49ers torched by Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf in dismal 37-27 loss

With the 5-3 Los Angeles Rams taking an upset loss earlier in the day to the Cincinnati Bengals and the 5-2 Arizona Cardinals sitting at home with a bye week, the San Francisco 49ers entered into Sunday's game against the 5-1 Seattle Seahawks with a golden opportunity to gain ground on the rest of the pack in the NFC West and put themselves right in the thick of the race for the division title.

Instead, the 49ers dug themselves in a 30-7 hole and couldn't recover, falling to 4-4 on the year with an ugly 37-27 loss to the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

The 49ers entered into the game with momentum after an emphatic 33-6 win at New England the previous week and a 24-16 win over the Rams in Week 6. The Seahawks, on the other hand, were coming off their first loss of the season -- a 37-34 overtime road loss against the Cardinals -- and were last in the league in defense at 479.6 yards allowed per game, which put them on pace to set a record for the most yards allowed over the course of a single NFL season.

Those trends reversed themselves in this game, as the Seahawks defense held the 49ers in check through three quarters while quarterback Russell Wilson had a performance that will boost his MVP credentials, throwing for 261 yards and four touchdowns on 27 of 37 passing. Wilson's primary target on the day was wide receiver DK Metcalf, who caught 12 of Wilson's passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finished the day at 11 for 16 passing with 84 yards and one interception before being pulled in the fourth quarter for backup Nick Mullens due in part to recurring ankle issues.

As It Happened

The 49ers got off to a solid start defensively, holding the Seahawks to a three-and-out on the opening possession with the help of a tackle-for-loss on the first play by cornerback Jason Verrett and a sack on the second play by cornerback K'Waun Williams. The 49ers advanced the ball into Seahawks territory on the following possession but were forced to punt, which was downed at the one-yard line by cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.

The Seahawks' offense continued to struggle on its second possession and wound up punting the ball back to the 49ers after five plays and two false start penalties. The 49ers took over at the Seahawks' 49-yard line and drove inside the 20, but the Seahawks ended any scoring threat when Garoppolo was intercepted at the 12-yard line by former 49ers defensive back D.J. Reed.

The Seahawks quickly turned the turnover into points when Metcalf caught a short pass from Wilson and weaved through the 49ers' defense for a 46-yard touchdown as time expired in the first quarter to cap a seven-play, 86-yard drive. Kicker Jason Myers missed the point-after attempt, leaving the Seahawks with a 6-0 lead.

The 49ers were able to respond on the ensuing possession, marching 75 yards on 14 plays to tie the game on a one-yard touchdown run by rookie running back JaMycal Hasty. It was the seventh run of the drive from Hasty, who had a key play earlier in the drive with a first down run on a fourth-and-one at the Seahawks' 27-yard line. The point-after attempt from kicker Robbie Gould was successful, giving the 49ers a 7-6 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half.

The lead was short-lived for the 49ers, who continued to have issues stopping Wilson and Metcalf on the next drive. After 15-yard and 35-yard completions to Metcalf helped push the Seahawks inside the red zone, the Seahawks took the lead after Wilson found Metcalf for a touchdown from two yards out. The catch put Metcalf at six first-half receptions for 102 yards, while Myers was successful with his point-after attempt this time to give the Seahawks a 13-7 lead.

Scoring in the first half came to an end from there, as the 49ers went through two unsuccessful possessions while the Seahawks had one before heading to halftime. The Seahawks outgained the 49ers 172-117 in the first half yards, 155 of which came from Wilson, who went 13 for 18 with two touchdowns over the first two quarters. Garoppolo finished the half with 78 yards and one interception on 10 for 15 passing, while neither team found much success on the ground, with the 49ers running for 49 total yards and the Seahawks finishing the half with 25.

The Seahawks hit the ground running to start the second half, holding the 49ers to a three-and-out to start the third quarter before embarking on a nine-play, 63-yard drive that ended in a two-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to running back DeeJay Dallas. A fumble on the ensuing kickoff by 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis gave Seattle the ball right back at the 49ers' 21-yard line, then six plays later Wilson connected with David Moore from six yards out for his third touchdown pass of the day and a 27-7 lead.

The 49ers were held to a three-and-out following the touchdown, then the Seahawks stretched the lead to 30-7 on the next drive on a 48-yard field goal from Myers. Mullens entered the game for Garoppolo on the next possession and led the 49ers on an 11-play, 79-yard drive that saw the 49ers cut the lead to 30-14 after a one-yard touchdown run from Jerick McKinnon.

Mullens and the 49ers got the ball back with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and cruised 80 yards downfield in six plays to cut the lead to 30-20 on a touchdown pass to tight end Ross Dwelley. A pass on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt to McKinnon fell short, leaving the 49ers down ten points with 4:16 remaining.

The 49ers attempted an onsides kick following the touchdown but failed to recover, giving the Seahawks possession at the 49ers' 47-yard line. Wilson proceeded to lead the Seahawks on one more scoring drive, this one capped by a touchdown run by Dallas from one yard out for a 37-20 lead. Mullens responded with a scoring drive of his own, which finished with a three-yard touchdown strike to Brandon Aiyuk to cut the lead to 37-27. The Seahawks recovered the onsides kick after the drive and were able to run out the clock to seal their sixth victory of the season.

Mullens finished the day with 238 yards and two touchdowns on 18 of 25 passing, while Aiyuk led the 49ers with eight catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers rushed for just 52 total yards on 22 carries, with Hasty leading the way on 12 carries for 29 yards. The Seahawks ran for 101 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries and were led by Dallas, who had 41 yards on 18 carries.

Up Next

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the 49ers, who have a short week this week before facing the Green Bay Packers in a home game at Levi's Stadium on Thursday (8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT, FOX/NFL Network). The Packers fell to 5-2 on the season earlier on Sunday after taking a 28-22 upset home loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Seahawks head east for a November 8 showdown against the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills, who moved to 6-2 on the season on Sunday with a 24-21 win over the Patriots.