The 49ers didn’t like the fact that the Seahawks, their hated rival, won the Super Bowl last season on their home field, Levi’s Stadium. San Francisco can’t rewrite that history. But Sunday, it took down its division foe on their home turf.
The Niners (5-0) stayed undefeated with their 32-29 win Sunday over the Seahawks (3-2) at Lumen Field. It was a thrilling finish, with San Francisco kicker Eddy Piñeiro hitting the go-ahead, 44-yard field goal with 1:56 left and the 49ers’ defense able to hold firm on Seattle’s final drive. Star Jaxon Smith-Njigba dropped a deep pass from quarterback Sam Darnold that would’ve set Seattle up in field goal range and fellow receiver Cooper Kupp was inches short of the line to gain on 4th-and-10, which would’ve extended the drive.
Here are my takeaways: As former Seahawk Kenneth Walker III continues to thrive with the Chiefs, Seattle is still looking for dependable, consistent production out of its new-look backfield this season. It got particularly bad Sunday. Backup running back George Holani had two lost fumbles, including one at the end of the first half with the Seahawks in the shadow of their own end zone.
49ers defensive tackle Gracen Halton punched the ball out and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. Earlier in the period, Holani caught a short pass and potentially had a touchdown before losing grip on the ball and had to just fall on it to settle for a first down. Quarterback Sam Darnold was sacked on the next two plays and Seattle was forced to settle for a field goal.
Veteran tailback Emanuel Wilson, who’s been the Seahawks’ RB1 with first-round rookie Jadarian Price on injured reserve, also lost a fumble in the second quarter deep in Seattle territory, leading to a Niners’ touchdown on the next play. The Seahawks had been hopeful that Price could be their Walker replacement, but he was inconsistent when he was available to start the year. He’ll be out for a couple more weeks on IR anyway.
So the onus is on the rest of the running back room to pick up the slack and take pressure off the passing attack. But it was a disaster Sunday. The positive news for Seattle is that tailback Zach Charbonnet, who had a team-high 12 rushing touchdowns last season, is nearing a return from ACL surgery.
The hype surrounding the Niners to start this season has revolved around Brock Purdy and, for good reason. The veteran quarterback has been the frontrunner for MVP with his uber-productive and efficient play, leading what was the league’s No. 2 scoring offense through four weeks.
But San Francisco’s defense deserves a ton of love as well. The unit ranked third in points allowed entering this week and put together a dominant performance against what can be an explosive Seahawks’ offense, recording a season-high four takeaways – the team’s most in a game since 2023. Cornerback Renardo Green picked off Sam Darnold twice, while All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and defensive tackle Gracen Halton forced a fumble apiece.
How good the Niners’ defense has been is all the more impressive given that its defensive line has been ravaged by injuries. Pro Bowl defensive end Nick Bosa has been sidelined since Week 2, while 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams made his season debut against Seattle. Seahawks-Niners matchups are always competitive, but Sunday’s game was defined by sloppiness on both sides.
Seattle (four turnovers) and San Francisco (three) combined for seven giveaways, the most in a game this season, according to FOX Sports research. And those seven turnovers came before the fourth quarter started. The teams combined to score 38 points off turnovers, which is the fourth most since 2000 (when points off turnovers began to be tracked).
For Seattle, the giveaways spoke to the issues that a lack of a run game could mean for the team moving forward. The running backs accounted for three fumbles (two lost), while Darnold’s two interceptions could be a byproduct of an inconsistent rushing attack. Before Sunday’s game, Darnold’s interception rate was already pacing to a career-high 4.3%.
One of San Francisco’s turnovers came from a muffed punt, and special teams could be a concern for the team moving forward. Kicker Eddy Piñeiro, who came into the game tied for a league-worst 66.7% field goal made rate, missed a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter. If you thought Evans left his best days in Tampa, think again.
The 13-year veteran had a team-high seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. As Purdy’s go-to target, he played like a man possessed on the Niners’ last touchdown drive, catching four passes for 75 yards and adding a two-point conversion that gave San Francisco a 29-26 lead early in the fourth quarter. A six-time Pro Bowler, Evans is the 49ers’ leading receiver through five weeks.
4 1/2. What's Next? The Seahawks have a brutal stretch for the foreseeable future.
In four days, Seattle will face the Broncos in Denver on Thursday night. The reigning champs won’t play again after that for 10 days, but their next game is against the 4-0 Chiefs (4-0) coming out of their bye in Week 7. After that, the Bears (3-2) await on Monday night in Week 8.
The Niners host the Commanders (1-3-1) next Monday and then travel to Atlanta the following week to face the Falcons (2-2) before their Week 8 bye.
