Seattle Seahawks: Key Stats in Loss to San Francisco 49ers
By Todd Pheifer
Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Seahawks did not play their best football and they lost to the San Francisco 49ers by the slim margin of 19-17. It would have been nice to win the game and clinch the division, but there are still three games to go. The Seahawks will overcome this little setback.
Overall, the Seahawks did not play terribly, but they just couldn’t build enough momentum at the right times. Numbers do not tell the complete story, but here are a few statistics that stand out from this game.
Rushing yards surrendered to the 49ers: 163
The Seahawks were not particularly dominant against the run, and while they harassed Colin Kaepernick at times, there was not nearly enough pressure put on the mobile quarterback. Granted, 51 of those 163 yards came on a back-breaking run late in the fourth quarter by Frank Gore. However, this was not an area of strength for the Seahawks.
Net rushing yards by Russell Wilson: 2
For the most part, Russell Wilson stayed in the pocket throughout the game. You can certainly appreciate the fact that Wilson is not just a “running” quarterback, as he always looks to find an open receiver before taking off. However, it might have been better on a few occasions for Wilson to keep the defense honest by getting out into the open field.
Penalties: 9 (for 85 yards)
The Seahawks continue their propensity of racking up big penalty yardage. Some of the penalties were questionable, as the referees flagged the secondary on some very weak pass interference calls. The “face mask” on Jeremy Lane was especially ridiculous, and the head of officiating should apologize to the Seahawks for that one. However, there was also a penalty or two that could have been avoided, such as O’Brien Schofield’s penalty for running into LaMichael James after he had signaled for a fair catch on a punt.
Lost starting linebackers: 1
After the game, Pete Carroll stated that starting linebacker K.J. Wright could be lost for six weeks with a broken bone in his foot. Not good. In the long run, that statistic could hurt the most.