NFL Week 4 Game Recap: Seattle Seahawks 28, San Francisco 49ers 21

The Seattle Seahawks held on for a 28-21 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, utilizing three second-half touchdowns to improve to 2-2 on the season. Quarterback Russell Wilson was responsible for three total touchdowns as he picked apart the San Francisco defense. 

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Seattle Seahawks

Quarterback

Russell Wilson was impressively efficient throughout Sunday’s contest, displaying rare deftness and precision. The former All-Pro did not put up particularly gaudy numbers, finishing with just 149 yards on 16-of-23 passing, but he was effective when it mattered most. Wilson was content to work in the shorter and intermediate areas of the field. He finished with an average depth of target of just 5.8 yards but a 77.3% adjusted completion percentage.

Running Back

Chris Carson averaged just 2.3 yards per carry on 13 attempts. He was supplanted by backup Alex Collins, who was much more dynamic with the ball in his hands. He finished with 78 total yards, including a fourth-quarter touchdown. Collins was also more effective moving the chains, picking up three first downs compared to Carson’s two.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

D.K. Metcalf led the way among Seattle receivers with 65 receiving yards on four receptions, reeling in one of Wilson’s touchdown tosses late in the second quarter. The third-year pro pulled in a team-high two contested catches and forced a team-best two missed tackles. Metcalf was by far the unit’s most effective member, as no other Seahawks pass-catcher garnered more than four receptions or 40 yards in the win.

Offensive Line

The Seahawks' offensive linemen were consistently impressive in the passing game, allowing just three sacks while granting Wilson an average of 2.71 seconds to throw. The group was less stout in the run game, succumbing to almost instant penetration as Seahawk rushers averaged just 0.5 yards before contact.

Defensive Line

Seattle's defensive line allowed 4.9 yards per carry, including 1.5 yards before contact. The unit was slightly more effective against the pass, totaling 20 pressures, two of which were converted into sacks. Edge rusher Carlos Dunlap led the team with five pressures, finishing with a pressure percentage of 17.2%.

Linebackers

Bobby Wagner was unsurprisingly the linebacker unit’s leader in a number of different areas, racking up a team-best 10 tackles with an average depth of tackle of 4.75 yards. He also drew a unit-high nine targets, allowing receptions on eight of them while tallying one of the team’s six forced incompletions.

Secondary

The Seahawks' secondary overcame a handful of blown coverages to effectively quell the 49ers passing attack. Star safety Jamal Adams lived up to his contract in the win, seeing six targets yet conceding just one reception. He finished with a 39.6 passer rating allowed.

San Francisco 49ers

Quarterback

Rookie Trey Lance finished the game following a calf injury to starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Both were mildly effective, as Garoppolo finished with 165 yards on 14-of-23 passing with one touchdown and one interception, while Lance registered 157 yards on 9-of-18 passing and two touchdowns.

Garoppolo was slightly more proficient pushing the ball downfield, averaging 10.5 yards per target compared to Lance’s 8.9, but he was also appreciably riskier with the ball, making two turnover-worthy plays to Lance’s zero.

Running Back

Trey Sermon performed well in his second straight opportunity as San Francisco’s lead running back, finishing with 89 yards on 19 carries. The rookie picked up 50 of his yards after contact. Sermon also displayed some notable reliability moving the chains, tallying a game-high four first downs.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Deebo Samuel once again was the star of the 49ers' passing attack, pulling in eight of his team-high 12 targets for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He accumulated 87 yards after the catch, including a 76-yard catch-and-run late in the third quarter. George Kittle was the only other San Francisco pass-catcher to see more than five targets. He drew 10 total targets yet was able to haul in only four for 40 yards.

Offensive Line

San Francisco's offensive line helped its rushers average 1.5 yards before contact in Week 4. The group was slightly less impressive in the passing game, allowing 20 pressures but minimizing the sack total to just two.  

Defensive Line

The 49ers held Seahawk rushers to an average of just 0.5 yards before contact. The defensive line was less proficient at getting to the quarterback, accruing just 11 pressures while converting three of them to sacks. Edge rusher Nick Bosa was credited with five of those pressures, including a first-quarter sack of Wilson.

Linebackers

Fred Warner and Azeez Al-Shaair combined for 19 total tackles. Both were proficient working near the line of scrimmage, as each tallied a tackle for loss. Al-Shaair finished with an average depth of tackle of 1.5 yards, while Warner's mark was 3.6 yards. The unit also allowed receptions on all seven of its targets for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

Secondary

Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley held up well against seemingly constant testing by Wilson, drawing 10 targets and conceding receptions on five of them. Moseley was also responsible for the team’s two forced incompletions, as he finished with a 68.8 passer rating allowed. Dre Kirkpatrick was the only other San Francisco 49er to see a target, and he allowed four receptions on four targets for 24 yards.