 8 of the 2021 campaign. Metcalf heads into a challenging Week 14 road matchup against the 49ers with a lot of momentum. We have him exceeding 100 receiving yards again.