Game review

OFFENSE

This might have been the most important game of Jimmy Garoppolo’s career, and he responded with an efficient, error-free effort. He completed 18 of 22 passes for 285 yards, and though he didn’t throw for a TD (for only the third time this season), he also didn’t throw an interception (for the sixth time in 2019). Tight end George Kittle was his normal tremendous self (seven catches on seven targets for 86 yards), and Deebo Samuel had 102 receiving yards and a 30-yard TD run as the 49ers averaged 5.3 yards on 24 carries.

DEFENSE

His name is Dre Greenlaw — and 49ers fans might never forget the heretofore overlooked rookie fifth-round linebacker after his game-high 13th tackle of the night stopped Jacob

Hollister inches short of the goal line on Seattle’s final play. It wasn’t the 49ers’ first such stop of the night:

Marshawn Lynch (12 carries, 34 yards) was stoned on a 4th-and-inches run at the 49ers’ 31 with less than a minute left in the second quarter. The 49ers wobbled a bit in the second half, allowing all 21 Seattle points and 269 of the Seahawks’ 348 yards.

Russell Wilson was sacked only once and had no interceptions.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Robbie Gould connected from 47 yards in the first quarter — his only field goal of the night — and now has gone four games without a miss (8-for-8). He also made both extra-point tries to finish the regular season 41-for-42. Mitch

Wishnowsky was called on to punt only twice, averaging 47 yards. Richie

James was a nonfactor on returns: no kickoff returns and only 6 yards on two punt returns.

COACHING

Seattle had cut its deficit to 13-7 on its first drive of the third quarter when

Kyle Shanahan designed a play with 240-pound fullback

Kyle Juszczyk in the slot — it went for 49 yards and immediately stemmed the Seahawks’ momentum. In the first quarter, Shanahan brought receiver Samuel through the backfield on an end around — he scored on the 30-yard run (his third rushing TD this season). The Seahawks’ staff clearly made better halftime adjustments, but that delay-of-game penalty on 2nd-and-goal at the 49ers’ 1 with 22 seconds to go was stunning.

OVERALL

The CenturyLink puzzle has been solved — for at least one season — and as a result, the 49ers have the No. 1 seed in the NFC and an extra week to rest and get healthy before hosting a divisional-round game Jan. 11. It was the 49ers’ 13th win of the season — a stunning turnaround for a franchise that in the previous three seasons had won a combined 12 times.