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49ers fall to .500 as Geno Smith runs in game-winning touchdown to captivate Seahawks
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49ers fall to .500 as Geno Smith runs in game-winning touchdown to captivate Seahawks

Geno Smith got it done on Sunday afternoon.

Smith led the Seattle Seahawks on an 11-play, 80-yard drive and capped it off with a pair of long runs to lift Seattle to a stunning 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. The Seahawks’ win snapped a six-game losing streak against their NFC West rival and moved the Seahawks to 5-5 on the season, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

San Francisco, meanwhile, drops to 5-5 and lost Nick Bosa late in the game due to a hip injury, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers were already without tight end George Kittle due to a hamstring injury and have been plagued by numerous other injuries this season.

With less than 20 seconds left Sunday, Smith broke out on the left side of the field after dodging a sack and snuck into the end zone. That sent the Seahawks back into the lead and ultimately lifted them to the three-point victory.

The 49ers appeared to have control of the game as they went along, taking the lead in the fourth quarter after Brock Purdy threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings. The 49ers pushed the Seahawks on a short fourth down a few minutes after that score.

But after the Seahawks came up with a quick stop and forced a punt, Smith left. He found DK Metcalf for a gain of 11 yards on the first play of that drive, and he hit Jaxson Smith-Njigba four times for 38 yards on the winning drive to put them in scoring position. Smith then set up his final run with a 16-yard scramble.

Purdy completed 21 of 28 passes for 159 yards with a touchdown and an interception for San Francisco, which lost for the third time after blowing a fourth-quarter lead this season. Christian McCaffrey had 79 yards on 19 carries, and Purdy ran for a 10-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Jennings had 91 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches.

Smith went 25 of 32 for 221 yards with an interception for Seattle. He also had four carries for 29 yards on the ground. Kenneth Walker had 54 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Smith-Njigba had 110 yards on 10 catches.

While the win was crucial to the Seahawks’ playoff hopes — that’s only happened once in the last four seasons — both they and the 49ers still trail the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West standings. The Los Angeles Rams also have a 5-5 record after their win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, which should make the division race interesting down the road. Based on how the rest of the conference goes, a division title could be the only way for each of the four teams to earn a spot in the postseason.

The Seahawks host the Cardinals next week and travel to Arizona in three weeks for a rematch, in a pair of games that will very likely determine how they finish in the division. But for now, all that matters to Smith and the Seahawks is that they got the win. That kept them on the hunt.