Russell Wilson’s TD pass to Paul Richardson leads Seahawks to 12-9 win over 49ers

The Seattle Seahawks have their first win of the 2017 season under their belts, coming shortly after they scored their first touchdown of the campaign.

After falling behind by a field goal early in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks switched into a hurry-up offense and eventually took the lead on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Paul Richardson, which proved to be the deciding score in Seattle’s 12-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers in its home opener at CenturyLink Field.

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Even in the win, the Seahawks’ offense continued to be worrisome as it was essentially up to the defense and special teams to keep things manageable until Wilson and company finally found the end zone.

Here’s a breakdown of each quarter.

FIRST QUARTER

Seahawks 6, 49ers 0

The Seahawks’ offense got right to showing it can move the ball, putting together a 16-play, 68-yard drive to open the game. But Seattle was still looking for its first touchdown of the season after the quarter, even after making a pair of trips to the red zone. On the first series, Seattle stalled out at the San Francisco 7 after Thomas Rawls gained no yards on first down and a pair of Russell Wilson passes fell incomplete, leaving Blair Walsh to hit a 25-yard field goal to open the scoring. Seattle went three-and-out the next time it got the ball back, and when Bobby Wagner’s interception gave them prime field position later in the first quarter, Wilson and company managed to pick up just 27 yards on 10 plays, again having to settle for a short Walsh 3-pointer. There was no reason to be concerned about the defense, however, which held the Niners to just 9 total yards, one first down, and the same number of completions as interceptions (one).

Notable: Rookie receiver Amara Darboh made his first Seahawks catch, a 16-yard reception late in the frame. Tight end Jimmy Graham, meanwhile, had just one target – he didn’t catch it – even though Seattle twice appeared in the red zone.

SEA – Blair Walsh 25 FG, 8:41 (3-0 SEA)
SEA – Blair Walsh 27 FG, :53 (6-0 SEA

SECOND QUARTER

Seahawks 6, 49ers 6

Offense was still a point of concern as the Seahawks failed to add any points to their cause in the second quarter, punting away on each of their three drives of the frame. That allowed the 49ers’ offense more opportunities against Seattle’s defense than maybe it should have had, and eventually running back Carlos Hyde broke free for a 61-yard run to help get the Niners into the red zone for the first time all day. A big Michael Bennett sack three few plays later ensured San Francisco would get no more than a field goal, but Robbie Gould was good from 40 yards to make it a 3-point game. Following a quick three-and-out by the Seahawks, Hyde then had a 27-yard run inside the final minute, and a face mask penalty helped put San Francisco back into field goal position. Gould hit that time from 37 yards to tie the game heading into halftime, which appeared to be an ominous sign for Seattle considering how low expectations were for the 49ers entering this season.

Notable: Jimmy Graham had to have his knee looked at on the table on the sideline, though he eventually returned to action. San Francisco safety Eric Reid wasn’t so lucky, as he is questionable to return with a knee injury of his own.

SF – Robbie Gould 40 FG, 1:55 (SEA 6-3)
SF – Robbie Gould 37 FG, :17 (6-6)

THIRD QUARTER

Seahawks 6, 49ers 6

The defensive battle continued, as the Seahawks and 49ers were able to only trade punts in the third quarter of Seattle’s home opener. The highlight was that the Seahawks got as close to scoring in the end zone as they had all day, defensive lineman Frank Clark sacking 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer on what was ruled the 1-yard line, allowing San Francisco to narrowly escape a safety. That’s indicative not just of how well the Seahawks played on defense and how poorly they played on offense, but the importance of Jon Ryan, who pinned the 49ers at their own six with his punt to start that drive. Field position was the name of the game in the third quarter, and it looked that it would again be the case in the final stanza, as well.

No scoring.

FOURTH QUARTER

Seahawks 12, 49ers 9

The 49ers took the lead for the first time all day, Robbie Gould knocking down a 34-yard field goal after back-to-back first down runs by Matt Breida crossed San Francisco into Seattle territory. But that’s when the Seahawks finally showed a sense of urgency, not only breaking into a hurry-up offense but also turning Russell Wilson loose to pick up yardage with his legs. The Seahawks quarterback ran for 27 yards on four rushes during a 10-play, 82-yard drive, and he used both his feet and arm to get Seattle into the end zone for the first time all season, eluding multiple defenders in the pocket before finding Paul Richardson for a 9-yard score. With the Seahawks back in the lead, the defense stood up tall, forcing the 49ers into a three-and-out right after the touchdown. With the ball back in its possession, Seattle went to work on running down the clock, a cause that was helped by a 16-yard Chris Carson run that gave the Seahawks a first down at the two-minute warning, allowing Seattle to take a knee the rest of the way.

SF – Robbie Gould 34 FG, 11:36 (SF 9-6)
SEA – Russell Wilson 9 pass to Paul Richardson, 7:06 (kick failed, SEA 12-9)

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