Seattle – The setting was perfect for Alex Smith to fail: His team was trailing, it was cold and wet, and the crowd expected another Seattle Seahawks division title.
Instead, with crisp, confident passes and nimble running, Smith put together the best 15 minutes of his young career.
Smith accounted for three fourth-quarter touchdowns – two passing, one running – and the San Francisco 49ers prevented the Seahawks from clinching the NFC West with a surprising 24-14 victory on Thursday night.
“The boy just became a grown man today, baby,” 49ers running back Frank Gore said of his quarterback. “There’s a lot more to come.”
Keeping the 49ers’ slim playoff hopes alive, Smith tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis early in the fourth quarter, then capped a 10-play, 73-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Gore with 4:01 left that sent soaked – and shocked – Seahawks’ fans for the exits.
One play after a delay- of-game penalty on third-and-1, Smith stepped out of Kelly Herndon’s grasp, scrambled and found Gore behind the defense near the goal line. San Francisco players then erupted into celebration, as the 49ers (6-8) broke a three-game losing streak and swept both games from Seattle.
“I think we always knew (we could beat Seattle),” Smith said. “I think that changed a couple of weeks ago when we beat them at our place.
“I think this team grew up a little bit tonight.”
If his fourth-quarter passing wasn’t enough, Smith faked the entire Seattle defense and jogged 18 yards for a touchdown with 1:42 left to cap a night when he looked just a little like Steve Young and Joe Montana.
The turnaround was startling, after the 49ers’ offense went the first 44 minutes with just four first downs and rarely looked threatening. The 49ers rolled up 196 yards in the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks (8-6) lost their second straight divisional game, ending any hopes of getting a first-round bye in the playoffs.
“We need to find a way to win this week or next week or somehow,” Seattle’s Bryce Fisher said. “Otherwise there’s going to be a lot of us getting our lockers cleaned out.”
