For Pete's Sake: 5 critical observations from Seahawks Thanksgiving blow-out loss

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a best catch of the year candidate

It wouldn't be a Thanksgiving game in the NFL if there wasn't an incredible catch made by a wide receiver, right? Fortunately for the Seahawks, one of their players made the highlight reel catch in the third quarter on Thursday.

It was a big moment not just because of the catch itself but also due to its timing.

On a critical 3rd-and-9 play, Geno Smith put all his trust in a deep pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba down the sideline. He was being shadowed by Deommodore Lenoir but made arguably one of the best catches of the season by any pass-catcher in the league.

The one-handed catch was reminiscent of Odell Beckham Jr.'s from the 2014 season. It drew comparisons to that infamous catch immediately, deservedly so. The 34-yard reception continued Seattle's much-needed drive down the field, which eventually helped put them in field goal position to bring them within 11 points of their opponents.

Because the offense couldn't do much of anything in this game, Smith-Njigba's impressive moment was a difference-maker that could've dramatically changed the outcome even more had he dropped the ball instead.

The offensive line couldn't overcome San Francisco's pass rush

Besides the expectation from most that Seattle wouldn't leave Lumen Field with a win, the other assumption was that the 49ers stacked front seven would overwhelm the Seahawks' offensive line, creating a nearly uninhabitable environment for Geno Smith all game long.

That's exactly what happened, as the quarterback was sacked six times for a total of 48 yards and, at some point, was brought down so hard he lost his helmet. He was also hit 12 times, with Nick Bosa accounting for five of them himself, which made any chance of offensive production almost impossible.

Although this all equates to negative results, it's difficult to put a whole lot of blame on the offensive line for what everyone knew was inevitably going to happen, as it has for every team that has played the 49ers before them.

San Francisco is a very talented team and has focused on making sure their pass rush is top-notch. Seattle's offensive line had virtually no chance.