San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks: Full Report Card Grades for Seattle
Only 18 days separated the last time these two NFC West rivals faced off against one another, with the outcome of the game showing similar results. The Seattle Seahawks (10-4) didn't look dominant in their 17-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers (7-7), but, per usual, they did just enough.
A controversial roughing the passer call that went against the 49ers, on a play that would have otherwise resulted in a fourth down, set up the Seahawks second touchdown of the game. The score would essentially put the game on ice, as it made it a two-score game.
San Francisco came out and played with a passion in the first half, running the ball down Seattle's throat for 104 yards and had a 7-3 lead. The second half was a different story. The 49ers had 178 yards of offense in the first half but could muster up just 67 yards in the second.
The Seahawks' win puts them in prime position to take the NFC West division lead next week against the Arizona Cardinals and eliminated the 49ers from playoff contention.
Final Game Stats
| San Francisco 49ers | Category | Seattle Seahawks |
|---|---|---|
| 245 | Total Yards | 290 |
| 105 | Passing Yards | 138 |
| 4.2 | Yards Per Attempt | 4.8 |
| 140 | Rushing Yards | 152 |
| 4.4 | Yards Per Attempt | 4.8 |
| 8-78 | Penalties | 7-50 |
| 0 | Turnovers | 1 |
| 6-15 | Third-Down Conversions | 8-14 |
| 31:02 | Possession | 28:58 |
Quarterback
1 of 10
It wasn't the crispest of afternoons for Russell Wilson. The San Francisco 49ers played well defensively, constantly hounding Wilson when he dropped back to pass. Despite the consistent pressure from the 49ers front seven, Wilson missed on a few opportunities in the passing game.
One such mistake that could have come back to haunt the team came in the waning seconds of the first half. The Seahawks were in scoring range but played things aggressively by taking a couple shots at the end zone. Wilson made a throw that was way off target and intercepted, nearly leading to a pick-six.
The Seattle quarterback completed 50 percent of his passes going 12 of 24 for 168 yards, a touchdown and the latter interception. Wilson also rushed for an additional 27 yards on five carries, but it wasn't a major part of Seattle's offense.
Overall, the 49ers defense did a quality job of keeping Wilson in the pocket and forcing to fit the ball into some tight windows. The plan worked for the most part, other than some deep passes. The 49ers entered the game as the fourth-best pass defense and proved their worth.
Grade: C+
Running Back
2 of 10
Marshawn Lynch got off to a sluggish start in this one, and it appeared it would be a repeat of last week's outing against the Philadelphia Eagles. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell made sure to get the stud running back more involved in the second half by handing off to him on the three first plays of the half.
Lynch finished the game with 91 yards rushing and a touchdown on 21 carries. He also made a reception for a gain of seven. Lynch's play in the second half was key to Seattle's offensive success, picking up key first downs and taking the pressure off the passing game.
Robert Turbin helped the team's running game stay afloat in the first half and was a solid sub throughout, racking up 33 yards on five carries. Christine Michael had one tote for one yard. Including Russell Wilson's contributions, the Seattle running game averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 32 running plays.
The Seahawks rushed for 157 yards on Thanksgiving and ran for 152 yards Week 15. Seattle got some solid consistency out of its rushing attack against a top-10 run defense.
Grade: A-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Once again the Seahawks weren't able to get their tight ends involved in the passing game too much. Tony Moeaki and Luke Willson were targeted a total of three times but failed to make any receptions. The two tight ends didn't seem to help in the pass protection so much but were solid in their run blocking.
Jermaine Kearse made a few terrific catches to help switch field position and put the Seahawks in scoring range. The normally quiet receiver managed to pull in five catches for 78 yards, including a 47-yard gain. The receiver was targeted six times in the game, proving to be a reliable option for Russell Wilson.
Doug Baldwin was targeted six times as well, but he finished with just three grabs for 53 yards. Baldwin made a nice big play too on a 35-yard reception. Rookie wideout Paul Richardson made the sole receiving touchdown from 10 yards out, finishing with three receptions for 30 yards.
The big plays were key to Seattle setting up its scoring drives, as the offense struggled to maintain long drives in the defensive battle.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
I was supportive of the offensive line last week against a dominant defensive front in Philadelphia, but the unit's performance today was dismal in several aspects. As mentioned earlier, Russell Wilson was hounded throughout the afternoon.
The 49ers sacked Wilson five times for a combined loss of 30 yards and hit him 10 times in the game. It took a full half before the offensive line could get the ground game going as well, as San Francisco made the Seahawks one-dimensional in the first half. They finished with six tackles for a loss of yardage.
Once again, Wilson's mobility was on full display as a result of the poor pass protection. Things could have been worse in the sack department otherwise. It didn't stop with poor play by the unit as pre-snap penalties became a major issue again.
Obviously, this team has proved capable of overcoming this unit's shortcomings, but it will remain a point of concern when the team faces playoff teams. I'll give credit to the unit for improving significantly in its run blocking as the game wore on, but this unit is a clear weak point that is covered up by the guy playing quarterback.
Grade: D
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The emergence of defensive tackle Jordan Hill from a hidden gem to a bona fide starter continues as the second-year talent hauled down Colin Kaepernick for two sacks in the game. The Seahawks defensive line accounted for three of the team's six sacks in the game.
Fellow defensive tackle Kevin Williams accounted for the third sack from the defensive line while the usual suspects (Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril) were unable to add to their sack totals. Bennett made a couple of monster hits in the backfield on running plays, however, showing he can be a force in other ways.
Still the San Francisco rushing attack posted 104 yards in the first half and finished with 140 in the game. Some of the drop-off in production may have something to do with the 49ers' loss of Frank Gore to a head injury in the first half and Carlos Hyde to a leg injury in the third quarter.
It was a solid job of adjusting to the running game in the second half, combined with a relentless pass rush that kept the 49ers offense off the field and from widening their halftime lead.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebacker corps shoulders a lot of the blame for the 49ers' strong outing on the ground as well, especially the 46 yards Colin Kaepernick rushed for on nine attempts. The Seahawks didn't appear to use a spy on Kaepernick, opting instead to send an extra pass-rusher far more than usual.
Linebackers accounted for the team's other three sacks in the game, with one going to each starter in the unit. Bobby Wagner led the team in tackles with 10 and made two tackles for a loss of yardage. K.J. Wright made two tackles for a loss, as well, and had five tackles.
Bruce Irvin made his presence known on the field and, more abnormally, the stat sheet by putting together five tackles and a tackle for a loss. It was a strong outing across the board as the three enjoyed their chances to run at the quarterback.
Another side effect of the increased blitzing was that the 49ers were able use fullback Bruce Miller in the passing game to make some big gains. Miller caught four passes for 56 yards.
Grade: A
Secondary
7 of 10
Earl Thomas came down in the box a bit more often, as the team appeared unafraid of Vernon Davis and any other deep pass threat the 49ers could field in the game. He finished the afternoon with nine tackles. Other than fullback Bruce Miller's 56 yards receiving out of the backfield, no 49er target appeared to be a major threat.
Tight end Garrett Celek made one reception for 31 yards, leading their tight ends and receivers in yardage. Michael Crabtree made three catches for 19 yards while Anquan Boldin made two catches for 23 yards.
It was yet another amazingly dominant outing from the Legion of Boom and a key reason the Seahawks defense has allowed just 27 points in the last four games combined.
Grade: A+
Special Teams
8 of 10
It was actually a quiet day on the special teams front. Punter Jon Ryan did not extend his fumbled snap streak to three games, and the coverage teams limited any big returns from the 49ers return men. Ryan averaged 48 yards per punt on his four kicks, and the 49ers were held to a six-yard return average.
Bryan Walters had a nice 19-yard punt return in the game but failed to gain anything on two other attempts. San Francisco averaged 22.5 yards per kick return, which is acceptable but not ideal. Seattle attempted just one kick return for 12 yards.
Steven Hauschka nailed his sole field-goal attempt from 38 yards out and made his two extra-point attempts. As I said, it was a quiet day on special teams after a few weeks with too many scares.
Grade: A
Coaching
9 of 10
This game had solid coaching from both sides. The 49ers seemed to have the advantage in the first half but may have been aided by an overly hyped (or panicked) team. Seattle made the proper adjustments at halftime and benefited from a horrendous call, but it did enough to win.
Seattle's offense did what it, seemingly, always does. It wore down the San Francisco defense with the running game, utilizing its dominant defense to win field-position battles and gain several chances to solve the 49ers' strategy.
It wasn't a dominant game by any measure, but the coaching staff gave its team a chance to eke out a win against a desperate franchise.
Grade: B
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | C+ |
| RB | A- |
| WR/TE | B |
| OL | D |
| DL | B+ |
| LB | A |
| DB | A+ |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | B |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
The Seattle Seahawks defense has allowed an average of 6.75 points over their last four weeks and continues to dominate any offense placed in front of it. The obvious kinks remain on offense, but this team continues to show it can overcome nearly any mistakes it makes on special teams or offense.
Seattle will have the chance to take the NFC West division lead with a win next week, as it will hold the tiebreaker in head-to-head matchups.
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