Team Grades: 49ers Manhandled By Seahawks On Thursday Night Football
By Sam McPherson
The San Francisco 49ers dropped to 2-5 this year with a 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on Thursday Night Football. The Seahawks controlled the game early, scoring a touchdown on their first drive and never really giving the 49ers much of a chance to score until late in the third quarter. The San Francisco defense played decently enough, if not spectacularly, intercepting Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson twice and sacking him five times, but in the end, the Seahawks' superior talent ruled the day.
The 49ers have now lost four in a row to the Seahawks, and even though the S.F. roster is very different in 2015 than it was for those previous games, the home team didn't fare much worse than the last time these two teams played at Levi's in November 2014. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick couldn't move his offense much, and generally, San Francisco was unable to do anything significant against the hitherto struggling Seattle defense.
Offense: F
Kaepernick threw for just 124 yards, and although he didn't commit any turnovers, he was sacked six times for a loss of 43 yards combined. The 49ers were 1-for-11 on third downs, and that just killed their chances of scoring through the game. San Francisco had some minor success running the ball, but it was mostly yardage gained either on the one scoring drive or on obvious passing downs when the team chose to run draw plays instead and punt.
Running back Carlos Hyde wasn't 100 percent, and he gained just 40 yards on 11 carries. Fellow backfield mate Reggie Bush gained 21 yards on four attempts, but it really didn't make a difference. Tight end Vernon Davis led the team with 61 yards receiving. The 49ers had just eight first downs in this game, while gaining a mere 142 yards overall.
Defense: C+
The interceptions and the sacks kept the game close, but the Seahawks still gained 388 yards in this one. The 49ers let running back Marshawn Lynch run for 122 yards on 27 carries, and Lynch scored the game's first TD via brute force. If the 49ers had been able to convert the turnovers they forced into more points, the game might have been closer. The first INT prevented a Seattle score late in the first half, and that was a nice bonus before halftime.
Overall, it's hard to blame the S.F. defense for this one: The guys played their hearts out, but they're just not the same unit that dominated the NFL from 2011-13. Linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Aaron Lynch each had two sacks, while linebackers Michael Wilhoite and NaVorro Bowman reached double digits in tackles. However, Wilson still completed 18 of 24 attempts on the night: That's 75 percent for those of you counting at home.
Special Teams: B+
Another default grade for the special teams, mostly because they were a non-entity throughout the game. Kicker Phil Dawson did his job, and Seattle's Tyler Lockett didn't bust out any long returns as he has this year against other teams. The 49ers did get some strong kick returns from Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton, but nothing jumpstarted any offensive drives.
Coaching: C
It's hard to blame the coaching staff for this one, as the Seahawks are just significantly better team. The records coming into the game were deceiving, as Seattle was still outscoring its opponents in 2015—while the 49ers definitely were among the worst in the league there (minus 60). What more can Head Coach Jim Tomsula do? The defensive front seven is stout, but it's not good enough to compete with the better offenses in the NFL. The offensive problems revolve around Kaepernick's inconsistency, but there are no other real options on the roster.
Tomsula is doing the best he can with what he's got—and that's not a lot. Perhaps it is time to mix things up a little bit here and do the unexpected. Not going for it on fourth down in the fourth quarter is just silly when you have no chance to win. You might as well let your guys play instead of being worried about the final margin of defeat.
What's Next? A Long Fall For The 49ers
San Francisco has a long time to get healthy before its next game, on the road, against St. Louis. The Rams have a ferocious defense, and they play very well at home. After that, there's a home game against Atlanta at Levi's for the 49ers on November 8. Neither game looks like a win, so S.F. is looking at a 2-7 start before its bye week. The team needed this win, for a lot of reasons, and now, the 49ers really have nothing left to play for in 2015. It's going to be a long fall in the Bay Area for San Francisco fans.
Sam McPherson is a freelance writer covering baseball, football, basketball, golf, hockey and fantasy sports for CBS, AXS and Examiner. He also is an Ironman triathlete and certified triathlon coach.