Late Field Goal Lifts 49ers Over Seahawks

This is more of how I expect a rivalry game to be played. A battle for every score and the home team squeaking out the win with a field goal in the last minute of regulation, not the domination the Seahawks seem to hand out when they play at home.

Maybe being outscored 71-16 in their last two meetings gave the 49ers the extra motivation Sunday afternoon, or maybe it was thanks to the letter sent to season ticket holders on when and how to cheer, or maybe just maybe it was the plane that flew over Candlestick Stadium before kick off.

Whatever it was, it was enough to help get Colin Kaepernick and company over the hump and finally get a win over the Seahawks. It was Kaepernicks first win over the division rival, but winning at home against the NFC West is something the 49ers have been doing since losing to the Seahawks back in October of 2008.

The game started with both teams trying to neutralize one another. The 49ers were able to get down to the redzone one time in the 1st quarter but were held to a field goal as the Seahawks defense tightened up, they would also block a Seahawks punt in the 1st that helped set up the 49ers with another field goal before the end of the quarter. The 2nd quarter is when all the scoring happened, with Marshawn Lynch rushing for a TD and Russell Wilson throwing a 39 yard TD pass to TE Luke Willson. The 49ers got some points of their own in the 2nd quarter as well with a 52-yard field goal and a TD pass to TE Vernon Davis before the end of the first half. The 2nd half was a defensive battle, only allowing a field goal a piece for the rest of the half and both coming at the latter half of the 4th quarter. The Seahawks would gain the lead 17-16 on a 31-yard field goal by K Steven Hauschka but would give the 49ers the ball back with 6:20 left in game. The 49ers would work the field finishing off their final drive of 11 plays for 76 yards taking up 5:54 seconds and regain the lead 19-17 on a 22-yard field goal by K Phil Dawson. RB Frank Gore would help set up the game winning field goal with his biggest run of the day, a 51-yard run. Gore finished the game with 17 carries for 110 yards, which is 2 1/2 times more than he has gained in his previous two games against the Seahawks (44 total rushing yards in last 2 games) The Seahawks would have one last drive attempt with only 0:26 seconds left in regulation to try and make a miraculous scoring drive but Russell Wilson would throw and INT on his first pass attempt that would seal the game for San Francisco.

KYLE TERADA - USA Today Sports

Prediction:

SEA over SF 27-14

Final Score:

SF over SEA 19-17

The Seahawks game was marred with penalties, amassing 9 penalties for 85 yards including some very suspect looking calls. Russell Wilson had a poor game, completing 15 of 25 pass attempts for a measly 199 yards with one TD and one INT. The run game wasn't as efficient as coach Pete Carroll would have liked with RB Marshawn Lynch held to only 72 yards on 20 attempts, although he was able to break paydirt on an 11-yard TD run early in the 2nd quarter. Backup TE Luke Willson had the most receiving yards for the Seahawks with 70 yards on 3 catches including a TD pass from Wilson to Willson near the end of the 3rd quarter, but WR Golden Tate got the most chances, catching 6 passes on 8 targets for 65 yards.

Both teams had a tough time in the red zone, with only 1 conversion for both teams (SEA 1-2 50% in redzone, SF 1-3 33% in redzone)

The 49ers were able to capitalize on all the penalties going against their opponents and also had the help of WR Michael Crabtree, who was in his 2nd game back, and finished the day with 4 catches on 8 attempts for 40 yards. Crabtree and fellow WR Anquan Boldin were both targeted 8 times Sunday afternoon, while Boldin was able to bring 6 catches for 93 yards (Boldin has now gained over 90 yards receiving in his last 3 games).

Michael Macor, The Chronicle

This game lived up to all the hype you thought you would get from a division rival, the best rivalry in the NFL, and both teams seemed to have one thing on their mind and that was coming out victorious with the team making the most mistakes going home on a sour note. Unfortunately for the Seahawks they were the team who made the most mistakes in this game. Hopefully we are able to see these two teams battle it out again, this time back out in Seattle in the middle of January.

Up next for the (11-2)Seahawks is the (5-8)New York Giants who are coming off a crushing defeat by the hands of the San Diego Chargers 37-14. That game will be played in the home of the Super Bowl this year and will be a great chance for the Seahawks to become familiar with the stadium and weather in case they have to make a return early February. The (9-4)49ers next game will be against the (4-9)Tampa Bay Buccaneers who have won 4 of their last 5 after starting the season 0-8.


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