The Seattle Seahawks began Week 6 atop the NFC West with a 3-2 record. But that was before the 2-3 San Francisco 49ers entered Lumen Field, looking to silence the 12th Man. The 49ers did just that, by getting out to a commanding 16-0 lead before Seattle could get on the scoreboard with a field goal.
Seattle would later show some fight, but not nearly enough to come out ahead in this divisional matchup. Ultimately, the 49ers won 36-24, but who stuck out the most from Thursday night’s game?
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Loser turned winner: Laviska Shenault Jr, Seattle Seahawks kick returner
What a story. Laviska Shenault changed the game by fumbling the kickoff after the 49ers took a 10-0 lead at the start of the second quarter. But instead of Seattle’s coaching staff stripping the 2020 second-round pick of his return duties, they showed confidence in the 26-year-old.
It paid off in a big way when Shenault kickstarted Seattle’s scoring with an electric 97-yard kick return touchdown to start the third quarter. His return re-ignited the 12th Man at Lumen Field in a game that suddenly felt within reach again.
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Loser: Referees botching replay review
The Seahawks got away with robbery on Thursday night when the referees missed a call. Rookie Seahawks punt returner Dee Williams muffed a punt in the fourth quarter, but the refs didn’t see the ball clearly make contact with his finger in live action or even after pausing for replay review. The 49ers recovered what should have been a fumble at Seattle’s 18-yard-line, but due to the obvious mistake by the zebras, Seattle ended up keeping the ball.
Winner: Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers RB
When the 49ers selected Isaac Guerendo in the fourth round, he was the team’s fourth-string running back, at best. After a season-ending injury to Elijah Mitchell, plus Christian McCaffrey’s lingering Achilles issue, Guerendo is now Jordan Mason’s backup. So when Mason got hurt too, Guerendo was quickly thrust into the lineup, where he did what all other 49ers runners do: he dominated, needing just 10 carries to go off for 99 yards. He would have had 100 and a touchdown but wisely opted to go down at the 1-yard line to kill more time off the clock.
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Loser: Geno Smith
Geno Smith came into the game leading the NFL in passing yards. He maintained that effort by tacking on 312 more yards. Yet, this time, it was largely because the Seahawks were trailing by 16 points before they even scored a point. Smith made matters worse by throwing two interceptions to ensure he’d have to try passing his way out of a storm that he was partially responsible for causing.
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Winner: Deebo Samuel
Both Isaac Guerendo and Deebo Samuel had 76-yard plays, but Samuel’s came when the game’s outcome was very much still in question. Samuel didn’t need to do much else. He had five targets and caught three of them for 102 yards plus the touchdown, leading all players in receiving yards in this one.
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Loser: Seattle Seahawks’ early season momentum
The Seattle Seahawks looked like geniuses for hiring Mike Macdonald after a 3-0 start. Yet, what that record doesn’t reflect is who they beat, which was the Broncos in Bo Nix’s first NFL start, Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots, and Skylar Thompson’s Dolphins in their first game without Tua Tagovailoa. The Seahawks have come back down to earth after losses to the Giants and 49ers, leading NFL analysts to question how good this team really is.