NFL: Seahawks/49ers

10/11/2026

(Seattle, WA) There’s been a lot opf focus on the the NFC West this season with the L-A Rams leading the charge with their off-season moves and the “on-paper” look of a Super Bowl team. Of course you had the defending Champion Seahawks whose defense has them as a target and and subject of the national media but there was a bit of a question about the 49ers and if they could stay healthy they could certainly make a run.

Well the 49ers haven’t stayed healthy but it hasn’t mattered as they came into this game unbeaten at 4-0. The Hawks 3-1 and the Rams sitting in 3rd at 2-2. When these 3 teams face off with each other it’s going to be a dog fight and the 49ers came in with one under their belt handling L-A in the opening game of the year in Australia. If the 49ers could knock off Seattle, om Seattle it would be a huge boost to the early conference standings.

While much of the East Coast was hammered by rain and wind, it was a perfect October Sunday in Seattle as these two giants collided on the Lumen Stadium field.

Turnovers take Center Stage

The 1st half offensive numbers don’t match the score. The Seahawks had a total of 110 yards, 8 1st downs and 13 points. San Francisco had a total of 112 yards, 6 1st downs and yet put up 21 points. 

Turnovers and chippy play were the name of the game with Seattle’s offense coughing up the ball 3 times and each led to a touchdown. The first one was again a poor decision and pass by Sam Darnold who threw an easy pick the the 49ers Renardo Green on the Seattle 18-yard line.

It took the 49ers 4 plays to score when Brock Purdy hit Mike Evans on a 2-yard slant pass with 11:12 to play in the 1st. Eddie Pineiro added the PAT and it was 7-0.

Seattle got the ball back but had to punt it away and as Jacob Cowing was catching the ball he did not wave for a fair catch and got lit up by Nehemiah Pritchett popping the ball out which was recovered by Eric Saubert. The Seahawks would take advantage and Emanuel Wilson pounded it in from the 3 and the game was tied at 7-7.

Seattle would then take the lead 10-7 on the first of 5 field goals for Jason Myers. The Seahawk defense then forced the 49ers to punt and on the firswt play, Wilson had the ball punched out of his hands and San Francisco recovered on the Hawks 11. One play and Christian McCaffrey scored as S-F re-took the lead 14-10. 

Seattle answered with an 11-play drive but had to settle for a 50-yard field goal by Myers. The 1st half would then end in a strange series of events. Seattle would force the 49ers to punt late in the half and they were able to down it on the Seattle 2-yard line with 13-seconds to play in the half. But the 49ers had all 3 time outs left and with little room to operate they could take all 3 time outs and force Seattle to punt out of the back of the end zone if they simply kneed it. 

The idea was to hand the ball off and plow into the line and that would burn at least 4-seconds and then the 49ers may decide to simply go to the locker room. Darnold handed off to George Holani who was met 3-yards behind the line of scrimmage in the end zone by Gracen Halton and fumbled. Halton then fell on the loose ball and scored a touchdown. San Francisco went to the break with a shocking 21-13 lead.

2nd Half it was still about the Turnover

Darnold began the 2nd half like the 1st throwing an ill advised interception. The 49ers had a great opportunity to put a ton of pressure on the Seahawks but had to settle for a Pineiro 52-yard field goal attempt that he missed wide right.

After a strong kick return by Rashid Rasheed to the Hawks 45 they would move it to the 49er 25 but stalled. Myers hit field goal #3 from 43 yards and Seattle drew closer trailing 21-16.

On S-F’s nxt possession Purdy would throw his next pick to Pritchett who returned it to the 49er 20 yard line. This time Darnold cashed in with a perfect leading pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba who cut up the field and in for 6 for a 16-yard TD and Seattle took their first lead of the game up 23-21.

The 49ers wouldn’t have the ball long on their next possession when Deebo Samuel fumbled on the 2nd play and Seattle’s Josh Jobe recovered on 49er 35. Ther offense could only muster 6 yards on 3 downs and Myers came on for field goal #4 for 48 yards and Seattle had their biggest lead of the game 26-21.

San Fran comes up big

The 49ers answered that mistake with their best drive of the game as they began on their own 26. They would use big downfield plays to receiver Mike Evans first on a 3rd and 10 for 23 yards. Then after an intentional grounding penalty against Purdy, he would find Evans again on a 2nd and 21 toe tapping in at the Seattle 9. Two plays later, Purdy fired a low line drive to Brandin Cooks who got both hands under the ball for a spectacular catch and score. Purdy then hit Evans for 2 points and led 29-26.

Shaheed would come up big with another big kick return out to the Seattle 45. Two plays later Shaheed would grab a big pass and pick up 22-yards to the Hawks in scoring position. The dive would get shut down on the S-F 22 and Myers came on for a 40-yard field goal to tie the game at 29-29 with 6:55 to play.

It was now the 49ers turn to return the serve so to speak and after 7 plays they had moved to the 26 with a 4th and 2. Pineiro knocked through the 44-yarder to give the 49ers the lead with 1:56 to play. This left plenty of time for Seattle to get into field goal range to tie it or to get in the end zone for the win.

The Hawks began with the ball back on their own 15 to start the drive needing about 50-yards to give Myers a shot at tying it up. On the first play and big hit from Darnold to JSN for 35-yards to the 50. Seattle then abandoned the running game completely and threw three straight incomplete passes setting up a 4th and 10. Darnold scrambled and had to dump the ball off to Cooper Kupp and was about 4 yards short of the 1st down and ran up the near sideline was pushed as he extended the ball near the 1st down marker and was out of bounds.

The official came in immediately and waved him a yard short of the 1st down says when he stretched out the ball was not in the field of play when he reached the yard to gain. It went to review and since there was no replay from the sideline perspective to see where the ball was the call stood and San Francisco kneed it out for the win.

This game couldn’t be much closer, both offenses had 14 1st downs, there was just 18 yards difference in total yardage, one defense had 3 sacks and 4 turnovers the other 5 sacks and 3 turnovers and there was less than 2-minutes difference in time of possession.

The 49ers now move to 5-0 and no matter what the Rams do Monday night they will own a 2 game lead over the 2nd place team or teams and own the first win over both teams just behind them. 

Seattle drops to 3-2 and the Rams are 2-2 and with a win on Monday against Buffalo would push them to 3-2. The early season top two favorites to win the Super Bowl will be tied for with identical 3-2 records and tied for 2nd two games behind the 49ers.

Coach Mike Madonald Postgame Press Conference

Team Stats

Statistics
1st Downs	14	14
Passing 1st downs	9	9
Rushing 1st downs	5	4
1st downs from penalties	0	1
3rd down efficiency	4-12	3-12
4th down efficiency	0-0	0-1
Total Plays	56	60
Total Yards	269	251
Total Drives	13	15
Yards per Play	4.8	4.2
Passing	175	162
Comp/Att	19/29	18/29
Yards per pass	5.5	4.8
Interceptions thrown	1	2
Sacks-Yards Lost	3-14	5-33
Rushing	94	89
Rushing Attempts	24	26
Yards per rush	3.9	3.4
Red Zone (Made-Att)	3-3	2-3
Penalties	8-70	5-46
Turnovers	3	4
Fumbles lost	2	2
Interceptions thrown	1	2
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	1	0
Possession	29:02	30:58

Seahawk Stats

Link to 49er Stats

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