3 Winners & 3 Losers From Seahawks Heartbreaking Week 5 Loss to 49ers

It was a sloppy game on Sunday as the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers combined for seven turnovers. Each team continually capitalized on those mistakes, with 35 points being scored on those takeaways.

Unsurprisingly, that led to a back-and-forth contest as well, with four lead changes in the close contest. In the end, the 49ers escaped with a 32-29 win as Cooper Kupp came up just inches short of a first-down conversion on their final fourth-down play of the game.

Following the upsetting loss, here's a look back at which Seahawks players stood out as both winners and losers.

Loser: Emanuel Wilson, RB

Seattle Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson runs for a two-yard touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle had a 10-7 lead in the second quarter and forced a punt right after taking the lead. They were backed up, but still could have tried to add to their lead. That didn't happen with Emanuel Wilson fumbling the ball away. San Francisco recovered the loss ball at the Seahawks' 11-yard line, which allowed them to score quickly and take the lead, 14-10. Wilson had the short touchdown early in the game but the fumble was a gut-punch that gave the 49ers plenty of momentum.

Winner: Nehemiah Pritchett, CB

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle needed a big play to take back momentum and Nehemiah Pritchett delivered. With the Seahawks trailing 21-16, Pritchett picked off a pass from Brock Purdy, giving his offense a short field. They covered 23 yards on three plays, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba scoring on a 16-yard touchdown to take the lead back.

Loser: George Holani, RB

San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Gracen Halton forces a fumble against Seattle Seahawks running back George Holani. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After Wilson's fumble, George Holani had a chance to steal some of his snaps and made two critical errors in the second quarter. His first was a fumble after gaining eight yards on a pass from Sam Darnold. He recovered the ball, but might have had a chance to score with a ton of open field in front of him. Instead, the drive stalled and they settled for a field goal.

Holani was given a chance to make up for his mistake, but made an even worse one to close out the half. The defense forced a punt with under 20 seconds to play, ending the 49ers chance to score before the half. Or so it seemed.

The Niners still scored as Holani fumbled in the end zone, with Gracen Holten recovering for a defensive touchdown. That sent the Seahawks into the half trailing 21-13.

49ERS RECOVER THE FUMBLE IN THE END ZONE@SFvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/lwDIn52XVj
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

Winner: Byron Murphy II, DT

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II rushes against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's no shortage of talent on the Seattle defensive line, but there's no denying that Byron Murphy is their most impactful player. He's coming off a breakout season that saw him record 62 tackles and seven sacks, and he just had his best game of the 2026 campaign.

Murphy was bullying his way into the offensive backfield, recording two sacks in the first half alone. Each of his sacks helped lead to a punt, allowing the Seahawks to stay in the game despite multiple mistakes in the first half.

He was also able to come up with a huge play near the end of the game. With things tied at 29, the 49ers were driving to take the lead with just over two minutes to play. Murphy stepped up and stopped Kaelon Black for a one-yard loss on third-and-one, forcing the Niners to settle for a field goal.

Loser: Sam Darnold, QB

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold drops back to pass against the San Francisco 49ers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seahawks had a terrible start to the game, with Sam Darnold throwing an interception on third-and-10, giving the 49ers the ball in the red zone. That set them up for their opening touchdown, allowing them to go up 7-0.

In the second half, Darnold again gave the ball away quickly. This time, he was picked off at the SanFrancisco 44, but they were given even better field position when Elijah Arroyo was called for unneccesary roughness on the return. The 49ers missed their field goal, which bailed Darnold out, but these are mistakes he simply can't make.

Darnold did all he could to fight back in this one, but fell just short. One reason was a pass to a wide-open Jaxon Smith-Njigba that was thrown slightly behind JSN, who couldn't come down with the ball.

Winner: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle's offense was sloppy for much of the first three quarters, with four turnovers allowing the 49ers to take a 21-13 lead. The Seahawks fought back, however, thanks in large part to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year continued to provide the fireworks, including a 16-yard touchdown with just under six minutes to play in the third quarter. JSN, who suffered an ankle injury earlier in the game, made a beautiful move after catching a short pass from Darnold to find the opening he needed to get into the end zone.

What a move by the reigning OPOY@SFvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/GoZnRMz3om
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

Smith-Njigba finished with 102 yards on five receptions, but he's only going to remember the one he couldn't haul in, the final third-down play that was thrown behind him, but JSN nearly hauled in.

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