Seahawks fight, scratch, claw, eek out 20-17 win over 49ers
By Jake Parr edited by Charles Hamaker
Santa Clara, CA - The Seattle Seahawks snapped two San Francisco 49ers win streaks today, as Geno Smith gallivanted into the end zone in the dying moments of the game to secure victory. First, the 49ers two-game streak going back to their win over the Dallas Cowboys last month, and their six-game streak of beating the Seahawks which started all the way back in 2021. They did so by overcoming both the vaunted 49ers defense and their own worst impulses, as penalties and poor execution remain present. Much ink has been spilled, on this site and others, about the Seahawks’ struggles with inconsistent play, and while those issues did not disappear this week, they were manageable against a San Francisco team that still has the makings of the contender it’s been in previous seasons. That, combined with 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa’s departure with hip injury, made the difference in today’s win that rights the ship for Seattle to snap their two-game losing streak and get them back in the thick of the race for the NFC West title.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa reaches for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith during the first half of the Seahawks’ road win at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, November 17th, 2024. (Photo by David Gonzales/Imagn Images)
Taking the rivalry on the road
After starting center Connor Williams surprised Seattle by retiring mid-season (announced mid-week by head coach Mike MacDonald during post practice media availability) following a rough stretch of games, the Seahawks called on second-year man Olu Oluwatimi to fulfill snapping duties. Williams may not have been the problem, however, as Oluwatimi botched a snap of his own. The Seahawks lead the league with seven (!) botched snaps this year. Oluwatimi’s appearance was just one of the many ways that the two teams that faced off against each other today were not the same that played back on October 10th at Lumen Field that saw Seattle fall by a score of 24-36.
In that game, the 49ers were not able to call on their star running back Christian McCafferey, instead relying on Isaac Guerendo, who acquitted himself well. Today, San Francisco had McCaffery back, and relied on him to make up for lost time. But he wasn’t able to get any explosive plays today -- with his longest rush totaling eleven yards. In fact, San Francisco was denied any single big play all game, the longest being a 22-yard reception by wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the first quarter. The Seahawks defense held firm in their bend-but-don’t-break style, with defensive unit holding the 49ers to just 17 points, their second best stand of the season, only beat out by their game against the Miami Dolphins where they limited the opposition to a mere field goal.
Backs to the wall
A theme of the season has been the Seahawks’ sloppy play leading them to falling behind early, only to have a herculean effort in the fourth that comes up well short of a win. They seem to only play at their best while losing late, which is perhaps why they won today. Seattle was able to keep the game close, trailing only by a single point at halftime thanks to a pair of 50+ yard field goals by kicker Jason Myers. In the third quarter, the Seahawks were even able to take a narrow three-point lead with a touchdown, their first of the game, as Kenneth Walker III pounded the ball into the end zone. The 49ers answered back with an excruciating, plodding 70 yard, nine-minute touchdown drive of their own that left just nine minutes in the game, with the feeling being that San Francisco had once again triumphed over Seattle in a theme that had become common in recent years.
And the Seahawks wasted nearly half of that on a failed drive when they couldn’t convert a third and one followed by a fourth and inches, running into a 49ers-red brick wall. But then the defense made a great stop, forcing a third and eleven that the 49ers couldn’t convert and getting the ball back into Geno’s hands with just over two minutes remaining on the clock.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith extends the ball over the goal line for a late touchdown, ultimately giving the Seahawks the win over the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, November 17th, 2024. (Photo by David Gonzales/Imagn Images)
It was Geno’s right hand that made all the difference at the end of this game. The Hawks were able to get into a rhythm in their passing game for what feels like the first time in weeks. 15 yards here, eight yards there, followed by 16 yards the next play. Seattle ate up the San Francisco secondary, setting the stage for Geno with second and two at the 49ers 13-yard line. San Fran left the door open on the left side, and Geno established his own running game, rushing through the opening and extending his right arm to score the go-ahead touchdown with just 12 seconds on the clock. The defense sealed the deal at the end when the 49ers attempted lateral miracle play was stuffed when Derick Hall recovered an attempted lateral. For the first time since 2021, and the first time since Geno Smith has taken over as the starting quarterback, the Seahawks had beaten the 49ers and they did so in San Francisco’s home building.
Clean enough, but not spotless
While the 49ers are the most complete team that the Seahawks have beaten this year, they weren't whole today. San Francisco lost defensive Nick Bosa in the second half due to an injury, and that is when the Seahawks were able to score both of their touchdowns. It must be said that Bosa is a star, and he excels at bringing pressure to quarterbacks, making a living doing so since being drafted out of Ohio State. If he hadn’t gotten hurt, it’s likely that Geno’s 13-yard game-winning run would have been impossible or highly improbable. This is not to discredit the win, but simply to show that the Seahawks still have work to do if they want to turn this season around and win the NFC West. It is doable, but they have to tighten up their play in a myriad of ways.
There were a few miscues today that cost Seattle both yards and points. Notably, the botched snap by Oluwatimi that brought up 3rd and 22, and Geno’s one interception today when he threw the ball straight to a defender in an attempt to escape a collapsing pocket and create something out of nothing. That pick led to a 49ers field goal. On the defensive side, defensive tackle Jarran Reed failed to contain a scrambling Brock Purdy on the right side, allowing him to score the first touchdown of the game. There were smaller mental mistakes as well, such as safety Ty Okada leaving his feet to swat down a pump fake, allowing Purdy to scramble for a first down. While not earth shattering, it’s the kind of thing that has to be tightened up down the stretch, especially if the Seahawks want to contend for their first division title since 2020.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy extends for the pylon as Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed tries to push him out of bounds during the Seahawks’ 20-17 road win at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, November 17th, 2024. (Photo by Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
But it wasn’t all bad. The Seahawks, who are the most penalized team in the league, only committed four infractions today, totaling just 20 yards. It’s a huge turnaround, and may be a more encouraging development coming out of the bye week than the win is. The Seahawks do have a strong core, the pieces are there. But they need to get out of their own way, especially in regards to penalties. It’s no coincidence that when they finally did, they pulled out a win. Now they just need to continue what they started when they get home next week.
What’s Next?
The NFC West is extremely close, with three teams, the Seahawks, 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams all sporting 5-5 records. The leading team, the Arizona Cardinals, is just one game ahead with a 6-4 record that wasn’t affected this weekend as they had their bye week. Fittingly, the Seahawks play the Cardinals next week, hosting them for an afternoon game at Lumen Field on Sunday, November 24th, 2024. Kickoff for that game will be at 1:25PM PST and will be broadcast on TV on Fox Sports, and on radio at Seattle Sports 710 AM and KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. It’ll be another critical matchup for the NFC West race, as the Cardinals come in hot having won their past four games, but the Seahawks have won the past five head-to-head battles against Arizona so one of those streaks will have to snap when they meet for the first of two contests this season. Seattle finally seems to be getting healthier as offensive tackle Abraham Lucas and wide receiver DK Metcalf both returned to the team in this game, and a win against the 49ers should only help add to the confidence and momentum those returns will bring.
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Check out our previous Seattle Seahawks articles here.
Check out our previous articles written by Jake Parr here, and his Lookout Landing articles here.
Cover photo by Kyle Terada/Imagn Images. All photo credit to Kyle and Imagn.
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