The San Francisco 49ers went into Seattle and left with a 32-29 win, their fifth straight to open the season. It was not clean. It was not comfortable. But the 49ers found a way to win a game that could have gone either direction multiple times, and that ability is what separates good teams from the rest of the conference.
After the final whistle, one of Seattle’s best players made it clear just how much this one hurt.
What Smith-Njigba Said After the Loss
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was one of Seattle’s most productive players on the afternoon, but his focus after the game was on what the offense failed to do. He kept it blunt.
“We’re pissed,” Smith-Njigba said. “We wanted this one.”
Seattle’s defense held Brock Purdy to 189 passing yards, sacked him three times, and forced a critical interception. Their special teams created a short field off a muffed punt. And still, they lost.
“Defense, special teams, they deserve this win and it sucks as an offense. Myself, I feel like we let them down.”
Smith-Njigba also dropped a pass on a crucial 3rd-and-10 late in the fourth quarter. He knows it. The fact that he pointed the finger at himself tells you how seriously Seattle took this matchup.
What the 49ers Defense Earned
San Francisco’s defense forced four turnovers and recorded five sacks. Renardo Green intercepted Sam Darnold twice. Gracen Halton recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown just before halftime. Keion White was disruptive all afternoon. Fred Warner was pivotal.
That is the kind of defensive performance that wins road playoff games. When your opponent’s best skill player walks to the podium and says his side of the ball let the defense down, your unit did its job.
Final Word for the 49ers
San Francisco has now won its first five games of the season, something only two other teams in franchise history have accomplished. Both of those squads made deep playoff runs.
Smith-Njigba’s frustration is the ultimate compliment. The 49ers went into a hostile building and took a game that Seattle’s defense did everything it could to win. Five weeks in, this team keeps finding ways. That is not luck. That is identity.
5-0.
Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba Makes Blunt Admission After Loss to 49ers