Seahawks come out on top in overtime thriller over 49ers
Seahawks come out on top in overtime thriller over 49ers
Going into Monday night, many described this division matchup as a dogfight. This game turned out to be just that, as Seattle scratched out a big division victory over first-place 49ers by a score of 27-24. A lot went into this game, let’s look at the key points to this game.
Battle of the Defense
The 49ers have been regarded as a top defense this year and that is rightfully deserved and showed it on Monday night. Seattle, on the other hand, has had a defense that flew under the radar up until Monday. Good defenses cause turnovers, and there was a surplus of them in this game. There was a total of five fumbles lost and two interceptions that were thrown. Two of the fumbles were returned for touchdowns, one by each team. Possibly the biggest play of the game if the 49ers were to come out on top was the forced fumble by Jaquiski Tartt. Seahawk receiver DK Metcalf was pushing into the endzone after catching a screen pass when Tartt ripped the ball loose and fell in the endzone for a touchback with only a minute left in the first half. In the biggest game, the stars showed out. Seattle linebacker and leader Bobby Wagner had 11 total tackles (5 solo) and now has 97 total tackles on the season which is third in the NFL. As for the Niners, K’Waun Williams filled up the stat sheet totaling 9 tackles (6 solo), 0.5 sack, and 2 forced fumbles.
Quarterback Play
With the great defensive play, offense was hard to come by. Both quarterbacks struggled in this one. MVP candidate Russell Wilson went 24/34 for 232 yards and a touchdown and an interception (2nd on the season). Throw in a fumble lost and this was not a great performance by Russell Wilson, but like always the future Hall of Famer found a way to win. As for the well-paid Jimmy G, nothing really got going in this game. His final stat line was 24/46 for 248 yards and a touchdown, interception, and two fumbles lost. If the Niners want to prove they’re legit, Garoppolo needs to play better to take the pressure off the defense and the running game.
Running and Gunning
The running games for both teams were solid. The lead back in this game was Chris Carson for the Seattle Seahawks. Carson ran for 89 yards on 25 carries and found the endzone once. Carson had a very methodical game with 9 yards being his longest run. With Wilson adding a few more yards, Seattle rushed for 147 yards. As for San Francisco, it was not terrible, but the yards were hard-fought. Tevin Coleman led the committee in this game with 40 yards on 9 carries. Matt Breida struggled to find any room, totaling only 18 yards on 10 carries. Raheem Mostert changed the pace well, carrying the ball 6 times for 28 yards. As for the receiving game, rookie Deebo Samuel had the best game of his career so far, reeling in eight catches for 112 yards, leading all receivers. Kendrick Bourne added a touchdown, but nobody else did much to contribute to the passing attack, especially with Emmanuel Sanders leaving the game with a rib injury. For Seattle, DK Metcalf and Jacob Hollister led the passing attack, combining for 14 catches, 132 yards and a touchdown (Hollister). Look for Hollister as a sleeper waiver wire pickup in fantasy leagues. Wilson’s favorite target Tyler Lockett was quiet in this one with only 26 yards on the day. Lockett was later reported to have spent the night in the hospital with swelling in his leg but is reported to be OK.
NO GOOD!
With all the defensive highlights and standout performers, this game came down to a field goal. Chase McLaughlin, who was signed this week by the Niners to fill in for injured Robbie Gould, was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day. Then overtime came. The Niners offense did a good job of gaining good field position, driving from the Seattle 49 to their 29. This would give McLaughlin a chance at a 47-yard field goal. Only for the first three to mean nothing. The kick went up… and it was shanked, giving the ball back to Seattle. The kick would have ended the game and the Niners would still be perfect, but after a three and out by both teams, Russell Wilson led Seattle down the field for Jason Myers to knock a 42-yard field goal right through the uprights as time expired in overtime for a 27-24 victory.
The Fight for the Division
Even with the loss, San Francisco (8-1) still controls their destiny to a division title and home-field throughout the playoffs. With that being said, Seattle (8-2) is breathing down their necks and will play San Francisco in a much-anticipated matchup in Week 17. Down the stretch will be tough for both teams. The 49ers have a divisional matchup against Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals next week. After that, their schedule gets extremely tough. The stretch of games before the Week 17 matchup will feature road games against Baltimore and New Orleans, and games hosting Green Bay and the LA Rams. As for Seattle, they will be on a bye next week, but five of their last six games are against teams over .500 (Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Panthers, 49ers). The big question is, who wins the division? My pick is Seattle. Their defense proved that they are at the same tier of the Niners Monday night, and Russell Wilson proved yet again that he will find a way to win in big games.
My Prediction:
Seattle 13-3
San Francisco 12-4
What’s your prediction? Comment below!
-By: Richie Dordas
Writer/Interviewer