The 49ers’ first loss of the season couldn’t have gone much worse. They had opportunities to win, and pushed the Seahawks to the final seconds of overtime, but they couldn’t secure a victory and fell to 8-1 on the season.
It’s hard to glean a lot of good from a contest as gut-wrenching as Monday night, but there are a few positives the 49ers can focus on as moving forward.
Dre Greenlaw was good
Losing linebacker Kwon Alexander could’ve been a crucial blow for San Francisco’s defense, especially since the rookie Greenlaw was his replacement. The fifth-round selection out of Arkansas acquitted himself well with eight tackles, a pass breakup and an interception that nearly won the game for the 49ers. He picked off Russell Wilson in the red zone in overtime, and nearly took it back for a touchdown. Greenlaw should be a perfectly suitable replacement for Alexander in the heart of 49ers’ defense.
Deebo Samuel was good
The 49ers needed a receiver or two to show up as a playmaker Monday night, especially once Emmanuel Sanders exited with a rib injury. While Samuel did have a drop, he also posted eight catches for 112 yards in what turned into a career night for the rookie second-round pick. That’s two weeks in a row Samuel’s had a bad drop, but he’s emerging as the playmaker the 49ers wanted when they took him No. 36 overall in this year’s draft. He’s a threat in all three levels of the passing game and a monster after the catch. More consistent showings from him are the next step in his evolution as a player.
Still lead NFC West
Despite a loss to the second-place Seahawks, the 49ers are still atop the NFC West by a half game. Seattle hasn’t had its bye yet, so they’re 8-2, while the 49ers sit at 8-1. The Seahawks have a Week 11 bye, so they’ll either be tied with the 49ers or San Francisco will be a full game ahead after Sunday’s action. They face off again in Week 17 in what could be a game that decides the division. Going into Week 11 though, San Francisco still sits atop the West and controls their own destiny.
Still lead NFC
The 49ers also remained the No. 1 seed in the NFC after Monday night. The Packers’ Week 9 stumble vs. the Chargers, and the Saints’ Week 10 fiasco vs. the Falcons put them both at two losses. San Francisco is above both of them, although both clubs are nipping at their heels, along with Seattle who would switch places with the 49ers if they lose to Arizona. For now, the playoffs go through Levi’s Stadium.
Look at what went wrong
There was a lot stacked against the 49ers and they still had a chance to win in overtime. George Kittle was out. Emmanuel Sanders went down in the second quarter. Jadeveon Clowney wrecked shop all game. 49ers pass catchers dropped at least six passes depending on the definition of a ‘drop.’ Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t spectacular. Seattle stifled the run game … the list could continue. The Seahawks are a very good team who could wind up with a first-round bye in the playoffs. They also have the potential NFL MVP at quarterback with Russell Wilson. San Francisco could’ve lost by 20-plus, but they wound up falling in the final seconds of overtime. Moral victories don’t count, and losses counts all the same, but the 49ers have to feel good about where they’re at considering how close Monday was despite how many things went the wrong way for them.
Defense bounces back
The Seahawks’ first touchdown came on a terrific defensive play where Jadeveon Clowney scooped up a Jimmy Garoppolo fumble and rumbled in from 10 yards out for the score. After that, points and yards were hard to come by for Seattle.
They had three scoring drives on offense in regulation that racked up a grand total of 87 yards. Two of those series came on back-to-back turnovers by Garoppolo – one interception and one fumble.
The 49ers’ defense was sensational when not given a short field to work with:
After a rough showing against Arizona in Week 9, the 49ers defense came back with an elite Week 10 outing. That unit is still among the NFL’s best.
