Starting with: 1-10-SEA 36 (6:17) 22-J.Jones right tackle to SEA 42 for 6 yards (52-P.Willis).
- Seattle runs a stretch right. Max Unger lands his pull blocks but quickly loses it. Nothing uncommon, but uncommonly costly, because Julius Jones shirts the common and hits his hole and explodes.
- The Seahawks couldn't establish an edge on the next rush, and Jones was stopped for no gain.
- Deion Branch indisputably grabbed Nate Clements hand and prevented him from intercepting and possibly returning a pass. Branch runs from the left slot, the two players are briefly tangled about four yards into the route, Clements moves to cut into Branch's route, there's some hand fighting between Branch's left and Clement's right arm, and then Branch grabs at Clements wrist then grabs Clements hand and prevents him from intercepting the pass. If Clements interfered with Branch prior to that, I didn't see it.
- Following the penalty, Seattle broke with only one wide, Deon Butler, two tight ends and in an "I" formation. Butler streaked deep. A better camera angle would show if Butler was open or if Matt Hasselbeck just didn't like what he saw. San Francisco shutdown the underneath routes and Hasselbeck scrambled.
- Same play: Tyler Polumbus pancakes Manny Lawson.
- Seattle lines in a trips package on the right, and all three receivers are tight ends. Chris Baker pulls into a speed out and chips the corner blitz on the way. Jones blocks. Hasselbeck steps up and finds Cameron Morrah free between two zones. Very nice play design.
- The next play features another curious trips package, this time, from left to right: Quinton Ganther, John Carlson and Dieon Branch. Seahawks run a delayed hand off. Ganther pulls to the inside and blocks. Carlson and Branch pull out to double Lawson. Jones hits the hole. The play looks awesome. Lots of space, lots of blockers where there needs to be blockers, lots of Niners trapped by the draw action executed by the offensive tackles, and good acceleration by Jones. Lawson throws Carlson off and tackles Jones for three. Anticlimax.
- Then it's the out and up seen here. Notice the three step drop, pump fake. The devil's in the details.
Next drive.
- Seahawks played in a 4-1 for the first two plays and a 3-2 for the final play.
- Aaron Curry had a quarterback hit on the first play. Chris Clemons had a quarterback hit on the second.
- The second play was a three man rush, and I think Raheem Brock was supposed to rush and Brandon Mebane supposed to drop into cover, but the opposite happened. That's an inference. Mebane steps back from the snap, Brock drops into cover and Mebane turns back towards the line and rushes. That might be intentional, but I doubt it. Lofa Tatupu seems to correct Brock after the snap.
- Seattle blitzed five on Jordan Babineaux's interception. It didn't generate much pressure and Alex Smith had a generous pocket to step into. Roy Lewis established good coverage on Michael Crabtree, and that might be crucial, because Crabtree made a sudden move right just before Smith passed. The ball hit Crabtree's left shoulder instead of his body. The tip bounded to Babineaux.
- Crabtree kills you between the catches. As fun as he was in college, he has been a pretty frustrating pro.
Scoring play.
- Deon Butler flew wide open with a double move. The move not only drew Tarell Brown, the corner covering Butler, but Nate Clements. Both jumped the route, proving fiery, ass-bearing, brow-beating, old-school intimidation does not inspire discipline.
Final 49ers drive of the half
- Aaron Curry reads draw and turns a right angle around right end to tackle Frank Gore for what looks like a loss, but is credited as a one yard gain. Behold: awareness, agility, footwork and tackling.
- Red Bryant at nose tackle on a passing down -- pretty much the antithesis of Craig Terrill at nose tackle on a passing down. Clemons and Curry generate edge rush and Babineaux covers Davis preventing the reception.
- Gore slips.
- Seattle calls a time out.
And then nothing else exciting happens.