49ers outlast Seahawks in wild, turnover-filled road victory to improve to 5-0

SEATTLE - Some began to theorize that the San Francisco 49ers were the NFL's best team after starting the season 4-0. There was no better test to prove - or disprove - that than a matchup with the defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan played it coy during the week anytime he was asked about the emotions of facing a team that kicked his butt twice last season, the second of which ended his season. But the coach's message to his team throughout the week, per the Fox broadcast, certainly suggested something different: "We're embarrassed and we're pissed off," he told his players.

Well, the 49ers (5-0) showed how embarrassed, and how pissed off, they were in a 32-29 win over the Seahawks (3-2) Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field.

Here are our immediate takeaways.

Turnovers galore: In a game between two supposed juggernauts, both teams consistently shot themselves in the foot. The 49ers and Seahawks teamed up for seven turnovers, the most in a game this season. They reached that mark with plenty of time to spare, too, when Deebo Samuel fumbled late in the third quarter for giveaway No. 7.

But hey, at least they were able to capitalize off of each other's mistakes? San Francisco and Seattle combined to score 38 points off turnovers, the most in a game since Week 6 of 2017.

The first takeaway of the game perhaps offered some foreshadowing. After the Niners went three-and-out on their first drive, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold tossed a meatball on 3rd-and-10 that cornerback Renardo Green easily picked off.  Then, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw one right into the hands of Julian Love, but the Seahawks safety dropped the ball. The Niners took Love's mistake and capitalized, as two plays later, Purdy found Mike Evans on a short slant for a touchdown. A four-play, 18-yard drive got the Niners on the board.

49ers 32, Seahawks 29

First Quarter

SF_Evans 2 pass from Purdy (Pineiro kick), 11:12.

Sea_Wilson 2 run (Myers kick), 5:43.

Second Quarter

Sea_FG Myers 49, 13:27.

SF_McCaffrey 11 run (Pineiro kick), 8:17.

Sea_FG Myers 50, 1:56.

SF_Halton 0 fumble return (Pineiro kick), :13.

Third Quarter

Sea_FG Myers 43, 8:56.

Sea_Smith-Njigba 16 pass from Darnold (Myers kick), 5:52.

Sea_FG Myers 48, 3:02.

Fourth Quarter

SF_Cooks 7 pass from Purdy (Evans pass from Purdy), 11:02.

Sea_FG Myers 40, 6:55.

SF_FG Pineiro 44, 1:56.

A_68,664.

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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING_San Francisco, McCaffrey 11-68, Black 6-16, Purdy 5-6, Samuel 2-4. Seattle, Wilson 20-61, Smith-Njigba 1-16, Holani 4-7, Darnold 1-5.

PASSING_San Francisco, Purdy 19-29-1-189. Seattle, Darnold 18-29-2-195.

RECEIVING_San Francisco, Evans 7-113, Kittle 5-24, McCaffrey 3-15, Samuel 2-21, Cowing 1-9, Cooks 1-7. Seattle, Smith-Njigba 5-102, Holani 4-24, Barner 3-20, Shaheed 2-23, Kupp 2-15, Wilson 2-11.

MISSED FIELD GOALS_San Francisco, Pineiro 52.

For much of Sunday, that was the formula for both teams: Let the defense do the hard work, and the offense will capitalize. The 49ers' defense even scored a touchdown of its own when rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton forced a fumble at the goal line and jumped on it.

Offense struggles but does enough: Shanahan, typically a masterful play caller, failed to scheme many guys open against Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, a known defensive savant. Purdy's improvisation skills, which he often flexed throughout the first four games, weren't present for much of the afternoon in Seattle.

The 49ers went three-and-out on their first drive. Purdy rolled to his right while facing pressure and found an open George Kittle, but the tight end dropped the ball after taking a hit. From that moment, it became pretty clear that this offense was not going to hum as it had during its 4-0 start.

Purdy took his first sack of the season in the opening quarter, at the hands of Byron Murphy II, to end the Niners' fourth drive. Murphy beat 49ers left guard Connor Colby to get home, and he later did the same for a second sack. Purdy was sacked three times on Sunday after going four weeks without taking one.

The Niners' offense was this ugly to start: On their first 10 possessions, Purdy's unit never gained more than 34 yards. And only two of those drives went five plays or more. Yikes. 

Finally, they strung together a cohesive offensive possession early in the fourth quarter, driving 12 plays and 95 yards. After a questionable intentional grounding call on Purdy that pushed the Niners back 11 yards, he connected with Evans 28 yards down the right sideline for a game-changing completion. Purdy then hit wide receiver Brandin Cooks for a touchdown and connected with Evans for a two-point conversion, which put the Niners up 29-26.

After the Seahawks responded with a field goal, San Francisco followed with another clutch drive: eight plays, 43 yards and a go-ahead field goal. Seattle looked poised to drive downfield and force overtime, but on 4th-and-10, Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp dove out of bounds one yard short of the marker. 

The play was reviewed and upheld. And the 49ers celebrated.

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This article originally published at 49ers outlast Seahawks in wild, turnover-filled road victory to improve to 5-0.