What We Learned: Seahawks 25 - 49ers 23

A disappointing season for the San Francisco 49ers was capped on Sunday with one more forgettable result. In a year where the 49ers built five double-digit, first-half leads at home, San Francisco did so again in its regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers got out to a 14-3 start on Sunday, but they ultimately fell short, losing 25-23 to their NFC West rival for a seventh consecutive time. The 49ers finish the year, 2-14, and will make the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Here’s what we learned during Sunday’s final game of the 2016 season. Kap Finishes the Season Strong Colin Kaepernick was unable to lead another fourth-quarter comeback, but he did post solid numbers against a defense that had given him trouble in previous matchups.Kaepernick was 17-of-22 passing for 215 yards with one touchdown and a quarterback rating of 122.3. The 49ers signal-caller began the game 10-of-10 passing for 144 yards before he threw his first incompletion with less than six minutes remaining in the first half. According to Fox Sports, it was Kaepernick’s first 10-of-10 start in his six-year NFL career. He finished the first half 12-of-15 for 156 passing yards. In the second half, the 49ers were forced to punt on their opening possession. San Francisco was mostly quiet in the second half until a fourth-quarter trick play on special teams put the offense in favorable field position. Kaepernick threw his first touchdown of the game on a 9-yard pass to Garrett Celek, who was left open in the end zone. The scoring play made it a 25-23 Seahawks lead with 5:42 left in the game. It turned out to be the game's final score. Draughn Fills in Nicely With Pierre Garçon out for the season (MCL sprain), the 49ers turned the running back duties over to Shaun Draughn.The veteran runner enjoyed a solid all-around performance against Seattle. Draughn rushed for 41 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground. He also added four receptions for 68 yards. Draughn supplied 109 of San Francisco's 253 yards of offense. After a fumbled hand-off exchange between Kaepernick and Draughn on the second play of the game led to a Seahawks field goal, the 49ers quarterback and running back were able to make key plays on Sunday. San Francisco responded from the turnover with a 7-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Draughn caught a 29-yard crossing route and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run two plays later to give the 49ers their first lead of the game.Kaepernick later found Draughn for a 27-yard swing pass out of the backfield down the left sideline when Seattle left the running back uncovered. Draughn got the 49ers into the end zone again with a 4th-and-goal plunge from the 1-yard line to give the 49ers a 14-3 lead at the start of the second quarter. It was Draughn’s first career two-touchdown game. Seattle Completes Several Deep Throws After the second 49ers fumble of the first half, the Seahawks capitalized with an 11-yard Russell Wilson touchdown pass to tight end Luke Willson. Seattle’s first touchdown of the game cut into San Francisco lead, making the score 14-13. Seattle continued to attack San Francisco's secondary with downfield strikes. Rookie cornerback Rashard Robinson was shaken up after making a tackle on a 41-yard catch by Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin. Jimmy Graham got in on the act by catching a 42-yard pass on a jump-ball from Wilson. Thomas Rawls scored on a 1-yard run on the very next play. The 49ers blocked the ensuing extra point, but the Seahawks had taken a 19-14 lead with 3:00 left in the first half. They did not relinquish their lead the rest of the way. Jermaine Kearse also hauled in a 36-yard pass from Wilson in the third quarter. The throw and catch put Seattle at San Francisco’s 23-yard line. The 49ers forced the Seahawks to settle for another Hauschka field goal. Wilson finished the game 19-of-32 passing for 258 yards with one touchdown and a quarterback rating of 95.6. With a 9-point lead and the NFC's No. 2 playoff seed out of the question for Seattle, Wilson was pulled in the fourth quarter in favor of rookie quarterback Trevone Boykin. When the 49ers made it a two-point game with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter, Boykin remained in the game. The rookie picked up several first downs to ice the game and hand San Francisco its 14th loss of the season. Niner Nuggets -- With the Cleveland Browns losing in overtime to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 49ers will make the second overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Browns finished the year 1-15. -- An errant Seahawks snap on a third-quarter punt sailed over Jon Ryan’s head and out of bounds for a 49ers safety. Seattle’s lead was 22-16 with 5:04 in the third quarter at the time of the costly mistake. -- The 49ers pulled off a successful trick play in the fourth quarter. Jeremy Kerley fielded a Seattle punt and threw it backwards across the field to running back Raheem Mostert, who then ran down the home sideline for a gain of 29 yards down to Seattle's 21-yard line. -- DeAndre Smelter caught his first career pass in the first quarter for a gain of 23 yards. Teammate Aaron Burbridge turned in a career-long 24-yard catch in the second quarter. -- Rashard Robinson was taken into the locker room on a cart after sustaining an ankle injury in the first half. He did not return to the game. Keith Reaser replaced the rookie as San Francisco’s No. 2 cornerback. -- Tight end Je’Ron Hamm suffered a broken leg during warmups and was carted into the locker room. Jim Dray replaced Hamm as San Francisco’s No. 2 tight end.