What We Saw: 49ers at Seahawks

A glorious night at Lumen Field for a crucial NFC West matchup

Benjamin Haller
What We Saw 2 Months Ago

49ers @ Seahawks

Final Score: 49ers 36, Seahawks 24

Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)

 

A “what could go wrong, will go wrong” first half for the Seattle Seahawks put the home side in a deep hole at the half as the San Francisco 49ers took advantage of their opponents mistakes to race out to a 16-0 lead. The Seahawks had a would-be touchdown ruled out by the length of a toenail at the end of the half and had to settle for a field goal. Brock Purdy was excellent, managing the game and linking up with his primary reads thanks to good protection behind his offensive line. He opened up the second half with a touchdown drive thanks to two perfect throws to George Kittle that looked to have effectively ended the game as a contest by stretching the 49ers lead to 20 points.

However, Laviska Shenault immediately took the following kick off back 97 yards for a score to make things interesting. This provided a spark for Geno Smith and the lackluster Seattle offense and after the defense forced a stop, Smith led a 13-play, 94-yard drive to make it a six-point game midway through the third quarter. Things got crazy in the fourth quarter as the game finished with an interception followed by three touchdowns in the final seven minutes. Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo broke off a 76-yard run moments after the Seahawks had pulled to within five points before fullback Kyle Juszczyk punched the ball in from six yards out to condemn Seattle to a third-straight defeat and stop the 49ers second half meltdowns.

 

Three Up

  • Brock Purdy – a masterclass in the pocket from the 49ers quarterback who stepped up under pressure and led his team up and down the field all night – also contributed with a couple of key scrambles to move the sticks.
  • George Kittle – five touchdowns in his last four games, Kittle is the top tight end option in fantasy right now and remains an integral part of this offense, especially in the red zone.
  • Deebo Samuel – after a “frank conversation” with Kyle Shanahan last week, the hybrid receiver and running back was involved early and often – scored his second touchdown of the year and first receiving score on a long run after losing his man near the sideline.

Three Down

  • Brandon Aiyuk – season lows in targets and receptions to go along with his second-lowest yardage total, Aiyuk was an afterthought despite some key injuries. Aiyuk’s disappointing year continues after his petulant hold out.
  • Kenneth Walker – a rushing touchdown salvaged his fantasy day but once again the Seahawks struggled to get the ground game going with Walker averaging just 2.3 yards per carry. Only bright spot was his use in the check-down game.
  • DK Metcalf – catching just three of his team-leading 11 targets, the chemistry with his quarterback wasn’t there in this game with a couple of near misses that could have made it very different. Was targeted on key fourth quarter interception.

 

San Francisco 49ers

 

Quarterback

 

Brock Purdy: 18/28, 255 Yards, 3 TD | 4 Carries, 19 Yards

 

A perfect time for Purdy’s most accomplished game of the season as he masterminded the offensive performance from a clean pocket and picked apart the Seahawks defense to ensure the 49ers came away with an important win. Purdy averaged 9.1 yards per attempt and showed skill at throwing to every level, stretching the field and making it easy for his receivers to grab sideline catches and run, the perfect combination for a quarterback. His two passes to Kittle for scores were high level throws executed to perfection. He showed no unease once Mason left the game injured and ensured the offense continued to move the chains. His 24.10 fantasy points (in Yahoo!) is his second best score of the season. He is a top tier fantasy contributor, and as good as Kittle’s footwork is here the tight window into which Purdy executed this throw means this was a phenomenal throw.

 

 

Notes

  • Expertly ran for a first down on a key scramble on third and long on the 49ers opening possession after taking over at his own 3-yard line. Purdy has great footwork and can dupe defenses with his quirky running style as he showed again on a 10-yard scramble on second-and-long to keep a scoring drive going late in the first half.
  • Orchestrated a brilliant opening drive of the second half, Purdy working the pocket beautifully and hitting Kittle for a 29-yard gain before finding his big tight end again in the end zone for six to cap a 9-play, 70-yard touchdown drive.

 

Running Back

 

Jordan Mason (injury): 9 Carries, 73 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards

 

A hard-nosed, classic power run on the 49ers’ opening drive went for 38 yards as Mason bounced off tackled and perfectly followed his blockers before bursting out of the zone to take the ball deep into Seattle territory. As San Francisco built a big lead early, Mason was involved heavily on the ground. A nice 14-yard run for a first down midway through the quarter highlighted his ability to keep his legs churning after contact. However, Mason struggled to get up after that run and he quickly went into the locker room after a quick sideline check up. It was reported soon after that he was questionable to return with a shoulder injury, the replays showing the full weight of the defensive back sandwiching his shoulder and the ground. He then returned to the game after half time and took the first carry of the half but exited again clearly bothered by his shoulder. He did not return.

 

Isaac Guerendo: 10 Carries, 99 Yards 

 

A rangy, upright rookie running back, Isaac Guerendo was a fourth round pick by the 49ers in this year’s draft and he was entrusted with carrying the rock after Mason left the game. He failed to find the same penetration, however, averaging just three yards per carry across his first eight rushes. All that didn’t matter though, with the Seahawks needing a stop with just 1:39 left in the game he took a hand off from Purdy on his own 19-yard line straight through an open lane and broke off a 76 yard run to the Seattle 5-yard line. He got another carry to try punch the ball in before making way for fullback Juszczyk to ice the game with a score. He would be first in line to take over the lead back role if Mason is to miss time.

 

Patrick Taylor: 5 Carries, 16 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards

 

Former Packers running back Patrick Taylor saw his first carries for the 49ers in the second half of this game once it became clear Mason could no longer take any further part in the contest. Taylor was mainly used to give Guerendo a breather but did show safe hands and nice yards after contact on a 12-yard catch over the middle on a key drive.

 

Kyle Juszczyk: 1 Carry, 6 Yards, TD | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 10 Yards

 

Another benefitting from Mason’s exit, Juszczyk always seems to randomly pop up with a cheeky touchdown at some point in the season for San Francisco. Nobody can guess when but it was to be in this game as he put the cherry on top of a big win in Seattle late in the game.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Deebo Samuel: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 102 Yards, TD | 4 Carries, 15 Yards

 

After being sporadically used over the past couple of weeks it was clear Shanahan wanted to get Deebo involved early as he saw three touches on the opening drive alongside a target in the end zone that was batted away by Artie Burns in good coverage. But he made his splash early in the second quarter by taking advantage of a risky play from the safety, who tracked the ball rather than Samuel who had cleverly worked back towards the pass, to haul in a deep ball from Purdy and race away unchecked for a 76-yard score. Deebo saw some work out of the backfield too but wasn’t the go to option with Mason out. He also looked to take a hit to his body and looked uncomfortable in the second half only seeing one further target through the air. This was a welcome return to fantasy relevance for Samuel, however.

 

George Kittle: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 58 Yards, 2 TD

 

Another dominant performance from the 49ers tight end as he offers the only fantasy light at the end of the tight end tunnel in 2024. Kittle was outstanding as both a blocker and a route runner and led his team in receptions and targets, finishing behind only Deebo in yards. His two touchdowns show he is the number one red zone threat for his team and just how good he is at hauling in passes from any angle in contested situations. He has set the bar for fantasy tight ends this season.

 

Brandon Aiyuk: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 37 Yards

 

Oh, what to do with Aiyuk! His miserable start to the season seemed to have turned around last week but another fantasy dud will be haunting managers all weekend. Aiyuk was never really the focal point of the game plan and his two catches were his bread and butter, slant routes over the middle which he hauled in nicely. Outside of that, however, he was sparingly used as both Samuel and Kittle grabbed the limelight. He has now been held under 48 yards in five of six games this season and has yet to hit paydirt.

 

Jauan Jennings: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards

 

Three games removed from his big three-score day out against the Rams, Jauan Jennings continues to do plenty of good but not on the fantasy stat sheet. His silky route running and ability to create separation on crossing routes were evident on a couple of nice catches today but he was always down the pecking order for looks. He is the clear third option in this receiver.

 

Seattle Seahawks

 

Quarterback

 

Geno Smith: 30/52, 312 Yards, TD, 2 INT, Sack | 1 Carry, 0 Yards

 

For the first time this season the Seattle quarterback looked visibly frustrated with his performance as the Seahawks dropped their third straight game. Despite throwing for over 300 yards for the third time in 2024, two poor turnovers cost his team and Smith’s timing on throws were way off in the first half. Smith peppered Metcalf with targets but became both predictable and inaccurate with his game plan. In his pre-match interview he stressed the need to run the ball but that wasn’t what played out despite the game never been too far away throughout. From a fantasy perspective, Geno is one of the more intriguing options at the quarterback position. He connected with eight different targets and has attempted over 50 passing attempts in two of the last three games.

 

Notes

  • Looked confident and poised in the pocket on the opening drive, firing a dart to DK Metcalf on a crossing route that went for a big 30-yard gain. However, a couple of plays later he overthrew Tyler Lockett in the red zone under heavy pressure from Joey Bosa, the pass easily picked off by fourth round rookie Malik Mustapha.

 

Missed opportunities

  • Smith missed a wide-open Walker as he forced a throw deep that would have given the Seahawks an unlikely lead in the third quarter. It could be that Smith is still growing into the new offensive playbook and this was a case of growing pains.
  • The second interception was not a throw we have become accustomed to but stank of his old ways with the Jets. Geno was annoyed with himself and the usually mild mannered Smith was seen slamming down his tablet after watching the replay. He knew that he’d cost his team this game.

 

Running Back

 

Kenneth Walker: 14 Carries, 32 Yards, TD | 8 Targets, 8 Receptions, 37 Yards

 

The conundrum of Walker may be one of the most debated fantasy questions so far in 2024, and this performance didn’t solve anything. Straight out of the gate, Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb tried to establish opportunities for Walker to cornerstone drives on the ground but Walker didn’t find any room to run. Partly due to poor run-blocking, and partly due to the predictability of the play-calling on early downs, Walker found himself up against a prepared defensive scheme with Fred Warner marshaling things perfectly – the best linebacker in football absolutely nailed Walker on a third down run and knocked him backwards for his trouble. A one-yard touchdown run saved his fantasy day alongside a solid eight catches out of the backfield – Walker was not just a check-down monster, he ran some creative routes to try get home going. The volume is great, the efficiency less so. Will he ever take the next step?

 

 

Zach Charbonnet: 5 Carries, 20 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 15 Yards

 

With the focus on the Seahawks wanting to run the ball more it was therefore disappointing to see third-down specialist Zach Charbonnet hardly contribute and cede almost all targets out of the backfield to Walker. The backs had to split a measly 19 carries while Geno threw 52 passes on a night where things didn’t go as planned for the third straight game. It is unlikely that Charbonnet benefits in any way from a change to the game plan. He is not fantasy relevant as of now.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Tyler Lockett: 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 65 Yards, TD

 

After a non-existent first half from the veteran receiver, Geno found Tyler Lockett deep down the right sideline for 37 yards thanks to a dime from the Seattle signal-caller. It was Lockett’s first catch of the night after a couple of failed tries of the same play with Metcalf. Smith went back to his veteran after all other avenues had failed with just 1:48 remaining in the game on fourth down and goal. The slightly diminutive Lockett going up to make a nice catch in traffic to give his team a slight hope. NO longer a clear fantasy option, Lockett is worthwhile as a flex option across the bye weeks in a heavy passing offense.

 

Noah Fant: 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 63 Yards

 

Far from troubling the touchdown column, former Broncos tight end Noah Fant mainly worked in between the numbers over the middle as a safe secondary option for Geno trying to sustain drives. He made two excellent grabs under solid contact to move the sticks and that is where his use sits. Any fantasy relevance is optimistic although he did see season highs across the board.

 

Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 9 Targets, 5 Receptions, 53 Yards, Fumble (Recovered)

 

Enjoying his most involved and consistent role so far as a pro, JSN was lively across the formation hauling in five of his nine targets. Working primarily on intermediate routes he showed his nifty footwork and speed on a couple of catch-and-runs on Seattle scoring drives. He did see one red zone target in the second half but the throw from Geno was offline and he didn’t get a good shot at a score. JSN has battled above Lockett to become the Seahawks’ No.2 wideout but he was overshadowed by his veteran teammate as the Seahawks mixed it up in the fourth quarter to try get back into the game.

 

DK Metcalf: 11 Targets, 3 Receptions, 48 Yards

 

Geno targeted Metcalf on three straight throws on the Seahawks’ second drive but all went incomplete – one was wide off the mark, one slipped through the wideout’s hands, and the other (on third down) was a tight throw in double coverage that should have been called for defensive pass interference. The two failed to connect on another deep ball late in the half that would have resulted in a 50+ yard gain but a slightly underthrown ball from Smith was broken up at the point of the catch by the 49ers with Metcalf failing to slow his body and come back to the ball. The two finally connected in the end zone with just three seconds left in the half but the pass was ruled incomplete as Metcalf’s end of his toe had just touched the white line. The unlucky night continued into the second half with a beautiful throw from Smith hitting DK in stride for a 52-yard touchdown only for a silly illegal motion penalty wiping the play away. A frustrating night for the engine of the Seahawks offense. They huffed and puffed but couldn’t bring the house down. There will be better days.

 

Jake Bobo: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 18 Yards

AJ Barner: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards

 

Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@justparadesigns on Twitter/X)

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