Seahawks come up inches short of NFC West title, 49ers win bonkers 26-21 game

Devastating.

The Seattle Seahawks (11-5) and San Francisco 49ers (13-3) once again went toe-to-toe, this time for the NFC West title, but this time the goal-line play went the 49ers way. They take the NFC West after Jacob Hollister came up inches short of the end zone on 4th and goal of a dramatic 26-21 thriller at CenturyLink Field. After a 3-0 start in the NFC West, the Seahawks lost their final three games to divisional opponents, and the early 13-0 deficit was too much to overcome.

Marshawn Lynch had a touchdown, Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns, but the 49ers were just a little bit better and didn’t botch the clock like the Seahawks did (again) at the very end. The defense also just failed repeatedly to get critical stops in the 2nd half until the final drive, at which point the chaos kicked into overdrive.

1st Half

The Seahawks got the ball first and gained one yard, only getting a first down on a holding penalty on the game’s first play. As for the 49ers, they went on a 10-play, 50-yard drive that included a third-down conversion from Jimmy Garoppolo to George Kittle. The Seahawks defense sacked Jimmy G twice, holding them to a Robbie Gould field goal. 3-0 49ers.

Seattle punted on its next possession after getting just one first down, but here’s Marshawn Lynch’s first carry back with the Seahawks! He gained five yards.

The 49ers gashed the Seahawks to the tune of an 8-play, 94-yard drive in which they only faced third down once. Deebo Samuel took an end-around 30 yards for a touchdown, as the Seahawks defense looked clueless tackling him. 10-0 49ers.

After another toothless looking series, the 49ers forced another Seahawks punt. Everyone felt wide open and the 49ers were poised to score a touchdown again, but a clutch hit by Marquise Blair turned a Deebo Samuel first down into 4th and 2. Robbie Gould kicked another field goal following a delay of game. 13-0 49ers.

Seattle finally got a good drive going into San Francisco territory. They went for it on 4th and inches at the SF 31 on the stroke of halftime, and Marshawn Lynch was run right into two unblocked defenders for the turnover on downs. Halftime.

2nd Half

KJ Wright, who made a big hit before the half on Tevin Coleman, decked George Kittle to help force a three-and-out of that 49ers offense. Seattle responded with an 11-play, 62-yard drive that featured a couple of big runs by Marshawn Lynch, third down conversions by Wilson through the air and once with his legs, and he was able to find Tyler Lockett for a touchdown. It looked like he was beyond the line of scrimmage, but his back leg was not, so the play was legal. David Moore had a TD earlier in the drive that was wiped out due to penalty, but this one would not be. 13-7 49ers.

Unfortunately, the defense immediately gave up a 49-yard bomb to fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who easily beat Mychal Kendricks off the snap and he was injured on the play. A slant to Deebo Samuel got them to the 1. Raheem Mostert scored two plays later. They did not convert the two-point conversion. 19-7 49ers.

The Seahawks answered back with a long, 14-play, 76-yard drive that took 8:30 off the clock and ¹⁄₃ of the 4th quarter clock. Russell Wilson was dialed in making critical throws, but it was Marshawn Lynch who jumped over the top to get his first TD as a Seahawk since 2015. 19-14 49ers.

This whole “getting a stop” thing didn’t work out too well, as a 7-play, 75-yard drive featuring a third-down throw to a wide open Deebo Samuel and a 13-yard touchdown run by Raheem Mostert. 26-14 49ers.

A shanked kickoff out of bounds put the Seahawks at their own 40 and in the hurry-up offense. They got a 3rd down pass interference penalty in their favor at the 49ers’ 16, but Tyler Lockett was injured on the same play. Two plays later, DK Metcalf caught a brilliant pass from Wilson for a touchdown. 26-21 49ers with 3:36 left.

Shaquill Griffin made a huge tackle on a Deebo Samuel end-around on 2nd down, after which Ben Garland of the 49ers had a very questionable roughness penalty against him after the whistle, forcing 3rd and 17 which the 49ers would not convert. Seattle got the ball back at their own 27 with 2:34 left.

Travis Homer caught a checkdown pass for five yards. DK Metcalf got a first down on a diving 10-yard out route. Metcalf dropped the next pass, which was a tad high. Travis Homer gained 12 more yards on another checkdown to move the chains. Metcalf got open again to the San Francisco 23 after an early snap. Pressure came on and Wilson threw the next pass away. Lockett made the next catch to the 49ers’ 12 and the clock kept running this time. Slant to Metcalf was incomplete. Jacob Hollister was overthrown on 2nd and 10 thanks to pressure by Jimmie Ward. Miscommunication led to 4th and 10 with :42 to go. This is for the division... CAUGHT BY URSUA! Down at the 1. Spike the ball. AND A DELAY OF GAME AFTER THE SPIKE! 2nd and goal at the 6 and it’s nearly picked off. 3rd and goal and incomplete, no flag. 4th and goal at the 6, for the division for real... HOLLISTER TO THE GOAL LINE BUT HE’S SHORT! OH NO! Game over.

Seahawks injury report

WR Jaron Brown hurt his knee in the 1st quarter and did not return.

LB Mychal Kendricks hurt his knee in the 3rd quarter. He did not return and was replaced by Cody Barton.

WR Tyler Lockett injured his shoulder in the 4th quarter but did return, somehow!

Next week’s opponent

Bring on the Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) on Sunday, January 5th at 1:40 PM PT on NBC.