49ers Suffer first Loss in Monday Night Classic

Week 10 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium for a Monday Night showdown against the division rival Seattle Seahawks (7-2), the San Francisco 49ers (8-0) would put their undefeated record to the test against the NFC's front-runner for league MVP through the first half of the season in quarterback Russell Wilson. But with tight-end George Kittle ruled out before game time with ankle and knee injuries, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would be forced to try their luck without their leading receiver and best player on offense. It would also be the team's first game without one of their emotional leaders in linebacker Kwon Alexander who was lost a week earlier to a torn pectoral muscle which ended his first season with the team. But perhaps the biggest absence would be that of kicker Robbie Gould (injured quad) as the fate of the game would come down to the foot of a free-agent kicker that was signed just four days earlier. And as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. So too would be the case for the 49ers' unbeaten mark of 8-0 as they entered the Monday Night affair as the last undefeated team in the league and gave it their all in what would go down as a Monday Night Classic.

Off to their best start since 1990 and vying for their 50th win in Monday Night Football history, the most of any team in the NFL, things were looking good early on for the Niners as they quickly jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Entering the Monday night match-up tied for the second best start in NFL history through his first 18 career starts at 16-2, San Francisco QB Jimmy Garoppolo was aided by three Seattle penalties on the opening-drive which setup the newest member of the 49ers, Chase McLaughlin, for a 43-yard field goal. Undrafted out of Illinois, McGlaughlin who had been waived or released by three different teams this season, seemed unfazed as he nailed his first kick right down the middle. San Francisco's second drive which resulted in a touchdown, was setup by big plays from receivers Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders before Jimmy G. found Kendrick Bourne in the end zone for the score. However, on the play made by Sanders, a 12-yard reception which resulted in a big hit that left Sanders without a helmet, the newcomer who has already developed into one of Garoppolo's favorite targets, would leave the game with a rib injury after showing obvious discomfort.

Forcing back to back three and outs to begin the game and punts on each of Seattle's first four possessions, the 49er defense would also open the game strong. However, it would be the Seahawks' defense that would get them on the board and swing the momentum in their favor just before the half when Garoppolo was sacked and stripped of the ball by Jarran Reed. Seattle's Jadaveon Clowney who was acquired before the start of the season from the Houston Texans, scooped up the Garoppolo fumble and returned it for the touchdown. Clowney would have a field day against a rusty 49ers offensive-line that had welcomed back a pair of starting tackles in Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey who had been out of action since Weeks 2 and 3, respectively. Seattle appeared to be on their way to taking the lead with them into the half, but a huge play would be made by Niners safety Jaquiski Tartt who helped the 49ers force a fumble recovery of their own. With San Francisco being the only remaining team in the league to hold opponents scoreless in the final two minutes of the first half, Tartt's heroics kept that streak alive when he stripped Seattle's DK Metcalf of the ball at the 2 yard-line to help stall the Seahawks' attempt to claim the lead.

The 49er defense would open the second half the same way they'd closeout the first, as K'Waun Williams and DeForest Buckner teamed up to force and recover a fumble on Seattle running back Rashaad Penny. However, San Francisco would give the ball back on three consecutive possessions which ended in turnovers by the offense. After a failed 4th and 2 attempt which resulted in a turnover on downs, Garoppolo was intercepted on a pass that went through the hands of Kendrick Bourne. And finally, a second fumble by the quarterback as Clowney once again got to Garoppolo to force the ball loose. Seattle would turn both the interception and fumble into points, capitalizing with touchdowns to put them ahead, 21-10. Trailing by double-digits for the first time this season to begin the fourth quarter, San Francisco would need to answer and stop the bleeding of 21 unanswered-points scored by Seattle. With all 21 of Seattle's points coming off turnovers, the Niner defense would finally break through with a score of their own when Russell Wilson was sacked and unable to hold onto the ball, allowing DeForst Buckner to take it into the end zone for a touchdown. Following a successful 2-point conversion cashed-in by Bourne, the Niners were once again in it, making it a 21-18 game before tying things up at 21-all following a field goal.

Seattle would recapture the lead with a 46-yard field goal from Jason Myers, leaving 1:44 remaining in regulation for the Niners to either tie or take the lead. With a series of short passes and dump-offs, Jimmy G would get his kicker in position to send the game into overtime. And from 47 yards out, McLauglin would connect to send both teams to the extended period. Winning the coin-toss and electing to receive, Russell Wilson would begin marching his team up the field and into the red zone as they had reached the San Francisco 14 yard-line, but it would be there where Wilson would throw his first career red zone interception against the Niners as rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw came up with the clutch turnover and first of his career. With the game now in sudden death as a score by either team would win the game, Shanahan once again left it up to his new kicker. With the only thing standing in their way of a perfect 9-0 record being a 47-yard field goal which McLaughlin had already made one possession earlier to force the game into overtime, the bright lights and big stage would get the best of the rookie kicker who was unemployed just a week earlier, as McLaughlin's kick was shanked wide-left.

Each team would exchange punts following a pair of three-and-outs, but San Francisco's biggest mistake would be their inability to chew up precious time as there was just enough on the clock for Wilson and company to come through in the clutch. With three straight incompletions by Garoppolo allowing the offense to eat up only 25 seconds of game-clock, Wilson used both his arm and his legs to put his kicker in position to win the game. And where McLaughlin failed to rally his team to victory, Myers answered the call as he shook off his missed extra-point and two missed field goal performance from a week ago by converting on the game-winning field goal from 42-yards out as Seattle won, 27-24. Needing overtime to hand San Francisco their first loss of the season, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson admitted after the back and forth affair that it was the craziest game he had ever been a part of. Held to only 72 yards in the first half, Wilson would finish the game with 232 yards to go along with his one touchdown and interception. As for Garoppolo who suffered his first career loss at Levi's Stadium, the Niners QB threw for 248 yards, one touchdown and one interception, despite his receivers not doing him any favors as there were a number of key drops up and down the lineup. One of the few players that did step up on offense, was 49ers rookie receiver Deebo Samuel who logged his first career 100-yard receiving game, finishing with 12 receptions for 112-yards.

After being handed the loss and seeing their run to perfection come to an end, you can bet that coach Shanahan will let this serve as a learning block for his young team as they try to make a positive out of their first loss and work on correcting their mistakes moving forward.

Week 11 Preview - San Francisco will need to put their first loss behind them rather quickly as they'll be on short-rest when they welcome the Arizona Cardinals (3-6-1) to Levi's Stadium. As evident by their close call two weeks ago when the Niners narrowly escaped the desert with a 28-25 victory on Halloween, these Cardinals are not to be taken lightly in spite of their record. Having played both Russell Wilson and Cards QB Kyler Murray in consecutive weeks, the Niner defense will once again have to be on their toes in the rematch against the speedy Murray and these Cardinals whom San Francisco struggled to put away in the previous meeting. They'll also have to be better at containing Arizona running back Kenyon Drake who had one of the best games of his career when making his Cardinals debut against this very 49ers defense. If San Francisco can steer clear of the turnovers and mistakes they committed against Seattle, they shouldn't have any problem at getting back into the win column.


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