5 Turning Points in Seattle Seahawks Upset Win Over 49ers

The Seahawks defeated the favored 49ers 20-17 on a last-second touchdown. How did Seattle pull it off?

November 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) is congratulated by tight end Pharaoh Brown (86) and tight end AJ Barner (88) for scoring a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Seahawks were six-point underdogs to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. They trailed most of the game. Yet, in the end, they came out victorious thanks to a few key moments going their way. Here are five turning points in their big win.

10:17 2nd Quarter: Devon Witherspoon deflects a pass from Brody Purdy, Johnathan Hankins intercepts

The Seahawks trailed 7-3 early in the second quarter. The 49ers looked to go on a drive to go up multiple scores. Quarterback Brock Purdy tossed a pass intended for star running back Christian McCaffrey. Seattle's Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon jumped in the way and batted the pass in the air. That allowed nose tackle Johnathan Hankins time to find the ball in the air and come down with the interception, the first of his 12-year career. That stalled the 49ers drive and set the Seahawks up to get a field goal to cut the deficit to one.

3:25 3rd Quarter: Ken Walker III 1-yard touchdown run

Down 10-6, the Seahawks had a chance to take the lead with a touchdown drive. They mounted an 11-play drive that took six minutes and ate up 70 yards. Facing 2nd and Goal from the one, the Seahawks went to a heavy formation and handed the ball off to Ken Walker III. He bowled into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

3:06 4th Quarter: Christian McCaffrey tackled for 1-yard loss

The 49ers were nursing a 17-13 lead and had the ball, following a big defensive stop on 4th and inches against Seattle's offense. The 49ers had a chance to seal the game with this drive. There was doubt the Seahawks would even get the ball back. Then, the defense stepped up. Perhaps the biggest play of the drive was tacking Christian McCaffrey for a one-yard loss. Coby Bryant came flying in and tackled the All-Pro running back for a loss. That put the 49ers behind the sticks and eventually led to a punt, giving the Seahawks one more chance.

Nov 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

2:07 4th Quarter: Geno Smith completes pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for first down on 3rd and 5

The Seahawks took advantage of that chance given to them by the defense. However, they faced a big third down early in the drive. Geno Smith stood tall and fired a bullet to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the first down to continue the drive. The second-year receiver caught 10 passes for 110 yards on the day, but none were bigger than this catch.

0:18 4th Quarter: Geno Smith runs for 13-yard, go-ahead touchdown

This was arguably one of the top plays of the entire NFL weekend. On second down, the Seahawks had zero timeouts left. Geno Smith could not afford to be tackled in bounds or the game was likely over. Smith scrambled left and found the corner of the endzone for a touchdown. That score gave Seattle a 20-17 lead with under 15 seconds left. It sealed Seattle's first win over the 49ers since December 2021 and Geno Smith's first as the quarterback of the Seahawks.

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