San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks Match Player Stats (Nov 17, 2024)
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith scrambled 13 yards into the end zone with 12 seconds remaining, capping an 80 yard drive that stunned 71,751 fans at Levi’s Stadium on November 17, 2024. The Seahawks’ dramatic 20-17 victory over San Francisco came despite the 49ers controlling the ball for nearly 34 minutes and converting third downs at a 63.6% clip.
Table of Contents
How the Game Unfolded Quarter by Quarter
Jason Myers opened the scoring with a 52 yard field goal after Seattle’s opening drive stalled. The kick came after Nick Bosa dropped Smith for a 7 yard loss on third down, pushing the Seahawks beyond comfortable scoring range. San Francisco answered with their longest sustained drive of the season to that point: 12 plays covering 71 yards over 8 minutes and 3 seconds. Brock Purdy finished it himself, scrambling right and beating the defense to the pylon for a 10 yard touchdown.
The second quarter belonged to the kickers and defenses. Johnathan Hankins, Seattle’s 340 pound defensive tackle, snagged a deflected pass for an interception at the San Francisco 29. But Yetur Gross-Matos, recently activated from injured reserve, sacked Smith on third down to force another Myers field goal attempt. The veteran kicker nailed it from 57 yards out, cutting the deficit to 7-6.
Quarterback Statistical Comparison
Both signal callers posted efficient numbers, though their approaches differed significantly:
| Quarterback | Comp/Att | Yards | YPA | TD | INT | Rating | Sacks | Rush Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geno Smith (SEA) | 25/32 (78.1%) | 221 | 6.9 | 0 | 1 | 82.4 | 4-26 | 4 att, 29 yds, 1 TD |
| Brock Purdy (SF) | 21/28 (75.0%) | 159 | 5.7 | 1 | 1 | 85.3 | 2-13 | 5 att, 40 yds, 1 TD |
Smith’s final drive statistics: 7 completions on 8 attempts for 54 yards, plus a 16 yard scramble on second and 13 after taking a sack from Leonard Floyd. He found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 8 yards on the drive’s crucial third and five conversion at the Seattle 36. With 39 seconds left and no timeouts, Smith took the snap from the 13 yard line, saw coverage drop into the secondary, and raced left untouched for the winning score.
Purdy completed 75% of his passes but averaged just 5.7 yards per attempt. His touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings came on third and goal from the 3 yard line with 9:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. The interception occurred when defensive tackle Hankins deflected a second quarter pass at the line of scrimmage.
Running Game Production Analysis
San Francisco ran 27 times for 131 yards while Seattle managed 23 carries for 94 yards. The individual performances:
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | SF | 19 | 79 | 4.2 | 0 | 11 |
| Kenneth Walker III | SEA | 14 | 54 | 3.9 | 1 | 11 |
| Brock Purdy | SF | 5 | 40 | 8.0 | 1 | 13 |
| Geno Smith | SEA | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 1 | 16 |
| Jordan Mason | SF | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 8 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 |
| Zach Charbonnet | SEA | 4 | 3 | 0.8 | 0 | 2 |
| Deebo Samuel | SF | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | 0 |
McCaffrey received 19 handoffs but never broke a run longer than 11 yards. His 79 rushing yards came tough, with Seattle’s linebackers Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight meeting him at the line repeatedly. Walker scored from one yard out in the third quarter, completing an 11 play, 70 yard possession that consumed 6:01.
The quarterbacks combined for 69 rushing yards and both rushing touchdowns. Purdy’s 40 yards on 5 carries included his first quarter scoring scramble. Smith’s 29 yards featured the game winning run and a key 16 yard gain on the final drive.
Receiving Statistics: Smith-Njigba and Jennings Lead the Way
Seattle targeted Smith-Njigba 11 times, completing 10 for 110 yards. San Francisco countered with Jennings, who caught 10 of 11 targets for 91 yards and the team’s only receiving touchdown.
Seattle Pass Catchers
| Player | Targets | Catches | Yards | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 11 | 10 | 110 | 11.0 | 20 |
| DK Metcalf | 9 | 7 | 70 | 10.0 | 26 |
| Tyler Lockett | 3 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 12 |
| AJ Barner | 4 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 9 |
| Kenneth Walker III | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Zach Charbonnet | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 7 |
Smith-Njigba caught passes on three different third down conversions. His 20 yard reception in the third quarter moved Seattle into San Francisco territory and set up Walker’s touchdown three plays later. Metcalf added 70 yards on 7 catches, including a 26 yarder on third and 12 that kept Seattle’s first scoring drive alive.
San Francisco Pass Catchers
| Player | Targets | Catches | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jauan Jennings | 11 | 10 | 91 | 9.1 | 1 | 22 |
| Deebo Samuel | 7 | 4 | 22 | 5.5 | 0 | 11 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 5 | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 0 | 10 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 2 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eric Saubert | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Ricky Pearsall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Jennings became Purdy’s primary option after Seattle limited Deebo Samuel to 22 receiving yards. On San Francisco’s 14 play touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Jennings caught 4 passes for 42 yards before securing the 3 yard score. Samuel’s limited production included an 11 yard catch but mostly consisted of short gains as Seattle’s secondary bracketed him throughout.
Defensive Performances and Key Tackles
The defenses combined for 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 131 total tackles. Seattle’s linebacker duo of Ernest Jones IV (13 tackles) and Tyrice Knight (10) led all defenders.
| Player | Team | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest Jones IV | SEA | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrice Knight | SEA | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Love | SEA | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Witherspoon | SEA | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Deommodore Lenoir | SF | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Renardo Green | SF | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
San Francisco’s pass rush generated 4 sacks for 26 yards lost. Nick Bosa contributed 1.5 sacks before leaving with a hip and oblique injury in the second half. Leonard Floyd matched Bosa’s sack total and added 3 quarterback hits. Yetur Gross-Matos recorded the crucial second quarter sack that forced Seattle to settle for a field goal after the Hankins interception.
The turnovers came at different points but had similar results. Hankins intercepted Purdy at the San Francisco 29, leading to Myers’ 57 yard field goal. Isaac Yiadom picked off Smith in the third quarter and returned it 11 yards to the Seattle 27, setting up Jake Moody’s 33 yard field goal. Both defenses prevented touchdowns after turnovers.
Special Teams: Myers Provides the Edge
Jason Myers hit field goals from 52 and 57 yards, both after Seattle drives stalled in San Francisco territory. Jake Moody connected from 33 yards for San Francisco’s only field goal attempt.
| Kicker | FG Made/Att | Long | XP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Myers (SEA) | 2/2 | 57 | 2/2 | 8 |
| Jake Moody (SF) | 1/1 | 33 | 2/2 | 5 |
The punting units saw limited action. Michael Dickson averaged 48.5 yards on two punts for Seattle, including a 53 yarder. Pat O’Donnell punted three times for a 41.0 average, placing one inside the 20 yard line.
Isaac Guerendo returned two kickoffs for 51 total yards, giving San Francisco solid starting field position. His 29 yard return to open the game set up the 49ers’ first touchdown drive. Kenny McIntosh returned one kick 15 yards for Seattle.
Crucial Fourth Quarter Sequence
With 4:01 remaining and Seattle trailing 17-13, the Seahawks faced fourth and one at the San Francisco 37. Zach Charbonnet took the handoff left but got stopped for no gain by Ji’Ayir Brown and Dee Winters.
San Francisco took over with excellent field position and a four point lead. They needed one first down to essentially end the game. Instead:
- First down: McCaffrey right guard for 1 yard
- Second down: Purdy incomplete pass to Samuel
- Third down: Purdy incomplete pass to Jennings
Pat O’Donnell’s punt gave Seattle the ball at their own 20 with 2:38 remaining and no timeouts.
The Winning Drive Breakdown
Starting at the 20 yard line, Smith went to work:
- 1st & 10: Pass to Metcalf for 11 yards
- 1st & 10: Pass to Walker for 5 yards
- 2nd & 5: Incomplete to Metcalf
- 3rd & 5: Pass to Smith-Njigba for 8 yards (two minute warning)
- 1st & 10: Pass to Smith-Njigba for 7 yards
- 2nd & 3: Incomplete to Metcalf
- 3rd & 3: Pass to Smith-Njigba for 15 yards to the SF 34
- 1st & 10: Sacked by Floyd for -3 yards
- 2nd & 13: Smith scrambles for 16 yards to the SF 21
- 1st & 10: Pass to Smith-Njigba for 8 yards
- 2nd & 2: Smith scrambles left for 13 yard touchdown
The drive covered 80 yards in 11 plays over 2:26. Smith completed 7 of 8 passes targeting four different receivers.
Team Statistics Overview
| Category | Seattle | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 289 | 277 |
| Yards Per Play | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| First Downs | 19 | 21 |
| Third Downs | 6/13 (46.2%) | 7/11 (63.6%) |
| Red Zone | 2/2 (100%) | 2/3 (66.7%) |
| Time of Possession | 26:35 | 33:25 |
| Penalties | 4-20 | 9-54 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
San Francisco held the ball for 33:25 compared to Seattle’s 26:35. They converted 7 of 11 third downs while Seattle managed just 6 of 13. The 49ers committed 9 penalties for 54 yards, including multiple offensive holding calls that negated positive gains. Both teams averaged exactly 4.9 yards per play.
Seattle scored touchdowns on both red zone possessions. San Francisco reached the red zone three times but settled for a field goal on one trip. That three point difference matched the final margin.
Historical Context and Division Implications
According to Pro Football Reference, Smith’s game winning drive marked his 10th since 2022, most among NFL quarterbacks during that stretch. The victory at Levi’s Stadium (source) moved both teams to 5-5 records.
For comparison, the Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49ers match player stats earlier this season showed San Francisco employing similar ball control tactics. Their methodical approach continues producing close games that come down to final possessions.
Smith-Njigba’s emergence changes Seattle’s offensive identity. His 10 reception performance built on earlier success documented in the Seahawks vs New York Jets match player stats, establishing him as Smith’s preferred target on crucial downs.
Final Statistical Notes
San Francisco attempted a desperate lateral play after Smith’s touchdown. The play ended with an offensive pass interference penalty on Eric Saubert, which Seattle declined to end the game.
McCaffrey finished with 106 total yards (79 rushing, 27 receiving) but never reached the end zone despite 23 touches. Walker scored Seattle’s only non-quarterback rushing touchdown. The quarterbacks accounted for both teams’ other rushing scores.
Bosa’s absence on the final drive left San Francisco without their best pass rusher when they needed pressure most. The 49ers generated no sacks or hits on Smith during the game winning possession.
The 49ers controlled nearly every statistical category except the one that mattered: points scored. Their 33:25 time of possession and 63.6% third down conversion rate typically correlates with victory. Instead, Seattle’s efficiency in the red zone and Smith’s clutch execution secured a crucial divisional win that kept the NFC West race wide open heading into the season’s final weeks.
