Offensive woes began early
Play on first snap is broken, and problems went on from there
SEATTLE — From the very first snap, the 49ers offense looked lost in Sunday’s 37-18 defeat to the Seahawks. Blaine Gabbert turned to hand the ball off to Carlos Hyde on that first play, but Hyde wasn’t in the backfield and instead lined up wide as a receiver.
“I was getting the call up front, went to hand it off and there was nobody there,” Gabbert said. “That can’t happen, especially on the first play of the game.
“That’s inexcusable. We knew what the play call was coming off the sideline and that just can’t happen.”
Gabbert faked a handoff and scrambled ahead for a 1-yard gain against a Seahawks defense that would make matters worse in the coming quarters.
“It was just an error on the offense and that can’t happen to start the game,” Gabbert added. “We’ve all got to be on the same page and we just have to learn from that.”
The lesson Hyde learned: play calls can sound different amid the CenturyLink Field crowd noise. “It got real loud, and I heard one play, and the coach called another play,” Hyde said. “It was just a misunderstanding.”
Coach Chip Kelly confirmed that Hyde was supposed to be in the backfield, but Kelly took the blame, saying: “That’s on me. I call the plays on the sideline so if we’re not set up right we have to make sure we are.”
It was the start of a dismal offensive outing. Of their 254 yards, 122 came in the fourth quarter after
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Hyde finally found success in the fourth quarter, where he had a pair of 8yard touchdown runs. Of his 103 rushing yards, 67 came in the fourth quarter.
Both of Hyde’s touchdown runs came on third down, which ran counter to an earlier trend. The 49ers were 0 for 10 on third-down conversions entering the final 11 minutes, and they finished 4 of 15.
“We had some success in the run game — 2 yards here, 3 yards there,” Hyde said. “But Seattle has a really good defense so you have to take what you get and capitalize on that.
“… It’s definitely the same defense, same tough guys. That group won a Super Bowl together. They still play sound defense, play together and play really hard.”
Starting cornerback n Jimmie Ward, one of the 49ers’ best defenders, did not return after injuring the quadriceps in his left leg. “From the preliminary indications, I think it’s a muscle (pull),” Kelly said. “I don’t think it’s an ACL. That doesn’t mean something else can come up after (an MRI).”
Ward got hurt running downfield on a second-quarter kickoff when his leg appeared to get stuck in the artificial turf. Keith Reaser replaced him in the lineup.
Tight end Vance McDonald n (left hip) did not return after hurting his left hip, during a second-quarter series in which he had a 2-yard catch.
Phil Dawson missed n his first field-goal try this season on a 53-yard attempt that came up short and wide right in the second quarter, with the 49ers trailing 21-3. Dawson earlier made a 22yard field goal and is 3 of 4 on the season.
A replay review resulted n in the 49ers being awarded the ball on a NaVorro Bowman forced fumble against Jimmie Graham. Gerald Hodges recovered the fumble.
The 49ers have four fumble recoveries and four interceptions this season. They have scored points off all eight take-aways, accounting for 45 of their 73 points.
On third-and-8, Quinton n Patton bobbled a 2-yard pass and Bobby Wagner intercepted it at the 49ers’ 29-yard line in the third quarter. That dropped the 49ers to 0 for 9 on thirddown attempts.
Glenn Dorsey delivered n a third-quarter sack for an 11-yard loss. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament on the same field 10 months ago.
Shadowed most of the n game by Richard Sherman, Torrey Smith totaled three catches for 35 yards, including an 11-yard, third-down conversion reception in the fourth quarter in which he hurt his left ankle. Smith returned to the game.
Safety Kam Chancellor n drilled Garrett Celek in the back on a 2-yard reception early in the third quarter. Celek later returned to action and totaled three catches for 25 yards.
Linebacker Nick Bellore n recorded his first career interception when he picked off Trevone Boykin with 3:40 remaining.
Russell Wilson (15 n of 23, 243 yards, one touchdown) sustained a third-quarter knee injury when Eli Harold tackled him for a would-be sack, which was nullified once officials flagged Harold for a horse-collar tackle. Boykin replaced Wilson, who had never previously missed a snap to injury in his career.