SEATTLE — The San Francisco 49ers stayed undefeated on the season Sunday, holding off the Seattle Seahawks 32-29 in a divisional battle at Lumen Field.
Kicker Eddy Pineiro broke a late tie with a 44-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. The 49ers then secured the win by stopping the defending Super Bowl champions on fourth down by inches near midfield with less than a minute left on the clock, according to HEAVY.
With the victory, San Francisco improved to 5-0, while Seattle fell to 3-2 and absorbed its first home loss of the campaign.
Evans Shines Through Injury and Jabs at Diggs
Wide receiver Mike Evans delivered his strongest outing since joining the 49ers in the offseason, catching seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. According to HEAVY, Evans played despite dealing with fractured ribs suffered two weeks earlier. Purdy connected with recently signed wideout Brandin Cooks for another go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
Evans also drew attention during the second quarter when he clashed with Seattle cornerback Trevon Diggs. After the play, Evans spun Diggs around to inspect the nameplate on the back of his jersey before Diggs shoved him in the helmet.
“I was blocking him until the whistle, then he said something, like I am doing ‘extra,’” Evans told reporters, as reported by HITC. “We were talking trash, I pushed him, and I was like, ‘Who are you?’ Then I looked and made sure: ‘Oh, it’s f—— Diggs.’ Then he mushed me; it should have been a penalty. It is what it is.”
Following the final whistle, Evans handed his game cleats to young San Francisco fans in the stands, generating widespread praise on social media, HEAVY reported.
Defensive Fireworks and Tempers Flaring
Quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 189 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while completing 19 of 29 attempts. Seattle brought down Purdy for three sacks, his first times being sacked this season, USA Today reported.
Defensively, the 49ers generated four takeaways against Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, sacking him five times. Cornerback Renardo Green picked off Darnold twice, while rookie defensive tackle Gracen Holden produced a sack, two tackles for loss, and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Linebacker Fred Warner paced San Francisco with 10 tackles.
Emotions boiled over during the second quarter when San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw was flagged for a late hit out of bounds on Darnold. Greenlaw then confronted Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV and delivered a headbutt to Jones, who was not wearing a helmet. Greenlaw was subsequently disqualified from the contest.
San Francisco suffered another setback later in the game when receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. suffered a hamstring injury on a third-quarter rushing attempt and was ruled out for the rest of the game, USA Today reported. The 49ers were already playing without multiple injured contributors, including defensive end Nick Bosa and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
What Comes Next
Seattle looks to rebound following two losses in its last three games. Meanwhile, San Francisco carries its undefeated record into Week 6, when the 49ers host the Washington Commanders on “Monday Night Football” on Oct. 19 at Levi’s Stadium.
