Through the first eleven weeks of the 2014 NFL season, whispers about cracks and flaws in the Seattle Seahawks' vaunted defense were reverberating throughout the league. Less than two weeks later and following two dominating defensive efforts against playoff-caliber division opponents, the consensus of opinion has reversed itself. The championship-caliber Seahawks are back.

"The defense has really taken a step forward last week and this week," said head coach Pete Carroll. "There's no question in the last two weeks that we've elevated our game."

The Seahawks Faced Long Odds

Seattle came into Levi Stadium with the venue and history against them.

Although both the Seahawks and 49ers were playing on just three days rest following hard-fought games on Sunday, the game was played in San Francisco in front of 70,799 partisan fans. Furthermore, the Seahawks had not defeated the 49ers on the road since 2008, having been outscored 128-73 over the past five games.

Seattle was undaunted by the ghosts of the past and the tough scheduling. "Coach Carroll really got us ready for that short week," explained quarterback Russell Wilson after the game.

Both Defenses Showed up Early

Predictably, the game began with the defenses holding serve early. The 49ers punted on their first possession, as did Seattle. On the next drive for each team, both offenses went three-and-out.

On the ensuing 49ers drive, however, the first big play of the game was made by All Pro cornerback Richard Sherman. On third and eight from his own 30, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick attempted to hit wide receiver Brandon Lloyd down the right sideline. Instead, his throw reached the waiting arms of Sherman, who intercepted the pass and returned it to the San Francisco 45 yard line.

Robert Turbin Scored the Game's First Touchdown

Following the turnover, Wilson engineered a seven play, 45-yard drive for the first score of the game. Mixing runs and short passes effectively, Wilson kept the drive alive with a ten-yard completion to Doug Baldwin on third-and-seven. Two plays later, Wilson connected with Turbin on a 13-yard swing pass for the 7-0 lead.

"I was really excited for Robert Turbin getting in the end zone there," said Wilson after the game.

Steven Hauschka Extended the Lead in the Second Quarter

Both defenses made plays in the second quarter. San Francisco linebacker Ahmad Brooks sacked Wilson on second and one from the 49ers one yard line, part of a goal-line stand that forced the Seahawks to settle for a field goal. For its part, Seattle turned a nearly-botched John Ryan punt into a turnover, as Perrish Cox fumbled the punt return, recovered by the Seahawks' O'Brien Schofield at the San Francisco 40.

Another Hauschka field goal at the 5:45 mark lifted Seattle to the 13-0 lead, which remained the score at halftime.

Each Team Engineered Their Longest Drive in the Third Quarter

Both teams put together long drives to start the second half.

The Seahawks received the ball first and went on an eleven play, 65-yard march down the field. Running back Marshawn Lynch had his best run of the game, a 33-yard sprint down the right side before being pushed out of bounds at the San Francisco 9 yard line. The drive stalled shortly thereafter, leading to Haushka's third field goal of the game, this one from 35 yards out.

On their next possession, the 49ers finally got on the board with a twelve play, 59-yard drive of their own. Three Seahawks penalties helped keep the series alive, along with short passes to Vernon Davis, Frank Gore and Anquan Boldin. After Kaepernick was sacked by Michael Bennett on third and eight from the Seattle 19, Phil Dawson kicked a 40 yard field goal, breaking the shutout.

After three quarters, the score was 16-3.

Seattle Iced the Game in the Final Quarter

Starting at their own 20, the Seahawks continued to mix runs and passes effectively, driving 52 yards in 5:55 before Hauschka split the uprights with his fourth field goal of the game.

On San Francisco's next possession and while rolling to his right, Kaepernick threw his second interception of the game, once again to Richard Sherman.

“He said he was throwing to the open man; he didn’t care who was out there,” said cornerback Richard Sherman of opposing quarterback Colin Kaepernick. "I was the open man.”

Neither team scored again, and in the end, Seattle walked away with a huge 19-3 lead, taking command of their own destiny in the process.

Game Statistics

Russell Wilson finished the game 15-22 for 236 yards and a touchdown, registering a quarterback rating of 118.8. Colin Kaepernick was just 16-29 for 121 yards, with two interceptions and an anemic 36.7 quarterback rating. The running back battle also was won decisively by the Seahawks, as Lynch ran for 104 yards on 20 carries, versus just 28 yards on ten carries for Frank Gore.

Overall, the Seahawks generated 379 yards of total offense, while holding the 49ers to a season-low 164 yards.

"I'm glad we could contribute to a beautiful day in the Northwest," said Pete Carroll. "A really solid game across the board. A very strong performance,  running and passing." Summing it up, Carroll called it "a really great team win."

The Seahawks travel to Philadelphia a week from Sunday to play a tough Eagles club, while the 49ers look to rebound against the lowly Oakland Raiders.