By Morris Phillips

As if the 49ers didn’t already have enough nemeses waiting for them at CenturyLink Field on Sunday, they went a created another one in rookie Thomas Rawls.

Rawls—undrafted and thought to be too small for the NFL—tore up the 49ers with 209 yards rushing on 30 carries as the Seahawks blew past the 49ers 29-13. The 49ers have lost seven of eight to their NFL West rivals, most of them as uncompetitive as this one, including the January 2014 NFC Championship Game meeting that appears to have defined both franchises going forward.

Coming off a rare win, and an extra week of preparation the 49ers couldn’t have been any flatter than they appeared in falling behind 20-0 well into the second quarter. Rawls had a lot to do with that, trucking cornerback Tremaine Brock on the third play of the game instead of running out of bounds. The Seattle sideline erupted in reaction to Rawls’ physical play, and the tone was set on that play as the 49ers went on to tackle poorly and wilt, while the Seahawks were invigorated.

Rawls replaced the injured Marshawn Lynch–a well-established nemesis of the 49ers—finding out just before game time that he would be the starter. Rawls had already proven in previous stints replacing Lynch that he’s an emerging factor for the Seahawks, but with the run through Brock and his franchise record for rookie rushers established on Sunday, he took his game to another level.

“I never run out of bounds,” Rawls said. It’s just my makeup. It’s my whole mentality. I think I would feel less of a person just running out of bounds instead of being physical.”

While Rawls sounded like he played, 49ers Coach Jim Tomsula found himself in the familiar position of explaining his team’s shortcomings. Given that, Tomsula got high marks for originality in the face of repetitiveness, when explaining how his defense missed so many tackles.

“You can’t go into a tackle worried about missing the tackle. You’ve just got to tackle,” Tomsula explained.

And if you don’t tackle, the statistical nightmare that the first 25 minutes of Sunday’s game was for the 49ers could be the result. At that juncture, the 49ers trailed 20-0, and were out-first downed 17-2. The 49ers amassed just 38 yards of offense at that point, a number that looked considerably healthier once the team mounted a 92-yard touchdown drive to end the first half.

The score right before halftime also announced the arrival of Blaine Gabbert, who went on to play well, passing for 264 yards and no interceptions, including the first touchdown pass for the 49ers against the Seahawks since 2013. At one point, Gabbert pulled the 49ers within 20-10, but the defense didn’t have delayed awakening, going on to allow 508 yards in offense to Seattle, including 255 yards rushing.

Gabbert found success throwing to his tight ends, Brent Celek and Vance McDonald, who combined for six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Gabbert also hooked up with Anquan Boldin on a 28-yard gainer in the fourth quarter, but the veteran receiver departed after that play, clutching his previously injured hamstring.

With the win, the Seahawks improved to 5-5, giving them a footprint in the NFC playoff picture. The Cardinals beat the Bengals in the Sunday Night game to re-establish a three game lead in the NFC West. The 49ers fell to 3-7 and 0-5 on the road.

So what was learned on Sunday regarding the Seahawks and 49ers? For San Francisco, effort—or lack therof—is everything. The 49ers were so far removed from the mindset of a physical, committed football team it spilled all over the statistical picture of the game with the missed tackles and paltry 22 minutes of offensive possession time. Seattle reporters didn’t hesitate to take their shots with Times columnist Matt Calkins registering the biggest blow saying “the 49ers are the NFL’s version of airbrushing: They make everyone look better than they are.”

So for the two-time NFC champion Seahawks, the same line of thinking applies. Seattle’s struggled to close out in the fourth quarter with late leads in all five of their losses. After a hum-drum win against the 49ers, those same Seattle reporters couldn’t help but point out that the Hawks have beaten the 49ers twice, Dallas (without Tony Romo), Detroit and Chicago (without Jay Cutler). So are the Seahawks merely good enough to beat the downtrodden or are they legitimate contenders again?

Richard Sherman brushed off all of the negative talk, simply saying “a win is a win.”

And for the 49ers, luckily on an afternoon that was as bad as any in a forgettable season, a loss is just a loss.