Observations from a bad 49ers loss to Seahawks
The 49ers’ showing in Seattle was about as bad as it gets. Turnovers, penalties, and zero second-half points spelled the end of their three-game winning streak as the Seahawks beat them 30-23 at Lumen Field on Sunday.
Our observations from a wild NFC West bout:
First quarter
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– Two weeks in a row with a disastrous special teams play for the 49ers. A fake punt on Seattle’s first series went for a touchdown and that’s the kind of catastrophic mistake the 49ers cannot afford to make against a bad Seattle team. San Francisco looked completely unprepared. Put that one directly on special teams coordinator Richard Hightower.
– A three-and-out for the 49ers. San Francisco looks totally out of sorts. Two runs went nowhere and Garoppolo had nowhere to go on third-and-10. Just a disastrous start for the 49ers.
– Enormous two plays from defensive lineman DJ Jones after the punt. He stuffed RB Adrian Peterson for a loss on first down then forced a fumble on a screen pass on second down. Emmanuel Moseley came up with the recovery. That’s exactly what the 49ers needed.
– One play later it’s a 24-yard touchdown pass from Garoppolo to George Kittle. Incredible turnaround and a great job by Garoppolo to find his tight end when he had all day to throw. It’s knotted up at 7-7 now. Kittle has to be more involved with Deebo Samuel is out.
– After a three-and-out by the Seahawks offense Garoppolo fired an interception directly at linebacker Bobby Wagner. Just an abysmal read from the QB.
– Sheeeesh. Nick Bosa comes up with sack No. 12 this season with a strip sack on Russell Wilson. It brought up a second-and-43. Arik Armstead was also there right after Bosa. Good news for the 49ers that their defensive line was in the QB’s face on his first deeper drop of the game.
– So, the Seahawks tried a 56-yard field goal and missed, giving the 49ers awesome field position. San Francisco has to take advantage with points.
– When in doubt, Garoppolo is looking for Kittle. That’s a key for this game. He plowed ahead for 28 yards on a short throw on third-and-2 to put the 49ers at Seattle’s 8. It set up an Elijah Mitchell touchdown run two plays later to make it 14-7, 49ers.
– Arik Armstead and the 49ers’ interior DL is having a huge day. He came up with a sack to put the Seahawks immediately behind the sticks after San Francisco’s go-ahead TD. That led to another three-and-out for Seattle.
– The Seahawks are really bad.
End of first quarter: 49ers 14, Seahawks 7
Second quarter
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– The Seahawks’ first first-down of the game comes with 8:52 left in the first half.
– A deep shot for Tyler Lockett on a double pass falls incomplete. Great downfield coverage by Josh Norman and Jimmie Ward. The 49ers had that play sniffed out from the jump.
– The first ball thrown at Lenoir gets hauled in for 33 yards by DK Metcalf to put Seattle inside the 5. That’s a brutal matchup for the rookie. Jaquiski Tartt is down with an apparent injury too. That’s not one the 49ers can probably withstand.
– Now Lenoir is flagged for interference on Freddie Swain in the end zone. This is the problem with this 49ers roster. They’re SO thin in the secondary. One injury at cornerback makes them an abysmal pass defense. Adrian Peterson walked in for a touchdown one play later to make it 17-14.
– Screen for Brandon Aiyuk gets dropped. He had blockers too. That’s a bad mistake on his first target.
– WOW. Kittle put the 49ers up 23-14 with perhaps the most impressive play of his career. He caught a short throw and turned it into a 49-yard touchdown with a tightrope act on the sideline. Unreal.
– Abysmal drive for the 49ers defense after the touchdown. This is an awful Seahawks offense and they’re carving up San Francisco. Lenoir whiffed a tackle on someone named Dee Eskridge. That is as bad a drive as the 49ers defense has had all year and it was aided by two undisciplined roughing the passer calls.
End of second quarter: 49ers 23, Seahawks 21
Third quarter
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– Another special teams miscue when Travis Benjamin fumbled the second-half kickoff. This is as bad as the 49ers have looked in a long time. Losing the turnover battle is a sure way to lose.
– Lenoir is out of the game. Dontae Johnson is in now.
– Well an interception by K’Waun Williams in the end zone helps. TE Gerald Everett dropped an easy touchdown and it popped up directly to Williams. This game is insane.
– A safety ties the game at 23. Tom Compton got absolutely obliterated on a third-and-8. San Francisco just doesn’t have enough good players with all the injuries.
– A sack from Arden Key pushed the Seahawks out of field goal range. That’s his biggest play as a 49er.
– And Garoppolo gives it right back with his second interception of the day. Just sailed a throw for Kittle. That’s brutal.
– Josh Norman got beat for a touchdown by Tyler Lockett. This secondary is so bad. 30-23, Seahawks.
– It gets worse. Mitchell got smoked on a third-and-2 run and stayed down after he got hit in the head. Trainers are out to look at him.
– Fourth-and-1 a Garoppolo run gets stuffed, but Alex Mack had an illegal snap which allowed San Francisco to punt. There are zero things going right for the 49ers. They’re truly awful today. It might take another turnover to keep them in this.
End of third quarter: Seahawks 30, 49ers 23
Fourth quarter
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– Aiyuk nearly made a nice jumping catch on a third-and-8, but he dropped it after going to the ground.
– More self-inflicted wounds. Dontae Johnson flagged for a 15-yard penalty after a 49ers third-down stop. That’s inexcusable.
– A 27-yard catch-and-run by Rashaad Penny puts the 49ers in the red zone should ice this one.
– Holy cow. Gerald Everett fumbled again at the goal line. Dontae Johnson put a hat on the football and it came out. That’s the third turnover Everett has been responsible for.
– Wheel route to Kittle on first-and-10 from the 2 and Garoppolo lobbed a dime for 29 yards.
– Another dime from Garoppolo to Aiyuk on a first-and-20. Floated a nice throw outside the numbers down the right sideline.
– Trent Sherfield was getting mugged on a third-and-goal that went incomplete. No flag.
– Ball game. Fourth-and-goal pass is tipped at the line.
Final: Seahawks 30, 49ers 23
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