The 49ers (0-1) host the Seattle Seahawks (0-1) at Candlestick Park for a 1:15 PT kickoff in the home opener.
Matt Hasselbeck starts at quarterback for Seattle. Julius Jones, the offseason free-agent signing from Dallas, runs the ball. J.T. O'Sullivan starts again for the 49ers; Frank Gore at running back; Isaac Bruce at receiver; Vernon Davis at tight end.
The Candlestick home opener Sunday afternoon. The Seattle Seahawks come up the coast at 0-1, their first loss to the Buffalo Bills, and the kind of NFC West home opener that defines whether the 49ers' opening road loss in Arizona was structural or circumstantial.
J.T. O'Sullivan stays the starter. Frank Gore at running back. Isaac Bruce as the 49ers' new WR1. The kind of home game where Mike Martz's new offensive system, with the home crowd reading the new playbook for the first time, gets its real opening look.
Favored by Seattle by 4 on the road. The kind of home opener where 1-1 keeps the team relevant and 0-2 puts the season's direction into immediate question.
Week 2 across the NFC, the early-season sort begins. The Cardinals (1-0), Cowboys (1-0), Eagles (1-0), and Giants (1-0) lead the conference. The 49ers and Seahawks are 0-1; the Rams 0-1. Around the AFC the Patriots, Steelers, and Colts dominate the top of the conference. The Sunday game is the kind of week where a 49ers home win, against a Seahawks team that has been the division's standard for the last five years, would establish the 49ers as the legitimate Arizona challenger.
Through one game the 49ers are 0-1 with a -10 point differential. J.T. O'Sullivan posted a 78.1 rating in his 49ers debut as the starter. Frank Gore averaged 6.9 yards per carry against the Cardinals. The defense allows 23 points. The Seahawks are 0-1 after losing to the Bills 34-10. Matt Hasselbeck threw two interceptions and finished with a 63.4 rating. Julius Jones averaged 3.2 yards per carry in his first Seattle start. Vegas opens Seattle as 4-point road favorites; total 41.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 1-0 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 1-0 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 1-0 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 1-0 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-1 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 1-0 | W1 |
| Houston Texans | 0-1 | L1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-1 | L1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 1-0 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-1 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 1-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Rams | 0-1 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-1 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 1-0 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 1-0 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-0 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 1-0 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 0-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-0 | W1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1-0 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-0 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-1 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | Julius Jones 27 yard rush ( Olindo Mare kick) | 0-7 |
| Seahawks | Craig Terrill 10 yard defensive fumble return ( Olindo Mare kick) | 0-14 |
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 26 yard field goal | 3-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 28 yard field goal | 6-14 |
| Seahawks | Olindo Mare 51 yard field goal | 6-17 |
| 49ers | Bryant Johnson 3 yard pass from J.T. O'Sullivan ( Joe Nedney kick) | 13-17 |
| Seahawks | Olindo Mare 38 yard field goal | 13-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Patrick Willis 86 yard interception return ( Joe Nedney kick) | 20-20 |
| 49ers | Frank Gore 2 yard rush ( Joe Nedney kick) | 27-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | T.J. Duckett 1 yard rush ( Olindo Mare kick) | 27-27 |
| Seahawks | Olindo Mare 32 yard field goal | 27-30 |
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 28 yard field goal | 30-30 |
| OT | ||
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 40 yard field goal | 33-30 |
J.T. O'Sullivan threw for 321 yards and a touchdown and the 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-30 at Candlestick Park in the home opener. Isaac Bruce caught four for 153 yards and a touchdown. Frank Gore ran for 61 and a touchdown. Matt Hasselbeck threw two interceptions. Julius Jones ran for 127 and a touchdown. The 49ers' defense produced two sacks. The 49ers improved to 1-1 with the home opener win.[1][2][3]
Isaac Bruce caught four passes for 153 yards Sunday afternoon at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' offseason free-agent signing produced his first 49ers receiving day, the kind of game that justifies the franchise's offseason call to bring the future Hall of Famer up the coast. The 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-30 in the home opener.
J.T. O'Sullivan went 20-of-32 for 321 yards with a touchdown. Frank Gore ran for 61 and a touchdown. Vernon Davis caught one for 28. Matt Hasselbeck threw two interceptions. Julius Jones ran for 127.
1-1. The kind of home opener where the Mike Martz offense, with Bruce as the home crowd's new favorite player and O'Sullivan running the system the way he was hired to run it, produced the kind of high-scoring afternoon the playbook was designed for. The Detroit Lions on the road next Sunday in a cross-conference matchup. The kind of home opener that, for a 49ers team picked to finish third in the division, made the early-season talk loud.
49ers 33, Seahawks 30. Margin: +3. Two-game record: 1-1, -7 differential.
* J.T. O'Sullivan: 20-of-32 for 321, 1 TD, 0 INTs.
* Isaac Bruce: 4 catches for 153, 1 TD.
* Frank Gore: 19 carries for 61, 1 TD.
* Vernon Davis: 1 catch for 28.
* Matt Hasselbeck: 18-of-36 for 189, 0 TD, 2 INTs.
* Julius Jones: 26 carries for 127, 1 TD.
* 49ers D: 2 INTs of Hasselbeck.
* 49ers 1-1; Seahawks 0-2.
A 33-30 home opener win over the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick Park. The 49ers improve to 1-1 in Mike Martz's first Candlestick offensive showcase.
How it unfolded
Seattle scored on its opening drive with a Hasselbeck touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Julius Jones added a touchdown run to make it 14-3. The 49ers answered with an Isaac Bruce touchdown reception from O'Sullivan to make it 14-10. Bruce's deep ball was the play of the half. The 49ers added a Nedney field goal to make it 14-13 at halftime. The third quarter was a Gore touchdown run to give the 49ers a 20-14 lead, then another 49ers touchdown to make it 27-14. The fourth quarter was a Hasselbeck touchdown to make it 27-21, then a Nedney field goal to make it 30-21, then a Seattle field goal and touchdown to make it 30-30, and finally a walk-off Nedney field goal to win it 33-30.
The turning point
Joe Nedney's walk-off field goal. With the score tied at 30-30 and the 49ers having absorbed Seattle's late comeback, the long field goal at the home opener Candlestick crowd's largest cheer of the year gave the 49ers the home-opener win.
By the numbers
O'Sullivan 321 passing on 32 attempts with a TD. Bruce 153 receiving on 4 catches with the deep TD. Gore 61 rushing on 19 carries with a TD plus a receiving day. Davis 1 catch for 28. Hasselbeck 189 passing on 36 attempts with no TD and two INTs. Julius Jones 127 rushing on 26 carries with a TD.
Personnel watch
Isaac Bruce's 153-yard receiving day, the kind of WR1 production the 49ers had not produced at home in years. J.T. O'Sullivan's first 49ers home start. Frank Gore in his second touchdown game of the year. The Mike Martz offense producing 33 points, the kind of scoring the new system was hired to produce.
What it means
1-1 with the Lions on the road next Sunday. The kind of home opener where the new offense, with Bruce, O'Sullivan, and Gore all producing, gave the home crowd the kind of football the new coaching hire was meant to bring. The Nedney walk-off is the kind of clutch the year's identity needs to keep producing.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| J.T. O'Sullivan | 20/32 | 321 | 1 | 0 | |
| SEA | |||||
| Matt Hasselbeck | 18/36 | 189 | 0 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 19 | 61 | 1 | 23 |
| J.T. O'Sullivan | 4 | 32 | 0 | 16 |
| SEA | ||||
| Julius Jones | 26 | 127 | 1 | 27 |
| Leonard Weaver | 5 | 27 | 0 | 12 |
| Matt Hasselbeck | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| T.J. Duckett | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Isaac Bruce | 4 | 153 | 0 | 63 |
| Bryant Johnson | 6 | 78 | 1 | 25 |
| Arnaz Battle | 4 | 44 | 0 | 14 |
| Frank Gore | 5 | 38 | 0 | 17 |
| Josh Morgan | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| SEA | ||||
| John Carlson | 6 | 78 | 0 | 17 |
| Billy McMullen | 3 | 48 | 0 | 31 |
| Courtney Taylor | 2 | 20 | 0 | 11 |
| Julius Jones | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
| Logan Payne | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Michael Bumpus | 2 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Owen Schmitt | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2008 W2 - 49ers at Seattle Seahawks - Game Thread
