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Wilson, Seahawks rule rivalry with 49ers again in 20-3 win

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara

SANTA CLARA, Calif. » Russell Wilson and the Seahawks ruled their one-sided rivalry against the 49ers for another night.

Another Thursday night, in fact, and on San Francisco’s home field again.

Wilson threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett late in the first half, Marshawn Lynch added a 1-yard score, and Seattle beat San Francisco 20-3 on Thursday night for its fourth straight win between the NFC West rivals.

The Seahawks (3-4) whipped San Francisco in Levi’s Stadium on a Thursday in prime time 11 months after Richard Sherman chomped turkey on the field here last Thanksgiving night following a 19-3 victory.

Wilson completed 10 of his first 12 passes and finished with 235 yards passing and Lynch ran for 122 yards after vomiting on the sideline in the first half. Seattle won its first road game in four tries, avoiding another fourth-quarter collapse this season.

It was a game lacking its usual intrigue with both teams trying to save their seasons and with Pete Carroll missing former coaching nemesis and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

Wilson made the key plays and Colin Kaepernick struggled once again facing Seattle as the 49ers (2-5) lost four days after snapping a four-game losing streak by beating Baltimore.

Steven Hauschka sent dirt flying when he kicked a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter four days after Ravens kicker Justin Tucker slipped on the turf and shanked one off the right upright and slipped to the ground on the field that will host the Super Bowl in early February.

Wilson was sacked five times to push his NFL-leading total to 31 and threw a pair of interceptions, but still made plenty of big plays for another lopsided result against the Niners.

Fans left early again in an eerily similar scene to Thanksgiving night, when 49ers CEO Jed York apologized on Twitter in the waning moments by saying: "This performance wasn’t acceptable. I apologize for that."

This time, it was former 49ers wideout Kassim Osgood weighing in on Twitter with: "’Something ain’t right in SF’"

Kaepernick’s errant passes sailed into both sidelines, one ball even hitting a 49ers staff member in the head early in the game and requiring him to be checked.

Phil Dawson kicked a 35-yard field goal late in the third, and the 49ers have been held to single digits in their past three losses to Seattle with just one touchdown — outscored 56-13.

Kaepernick dropped to 1-6 in seven starts against the Seahawks with three touchdown passes to nine interceptions and 24 sacks.

The Seahawks’ winning streak in the series started with the NFC championship game in January 2014 that propelled them to a Super Bowl victory. Seattle has won six out of seven overall against San Francisco.

Jermaine Kearse caught a 21-yard pass over a leaping NaVorro Bowman, facing Seattle for the first time since a frightening left knee injury in the NFC title game. He needed surgery and was sidelined all of last season.

San Francisco’s 55 yards in the first half were the fewest allowed by the Seahawks defense in an opening half since Week 17 of the 2013 season against St. Louis.

On their opening drive, the Seahawks needed six plays once they reached the 3 before Lynch’s leaping touchdown run, scoring just their second TD of the season on the initial drive.

San Francisco’s Quinton Patton lost his cool late in the game and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for yelling in an official’s face.

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