The final chapter of the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry will be one that the Seahawks will cherish — and one that the 49ers will be eager to erase as soon as possible.

On a day where the 49ers repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with nine penalties for 54 yards, the Seahawks came from behind with a last-minute drive to exit Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara with a victory of 20-17, snapping a six-game losing streak against the 49ers and marking their first win in the series since 2021.

It was the Seahawks’ first career victory against the 49ers for quarterback Geno Smith, who ran for the winning touchdown after throwing for 221 yards and an interception on 25 of 32 passes. Brock Purdy finished with 159 yards, a touchdown and an interception with five carries for 40 yards and a touchdown.

First half

The game opened with a three-and-out by the 49ers, then the Seahawks put together a nine-play, 44-yard drive that ended with a field goal by kicker Jason Myers to take a 3-0 lead. The Seahawks moved inside the 49ers’ 30-yard line on the drive on a 20-yard run from Smith to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but the drive stopped when tight end defensive Nick Bosa sacked Smith for a seven-yard loss on a 3rd-and-9 play, forcing the Seahawks to settle for a 52-yard field goal.

The 49ers then took a 7-3 lead after a 12-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown run by Purdy. After a 22-yard completion to wide receiver John Jennings After putting the 49ers in Seahawks territory early in the drive, the 49ers moved steadily downfield before facing a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. The 49ers took a five-yard loss on that play with a sack, then Purdy escaped the pass rush on the next play with a scramble around the right side that culminated with a dive across the goal line.

The next possession ended in a punt for the Seahawks after a seven-play drive, but they got the ball back immediately when a short pass from Purdy was put into the hands of defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins for an interception . The 49ers defense once again put the Seahawks back with a third sack (this one from the defensive end). Yetur Gross-Matos), but Myers connected from 57 yards out to bring the Seahawks within one point at 7-6.

The 49ers took over at their own 27-yard line with just under nine minutes left, then embarked on an unusual drive that saw them fall behind by seven minutes while only going 26 yards on 11 plays . The 49ers advanced to the Seahawks’ 34-yard line with two minutes left in the half, then drove back after a right tackle. Colton McKivitz was flagged for a false start, then gave up a sack to defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones. The Seahawks forced a punt, then took over at their own 9-yard line with 1:41 left before finally being forced to punt near midfield. The 49ers had one more possession with 24 seconds left in the half and moved the ball to midfield before time expired in the second quarter.

The half ended with a 152–104 advantage in total yardage for the 49ers, who also held the ball for more than 18 minutes in the first half, compared to less than 12 for the Seahawks. The 49ers outscored the Seahawks 82-29 on the ground in the first half, while the Seahawks held a slight 75-70 advantage through the air.

Second half

Things started well in the second half on defense for the 49ers, who got an interception on the third play of the half from the cornerback. Isaac Yiadom. The interception put the 49ers at the Seahawks 27-yard line, but after their initial first down on the possession, the offense shot itself in the foot with a guard holding penalty. Aaron Banks at the 16-yard line, followed by an illegal formation penalty, which put the 49ers in a 1st-and-25 situation. Ultimately, the 49ers settled for a 33-yard field goal from the kicker. Jake Moody to open a 10-6 lead.

The Seahawks responded with their first touchdown of the game – an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a touchdown run by running back Kenneth Walker. Bosa’s second sack of the game put the Seahawks in a 2nd-and-17 hole to start the drive, but a 26-yard third down to wide receiver DK Metcalf put the Seahawks in 49ers territory. Walker then ran from a yard out to give the Seahawks a 13-10 lead late in the third quarter.

The 49ers responded with a touchdown of their own, although they once again found themselves in a situation where they had to overcome a key penalty. Purdy connected twice with Jennings earlier in the drive, including a 14-yard run on a 3rd-and-11 play, then they had to deliver on another 3rd and 11 at the Seahawks 21 yard line following a center holding penalty Jake Brendel. Two plays after that third conversion, Purdy found Jennings in the end zone for a three-yard score and a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter.

It was the defense’s turn to step up next with two clutch stops that prevented the Seahawks from turning their next drive into points. The Seahawks took over at their own 30-yard line with 9:33 left, then drove to the 49ers’ 37-yard line, where they faced a 3rd-and-1 with just under five minutes remaining. . But after a run up the middle by Smith was stopped for no gain on third down, the 49ers managed a fourth down when they stuffed running back Zach Charbonnet for a turnover on downs with just under four minutes to play.

The Seahawks forced a punt after the turnover on downs, leading them to take over at their own 20-yard line with just under three minutes left. They moved to the 49ers’ 21-yard line before taking their final timeout with 39 seconds left, then after an 8-yard completion to Smith-Njigba, Smith ran from 13 yards out to take the lead and give the Seahawks what would end up being the game-winning touchdown.

The 49ers took over with 12 seconds left, but failed to move the ball much, fittingly ending the game on a play where they were called for offensive pass interference. Both teams are 5-5 after Sunday’s game, one game behind the Arizona Cardinals (6-4) in the NFC West.

Game Notes: Hankins’ interception was the first of his 12-year NFL career…Bosa, who was dealing with a hip injury early in the day, was unable to finish the game…Next The next step for the 49ers will be a road game in Green Bay against the Packers, which begins at 1:25 p.m. PT/4:25 p.m. ET next Sunday (FOX).

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