It is very hard to win divisional football games on the road. Throw in the uncertainty and the jitters of Week 1, and the task becomes that much more difficult. This is why the San Francisco 49ers should feel great after their thrilling 17-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field.
Much of the postgame commentary has centered on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and 49ers kicker Jake Moody, but the real story is the return of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who put together a defensive gameplan that was nothing short of spectacular.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was playing in his first game for Seattle, after passing for 35 total touchdowns and leading the Minnesota Vikings to 14 wins last year. On Sunday, Darnold went 16 of 23 for 150 yards and no touchdowns; that's the fewest passing yards he has had in a start since December 11, 2022 when he played for the Carolina Panthers. Most people consider Darnold's worst quarterbacking performance to be last year's NFC Wild Card playoff game, when he led the Vikings to a loss against the Detroit Lions. But even in that game, Darnold was able to pass for 166 yards.
The Seahawks managed just one touchdown on the day, and it came one play after 49ers rookie cornerback Upton Stout panicked and committed pass interference on a ball Darnold threw out of bounds. Stout's penalty happened on fourth down, so absent that infraction, it's likely that the Seahawks would have been kept out of the endzone entirely.
The 49ers defense allowed just 84 yards rushing, and forced/recovered two fumbles -- the second one secured the win. (In 2024, the 49ers defense gave up an average of 125 rushing yards per game, and averaged just one takeaway per game.)
Saleh served four seasons as San Francisco's defensive coordinator before becoming head coach of the New York Jets in January 2021. He helped led the 49ers to a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl berth in 2020, making it impossible for head coach Kyle Shanahan to retain him. But after the Jets fired him last season, Shanahan quickly settled on Saleh to return and stabilize the 49ers defense.
After Sunday's win, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, whose strip fumble and recovery won the game, heaped high praise onto Saleh and called him one of the league's absolute best coaches. Saleh understood his assignment and had his unit ready to compete from the very first series; he put his players in the best possible position, and they made the plays necessary to keep the team in the game, and to seal the win in the end.
The 49ers have many question marks across the offense and special teams, but the defense already looks improved compared to last year, and Robert Saleh is just getting started.