49ers Stay Undefeated at 5-0 After Pineiro’s Late Field Goal Beats Seahawks 32-29
Eddy Pineiro's 44-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining lifted the San Francisco 49ers to a 32-29 win over the Seattle Seahawks, keeping them undefeated at 5-0 behind four forced turnovers worth 21 points.
SEATTLE — Eddy Pineiro kicked a tiebreaking 44-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining on Sunday, lifting the San Francisco 49ers to a 32-29 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC West showdown that kept San Francisco undefeated at 5-0.
Brock Purdy completed 19 of 29 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns, Christian McCaffrey rushed 11 times for 68 yards and a score, and Mike Evans caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown for San Francisco. The 49ers forced four turnovers and converted them into 21 points. San Francisco entered the weekend chasing a 5-0 start in the NFC West race, and needed every break to get there.
Sam Darnold was 18-of-29 passing for 195 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for Seattle (3-2). Emanuel Wilson rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba made five receptions for 102 yards and a score, and Jason Myers kicked five field goals for the Seahawks.
A back-and-forth finish
The 49ers appeared to take control when Brandin Cooks scored on a 7-yard touchdown reception with 11:02 remaining and Evans caught a two-point conversion pass to put San Francisco up 29-26. Myers answered with a 40-yard field goal, his fifth of the game, to tie it at 29-29 with 6:55 left, before Pineiro delivered the winner from 44 yards in the final two minutes.
Turnovers told the story
The 49ers took a 21-13 halftime lead despite their three touchdowns coming on drives that started off turnovers — the longest of them just 18 yards. Renardo Green intercepted Darnold on Seattle’s third play from scrimmage, setting up a 2-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Evans. Fred Warner forced a Wilson fumble that Malik Mustapha recovered, and McCaffrey capped the one-play drive with an 11-yard touchdown run. With 18 seconds left in the half, rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton forced a fumble at the goal line and recovered it in the end zone.
San Francisco played the second half without linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who was ejected in the second quarter for head-butting helmetless Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV after being flagged for a late hit on Darnold.
Reporting based on coverage by Reuters.
