Enemy Reaction 2024: It’s time for another San Francisco 49ers meltdown!

It’s been three years since we got the chance to perform an Enemy Reaction for the Seattle Seahawks after a win over the San Francisco 49ers. Geno Smith had the make or break drive. Score a touchdown and you’re a hero, don’t score a touchdown and the push for the playoffs is effectively done. Geno used his arm to get the Seahawks into 49ers territory and then used his legs to cross the end zone for the 20-17 victory. We also have to acknowledge that the defense was largely excellent and led Kyle Shanahan’s offense to one of its worst performances since Brock Purdy became the starting quarterback.

Are you ready for a Niners Nation meltdown? I know, but you’ll also have to wade through our own meltdowns to get there.

Brock Purdy dives for the first touchdown (7-3SF)

Johnathan Hankins picks off Brock Purdy after a Devon Witherspoon deflection (7-6SF)

Geno Smith throws a horrible interception to Isaac Yiadom, leading to a 49ers field goal (10-6SF)

Kenneth Walker III scores from a yard out to give the Seahawks the lead (13-10 SEA)

Jauan Jennings puts the 49ers on his back and scores a touchdown (17-13SF)

Zach Charbonnet stuffed on 4th and 1, 49ers take over (17-13SF)

Geno Smith says “Night, Night” to the 49ers and wins the game! (20-17 SEA)

Seahawks win! Seahawks win! (20-17 SEA FINAL)

More post-game meltdowns!

Post-game: Brock Purdy fails to beat ‘pedestrian’ Geno Smith (Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle)

Shanahan has three seasons left on his contract after this, so he won’t be fired, but if he doesn’t turn this around, this topic will heat up the winter on social media and wherever such matters are discussed. Uncomfortable would lie the head that once again failed to wear the crown. Shanahan’s challenge now is to restore the fear factor the 49ers brought this season.

To do that, Purdy has to get back to the form of, say, the week before, when he looked like a $70 million quarterback. On Sunday, he couldn’t beat one of the league’s most pedestrian quarterbacks, journeyman Geno Smith. The 49ers could have iced the game by taking control of the ball with just under four minutes left and a 17-13 lead. On 2^i.e-and-11, Purdy threw behind a wide open Samuel for what appeared to be the game icing play. Purdy said he tried to avoid a linebacker and the ball sailed.

(…)

The 49ers came back to reach the Super Bowl in 2019. This season is different. This is now the 49ers’ window. But they better push it open, or watch their fingers.

Post-game: Fire Kyle Shanahan (Grant Cohn, certified media reporter for 49ers on SI)

Like clockwork, the 49ers threw their defensive coordinator under the bus for this loss. After the game, Fred Warner said that Smith’s final touchdown run occurred because the 49ers were in man-to-man coverage and essentially couldn’t declare Smith the runner. That’s code for “blame it on Nick Sorensen.” But Sorensen wasn’t the reason the 49ers lost this game – Kyle Shanahan was the reason. He became an outdoor coach. His offense averaged 4.9 yards per play. His team committed 9 penalties. And he blew his third-fourth-quarter lead to a divisional opponent this season. He coaches one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and it is definitely worse than the sum of its parts. That’s his fault. He is by far the most overrated head coach in the NFL. And if the 49ers miss the playoffs, which seems likely at this point, they should fire him and hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as his replacement. Enough is enough.

Post-game video rant: Yep, here’s more Grant Cohn

Post-game video: The season is over (KNBR)

Post-game video: Seahawks-49ers highlights from the 49ers radio broadcast (Gerald Contreras)

Enemy preaction: Arizona Cardinals

It felt great to do that again. We’ve featured the 49ers a lot, but not in actual Seahawks games.

Now it’s time for the Arizona Cardinals, who are the inverse of the 49ers in the Geno Smith era. Seattle has beaten Arizona the past two seasons, but this year’s Cardinals team is not the team of 2023 or 2022. Kyler Murray is playing at a high level, the defense is steadily improving after a bad start, and James Conner is one of the most tenacious and dangerous running backs in the NFL. Seattle has lost four straight home games and has no more room for error when it comes to division tiebreakers. Do you want to make people believe again? Win the Arizona game and (with the help of a Los Angeles Rams loss to the Philadelphia Eagles) you’ll be back in first place in this chaotic NFC West. To lose? Well, the mood may turn sour again.

It’s Seahawks vs. Cardinals, so you can expect some crap to happen one way or another.

Thanks for reading and go ‘Hawks!