The San Francisco 49ers grabbed the top place in the NFC West after their Thursday night win over the Seahawks. After a 2-3 stretch at the beginning of the season, the Brock Purdy-led unit put up a fight against their divisional rivals to even their record to a 3-3.
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Most of the expected players had a good day, like Brock Purdy and his 18 completions out of 28 for 255 yards. However, Seahawk QB Geno Smith had an uncharacteristically bad day, his 2 interceptions were the nail in Seattle’s coffin.
Top Performers
Brock Purdy: The 49ers QB was under pressure from the Seahawks defense for much of the game, but never caved, and managed to lead game-winning drives. His two passes thrown to Kittle were sharp lasers delivered into tight coverage, with the TE making an impressive toe-tap catch on the first throw and a remarkable grab amidst heavy traffic on the second.
Purdy ended the day with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.
George Kittle: The TE might just be the man of the hour, as his two TDs sealed the deal for the 49ers. Kittle secured five of six targets for 58 yards in the 49ers’ win against the Seahawks.
Kittle led the team in receptions and targets while finishing second in receiving yards. The skilled tight end also caught touchdown passes of 10 and 9 yards in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
Michael Dickson: A struggling Seattle unit needed their punter at the top of his game, and he delivered. Dickson was a significant asset in changing field position, averaging 54.0 yards on his four punts, including two that were downed inside the 20-yard line.
He proved to be a bright spot for a struggling Seahawks offense with his 62-yard punt, a 57-yarder that was fair caught at the 6-yard line, and a 58-yarder that landed at the 12-yard line.
Special mention for Jordan Mason: The backup RB was balling out once again on Thursday before his shoulder injury derailed him. Mason has done a great job of stepping into the shoes of star RB Christian McAffrey. He entered Week 6 as the NFL’s second-leading rusher and added another nine carries for 73 yards in just the first quarter, breaking several tackles.
However, midway through the second quarter, Mason ran to the left for a 14-yard gain but fell hard on his left shoulder after being tackled by a group of defenders. While he did return in the third quarter, he was not the same.
Standout moments
Deebo Samuel Sr’s 76-yard TD: The veteran WR’s touchdown in the second quarter was a classic Deebo moment. He caught a pass from Purdy near midfield and then added over 50 yards after the catch, for a spectacular 76-yard touchdown. He ended the day with seven touches for 117 yards.
Rookie’s Day Out: Jordan Mason’s injury set the stage for rookie RB Isaac Guerendo’s 76-yard scamper that stunned everyone. He broke off a 76-yard run down the right side, nearly scoring.
Although he was caught from behind, he wisely went down to prevent his momentum from carrying him into the end zone, forcing the Seahawks to use two timeouts before Kyle Juszczyk sealed the game with a six-yard touchdown. Guerendo rushed 10 times for 99 yards.
What went wrong in Seattle?
Geno Smith: TNF wasn’t kind to the Seattle Seahawks QB. He endured his worst start of the season so far as he completed only 30 out of 52 passes for 312 yards with one touchdown and two costly interceptions. This is surprising since Smith had been one of the NFL’s most prolific passers till now, ranking in the top five in passing yards and completion percentage.
However, he couldn’t deliver against their divisional rivals. His two INTs just can’t be ignored. The first came during Seattle’s opening possession, leading to a San Francisco field goal, and the second occurred in the fourth quarter on a potential go-ahead drive.
Turnover Galore: Turnovers have been a glaring problem in Seattle this season. They have struggled in the turnover department, losing the battle 6-1 over the last three games, which highlights the team’s issues during its losing streak. The Seahawks are failing to protect the football and taking it away.
