There was a point in the 49ers’ recent history when they could not buy a win in Seattle against the Seahawks.

The 49ers won just once in 11 games from 2012 through the 2021 NFL season.

Then, Brock Purdy came along.

On Sunday, the 49ers made plenty of mistakes but they came through when it mattered the most.

Purdy and little-known tight end Jake Tonges teamed up for a 4-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, and Nick Bosa closed the door with a strip-sack to preserve a 17-13 victory in Week 1 of the regular season.

The 49ers are 4-0 in Seattle with Purdy at quarterback.

Here is the report card from the 49ers’ perfectly imperfect season opener in Seattle:

Rushing offense

The Seahawks stacked the box, making it difficult on Christian McCaffrey to get much going on the ground. The 49ers struggled to move the ball, but they stuck with it and ran 36 times. Although they had just a 3.3-yard average per rushing attempt, it enabled the 49ers to control the clock with an advantage of nearly 16 minutes.

McCaffrey gained 69 yards on 22 carries, while backup Brian Robinson Jr. carried nine times for 33 yards.

Grade: B-minus

Passing offense

It was not Purdy’s best game, which shows how high he has set the bar during his time as the 49ers’ quarterback. He completed 26 of 35 pass attempts for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Purdy made a couple of ill-advised throws for interceptions. Third-string tight end Jake Tonges came through in the clutch with a remarkable 4-yard touchdown grab that he ripped from the grasp of Seattle defensive back Riq Woolen for the winning points.

Ricky Pearsall had a nice day with four catches for 108 yards, including a 45-yarder that set up the winning score. George Kittle had a 5-yard touchdown catch in the first half before leaving with a hamstring injury.

McCaffrey added nine catches for 73 yards.

Grade: B-minus

Rushing defense

The Seahawks were determined to run the football with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. And after experiencing some issues early in the game, the 49ers’ run defense put down the clamps with a strong performance.

The Seahawks managed just 3.2 yards per attempt on 26 carries. Charbonnet had 47 yards while Walker gained just 20 yards on 10 carries.

Linebackers Fred Warner and Dee Winters were particularly effective. Warner had eight tackles, while Winters came through with two tackles for loss.

Grade: A-minus

Passing defense

Bosa closed the door with a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery to seal the 49ers’ victory in the closing minute.

The 49ers got major contributions from a pair of rookies in the defensive backfield. Safety Marques Sigle started and played well. He had six tackles and a fumble recovery after Sam Okuayinonu forced a fumble on a short completion.

Rookie nickel back Upton Stout was the target of the Seahawks’ passing game. He mostly held up to the challenge, including a nice pass breakup late in the game.

Grade: A-minus

Special teams

The 49ers’ special teams were abysmal last season, so coach Kyle Shanahan made some changes. He brought in highly respected special-teams coordinator Brant Boyer to remake that phase of the game.

In Week 1, it looked more like the same. Jake Moody missed a 27-yard field goal, banging it off the left upright. On his next attempt, the protection broke down and his 36-yard attempt was blocked. Moody does not exactly exude confidence, but he made a 32-yard field goal and connected on both extra points.

Skyy Moore had an 18-yard punt return but also muffed a punt. He did manage to avoid the turnover as he recovered it.

Grade: D-minus

Coaching

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh installed a water-tight plan against the Seahawks’ offense. The 49ers mixed up their coverages and pass-rush schemes to keep Seattle off-balance. They could not get anything sustained against the 49ers’ defense with the run or pass.

Offensively, the 49ers had a difficult time against a Seattle defense that crowded the box and took away the middle of the field. However, the play of the game was the double-move that Pearsall ran in the fourth quarter that Shanahan dialed up for a 45-yard gain on Purdy’s pass.

The 49ers dealt with adversity, and they stuck together and overcame some obstacles for the big road win.

Grade: B

Overall

This was the kind of game that the 49ers of 2024 would have lost.

So, yes, this is a new season.

The 49ers still have plenty of issues heading into Week 2, including injuries to Kittle and Jauan Jennings (shoulder). But to come out of this game with a victory was exactly what this team needed after a season in which they finished 6-11 and in last place in the NFC West.

Grade: B-minus

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