Nick Mullens Jersey , Calif. (AP) — As if the San Francisco 49ers needed any reminder about how Seattle has dominated this once fierce NFC West rivalry of late, Kyle Shanahan and his coaching staff spent the night before the game reminding the players with highlights from the Seahawks‘ 27-point blowout just two weeks ago.Message delivered.Robbie Gould kicked a 36-yard field goal with 3:06 left in overtime after San Francisco’s defense delivered three straight stops against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to help the 49ers snap a 10-game losing streak against Seattle with a 26-23 victory on Sunday.Article continues below ...“It (emotionally) touched a part of guys that needs to be touched sometimes,” said cornerback Richard Sherman, who was on the winning side of nine of those games with Seattle before joining the 49ers this season.“Sometimes you need to touch guys’ pride. You need to have some pride. You’re a grown man. They went out there and embarrassed you. How are you going to respond? We responded today.”Nick Mullens threw for 275 yards and a touchdown to help the 49ers (4-10) win consecutive games for the first time this season. Richie James Jr. returned a kick 97 yards for a touchdown and Gould kicked four field goals to give San Francisco its first win in the rivalry since 2013 when Jim Harbaugh was still coach.DeForest Buckner added two sacks against Wilson as the defense stepped up after being on the wrong side of a 43-16 beating just two weeks ago.“We took it personally,” Buckner said. “They flat out embarrassed us two weeks ago. Everybody from top to bottom wasn’t happy about it. We knew it would be a dog fight coming into this week. We just played them two weeks ago. It was a long two weeks for sure.”The Seahawks (8-6) had their four-game winning streak snapped and missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth with the loss to the Niners.Russell Wilson threw for 237 yards with two TD passes to Doug Baldwin and Chris Carson ran for 119 yards and a score for Seattle. But Wilson was unable to generate any points on his final three drives, leading to the loss.“We kept ourselves in the game, but we shot ourselves in the foot a bunch of times,” offensive lineman Duane Brown said. “We had plenty of opportunity to take it over, but we set ourselves back. We have to find a way to fix it. It’s not going to get any easier.”Carson tied the game early in the fourth quarter when he scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1. He appeared to be stuffed at the line by D.J. Jones, but managed to get out of that tackle and then fight through another attempt by Elijah Lee before diving over the goal line for the score that made it 20-all.The teams then traded field goals later in the fourth to set up the overtime.The 49ers forced a punt on the opening drive thanks in part to a holding penalty on Ethan Pocic that wiped out a third-down conversion.Mullens then drove San Francisco into position for the game-winning kick with help from a pass interference call against Shaquill Griffin and a 16-yard run by Jeff Wilson Jr.Gould then made his kick in the wind and rain, to give 49ers a rare celebration in a rough season.“I know how much this one means for Sherm and how much this means for our fans,” Gould said. “For us just to be able to get a win and have some positivity going to the end of the season with a lot of young guys will help us for next year.”FLAG DAYThe Seahawks committed three personal fouls on one drive in the third quarter to help the 49ers move the ball into the red zone. But San Francisco had to settle for a field goal after Wilson Jr. committed a personal foul, tossing the ball in the face of a Seahawks defender.Seattle finished with 14 penalties for 148 yards.DOWN ITSeattle rookie punter Michael Dickson downed consecutive punts at the San Francisco 1 and then 2-yard line in the first half. The Niners managed to score following the second kick with Mullens finding Garrett Celek on a 41-yard score. The 98-yard drive was the longest for San Francisco since a 99-yarder against Seattle in 2002.TO THE HOUSEJames took a kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter for San Francisco’s first return touchdown on a kick or punt since Ted Ginn Jr. did it in the 2011 opener against the Seahawks. Seattle’s 40-year-old kicker Sebastian Janikowski made only a half-hearted effort at a tackle as the last line of defense on the play.It was a rough sequence for Janikowski, who also missed the extra point before the kickoff.INJURIESSeahawks: S Bradley McDougald (knee) left the game in the first half. … OL Jordan Simmons (knee) left in the second half.49ers: CB Ahkello Witherspoon (knee) left the game in the first half.UP NEXTSeahawks: Host Kansas City on Sunday night.49ers: Host Chicago on Sunday. SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Alfred Morris knew the right opportunity would come, even as training camps opened and he remained home in Texas.Once the San Francisco 49ers called, Morris didn’t take long to get comfortable with his new team.With a stellar performance in Saturday’s exhibition at Indianapolis, the veteran running back appears to have earned a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster.Coach Kyle Shanahan said Morris may not even suit up for Thursday’s exhibition finale against the Los Angeles Chargers
Alfred Morris Jersey , a strong indication that the staff already views Morris as a regular-season contributor.Patience paid off for the two-time Pro Bowler.“I wasn’t panicking,” Morris said of the wait to find a job. “It wasn’t if I would be on a team, it was when. I had teams reaching out, even in OTAs, but I didn’t think it would be a good fit so I turned it down. I knew I would get an opportunity. It was just waiting for the right opportunity.”The 29-year-old Morris carried 17 times for 84 yards in Saturday’s 23-17 loss to the Colts, displaying a physical style of running that should fit well with San Francisco’s offense. Starting running back Jerick McKinnon is known more for speed and shiftiness, and the 5-foot-10, 222-pound Morris can provide a bruising change of pace.McKinnon and second-string running back Matt Breida have missed the majority of the preseason with injuries, which provided the opening for the 49ers to sign Morris on Aug. 13.McKinnon (strained calf) and Breida (separated shoulder) are expected to be available for the Sept. 9 opener at Minnesota.Shanahan, who’s familiar with Morris when both were with the Washington Redskins, liked what he saw Saturday.“It was just good to see him do it live,” Shanahan said. “I thought we blocked very well, so we gave him an opportunity to do it. . But we had a couple 3rd-and-1’s where I thought we missed a guy (blocking) in the backfield and he got hit behind the line of scrimmage but still was able to get us a yard. Those are the ones that allow you to stay on the field and keep running plays.”There isn’t a ton of intrigue left before the 49ers cut down to their final 53-man roster. One battle is at right guard between Mike Person and Josh Garnett, but when asked about Person, Shanahan said, “It’s his job to lose right now.”Shanahan confirmed that backup quarterback C.J. Beathard would start Thursday against the Chargers. Jimmy Garoppolo and several other starters are expected to be held out to avoid injury.When training camp began, Morris was at home in Cross Roads, Texas
Mike Person Jersey , a town of less than 1,500 people. He relished the extra time with his wife, Lindsey, their 3-year-old son, Josiah, and their 1-year-old daughter, Grace. At times, Morris said, he had to calm his wife’s nerves about when he might get a call from an NFL team.“I had a peace, honestly,” he said. “At times my wife was like, ‘Well, what’s going on?’ And I’m like, ‘It’s OK, it’s OK.'”NOTES: Linebacker Reuben Foster (concussion) and running back Joe Williams (ribs) didn’t practice Wednesday, although Shanahan wouldn’t rule either out for Thursday. Foster would have to clear concussion protocol. .Tight end George Kittle (shoulder) returned to practice in a limited capacity. . The 49ers signed undrafted running back Ja’Quan Gardner to a three-year deal Tuesday and waived safety Chanceller James.