The Seahawks had the 49ers where they wanted them entering the fourth quarter. Then it slipped away fast.
Seattle dropped a 32-29 decision to San Francisco in Week 5, letting a home lead vanish after the final period turned into a two-score swing. It was the kind of loss that leaves plenty to sort through, but a few themes jumped out immediately.
The biggest one starts with Sam Darnold. When the run game is not holding up, the Seahawks need clean quarterback play, and they haven’t gotten enough of it lately.
Darnold has now thrown an interception in three straight games, and he’s up to five picks through the first five weeks. His two turnovers played a major role in tilting this one toward San Francisco.
That matters because the best version of Darnold in last season’s playoff run was the version that protected the football. If he can do that again, Seattle’s defense should be able to do enough to help close games out.
Instead, the mistakes came at exactly the wrong times and handed the 49ers short fields. One interception came in the first quarter and helped open the scoring.
Emanuel Wilson’s second-quarter fumble also turned into a quick touchdown for San Francisco. Darnold isn’t the only reason Seattle lost, but at quarterback, he takes on most of the blame.
There was at least one bright spot on the defensive front. Byron Murphy II was active from start to finish and finished with two sacks of Brock Purdy.
The third-year defensive tackle looked like a problem all game long, and plays like that are why Seattle’s defense can be so difficult to deal with. If Murphy stays healthy, he should be a major factor as the season wears on and offenses start to wear down with injury and fatigue.
And even with the frustration of a home loss, there is some context here. The Seahawks were facing a 49ers team that has been one of only two clubs to stack up five wins through the first five weeks. This was one of the tougher matchups on the schedule, plain and simple.
Seattle also has reason to believe it can handle this opponent better next time. The 49ers came to Seattle last season and left with a loss, then the Seahawks used what they learned to beat them in Week 18 when everything was on the line and again in the playoffs. They’ll meet once more at the end of November, right after Thanksgiving, and Seattle should be ready for another shot at revenge.
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For San Francisco, this is more than a short-term patch at WILL linebacker. It is a real chance to see whether Dugger can handle a heavier weekly burden and settle into the kind of role the defense has been searching for, especially with Greenlaw sidelined. If the rookie responds well, it could give the 49ers a new layer of flexibility at a position that may become one of the more interesting decisions on the roster down the road. [Read more 🡒]