SEATTLE
The Seahawks remained in contention despite a late defensive lapse and a string of self-inflicted wounds.
Down by three points with just over a minute remaining in their Week 5 matchup against the NFC West front-runner San Francisco 49ers, Seattle advanced deep into opposing territory, positioning itself for a potential game-winning drive.
With standout wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba already past the century-mark in receiving yards and having scored a touchdown, quarterback Sam Darnold launched a pass toward the left sideline on third-and-10. The intention was clear: a 30-yard gain to set up a red-zone opportunity and possibly seal the contest.
Smith-Njigba timed his jump well, reaching for the ball over his shoulder, only to see it slip free just as he secured it. A follow-up effort by veteran receiver Cooper Kupp on fourth-and-10 fell short, leaving Seattle to absorb a hard-fought but avoidable defeat. The loss moved the Seahawks to 3-2, while San Francisco advanced to 5-0 and stretched its divisional edge.
“I know I’ll make the next one,” Smith-Njigba remarked, reflecting on the pivotal mistake. “At the end of the day, just catch the damn football.”
Head coach Mike Macdonald acknowledged the team’s inconsistency, noting that Seattle remains short of the cohesive performance he envisions.
“We’re not there yet in terms of playing complementary football the way we want to here as Seahawks, and becoming the team we want to become,” Macdonald said after the final whistle.
Smith-Njigba’s contributions helped keep the Seahawks within striking distance. Earlier in the drive, he turned a short reception into a 35-yard gain to reach midfield, then capped a strong third quarter with a 16-yard touchdown, shifting mid-stride after the catch to break free untouched. His day ended with five catches for 102 yards and a score.
Darnold completed 18 of 29 passes for 195 yards, adding a touchdown and two picks. His season interception total now stands at five across just three full games.
“You’ve got to give credit where it’s due, the 49ers played well,” Darnold said. “But these are all things I can control. I just can’t keep putting the ball in risky situations like that.”
Seattle’s defense also held its ground for much of the afternoon, often forcing San Francisco into longer field goals by limiting field position. The unit recovered two fumbles, including one after a muffed punt, and intercepted a pass from Nehemiah Pritchett during a dominant third quarter, in which the Seahawks outscored the 49ers 13–0.
The Niners ultimately pulled ahead with late offensive series, however. Quarterback Brock Purdy navigated several tight windows to deliver a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks, followed by a two-point conversion to Mike Evans. Kicker Eddy Pineiro then converted a 44-yard field goal with just under two minutes left, the play that ultimately decided the contest.
In the first half, Seattle’s offense leaned on its defense to stay competitive, knowing it provided the foundation needed to mount late rallies, even if execution in crunch time remained inconsistent.
There is a sense of frustration, but it is not the only feeling. The defense is playing offensively, and the offense has put the defense in tough situations. In the first half, San Francisco's offense scored two touchdowns. The first came after Darnold threw an interception on his first drive, and it was to Renardo Green while targeting Smith-Njigba. Evans had a dominant performance, with seven catches for 113 yards and a score, and he used his size to beat the 5-foot-11 Josh Jobe for a TD off a slant route. After Seattle running back Emanuel Wilson scored his lone TD of the game to tie it up at 7-7, the defense got two more stops, but Wilson was stripped by 49ers star linebacker Fred Warner. Christian McCaffrey made it 14-10 for San Francisco on an 11-yard glide to the end zone a play later. With Seattle down 14-13, the Seahawks offense received the ball inside the five-yard line with under 20 seconds to play in the first half. Despite running back George Holani having fumbled of his own accord on the prior field-goal drive, offense coordinator Brian Fleury and company stuck with him on a run right out of the endzone. San Francisco got penetration, and Holani was hit by defensive tackle Gracen Halton, resulting in an end-zone fumble that was also recovered by Halton to make it 21-13. All 21 opposing points were directly off turnovers. The defending champs, led in part by linebacker Ernest Jones IV, are not the types to point fingers. Nobodys fault, Jones said. We couldve executed better in the red zone we got to get stops. You turn those touchdowns into three points, you may be looking at a different game. At the end of the day, however, there were positives for a Seattle team looking at Thursday matchup with an AFC contender in the Denver Broncos. Defensive tackle Byron Murphy II sacked Purdy, who hadnt been sacked at all in four games, twice by the early second quarter and had three tackles for a loss. And for a Dark Side defense regarded as one of the best in the NFL, Seattle didnt allow San Francisco to score off a non-turnover situation until the Cooks TD in the fourth quarter. I feel good. Honestly, I still feel the same as I did before the season started, Jones said, referring to little things being the difference in Seattles two losses. We could very well be sitting in the same thing 5-0 just like (San Francisco).