Seattle, WA
Takeaways from Seattle Seahawks 17-13 loss to 49ers
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 07: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates a touchdown with Colton McKivitz #68 during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks during the game at Lumen Field on September 07, 2025 in Seattle, Was (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – This one is going to sting for the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle was unable to hold onto a late lead as third-string tight end Jake Tonges ripped the game-winning touchdown catch away from cornerback Riq Woolen with 1:34 left to play. A chance to pull off a game-winning drive for themselves then slipped out of Sam Darnold’s fingers as tackle Abe Lucas was shoved back into Darnold’s arm by 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa to force the clinching fumble for the San Francisco 49ers in a 17-13 victory.
It’s only one game, but the Seahawks are quickly alone in last place in the NFC West as the 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals each won their games on Sunday.
“We want to be able to defend home,” wide receiver Cooper Kupp said. “The guys are sick because they know the importance of winning here. There’s a weightiness to that in finding a way. This is not how we want to operate, and not what we want to do, and guys want to make that right.”
The Seahawks’ offense sputtered outside of star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Seattle was just 3-for-10 on third down and saw the 49ers run 22 more offensive plays in the game.
Meanwhile, Seattle’s defense held together for most of the day with a pair of interceptions from Ernest Jones IV and Josh Jobe, along with a blocked field goal by Julian Love helping keep the 49ers off the scoreboard.
But when it was needed most, the 49ers made the play on both offense and defense to come out with the win while the Seahawks headed home 0-1.
“I think our guys played incredibly hard; played all 60 minutes; gave ourselves a chance to win at the end,” head coach Mike Macdonald said. “I think we have a really good football team and we’re not there yet, so let’s go work, figure out things we can do better, and move forward. Which we will.”
Here are the takeaways from the loss to the 49ers:
49ers won the key moments.
The result of NFL games can balance on a knife’s edge. Typically, a few plays here and there are the determining factors of who wins and who loses.
On Sunday, it was the 49ers that made those plays in the fourth quarter and the Seahawks didn’t.
Ricky Pearsall made a 45-yard catch over Woolen up the left sideline to move the 49ers into Seattle’s territory, then third-string tight end Jake Tonges wrested a touchdown catch away from Woolen in the end zone.
Tonges’ touchdown came on a third-and-3 when Seattle forced 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to extend the play for eight seconds before finally throwing for the end zone. It was the type of throw that regularly finds its way into the hands of defenders for interceptions instead of their intended targets. However, Tonges worked back around Woolen to snatch the ball away for what ultimately served as the game-winning score.
“We played the first 9.9 of that 10-second play at the end phenomenally. The guy made a great play,” Macdonald said.
Woolen tried to catch the throw from Purdy and was beaten to the ball from behind by Tonges. Woolen also got a touch flat-footed on the throw to Pearsall earlier in the drive, which allowed the throw to get over his head.
“We’re here at the highest level, and Riq’s somebody that we trust to make those plays,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “Regardless of who was in that situation, plays should have been made before that. The game should have never came down to the one or two plays towards the end. We could have never been in that situation.”
Once the 49ers took the lead, the Seahawks had a chance to answer. Darnold led the Seahawks 52 yards in five plays to get to the San Francisco 9-yard line. But Nick Bosa drove right tackle Abe Lucas back into Darnold’s arm, which caused a fumble that ended the comeback chance for Seattle.
“It came out off somebody,” Darnold said. “I don’t know who hit it or what. I think it was off one of our offensive lineman’s back. Yeah, didn’t slip out or anything like that.”
The ball may not have slipped out of Darnold’s hands, but the win definitely slipped out of Seattle’s grasp.
“I can’t sugar coat it; it sucks,” safety Julian Love said. “You’re waiting all offseason to play these guys and to take it to them. For them to come out on top is a touch pill to swallow.”
Jaxon Smith-Njigba can’t be the only productive offensive player.
Already coming off a 100-catch, 1,000-yard receiving season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba appears to have another big season ahead of him this year for Seattle.
However, he can’t be the only productive offensive piece if the Seahawks are going to have the season they’re hoping for.
Smith-Njigba was targeted 13 times on Sam Darnold’s 23 pass attempts, catching nine passes for 124 yards. The rest of the roster had just seven receptions combined for 26 yards.
Meanwhile, the running game managed just 3.2 yards per carry behind Zach Charbonnet’s 47 yards on 12 carries, and Ken Walker III’s 20 yards on 10 carries.
“Jax made a lot of great plays,” Macdonald said. “There is more opportunity for him out there, which I’m sure he’ll tell you.
“We’re going to count on everybody. See who else steps up. It’s not the Jax show every snap.”
Smith-Njigba had two catches for 50 yards on Seattle’s final drive as Danold was clearly looking in his direction with nearly every big throw. Smith-Njigba was up for the task and truly does appear set to ascend into the upper tier of wide receivers in the NFL this year.
But he’s going to need some help.
“After I came off the field after the game I knew that wasn’t our standard and how we do things,” Darnold said. “We knew that. I knew that personally. I talked to some of the guys already and we’re just going to continue to grow and get better from it and we’ll be all right.”
Special teams helped keep the Seahawks in the game.
The 49ers ran significantly more offensive plays than Seattle as they were able to maintain possession and kept pushing down the field. But two of those drives failed to end in points due to special teams mistakes by the 49ers that allowed Seattle to benefit.
Jake Moody clanged a 27-yard field goal try off the left upright late in the half that would have given the 49ers a 10-7 lead. Instead, the Seahawks were able to drive for a go-ahead field goal before the break on a 48-yard kick from Jason Myers.
In the third quarter, the 49ers had a 36-yard field goal try to tie the game at 10-10. Instead, the Seahawks ran through lineman Matt Hennessey on the left end, which allowed Julian Love to shoot into the backfield and block the kick to again thwart a San Francisco scoring chance.
“Obviously he missed one, and I was able to get the block on another,” Love said. “… I kind of jumped the gap, got a good launch, and thankfully got my hands on it. So, yeah, good play.”
Meanwhile, Myers made his field goal try from distance, Cody White had a big 36-yard kickoff return, and Tory Horton had a solid 12-yard punt return.
Missed opportunity to assert offensive identity, convert fourth down.
Given the struggles of the offense to sustain drives throughout the afternoon, the chance to lead a scoring drive with seven minutes left to play seemed to be the perfect chance for Seattle to flex its intended offensive identity.
The Seahawks took over with 7:06 remaining after Jobe’s interception of Purdy. Seattle turned back to their ground game as they tried to burn clock and put the game away.
And it started quite well.
Seattle gained 29 yards on five consecutive rushes to kill over three minutes of clock and move into San Francisco territory. But after Walker got stopped on second-and-6 for a 1-yard loss, it forced a throw on third down. Kupp came up with a 6-yard reception to set up a fourth-and-1 from the SF 19-yard line.
It’s not a clear-cut decision. Kick a field goal to take the lead, but leave over three minutes on the clock for your opponent, or risk getting nothing by going for the fourth down. And it’s easy to say that because what Seattle chose to do didn’t win them the game, that it was a mistake to kick the field goal.
Instead, we’ll just lament the lost opportunity for Seattle to invoke the running identity that they’ve preached this offseason. The Seahawks have talked repeatedly about wanting to be a running football team and that they’ll be committed to the running game. What better way to show that than to go get the yard you need on the ground against a division opponent in the fourth quarter?
Macdonald said they did consider going for it, but elected to defend the lead instead.
“I just felt like let’s go take a lead and let’s go play ball,” he said.
The Seahawks ultimately finished with just 67 yards on 22 carries from Charbonnet and Walker. Darnold added 14 yards on a pair of scrambles, and A.J. Barner and Jalen Milroe added three combined yards on a pair of carries for 84 total rushing yards in the game.
“Hot and cold,” Macdonald said. “We’ve got to maintain the ball better and be more efficient on early downs, convert more on third down. Good two-minute at the end. I mean, some good stuff, but we got to operate more efficiently and be better on first and second down to give us some third downs where we can convert and keep drives going”
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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Seattle weather: Driver conditions on Tuesday
If you are traveling over the passes the next few days, here is a look at the forecast. Snow overnight through early Tuesday, with several new inches for Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass. We will see drier conditions Tuesday and then a mix of rain and snow for Wednesday.
SEATTLE – Strong winds are sticking around Western Washington into Christmas Eve, but Christmas Day is looking quiet.
There’s a low chance of high-impact windstorms around the region tomorrow. There’s still a considerable amount of uncertainty in the wind speeds due to extreme differences in the various weather models.
Be prepared for possible tree damage and power outages by Wednesday evening. Otherwise, you can plan on occasional scattered lowland rain and mountain snow tomorrow.
Possible windstorm on Christmas Eve
What’s next:
There’s a high wind watch posted for many locations around Western Washington for Wednesday morning to evening. The first round of winds is likely to happen in the morning (however, stick with us for updates as to the timing) with east/northeast gusts to 30 mph.
In the morning, the strongest winds will likely be focused over the Cascade gaps (e.g. North Bend and Enumclaw).
By the afternoon, there’s a chance for more forceful winds — this time, coming from the south. The second period of winds will have a higher impact with gusts potentially reaching 50-60 mph. Should this forecast pan out, there would be widespread tree damage and power outages.
Big picture view:
However, it’s important to note that the various weather models we analyze are presenting a broad range of possible outcomes on Christmas Eve. It’s rare to have this level of uncertainty about a forecast barely 24 hours in advance. Some suggest an intense windstorm while others indicate winds would barely reach 10 mph.
Keep in mind: there’s an elevated ‘bust potential’ for this forecast — meaning, the winds could be a dud, barely blowing — or gusts could be highly damaging. I recommend preparing for the worst-case scenario and being pleasantly surprised if conditions are quieter.
What you can do:
As a meteorologist, this is what I recommend you do with high winds possible:
- Don’t spend time outside during this windstorm if at all possible (in the event that weak trees or tree branches fall).
- Limit time on the roads during the peak of the in case trees fall! With this particular windstorm, I’d recommend traveling in the morning (unless the timing changes) before winds peak in the afternoon and early evening.
- First, make sure you keep your phone charged in the event of a power outage.
- You can also download the FOX Local app on your phone so you can watch our weather coverage and forecast. Remember to keep the fridge shut during a power outage to maintain the cool air there.
The weather models are split as to the path of this storm: the impacts of this system depend on where it moves. You better believe our weather team will be watching how things develop. If the low pressure moves over the coast and the Olympic Peninsula, the winds would be more damaging. However, if it moves into Eastern Washington, the winds would likely be weaker.
This storm serves as a reminder as to the importance of humans as meteorologists — because most weather apps can’t express the range of possible outcomes and various scenarios.
River flood threat decreasing
Except for the Skokomish River in Mason County, the threat of river flooding is over this week. Even the risk of river flooding next week has decreased substantially. Stay tuned in case anything changes!
There may be minor coastal flooding at times this week.
Local perspective:
Beyond the winds on Christmas Eve, you can expect scattered lowland rain and occasional minor mountain snow.
On Christmas Day itself, the morning will be about the aftermath of any tree damage and outages. Quieter weather is expected on Christmas.
Take good care,
Meteorologist Abby Acone
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The NFC West is a crowded mess, with three of the NFL’s best teams vying for both the division crown and the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
And it just got messier.
The 49ers’ win over the Colts on Monday night improves their record to 11-4, tying them with the Rams and putting both teams one game behind the 12-3 Seahawks.
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What does it mean for Seattle? I’ll be using The Athletic’s 2025 Playoff Simulator to navigate through the next two weeks…
First, the basics. What’s next for these three teams?
The 49ers have two at home. They host the 11-4 Chicago Bears (the league’s leader in takeaways and coming off back-to-back wins) for Sunday Night Football and then host the Seahawks. The date and time on that one is TBD, usually settled late Week 17, but it’s a favorite to be another primetime matchup.
The current NFL playoff picture
The Seahawks have two on the road. They head to Carolina to take on a hungry 8-7 Panthers team, also coming off a win, that can clinch the NFC South for the first time in a decade with a victory and a Bucs’ loss to the Dolphins. Then the Seahawks head to Santa Clara to face the 49ers.
The Rams have the easiest slate, facing two teams already eliminated from the postseason. They head to play the 6-9 Falcons and then host the 3-12 Cardinals in the regular-season finale.
What are the Seahawks’ current odds of clinching the No. 1 seed?
The Seahawks entered Monday with 53% odds to clinch the No. 1 seed. There’s not a big hit from the 49ers’ win: Seattle’s odds dip to 48%, but are still the highest of the three (49ers at 27% and the Rams at 11% before games are played this upcoming Sunday).
The only thing eliminated by virtue of the 49ers’ win was the Seahawks’ ability to clinch the top seed this Sunday.
If all three NFC West teams win in Week 17, the Seahawks’ odds are right where they were: 53%. That’s how monumental Week 18’s game against the 49ers is.
Best-case scenario in Week 17: Easy. The Seahawks are the only team of the three to win this Sunday. Their odds would jump to 74%. They get the No. 1 seed one of two ways after that: beat the 49ers, or lose to the 49ers + a Lions win over the Bears.
Worst-case scenario in Week 17: The Seahawks lose, while the Rams and 49ers win. Seattle’s odds would drop to 7%. But they’re not done; in this scenario, they could still get the top seed with a win over the 49ers + a Cardinals win over the Rams.
How would the Rams clinch? The Rams’ loss to the Seahawks last Thursday night took L.A. out of the driver’s seat. The Rams’ simplest path is to: win out + the Seahawks and 49ers lose one game each + the Lions beat the Bears. The Rams need the Seahawks to lose to make up for the one-game lead, and need the Bears to lose to win a tiebreaker (conference record).
What else should we know?
Oh, that’s right, the Bears.
There’s another team here still fighting for the top seed. Chicago’s Saturday night comeback win over the Packers wasn’t just a thriller; it also added some new playoff implications.
The Bears are currently the No. 2 seed. But they have a better conference record than both the Rams and the Seahawks, so keeping a game ahead is massive.
Again, all Seattle has to do is win out. It doesn’t matter what any other team does if that happens. But things become tricky if Seattle drops a game.
In that case, if the Seahawks lose to the Panthers, root for the Lions and Cardinals. And always root against your NFC West foes.
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The Seattle Mariners have signed veteran Rob Refsnyder to add depth both in the outfield and at first base.
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The team announced a one-year contract with the free agent on Monday afternoon. The contract is worth $6.25 million with a potential extra $250,000 in incentives, according to Boston Red Sox reporter Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
Refsnyder, 34, played 70 games in 2025 for Boston, finishing with 1.2 fWAR. At the plate, he hit .269 with a strong .354 on-base percentage and .838 OPS. He had nine home runs, 12 doubles, 30 RBIs and three stolen bases.
“Rob has been one of the most productive hitters against left-handed pitching over the last four seasons and provides balance and impact offensively to our lineup,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in a press release. “We are excited to welcome Rob and his family to the Mariners.”
Refsnyder hit .302 against lefties with a .399 on-base and .560 slugging last season. Seven of his nine homers and nine of his 12 doubles came against lefties, which he faced 138 times as opposed to 71 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.
Born in South Korea, Refsnyder attended Laguna Hills High School in California and played in college at Arizona. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees.
The 6-foot, 215-pound Refsnyder is a 10-year MLB veteran, having spent time with the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Red Sox. He had been with the Red Sox for each of the past four seasons.
Refsnyder has never played more than 93 games in a single MLB season but has solid offensive numbers with a career .255/.343/.387 slash line for a .730 OPS.
While the Mariners listed Refsnyder as an outfielder/first baseman, he has just 29 career appearances at first, and he last played the position in an MLB game in 2020. Refsnyder has 356 career appearances in the outfield, as well as 43 career appearances at second base.
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Refsnyder, who hits right-handed, gives the Mariners a backup option behind one-time All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor, who Seattle re-signed to a five-year contract early this offseason.
The Mariners add Refsnyder to a list of additions in free agency that includes Naylor and backup catcher Andrew Knizner. Seattle also added left-handed reliever Jose Ferrer in a trade with the Washington Nationals.
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