49ers position grades, takeaways from Week 10 loss to Seahawks

49ers Week 10 Defensive Grades

A key reason why the Niners were even in position to win this Monday Night Football showdown was due to their defense, which made more than its fair share of big plays in key moments.

Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner managed a fumble recovery for a touchdown, which cut Seattle’s lead to 21-18 in the fourth quarter. Rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw thwarted the Seahawks’ first overtime scoring attempt with a crucial interception, too:

In total, the 49ers became only the second team to hold Russell Wilson to a less-than-100 passer rating this season, and Seattle still managed just 336 yards of net offense. Not bad, but not enough.

Buckner’s touchdown sure was interesting, and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial moment:

San Francisco’s defensive line still had trouble containing the ever-elusive Wilson, which is a problem most teams around the league have dealt with. But the up-front pressure was good enough, and the Niners also managed to cut down on opponents’ abilities to run the ball, allowing just 4.3 yards per attempt, compared to their previous season average of 4.7.

Defensive tackle D.J. Jones picked up another sack before exiting early with a groin injury, while fellow lineman Arik Armstead managed 1.5 of his own.

Greenlaw’s play was potentially a huge turning point, which unfortunately didn’t lead to a 49ers victory. But it was only the second interception Wilson has tossed this season, so that’s a bonus.

Still, he’s starting to show the ability to make up for the season-ending loss of veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander to a pectoral injury.

Not to be outdone, second-year linebacker Fred Warner was excellent, picking up two sacks of his own and also forcing the crucial fumble, which Buckner eventually recovered. Warner would post a team-high 10 tackles, too.

Wilson is still going to beat teams through the air. And despite San Francisco’s pass-rush pressure, he did so again, including a crucial 3rd-and-16 play late in the game, which went for a first down.

Cornerback Richard Sherman allowed a critical third-down conversion to newly acquired wide receiver Josh Gordon, who finished with two catches for 27 yards, yet Sherman still managed to break up a pass, too. Meanwhile, rookie wideout D.K. Metcalf managed 70 yards of his own against the Niners defense.

Oh, and safety Jaquiski Tartt‘s fumble-strip recovery in the red zone was a notable moment.

“It’s a learning experience,” Sherman said after the game. “Guys battled. We had a chance to win it. But we’ve got to play better on both sides of the ball, all three phases, we’ve got to play better football.”

If there’s another silver lining, the 49ers held standout wide receiver Tyler Lockett to just 26 yards on three catches before he left with an injury. Second-year cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, filling in for a still-injured Ahkello Witherspoon, posted 10 tackles and three pass breakups.

San Francisco will have a decision to make there once Witherspoon comes back.