The 49ers can prevail against the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football as the receiver sets a historic record

CNN
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The San Francisco 49ers took on division rival Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night needing a win after suffering a stunning home loss to the Arizona Cardinals in their last game.

And although there were some nervous moments, the 49ers were able to get back on track with their 36-24 win at Lumen Field.

After blowing a 13-point lead against the Cardinals in Week 5, the 49ers seemed well on their way to exorcising those demons as they jumped to a 16-3 halftime lead before stretching it to 23: 3 expansions.

But a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown by Seattle's Laviska Shenault on the very next play cut that lead, while a one-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Walker tied the game to a six-point game just in the fourth quarter made.

Unlike against Arizona, however, the 49ers did not give in to the pressure. A nine-yard pass from Brock Purdy to George Kittle and a six-yard run from Kyle Juszczyk meant San Francisco remained shy of the comeback Seattle was trying to achieve.

After disappointing losses to the Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams in recent weeks, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he felt “sick” about those results.

But he said after Thursday's win that he was much more impressed with how his team rebounded against the Seahawks.

“We talked about how these two losses are a reminder of how the NFL works,” Shanahan told reporters. “I think we're a little spoiled by human nature, sometimes we feel too relaxed, and you can never feel too relaxed.

“I thought we played really well in the second half, but that doesn't mean it's easy to win. This is how it works. We played well. They played well. They came back and made a few plays that made it closer and I was glad our guys were able to get through that and realize that games are really never over if you can just sit and relax in the fourth quarter. You have to persevere from start to finish, and we had that experience today.”

Purdy led the offense with a clean performance, completing 18 of his 28 throws for 255 yards and three touchdowns.

The 49ers' running game appeared to suffer a setback midway through the second quarter when Jordan Mason – who had already filled in for Christian McCaffrey – left the game with a shoulder injury. At that point, Mason had rushed nine times for 73 yards.

However, San Francisco didn't miss a beat on the ground as rookie Isaac Guerendo stepped in and carried the ball 10 times for 99 yards.

The defense, missing several key starters, also did a great job on Seattle's offense, holding it to just 52 rushing yards and intercepting quarterback Geno Smith twice, including on the game's very first drive.

It was a special game for 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who made NFL history in Thursday's encounter.

The dual-threat offensive weapon known for his receiving and rushing abilities had a 76-yard touchdown catch midway through the second quarter. He became the first wide receiver in NFL history with 20 touchdown receptions and 20 touchdown runs.

And afterward, Samuel talked about the significance of Thursday's win, as San Francisco improved to 3-3.

“It was definitely a must-win, but (I) kind of look at must-wins a little differently,” Samuel, who finished the game with 102 receiving yards on three receptions and 15 rushing yards, told reporters.

“Must-wins mean: If you lose, you’re done for.” So ultimately we viewed it as a must-win to get back on track.”