49ers lose 27-24 overtime thriller to Seahawks, fall to 8-1 after Week 10

The San Francisco 49ers are now 8-1 following their thrilling back-and-forth Week 10 Monday Night Football 27-24 overtime loss versus the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium.

Injuries were already a theme for the Niners, who entered the contest without tight end George Kittle (knee) and kicker Robbie Gould (quad), and the team had to endure even more injuries in this prime-time contest. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders exited with a ribs injury, while defensive tackle D.J. Jones also came out with a groin injury.

The 49ers got on the board first by the way of a field goal from fill-in kicker Chase McLaughlin on their opening drive, and then San Francisco was able to increase its lead to 10-0, thanks to a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne:

At first, it appeared as if things were going to go this well for San Francisco, which was defensively thwarting Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Co. enough. In total, Seattle managed 336 all-purpose yards and went 7-of-15 on third-down attempts.

But momentum shifted in the Seahawks' favor, as defensive tackle Jarran Reed knocked the ball loose from Garoppolo, and EDGE Jadeveon Clowney recovered and returned it for a touchdown to make it 10-7.

Clowney was a force in the game, registering five tackles and five quarterback hits, and Garoppolo went down five times during the game, too.

Seattle nearly took the lead late in the first half and was driving in the red zone. But safety Jaquiski Tartt managed a crucial forced fumble by stripping the ball loose from rookie Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf to ensure the Seahawks wouldn't get into the end zone:

That was one of four turnovers the Niners defense forced on the night, which was exceptionally necessary opposite a 49ers offense having issues moving the ball.

San Francisco's own turnovers were detrimental, too, including an overthrown pass by Garoppolo which deflected off the hands of Bourne and into the waiting arms of Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs:

Seattle turned that turnover into seven points, following Wilson's 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Hollister to make it 14-10 in favor of the Seahawks. And on the following Niners possession, the Seahawks forced yet another fumble, thanks to Clowney, and Seattle was right back on offense.

The Seahawks subsequently scored following their next takeaway, increasing their lead to 21-10.

Garoppolo was 24-of-43 during the game for 248 yards, one touchdown and an interception for a 70.7 passer rating. Yet his efforts were noticeably more difficult following the injury to Sanders.

San Francisco managed to scramble for some momentum early in the fourth quarter, as cornerback K'Waun Williams sacked Wilson, who lost the ball to Seahawks offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, who then lost the ball to defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who ran it in for a defensive touchdown.

Catch that? Well, here:

Garoppolo hit Bourne for a successful two-point conversion to cut the lead to 21-18. The Niners then forced a Seahawks 3-and-out, thanks largely to a key pass breakup on third down by cornerback Richard Sherman.

The Niners were able to turn their next drive into three points, although Bourne dropped a would-be third-down conversion for a first down. That tied things up at 21 apiece. Yet the Seahawks were able to drive their following possession, which extended to under the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter. That resulted in a go-ahead 46-yard field goal to give Seattle a 24-21 lead with 1:45 remaining.

Garoppolo nearly tossed an interception on the 49ers' next offensive snap, although it was dropped. Yet San Francisco was able to get into Seattle territory with the seconds ticking down. And that led to McLaughlin's game-tying field goal with one second remaining in regulation:

Game tied again.

The Seahawks got the opening possession in overtime and moved into San Francisco territory, thanks largely to Wilson's mastery. But Wilson underthrew a key pass, which was picked off by linebacker Dre Greenlaw and returned into Seahawks territory:

And that led to another chance for McLaughlin, but the attempt sailed well left for the miss. Fortunately, San Francisco forced a Seahawks punt the following drive. Yet the Niners weren't able to convert, forced to punt as well.

Wilson then did his magic once more, getting Seattle into field-goal range, and the game winner from Jason Myers.

San Francisco can merely wonder what could have been, had it not been for the drops, turnovers and injuries. Alas, the 49ers are a one-loss team now and will focus on getting healthy and fixing the multitude of mistakes, which ultimately derailed the perfect season.

• Written by:
  Peter Panacy
  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.
  All articles by Peter Panacy
  @PeterPanacy

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