Seattle 20, San Francisco 3
When: 8:25 PM ET, Thursday, October 22, 2015
Where: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Temperature:
75°
Head Official:
Walt Anderson
Attendance:
70799
By The Sports Xchange
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Seattle Seahawks celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast on the Levi's Stadium field last season.
Eleven months later, they returned Thursday night to enjoy an early Halloween, disguised as their former selves.
The Seahawks turned back the clock with the type of defensive dominance that led to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, sacking San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick six times in a 20-3 victory.
Running back Marshawn Lynch rushed for a touchdown, quarterback Russell Wilson threw for one, and kicker Steven Hauschka made two field goals, lifting the Seahawks (3-4) to their third consecutive low-scoring win over the 49ers (2-5) in the past two seasons.
"That was the way it was supposed to be," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of the defense-dominated style of victory. "I don't want to make a big deal out of it. It's just the way we should be playing. It felt like a really normal Seahawk night tonight."
Defensive end Michael Bennett recorded a career-best 3 1/2 sacks as the Seahawks recorded a near-identical win to the 19-3 victory they registered on the same field over the 49ers last Thanksgiving.
"I have to give it to the (defensive backs)," Bennett said. "They did a great job today. The quarterback held the ball. It just gave me some time to get there."
Despite getting sacked five times and intercepted on two occasions, Wilson passed for 235 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown to rookie receiver Tyler Lockett in the second quarter.
The touchdown for Lockett, who had five catches for 79 yards, was his first as a receiver this season after having previously returned a kickoff and a punt for scores. He became just the second rookie since 2000 to record that triple.
"We were talking (last week) about how he overthrew me, so I told him to never underthrow me," Lockett said. "This time I made sure he wasn't going to overthrow me. The ball hung up there for a long time, but it was one of those plays where I was like, 'I've gotta catch it,' and luckily I did."
San Francisco cornerbacks Tramaine Brock and Kenneth Acker recorded the interceptions of Wilson, who finished 18-for-24, while outside linebackers Aaron Lynch and Ahmad Brooks registered two sacks apiece.
Despite the defensive highlights, the 49ers were outgained 388-142.
"This game was not what we want," 49ers coach Jim Tomsula said. "It was not acceptable."
Marshawn Lynch, who vomited on the sideline late in the first quarter and sat out about 11 minutes, had a game- and season-high 122 rushing yards on 27 carries.
His touchdown came on a 1-yard dive at the end of Seattle's first possession of the game.
Hauschka's field goals came in the second quarter, a 49-yarder, and the fourth quarter, a 46-yarder.
Phil Dawson provided all the 49ers' scoring with a 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
Coming off his two best efforts of the season, Kaepernick was able to get off just 24 passes, completing 13 for 124 yards. He was not intercepted.
Running back Carlos Hyde had 40 yards on 11 carries for the 49ers, who lost for the fifth time in six games.
Tight end Vernon Davis caught four passes for 61 yards to lead 49ers receivers.
"We've had our struggles with Seattle," Davis said after the 49ers' fourth consecutive loss to the Seahawks. "It's hard to get by this. It is. I'm not going to stand here and lie. It is Seattle, and we haven't really had much success against them."
The outcome was never in doubt.
Lynch's touchdown came on the 12th play of a 61-yard drive that chewed up 6:36 of the first quarter.
"That was big," Wilson said of making an immediate statement. "It was a great game. We were pretty much lights out in what we were doing."
Then, displaying a quick-strike ability to complement the ball-control opening, Wilson threw a bomb to Lockett that increased the Seahawks' lead to 17-0 with 2:44 left in the second quarter.
NOTES: The Seahawks improved to 6-0 when wearing their alternate, all-slate road uniforms. ... Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch's rushing touchdown was his 50th in the last five seasons, 13 more than any other NFL player. ... Seahawks DE Michael Bennett's previous career high for sacks in a game was two, accomplished four times, most recently in the 2014 opener against Green Bay. He had 2 1/2 in the first half alone Thursday. ... San Francisco S Antoine Bethea sustained a shoulder injury in the second quarter and did not return. ... The Seahawks made a series of transactions before the game. They promoted FB Derrick Coleman from the practice squad, signed C Lemuel Jeanpierre, waived CB Crezdon Butler and placed LB Brock Coyle on injured reserve/designated for return. ... Among the 49ers' seven inactive players for the game was RB/PR Jarryd Hayne, the former rugby standout. Hayne was active for the club's first six games.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Seattle |
|
San Francisco |
Marshawn Lynch
|
Player |
Carlos Hyde
|
27 |
Attempts |
11 |
122 |
Yards |
40 |
4.5 |
Avg Yards |
3.6 |
1 |
Touchdowns |
0 |
17 |
Long |
13 |
Receiving
Seattle |
|
San Francisco |
Tyler Lockett
|
Player |
Vernon Davis
|
5 |
Receptions |
4 |
79 |
Yards |
61 |
15.8 |
Avg Yards |
15.2 |
1 |
Touchdowns |
0 |
43 |
Long |
27 |
Team Stats Summary
|
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
Seattle
|
388 |
176 |
212 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
6.0 |
1 |
San Francisco
|
142 |
61 |
81 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
5.0 |
0 |
Upcoming Games
-
San Francisco will play their next game on the road against St. Louis. The 49ers have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .250 after a loss.
-
Seattle will play their next game on the road against Dallas. The Seahawks have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .500 after a loss.