Notebook: 49ers are NFC West champs
The 49ers are the NFC West champs once again, regaining the title for the first time since 2019. They clinched the crown with a 21-13 win over the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday night.
Here are our notes from San Francisco’s seventh-consecutive victory:
First quarter
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– The 49ers’ special teams has been so good lately, but the Seahawks returned the opening kick to the 35. Not a good start!
– Great read by Azeez Al-Shaair to blow up a screen. The 49ers LBs are so good.
– Three-and-out on the 49ers’ first series. Brock Purdy looked a little flustered under pressure on a third-and-5.
– Arik Armstead is all over the place early. He’s spending a lot of time in the backfield.
– Lots of short throws for Purdy early on.
– First big run of the game comes on second-and-3 on their second series. Christian McCaffrey blasted through for 23 yards.
– On a third down Seattle’s DE Bruce Irvin got a great jump on the snap, but still got shut down by Trent Williams. That was funny.
– Sick play design for a 49ers TD. Fake screen to Ray-Ray McCloud, fake screen to McCaffrey and then a throw to George Kittle down the middle for a touchdown. That capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive and it’s 7-0, 49ers.
– Whew. Huge hit on Geno Smith from Talanoa Hufanga forces a fumble and sets up a second-and-18 for Seattle. Then Smith threw a screen behind WR Marquise Goodwin on third down to force another punt. San Francisco’s defense is flying around.
End of first quarter: 49ers 7, Seahawks 0
Second quarter
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– So, the 49ers drew the Seahawks offsides on fourth-and-7 on the final play of the first quarter. That brought up a fourth-and-2 at the Seattle 42 and the 49ers punted. That is so, so, so silly against the worst run defense in the league. It makes no sense.
– Brandon Aiyuk is always open.
– Purdy’s first incompletion is his 12th throw and he missed an open McCaffrey on an out route one-on-one with a linebacker. That’s a throw he needs to hit.
– His next throw was a miss to a wide open. Consecutive inexcusable misses from the QB.
– The 49ers’ defense lays hats, man.
– Geno Smith scrambles for a first down on third-and-13. That’s brutal.
– Seattle put together a good series, but the 49ers stiffened up near the red zone. It was Armstead with the pressure on third-and-8 to force an incompletion and a short field goal. It’s 7-3, 49ers.
– Purdy nearly throws an interception on a third-and-11. He’s been a disaster since his hot start.
– Unreal turnaround with a minute left in the first half. Seattle was heading down to try and score before the half, but Dre Greenlaw flew in and forced a fumble that Charvarius Ward recovered and returned inside the 10. They have a first-and-goal at the 6 with 56 seconds left.
– There it is. Two carries for McCaffrey and he’s in for a touchdown. It’s 14-3, 49ers.
Halftime: 49ers 14, Seahawks 3
Third quarter
– VINTAGE KITTLE. On second-and-5 Purdy found his tight end wide open down the left side where Kittle made a pair of defenders miss en route to a 54-yard TD to put San Francisco up 21-3 early in the third quarter. Purdy’s had at least two TD passes in three consecutive games — the first 49ers rookie QB to do that since at least 1970.
– Brutal. Deommodore Lenoir had a Pick-6 called back because of a roughing the passer on Nick Bosa. That’s a tough call. The 49ers DL has been dominant.
– Bosa! He sacked Smith on a second-and-21 to bring up third-and-32. That time the DE made sure not to land on the QB to draw a flag.
– That call on Bosa turns into a 10-point swing after a 51-yard Seattle field goal. The 49ers are still up two scores, 21-6.
– Mitch Wishnowsky is having a whale of a game. He pinned Seattle inside their own 5 after San Francisco couldn’t answer the Seahawks’ field goal.
– The 49ers defense just got called for three flags on one play. They were all declined.
End of third quarter: 49ers 21, Seahawks 6
Fourth quarter
(Photo by Christopher Mast/Getty Images)
– Seattle sticking to the ground to open the fourth quarter. RB Kenneth Walker III had a 15-yard dash for his longest carry of the game.
– Nick Bosa is a mad man.
– Charvarius Ward is in the medical tent and Janoris Jenkins is in the game. Ward’s being evaluated for a concussion.
– There’s Samson Ebukam on a third-and-4 to drive the Seahawks out of field goal range and force a punt.
– Sheesh. Michael Dickson, Seattle’s punter, pinned the 49ers at their own 1. That’s a difficult spot for Purdy.
– Third-and-Jauan. What a dime from Purdy on a third-and-7 slant. Fit it in between a CB and LB for a first down.
– Smith is getting obliterated.
– Jordan Mason has only one carry. The 49ers are leaning heavy on McCaffrey to close this game.
– Sick play action look and Tyler Kroft was wide open for 28 yards
– Bad drop from Brandon Aiyuk on third-and-6 brings up a 43-yard field goal try. That’s one Aiyuk will want back.
– Ouch. Robbie Gould missed the field goal with 5:00 to go. This one is just close enough with just enough time left to get weird.
– And there’s the Seattle TD. Easy 10-yard TD pass to Noah Fant by Smith with 3:35 left and it’s 21-13, 49ers.
– Jordan Mason. Ball game. See you in the playoffs.
Final score: 49ers 21, Seahawks 13
