Heading into the Thursday night matchup, San Francisco had won 10-straight games against NFC West competitors. Tonight was no different. The Seahawks (4-3) have shocked the world with their quick start and were looking to rally late to tie the game up. The Seahawks came up just short in their comeback campaign to seal the win for San Francisco. As expected, defense dominated in the clash of NFC West foes. San Francisco (5-2) was able to outlast a late 2-minute series comeback attempt by rookie Russell Wilson to extend their NFC West home winning streak to 11 and improve to 3-1 at Candlestick Park this season.
A struggling Niner offense had trouble punching through against a formidable Seahawk defensive unit. However, the frustration ended when Alex Smith struck gold with a 12-yard TD pass to Delanie Walker in the third quarter. Frank Gore simply shredded the Seahawk defense with 131 yards rushing and 51 yards receiving. Gore accounted for more yards than Alex Smith did in this game, a true testament to the strength of the Seahawks.
For Seattle, Wilson struggled to find any of his receivers open down the field and was nearly outgained by Marshawn Lynch (103 rushing, 13 receiving). Even with the great start to the season, Seattle is just 1-3 on the road. Receiver Doug Baldwin went down with an ankle injury and did not return to action. This was the first game in which Wilson truly looked lost as a rookie. The four drops, of which leading receiver Golden Tate had two, certainly did not help the Seattle cause. Overall, the Seahawks were just outclassed, but should not lose any faith in their football team going forward, especially in a season where numerous playoff-bound teams continue to struggle.
Both teams will enjoy the added rest and for the Seahawks, they face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Week 8. The 49ers face the Arizona Cardinals on “Monday Night Football” at University of Phoenix Stadium for a second-straight NFC West showdown.
By Zach Younker
