San Francisco 49ers Beat Seattle Seahawks In a Low-Scoring Affair
The 49ers ended up besting the Seahawks in their own backyard in a clash that could determine the fate of the NFC West. While not the most entertaining game, 17-13, the importance for the rest of the season can’t be understated.
How the 49ers Beat the Seahawks!
I assure you the box score is accurate; it was a very tight affair. If a few plays had gone differently, the Seahawks would be 1-0 right now. The key difference, however, was the offenses. The 49ers had 384 total yards to the Seahawks’ 230 total yards, gaining over 100+ more yards than Seattle in front of the “12th Man.” The Seahawks did create their own chance through picking off Brock Purdy twice, but that didn’t stop him; it only hindered him. Purdy threw for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns, outdueling brand-new Seahawks QB Sam Darnold, who threw for 150 yards.
The Seahawks’ new offensive additions didn’t really add much this week, with Darnold and Cooper Kupp both struggling. The former Super Bowl MVP only caught 2 passes for 15 yards, which is very uncharacteristic for him. Meanwhile, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who’s been a hawk for years now, did most of the heavy lifting on offense. Catching 9 passes for 124 yards, accounting for most of Darnold’s 150 yards. The run game for Seattle was also lackluster, averaging 3.2 yards on 26 carries, only getting 84 yards total all day, with the Seahawks’ leading rusher not even getting 50 total yards.
The best way to look at it would be that the 49ers, who have kept most of the offense together and had more chemistry, used that superior knowledge of their own offense to best all the newcomers of the Seahawks. Seattle’s offense will improve through the season as Darnold learns the offense more and develops chemistry with his receivers. This was a case of a mediocre offense and pretty good defense meeting a pretty good offense and a great defense. So the outcome is no surprise, and it is obvious what the Seahawks have to do next from this. But what about its implications for the whole season?
The NFC West Is Up For Grabs!
Heading into this season, the NFC West was pretty unpredictable. The LA Rams made the Divisional Round last season and earned 10 wins, but Matthew Stafford’s health and the overall age of the squad make the Rams feel like a ticking time bomb. Both the Cardinals and Seahawks are riding on a lot of unknowns. Both are coming into 2025, and the Cardinals are coming off drafting a wide receiver last season who had an underwhelming rookie season, and there is a lot of doubt around Kyler Murray.
As for the Seahawks, all the new pieces they brought over were already mentioned. Like Darnold and Kupp, plus DeMarcus Lawrence, the ex-All-Pro defensive end who used to be on the Cowboys. That’s right, they already lost one of those, and they still traded away Micah Parsons. Brilliant business, I know. The 49ers are coming off a year where they missed the playoffs because they were injured up and down the roster last year. The NC West also faces two of the league’s weakest divisions this season.
The NFC and AFC South make interdivision matches, and their outcomes are that much more important, as these will likely determine the difference between playoffs and staying home come January. This makes the Seahawks the only team in the NFC West at 0-1, making them last in the division to start off the year. They will play the 1-0 Steelers next week in Pittsburgh, while the 49ers will face the 0-1 Saints.
