The Sports Xchange

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Seattle Seahawks celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast on the Levi’s Stadium field last season.

Eleven months later, they returned Thursday night to enjoy an early Halloween, disguised as their former selves.

The Seahawks turned back the clock with the type of defensive dominance that led to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, sacking San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick six times in a 20-3 victory.

Running back Marshawn Lynch rushed for a touchdown, quarterback Russell Wilson threw for one, and kicker Steven Hauschka made two field goals, lifting the Seahawks (3-4) to their third consecutive low-scoring win over the 49ers (2-5) in the past two seasons.

“That was the way it was supposed to be,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of the defense-dominated style of victory. “I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. It’s just the way we should be playing. It felt like a really normal Seahawk night tonight.”

Defensive end Michael Bennett recorded a career-best 3 1/2 sacks as the Seahawks recorded a near-identical win to the 19-3 victory they registered on the same field over the 49ers last Thanksgiving.

“I have to give it to the (defensive backs),” Bennett said. “They did a great job today. The quarterback held the ball. It just gave me some time to get there.”

Despite getting sacked five times and intercepted on two occasions, Wilson passed for 235 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown to rookie receiver Tyler Lockett in the second quarter.

What we learned about the Seahawks:

1. Marshawn Lynch is over his hamstring issue. Now it is his stomach he has to worry about. Lynch rushed a season-high 27 times for 122 yards Thursday in a win over the San Francisco 49ers in just his second game since returning from a hamstring injury. The performance was interrupted for 11 minutes bridging the first and second quarters after Lynch vomited on the sidelines.

2. When the Seahawks are on their game defensively, they must be considered a Super Bowl contender no matter what their record. All three of their wins this season were dominated by their defense, with the victories coming by a combined score of 59-13. However, when the defense falters, giving up 17 or more points, the club is winless.

3. The Seahawks and 49ers might be in the same division, but they are no longer in the same league. The 20-3 win Thursday gave Seattle a 56-13 scoring dominance in the last three meetings between the teams that represented the NFC in the last three Super Bowls. The Seahawks haven’t given up a touchdown on San Francisco’s home turf since 2013.

Etc.

–RB Marshawn Lynch vomited on the sidelines after carrying the ball nine times on the Seahawks’ first offensive possession Thursday in a win over the 49ers. Lynch returned after an 11-minute absence to complete a 27-carry, 122-yard, one-touchdown outing, recording season highs in both carries and yards.

–WR Tyler Lockett became just the second NFL player since 2000 to record touchdowns receiving and on punt and kickoff returns in his rookie season when he hauled in a 43-yard scoring pass Thursday in Seattle’s win over San Francisco. Lockett earlier had a 57-yard punt return for a touchdown in the opener against St. Louis and a 105-yard kickoff return for a score in Week 3 against Chicago.

–DE Michael Bennett recorded a career-best 3 1/2 sacks in Seattle’s win over the 49ers on Thursday. The veteran’s previous high was two, established four times, most recently in the 2014 opener against Green Bay. Bennett surpassed his personal best by halftime, having already recorded 2 1/2 sacks.