The first time that the Seahawks and 49ers met this season, Seattle mustered all of six points in a loss. Sunday night, Pete Carroll’s team hung 42 on its division rivals.
What changed?
For starters, San Francisco was missing Justin Smith. The 49ers’ standout defensive tackle suffered an injury during his team’s Week 15 game against New England. Since then, the 49ers have allowed 70 points.
But the 49ers’ issues Sunday night went beyond Smith’s absence. Seattle found gaps in the San Francisco defense — almost entirely outside the hash marks — and went to work in those areas repeatedly.
Wilson’s numbers have risen steadily as the season has gone on, with Seattle becoming more comfortable putting the ball in his hands and the rookie QB doing a better job picking out soft spots in the defense.
By excessively worrying about Wilson’s ability to clear the pocket and run, the 49ers left themselves vulnerable to Lynch and the passing game. Seattle took full advantage en route to an easy win.
