THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, September 13, 2015

There's questions about Seattle's offensive line.

But really, if the protection breaks down, that just gives Russell Wilson the chance to run around like Fran Tarkenton, make several defenders miss - some more than once - and make an even bigger play than was originally called.

And does Marshawn Lynch really require much blocking help?

And, with their strong safety holding out, there's questions about how much Boom this year's Legion will be able to deliver.

But come on - with their ability to pressure the quarterback with just four guys, plus linebackers waiting to lay the wood, it might not matter if John Chancellor, rather than Kam Chancellor, is playing back there.

Kam or no Kam, the Seahawks should be the favorites to at least reach the Super Bowl again this year because, well, who's going to beat them in the NFC?

Green Bay? The Packers have the talent, but have they recovered from choking away the NFL title game in Seattle last year? And, oh yeah, there's that Jordy Nelson season-ending injury thing.

Dallas? The Cowboys won in Seattle last year during the regular season, and were a referee's call away from getting the chance to prove it in the postseason. Dallas was one of the few teams with a strong ground game, so naturally the Cowboys let their elite running back leave.

We'll get to the 49ers later. But elsewhere in the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals were in good shape to win the division last year. Until they realized that, oh yeah, we're the Cardinals, and they were overtaken by the Seahawks.

That leaves us to the AFC, where the Patriots didn't play scared against the Seahawks, and managed to beat them in the Super Bowl.

The Ravens aren't afraid of anybody either - even the Patriots.

The Broncos? Well, they are probably still haunted by the first snap of the Super Bowl two years ago sailing past Peyton Manning, resulting in a safety and leading to a 43-8 drubbing by the Seahawks.

Give the Patriots credit. For all the controversy surrounding them, they didn't listen to all the sheep commentators who said "You have to challenge Richard Sherman" or "You have to challenge "Bobby Wagner."

No they don't.

They threw underneath against the Seahawks, got what they needed before they got walloped, and took their deep shots in other ways.

AS FOR the 49ers, it could be a surprisingly good season, despite all the standouts they lost, or it could be a disastrous season.

I don't think anybody knows.

With more talent last year, the 49ers played essentially a prevent defense. This year, with younger, less experienced players and a new coordinator, they'll take more chances, which will lead to more big plays. The question is, will they be big plays for the 49ers, or for the other team?

Offensively, we'll find out whether Colin Kaepernick was shackled by the 49ers' attempt to make him a pocket passer, or if they were merely protecting him from making a ton of mistakes on his own. Maybe, with more freedom to run this year, Kaepernick could look more like the QB who terrorized defenses with his feet and his arm at Nevada. But if he continues to struggle this year, it might be time for the 49ers to take a big gulp, swallow a lot of money, and look for another quarterback.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.