Seahawks rally from 10-point deficit to knock off 49ers 26-23 in season finale

The San Francisco 49ers gave the Seattle Seahawks all they could handle on Sunday, but the Seahawks rode a fourth-quarter rally to a 26-23 win in the regular-season finale for both teams at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The 49ers held a 16-6 advantage over the Seahawks early in the fourth quarter, but the Seahawks put together their first two touchdown drives of the game to take a late lead. The Seahawks then sealed the deal after adding another touchdown following a late-game fumble by 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson finished with 176 yards and two touchdowns on 19 of 35 passing, with both of those touchdowns going to wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who had 12 total catches for 90 yards. Beathard completed 25-of-37 passes for the 49ers for 273 yards and one touchdown in the loss.

As It Happened

There wasn't much offense in the early going, with each team trading two punts before the Seahawks started to move the ball on their third possession of the game. The Seahawks put together a ten-play, 51-yard drive on that possession, which ended in a 36-yard field goal from Jason Myers to take a 3-0 lead with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.

The 49ers followed the field goal with their third punt of the game, then Seattle put together another scoring drive, this one lasting 58 yards in 12 plays while taking over six minutes off the clock. The 49ers kept the Seahawks out of the end zone once again, forcing them to settle for another Myers field goal (30 yards) and a 6-0 second-quarter lead.

The struggles on offense continued for the 49ers until just over five minutes left in the second quarter, which is when C.J. Beathard found wide receiver Richie James on a third-and-14 for a 45-yard gain (the 49ers had just 20 yards on 17 plays prior to that pass). The 49ers wound up settling for a 36-yard field goal from Tristan Vizcaino after a 10-play, 61-yard drive, but the long completion to James was a welcome sight for the 49ers after what was a mostly unsuccessful start to the game offensively.

The half came to an end after one more failed Seahawks possession, sending the 49ers to the locker room with a 6-3 deficit. The offensive numbers after two quarters were meager on both sides, with the Seahawks holding a 106-95 edge in total yards, a seven-to-three edge in first downs, and a 79-55 edge in passing yards, while the 49ers led on the ground with an edge of 40 yards to 27.

The 49ers opened the second half with possession and put together a 10-play, 53-yard drive that finished with another field goal from Vizcaino, this one from 47 yards. The highlight of the drive was an 18-yard gain from running back Jeff Wilson that moved the 49ers to the Seahawks' 31-yard line before the Seahawks were able to make some stops on defense.

The 49ers held the Seahawks to a three-and-out on the next possession, then took over at the Seahawks' 49-yard line after a 21-yard punt return from River Cracraft. What followed from there was one of the highlight plays of the year for the 49ers -- a 41-yard pass from Beathard to tight end George Kittle that he hauled in with one hand to set up possession inside the ten-yard line. The 49ers failed to put the ball in the end zone and had to settle for a 33-yard field goal from Vizcaino for a 9-6 lead, but there's no doubt Kittle's catch was one to remember.

Following another three-and-out from the Seahawks, the 49ers took possession with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter and put together the first touchdown drive of the game -- an 11-play, 73-yard drive that culminated with a seven-yard scoring run from Jeff Wilson. The 49ers made a successful gamble earlier in the drive when Beathard found wide receiver Kendrick Bourne on an 11-yard completion on a fourth-and-three from the
Seahawks' 37-yard line, then Wilson ran in four plays later for his ninth touchdown of the year and a 16-6 lead.

The 49ers weren't able to hold down the Seahawks on the next possession. The Seahawks took over at their own 25-yard line after the kickoff, then marched 75 yards in eight plays to cut the lead to 16-12 on a touchdown pass from Wilson to Lockett. The play was a nifty one from Wilson, who escaped pressure on a third down to find Lockett in the end zone, but the Seahawks remained four points behind after the point after attempt was missed wide left by Myers.

The Seahawks took back over with 7:46 remaining and put together another scoring drive, this one spanning 85 yards in 14 plays. The 49ers were on the verge of forcing a turnover on downs when the Seahawks faced a fourth-and-goal from the four-yard line, but Wilson found Lockett for his second touchdown of the game to take the lead. Myers converted on the extra point this time to give the Seahawks a 19-16 edge with 2:20 remaining.

The 49ers took over at their own 25-yard line after the ensuing kickoff, but their chances of a game-winning drive came to an end due to a strip-sack on Beathard by defensive end Benson Mayowa. The fumble on the sack was recovered by defensive end Rasheem Greene, giving the Seahawks possession at the 49ers' 17-yard line with 2:10 on the clock.

The Seahawks went up 26-16 after running back Alex Collins ran in for a touchdown from eight yards out with 1:49 remaining in the game. The 49ers answered with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a three-yard pass from Beathard to Wilson to cut the lead to 26-23, but the Seahawks iced the game after recovering the ensuing onsides kick.

The win gives the Seahawks a 12-4 mark on the season to go with their NFC West title, which was clinched in Week 16. The 49ers finish their season at 6-10 after the loss.

Up Next: The 49ers saw their season come to an end Sunday, while the Seahawks will host the Los Angeles Rams in their first playoff game next week after falling short of the No. 1 seed.

Notes: The Seahawks entered the game with a 27-17-1 edge in the overall series with the 49ers, including a win in the previous meeting between the two teams (a 37-27 victory in Seattle on November 1, 2020)... The 49ers were listed as seven-point underdogs in this game... 49ers kicker Tristan Vizcaino made his NFL debut in the game after regular kicker Robbie Gould was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last week. Vizcaino has had stints with the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings since entering the NFL in 2019 as an undrafted player out of the University of Washington but had yet to play in an NFL regular-season game... Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf set a franchise record for most receiving yards in a single season with a four-yard catch early in the second quarter. Metcalf entered the day with 1,282 yards, five shy of the previous franchise record set in 1985 by Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent... Metcalf wasn't the only Seahawks player to set a franchise record in this game. Tyler Lockett set a new Seahawks mark for receptions in a season, breaking the previous record of 94 held by Bobby Engram (2007) and Doug Baldwin (2015)... The game may have marked the end of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's time with the 49ers, as Saleh is expected to get attention for head coaching positions around the NFL.