Week 1 will inevitably be full of surprises, even when two teams as familiar as the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks meet. There were expected performances, like the Niners’ special teams blunders, or the game coming down to the final minute.
We asked fans on Twitter what they thought were the biggest surprises. Here were the most common responses.
Dee Winters
Apparently, Dee Winters had a negative connotation attached to his name. While everybody agreed that he was a standout and a potential game-changer, some went as far as saying Winters looked completely different from a season ago.
I’d push back on that last part. Winters played with a similar reckless aggression last season. Unfortunately, Winters was consistently banged up and couldn’t string together multiple games without getting hurt. But he was the man early in training camp, and a noticeable upgrade whenever he was on the field.
Now, that’s not to say he hasn’t improved. Winters was one of the best players on the field in Week 1. He had the most run stops, had a pair of tackles for loss, was stingy in coverage, matched Seattle’s physicality, and was a big reason why the Seahawks averaged 3.2 yards per carry on the ground. Winters made six tackles for an average depth of 1.2 yards. That’ll play.
Struggles in the running game
The expectation was that the 49ers would drop Christian McCaffrey back into the lineup and all would be well again. Not so fast, my friend.
McCaffrey rushed for the fourth-lowest EPA and tied for a league low in rushing yards over expected in Week 1. It was tough sledding for the Niners on the ground. His line did McCaffrey no favors, as evidenced by 51 of his 69 rushing yards coming after contact.
McCaffrey’s 69-yard performance is a testament to his running skills. CMC can manipulate defenders and squeak out three to four yards when he should be stopped at the line of scrimmage. When there’s the slightest of daylight, McCaffrey maximizes his yardage.
I don’t think his play-caller did CMC any favors, either. Whenever he ran to the right, it was an utter disaster. There were short-yardage situations that seemed hopeless. On one third and short, once George Kittle was out, the design called for Kyle Juszczyk to block Demarcus Lawrence. McCaffrey barely got back to the line of scrimmage. On 15 carries running to the right, McCaffrey had 36 yards. On seven carries to the left side of the line, McCaffrey ran for 33 yards. Knowing who the left tackle is, shouldn’t that be flipped?
Whether Dominick Puni or Colton McKivitz, Seattle had the upper hand on the right side. Trent Williams lost a couple of times in the passing game, but he was superb on the ground. And when Jake Brendel and Ben Bartch were allowed to work double teams, McCaffrey and Brian Robinson weren’t touched until they were four yards down the field.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say runs to the left will come early and often moving forward. It’s also OK to say Seattle’s defensive front will likely be the most stout unit the 49ers see this month.
The Saleh effect
Everybody can agree that Robert Saleh, as a defensive coordinator, is one of the best in the business. There would be marked improvement in the quality of defense the 49ers played this year. It may not happen right away, but over the course of a month or two, Saleh’s unit would inch closer and closer to a top 10 unit.
Schedule adjusted efficiency numbers start at zero as the average. The 49ers’ numbers after Week 1 against the pass are -19.4 percent and -11.7 against the run. The defense had the fifth-lowest EPA per pass allowed. The teams lower than them faced Bryce Young, Cam Ward, Tua, and J.J. McCarthy. The lone big play allowed was on a double move. If you’re allowing one explosive play on 24 passes, you’re going to be just fine.
Four different players blitzed. Two defensive linemen dropped into coverage. The Niners ran Cover 3 on 44 percent of its snaps, Cover 1 on 20 percent, Cover 4 on another 20, and Cover 6 on the other snaps. Not to mention the different personnel groupings and fronts.
Nick Bosa didn’t line up on the same side every play! He even moved inside on occasion. That led to Bosa having three tackles for loss, which would have been the second most for him in 2024. Per Sports Info Solutions player metrics, Bosa’s seven points saved were as many as he had in Week 17 last year against the Lions — his best game of the season. I wonder why…
The 49ers’ defense was multiple in every way imaginable. There was also a sense of attitude. That translated to effort and hustle, which led to a pair of turnovers. Welcome back, Bob.
That the 49ers won
It’s not last year anymore, but if it were, the 49ers might have gotten the ball back, but it would have been a two-possession game. The 49ers were 2-5 in one-score games last year. This time around, even with turnovers in the fourth quarter, San Francisco found a way.
Football is a team sport. There will be plenty of times this season where the offense needs to pick up the defense. We know both of those units will need to bail out the special teams. On Sunday, it was the defense doing the heavy lifting.
We can’t assume that Brock Purdy’s first interception took points off the board because the line of scrimmage was at the 39-yard line. Even if Purdy had checked it down, Jake Moody was looking at a 50+ yard field goal. Good luck. But those turned into points for the 49ers’ opponent every time last year. Instead, the defense forced a three-and-out and got the ball back to the offense in a minute and 30 seconds.
After a blocked field goal, Seattle had the ball and the lead heading into the fourth quarter. As they were approaching midfield, Sam Okuayinonu came from the other side of the field to force a fumble. That was a drive destined to give the Seahawks at least three points. Instead, the 49ers stopped them and added three points of their own.
After forcing another three-and-out, Purdy’s Hail Mary to Ricky Pearsall didn’t work out. Reneardo Green gave up a long pass, but also made a game-saving tackle on third down to force a field goal. And this is where the offense bailed out the defense and the special teams.
Everyone watching knew what would happen if the game came down to a Moody attempt. You couldn’t feel confident in Moody from anywhere at this point. After Pearsall’s double move, the Niners inched closer and closer to the goal line before Purdy found Jake Tonges for the game-winner.
The sequence of the second half in 2024 likely leads to a 24-10 loss. It took just one game for the 49ers to experience regression in one-score games.
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