In the wake of the San Francisco 49ers' upset loss to the Cleveland Browns, Richard Sherman sees an opportunity for growth. The team's impressive 15-game regular-season win streak finally came to an end with a 19-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Was it a blessing in disguise, though?
The former 49ers cornerback sees a silver lining in the disappointing defeat.
"Sometimes, you need a wake-up call," Sherman said on his podcast (h/t Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area). "You don't want to go undefeated and get the wake-up call in the playoffs because it's over. This team is going to learn from this. Brock Purdy played a very tough game, and when the team needed it down the stretch, he completed passes, he got the ball down the field, and they missed the kick."
"Sometimes you need a wake-up call"
— @RSherman_25 reacts to the 49ers shocking loss in Cleveland pic.twitter.com/iBEZYVoaAn
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) October 16, 2023
That missed game-winning kick came from rookie Jake Moody, the 49ers' third-round draft pick. There was significant offseason criticism surrounding the use of a high draft pick on a kicker, and Moody's two misses on Sunday, one in a crucial situation, will only reignite those conversations.
If Moody can't prove capable when it matters most, Sherman believes the 49ers might opt to bring in a seasoned kicker for the playoffs.
"If he continues to perform like this, they will call somebody else up that is more reliable and that can get the job done," Sherman said. "And I'm sure Robbie Gould is sitting somewhere, making sure that he's keeping his leg live because they're not going to stand for that in the playoffs.
"It's a two-score game, and they missed two field goals. Again, Brock Purdy took them down the field when they needed it, gave them a chance, 40-something-yard field goal, chip shot, get it in. He missed it. It is what it is."
RELATED 49ers support Jake Moody after missed field goal vs. Browns in closing seconds
49ers teammates supported Moody after Sunday's loss.
"He's a young player," linebacker Fred Warner said of his kicker. "He's a rookie, and he's going to have so many other opportunities to help us win games. ... I would never put that on him, to say that we lost this game because of him."
The 49ers aim to bounce back in their upcoming Monday-night clash with the Minnesota Vikings.
Note: The quotes attributed to Sherman were extracted from an edited video, potentially omitting some of the former NFL cornerback's complete remarks.
