SEATTLE (Reuters):

THE SEATTLE Seahawks shut out San Francisco 24-0 on Monday night to hand the slumping 49ers their seventh loss in a row.

Matt Hasselbeck passed for two touchdowns and the Seahawks defense beat up on the error-prone 49ers (2-7), limiting quarterback Alex Smith to 114 yards passing on 12 completions. Smith also fumbled twice.

With running back Shaun Alexander out injured, Seattle coach Mike Holmgren told Hasselbeck to throw early and often. His quarterback responded in style, connecting on 27 of 40 passing attempts for 278 yards.

"When Mike said we were going to throw the ball, I really didn't feel the pressure was on me, I felt it was on the offensive line," Hasselbeck told reporters.

"They responded. They played great today."

Hasselbeck hit Will Heller with a one-yard scoring pass in the first quarter, and tossed a 10-yard touchdown to D.J. Hackett in the fourth.

In between, Josh Brown kicked a 20-yard field goal and Maurice Morris scored on a six-yard run.

The ineffective San Francisco offense picked up just one first down in the first half - on the last play before half-time - and had just six in the whole game.

The 49ers had three drives start inside the Seattle 40, but could not score. They also failed to convert a fourth-and-1 at the Seahawks two-yard line.

San Francisco finished with 79 yards rushing and 173 yards total offense compared to 380 yards total offense for Seattle.

Head coach Mike Nolan led the team just a day after the death of his father, former 49ers coach Dick Nolan.

Seattle improved to 5-4 with the win and lead the NFC West.