The 49ers (4-5) host the Seattle Seahawks (6-3) at Candlestick Park for a 1:15 PT kickoff in the NFC West home rematch.
Seneca Wallace is expected to start at quarterback for Seattle with Matt Hasselbeck on the injury report. Shaun Alexander runs the ball, returning from injury. Deion Branch leads the receivers (offseason trade from New England). Alex Smith starts for the 49ers; Frank Gore at running back; Antonio Bryant at receiver.
Seneca Wallace fills in for the injured Matt Hasselbeck Sunday afternoon at Candlestick. The 49ers (4-5), off two straight wins, host the 6-3 Seattle Seahawks in the kind of division home game where the year's competitive identity, with the offense and defense both producing, can produce a real NFC West statement.
Alex Smith stays the starter. Frank Gore the lead back. Antonio Bryant the WR1. The Seahawks come in with Wallace at quarterback, Shaun Alexander returning from injury, and Deion Branch as the WR1 after the offseason trade.
Favored by Seattle by 3 on the road. The kind of home division game where a 49ers win puts them at 5-5 with six games to play.
Week 11 across the NFC sees the playoff field tightening. The Bears (8-1), Saints (7-2), Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons, and Giants compete for division titles and wild-card spots. The 49ers (4-5) trail the Seahawks (6-3) and Rams (4-5) in the NFC West with the Cardinals (2-7) trailing. Around the AFC the Colts (9-0), Patriots, Bengals, and Chargers dominate. The Sunday game is the kind of week where the 49ers, with two straight wins, can put a real NFC West argument together.
Through nine games the 49ers are 4-5 with a -89 point differential. Alex Smith averages 6.8 yards per attempt with nine TDs and seven INTs. Frank Gore averages 92 rushing yards a game (on team-record pace) with four TDs. Antonio Bryant averages 55 receiving yards a game. The defense allows 25.8 points per game. The Seahawks are 6-3 with Matt Hasselbeck on the injury report. Seneca Wallace fills in. Shaun Alexander returns from injury. Deion Branch leads the team in receiving. Vegas opens Seattle as 3-point road favorites; total 38.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 6-3 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 5-4 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3-6 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-6 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 7-2 | W3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-5 | L3 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3-6 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-6 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 9-0 | W9 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5-4 | L1 |
| Houston Texans | 3-6 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2-7 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 7-2 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 7-2 | W3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 5-4 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2-7 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 6-3 | W2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 4-5 | L4 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 4-5 | W2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1-8 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 6-3 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-4 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5-4 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 3-6 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 8-1 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4-5 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-5 | L3 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-7 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 6-3 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-4 | L2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 5-4 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-7 | L3 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 39 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Arnaz Battle 9 yard pass from Alex Smith ( Joe Nedney kick) | 0-10 |
| 49ers | Alex Smith 1 yard rush ( Joe Nedney kick) | 0-17 |
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 18 yard field goal | 0-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | Deion Branch 38 yard pass from Seneca Wallace ( Josh Brown kick) | 7-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | Darrell Jackson 41 yard pass from Seneca Wallace ( Josh Brown kick) | 14-20 |
Frank Gore ran for 212 yards on 24 carries and the 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks 20-14 at Candlestick Park. Alex Smith threw for 163 with a touchdown. Seneca Wallace threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns but added three interceptions. Shaun Alexander ran for 37. The 49ers' defense produced three interceptions of Wallace. The 49ers improved to 5-5 in the kind of division home win that puts them squarely in the NFC West conversation.[1][2][3]
Frank Gore ran for 212 yards Sunday afternoon at Candlestick. The 49ers' lead back, in his career-best single-game rushing performance, produced the kind of career-defining day the team's identity has been built around. The 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks 20-14 in the kind of division home win where everything the new staff has been promising actually worked.
Alex Smith threw for 163 with a touchdown. Eric Johnson caught two for 19. Vernon Davis caught one for 18. Seneca Wallace, filling in for Matt Hasselbeck, threw three interceptions despite 252 yards and two touchdowns. The defense produced three takeaways. Shaun Alexander, back from injury, ran for 37.
5-5. The kind of home win where Frank Gore's 212 yards (the team's then-second-highest single-game rushing total) made the year. The 49ers are squarely in the NFC West conversation. The St. Louis Rams on the road next Sunday for the division rematch. The kind of November where the year's competitive identity has officially arrived.
49ers 20, Seahawks 14. Margin: +6. Ten-game record: 5-5, -83 differential.
* Frank Gore: 24 carries for 212 (career game; 2nd-highest 49ers single-game rushing).
* Alex Smith: 19-of-25 for 163, 1 TD, 0 INTs.
* Eric Johnson: 4 catches for 48.
* Seneca Wallace: 19-of-31 for 252, 2 TDs, 3 INTs.
* Shaun Alexander: 17 carries for 37 (return from injury).
* Deion Branch: receiving production.
* 49ers D: 3 INTs of Wallace.
* 49ers 5-5; Seahawks 6-4.
A 20-14 division home win over the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick. Frank Gore runs for 212 yards in the team's then-second-highest single-game rushing performance. The 49ers improve to 5-5.
How it unfolded
The 49ers scored on their opening drive with a Frank Gore touchdown to make it 7-0. The Seahawks answered with a Wallace touchdown to tie at 7-7. The 49ers added a Joe Nedney field goal to make it 10-7. Gore added another big run that set up a Smith touchdown pass to make it 17-7 in the second quarter. The Seahawks added a Wallace second touchdown to make it 17-14 at halftime. The second half was a Nedney field goal that pushed the lead to 20-14. The defense closed it out with three Wallace interceptions.
The turning point
Frank Gore's career-best rushing game. With the 212 yards (the second-highest single-game total in franchise history), Gore's production gave the defense the kind of clock-management lead they used to manage the second-half passing duel against Wallace.
By the numbers
Smith 163 passing on 25 attempts with a TD. Gore 212 rushing on 24 carries (career best). Eric Johnson 48 receiving on 4 catches. Vernon Davis 18 receiving. Wallace 252 on 31 attempts with two TDs and three INTs. Shaun Alexander 37 rushing.
Personnel watch
Frank Gore's career-best 212-yard rushing game, the kind of franchise-best performance the year's lead-back identity has been pointing toward. Alex Smith's clean game. The defense generating three Seneca Wallace interceptions. The kind of home division win where everything the new staff has been building toward landed at once.
What it means
5-5 with the Rams on the road next Sunday. The kind of home division win that, with Frank Gore's career-best rushing day, puts the 49ers squarely in the NFC West conversation. The team is one game behind the Seahawks in the division. The kind of November where the year's identity tape, after the bye-week reset, has produced three straight wins.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Alex Smith | 19/25 | 163 | 1 | 0 | |
| SEA | |||||
| Seneca Wallace | 19/31 | 252 | 2 | 3 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 24 | 212 | 0 | 51 |
| Maurice Hicks | 5 | 17 | 0 | 7 |
| Arnaz Battle | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Michael Robinson | 2 | 10 | 0 | 8 |
| Bryan Gilmore | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Alex Smith | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| SEA | ||||
| Shaun Alexander | 17 | 37 | 0 | 16 |
| Seneca Wallace | 2 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
| Maurice Morris | 2 | 12 | 0 | 8 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Eric Johnson | 4 | 48 | 0 | 18 |
| Arnaz Battle | 5 | 47 | 1 | 23 |
| Frank Gore | 4 | 26 | 0 | 16 |
| Antonio Bryant | 2 | 21 | 0 | 16 |
| Maurice Hicks | 3 | 19 | 0 | 7 |
| Moran Norris | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| SEA | ||||
| Deion Branch | 7 | 113 | 1 | 38 |
| Darrell Jackson | 4 | 77 | 1 | 41 |
| Mack Strong | 2 | 25 | 0 | 13 |
| D.J. Hackett | 2 | 19 | 0 | 10 |
| Jerramy Stevens | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Nate Burleson | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Shaun Alexander | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Maurice Morris | 1 | -7 | 0 | -7 |
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