49ers halftime report from Seattle: Kittle, Mitchell lead way to 23-21 lead over Seahawks

SEATTLE — Here is a quick recap of how the 49ers’ first half went en route to a 23-21 lead in today’s visit to the Seattle Seahawks, following a frightening injury to Trenton Cannon on the opening kickoff:

TAKING THE LEAD

Who would fill the 49ers offense’s play-making void with Deebo Samuel inactive because of a groin injury? Well, that would be George Kittle (five catches, 121 yards, two touchdowns) and Elijah Mitchell (12 carries, 41 yards, one touchdown).

Kittle has scored two touchdowns, the latter coming on a 48-yard, catch-and-tightrope-run down the left sideline with 1:48 remaining in the half.

Kittle pulled the 49ers into a 7-7 tie with a 24-yard touchdown, then he had a 28-yard catch to the 8-yard line that set up Mitchell’s go-ahead, 2-yard touchdown run with 1:32 left in the longest first quarter ever (so it seems). Kittle had a 5-yard, end-around run earlier in the nine-play, 54-yard drive.

The 49ers will need others to further step up, such as Trent Sherfield, who made a third-down conversion catch 2 1/2 minutes before halftime. Garoppolo is 10-of-15 for 157 yards, with drops by Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk.

SECONDARY ISSUES

You just knew Russell Wilson would hit the 49ers deep at one point, and that came about 6 minutes before halftime. Wilson completed a 35-yard pass to the 2 on third-and-14. Safety Jaquiski Tartt was shaken up on the play as he came over late to try helping Deommodore Lenoir vs D.K. Metcalf.

On the ensuing two snaps, Lenoir got called for pass interference in the end zone, then Adrian Peterson scored on a 1-yard run to make it 17-14 with 5:35 left. Peterson was signed this past week. It was his 120th career rushing touchdown (fourth-most in NFL history) and 126th overall touchdown (tied for 10th with Jim Brown).

Lenoir got victimized again just before halftime, as he surrendered a 7-yard touchdown catch to Dee Eskridge that shaved the 49ers’ lead to 23-21. That drive was fueled by roughing-the-passer penalties by Arden Key and Charles Omenihu.

Lenoir was filling in for Emmanuel Moseley, who left in the first quarter with an ankle injury and is questionable to return. Moseley earlier recovered a fumble and he had tight coverage on a third-down pass that was caught out of bounds and thus ruled incomplete.

The Seahawks tried a sneak attack against the 49ers’ secondary some eight minutes before halftime, only to see Wilson’s heave — after two laterals — go incomplete in the end zone. Credit to Jimmie Ward and Josh Norman for staying close to Tyler Lockett on that trick play, in which Lockett sustained an injury.

Wilson is 16-of-19 for only 111 yards.

SEIZING MOMENTUM

D.J. Jones turned the game around, first tackling Peterson for a 5-yard loss and then forcing a fumble on the next snap, with Moseley recovering the ball at the Seahawks’ 24-yard line.

The 49ers immediately converted that turnover into a touchdown: Jimmy Garoppolo completed a pass that seemed to hang in the air endlessly until it reached an open Kittle, who was backpedaling in the end zone behind cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Quandre Diggs.

UGLY INTERCEPTION

Garoppolo threw a first-quarter interception for the second straight game, and this one was downright ugly as it went right into the gut of linebacker Bobby Wagner, who dropped into coverage for the pass intended to Trent Sherfield.

Unlike the 49ers’ earlier takeaway, the Seahawks did not convert this one into any points, as Jason Myers was short on a 56-yard field-goal attempt.

BEAUTIFUL SACK

Nick Bosa’s 12th sack this season resulted in a Russell Wilson fumble and a 23-yard loss back into Seahawks’ territory. Bosa blasted in off the left edge, while D.J. Jones and Arik Armstead also provided pressure.

The only players with more than 12 sacks entering Sunday’s game were Myles Garrett (Browns; 14) and T.J. Watt (Steelers; 12 1/2).

Arik Armstead’s third sack of the season came later in a first quarter that encompassed 49 minutes.

SOMBER START

Trenton Cannon was seriously injured covering the opening kickoff. The right side of his head and neck collided with Talanoa Hufanga’s leg.

Medical staff from both teams immediately rushed to Cannon’s aid, and an ambulance was on the field within three minutes to transport him to presumably the nearest hospital.

The game was delayed nearly 10 minutes before action resumed with the 49ers’ defense seemingly forcing a three-and-out possession by the Seahawks, and it was safety Jaquiski Tartt making a third-down tackle to force a punt.

But the Seahawks faked the punt, Travis Homer took a direct snap and ran 73 yards for a stunning touchdown and 7-0 lead.

SPECIAL TEAMS ISSUES

Robbie Gould made a 50-yard field goal to push the 49ers’ lead to 17-7 with 9:43 until halftime. But Gould missed the point-after kick following Kittle’s second touchdown.

Covering kickoffs must be unnerving after Cannon’s earlier injury, but Ambry Thomas has made two solid tackles since then.