49ers' rally deflates Seahawks, 24-14
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:51 am
49ers' rally deflates Seahawks, 24-14
SEATTLE (Dec. 14, 2006) -- Alex Smith's fourth-quarter play was reminiscent of former San Francisco quarterbacks.
Keeping the 49ers' slim playoff hopes alive, Smith threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes and San Francisco prevented the Seattle Seahawks from clinching the NFC West with a surprising 24-14 win Thursday night.
Smith threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis early in the fourth, then capped a 10-play, 73-yard drive with a 20-yard TD pass to Frank Gore with 4:01 left that sent wet - and shocked - Seahawks' fans for the exits.
One play after a delay-of-game penalty on third-and-1, Smith stepped out of Kelly Herndon's grasp, scrambled and found Gore behind defense at the goal line. San Francisco's players erupted into celebration, as the 49ers (6-8) broke a three-game losing streak and swept both games from Seattle.
If that wasn't enough, Smith faked the entire Seattle defense and walked 18 yards for a touchdown with 1:42 left to cap a night when he looked more like Steve Young and Joe Montana than first-round busts of the past.
Seattle (8-6) lost its second straight divisional game, ending any hopes of getting a first-round bye in the playoffs and the performance only added to the questions about the Seahawks inconsistent play.
Vic Carucci's Speed Read
(Dec. 14, 2006) -- Welcome to another edition of Speed Read. Yours truly will be providing running commentary throughout tonight's game on NFL Network. Before we get started, I would like to pass along my condolences to the family and friends of Lamar Hunt, who lost a long battle with cancer. Lamar was a true giant of the game and as kind and as generous a person as I have ever come across in football or any walk of life.
In a bizarre twist, the torrential rains in Seattle have caused bubbles to form on the artificial surface of Qwest Field. As a result, the opening kickoff has been placed on hold as league officials discuss the situation. The concern is that the bubbles present a potential safety hazard to players.
Well, we're going to have a game after all, although the heavy rain and wind figure to make this a very interesting night from a ball-handling perspective. Look for both teams to run the ball a whole lot.
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49ers 24, Seahawks 14: final
Shame on the Seahawks defense for being so totally unprepared to deal with Alex Smith running outside for a touchdown at a time when it figured the 49ers would merely try and kill the clock. The Seahawks were simply miserable on offense, which led to their defense being worn down as the game progressed. After losing to Arizona in Week 14 and this game, the Seahawks hardly look ready to make much of an impact in the postseason. True, the Seahawks have had to deal with injuries, but now they are in full-fledged slump. The 49ers swept their season series against Seattle, which might very well prove that they are the better team even if the Seahawks have the better record. Frank Gore, once again, got the better of Seattle's defense and continues to be an elite force in the league. This also looked like a breakout game for Alex Smith, who rebounded from a poor first half with big throws and runs and superb game management.
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49ers 17, Seahawks 7: fourth quarter, 3:22 remaining
After an interception, the 49ers are starting to take advantage of the fact the Seahawks defense has been on the field too long. Frank Gore should be able to pound his way through that defense and allow San Francisco to chew up time.
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49ers 17, Seahawks 7: fourth quarter, 4:01 remaining
Alex Smith made one of the greatest plays of the season. After catching a high snap and avoiding a sack by Kelly Herndon, he scrambled and threw a beautiful pass to Frank Gore, who made an incredible catch for a touchdown. So this is why the 49ers made him the top overall pick of the 2005 draft. We might be witnessing Smith's transformation into a top-level quarterback.
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49ers 10, Seahawks 7: fourth quarter, 9:00 remaining
When are players going to learn? Vernon Davis might be a rookie, but it is late enough in the season for him to fully understand that a player is not allowed to use any props in celebrations. And when he stepped on a pylon while flapping his arms after his touchdown, he used a prop. The result was a penalty enforced on the ensuing kickoff that, along with a nice return by Nate Burleson, gave the Seahawks good field position. Although Seattle didn't cash in, Dunn should never have put his defense in such a dangerous spot.
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49ers 10, Seahawks 7: fourth quarter, 11:24 remaining
The stats would suggest that there is no way the 49ers should lead this game, but they do. And the Seahawks only have themselves to blame. They have missed opportunities on offense to take control. The 49ers have been patient and methodical. They aren't spectacular, although their offense -- and especially Alex Smith -- has awakened.
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Seahawks 7, 49ers 3: fourth quarter, 12:52 remaining
Alex Smith is gaining confidence, and that is not good news for the Seahawks. He is making big throws, such as his 54-yarder to Arnaz Battle. He is showing he can run for a first down when needed. If the 49ers only could get their running game in gear, they could make a serious push to take the lead.
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Seahawks 7, 49ers 3: third quarter, 3:32 remaining
Julian Peterson is playing with added motivation. He clearly wants to send a message to his former team, the 49ers. And he is taking it out on Alex Smith and the rest of San Francisco's offense. He has been downright unblockable at times. So far, the Seahawks defense has been the only part of the team that has performed at a consistently high level.
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Seahawks 7, 49ers 3: third quarter, 10:50 remaining
Matt Hasselbeck has not looked consistently sharp. His end-zone interception just killed an opportunity for the Seahawks to seize control of this game. By allowing the 49ers to hang around, the Seahawks are flirting with the possibility of squandering a chance to win a third straight NFC West crown tonight.
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Seahawks 7, 49ers 3: halftime
Neither team has played particularly well, although the Seahawks have seemingly moved the ball well enough to have more than a touchdown and a four-point lead to show for it. Some of the early problems were due to heavy rain and wind, but the weather has improved. Poor execution has been the larger problem on both sides.
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Seahawks 7, 49ers 0: second quarter, 1:06 remaining
The 49ers' use of trickery caught the Seahawks napping with Michael Robinson running 33 yards on a direct snap from punt formation. The 49ers were actually looking as if they were getting some momentum going on the drive, especially with the way Frank Gore is running the ball. If Alex Smith starts to build some confidence throwing the ball, this game will be interesting.
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Seahawks 7, 49ers 0: second quarter, 4:46 remaining
D.J. Hackett is making a huge impact. He is taking advantage of his one-on-one matchups against linebackers underneath. The Seahawks receivers are, in general, doing a nice job of getting open, but Matt Hasselbeck is off-target on some of his throws and his receivers aren't always hanging onto the ball. With the rain stopped and the wind calm, the conditions are favoring the chance to have success through the air.
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Seahawks 7, 49ers 0: second quarter, 13:31 remaining
The Seahawks tried to give the 49ers a gift by allowing them to block a punt, but Seattle's defensive front is getting too much penetration for San Francisco to capitalize. The 49ers offense continues to go nowhere. The way things have gone so far, the Seahawks might not need more than a touchdown to win.
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Seahawks 7, 49ers 0: first quarter, 2:18 remaining
The Seahawks are moving through the 49ers defense with ease. The 49ers are showing no ability to slow down the Seahawks passing game, even though Seattle doesn't have its best receiver, Darrell Jackson. Once Shaun Alexander gets past the first level of defense, he is as good as gone.
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49ers 0, Seahawks 0: first quarter, 9:39 remaining
So far, the game hasn't been much prettier than the weather in Seattle. It seems the 49ers, and especially Alex Smith, are having a much tougher time dealing with the conditions.
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49ers 0, Seahawks 0: first quarter, 10:33 remaining
The Seahawks are showing no fear throwing the ball. And that is a reflection of Matt Hasselbeck's ability to throw a wet ball as well as any quarterback in the league. If Seattle is able to move the ball through the air early, this will be a long night for the 49ers.