49ers vs. Seahawks: Full San Francisco Game Preview

The San Francisco 49ers are coming off their bye week and are preparing for a divisional showdown with the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field in Week 11.

San Francisco, now 3-6, managed to upend the visiting Atlanta Falcons before the break, but will face a stouter defense at a venue where the 49ers haven't won since 2011. But the 4-5 Seahawks are also experiencing their fair share of troubles—ones magnified following their Week 10 loss at the hands of the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert will get his second start in a 49ers uniform, but his opponent may not be as permeable as Atlanta's secondary.

And with some of San Francisco's biggest offensive weapons still banged up, the 49ers will look to find any sort of break they can get against this heated rival.

Which units and players will have the greatest impact on the game's outcome, and how can San Francisco figure out a way to, somehow, come away with a victory?

Let's break it down in this Week 11 preview.

Location: CenturyLink Field, Seattle

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

The 49ers entered their Week 10 bye coming off a 17-16 victory over the visiting Atlanta Falcons.

San Francisco's biggest storyline was the benching of quarterback Colin Kaepernick in favor of Blaine Gabbert. With Gabbert under center, the 49ers managed 318 yards of offense and the 17 points scored, all of which came in the second quarter.

Gabbert threw two touchdowns in the contest—both hauled in by tight end Garrett Celek, who could see an increased role following the trade of tight end Vernon Davis to the Denver Broncos.

While Gabbert did throw two interceptions, one of which was bobbled by wide receiver Jerome Simpson, the newly-minted starter seemed comfortable within the pocket.

The biggest stat line of the game wasn't on the 49ers offense's side of the ball, though.

San Francisco's defense, led by the tackling efforts of linebacker NaVorro Bowman, held Falcons running back Devonta Freeman to just 12 yards on 12 carries. Freeman entered the game as the league's leading rusher, so this feat is an obvious bonus for the 49ers defense.

Blaine Gabbert to Start in Week 11

Head coach Jim Tomsula elected to go with quarterback Blaine Gabbert versus Seattle after the former backup pulled off a win in his first start under center for San Francisco.

“I met with the guys and let them know that we were moving forward with the way we were—with Blaine in that seat,” Tomsula said on KNBR 680 (h/t Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com). “That’s the way we’re moving ahead.

“He had an opportunity, and I thought he did very well with his opportunity. I came back and watched the film, and what I thought during the game and what I watched on tape matched up for me so I made the decision.”

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick's continued demotion could be another sign of the 49ers' desire to move on from him in 2016. But Kaepernick's splits versus the Seahawks aren't exactly inspiring either.

Kaepernick owns a 55.9 passer rating over his career against Seattle. 

Patrick Willis Isn't Coming Out of Retirement

On November 12, B/R's Jason Cole, citing a source, suggested retired linebacker Patrick Willis was considering a return to the 49ers in 2016.

Willis, who retired during the offseason while dealing with a toe injury, vehemently denied any such return shortly thereafter via his WhoSay.com account.

The short-lived anticipation quickly evaporated as did the hopes San Francisco would, once again, employ a tandem of Willis and NaVorro Bowman at the inside linebacker position.

But Cole did state retired right tackle Anthony Davis would likely return in 2016 after leaving the team in a surprising move this offseason. Davis has hinted multiple times he would return, per his Twitter account.

49ers Still Boast a Last-Place Offense

Despite San Francisco's Week 9 win over Atlanta, the 49ers still rank dead last on the offensive side of the ball.

The 49ers have generated just 126 total points and 2,576 all-purpose yards over nine contests, all league-worst numbers. 

Four of the six San Francisco losses have seen the 49ers generate seven or fewer points. And there are a number of issues affecting these lowly statistics. From the offensive line, the quarterback position all the way to injuries and the play-calling, San Francisco doesn't appear poised to make any sort of headway out of the offensive cellar.

And a tough road contest against a Seattle defense probably won't help much either.

RB Carlos Hyde (Foot): Questionable

Running back Carlos Hyde is still nursing a foot injury but was limited in practice this week, per John Dickinson of 95.7 The Game (h/t CBS Sports).

The 49ers featured newly signed running back Shaun Draughn in the No. 1 role in Week 9, and the offense will likely stay in that mindset should Hyde continue to be inactive.

WR Anquan Boldin (Hamstring): Doubtful

Dickinson also reported wide receiver Anquan Boldin as limited in practice during the week leading up to San Francisco's Week 11 contest versus the Seahawks.

Boldin was also out for the 49ers' last game against the Falcons, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the veteran wideout sit out yet another contest. Boldin hasn't been in the lineup since Week 7.

If Boldin is unable to go, look for the 49ers to employ more sets with wide receivers Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington alongside fellow wideout Torrey Smith.

C Daniel Kilgore (Ankle): PUP

Center Daniel Kilgore continues to rehabilitate the ankle he injured in Week 7 last season. According to Joe Fann of 49ers.com, Kilgore is looking at a Week 12 return.

Second-year center Marcus Martin has largely struggled at the position in Kilgore's stead. While Kilgore likely won't be of any help in Seattle, despite being cleared to practice, his return should help solidify an offensive line struggling over the course of the season.

CBs Kenneth Acker (Concussion), Tramaine Brock (Shin) and Keith Reaser (Ankle): Questionable

The 49ers secondary could remain thin, as was the case in Week 9 versus the Falcons.

Cornerbacks Kenneth Acker, Tramaine Brock and Keith Reaser all missed that contest with respective injuries. And all three are still listed as questionable leading into Week 11.

San Francisco received commendable efforts from backup cornerbacks Marcus Cromartie and Dontae Johnson. Johnson may be tasked with covering Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham on Sunday given Johnson's size.

Aaron Lynch vs. Russell Wilson

Seattle's offensive line has been one of the most problematic O-lines over the course of 2015. And Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has already been sacked 33 times this season. Additionally, nine of those sacks have come on 1st-and-10 plays.

The Seahawks O-line ranks dead last in the NFL with a minus-51.2 pass-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus.

Pressuring Wilson will largely fall on pass-rushing linebacker Aaron Lynch. 

Lynch recorded two sacks the last time these two teams played on October 22 and has a plus-8.1 PFF pass-rushing grade on the season.

NaVorro Bowman vs. Marshawn Lynch

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman currently leads all 49ers with 88 combined tackles on the season, and he'll need to continue that trend in Seattle with the Seahawks looking to establish the ground game behind running back Marshawn Lynch.

Bowman's pass coverage may not quite be back where it was before his knee injury, but the standout linebacker remains a force against the run. He boasts a plus-8.4 PFF grade here.

Lynch is averaging only 3.8 yards per carry on the season and has just three rushing touchdowns on the year. Still, the premier running back remains a threat versus San Francisco. He's averaging 91.3 yards per game over his career versus the 49ers.

Dontae Johnson vs. Jimmy Graham

The 49ers will likely employ a plethora of coverage options against tight end Jimmy Graham in Week 11. Despite not totally being utilized by Seattle's offense, Graham remains a significant threat and is capable of impacting the game over the course of 60 minutes.

One coverage option, based on size alone, could be lining up cornerback Dontae Johnson on Graham.

At 6'2" and 200-pounds, Johnson may possess the best size advantage within San Francisco's secondary. And he has a plus-1.4 PFF pass-coverage grade on the season.

49ers O-Line vs. Seahawks Pass Rush

Seattle will be without linebacker Bruce Irvin (knee) in Week 11, which is an obvious relief for San Francisco's offensive line. Irvin has 4.5 sacks on the season, but the Seahawks pass rush is still capable of bringing pressure from other players along the line.

Defensive end Michael Bennett leads the Seahawks with 6.5 sacks. And fellow DE Cliff Avril has 4.5 sacks on the year as well.

In Week 9, the 49ers employed more of right guard Andrew Tiller (49 snaps) over fellow guard Jordan Devey (10 snaps), per PFF. And, as a unit, the O-line didn't allow a single sack to quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Granted, Atlanta's pass rush is nothing like that of the Seahawks. This puts even more pressure on the guys up front to continue their protection scheme.

Shaun Draughn vs. Seahawks Run Defense

Barring a return from running back Carlos Hyde, Shaun Draughn will likely be featured as the team's No. 1 option on the ground.

Draughn averaged 3.6 yards per carry in Week 9 against a respectable Falcons run defense. And the Seahawks will provide another tough challenge.

Seattle is averaging just 3.7 yards per rushing attempt, and its 905 total yards allowed on the ground ranks No. 11 in the league.

Can Draughn and the 49ers establish any sort of ground game on the road? Doing so will have huge implications upon San Francisco's offensive efforts.

49ers X-Factor of the Week: Blaine Gabbert

Newly-minted starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert has never faced the Seahawks in a regular-season game.

And Seattle's defense provides a much more difficult challenge than the one seen when Gabbert faced off against Atlanta two weeks ago.

The Seahawks rank No. 2 in the league in fewest passing yards allowed (2,730) despite the team's 4-5 record. But a nice feature of Gabbert's game could come into play when facing off against Seattle's dangerous pass rush.

While the sample size is small, Gabbert was able to complete 75 percent of his passes while under pressure or being blitzed, per PFF. Again, the Falcons don't boast much of a passing defense. So it will be interesting to see which trend wins out Sunday.

Gabbert won't be helped by the drops that plagued his efforts in Week 9. Four of these hindered the 49ers efforts in Week 9. And that can't be a successful factor going up against the still-dangerous Seahawks secondary.

Odds Shark currently lists the Seahawks as 13.5 favorites during Sunday's contest with a predicted score of 30-10.9 in favor of Seattle.

Winning on the road at a venue the 49ers haven't tasted victory since 2011 seems like a grim proposition for a San Francisco team struggling to make any sort of headway this season. Yet the Seahawks have endured their own fair share of problems this season.

Still, Seattle has a considerable edge over its NFC West rivals. And San Francisco will have to play a near-perfect game to even stand a chance.

But, if the Seahawks are mistake-prone and let the 49ers hang around, an upset could be in order.

That is a big could.

Perhaps Seattle is still looking at its rough loss at home versus the Cardinals in Week 10. Perhaps its offensive line woes continue to be problematic. Or the red-zone problems remain a factor.

Yet these factors probably aren't enough to give San Francisco any sort of edge. The 49ers will likely lose this game. But avoiding an embarrassment may be the best target for head coach Jim Tomsula's squad in Week 11.

Prediction: 49ers 13, Seahawks 24

All statistics, injury reports, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.