The San Francisco 49ers walked into Lumen Field on Sunday and walked out with a 32-29 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, remaining undefeated at 5-0. It was a chaotic, chippy, heavyweight fight between two teams that clearly don’t like each other — and it may have been the moment the 49ers established themselves as the team to beat in the NFC.
The game itself was a rollercoaster. The two teams combined for seven turnovers and five lead changes. The 49ers scored 21 points off turnovers in the first half, including a defensive touchdown from rookie Gracen Halton. Brock Purdy threw an interception and took his first three sacks of the season, but when it mattered most, he delivered.
Purdy’s Fourth-Quarter Masterclass
Trailing 26-21 in the fourth quarter, Purdy led the 49ers on a 12-play, 74-yard touchdown drive capped by a 7-yard pass to Mike Evans, followed by a 2-point conversion to Evans that put San Francisco ahead 29-26. After Seattle tied it with a field goal, Purdy engineered another drive to set up Eddy Piñeiro’s 44-yard game-winning kick with 1:56 to play.
Purdy finished with a modest stat line — 19 of 29 for 189 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception — but his fourth-quarter performance was the difference.
Mike Evans: The Missing Piece
When Mike Evans signed with the 49ers in March, he said he chose San Francisco because “I feel like they’re one piece away. And I’m that piece”. On Sunday, he proved it.
With Deebo Samuel sidelined by a hamstring injury and the receiving corps already decimated by injuries, Evans put the offense on his back. He finished with seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, plus the critical 2-point conversion. Seventy-five of those yards came on the fourth-quarter drive that gave the 49ers the lead for good.
“He’s a game-changer,” Purdy said afterward. “As a quarterback, any time I have to go to him it always feels good”.
The Defense Stepped Up
The 49ers’ defense recorded four takeaways and five sacks, overcoming the ejection of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who was disqualified in the second quarter after headbutting a helmetless Seahawks player on the sideline.
Cornerback Renardo Green intercepted Sam Darnold twice, and the pass rush consistently pressured the Seahawks’ quarterback throughout the afternoon. The final stop came when Cooper Kupp was ruled just shy of the first-down marker on fourth-and-10, sealing the win.
So… Are They Super Bowl Favorites?
The 49ers are 5-0 for the third time under Kyle Shanahan. The previous two times, they reached the Super Bowl. They lost both, but the pattern is impossible to ignore.
The case for the 49ers as Super Bowl favorites is compelling:
They’ve beaten quality opponents. The 49ers have defeated the Rams (preseason Super Bowl favorites), the Broncos, and now the defending champion Seahawks on the road. Seattle hadn’t lost at home in 371 days before Sunday.
Purdy is playing at an MVP level. Before the Seahawks game, Purdy had been putting up impressive numbers while avoiding turnovers. Even in a game where he wasn’t at his best, he made the plays that mattered.
The defense is legitimate. With Fred Warner healthy, the unit has stabilized. Rookie Gracen Halton and second-year corner Renardo Green are emerging as playmakers.
They have the “missing piece.” Evans has given the 49ers something they’ve lacked: a true X receiver who can win contested catches and dominate in critical moments.
The 49ers have also won games in different ways — a defensive struggle against the Rams in Week 1, a shootout against Seattle, and dominant performances in between. That versatility is what championship teams are made of.
The 49ers are 5-0, atop
the NFC West, and looking like the most complete team in the NFL. The Seahawks game was a test — a chaotic, physical, turnover-filled test — and they passed it.
There’s a long way to go. Injuries remain a concern, as they always are in San Francisco. But for now, the 49ers have the look of a team that’s finally ready to finish the job.
They didn’t just survive the heavyweight fight. They won it.
Next up: the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.
