The Seahawks jumped on the 49ers early in the first quarter and never looked back in a dominating 37-18 win on Sunday at CenturyLink Field.
Chip Kelly’s football team was completely outmatched on both sides of the football.
Seattle scored a pair of touchdowns on their first two drives of the game, both scores by backup running back Christine Michael. San Francisco’s defense was shredded for the second consecutive week, allowing 418 yards. Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham both had over 100 yards receiving — in the first half.
As disappointing as the defense was, fans on Twitter were rightly calling for Blaine Gabbert’s benching. The 49ers were a horrendous 4-for-15 on third down and averaged just 4.5 yards per play. Gabbert continued to check-down on swing passes, even on third downs, and the San Francisco offense was stuck going sideways. His statistics 14-for-25, 119 yards and an interception were poor, and they still don’t paint an accurate image of how ineffective the offense was under Gabbert’s direction.
The running game graded out okay for the 49ers, but Carlos Hyde and the offensive line struggled to establish themselves until late in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach. Seattle’s defense swarmed the line of scrimmage, but Hyde did manage 103 yards on 21 carries. A Gabbert interception bounced off the hands of Quinton Patton and into the arms of Bobby Wagner in the third quarter. Hyde scored the team’s first touchdown on an 8-yard run with 7:50 left in the fourth quarter and added another one with just under a minute remaining.
The 49ers even lost on special teams. Phil Dawson missed a field goal late in the second quarter. Seattle return man Tyler Lockett ripped off a 62-yard return in the third quarter.
Russell Wilson left the game in the third quarter with a leg injury and did not return. He finished 15-for-23, 243 yards and one touchdown. Rookie Trevone Boykin replaced him, throwing a touchdown to Baldwin and an interception to 49ers linebacker Nick Bellore in the fourth quarter.
Cornerback Jimmie Ward left the game with a quad injury in the second quarter and did not return. Tight end Vance McDonald also left the game and did not return. Torrey Smith limped off under his own power in the fourth quarter but did return to the game.
The 49ers will host Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.