Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images The 49ers didn’t play their cleanest offensively, yet still had a comfortable victory over Seattle. The San Francisco 49ers won their third straight, picking up a Thanksgiving divisional 31-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks to improve to 8-3 on the season. With the win, the 49ers created a two-game lead atop the NFC West over the Seahawks and now hold the tiebreaker, hence the importance of Thursday’s game. Offensively, the 49ers scored 24 first-half points, ultimately ending with another 30+ point performance, despite not capitalizing on a number of opportunities. Defensively, San Francisco didn’t allow a single touchdown, limiting Seattle to 220 total yards and two field goal drives. Here are three quick takeaways from the 49ers 31-13 win over the Seahawks on Sunday. Physicality Whenever it comes to play divisional opponents, the 49ers look to bring even more physicality than they normally play with. That was the case on Thursday, as the 49ers looked to rely on Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel for their primary sources of offense, leading to a potent rushing attack and some yards after the catch in the air. McCaffrey had a ton of early touches, earning 19 carries for 114 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while catching five passes for 25 yards on six targets through the air. Samuel had his second-highest output of the season, catching seven passes for 79 yards on nine targets, as the 49ers checked it down at a higher rate, while also finding the wideout in between the second and third levels a few times. Those two playmakers set the tone for the 49ers on offense, as the team ran successfully to the left side a good amount and imposed their physicality overall. In fact, they imposed their physicality so much early on that Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen was benched for what appeared to be tackling issues. Missed Opportunities The 49ers were able to put up another 30+ point performance on Thursday night, scoring five different times to comfortably win 31-13. However, they didn’t play near their best offensively, as they left several opportunities on the table, yet San Francisco still won 31-13. The 49ers punted in opponent territory three times on the night, while also kicking a field goal in the red zone. Now, the 49ers were able to pin Seattle deep in their territory on all three punts, and ultimately scored touchdowns on their ensuing drives after getting the ball back, salvaging the opportunities. But, the 49ers came away with a few missed chances in this one, while also allowing Seattle to creep in with the pick-six early in the third quarter. Still, the 49ers comfortably won 31-13, while putting up a bevy of points, showcasing the strength of the offense. Getting to the quarterback Once again, the 49ers front four put together a dominant performance, consistently pressuring Geno Smith and sacking the quarterback six times for a third straight game. The defensive line has been on a tear since the acquisition of Chase Young, and that didn’t stop on Thursday, as Nick Bosa had two sacks, Javon Hargrave had 1.5, and Arik Armstead had one of his own on the day. On the other hand, the 49ers protected Brock Purdy quite well, allowing just one sack, which came as the quarterback tried to escape a fairly clean pocket by tucking and running up the middle. The trench play was going to be a difference maker in this one, and the 49ers were clear winners in this category once again, shutting down the Seattle pass rush, while making Geno Smith uncomfortable all night. Smith ultimately finished with 180 yards on 18/27 passing with no touchdowns and an interception. Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/2023/11/24 ... -mccaffrey
