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49ers Blow Lead, Suffer Another Frustrating Loss to Seahawks
49ers Blow Lead, Suffer Another 'Infuriating' Loss to Seahawks
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After squandering a fourth-quarter lead to a division rival in the final moments, the San Francisco 49ers were left with a familiar feeling of frustration.
This time, it was the Seattle Seahawks who capitalized, driving down the field to score the winning touchdown with just 12 seconds remaining, handing the 49ers a 20-17 defeat. It was a loss eerily reminiscent of their Week 3 setback to the Los Angeles Rams and their Week 5 collapse against the Arizona Cardinals.
"It's infuriating, honestly," linebacker Fred Warner said. "It's not like us. But that's just what we've shown this year, so I guess until we stop doing that, that's who we are."
The 49ers are now a 5-5 team, dangerously close to seeing their season slip away. This loss dropped them to 1-3 in NFC West games, and to make matters worse, defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a hip and oblique injury that kept him out for most of the second half and could affect him moving forward.
With this defeat, the Niners' path to a third straight NFC West title—and possibly even a playoff berth—has become significantly more difficult.
49ers' Frustration Grows Over Late-Game Failures Against Divisional Rivals
The frustration Fred Warner shares with his teammates goes beyond their poor record against NFC West opponents. It's about how those losses have unfolded. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 49ers have now dropped three divisional games while leading in the final two minutes of regulation, tying the record for the most such losses in a season since the 1970 merger.
In just four chances, San Francisco has blown three late-game leads, joining the 2001 Carolina Panthers, 2000 Los Angeles Chargers, 1996 Baltimore Ravens, and 1994 Washington Commanders as the only teams with that many defeats in those situations.
With this third loss in which they led in the fourth quarter, the 49ers now share the league's worst record for blown leads with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Kyle Shanahan reiterated a message he's voiced after several losses this season—and even some wins.
"We had every opportunity to run away with that and put it away," Shanahan said. "[We] missed a couple opportunities to do that and ... let people hang around, that's what happens."
The 49ers certainly had multiple chances to extend their lead against the Seahawks. But a string of self-inflicted errors prevented them from doing so.
Playing without tight end George Kittle, sidelined by a hamstring injury, San Francisco's offense was sluggish, finishing with just 277 yards—their lowest output since Week 6 of the 2023 season. Their longest play of the game went for only 22 yards, tying for the second-shortest long play in a game since Shanahan became head coach in 2017 (with 19 yards as the longest play in a 2020 loss to Washington).
49ers’ Penalties and Bosa Injury Contribute to Another Frustrating Loss
What was especially maddening for the 49ers was their inability to avoid penalties that wiped out several scoring opportunities. San Francisco committed nine penalties for 54 yards, with seven of those infractions coming on the offense. In previous seasons, the Niners had no trouble overcoming such mistakes, but this year’s team hasn’t shown the same resilience to bounce back in-game.
"Obviously [in] years past, it's like we put that behind us and play the next play," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Just because we had success the last couple years doesn’t mean that just because something bad happens, we’re magically going to make up for it. We’ve got to have the chip on our shoulder to go take it every single play, every down, and every game. We’ve just got to get back to that mindset."
With seven games remaining in the season, the 49ers still have time to rediscover their winning formula. However, the clock is ticking as they head into a tough two-game stretch, with road games against the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills. Losing defensive star Nick Bosa could make the challenge even more difficult.
Bosa had been dealing with a right hip pointer and oblique issue all week, and he admitted it was going to be "close" whether he could play against Seattle. He did start the game and recorded four tackles and 1.5 sacks before being forced to leave early in the second half.
Bosa injured his other hip and oblique while sacking Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith with 9:26 left in the third quarter. He remained on the field for one more play before checking out, and did not return. After the game, Bosa expressed frustration at missing Seattle’s game-winning drive.
"It was brutal," Bosa said. "The most important time in the game for me to be out there, I wasn’t able to be. I hate missing time. That’s why I pushed through last week. Hopefully, it’s not too long [to be out]."
The difference in Seattle’s offense when Bosa was on and off the field was stark. The Seahawks averaged just 3.3 yards per play while Bosa was on the field, compared to 6.1 yards per play once he was sidelined. Seattle scored all 20 of its points while Bosa was off the field.
Bears Coach Eberflus Defends Decision Not to Run Final Play in Loss to Packers
CHICAGO — Bears head coach Matt Eberflus defended his decision not to run one final play to get kicker Cairo Santos closer for a potential game-winning field goal in the team's 20-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
With Chicago trailing by one point, Santos attempted a 46-yard field goal as time expired, but Packers defensive tackle Karl Brooks blocked the kick, sealing the Bears' 11th straight loss to Green Bay, a streak dating back to the 2018 season.
"We felt good in terms of where the kick line was," Eberflus said. "The wind wasn’t a factor today, and Cairo has made plenty of kicks from that range. We’re confident in him and confident in our operation there."
The Bears' final drive started with 2:59 remaining, beginning at their own 30-yard line. Quarterback Caleb Williams led the charge, connecting with rookie Rome Odunze for a 16-yard reception on third-and-19, and later finding Odunze again for a clutch 4-yard gain on fourth-and-3 to move past midfield.
Chicago picked up one more first down before running the ball with Roschon Johnson, who gained 2 yards on a play that started with 35 seconds left at the Packers' 30-yard line. The Bears then let the clock run down to three seconds before calling their final timeout and sending Santos and the kicking unit onto the field. Green Bay, with no timeouts left, could only watch.
Santos' attempt was blocked, and the Packers' sideline erupted as they secured their first NFC North win of the season, improving to 7-3.
This marked the second time in franchise history the Packers blocked a field goal on the final play to either win or tie a game. The previous occurrence came on Nov. 26, 1939, against the Cleveland Rams.
"They were loading the box there," Eberflus explained. "You could argue we should’ve run another play to get a few more yards, but there's also the risk of fumbling or other complications. From where we were, at the 36 or 35, I’d definitely consider it. But at that moment, with the wind and where we were on the field, I felt very confident."
Santos Reflects on Blocked Kick as Packers' Special Teams Shine
In Week 7, Cairo Santos had a 43-yard field goal attempt blocked in Chicago's 35-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, though the situation was complicated by tight end Cole Kmet stepping in as the long snapper in place of the injured Scott Daly.
"That was a comfortable range," Santos said. "Left hash, with the wind coming from the left or right, everything felt great. The ball was on the right line, looked like it was going down the middle. I hit it solid, and the snap and hold were good. They just made a great play with the penetration."
Ahead of Sunday’s game, Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia delivered a pointed message to his unit.
"I’ll say this: Rich told our team last night, 'I will not understand if we come out of this game without a block, whether it’s a field goal or PAT,'" Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said. "So, great job from our special teams coaches."
Packers Capitalize on Bears' Vulnerability to Block Key Field Goal
The Packers' special teams unit was able to exploit a weakness in the Bears' blocking scheme that defensive coordinator Rich Bisaccia had identified on film. It took until Chicago's final field goal attempt to execute the plan, but it paid off in a game-changing moment.
"We saw that through the middle, we could get a good push," said Packers safety Xavier McKinney, who lined up on Santos' blind side. "We believed our guys would play big and be stronger up front. We got the push we needed at a critical moment, and we got the block. We saw it all week in film study and executed it when it mattered."
Packers defensive tackle Karl Brooks, who blocked the field goal, pinpointed exactly how he made the play: with his left middle finger.
"At first, I didn’t think I got enough of it," said Brooks, who also blocked a field goal against the Minnesota Vikings last season. "But then it fell short, and that's when I really celebrated. It was a great feeling, a fun experience."
Brooks got help from rookie linebacker Lukas Van Ness, who played a key role in the play by providing a powerful push from behind.
"I was on the same side as Karl, and I knew he was going to pressure the inside A gap, so I just got behind him and pushed as hard as I could," Van Ness explained. "Next thing I know, I hear 'thunk' and everyone screaming. It was super exciting, and I was happy to contribute to the win."
Green Bay rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper had also noticed from film study that Santos kicks with a low trajectory compared to other kickers, which made the kick vulnerable to a block. They saw this early on when Santos attempted a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter.
"We emphasized it all week," Cooper said. "We saw how low he was kicking the ball, so we knew we had a good shot at blocking it."
Cooper and fellow linebacker Quay Walker were both surprised that the Bears didn’t run another play to try to get into better field goal range, given that they had time left on the clock.
"At least one more play," Walker said. "At least run the ball and try to get closer to the field goal."
Bears' Latest Loss Adds to Frustrating String of Close Defeats
Sunday's loss marked the second time since Week 8 that the Bears suffered a heart-wrenching defeat on the final play in baffling fashion. In Washington, a Hail Mary pass from the Commanders was tipped into the hands of wide receiver Noah Brown, who caught it while standing completely unguarded in the end zone. Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson came under heavy scrutiny for his role in the play, particularly after his decision to engage in a verbal exchange with fans before the snap led him to miss his defensive assignment, resulting in the game-winning touchdown.
"It's almost comical," Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said Sunday, reflecting on the bizarre nature of the team's recent losses. "It’s just the luck of the damn draw at this point. We've got to figure out how to be better."
