49ers Steal Week 1 Road Victory in Seattle 17-13
What a game! Football is back! The San Francisco 49ers travelled to Lumen Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks, and they held on to win by a score of 17-13 in a game where both teams struggled to pull away.
Following a Seattle punt on the opening drive of the game, the 49ers offense put together a 95-yard drive that was capped off by Tight End George Kittle’s 5-yard receiving TD. Kittle would finish with four catches for 25 yards and that TD, but he unfortunately left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury.
Seattle responded on the very next drive with a 1-yard rushing TD from Zach Charbonnet to tie the score at 7.
Both teams would trade punts for the rest of the second quarter, until a 9ers drive stalled at the Seattle 8-yard line with one minute left, and kicker Jake Moody missed a 27-yard field goal off the left upright. To say this is disappointing from a kicker who was drafted 99th overall (yes, you read that right) is a MAJOR understatement. Journeyman kicker Greg Joseph was competing with Moody for a roster spot during training camp, and I surely wouldn’t mind seeing him out there right now.
After a Seattle field goal gave them a 10-7 lead going into the half, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw an interception that looked ugly. But that likely will not be talked about as much because later in the 3rd quarter, the San Fran field goal unit had a 36-yard field goal blocked. Being down by 3 points and having two missed field goals inside of 40 yards is inexcusable. I hope to see this unit pick things up, and if they don’t, I might need to invest in some blood pressure medication.
Seattle turned the ball over early in the 4th quarter, and after another 9ers drive stalled in the red zone, Jake Moody got to watch one go through the uprights as he drilled a 32-yarder to tie the game at 10. The Seahawks proceeded to go three and out on their next drive, but following a Brock Purdy interception that was thrown into quadruple coverage, Seattle got the ball close to midfield. They only managed to get a field goal to take a 13-10 lead with just three and a half minutes left in the game.
With all the pressure on him, Brock Purdy led SF down the field when it mattered most, and 3rd string TE Jake Tonges secured the game-winning touchdown to give the 49ers a 17-13 lead with 1:54 left on the clock. Seattle was not done fighting, though. Down by 4, they drove inside the 9ers 10 10-yard line, but Nick Bosa turned into a bulldozer and pushed Seattle Right Tackle Abraham Lucas into QB Sam Darnold, forcing a fumble and ultimately sealing the Seahawks’ fate.
Overall, it’s great to have football back, and it’s even better to see the 49ers beat the Seahawks. But more often than not, throwing two bad interceptions and missing two field goals will not win you games. Maybe playing an indoor game will be the remedy for Jake Moody and the kicking team. Here’s to hoping the offense can really get going, and the special teams unit can bounce back next week when they travel to New Orleans to play the Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, hopefully with George Kittle back doing George Kittle things.