49ers down Seahawks on the road in week 1
In a defensive battle or bad offensive play, the San Francisco 49ers traveled to face and beat the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 17 to 13. This Sunday’s match had everything, including beautiful passes, turnovers, a kicker error, and a decisive play at the end, which came from Nick Bosa for the 49ers. This is because with the game already at 17 to 13, the Seahawks were nine yards away from winning the match, but Bosa appeared to force and recover a fumble.
Now, San Francisco prepares to host the New Orleans Saints and start the season 2-0. Meanwhile, the Seahawks face the Pittsburgh Steelers again at home on the same day.
For the victors, Nick Bosa led the way with six tackles, including three for loss and a sack, and the play of the game. Another standout was wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who gained momentum amid the team’s challenges at the position, posting 108 yards. Finally, Christian McCaffrey touched the ball 31 times and had 142 total yards.
However, quarterback Brock Purdy divided opinions. He finished the game with 277 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. However, the real bad news was the injury to tight end George Kittle, who left the game in the second quarter after feeling pain in his hamstring.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, on the other hand, didn’t exactly impress either. In his debut for the Seahawks, he threw 23 times for 150 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. However, of the QB’s 150 yards, 124 went to receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Sam Darnold’s first play as Seahawks quarterback was an 18-yard pass to his top target, Smith-Njigba. However, the next three plays were ineffective, and fourth-and-5 turned into fourth-and-15 after two penalties. The Seahawks punted, and the 49ers came out swinging.
The visiting team put together an impressive 14-play, 95-yard, and over eight-minute drive, culminating in a touchdown. Highlights included two solid passes from Purdy to Ricky Pearsall and the roughing the passer. Finally, a five-yard pass to George Kittle.
So it was the home team’s turn to respond with 69-yard drives and a touchdown. Interestingly, nine of the ten plays were runs, and Darnold only let his arm go once, effectively connecting with Smith-Njigba for 21 yards. In the end, Charles Charbonnet slipped into the end zone and tied the game at 7-7.
The next four drives of the game ended in punts. Combined, the teams gained one first down and only 21 yards, with the Seahawks gaining only two yards.
Then the Niners came back with a long drive. Purdy’s efforts allowed them to march nearly 60 yards and get within striking distance of Moody. Moody then stepped up for his first field goal of the season and missed from 27 yards.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, responded with a similar drive, but much more agile. On the final play before the kickoff, Sam Darnold ran for nine yards and set up Jason Myers, who hit a 48-yarder to give the home team a 10-7 halftime lead.
The third quarter was a real eye-opener. The San Francisco 49ers’ offense was flowing until Purdy threw an interception in midfield. Furthermore, the three drives in the fourth quarter resulted in nothing. First, Seattle punted after three plays, then the visitors marched down the field again, only to see Moody miss again. However, this time, the ball was deflected at the line of scrimmage.
The Seahawks’ offense was running smoothly until Smith-Njigba fumbled. This gave the 49ers a boost, and with two plays for over ten yards, one on the ground and again with Pearsall, the team gave Moody another chance; this time, he nailed the 32-yard kick.
The offense’s poor performance and the defense’s dominance continued on the next two possessions. The Seahawks again went three-and-out with negative yards, only to see Purdy throw his second interception of the game.
Halfway down the field after the interception, the running game helped Darnold position Myers for a kick once again. The kicker connected from 37 yards out, putting Seattle ahead with about three minutes remaining, 13-10 Seahawks.
Then the Purdy-Pearsall connection appeared once again, this time for 45 yards. Now in field goal position, the 49ers wanted more. Purdy connected on four more passes in a row, finding tight end Jake Tonges on third down. 17-13 49ers, with less than two minutes left on the clock.
With that, the home team received the ball and even cheered when Darnold fired a bomb, which again targeted Njigba. The receiver gained speed and put the Seahawks 14 yards away from victory. However, Nick Bosa came up with the most crucial play of the night. The pass rusher simply shoved the opposing tackle, who hit Darnold as the QB set up the pass. Thus, the ball was loose and recovered by Bosa, setting up the win for the San Francisco 49ers.
Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
NFL 
