Seahawks’ losing streak hits three as they can’t slow down 49ers in prime time

SEATTLE – It wasn’t, at least, the complete and total demoralization it appeared on the verge of becoming early in the third quarter.

But the result and the ramifications were the same – a sixth straight loss to the San Francisco 49ers, who left Seattle again proving themselves as the team to beat in the NFC West.

Seattle will take some positives out of its 36-24 defeat to the 49ers, namely that for the second straight week, the Seahawks threw a fright into their opponent for at least a few minutes.

After trailing 23-3 early in the third quarter, Seattle used a 98-yard kickoff return by Laviska Shenault Jr. to not only inject some life back into Lumen Field but get back in the game.

A long drive capped by a Kenneth Walker III TD made it 23-17 entering the fourth quarter and Seattle twice had the ball with a chance to take the lead.

But Geno Smith’s second interception of the game with 7:46 left – and his sixth of the season – proved too much to overcome.

The 49ers turned that into a quick touchdown and a 12-point lead.

Seattle responded with a long TD drive of its own to cut the lead to 29-24 with 1:44 left and again stir hope for a minute or two of an unlikely comeback.

That somehow made it feel only worse when San Francisco rookie running back Isaac Guerendo – third on the depth chart but technically fourth with Christian McCaffrey currently on IR – burst over the right side for 76 yards on the first play of the next drive to the Seahawks 5 as Seattle attempted to get a stop and get the ball back.

The 49ers didn’t play around, with fullback Kyle Juszczyk then bursting up the middle for a TD to make it 36-24 and finally put a danger in the Seahawks.

Both teams are now 3-3. But the 49ers have the early edge on the tiebreaker on the Seahawks and the knowledge Seattle has to play in Santa Clara on Nov. 17. Arizona could also move into a tie for first in the division with a win at Green Bay Sunday.

And for most of the night, the 49ers again moved the ball at will.

The 49ers gained 483 yards, including 228 on the ground, and 7.9 per play.

And while Seattle was bound and determined to get its running game going it never really did, rushing for just 52 yards on 20 carries and averaging just 4.9 per play.

It was the third straight loss for Seattle after a 3-0 start under rookie coach Mike Macdonald that made everyone think that maybe this year would be different.

But now there are only more questions about were things are headed as the Seahawks have allowed 42, 29 and 36 points in the last three games against what are the best three offenses they have played.

Little went right for the Seahawks in the first half as they committed two turnovers and allowed a 76-yard TD pass in falling behind 16-3.

Smith was uncharacteristically off-target on some passes early on and was just 9-of-18 for 109 yards in the first half.

That included an interception on Seattle’s first possession of the game. After taking the opening kickoff, Seattle drove to the San Francisco 25 thanks mostly to a 30-yard Smith-to-DK Metcalf hookup.

But on third-and-five at the 25, Smith overthrew Tyler Lockett, who was double-covered, with the ball going into the hands of San Francisco safety Malik Mustapha for an interception.

The 49ers then drove 90 yards to the 7, where the Seahawks at least forced a stop and a San Francisco field goal.

That was one of three times the Seahawks kept the 49ers out of the end zone on drives that got inside the Seattle 30, and two inside the 20.

But the 49ers got the big play they needed early in the second quarter when Deebo Samuel sneaked wide open behind Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe, then caught a pass that hung in the air that safety Julian Love appeared to mistime. Samuel easily outraced Mafe down the sidelines for a TD and a 10-0 lead with 13:30 to go in the first half.

Seattle’s Laviska Shenault then fumbled the kickoff and disaster seemed in the offing when the 49ers recovered at the 29.

But the Seahawks forced another Wright field goal and the 49ers led 13-0.

After a Seattle punt, the 49ers again embarked on another long drive, from their own 6 to the Seattle 13.

But the Seahawks defense again held and Wright kicked another field goal for a 16-0 49ers lead.

At that point the 49ers had a 244-74 edge in yards.

But as they have consistently done this year, the Seahawks offense got moving once it went up-tempo on its last possession.

Smith passes of 19 and 17 yards to Smith-Njigba moved the ball to the 12, where a pass interference penalty then gave Seattle a first-and-goal at the 2 with 16 seconds left.

Seattle, though, had used all of its time outs and was forced to throw.

Incompletions to Lockett and Smith-Njigba forced a third down. Metcalf had some room on a fade route in the back of the end zone. But after getting one foot down, his second foot just touched the white paint for an incompletion.

The Seahawks decided not to gamble on a TD and took the points getting a 20-yard Jason Myers field goal as time ran out.

Purdy was 9-of-14 for 139 yards in the first half and the 49ers had 105 yards rushing on 18.

The Seahawks, who appeared determined to get the running game going after Sunday’s loss to the Giants when they had only 30 yards on seven carries by running backs, managed just 24 yards rushing on 10 carries in the first half. Walker had 20 on nine.

The game seemed a lost cause when the 49ers took the second half kickoff and drove 70 yards in nine plays, capped by a 10-yard pass from Purdy to Kittle on third down to make it 23-3.

But Shenault then broke three tackles on his way to Seattle’s first kickoff return for a TD since Travis Homer on an onside kick against Jacksonville in 2021.

The play seemed to revive the Seahawks who then stopped the 49ers o three straight possessions.

The Seahawks finally took advantage moving 94 yards in 13 plays to cut the lead to 23-17 late in the third quarter. Seattle went no-huddle on eight of the 13 plays as Smith completed five of six passes for 78 yards.

The key was a 37-yard pass to Lockett to convert a third-and-eight from the Seattle 21. The play came as Seattle snapped the ball right as the play clock hit zero.

Seattle forced a third straight punt and got the ball back at its own 3 to begin the fourth quarter with a chance to take the lead.

But on first-and-20 at their own 15 after being moved back due to a holding penalty on AJ Barner, Smith tried to hit Metcalf on a crossing route.

But the ball hung up allowing 49ers cornerback Renardo Green to step in front of it at the 35. He returned it to the 15.

The 49ers needed just three plays to convert on a nine-yard pass from Purdy to Kittle with 6:20 left. The 49ers, though, failed on a run for a two-point play despite the ball being moved closer.

Seattle had to start from deep on that drive in part due to a weird sequence when the Seahawks were called for a personal foul face mask penalty even though the 49ers had been called for a false start. The play was not blown dead meaning the Seahawks penalty had to be enforced. That allowed the 49ers to keep the ball a little longer before punting on that drive.

Still, even after the Purdy-to-Kittle TD, Seattle’s offense kept coming, with Smith moving the Seahawks 70 yards in 15 plays, hitting Tyler Lockett on a 9-yard TD on fourth-and-goal to make it 29-24 with 1:44 left.

But then came Guerendo’s run and one last indignation in a series that has been full of them of late.