The Seahawks had every chance to steady themselves in Week 5, and instead they walked out of a physical loss to the 49ers sitting at 3-2, with a handful of problems that only made the defeat sting more.
This one was ugly in the way division games often are: hard-hitting, messy, and decided by which team handled the ugly moments better. Seattle and San Francisco both looked plenty imperfect, but the 49ers played like a team determined not to let last season’s blowout loss in Seattle hang around.
That edge showed up after linebacker Dre Greenlaw was ejected for head-butting a helmet-less Ernest Jones on the sideline. Rather than fade, San Francisco answered with two sacks after the ejection.
The conversation around Sam Darnold is not going anywhere, even if the quarterback isn’t losing his job. Darnold has already put the ball in harm’s way too often this season, and he led the NFL in turnovers last year, so the issue is real.
But the idea that Drew Lock is about to take over doesn’t hold up. Darnold isn’t getting benched, no matter what social media says, and he shouldn’t be.
Seattle’s backfield also took a hit. Zach Charbonnet’s absence is starting to loom larger because the Seahawks were forced to piece things together behind Emanuel Wilson and George Holani.
Wilson did solid work in the games he’s had to serve as RB1, but he coughed it up early and left Seattle in a bad spot. Holani then fumbled twice, including one lost in the end zone that the 49ers recovered for a touchdown.
Velus Jones Jr. was in the mix too, but more as an emergency option than a true tailback. Charbonnet, who hasn’t fumbled in three seasons and is strong in the red zone, cannot come back soon enough.
Once he’s fully healthy, he should be RB1 for the rest of the season, regardless of when Jadarian Price returns.
There was also a rough afternoon for Josh Jobe. Seattle brought him back this offseason instead of Riq Woolen, who was the pricier choice, but the decision is looking worse by the week.
Jobe has declined with each passing game, and he was consistently beaten by Mike Evans. He looked, on play after play, like Woolen at his worst in recent seasons.
The problem for Seattle is that there isn’t an obvious replacement waiting to step in.
And then there was Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who reminded everyone that even the best receivers are still human. On Seattle’s final drive, Darnold put a third-down ball downfield that Smith-Njigba normally catches, but he couldn’t haul it in.
The throw was there. The catch wasn’t.
Because he carries so much of the passing game, one missed play from JSN stands out more than it would for almost anyone else.
The bottom line is simple: Seattle made too many mistakes at the wrong time. The turnovers piled up, the execution slipped, and the result was a loss that pushed the Seahawks to 3-2. A Thursday Night Football trip to face the Broncos comes next, and 3-3 is very much in play.
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Leonard Williams Changes The Feel Of Seahawks Niners Week 5
Leonard Williams is trending the right way at just the right time for Seattle. After dealing with an ankle injury, the veteran defensive lineman was back to full practice participation and is expected to start in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers, giving the Seahawks a needed boost up front as they head into one of their most familiar division matchups.
The injury report, though, still has plenty of moving parts on both sides. Seattle is set to be without running backs Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price, cornerback Julian Neal and linebacker Chazz Surratt, while San Francisco will be missing edge rusher Nick Bosa and fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Williams return changes the look of the game for Seattle, but it also adds another layer to a meeting already shaped by absences. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Niners Clash Took An Ugly Turn Fans Need To See
The Seahawks-49ers rivalry got heated in a hurry when San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw was ejected after a sideline altercation with Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV. The flashpoint came after a personal foul penalty for a late hit on Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, turning a physical game into something even uglier in front of a crowd that was already locked into every hard hit and extra shove.
Greenlaws latest outburst adds another chapter to a profile that has already drawn attention for moments like his profanity-laced confrontation with Broncos head coach Sean Payton after a previous game. For Seattle, the immediate concern is less about the aftermath and more about the kind of edge this matchup keeps producing, because when emotions spill over this quickly, the next snap can feel like it matters even more. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Fans Are Still Arguing Over The Call That Ended It
A tense Week 5 loss to the 49ers is still hanging over Seattle, and for good reason. The Seahawks pushed San Francisco to the edge before falling 32-29, with the game turning on a controversial fourth-and-10 ruling late in the fourth quarter after officials judged Cooper Kupp short of the first-down marker when he went out of bounds.
The call was upheld on review, wiping out Seattles comeback push and helping the 49ers stay unbeaten through their first five games. Even after the final whistle, the sequence has kept Seahawks fans arguing over what they saw and what the officials decided, a frustrating finish in a game that felt very much within reach. [Read more 🡒]