Sam Darnold is just fine, and so are the Seahawks.
Darnold, was questionable to play with a left oblique injury, completed 7 of 12 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He was not taxed, with one sack the only time he was hit, and with plenty of help from his teammates.
Rashid Shaheed was the X-factor in the first half, leading the Seahawks to a 24-6 lead over the 49ers at halftime.
Shaheed, whom the Seahawks acquired in a Nov. 4 trade with the Saints, returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Not even an attempted trip by kicker Eddy Pineiro could bring down Shaheed. Shaheed also had a 30-yard run to set up Kenneth Walker’s 7-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left in the half.
The Seahawks have outgained the 49ers only 151 to 149, with defense and special teams carrying them to a big lead. The Seahawks’ scoring drives were 44, 42 and 80 yards.
The 49ers had a fourth-and-1 at the Seattle 40 on their first drive, but Seahawks edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence stopped Kyle Juszczyk for a 3-yard loss as the fullback tried to get around right end. The 49ers had called for a pass play, but the Seahawks got a timeout before the play, and officials blew the whistle late.
The Seahawks went 44 yards in 11 plays for a 31-yard Jason Myers field goal and a 10-0 lead.
The 49ers were driving on their next possession when tight end Jake Tonges caught an 11-yard pass from Brock Purdy. Ernest Jones punched the ball out, and Julian Love recovered at the San Francisco 42. The Seahawks lit up the scoreboard again five plays later, with Darnold hitting Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the back of the end zone for a 4-yard score. It was Smith-Njigba’s only reception of the first half.
Cooper Kupp has three catches for 34 yards, and Walker has run for 41 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
Brock Purdy is 12-of-19 for 103 yards, with Tonges catching five for 59 in George Kittle’s absence. Christian McCaffrey has nine carries for 29 yards and five catches for 39 yards.
The only bad news for the Seahawks was the loss of running back Zach Charbonnet, who left with a knee injury and is questionable to return. Charbonnet was injured on a 1-yard run with 3:01 remaining in the half. He departed for the training room after a visit to the sideline medical tent.
