That happened.
You didn’t hallucinate it. Unless your hallucination was shared by everyone, In which case you are in the Matrix.
Which is where it felt like the Seattlehawks were trapped in their last six specious meetings with the San Francisco 49ers. Six consecutive defeats to SF, including a playoff backbreaker where the good guys led at halftime but got embarrassed in the second half.
The stupid streak ended at last, in no small part because Geno Smith put the team on his frickin’ back and drove the length of the frickin’ field with two minutes, scoring a game-winner himself on the ground with 12 seconds left. Frickin’. Like I said on Bluesky after the game, the simulation loves a little callback from time to time.
But also in part because it likes to break its patterns too, just to keep the illusion viable. Like allowing Johnathan Hankins, all 325 pounds of him, to pick off a Brock Purdy pass, off a Devon Witherspoon breakup, in the second quarter, as a sign, like from an Oracle.
From that point on, the Seahawks made like Neo and
‘d their way to a win that felt like a turning point in the Mike Macdonald era, or even a tipping point. Or, in case both of those prove untrue, just a fuckin’ good time for a starved fanbase.. All are acceptable.
Some observations before the numbers.
A) Kyle Shanahan’s Niners had averaged 31 points per game in the last six meetings. 17 is quite the achievement.
B) In the same time frame, the SF offense had averaged 141.8 yards after catch. On Sunday, it was a mere 53. If you’re looking for an angle on why so many losses became a narrow win, giving up 92 less YAC is a perfect place to start.
To the trackers, with just the right amount of glee.
Tracker 1
It’s not like the Seahawks are suddenly good in all the traditional metrics, but they were SO bad last year that being ranked in a range from 14th to 23rd is a welcome step in the right direction (like toward top 10 status next season).
Tracker 2
Gonna break down the YAC even further for three reasons: it’s fun, it’s important and it’s meaningless.
In the last six losses to the 49ers, the YAC went like this: 110, 134, 185, 100, 195 (yikes), and 127. In the win five days ago: 53. Fun indeed. It’s probably the biggest reason (besides the Hankins pick and Geno’s supple legs) Seattle won.
And yet, YAC allowed is generally not a predictor of success. The Chiefs, Ravens, Lions and Steelers (combined records: 35-9) all trail the Seahawks in defensive YAC per game.
By the way, YAC was the only category in which the 2024 team still trailed its 2023 counterpart. A deficit now erased. Just in time, too.
Tracker 3
Only one turnover generated per game sounds kinda weaksauce, but it’s actually completely middle of the road, tied with the Ravens and Bengals for 18th league-wide. Only two NFL teams (the Vikings and Steelers) have manufactured more than two per game. It’s hard to take the ball away consistently when offenses are built and coached to not do that one specific thing.
More sacks are welcome, anytime. Getting to Purdy twice was enough, but it might not be against noted squirrel Kyler Murray (if you know, you know).
Obviously, as most experts predicted before the season started, the Cardinals and Seahawks will play for first place in the division in Week 12. Limiting YAC and maybe coming up with more than one turnover would probably be key ingredients in a Seattle win. They should do that, in my humble opinion.
(P.S. put Marshawn Lynch in the Hall of Fame already, you ignorant bozos.)