Closing Thoughts: Seahawks Make a Statement in Instant Classic MNF Victory
If you didn’t enjoy what you saw on your TV screen Monday night - or in person if you happened to be one of the lucky 71,404 in attendance at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, CA - then football just might not be your thing.
In a game universally being referred to today as an instant classic, the Seahawks upset the undefeated San Francisco 49ers 27-24, and in doing so they threw the NFC West divisional race wide open.
There's no doubt they also caused their share of elevated heart rates in the process. This wasn’t a game you watched sitting comfortably on your couch, chatting amiably with your friends while sharing your favorite dip recipes. This was one of those epic contests better suited to watching crouched over, hands on knees, hat turned backwards - focused.
If Bill Hader’s legendary Saturday Night Live character Stefon was reviewing this game it might go something like this:
“This game had everything - fumbles, interceptions, sacks, amazing catches and dropped gimmes, lead changes, more fumbles, questionable calls by those guys in black and white stripes, and a field goal ricocheting into a tunnel.”
I also like how @SeahawkScout summed it up on Twitter this morning:
https://twitter.com/SeahawkScout/status/1194268022531186689?s=20
In dispatching the 49ers, the Seahawks accomplished what many felt was impossible just a couple short weeks ago. After an ugly loss at home to the Ravens and a nail-biting win over the Buccaneers, Seattle looked nothing like a conference title contender. The defense was a sieve and their kicker was damaged. And they were looking up in the standings at a young, brash 49er squad starting to look every bit the part of Super Bowl contender.
A loss in Santa Clara would have dropped Seattle a virtual three games back in the division race with just six left to play. The win - this crazy, improbable win - gives them a chance to control their own path to advantageous playoff seeding.
A few of my prevailing Closing Thoughts before we take a breath and head confidently into the bye week.
IMPRESSIVE RESILIENCE
Over the last nine days, it’s become a primary character trait with this team - their ability to take punches and bounce right back. There were moments against Tampa Bay when the game seemed to be just out of their grasp, and the way it started out last night wasn’t great either. Down 10-0 and with a number of questionable penalties called against them, Seattle’s defense rose up and stiffened, completely nullifying the 49ers running game and showing right away that the pass rush was going to be a factor. This gave the offense time to adjust after going three-and-out on their first two drives.
Later, after surrendering a 21-10 lead, the team bowed their back once again while fighting back to eventually come out on top in overtime.
Everything about this game screamed playoff atmosphere, and being able to emerge victorious against a good team in those circumstances, on the road, was huge. There’s no other way to put it.
SPEAKING OF THAT PASS RUSH...
The 49ers were excited to get both of their starting offensive tackles back from injury this week. Certainly Mike McGlinchey and six-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley would give quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo all the time he needed in the pocket against a Seattle pass rush that’s been non-existent for most of this season, right?
Not so fast. Seattle’s defense harassed Garoppolo all night, sacking him five times and hitting him 10 times in all. Half of those quarterback hits came from Jadeveon Clowney himself, including a sack to go along with another tackle for loss. Clowney jumped off the screen Monday night, moving all around the line of scrimmage and generating pressure on nearly every snap, regardless of who he lined up again. It was the type of performance the Seahawks envisioned when they traded for him just prior to the opener, and it exemplified the reason I expect the team to offer him a lucrative long-term contract to remain in Seattle when he becomes a free agent at seasons end.
Missing in action for most of this season, the pass rush was back. Let’s hope it remains.
BUT CLOWNEY DIDN’T ACT ALONE
Most certainly he did not. There were plenty of accomplices in the Seahawks crime spree against San Fran’s offensive line. Jarran Reed had his best game of the season, racking up two quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, and a pass defended as he starts to look like his old self after serving a six game suspension to start the season. Fellow defensive tackles Poona Ford and Al Woods were active as well, totalling 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss between them.
The ability of Seattle’s defensive front to penetrate against the 49ers allowed them to dial back the blitzes and focus more on coverage, and is an extremely positive sign moving forward.
THE NEW KIDS LOOKED RIGHT AT HOME
Safety Quandre Diggs and wide receiver Josh Gordon took divergent routes to Seattle, with Diggs acquired from the Lions via trade while Gordon was scooped up on waivers, cast off by the Patriots just last week. It took Diggs two weeks to get his banged-up hamstring right but he looked healthy and in complete command of the defensive playbook against the 49ers. Teaming up with Bradley McDougald as the Seahawks continue to search for the best combination at that position, he was all over the field delivering big hits and came up with a momentum-changing interception and return that gave Seattle the ball on the 49ers 16-yard line with 6:07 to play in the third quarter. Three plays later, Russell Wilson hit Jacob Hollister for a touchdown as the Hawks took their first lead of the game at 14-10.
Meanwhile Gordon came up with a couple big catches on third down, showing off his outstanding hands and route running ability. Stop me if you’ve heard this before about the historically-troubled receiver, but if Gordon feels comfortable here and has his demons firmly behind him, his acquisition could prove to be a steal for the Seahawks.
WILSON WASN’T GREAT, BUT HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH
The mark of a great pitcher in baseball is their ability to win when they don’t have their best stuff. I’ve always used this as an analogy for quarterback play as well. Coming off one of the prettiest performances of his career in last week’s win over Tampa Bay, Wilson’s effort Monday was less attractive but no less effective. We don’t expect to see Wilson fumble and throw a costly interception in overtime, but ultimately, he got it done when he had to. You could tell this game meant more to Wilson than some others do, as he was more animated than usual on the sideline. His efforts to fire up his teammates and keep them engaged during this roller-coaster affair was reminiscent of another big game that didn’t start out well - the 2015 NFC Championship game win over Green Bay - a game in which the Hawks also trailed early.
For most of the last two seasons the Seahawks needed Wilson to be at or near his best for them to win. This time, he was just good enough to lead his team to about as big a regular season win as you could imagine. In doing so, he only helped his ongoing campaign as one of the league's leading candidates for MVP.
CONSERVATIVE CARROLL TROLLS HIS DOUBTERS
We’ve talked at length this year about Carroll’s conservative nature, and once again he passed on the opportunity to go for it on a crucial fourth down in the waning moments of overtime. With just 1:57 remaining in the extra period, Carroll chose to punt from their own 45-yard line, pinning the 49ers deep in hopes of forcing one last three-and-out and giving his offense another chance to win the game.
It worked, and his faith in the defense was rewarded. Three incomplete Garoppolo passes later the Seahawks indeed got the ball back and promptly marched down the field for Jason Myers' winning kick.
MYERS REDEEMS HIMSELF
The fact that Myers was able to cash in on two huge field goal opportunities, including the game-winner, could pay big dividends for Seattle as they continue a challenging stretch of games after next week’s bye. If Myers’ confidence was shaken after missing crucial kicks against the Ravens and Buccaneers, he certainly didn’t show it. The Seahawks invested a lot in Myers this offseason, and Carroll was adamant after the Tampa game that they believed in their kicker despite his struggles in the first year of a four-year, $15.45 million deal. Myers repaid the trust of his coach with a clutch performance on Monday night, and perhaps now there won’t be as much hand-wringing regarding Seattle’s kicking game.
So now it’s on to a much-needed bye week for the 8-2 Seahawks, a chance to rest and get healthy for a stretch of four straight games against winning teams (Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Panthers), the next three of which are on national television. Last night’s win over San Francisco improved their record to 28-5-1 under Pete Carroll in such games.
What we saw Monday night is a game none of us will soon forget, and could be one we look back to as a turning point as they look to build on their dynamic upset of the 49ers.
