DK Metcalf, Seahawks Dominate in 37-27 Bounce-Back Win Over 49ers

Easily playing their most complete game of the season for three quarters, the Seahawks shut down the 49ers run game and built a three-score lead in the third quarter, allowing them to coast to an easy 37-27 victory and strengthen their hold on the NFC West.

Throughout the course of the 2020 season, the Seahawks have struggled to put away opponents in the fourth quarter, including coughing up a 10-point lead to the Cardinals last weekend. Four of their five wins were of the one-score variety and three of them came down to the final minute of play.

Even after building a 30-7 lead in the third quarter, for a brief moment, it looked like they would do it again against the 49ers on Sunday. But after allowing two quick touchdowns to backup quarterback Nick Mullens to cut a 23-point advantage down to 10 points, rookie running back DeeJay Dallas scored from a yard out to seal a 37-27 win as Seattle strengthened its hold on the NFC West division.

Here are five quick takeaways from the Seahawks impressive bounce back victory over the 49ers at CenturyLink Field.

1. The Russell Wilson to DK Metcalf connection has reached cheat code status.

With the exception of a three-yard tackle for loss on a bubble screen on the first play of the game, the 49ers simply had no answer for Metcalf. He showed off his rare skill set on a 46-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the first quarter, bouncing outside after catching a crossing route and accelerating down the sideline past multiple defenders for six points. He later added a two-yard touchdown to extend Seattle’s lead to 20-7 and finished the half with 102 receiving yards on six receptions. While he “cooled off” a bit after halftime, he still wrapped up with 161 yards on 12 receptions with a pair of scores, continuing to build an All-Pro resume.

2. DeeJay Dallas gave Seattle’s banged up backfield a lift in his first career start.

Statistically, Dallas didn’t have a great day, finishing with just 41 yards on 18 carries. But without Chris Carson or Carlos Hyde available, he stepped up in a big way while playing the vast majority of the snaps. One week after missing a key blitz pickup against the Cardinals, he made several nice blocks to keep Wilson clean and also provided a valuable outlet as a receiver out of the backfield. He caught five passes for 17 yards, including a two-yard touchdown reception, his first career score. Then, after San Francisco had cut the lead down to 10 late in the fourth quarter, he put the finishing touches on a game-clinching drive with his first NFL rushing touchdown to seal the deal.

3. Missing four starters, the Seahawks played three quarters of strong defense.

A lackluster finish allowed the 49ers to cut a 30-7 deficit down to 10 points two different times in the fourth quarter, but away from those three late touchdowns, Pete Carroll’s defense played their best game of the season when they absolutely needed to. Limiting San Francisco to 116 total yards in the first half, Seattle shut down a typically stout run game and once the lead ballooned to 23 points in the third quarter, they started coasting a bit and it showed down the stretch. At the center of the unexpectedly good performance, defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. schemed up some pressures, allowing the Seahawks to get consistent heat on Jimmy Garoppolo early and often. This is a good stepping stone at the midway point and the best news is that Seattle should get Jamal Adams, Shaquill Griffin, and other key starters back next week.

4. At the center of that resurgence, Bobby Wagner wrecked the 49ers’ game plan.

Following last week’s loss in Arizona, Wagner told reporters there would be “no more talking” about Seattle’s defensive issues. Taking the struggles personally, the five-time All-Pro played one of the finest games of his career on Sunday, giving San Francisco fits from the outset, particularly as a blitzer. Late in the first half, he sacked Garoppolo to force a punt and found his way back to the quarterback early in the third quarter. Bringing incredible energy the rest of the defense fed off of, he finished with 11 tackles, 2.0 sacks, three quarterback hits, and four tackles for loss, stuffing the stat sheet in a dominant performance from the future Hall of Famer.

5. Thriving in his Seattle debut, D.J. Reed enacted revenge against his former team.

Away from Wagner, Seattle’s other defensive superstar on Sunday proved to be Reed, who made the most of his chance to get back at the team that waived him in July due to a torn pectoral muscle. Activated from the Non-Football Injury list on Sunday, Reed undercut a route by tight end George Kittle and intercepted Garoppolo on the 49ers’ second drive, likely taking at least three points of the scoreboard. Then in the second half, his blitz from the slot forced Garoppolo to scramble right, only to be sacked by Wagner. Another effective corner blitz forced the quarterback to step up and into the arms of Alton Robinson for his second sack of the season. Adding in two passes defensed, it was a heck of a debut for Reed with his new team and once Ugo Amadi returns next week, the Seahawks will have some interesting choices to make defensively.