A rainy and windy Sunday afternoon in Santa Clara proved to be an indication of how this game would unfold. The Seattle Seahawks came to town against the San Francisco 49ers in week 12, the game managed to mirror the week two matchup as both offenses struggled through the first half but became a one sided affair in the second half.
Even without key contributors Richard Sherman, Cliff Avril, and Kam Chancellor, the Seahawks defense can still control a game. The fact the 49ers offense is still trying to gain its footing in a new system does not help, but Seattle displayed trademark, “bend but don’t break,” philosophy.
Week 12 San Francisco 49ers Takeaways
Wilson and Wagner Leave Their Mark
Bobby Wagner made an outstanding interception in the second quarter that quickly setup a rushing touchdown for Russell Wilson. In a game were points were hard to come by, this turnover gave Seattle control.
It took until Seattle’s first drive of the second half but their offense eventually caught stride. A six play 71 yard drive was capped off by a 17 yard pass from Wilson. The San Francisco defense wasn’t able to get off the field on a crucial third down and it cost them with the eventual touchdown. That drive inevitably opened up the scoring flood gates for Seattle.
This was merely another stop on Wilson’s MVP campaign as he continues to be the entire offense for Seattle. There weren’t as many scrambling first downs as usual, but buying time in the pocket and shrugging off would be sacks continually frustrated the 49ers defense.
The 49ers Offense Remains Inconsistent
Coming off a win and then a bye week, there was hope that the 49ers offense had begun to catch rhythm. Plenty of credit goes to the Seattle defense, but the San Francisco offense was only able to patch together occasional bursts of offense. The team simply does not have enough talent to keep up in these types of games. Seattle was able to grind out longer drives as the game went on, partially due to the 49ers having short drives of their own.
In a game where the teams combined for 14 punts, it wouldn’t have taken much offense to stay in it. Unfortunately for San Francisco, this game flow played entirely into Seattle’s hands and was the exact type of game they’re accustomed to.
Jimmy Garoppolo Debuts
With less than a minute remaining in the game, starter C.J. Beathard limped to the sideline to be evaluated for a knee injury. This meant that fans and coaches were finally going to get a look at Jimmy Garoppolo, the potential future quarterback who arrived on the team just under a month ago. He was only able to run three plays but potentially gave a glimpse into the future, throwing a touchdown as time expired.
The touchdown came in garbage time at the end of the game, but the buzz inside of the stadium was tangible as Garoppolo trotted out onto the field. The injury status of Beathard could end up making the decision easier but either way, it will be interesting to see when the offense is officially handed over to Garoppolo.
Kyle Shanahan’s post game press conference made it clear that the team wouldn’t rush to any decision and would let the process play out through the week. It’s amazing how quickly another frustrating loss can be replaced with a potential silver lining and generate excitement for a fan base that is desperate for anything positive from this season.
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