The Seattle Seahawks are 3-2 and they are in trouble for the NFC West, and perhaps the playoffs are a little less certain for the Super Bowl champions given their test of a schedule over the next three weeks.
In a back-and-forth game with more defense than the final score suggested, the Seahawks fell 32-29 to the San Francisco 49ers (5-0) to fall two games back (with no tiebreaker) in the division. Sam Darnold threw two terrible interceptions and generally did not perform well. George Holani’s back-breaking fumble for a touchdown before halftime gave the 49ers an eight-point lead heading into the locker room. Seattle turned it over four times to San Francisco’s three, and the 49ers scored 21 of their 32 points off turnovers.
Brock Purdy and Mike Evans toast the Seahawks secondary, and by secondary I mean Josh Jobe. Even though Purdy was getting picked off and sacked a few times, he made some clutch plays to keep drives alive and give the 49ers a win that, when it’s all said and done, could be one of the moments they look back on if they end their Super Bowl drought.
Seahawks vs. 49ers 1st half recap
The 49ers started on offense with Christian McCaffrey getting a quality 8-yard run to open the drive. Brock Purdy nearly got stoned on his first throw, then George Kittle dropped what was usually a gimme for him. Seattle gets the ball from a three-and-out and turns it right back. Sam Darnold was sacked on second down, setting up a 3rd and 10 pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that was read and picked off by Renardo Green. Instant possession of the red zone.
Purdy made the Seahawks pay with a third-down conversion from Mike Evans to Josh Jobe, followed by a touchdown to Evans with Jobe in coverage. 7-0 49ers.
If you want to relive a little history, the Seahawks recovered a muffed punt last week against the Los Angeles Chargers. It happened again against the 49ers,
Short field touchdown one way? Short field touchdown the other way. A couple of conversions through the air to Emanuel Wilson and Cooper Kupp gave Seattle a goal-to-go situation. Emanuel Wilson ran down the right side, with AJ Barner blocking Romello Height and clearing the path for the walk-in score. 7-7.
It’s a struggle for first downs for both offenses, as you’d expect given the caliber of both defenses. For the first time all season, Brock Purdy took a sack. On 3rd and 1, Byron Murphy II came close and ended the play to put Purdy down.
The opening quarter ended with Sam Darnold hitting an explosive play to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 38 yards, as JSN toasted Deommodore Lenoir.
A screen to JSN netted another 16, although the stat book pegged it as a running play. Seattle’s drive stalled after that JSN touch, but Jason Myers made it work 10-7 Seahawks on a 49-yard field goal. Smith-Njigba went noticeably deaf when he appeared to tweak his ankle in that aforementioned game.
The 49ers were on the cusp of field goal range when Purdy was sacked a second time by big Byron Murphy II. A key tackle by Devon Witherspoon on a Purdy scramble meant that a field goal attempt could not be made. Seattle gets the ball back inside its own 9, and turns it over AGAIN. Emanuel Wilson on the fumble and Fred Warner on the punch-out. Christian McCaffrey immediately capitalized with an 11-yard touchdown run. 14-10 49ers.
Madness ensued on Seattle’s next scoring run. Sam Darnold scrambled for a first down but was hit late by Dre Greenlaw for a personal foul penalty. Greenlaw mixed it up on the Seahawks sideline and then headbutted a helmetless Ernest Jones IV. That’s automatic ejection!
After the dust settled, George Holani had a wide open catch in the flat and was set to get a big gain… unless he dropped the ball himself and recovered his own fumble. It was still a first down, but it was a big play opportunity that was wasted. Consecutive sacks on Sam Darnold made it a longer FG for Jason Myers, which was at least true from the 50. 14-13 49ers.
The 49ers were held scoreless in the two-minute drill, while the Seahawks’ defense continued to play solidly. Unfortunately, the offense played incompetently, and instead of kneeling on the ball or doing literally anything safer than a handoff out of the zone near the goal line, George Holani fumbled the ball in an effort to run out the clock. Gracen Halton was on the spot for a touchdown before halftime. 21-13 49ers.
SERIOUSLY?! Three turnovers in the first half and it could have been more. Boos echoed around Lumen Field entering the break.
Seahawks vs. 49ers 2nd half recap
The Seahawks got the ball on offense to start the second half, desperately needing something good to happen. Darnold threw another interception instead, this time on a pass intended for Elijah Arroyo. Another Renardo Green pick.
Arroyo levied a 15-yard roughness penalty for good measure. The 49ers failed to get a first down, and Eddy Pineiro’s field goal effort went wide left. No points allowed!
Seattle took advantage of the short field on a run-heavy 8-play, 33-yard drive. Jason Myers connected on a third field goal to cut the deficit 21-16 49ers.
PICK! Nehemiah Pritchett with another pick of the season and his second takeaway participation of the afternoon. It was Purdy’s first interception since Week 1 and the running back set up Seattle in tremendous field position.
What happened next? JSN. A nice cut to make a move on Fred Warner and make it a go-ahead call at home. 23-21 Seahawks.
FUMBLE! Deebo Samuel was tripped by Drake Thomas and the ball dropped when his shin hit the ground. The 49ers’ third turnover in his messy game! Josh Jobe on the recovery, which led to no first down but another field goal by Jason Myers. 26-21 Seahawks.
Brock Purdy and Mike Evans tore through the Seahawks defense on a 12-play, 74-yard drive. Purdy was 7/8 for 89 yards and a touchdown to Brandin Cooks, an injury-prone receiver ironically called into action due to multiple injuries at the receiver position for the 49ers. Purdy in Evans is good for a two-point conversion, as Josh Jobe can not cope. 29-26 49ers.
Rashid Shaheed was about to smash a huge kick back home. It still set up good field position for the Seahawks, who used Shaheed in a play-action boot for an explosive play near the red zone. The drive stalled after Keion White sacked Darnold, and Myers went in for a tying field goal. 29-29.
Smashmouth football by the 49ers offense gave them a clock-killing drive to work in field goal range. Byron Murphy II turned down Kaelon Black on 3rd and 1, forcing a field goal attempt on the other side of the two-minute warning. Eddy Pineiro missed from 50+ earlier, did he miss from 44? No! 32-29 49ers with 1:56 left.
A penalty on Seattle’s Avery Smith during the kick return put the Seahawks ahead. Darnold hits a wide open JSN for a huge gain at midfield! The next throw to JSN heats him up and it’s incomplete. Darnold was nearly sacked on 2nd and 10 and got away for a throw too high to Barner. JSN was very open but he let it go! Can’t believe he made a mistake with his jump! 4th and 10 and Kupp made the catch, broke a tackle, dived but he was flagged short of a first down. The game is over.
- LB Drake Thomas suffered an ankle injury in the first half but returned in the second half.
- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba sprained his right ankle after a 16-yard run in the second quarter, but stayed in the game.
The Seahawks have a short week and a road trip to the high elevation of Denver, where the Denver Broncos (3-2) await on Thursday night. Prime Video has a broadcast at 5:15 pm PT on Oct. 15.