49ers vs. Seahawks 3rd quarter thread: The defense comes out big

The 49ers looked alive in the second quarter. Fred Warner made a fantastic play on 3rd-and-3 after hitting several blocks and making a short pass stop.

Kyle Shanahan scored on the first play of the game and Deebo Samuel stormed down the left sideline. Seattle's safety misplayed the ball, meaning it was up to a linebacker to catch Samuel. As expected, that linebacker didn't catch Samuel. It was a 76-yard touchdown pass that gave the Niners a comfortable 10-0 lead.

The Niners had an opportunity to tie the game after Darrell Luter Jr. forced a fumble on the kickoff. It was potentially a huge turning point.

The offense had a short field and technically it wasn't a chance in the red zone, but they had the ball at the 29 yard line. After Mason gained six yards on the first two plays, Purdy was forced to scramble on 3rd-and-4. It was a missed opportunity to score a touchdown. Instead, a field goal made the final score 13-0.

Nick Sorensen had a great first half. He mixed up coverages and forced Smith to hold the ball, which resulted in Nick Bosa drawing a holding penalty. After this three-pointer, the offense went into overtime again. Mason ran for 14, and Brandon Aiyuk caught a 16-yarder. Purdy scrambled for another 10-yard gain to move the chains.

A 15-yard facemask put the 49ers in the red zone, which seems to be the last place they want to be these days. Another failed rush on first down meant it was 2nd & 11. An incomplete pass and a failed screen by the fullback led to another field goal, making the score 16-0.

During the two-minute drill, the 49ers allowed a few chunk plays and a defensive pass interference gave Seattle first-and-goal from San Francisco's two-yard line. Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green made two spectacular ball plays to force incompletions. The Seahawks had a chance to get back into the swing of things, but the defense held firm.

The Seahawks were 3 of 8 on third down, and Smith averaged just 6.1 yards per pass and had just one attempt in the red zone in the first half. It was arguably their best half of the season if we don't count the Patriots – for obvious reasons.