=== Cliches Aside, This Is a Big 'Un ===

What would happen if the two most powerful navies in the world decided to just bring everybody to the fight and winner takes all?

That's pretty much what happened on June 19-20, 1944, when 9 Japanese aircraft carriers (!) sailed into the Phillippine Sea to take on 15 (!!) U.S. aircraft carriers. 

The 15 U.S. aircraft carriers were backed by 7 battleships, 80 other warships, 25 submarines (!) and 900 planes.   The Japanese carriers were backed by 5 battleships, 40 other warships and 750 planes.

Sheer tonnage aside, the U.S. navy smoked 'em, because of (ahem) a more sophisticated air attack.  The Hellcat fighter was the more advanced plane and the U.S. was introducing radar-directed recon patrols.

Three generations on, of course, the U.S. and Japan are different countries and 1944 means as much as Slingin' Sammy Baugh.

................

In San Francisco tomorrow, we also see a state-of-the-art air attack (Seattle's) facing a throwback, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust scheme championed by ain't-we-tough Mike Singletary.

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=== If You're Smart, You Can Win Without Being Smart, Dept. ===

If I'm not mistaken, the Cardinals went 3-7 last year against the rest of the NFL, while going 6-0 against the division.  In other words, you can have a very questionable team and still look great if you smoke your own dubious division.  Mike Holmgren's teams had years where they did just that.

The Hawks are what, 5-2 on the road against SF over the last seven years, so this is a very do-able opportunity to seize control of not only the division, but perhaps a 10+ win season (based on the weakness of the division).

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=== SF Defense vs Seahawks Offense ===

The 9'ers had three sacks of Kurt Warner last week, and like 8 knockdowns, so the media (which didn't expect the 9'ers to show up) are waxing ecstatic about the new Best of the West.

The 49'ers are indeed getting pressure on the QB. 

But Mora and Knapp have wisely equipped their Blue Eyes White Dragon with an Axe of Despair:  according to Brock Huard, Matt Hasselbeck is now running a Peyton Manning-style  protection scheme.  And in week one it was pretty dazzling, even against a very respectable set of Ram defensive ends.   The equipped Blue Eyes racked up its 8,000 life points by about the third quarter.

Which wins, the immovable object or the irresistible force?

Hasselbeck, when his O-line is anywhere near the vicinity of the ballpark, has pretty much been beating pressure for six years.  The entire Hawks offense is geared to beat pressure; they'll even go to 5 WR's and a flag-football offense if they have to.

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=== 49'er Offense vs Seahawk Defense ===

No guarantees here, though. 

I think the loss of Hill (and maybe Tatupu and Mebane) will hurt, much more so than other Hawk fans are letting on.   Before the season, the idea seemed to be 10 D-linemen stripping blockers for our star 50's jerseys to make plays.  Now that linebacking crew doesn't look nearly as ready to carry a no-name defense.

It's true that the Rams had only 130 yards late in the game last week.  But it's also true that they were three decently-thrown passes away from a lot more than that.

Obsolete as Mike Singletary (and his offense) may be, I have no idea whether the Hawks can stop 49er offense.  We'll see.

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=== Dr's Prognosis ===

Bet the over on the points, metaphorically speaking.  :- )   .... Hawks 60-40 to win.

And winning this one means quite a bit.  Bring your U-boats to this party.  Football can be a lot of fun when there's a big game between two good teams.

Cheers,

Dr D