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Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers in 20-17 Win at 49ers

Receiving upgraded pass protection and stout play at all three levels of the defense, the Seahawks finally defeated the 49ers to stay in the NFC West hunt.

Corbin K. Smith

Nov 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi (51) blocks San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Sam Okuayinonu (91) in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi (51) blocks San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Sam Okuayinonu (91) in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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Snapping a six-game losing streak to their bitter rivals, the Seattle Seahawks turned in a stellar defensive performance and Geno Smith put the dagger in the San Francisco 49ers late with a game-winning 13-yard rushing touchdown for a crucial 20-17 road victory to climb back to the .500 mark.

Breaking through in what could be a season salvaging win, several veterans and young talents shined to help Seattle slay San Francisco, leapfrogging them in the NFC West standings in the process. After reviewing All-22 film from Sunday's thrilling win in Santa Clara, here are my top five grades from Week 11.

Devon Witherspoon

Overall Grade: 90.5 (Run Defense 92, Tackling 90, Pass Rush 86, Coverage 94)

Starting to truly find his groove in Mike Macdonald's defense in the past couple of games, Witherspoon played with his hair on fire against the 49ers, seemingly making a positive impact on every single snap. Seeing a near 50/50 split between boundary corner and the slot, he equaled his previous combined season total with three pass breakups, including a spectacular play in man coverage against running back Christian McCaffrey on a pivot route where he managed to knock the ball up into the air for defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to run underneath and intercept.

Away from allowing just four catches for 37 yards on seven targets on Sunday, Witherspoon made his presence felt harassing Brock Purdy as a blitzer, generating one of his pass breakups when he came screaming into the pocket out of the slot and extended his hands into the passing lane. Helping limit McCaffrey to under 80 rushing yards, he recorded a pair of tackles netting one or fewer yards, including a key one-yard stuff on the star running back to set up a punt late in the fourth quarter and send the ball back to Geno Smith and the offense to orchestrate the game-winning drive in the closing moments.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Overall Grade: 88.0 (Receiving 94, Rushing 84, Run Blocking 70*)

Capping off a historic two-game stretch outdone only by Hall of Famer Steve Largent, Smith-Njigba continued to be Smith's primary target even with DK Metcalf back in the lineup, turning in an incredibly efficient performance. Targeted 11 times, the second-year standout caught 10 of those passes for 110 yards, turning those opportunities into six first downs. Starting off quickly, he hauled in a 20-yard reception on a crossing route on Seattle's first offensive possession, helping set up a Jason Myers 52-yard field goal. He led the team with 38 receiving yards at the half, but his best was yet to come after halftime.

Playing a crucial role in Seattle's first touchdown drive midway through the third quarter, Smith-Njigba moved the chains on 3rd and 4 with a key nine-yard reception and followed up later with a 17-yard gain on a tunnel screen, showcasing his ability to create after the catch. Saving his best for last, he caught four passes for 39 yards on the game-deciding drive, accounting for nearly half of the 80 yards, including a clutch 15-yard catch on 3rd and 3 to move the chains into opposing territory. Adding on an eight-yard run on a jet sweep, he produced 118 of the team's 289 net yards, continuing to emerge as one of the NFL's best young receivers.

Ernest Jones

Overall Grade: 86.5 (Run Defense 90, Tackling 92, Coverage 78)

Wreaking havoc against San Francisco's normally potent ground game from his MIKE linebacker spot and playing as if there was two of him on the field at all times, Jones set up shop near the line of scrimmage from start to finish. Tallying a team-high 13 combined tackles, three of his first five stops in the first half resulted in two or fewer yards, including stuffing McCaffrey twice in his tracks for no gain in the first half alone as the 49ers managed to score just seven points before halftime and had three out of four possessions result in a punt or an interception.

Excelling at evading/shedding blocks in traffic and plugging gaps, Jones wound up finishing the afternoon with seven run stops netting in three or fewer yards, posting an impressive average depth of tackle under 1.5 yards against the run. Though he allowed five completions on five targets in coverage, those completions resulted in only 32 yards, 12 total yards after the catch, and just 6.4 yards per reception with an average depth of tackle of just four yards. Without any missed tackles on the day, he continued to be a legitimate game changer for a suddenly rejuvenated Seahawks defense.

Olu Oluwatimi

Overall Grade: 85.0 (Pass Blocking 90, Run Blocking 80)

Thrust back into the starting lineup abruptly after Connor Williams decided to retire last week, Oluwatimi acquitted himself well in his return to the pivot position. On 38 pass protection snaps, he held his own against San Francisco's interior defensive line as well as several stunts dialed up on four man rushes, allowing just a single pressure, no quarterback hits, and no sacks with a stellar 98.7 percent pass blocking efficiency rate.

Providing some much-needed physicality in the middle, Oluwatimi also brought punch to Seattle's run game, consistently creating vertical and horizontal push in the ground game that led to cutback lanes for Ken Walker III on several rushes. He dished out his first pancake of the season on the first play from scrimmage, shoving the defensive tackle to the turf as Walker cut behind him for a six-yard gain. Most notably, on both of Geno Smith's quarterback sneak attempts, he drove his opposing defender off the ball at least half a yard, manufacturing the push necessary for the quarterback to plunger forward on what should have been two first down conversions.

Boye Mafe

Overall Grade: 83.5 (Run Defense 88, Tackling 78, Pass Rush 82, Coverage 86)

Mafe may not have sacked Purdy on Sunday, but he did everything else possible to be a disrupting nuisance off the edge and cause problems for the 49ers' offensive line. He generated a trio of pressures, including bullying All-Pro tackle Trent Williams back into Purdy's lap in the second quarter, leading to a sack for Dre'Mont Jones, who ripped his way past Colton McKivitz to nail the quarterback from behind. As a run defender, he consistently set a solid edge and maintained contain, preventing McCaffrey and Samuel from being able to do damage on off tackle runs and allowing teammates to be able to swarm to the ball along the sideline to finish off losses and minimal gains.

But Mafe's best sequence came in the final two minutes of the second quarter when he showed off his pass rushing and coverage chops on consecutive snaps. With the 49ers past midfield and looking to add points before halftime, the third-year rusher smartly realized he wasn't going to get to the quarterback and reached his left paw out for a pass deflection to create an incompletion. On the very next play, he dropped back into the middle of the field in zone and flashed his athletic tools by reading Purdy's eyes and smoothly moving to his left for another pass breakup on what could have been a big gain over the middle to a wide open Samuel.

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Ernest Jones, Seahawks' Defense Flash 'Special' Potential in Win vs. 49ers

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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