Despite a Nick Mullens-led San Francisco 49ers making the game interesting in the second half, Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks escaped the Week 8 division bout with a 37-20 victory.
Jimmy Garoppolo limped to the locker room late in the second quarter after reaggravating his injured ankle. In his absence, backup quarterback Mullens took the reins of the offense and injected life into the attack, but it was too little too late, as their deficit proved insurmountable.
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STORY OF THE GAME
Seattle entered their Week 8 matchup having allowed the most total offensive yards per game at a staggering 480. The defense did not fare too much better this week, even with the 49ers losing their starting quarterback at halftime, allowing 351 yards of offense on the day. However, they did force two key turnovers, which the offense was able to turn into two additional touchdowns.
Wilson was locked in on one of his elite receivers for the second week in a row. This time it was D.K. Metcalf who torched the opposing defense as he reeled in 12 receptions for 161 yards — both career highs — and two touchdowns. Wilson was stellar as ever when it mattered, converting 8-of-10 passes in the red zone for three touchdowns, tied for the most in Week 8. The offensive line was pivotal to the passing attack’s success as they allowed a pressure rate of 10% compared to the 49ers' rate of over 30%.
Fourth-round rookie running back DeeJay Dallas got the starting nod with Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde out with injury. The San Francisco front seven made it difficult for him to gain yards, but he finished the contest with 41 yards and a score on 18 carries. He also netted 17 yards and yet another plunge into the end zone on five receptions.
The 49ers offense was suspect with a hobbled Garoppolo under center. He left the game going 11-for-16 for 84 scoreless yards and one interception. He fumbled on another play, but it was recovered by the offense. It was not only Jimmy G who struggled, as the running game had one of their worst outings on the year. The team finished with 22 carries for 52 yards, which is an average of just 2.4 yards per carry. They did run for two touchdowns, but with Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman out, the 49ers backfield is mediocre at best.
Given the passing game woes, George Kittle could only bring down two catches for 39 yards. First-round wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, on the other hand, enjoyed another great game. He hauled in eight passes for 91 yards and a touchdown and seemed to be the focal point of the offense.
With no pressure and an ability to just play football, Mullens came off the bench and sparked the offense. He completed 18-of-25 passes for 238 yards and two passing touchdowns. His 9.5 yards per attempt are the third-most so far in Week 9, behind only Kirk Cousins and Patrick Mahomes.
ROOKIE WATCH
Other than Dallas and Aiyuk, there were not many rookies on the field. For the Seahawks, offensive guard Damien Lewis (65), edge defender Alton Robinson (46) and linebacker Jordyn Brooks (35) saw over 20 snaps.
Lewis was solid in pass protection, allowing just one pressure on 41 pass-blocking snaps but was much less impressive in the running game, while Robinson notched two QB pressures — with one being a sack — and also had two defensive stops against the run. Brooks was not as imposing as his defensive rookie counterpart, missing a tackle against the run and allowing both targets into his coverage to be caught for 27 yards.
On the 49ers' side of the ball, running backs JaMycal Hasty and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw both saw extensive playing time, but neither made a large impact. Hasty took his 12 carries for just 29 yards, scoring a touchdown but also fumbling the ball. Kinlaw generated a single pressure on 30 reps as a pass-rusher and did not make his presence felt against the run.
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