The San Francisco 49ers made the third trip to Lumen Field in as many seasons for a "Thursday Night Football" showdown versus the Seattle Seahawks. With their 36-24 victory over their division rivals to the north, San Francisco has gone from No. 3 in the NFC West standings to sharing part of the crown with Seattle, and the team extends their win streak over the Seahawks to six-straight games (including the playoffs).
Here are six takeaways from the 49ers vs. Seahawks game:
Purdy Perfect Against the Seahawks
San Francisco's QB1 has yet to lose a game to Seattle and his win streak now extends into the 2024 season. In his fourth regular season start versus the Seahawks, Brock Purdy completed 18-of-28 pass attempts for 255 yards and three touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 129.3. Purdy's two favorite targets of the night were wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., who caught three passes for 102 yards, and tight end George Kittle, who had five catches for 58 yards and two touchdown. Samuel Sr.'s second quarter score was one of the top plays of the night - the veteran pass catcher hauled in Purdy's shot near midfield and added another 50-plus yards after the catch for the 76-yard touchdown. Kittle's first touchdown was equally as impressive - the veteran made the end zone grab and toe tapped at the pylon for the 10-yard score.
Rookie Standouts in Seattle
With veteran safety Talanoa Hufanga back on the Injured Reserve list, the team turned to rookie Malik Mustapha to start in his place alongside sophomore Ji'Ayir Brown. Thursday marked Mustapha's second NFL start, and the rookie wasted no time making his presence known, picking off Seattle's quarterback Geno Smith as he was leading his team down the field in their opening drive. Defensive lineman Nick Bosa recorded a quarterback hit and Mustapha was ready to grab Smith's shot to wide receiver Tyler Lockett. The interception was the first of Mustapha's young career.
Fellow rookie Renardo Green had a pick of his own midway through the fourth quarter on what could have been Seattle's go-ahead drive. Green jumped the route and picked off a pass intended for Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf and swung the momentum back in San Francisco's favor. The 49ers went on to score two touchdowns after that interception to seal the victory.
Jordan Mason's Productive Night in Seattle
Mason entered Week 6 as the NFL's second leading rusher and added another nine carries for 73 yards on Thursday night. However, the third-year back did not play the entirety of the team's Week 6 matchup. Midway through the second quarter, Mason ran to the left side for a 14-yard gain but landed hard on his left shoulder when he was brought down by a swarm of defenders. He was labeled as questionable to return initially, but after further examination, was cleared to return for the start of the third quarter.
It appears the injury did affect him, however, since he only had one carry for eight yards in the second half. Mason opened up the game in a big way, ripping off 38 yards on his third rushing attempt to set up San Francisco's 25-yard opening drive field goal. With his 73 yards on the ground, Mason overtook Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry to lead the league in rushing yards with 609 yards on the year.
Welcome to Crew, Matthew Wright
After touching down in The Bay roughly 48 hours ago, kicker Matthew Wright made his 49ers debut on Thursday night. The fifth-year pro had his first kicking opportunity on San Francisco's first offensive series, and he nailed it, capping off a 13-play, 90 yard drive with a 25-yard field goal. He added a 41-yard field and 35-yard kick in first half and hit all three of his extra point attempts on the night.
Special Teams Big Play of the Night
In addition to Mustapha's first quarter interception and Green's fourth quarter pick, San Francisco added a special teams takeaway in their Week 6 matchup. The team's second turnover is credited to the 49ers special teamers who turned a Seattle kickoff return into an extra possession for San Francisco early in the second quarter. Cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. made contact with Seahawks returner Laviska Shenault Jr. and linebacker Tatum Bethune recovered the fumble. The 49ers capitalized on the turnover, turning it into three points on the ensuing drive.
Injuries of the Game
- S Malik Mustapha (ankle): exited the game in the second quarter and was downgraded to out in the third quarter.
- RB Jordan Mason (shoulder): questionable to return in the second quarter and returned to action in the third quarter.
- OL Aaron Banks (cramps): was labeled as questionable in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Spencer Burford.
- K Matthew Wright (shoulder)
