Instant Reaction: 49ers embarrass themselves against Seahawks

The days of getting punked by the Seahawks were supposed to be over. After a Nick Mullens-led victory over them two years ago, and two close games plus a Super Bowl run last season, we were supposed to be past these kinds of embarrassments. Yet, here we are, three and a half years into Kyle Shanahan’s tenure and we’re still suffering through games like today’s 37-27 debacle.

And I can’t explain it.

I can’t explain how a team that had scored 57 points in its last two games could only score seven points during the meaningful portion of today’s game. I can’t explain how an offense that racked up almost 800 yards in the last two weeks gained only one yard in today’s third quarter.

One. Yard.

Against a defense, that again, had given up more of those yards through six games than any defense had ever given up in the history of this thing called football.

How does that happen?

Levin Black and I tried to figure it out on tonight’s Instant Reaction Podcast.

“From the coach, to the quarterback, to the offensive line, there’s plenty of criticism to go around,” Levin said, “This was another one of those games that’s a total and complete failure from just about everybody.”

“The quarterback,” Jimmy Garoppolo, ended the day 11 of 16 for 84 yards and an interception before injuring his ankle and heading back into the locker room. In a sink-or-swim game for Jimmy G., he sank like a rock. Nick Mullens actually threw for 238 yards in relief in the fourth quarter, but the game was well out of reach by then. Garbage yards against a garbage defense in garbage time shouldn’t be compared to what happens during actual competitive play. If you do, you’re just trying to delude yourself into thinking there’s a good quarterback on this roster, and there isn’t.

As if that wasn’t enough, George Kittle injured himself in the fourth quarter catching one of those Nick Mullens passes and went to the locker room to get his foot x-rayed. Luckily nothing is broken, but his status for Thursday against Green Bay is up in the air.

Awesome.

Other topics covered in the pod:

-What happened to the run blocking?

-Why didn’t Robert Saleh adjust to take away DK Metcalf?

-Will the 49ers be this up-and-down team for the rest of 2020?

Take a listen and let us know what you think. If you like our show, please subscribe to the Niners Nation Podcast Network.