The San Francisco 49ers started this whole dominant defense trend in the NFC West. They remain the kings of the style until proven otherwise.
Down by three points at halftime to the Seattle Seahawks with the division lead up for grabs, the 49ers absolutely dominated the second half in all facets Thursday night en route to a 13-6 victory.
This game was a reminder that you don't need 300 passing yards and 40 points to create a memorable football game. San Francisco imposed its offensive will after halftime with quick-hitting Frank Gore runs up the gut of Seattle's defense. The Inconvenient Truth had 92 rushing yards after halftime alone and 182 yards from scrimmage overall before missing the final drive with bruised ribs. Gore told reporters after the game that he'll "be all right."
The 49ers' defense did the rest. After missing a ton of tackles on Marshawn Lynch in the first half, San Francisco (5-2) absolutely smothered Seattle (4-3). The Seahawks didn't score in the second half: Their last four drives combined for 37 yards. Russell Wilson had three completions for 19 yards after halftime.
This was an attitude game. On a night when 49ers quarterback Alex Smith played poorly, the defense and running game took over.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
