The 49ers survive Seattle’s hostile road environment to start the season. The strength of the team was the defense, holding Seattle to one touchdown and 13 total points. Though special teams play was seemingly abysmal, the offense found a way to make up the difference.
Special Teams Woes.
The 49ers have a kicking problem. Jake Moody is unreliable. Today, he missed a chip shot field goal from 27 yards out, doinking it off the left upright. Then, on his next opportunity, his field goal was blocked due to poor protection. Moody did manage to hit a 32 yarder, setting the 49ers up for a late 4th quarter drive to victory. Still, Moody’s kicking lives up to his name…it’s just plain moody.
The front office stubbornly holds on to the idea that Jake Moody has a future with the 49ers. Maybe he does. He certainly makes the games interesting. It would be nice to see the 49ers spend some time and effort working on their special teams. A missed kick, and a blocked kick are preventable. The Niners will likely spend some mental and physical energy on the kicking game this week. They may even replace Jake Moody.
Brock Purdy Finds a Way to Win Despite two critical mistakes.
Brock rarely makes mistakes. However, he does take chances. Today, two of his three chances were interceptions. The third, was the game winning touchdown. Brock’s first interception was a forced throw to an open zone where he expected Jauan Jennings to uncover. Unfortunately, Earnest Jones the IVth arrived first and snagged the interception. Christian McCaffrey was supposed to hold Jones in the low zone, but McCaffrey was knocked down during his chip block, opening Jones up to work for depth into the deep middle zone and an eventual interception.
Purdy’s next interception in the fourth quarter. All his receivers were covered, and he forced a throw to the outside to Ricky Pearsall. Josh Jobe jumped under the ball and hauled in the interception.
Purdy did execute several brilliant throws. His best throw occurred during the 49ers last scoring drive. It was 2nd and 9 and the 49ers were on their own 33-yard line with 2:40 left in the game. Purdy took the snap, sat in the pocket, pumped and threw to a wide-open Ricky Pearsall for a 45-yard connection. Pearsall executed a double move and blew past Riq Woolen. A few plays, later, Purdy was flushed out to of his pocket to the right. He threw the ball on the run towards the back corner of the end-zone, and Jake Tonges jumped up and brought down the game winning touchdown. Purdy’s third chance throw won the game.
As the third tight-end on the roster, no one expected Jake Tonges to make the game winning reception. Tonges came into the NFL as a undrafted free agent pickup by the Chicago Bears. The Cal-Berkley graduate found his way the the 49ers roster in 2023. He played well enough to oust 49ers draft pick Brayden Willis from the roster. Now his name is written into the history of 49ers come back wins.

Defense Shines.
The 49ers defense played an excellent first game. They started two rookie defensive backs and a rookie defensive lineman. Upton Stout deflected several key passes from his nickel-back position, while Marques Sigle flew all over the field securing six tackles and a fumble recovery. Finally, Nick Bosa made his presence felt with multiple tackles in the backfield.
Bosa’s most important play ended the game. The Seahawks attempted a game winning drive. On 2nd and five from their own nine-yard line, Sam Darnold took the snap. As he sat in the pocket, Bosa pushed an offensive lineman into Darnold, forcing a fumble that Bosa himself recovered, effectively ending the game.
The return of Coach Saleh has been felt since we all found out he was coming back. Today, the defensive line remained fresh and hungry. Saleh ran an effective defensive line rotation leading to constant pressure on Sam Darnold.
Dee Winters, Fred Warner’s running mate, has vastly improved in the off season. He made several key drive ending tackles today. He appears to be a healthier version of Dre Greenlaw.
CMC’s Return.
There was a collective gasp from 49ers fans to fantasy owners when we all noticed Christian McCaffrey on the 49er’s injury report. Not to worry, CMC was ready to work. He touched the ball a total of 31 times (22 carries for 69 yards and 9 receptions for 73 yards). While CMC carried a heavy load, Coach Shanahan spelled him with Brian Robinson Jr. who proved to be a fairly effective runner.
Potential Concerns.
The Seattle defense is stout. Yet the Niners found a way to dominate time in possession, while running the ball 31 times. The Seahawks constantly pressured Purdy. Ben Barch and Jake Brendel gave up several interior pressures today. Additionally, the interior line struggled to move the stout Seahawk defensive lineman in the run game. Still, Coach Shanahan found ways to coach around the offensive line struggles. That will have to continue for the 49ers to maintain success this season.
Brock Purdy only threw to two wide receivers today. Purdy connected with Jauan Jennings and Rickey Pearsall twelve times. Pearsall hauled in four passes for 108 yards and Jennings hauled in 2 passes for 16 yards before sitting out the rest of the game due to injury. After George Kittle caught the first touchdown of the game, he suffered a hamstring injury.
Despite the lack of receiver play, Brock Purdy still threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with all three tight ends, his full back and both of his running backs. Eight different players caught a Purdy ball today. While the lack of receiver connections is concerning, Purdy’s play is encouraging.

On to the Saints.