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Seahawks vs. 49ers: The Good, Bad & Ugly from San Francisco in Week 17

By Peter Panacy

January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly (right) instructs quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly (right) instructs quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) dives after the fumble against Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) during the first quarter at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) dives after the fumble against Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) during the first quarter at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

The Ugly

One might argue NFL games are won, or lost, in third-down conversions and in the turnover differential.

San Francisco lost at both.

Despite holding the Seahawks to a lowly 3-of-12 third-down conversion rate, the 49ers were worse with a 2-and-11 mark. Although give credit to the Niners for successfully converting two of three fourth-down tries.

But the bigger issue for San Francisco was turning the ball over.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick fumbled on an attempted handoff to running back DuJuan Harris on the opening drive. Seattle managed three points off that recovery. And Harris later fumbled, which led to a Seahawks touchdown.

Take either one of those away, and the Niners come away with a victory if everything else remained the same.

More from Niner Noise

“What ifs” don’t exist in football though, and mistakes like these are why San Francisco’s record is where it is.

And now an offseason of uncertainty begins. Who will be the next general manager, and how will he go about rebuilding this roster? What’s the head-coaching situation going to be? Will Kaepernick be back next season?

Next: Seahawks vs. 49ers: Full San Francisco Week 17 Report Card

Those questions, and more, figure to be at the heart of every Niners discussion between now and the start of the 2017 season.