Why the 49ers Are No Longer Sweepless in Seattle

It started out looking as if the Seahawks star crossed luck form their last decade of dominance over the 49ers was right on track. On their opening drive, Dre Greenlaw dropped what looked like a relatively easy pick. Mistake No. 1.

Luckily, the 49ers defense stiffened by holding the Seahawks to a five and out which only netted seven yards

I started to feel a little bit better, until the 49ers went three and out which only netted nine yards.

Geno Smith's offense was futile on the next drive, producing another three and out.

This was not the recipe for success, at arguably to the toughest venue for visiting teams in the NFL.

The next 49ers drive was magic. It began with a play action pass to Christian McCaffrey, then a nifty 23 -yard McCaffrey run and it culminated with a pass from Brock Purdy to George Kittle down the middle, after Purdy pumped left, then pumped right, which left Kittle all alone, to rumble to pay dirt from 28 yards out. Purdy looked like a seasoned veteran quarterback, maybe even a bit like one who wore No. 16.

On the subsequent drive, Talanoa Hufanga had an 11 yard strip sack, but the Seahawks tackle Abraham Lewis managed to recover the ball. Another three and out.

Due to a Seahawk penalty, the 49ers began the next drive at midfield. The drive stalled at fourth and seven on the Seahawks 47. The 49ers lined up to run a play. I said they must be trying to get the Seahawks to jump offsides, which did happen. Instead of going for it on fourth and two, Kyle elected to punt and the punt ended up as touchback. I thought Kyle made a big mistake to waste that fourth and two in plus territory. Mistake No. 2.

Despite leading 7-0, I was beginning to get nervous. Lumen Field is not the kind of place where teams that squander multiple gifted opportunities tend to win with much frequency.

The Seahawks went three and out yet again.

The 49ers next drive sputtered and Purdy ended throwing a ball right on the numbers to Quandre Diggs, who dropped it. To me, this was the play of the game. the score easily could've been 7-7, or 7-3, instead it was still 7-0.

The next Seahawks drive got them a field goal, making it seven to three.

Then the 49ers punted on the next drive.

The Seahawks began on their own 19 yard line and got out their 41, where Jimmie Ward hit Travis Homer and Dre Greenlaw came flying in with big hit to knock the ball loose. This was the second biggest play of the game and the biggest one by a 49er.

Charvarius Ward scooped the fumble up and returned it for 40 yards to the Seahawks six yard line. A pair of runs by McCaffrey got him to the promised land. 

It was now 14-3, instead of 7-6, or 7-10. That's a 7 to 14 point swing in what would turn out to be only be an 8 point game. 

The Seahawks punted to end the 1st half, with the 49ers set to receive the kickoff to begin the second half.

Purdy struck on the second play of the second half, when he hit Kittle for a 54 yard touchdown, making it 21-3. It was vintage a vintage Kittle rumble!

The Refs bailed Geno Smith out on the next drive. Nick Bosa pressured him and he threw a pick six to Deommodore Lenoir. Instead of it being 28-3, the Seahawks retained possession due to a highly questionable roughing the passer call on Bosa.

They ended up driving most of the length of the field, before settling for a field goal making it 21-6, with 8:13 to go in the third quarter, despite a Bosa 11-yard sack.

Besides the Geno Smith touchdown to Noah Fant with 3:39 in the fourth quarter to make it 21-13, the rest of the second half half, leading up to that, was pretty uneventful.

I had a feeling that they would kick the ball away, rather than attempt an onside kick which has such a low probability of success. 

Could Purdy sustain a drive to kill the clock? I was more than a little bit nervous. 

McCaffrey ran for six and for three. On third and one, Purdy scrambled right for that single yard. He extended the ball slightly beyond the line to gain, just prior to his knee being down. 

Many NFL veteran quarterbacks wouldn't have had that kind of presence of mind to do something such as this. For a seventh round rookie quarterback to do this, in just his second start, with the game on the line, was nothing short of astounding.

Jordan Mason ran left for six yards on first down, taking the clock to the two minute warning. Then on second and four Mason ripped off a gargantuan 55 yard run to the Seahawks two yard line, to ice the game.

Maybe it was just Russell Wilson, as the 49ers last sweep of the Seahawks was in 2011 before he was drafted and the most recent sweep this season, the first season that Wilson has been gone to the Broncos. Some people are comparing Purdy to Wilson. Wouldn't it be great if he could keep the 49ers from being swept by the Seahawks for the next eleven seasons?

The Cards have been eliminated, The Rams might be next. The Seahawks appear to be very unlikely to make the playoffs with the Chiefs next up next for them and Tyler Lockett likely out for a while, with a broken hand. All is right in the world of theNFC West, with the 49ers clinching it in Seattle and at securing at least the No. 3 seed in NFC playoffs, by being no longer sweepless in Seattle.