SEATTLE -- After slogging their way through most of the first 58 minutes of their season opener, Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks' offense drove deep into San Francisco 49ers territory, putting themselves 9 yards away from the game-winning touchdown.
With a fresh set of downs, 62 seconds on the clock and one timeout left, they were in perfect position to steal a win on a day in which their defense was working overtime to keep them in the game.
But then the ball, and that opportunity, slipped out of Darnold's hands.
On second-and-4, Darnold fumbled when his hand hit offensive tackle Abraham Lucas' back while the quarterback was winding up to throw a check down. The 49ers recovered to seal their 17-13 win on Sunday at Lumen Field, a fitting end to a forgettable debut for Darnold and Seattle's new-look offense.
"The ending of that game just makes you sick," veteran receiver Cooper Kupp said. "We were right there. At the end of the day, we shouldn't have been in that position. If we make half the plays that we expect to, and we're not there. Killer way for it to end."
Very few expected coordinator Klint Kubiak's unit to be a juggernaut right out of the gate. There figured to be growing pains given all that is new -- Kubiak and his scheme, several of his assistants and six of his starters, including the quarterback.
But these numbers were disappointing by any standard:
13 points on 10 possessions
230 yards of total offense, 84 on the ground
3-of-10 on third down
two lost fumbles
"Obviously not the start that we wanted," said Darnold, who completed 16 of 23 passes for 150 yards. "Credit those guys. I thought their defense came out and played really well. They had some good scheme. ... For us, it was just not enough today. I felt like we weren't as efficient as we wanted to be on first and second down; third down, we've got to be way better as well. So not our best day today."
All offseason, the Seahawks looked like a team whose defense would have to carry them, at least early on. That group was entering its second season in coach Mike Macdonald's scheme and returned every key player after finishing ninth in points allowed in 2024. While the offense would need time to jell, Macdonald's defense had already gotten past its growing pains.
What happened Sunday did little to dispel that notion.
The Seahawks intercepted Brock Purdy twice and held San Francisco's rushing game to 3.3 yards per carry, repeatedly bending, but not breaking until late in the fourth quarter. That's when Pro Bowl cornerback Riq Woolen misplayed two Purdy throws -- a 45-yard deep ball to Ricky Pearsall and the game-winning touchdown to No. 3 tight end Jake Tonges.
But the Seahawks' defense could be excused for buckling under the added pressure of an offense that wasn't carrying its own weight. San Francisco possessed the ball for nearly 38 minutes, and Seattle was defending on all four downs after 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan lost faith in struggling kicker Jake Moody in the second half. The Seahawks also lost rookie safety Nick Emmanwori to an ankle injury on the opening possession, forcing them to play lighter against a run-heavy offense -- though the 49ers played without star tight end George Kittle and receiver Jauan Jennings for much of the game.
"I can't sugarcoat it -- it sucks," said safety Julian Love, who blocked a field goal and produced Seattle's lone sack. "You're waiting all offseason to play these guys and to take it to them, and for them to come out on top is a tough pill to swallow."
One bright spot for the Seahawks' offense was third-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (nine catches for 124 yards), who continues to show that he can win on the outside and not just in the slot. He had three catches that gained more than 20 yards, including a 40-yard completion that got the Seahawks into San Francisco territory on their final drive. He lost a fumble that led to a 49ers field goal.
"We'll see who else steps up so it's not just the Jax show every snap," Macdonald said, referring to the fact that no other Seattle player finished with more than 50 yards from scrimmage.
The Seahawks will need another offensive threat to emerge. More than anything, they'll need to run the ball like Macdonald expected them to when he hired Kubiak to replace Ryan Grubb, whose scheme was pass-heavy. Zach Charbonnet (12 carries, 47 yards, one touchdown) and Walker (10 carries, 20 yards) combined to average just over 3 yards per carry, each finding little room to run after some early rushing success.
With its emphasis on running the ball, under-center plays and designed roll-outs, Kubiak's system should, in theory, help Seattle's offensive line in ways that Grubb's did not. That unit held up fine in pass protection for most of Sunday, allowing only two quarterback hits and no sacks for the first 59 minutes.
But Nick Bosa changed that when he beat Lucas on a bull-rush that ultimately caused the game-ending fumble. That's how the debut ended for Darnold, Kubiak and the Seahawks' overhauled offense.
Adding to the disappointment of the Seahawks' loss was that it came to a division rival at Lumen Field, where they've made it an organizational priority to reestablish what was once one of the NFL's best home-field advantages. That quest will continue in two weeks, when they return home to host the New Orleans Saints after traveling to play Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
"We want to be able to defend home," Kupp said. "Guys are sick. They know the importance of winning here. There's a weightiness to that. This is not how we want to operate and not what we want to do, and guys want to make that right."