49ers vs. Seahawks: 4 stats that say everything about Week 4 loss
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers having 78 penalty yards
For those fans in the very back, it’s important to understand something. This Niners squad isn’t the 2019 edition that went to the Super Bowl. Not even close.
In 2019, San Francisco could absorb multiple mistakes, both in terms of turnovers and even in the penalty department. In 2021, particularly as the last two weeks have revealed, the margin for error is much slimmer, and the 49ers can ill-afford to turn the ball over while also committing costly penalties.
The Niners were flagged three times for defensive pass interference in Week 3 against the Packers, and two of those third-down calls resulted in Green Bay touchdowns. Looking at the end result, those called hurt.
In Week 4, San Francisco was hit for just one pass-interference call, this time on cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick on Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. And again, it was on a third-down play that generated a net 23-yard gain for Seattle.
Unfortunately enough, the Seahawks turned that drive into a touchdown, too.
All combined, the 49ers were flagged eight times for 78 yards, and this installment of the Niners isn’t functioning well enough to make up for those mistakes.
The last two weeks are proof enough.