Seahawks lose fourth in last five games as 49ers win 21-13
SEATTLE – It ended with the 49ers somewhat mercifully kneeling down at the Seahawks’ goal line.
For most of the 60 minutes before that, it was the 49ers who had made the Seahawks kneel before them in a 21-13 win over Seattle that felt more dominating than the final score indicated.
And when it was over, it was the 49ers, who were again the NFC West champs, winning the title for the second time in four years at Lumen Field.
The 49ers took a 21-6 lead during the first minute of the second half, and save for a play or two here or there, the outcome never really felt in doubt.
A final 55-yard run by Jordan Mason on a third-and-2 to the Seattle 1 seemed a fitting capper to a game in which the Seahawks never led.
For Seattle, it was the fourth loss in five games, a stumble from a 6-3 record to 7-7 that has them in precarious position for the playoffs.
Specifically, the Seahawks no longer control their destiny when it comes to the playoffs and will need some losses by either the Giants or Commanders, who are each 7-5-1 – or both – as well a few more wins to get in.
But it gets no easier for Seattle as after the mini-bye, the Seahawks travel to Kansas City for a Christmas Eve game.
The 49ers scored the second time they had the ball to take a 7-0 lead, scored again following a Seattle fumble to lead 14-3 at halftime and then scored on another Brock Purdy to George Kittle pass to make it 21-3.
They outgained the Seahawks 381-277.
The Seahawks appeared as if they might survive their rocky start when they got the ball back at their 19 with 1:48 left in the first half, down just 7-3.
Three plays got the Seahawks a first down at their 35 when disaster struck.
After taking a short pass from Geno Smith, Seattle running back Travis Homer was crunched by San Francisco’s Dre Greenlaw and Jimmie Ward. The ball popped out and straight into the hands of Charvarius Ward, who returned it from the 46 to the 6.
Christian McCaffrey scored two plays later to put the 49ers ahead 14-3, not only a brutal blow to Seattle’s hopes to win the game but also gave San Francisco a lead that seemed to more accurately reflect its early dominance.
The 49ers then took control when they needed just two plays to score to open the second half.
A 39-yard kickoff return by Ray-Ray McCloud put the ball at the 41, and two plays later, Purdy found Kittle wide open down the left sideline.
Kittle moved easily past tackle attempts by Quandre Diggs and Cody Barton into the end zone and the 49ers led 21-3.
It appeared to be 28-3 and a true rout in the offing when a Smith pass for Tyler Lockett was picked off by Deommodore Lenoir at the 37 with Lenoir then weaving his way into the end zone for an apparent score with 12:42 to play in the third quarter.
But Nick Bosa was called for roughing the passer, taking Smith to the ground after he threw, negating the score.
Seattle then was the victim of a ref’s flag when a holding call on Abraham Lucas negated a Smith pass to Dareke Young to the 49ers’ 2 – what would have been the first catch of Young’s career.
Instead of a possible TD, the Seahawks had to settle for a 51-yard field goal by Jason Myers to make it 21-6 with 8:08 left in the third quarter.
It became something of a punt fest from there, and the 49ers seemed about to sew it up for good when Robbie Gould lined up for a 43-yard field goal with 5 minutes left that would have put the game out of reach.
But Gould missed, and the Seahawks then gave their fans some hope with a seven-play, 67-yard drive that ended in a 10-yard pass from Smith to Noah Fant with 3:35 remaining.
Myers’ PAT cut the lead to 21-13, and the 49ers took over at their 25.
Two McCaffrey runs picked up 9 yards, with Bruce Irvin and Tanner Muse keeping him just short of the sticks on second down.
That set up a third-and-1 at the 34 with 2:42 left. On a bootleg, Purdy initially appeared to have the first down easily, but he slid as he approached the sideline and was called out right at the 35.
Three plays later, on a third-and-2, Mason put the game away.