Defensively, the San Francisco 49ers did more than enough to pull off a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 on Monday Night Football.
Yet even the Niners' top-tier defense wasn't enough alone to curtail the Seahawks from pulling off a stunning 27-24 overtime win, thanks to a game-winning field goal by kicker Jason Myers in the waning seconds of the extra frame.
Oh, and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is pretty good, too. Yet San Francisco's defense managed to hold Wilson to a sub-100 passer rating, marking only the second time he's been held under this number in a game this entire year.
Cornerback Richard Sherman, who managed six tackles and a crucial pass breakup on a third-down attempt, was quick to point out what San Francisco can take away from the game, which now sees Seattle climb closer to the Niners' precarious hold in the NFC West.
"It's a learning experience," Sherman said after the loss. "Guys battled. We had a chance to win it. But we've got to play better on both sides of the ball, all three phases, we've got to play better football. On defense, we've got to give ourselves a chance and get those stops."
Early on, the Niners did a good job containing Wilson. But in the second and third quarters, Seattle's own defense used turnovers to score 21 unanswered points. And some key fourth-quarter and overtime drives ultimately undid San Francisco's bid to remain undefeated. In total, the Seahawks went 7-of-15 on third-down conversion attempts. Wilson also managed to convert a key first down on a 3rd-and-16 play late in the game.
"At the end of the day, it's a good learning lesson for us," Sherman added.
If there's another positive, the 49ers can shift their focus from trying to stay the league's only remaining undefeated squad, now worrying solely about fixing the mistakes and an upcoming Week 11 bout against the still-feisty Arizona Cardinals.
"You learn more from a loss than a win," Sherman continued. "I guess that's the silver lining."
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Written by:Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
