The Seattle Seahawks entered the postseason as a team that defied so many odds. Once Wild Card Weekend started, however, it was clear that they were in way above their heads. The Seahawks fell in their Wild Card Round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, 41-23, on the road. Seattle trailed early and rallied in the first half. However, they could not sustain their momentum as the 49ers dominated the second half. Here we'll discuss the four Seahawks most to blame for their NFL Wild Card Round loss vs. the 49ers.

This was a game of contrasting halves for the Seahawks. They performed exceptionally well during the first half. Despite starting off poorly with a three-and-out on their first two possessions and falling behind 10-0, they managed to recover and put up a 17-point second quarter. Seattle even led at halftime.

However, the second half was a different story. The defense was unable to stop the 49ers offense, which scored three touchdowns in a row. They also struggled on third down. Seattle allowed the Niners to convert five out of six opportunities. Additionally, the offense began to falter, with Smith committing two turnovers. In the first half, Seattle had no penalties but ended the game with five, resulting in 30 yards lost.

For now, let us look at the four Seahawks most to blame for their NFL Wild Card Round loss vs. the 49ers.

4. Seahawks Offensive Line

The Seahawks had two rookie offensive tackles starting this season, and their lack of experience became a problem in this game. The turning point of the game occurred when the opposing team strip-sacked Geno Smith. This led to a fumble that was recovered by Charles Omenihu and Nick Bosa. The fumble resulted in the 49ers getting the ball back and scoring a touchdown.

Additionally, the offensive line had three penalties in four plays during the next drive. These forced the Seahawks to punt while down by 14 points in the fourth quarter. This game should serve as a valuable learning experience for both Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas as they prepare for their next NFL season.

3. Seahawks Defensive Line

The Seahawks defense struggled to contain the 49ers during this contest. Seattle just allowed San Francisco to gain too many easy yards. They also managed to get just one sack on Brock Purdy. One bright spot was the performance of Uchenna Nwosu who had three tackles for a loss. Bruce Irvin also had two tackles, including the lone sack. However, the interior defensive line didn't seem to make much of an impact.

This was not shocking, though. Keep in mind that the defense has been a weak point throughout the season for the Seahawks. They were particularly vulnerable when allowing more than 150 yards rushing to opposing teams. This was once again a problem in this game. Seattle allowed the Niners to rack up 181 yards on the ground. Christian McCaffrey led the way with 119 yards. Addressing these issues in run defense will be crucial for the team to improve in 2023.

2. Seahawks Secondary

Cody Barton and Tanner Muse played their second full game together as the inside linebacking duo. Sadly the middle of the field was often left too open for the opposing team's crossing routes. Too often, this resulted in big plays for the 49ers. With Barton now a free agent and Jordyn Brooks suffering an ACL injury recently, it appears the team needs to make significant changes in this position during the offseason.

Ryan Neal also returned to safety and played most of the game. He led the team with 10 tackles in a strong effort. However, the secondary had an overall poor performance. They had missed tackles and too many receivers getting wide open. Purdy had a relatively easy time throwing for three touchdowns and finishing with a 131.5 passer rating.

Overall, Seattle's defense was outmatched in this game. The 49ers had a season-high 505 yards and did significant damage with both the run and the pass. They also had explosive plays throughout the game and scored points on eight out of their nine possessions. This performance by the Seattle defense was just not up to par.

1. QB Geno Smith

To be fair, Geno Smith had a pretty flawless game against the NFL's strongest defense for nearly three quarters. However, remember that turnovers have been a significant concern for him recently.

Unfortunately, he coughed up the ball again when it counted the most. Smith fumbled in the red zone on a vital drive, this time with 2:25 remaining in the third quarter. Nick Bosa recovered, which was the decisive blow for the Niners. Smith also added another terrible pick in the fourth quarter. This is hardly the type of performance you want coming into a contract negotiation, but it is what it is.