Four Seahawks blame for loss to 49ers in NFL Wildcard Round

The Seattle Seahawks entered the postseason as a team that defied so many odds. But once Wild Card his weekend began, it was clear they were scratching their heads. The Seahawks were eliminated 41-23 in the Wild Card Round against the San Francisco 49ers. Seattle trailed early and rallied in the first half. However, they couldn’t keep up the momentum as the 49ers dominated the second half. Here, he discusses his four Seahawks most responsible for losing to the 49ers in the NFL Wild Card Round.

It was a game of contrasting halves for the Seahawks. They performed very well in the first half. After a sluggish start with a 3-and-out on his first two possessions, he fell behind 10-0, but managed to recover and scored 17 points in the second quarter. Seattle also led at halftime.

But the second half was a different story. The defense was unable to stop the 49ers’ offense, which scored three straight touchdowns. The third down also struggled. Seattle allowed the Niners to convert five of their six opportunities. Additionally, Smith committed two turnovers and the offense began to wane. Seattle had no penalties in the first half, but ended the game at 5 and lost 30 yards.

Here’s a look at the four Seahawks most responsible for losing to the 49ers in the NFL Wild Card Round.

It’s over. #gohawks X @Toyotapic.twitter.com/cy5bSdDSmM

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 15, 2023

4. Seahawks Offensive Line

The Seahawks have two rookie offensive tackles this season, and inexperience was a problem in this game. The turning point of the game came when the opposing team stripsacked Geno Smith. This led to a fumble, which was recovered by Charles Omenihu and Nick Bosa. The fumble resulted in the 49ers regaining the ball and scoring a touchdown.

Additionally, the offensive line had three penalties on four plays during the next drive. These forced the Seahawks to punt while down 14 points in the fourth quarter. The game should be a valuable learning experience for Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas as they prepare for his upcoming NFL season.

3. Seahawks defensive line

The Seahawks defense struggled to contain the 49ers during this contest. Seattle allowed San Francisco to gain too many easy yards. They also only managed to get one sack in the block Purdy.One of his bright spots was Uchenna Nwosu’s performance as he lost by three tackles. Bruce Irvin also made two tackles, including a loan sack. However, the inner defensive line didn’t seem to have much impact.

But this was not shocking. Keep in mind that defense has been a weak point all season for the Seahawks. He was especially vulnerable when the opposing team allowed him to rush over 150 yards. This was again an issue with this game. Seattle allowed the Niners to gain 181 yards on the ground. Christian McCaffrey led with his 119 yards. Addressing these issues in run defense will be crucial for the team to improve in 2023.

2. Seahawks Secondary

Cody Burton and Tanner Muse played their second full game together as an inside linebacking duo. Sadly, the center of the field was often too open for the opposing team’s cross route. Often this led to big plays for his 49ers. With Burton currently a free agent and Jordyn Brooks recently struggling with an ACL injury, it looks like the team will have to make significant changes to this position during the offseason.

Ryan Neal also returned safely and played most of the game. He led the team with 10 tackles in a strong effort. However, the secondary was performing poorly overall. They missed tackles and had too many receivers wide open. Purdy threw with relative ease for three touchdowns and finished with a 131.5 passer rating.

Overall, Seattle’s defense was winning this game. The 49ers had a season-high 505 yards and did a lot of damage on both runs and passes. They also had explosive play throughout the game, scoring points on eight of their nine possessions. This performance by Seattle’s defense was not up to par.

1. QB Geno Smith

To be fair, Jenno Smith played a pretty perfect game for almost three quarters against the NFL’s strongest defense. Please do not forget.

Unfortunately, he coughed again when the ball mattered most. Smith fumbled in the red zone on a crucial drive, this time with 2:25 left in the third quarter. Nick Bosa recovered and this was the decisive blow for the Niners. Smith also added another terrible pick in the fourth quarter.