Geno Smith took Seahawks’ losing streak to 49ers personally--then ends it with TD late

Smith and the Seahawks offense got the ball at their own 20-yard line with 2:38 left down 17-13. The first play was an 11-yard pass to DK Metcalf on an out route.

Coby Bryant's stop Down 17-13 with 9 1/2 minutes left, Smith and a run for a first down by Kenneth Walker on fourth and 1 led the Seahawks into 49ers territory. A quarterback sneak by Smith looked to get stopped right at the line to gain on third down. Coach Mike Macdonald took the red challenge flag out of his back pocket into his clenched hand and walked up to the side judge on the Seahawks sideline. Like a cornhole player, it looked as if he was about to throw it before the snap on Seattle's fourth and a half yard.

He waited. He waited. He didn't challenge the third-down spot.

On fourth down, Smith handed the ball to number-two back Zach Charbonnet running left. He got far less near the line to gain than Smith did. Turnover on downs.

The Seahawks remained behind 17-13 with under 4 minutes left.

But a fine tackle in the open field by safety Coby Bryant on third down got Seattle's defense the needed drive stop. San Francisco punted the ball back to the Seahawks with 2:45 left.

Smith threw his NFL-high 11th interception of the season on the first possession after halftime. He scrambled for a long time then way overthrew covered Jaxon Smith-Njigba down the left sideline. Isaac Yiadom intercepted the pass to no one else. San Francisco had the ball at the Seattle 27.

But, aided by two penalties on San Francisco's offense, the Seahawks' defense held to the 49ers to a field. That kept Seattle in the game, down only 10-6.

On the ensuing possession, Smith waited and threw on third down to DK Metcalf down the left sideline. Metcalf got behind cornerback Deonmmodore Lenoir for a 26-yard gain. Tunnel-screen passes to tight end AJ Barner and Smith-Njigba totaling 23 yards set up Kenneth Walker's 1-yard touchdown run out of old-fashioned I formation, with backup lineman Jalen Sundell lead blocking as the fullback.

Seattle led 13-10 late in the third quarter.

But the Seahawks' defense then couldn't get off the field. The 49ers took the ensuing possession 14 plays with three conversions on third downs, two of them of 10-plus yards. In the red zone, Purdy completed a pass to Jauan Jennings 2 yards short of the line to gain. But the 212-pound wide receiver bulled through Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen's tackle 4 more yards.

Instead of a field-goal attempt for a tie, the 49ers had first and goal.

And two plays later when Purdy flipped a pass to wide-open Jennings on the left side of the end zone for a touchdown, the 49ers had the lead again. It was 17-13 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining.

The 49ers converted seven of their first 10 third downs.

Seahawks blow prime chance early The Seahawks professed the need to start fast and play with the lead against the 49ers, for a change.

They blew a huge chance for the lead in the first half. Then Boye Mafe kept them from falling further behind.

Coach Mike Macdonald said this past week he needed to put Devon Witherspoon in better positions to make plays. He was in one-on-one coverage in the right slot on 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey when the Pro Bowl cornerback from his rookie year a season ago batted Purdy's pass to McCaffrey into the air, back toward the line of scrimmage. Seahawks nose tackle Johnathan Hankins grabbed the deflection for the 12th-year veteran's first career interception.

Seattle had its big turnover it needed, at the San Francisco 29, down 7-3 early in the second quarter.

The offense's response: a run by Zach Charbonnet for no yards, a throw-away pass by Smith, and a sack of Smith when left tackle Charles Cross got soundly beaten.

That was while coordinator Ryan Grubb had schemed help for the beleaguered offensive line. He had wide receiver DK Metcalf pass blocking on the play. Metcalf chipped 49ers All-Pro pass rusher Nick Bosa to help tackle Abe Lucas, making his season debut, on the right edge. But Cross got beaten on the left.

The drive of minus-10 yards resulted in a 52-yard field goal by Jason Myers, his second field goal of the half. Instead of taking the lead off the turnover deep in 49ers territory, the Seahawks still trailed 7-6.

San Francisco took the ensuing possession into Seattle territory. Then Mafe saved the Seahawks giving up at least three or perhaps seven points.

The outside linebacker pushed a 49ers offensive linemen 7 yards into Purdy and Seattle's Dre'Mont Jones for Jones' second sack of the season, back to midfield. On second down Mafe batted down Purdy's pass at the line. On third and long, Mafe dropped into pass coverage in the middle of the field and knocked away Purdy's pass he tried to get behind Mafe to Deebo Samuel on a crossing route.

Instead of trailing by 10-6 or 13-6, the Seahawks got the ball back. The half played out with Seattle down 7-6 into the third quarter.

Olu OIuwatimi's time The abrupt retirement of Connor Williams this past week resulted in Olu Oluwatimi's second career start at center Sunday.

Early in the second quarter, Oluwatimi got good push off the snap on a third and 1. Zach Charbonnet ran behind the fifth-round draft choice last year for a 2-yard gain and one of Seattle's two conversions on six third downs in the first half.

But three plays later, Oluwatimi snapped the ball hard, wide and high through Smith's hands for the latest in a season full of bungled shotgun snaps that plagued Williams. The 17-yard loss ruined a Seahawks drive into 49ers territory and led to Michael Dickson punting.

Ty Okada in three safeties With K'Von Wallace going on injured reserve this week, Macdonald employed Ty Okada as the third safety with Julian Love and Coby Bryant Sunday. The team signed Okada from the practice squad Saturday.

Okada ran up hard on a scramble by Purdy around the lost containment of Seattle outside linebacker Dre'Mont Jones in the second quarter. Purdy faked a throw. Okada leaped. The 49ers quarterback ran around him for 13 yards and first down on third and long.