Rivalry is back: 49ers fall in overtime epic to Seahawks

Monday’s game was how rivalries are made. Or, in this case, reborn.

For the 49ers, their overtime defeat to Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks stung. It gave San Francisco (8-1) its first loss of the season, and perhaps some lessons going forward after having to play from behind just once during the first half of the year.

“You’re always disappointed when you don’t win,” Kyle Shanahan said afterwards. “Especially, when we felt we had a number of chances. I was very proud of our guys. I thought we competed very hard. Guys left it all out there.”

The Seahawks hit a game-winning field goal with four seconds remaining in overtime. San Francisco turned the ball over three times which led to 21 Seattle points. That was the home team’s biggest issue in the 27-24 defeat.

“You learn more from a loss than you do with a win, so that’s a silver lining,” Richard Sherman said. “I’m sure the guys will take the lessons they need. We had a chance to win, we didn’t. It’s a good lesson to learn during the season. In order to win a championship, you have to learn these lessons.”

As far as the rivalry with Seattle, it’s back.

“That felt like an NFC Championship game right there,” Wilson said.

A preview of playoff football

Rivalries and disdain are created by two teams playing epic games at high levels. Monday’s game was a dramatic, back-and-forth slugfest that featured great plays and huge mistakes by both teams. Both teams look like they’ll be playing in January. And they’ll play each other again Week 17.

San Francisco got some help over the weekend with the Saints’ upset loss to the Falcons, dropping them to 7-2. Green Bay (8-2) lost to the Chargers two weeks ago, putting them behind the 49ers in the loss column. Seattle improved to 8-2 and gets a bye next week.

However, the win puts the Seahawks in the driver’s seat for the NFC West as they own the tiebreaker, even though the 49ers have one fewer loss and sit in the top seed in the conference.

The 49ers in the locker room afterwards expressed regret in not being able to get the job done. They dropped too many passes. They allowed Wilson to escape the pocket too many times, including a long scamper in overtime when he beat a blitz for 18 yards on third-and-3, just before the game-winning 42-yard kick from Jason Myers. Wilson finished with 53 yards on six runs, and 232 passing yards while completing nearly 71 percent of his throws.

The home team, owners of the league’s No. 2 rushing attack, had a season-low 87 yards on the ground, taking away the effectiveness of play-action passes. Jimmy Garoppolo completed just 24 of 46 (52 percent) for 248 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

San Francisco missed a game-winning, 47-yard field goal from rookie kicker Chase McLaughlin with 3:10 left in overtime, who was replacing injured veteran Robbie Gould.

The kick was pulled left, badly, after McLaughlin made one from the same distance to send it to overtime with six seconds left in regulation.

“I don’t know exactly what what (happened),” McLaughlin said. “I’ll have to look at it on film, just rushed it a little bit. It went a little high and unfortunately I missed it.”

49ers rally to tie the game

The 49ers battled back from 21-10 deficit in the fourth quarter after the game appeared to be getting away. It was the first time they trailed after halftime since Week 3 against the Steelers.

They got a miraculous touchdown in the fourth quarter thanks to a wonky play from Wilson and offensive lineman Germain Ifedi. Wilson was sacked by blitzing defensive back K’Waun Williams, who knocked the ball free. It landed in Ifedi’s hands, and he turned to run with it, but he was greeted by Fred Warner and DeForest Buckner.

Warner punched the ball from the right tackle, Buckner recovered and went 12 yards for a touchdown. The 49ers converted the two-point conversion to make it a three-point game, breaking Seattle’s 21-0 run. Then they got the third field goal from McGlaughlin sending it to overtime.

”This was one of the most emotionally draining games I’ve been a part of,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said, making his return from a four-game absence with a knee injury.

Buckner’s first career touchdown was one of three 49ers’ takeaways, which were all dramatic and impactful. Strong safety Jaquiski Tartt at the end of the first half ripped the ball from receiver D.K. Matcalf after he nearly scored. The play had to be reviewed as officials initially ruled Seahawks ball, giving them an opportunity to score or take the lead. No field goal, no touchdown.

San Francisco hit the break with a 10-7 advantage because Tartt took the ball away.

The other turnover, that might have been the play of the year for San Francisco had McLaughlin not missed his overtime kick, was an interception by rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw, a new starter because Kwon Alexander was lost for the season last week with a pectoral injury.

The Seahawks were driving and Wilson was looking to make a throw toward the goal line to help Seattle win the game. But Greenlaw jumped and brought in the catch over his shoulder before weaving for a 47-yard return. It was just the second interception Wilson threw all year, which is a leading reason he remains an MVP favorite.

“It was unreal at the time,” Greenlaw said. “Then it was back to reality. It is about trying to win the game.”

Strong first half, rocky 3rd quarter

The reality for the 49ers: they were going to have to win their toughest game of the year without their two best play makers on offense. Star tight end George Kittle was ruled out 90 minutes beforehand with ankle and knee injuries. Then receiver Emmanuel Sanders, added before the trade deadline, left in the second quarter with a rib injury.

Still, the 49ers looked to be on the right track early. They outgained the Seahawks 118 yards to 5 in the first quarter — and took a 171-89 advantage into halftime. Seattle’s only points came on Jadeveon Clowney’s fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter.

The game started to unravel for San Francisco in the third quarter.

Protection for Garoppolo was an issue throughout. He was sacked a season-high five times after the Seahawks came in with just 13 sacks their previous nine games. Tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, making their returns from leg injuries, struggled throughout. Clowney put together his best game since joining Seattle, logging a sack and hitting Garoppolo five times.

Garoppolo fumbled twice and had a catchable pass go off the hands of Kendrick Bourne and right to safety Quandre Diggs, which he returned deep into 49ers’ territory leading to tight end Jacob Hollister’s diving score. Seahawks running back Chris Carson’s scored a 1-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 11 after Garoppolo’s second fumble.

The 49ers’ offense in overtime sputtered. The defense forced a punt, even after McLaughlin’s missed kick. Then San Francisco went three-and-out before punting the ball back to Seattle and giving the Seahawks a chance to win the game.

The dire sequence: a pass to Ross Dwelley, Kittle’s replacement, that was tipped at the line of scrimmage. Then a drop from Dante Pettis, who had no catches on three targets, and an incompletion to rookie Deebo Samuel, who had a game-high eight catches for 112 yards.

Then, Wilson went 40 yards over seven plays, including that 18-yard scramble, setting up the game-winning field goal, leaving the 49ers a bitter taste until they get a chance to redeem themselves in six days when they host Arizona.

“It was a crazy game, even early on,” Garoppolo said. “We knew how the game was going to be with Seattle. These division games are never easy, but kind of exactly what we expected.”

Just like that, the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry is back, as expected.

This story was originally published November 12, 2019 at 12:19 AM.