Kittle and the Kids Finish Seattle in 36-24 49ers Win

The script changes in critical victory

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) drags his toes for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The 49ers go up 23-3, Seattle responds to cut it to 23-17, the game and the season are on the line. Will the Niners blow a lead again or will they push through? This time the 49ers finish it winning 36-24 in the biggest game of the young season.

Rookies stepped up in the prime-time rivalry game with interceptions by Malik Mustapha and Renardo Green, and a 76-yard run by Isaac Guerendo to ice the game.

Showing intestinal fortitude when they needed it most, the 49ers improve to 3-3 and jump to the top of the division if Arizona loses at Green Bay on Sunday.

GAME BALLS

George Kittle – Two red zone touchdowns on five catches for 56 yards. The first TD featured superb footwork on a 10-yard dot from Brock Purdy.

Deebo Samuel – He always plays well against Seattle, in this one, three catches for 102 yards led by a 76-yard touchdown, along with four carries for 15 yards.

Isaac Guerendo – Finishes the game on a 76-yard run showcasing his 4.3 speed, ending on a smart slide to burn clock.

Renardo Green- Central to both interceptions by Smith, he played a key part in the first pick by Mustapha and made the second on his own. Green has earned the 3rd DB job.

Thoughts on the 49ers

This was an important win to build confidence going into a tough stretch of the schedule. The difference this time was stamina, the focus and effort were there throughout in the Niners first 60-minute win of the year.

The run defense delivered, holding Kenneth Walker III to 32 yards on 14 carries, with a long of just eight. 11 tackles by Fred Warner, including another fumble punchout.

The kids proved they belong. After two years of bad drafts, Kyle Shanahan delivered one of the best of his era and he’ll need to lean into it.

Matthew Wright did a solid job as the temp kicker, making all of his attempts. However, he doesn’t have the big leg for automatic touchbacks on kickoffs. The Niners special teams gave Seattle life with the touchdown return. The unit will have to put in the work on kick coverage, particularly given that Wright doesn’t get the ball in the end zone.

While this was an important win it also needs to be placed in context. Geno Smith was a huge part of this win and Seattle had several key starters out.

Thoughts on the Seahawks

Geno Smith is now 0-5 against the Niners. To win the division Seattle must move on from Smith.

Yet again Smith threw a pick under pressure and then got in his own head with inaccurate throws for most of the first half. Smith had a chance to win the game, down 23-17 with the ball, and threw the pick to Green.

Seattle can’t be deceived by the stats. Macdonald was hired to win the division and Smith can’t. Geno has to be replaced. The Seahawks can't be taken seriously as a division threat until they do.

Next Week

Kansas City coming off a bye, and the Niners off a mini-bye. Patrick Mahomes will not be gift-wrapping the game as Smith just did. The Chiefs take it slow to start the year and then take it up for the playoffs, they are not invincible early season. That said, the Niners have yet to prove they can beat this team.

For now, an important win allows the Niners to live to fight another day. Kansas City and Dallas await.