49ers vs. Seahawks recap: Seattle cruises to 43-16 blowout victory

Niner Noise has your highlights, scores and analysis from the San Francisco 49ers’ 43-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13.

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 13 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks didn’t feel like the intense rivalry it was in years past. The normally boisterous Seattle crowd was quieter than normal, and the two teams were a bit less chippy, as the game’s outcome was never in question.

The expected intensity surrounding 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman‘s return to Seattle also never reached its boiling point. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t attack his former teammate, who missed his lone tackle attempt of the game.

The 49ers’ three turnovers were enough to determine the contest, as Wilson — who was free from quarterback pressure until the end of the game — attempted only 17 passes for just 185 passing yards. The Seahawks did amass 168 yards on the ground, but none of their running backs rushed for over 70 yards.

49ers quarterback Nick Mullens tossed a career-high 414 passing yards despite constant pressure from Seattle’s defense, although the QB committed one costly mistake late in the game. Wide receiver Dante Pettis led all receivers with 129 receiving yards and a pair of scores, while fellow rookie Jeff Wilson took over for starting running back Matt Breida, who was hampered by injury.

Although it wasn’t reflected in the majority of the stat sheet, San Francisco played a vastly superior opponent on Sunday. Unlike the 49ers, Seattle didn’t experience lapses in coverage, didn’t turn the ball over and understood the need to pressure the opposing quarterback.

After holding the Seahawks to a punt on their opening drive, San Francisco’s defense began to show their true colors on the following series. Wilson first caught 49ers linebacker Malcolm Smith staring into the backfield and hit wide receiver Jaron Brown with a 45-yard pass. Then, the Seattle QB found Brown again in the end zone after taking advantage of 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s ineffective three-man pass rush:

https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1069348555767218176

On their next drive, Wilson again targeted Smith, who found himself in coverage against wide receiver Tyler Lockett deep downfield. The veteran push-off by Lockett gave the Seahawks a touchdown and a two-score lead:

A questionable fumble by the 49ers’ new running back ended the team’s following drive deep in Seattle territory. San Francisco forced the Seahawks to punt on their next two drives, but a muffed punt by rookie wideout Richie James then gave Seattle an easy scoring opportunity:

In the second half of the game, the 49ers finally found the end zone on a drive that started with a long return by James. Fellow rookie Pettis then finished it off with a 17-yard score on this third-down pass attempt from Mullens:

Later in the third quarter, the Seahawks scored their fifth touchdown of the day on a drive extended by a 43-yard pass interference penalty by 49ers safety Antone Exum. Head coach Kyle Shanahan even got in on the action when he drew a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct after yelling at an official a few plays later. Seattle’s drive eventually ended with Wilson’s fourth touchdown pass of the day:

However, it only took the 49ers one play to respond to Seattle’s score. Pettis caught the following pass from Mullens in stride, and outran the Seahawks’ secondary for his second touchdown of the afternoon:

San Francisco drove the length of the field in nine plays on their following series. Unfortunately, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner put a quick end to the 49ers’ drive — and the game — on Mullens’ third-down pass attempt:

Next up, the San Francisco 49ers host the Denver Broncos in Week 14 of the 2018 regular season.