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Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf Connect for 2 TDs as Seahawks Defeat 49ers
November 2, 2020
The Seattle Seahawks are a Super Bowl contender. The San Francisco 49ers, who lost in last year's Super Bowl versus the Kansas City Chiefs...well, they might be the worst team in the NFC West.
The Seahawks beat the Niners on Sunday, 37-27, in a matchup between two teams clearly heading in opposite directions.
Seattle's passing game continues to obliterate opponents, as Russell Wilson threw for four touchdowns, including two to star wideout DK Metcalf.
Jimmy Garoppolo and San Francisco's offense, meanwhile, struggled to do much of anything for the first three quarters, though Nick Mullens led the Niners to three touchdowns in the final frame after Seattle went up 30-7 to make things look a bit more respectable.
Why was Mullens in the game? Because it was a bad day for San Francisco. Both Garoppolo and George Kittle left the game in the fourth quarter, each limping to the locker room. For a Niners team that has been decimated by injuries this season, it was more potential losses to contend with going forward.
The win moved the Seahawks to 6-1 on the season, keeping them atop the NFC West for another week. At 4-4, however, the 49ers find themselves in last place in the division behind the Arizona Cardinals (5-2) and Los Angeles Rams (5-3).
Key Stats
Russell Wilson, SEA: 27-of-37 for 261 yards and four touchdowns; six rushes for 26 yards
DK Metcalf, SEA: 12 catches for 161 yards and two scores
DeeJay Dallas, SEA: 18 carries for 41 yards and a score; five catches for 17 yards and a touchdown
Bobby Wagner, SEA: 11 tackles (three for loss), two sacks, four quarterback hits
Jimmy Garoppolo, SF: 11-of-16 for 84 yards and an interception
Nick Mullens, SF: 18-of-25 for 238 yards and two scores
JaMycal Hasty, SF: 12 carries for 29 yards and a touchdown; one catch for two yards
George Kittle, SF: Two catches for 39 yards
The MVP Award Is Russell Wilson's to Lose
This dude is ballin'.
Wilson has now thrown for 26 touchdowns on the season to just six interceptions, putting him on pace for 59 touchdown passes this season, which would surpass Peyton Manning's NFL record of 55. He is on another level, quite simply.
NFL Research @NFLResearchWith 4 passing TD today, Russell Wilson is now up to 26 TD (& counting) this season, passing Peyton Manning in 2013 for the 2nd-most pass TD through the first 7 games of a season in NFL history Only Tom Brady, with 27 in '07, had more in the first 7 games of a season #Seahawks
Maybe Wilson can keep up this level of play, maybe not. Don't bet against him. In Metcalf and Tyler Lockett he has one of the best wideout duos in the NFL. He's a dual-threat quarterback who always seems to make the correct decision. He's consistently been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
He sure looks like an MVP. The six-time Pro Bowler has surprisingly never won the award. He's on pace to change that this season.
Is Anyone Still Standing in San Francisco?
The 49ers were thoroughly outplayed Sunday and are in major danger of missing the playoffs this season. But that has to be taken within the context of the absurd amount of injuries this team has suffered in 2020. If Garoppolo and Kittle miss more time—with a brutal stretch upcoming against the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Rams and Buffalo Bills over the next five weeks—San Francisco's season might be over.
These are dire times for the Niners. Perhaps a 4-4 record and injury concerns wouldn't be so fatal in the NFC East, a division featuring four teams with losing records. But in the stacked NFC West, it's starting to look like a death sentence for the Niners.
Yes, Mullens led them to three touchdown drives when he came into the game. He also came into the game with a career 4-6 record and 15 touchdown passes to 13 interceptions. Three good drives in garbage time don't make for a quarterback controversy, mediocre as Garoppolo has been.
If the Niners can't get healthy or steal a few wins in the coming weeks against really good teams, they'll become the latest Super Bowl loser to miss the playoffs the next season. Life comes at you fast in the NFL.
What's Next?
Seattle has a tough road matchup against the Bills on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox. The 49ers have a short turnaround and a tough opponent this week after Sunday's blowout loss, facing the Packers on Thursday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox and the NFL Network.