Field Level Media
Dec 2, 2018
Russell Wilson threw four touchdown passes, and Bobby Wagner returned an interception 98 yards for a score as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the visiting San Francisco 49ers 43-16 Sunday.
The Seahawks (7-5) won their third straight game and moved a half-game ahead of Washington, which plays Monday night, and Minnesota -- which lost to New England and visits Seattle next Monday -- in the NFC wild-card race.
The 49ers (2-10) took their third straight loss and joined the Bay Area neighbor Raiders as the first teams with 10 losses this season. They will meet the Seahawks again Dec. 16 in Santa Clara, Calif.
Wilson completed 11 of 17 passes for 185 yards. The Seahawks, who have the league's top rushing offense, added 168 yards on the ground. Chris Carson had 13 carries for 69 yards, and first-round draft pick Rashaad Penny had 65 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
The 49ers' Nick Mullens completed 30 of 48 passing for 414 yards and two touchdowns, both to former University of Washington standout Dante Pettis, who was making his return to Seattle. Pettis finished with five grabs for 129 yards.
Jeff Wilson Jr. rushed for 61 yards on 15 carries, but the 49ers totaled just 66 yards on the ground.
Any momentum the 49ers might have gained by kicking a late field goal at the end of the first half to trim their deficit to 20-3 vanished quickly.
Tyler Lockett returned the second-half kickoff 84 yards, and Penny rushed 20 yards for a score on the next play.
The 49ers finally reached the end zone on their next drive, with Mullens throwing a 17-yard pass to Pettis to make it 27-10.
Jaron Brown caught his second touchdown pass from Wilson, an 18-yarder, with 14:17 remaining in the game.
Pettis scored again on a 75-yard pass from Mullens on the next play from scrimmage.
After a Seattle field goal, Wagner capped the scoring with his pick-six with 4:04 left.
Wilson threw just six passes in the first half, completing four, but three of them were for touchdowns. The other was a 45-yard pass to Brown that set up the first score.
The 49ers, who had four punts and a lost fumble in their first five possessions in falling behind 20-0, finally got something going late in the half, driving for Robbie Gould's 45-yard field goal with no time left.
--Field Level Media