Matchup a clash of roster vs. Seattle’s Wilson

There will not be a 12th Man in Seattle on Sunday, but that won’t make the Seahawks a pushover for the Niners in the first of two rivalry games this year.

The 49ers are a team in constant flux because of injuries but have shown resilience and depth that should be the envy of the league. The Seahawks are a team that has perceived stability because they have the best quarterback in the NFL right now.

So what’s more important, the quarterback or the 52-man roster surrounding him?

The answer to that question could go a long way in determining who wins Sunday’s game between the teams, and where they finish in the NFC West.

Here are five matchups the Niners must win if they want to come out on top Sunday:

49ERS’ IMPROVING OFFEN-SIVE LINE VS. SEAHAWKS' SURPRISING DEFENSIVE FRONT >> Whether it was the motivation of being called out or a new run-always scheme, the 49ers’ offensive line has turned a corner this year and there’s no one player on the Seahawks’ defensive line who should scare them.

But Seattle, with a bunch of castoffs and no names (the recently acquired Carlos Dunlop isn’t going to play), could prove a problematic matchup for San Francisco’s line, particularly the right side, because

they play with such power and strength.

Jimmy Garoppolo likes to push a different narrative — and perhaps it was true once upon a time — but he does not perform well under pass-rush pressure anymore. The Niners’ O-line needs to show that it really did get right in the last two weeks. K’WAUN WILLIAMS VS. TYLER LOCKETT >> Williams is a lynchpin of the 49ers defense and after nearly a month out, he’s set to return Sunday. His welcome back gift? One of the best slot receivers in the NFL.

Last week against Arizona, Lockett caught 15 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns. It was a monster game that wasn’t too far off his norm. He had three touchdowns earlier this year against the Cowboys as well. His neversay- die route running, paired with the never-saydie quarterback and bal

lerina-level body control make him a nightmare to cover.

If Lockett can go off again, the Niners don’t stand much of a chance of keeping up with the Seattle offense.

JIMMY GAROPPOLO VS. ‘THE SOFT SPOTS’ >> Garoppolo, in addition to his asinine backing of Tony La Russa as the new manager of our favorite baseball team, mentioned the obvious — this Seahawks defense likes to give up chunks of yards through the air.

The issue with that, for the 49ers, is that they’re not pushing the ball downfield. Garoppolo is second-to-last in intended air yards per attempt, 6.2, an average of 2.6 yards behind the first- down sticks.

Respect to the 49ers defense, but San Francisco is a team with minimal pass rush pressure; Russell Wilson is going to get his on Sunday. That makes it reasonable to expect that for the 49ers to win, they’re going to have to score four or more touchdowns. That’s tougher without Deebo Samuel in

the lineup.

Seattle’s secondary is nothing to mess with — their issues this year have not been talent but execution. Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is going to find a way to make an impact in pass defense, like he always does. But despite that strength, Garoppolo is going to have to push the ball downfield against them for the 49ers to win.

MARCELL HARRIS VS. SEAHAWKS OFFENSE DESIGNED TO BEAT A PLAYER LIKE HIM >> The Niners could be spared here, as Jimmie Ward appears on track to play Sunday and that could push Harris out of the lineup. There’s no doubt Tarvarious Moore is a better option to replace the injured Jaquiski Tartt than Harris.

But if San Francisco opts to keep Harris on the field for Sunday’s game — and there’s a non-zero chance of that — he’ll be targeted early and often by Seattle.

Harris might hit hard and have an uncanny knack for creating turn-

overs, but he’s often lost in space. Against a Seattle team that loves to run double moves on deep routes, that tendency to be all sorts of mixed up is a problem. If he plays, Harris needs to be clean for San Francisco to win.

KEVIN WHITE VS. DEEBO SAMUEL >> While the Niners will no doubt have to change up their attack to account for the absence of Samuel — who was the focal point of the offense the last two weeks — they don’t necessarily have to abandon the “run” game from their wide receivers.

Cue Kevin White, who is anything but lanky, has elite speed, and shares many combine test scores with Samuel.

Of course, there’s a toughness and lower-body strength that Samuel carries that is hard to replicate — there’s only one Deebo — but White, at least conceptually, looks the part.

It’s worth seeing if the former Bears bust can slide into Samuel’s role, as defined in the last two weeks.