Seahawks versus 49ers week 8: Full highlights and analysis

The Seahawks moved to 6-1 in week 8 with a nice victory over the 49ers.

On Sunday afternoon, the Seattle Seahawks played perhaps their most complete game of the season as they beat down the San Francisco 49ers 37-27 at Centurylink field which remains fanless for now.

Many questions were surrounding Seattle going into this matchup with their bitter rival. How would they perform with so many injuries in the running back stable? Is the Seahawk defense doomed? How will they respond to a loss?

These questions were answered with Russell Wilson being magical, Deejay Dallas being physical, and the Seattle defense flying around the field and making stops. All of that was a recipe for success as the ‘Hawks baked the Niners until some garbage time points were scored to make the game look a bit closer than it was.

How about that defense?

Playing defense in the NFL is like cooking in a kitchen. Whether you are properly prepared and handled determines whether you get burnt or not. The Seahawks have been burnt plenty but on Sunday against SF, they looked like a defense that can help Seattle end their season as champions.

JaMychal Hasty was the leading rusher for the Niners as he ran for 29 yards on 12 carries but scored a touchdown at the goal line. Even though he scored, the Seahawks would consider his average of 2.4 yards per attempt a victory.

The biggest struggle defensively for Seattle has been stopping the opposing team’s passing attack but against Jimmy Garoppolo, they were lights out. Jimmy G was held to 84 yards on 11 of 16 passing with no touchdowns and an interception. His replacement Nick Mullens had much more success but it’s hard to determine whether that was Seattle coasting with a lead or if he just was that much effective. Regardless of how it came, Mullens went 18/25 for 238 yards and two touchdowns.

In previous games, Seattle’s defense has been physical and quick but they have not executed but that changed Sunday. Brighter days could be ahead as it seems that Jamal Adams will finally make his return to the field.

Russell Wilson is back, D.K Metcalf is on his way

Realistically, Russell Wilson was never gone. He had a great first half against the Arizona Cardinals but then struggled to put them away but that shouldn’t derail his MVP campaign and against San Francisco, he showed why he should still be the frontrunner.

The 49ers defense is no easy task despite their missing players but Wilson picked them apart throughout the night, he had 261 yards on 27/37 passing with four touchdowns and no turnovers. Everyone knows that Seattle’s super bowl dreams rely on his right arm and he continues to grow the confidence of the 12’s around the world.

Meanwhile, D.K Metcalf continues to flourish alongside Wilson. He tallied 12 catches for 161 yards, 2 touchdowns, and induced plenty of headaches against and for the guys in white, red, and gold.

Metcalf’s stock is skyrocketing and now people are taking to Twitter to debate if he is a top 5 player at his position if you exclude injured players If he continues to play at this level, it might not be much of a debate.

By the numbers

Through 11 drives, the Seahawks ran 67 plays which resulted in 350 yards. San Francisco ran 66 plays and earned 351 yards on the same amount of drives. The biggest difference here is that Seattle did not turn the ball over while the 49ers did twice (interception, fumble).

Both teams went 4-4 in the red zone and both teams were penalized six times, the Seahawks gave up 30 yards through penalties while SF gave up 36.

The ‘Hawks controlled the time of possession by one minute, they held the ball for 30:58 while the ‘9ers held it for 29:02.

Who’s next?

Next up for the (6-1) Seahawks will be a date in New York against the (6-2) Buffalo Bills.