The San Francisco 49ers look to start a run for the 2010 NFC West division title when they visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.  The 49ers have not made the playoffs since 2002, which is also the same year they last won the NFC West.  The Seahawks followed the dominance of San Francisco by winning the division four straight years from 2004-2007 but are simply looking to turn things around under first-year head coach Pete Carroll.

The 49ers are 3-point road favorites on the NFL football lines in one of the NFL’s toughest stadiums (Qwest Field), although they did win there in 2008 and 2006.  The team’s offense is led by quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore, who is one of only three players in the league to rush for 1,000 yards in each of the last four seasons.  Gore has rushed for two career 200-yard games, and both of them have come against the Seahawks.

Smith is coming off a career year with 18 touchdown passes and 2,350 yards, and he will have second-year wide receiver Michael Crabtree for a full season after he sat out his first five games as a rookie due to a contract dispute.  Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis (13 touchdowns last season) could cause problems for a Seattle secondary that gave up 27 touchdowns last year.

The Seahawks will have a bit of a new look under Carroll, who is back in the NFL for the first time in 11 years following a successful run at USC.  Carroll has already put his stamp on the team from a personnel perspective, getting rid of wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and defensive end Lawrence Jackson.  Starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck does return while former Cal star Justin Forsett earning the starting running back job over Julius Jones and Leon Washington.

Seattle will be without linebacker Leroy Hill due to a one-game suspension for a marijuana arrest, and rookie left tackle Russell Okung will not play due to a high ankle sprain.  However, the Seahawks do have a couple good stories heading into the season.  Former USC All-American wide receiver Mike Williams enjoyed a re-birth in the preseason under his former head coach and won a spot in the starting lineup.  Rookie safety Earl Thomas also made a strong impression on Carroll and will start for a defense that ranked 22^nd against the pass a year ago.

Carroll’s team will take on a San Francisco squad that went a perfect 4-0 in the preseason under head coach Mike Singletary, going 3-0-1 against the spread.  Seattle went 0-3-1 ATS in the preseason and surrendered 24 points or more in the last three games.

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