Once again, a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers came down to the wire. The visiting team came out on top, as the 49ers squeaked by Seattle, 26-21, for their first win at CenturyLink Field since 2011. With that, the Seahawks land in the No. 5 seed for the 2019-20 NFC playoffs, and will face the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday afternoon. Let’s take one last look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the last football game of the regular season.
THE GOOD
Third-down play: The Seahawks offense may not have moved as quickly down the field as they have in games past, but they did convert eight of their 14 third downs against the 49ers. Three of those happened due to the efforts of receiver Tyler Lockett, who racked up 28 yards and a touchdown on third-down passes from quarterback Russell Wilson. Rookie running back Travis Homer also notched a pair of third-down conversions, while tight end Jacob Hollister, receiver D.K. Metcalf, and Wilson himself were each responsible for one. The Seahawks’ ability to extend drives contributed greatly to their second-half comeback, outscoring the 49ers 21-14 and dominating the time of possession by over 10 minutes in the last two quarters.
Travis Homer: Despite Marshawn Lynch’s prior success against the 49ers, the Seahawks planned on relying on rookie Travis Homer for the bulk of their rushing attack in Week 17 due to his familiarity with their current offense. The team gave less indication that Homer would be a solid part of their receiving game as well, yet on Sunday he posted 30 yards on five catches while racking up 62 yards on the ground. It was a good preview for the Seahawks, who will have to depend on Homer throughout the playoffs; however, he will have to step it up next week in order to make a difference against Philadelphia’s staunch run defense.
THE BAD
The defense: After two early sacks of 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Seattle’s defense seemed to let off the gas, and the visiting team took advantage of it. The Seahawks had plenty of trouble with a now-healthy George Kittle, who posted 86 yards on seven receptions, but the real issue for the defense was rookie wide receiver Deebo Samuel (5-5, 102 pass yards, 33 rush yards, 1 rush TD). Garoppolo carved up the Seattle secondary with ease, often successfully challenging cornerback Shaquill Griffin on the sidelines and taking advantage of the absence of safety Quandre Diggs over the middle – in the second half, he threw zero incompletions, and only posted four incompletions in the first half. The run defense also allowed 128 total yards on the ground from six separate rushers, as well as three touchdowns.
THE UGLY
The last minute: Seattle and San Francisco fans alike chewed their nails down to the quick at the end of the Seahawks’ final drive, with momentum seemingly changing on just about every play. Russell Wilson started the final 55 seconds with an incomplete pass to D.K. Metcalf, then followed with an incompletion to Jacob Hollister and another to Metcalf to set up fourth down. A clutch grab from rookie receiver John Ursua gave the Seahawks first-and-goal at the SF 1-yard line, and Wilson spiked the ball to set up a much-anticipated Marshawn Lynch touchdown attempt.
Bizarrely, Seattle then stalled enough to draw a delay of game penalty.
“We just didn’t function well enough,” coach Pete Carroll said after the game. “That’s me all the way.”
From the San Francisco five-yard line, Wilson threw an incomplete pass in the direction of Tyler Lockett, then one in Hollister’s area that was denied by seemingly-clear pass interference on 49ers linebacker Fred Warner. The referees disagreed, creating another fourth-down scenario with 12 seconds left on the clock. Wilson completed his pass to Hollister this time, but rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw capped off his stupendous game for the 49ers by stuffing him at the goal line and ending the Seahawks’ hopes of playing spoiler.
In the end, the Seahawks’ status as the No. 5 seed should still be a good situation for them after Green Bay’s win on Sunday morning took away their shot at a first-round bye. The 2019 Seahawks are a much better team on the road, racking up a franchise-record seven wins away from CenturyLink Field this year. They will face a beat-up Eagles team at Lincoln Financial Field on Sun., Jan. 5, at 1:40 p.m. With Quandre Diggs and tight end Luke Willson both likely to return, Seattle should have the advantage on both sides of the ball. Should the Seahawks win, they will get another shot at the 49ers if the Saints also beat the Vikings; however, if the Seahawks and Vikings both win, the Seahawks will get their first crack at the No. 2 Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
