SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers looked to be in prime position to close out a divisional game when the defense made back-to-back stops in short yardage to get the ball back with the lead in the final four minutes. What followed was another fourth-quarter collapse that has left the defending NFC champion Niners in peril of missing the postseason entirely for the first time since 2020.
The 49ers lost 20-17 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday when Geno Smith scrambled for a 13-yard touchdown with 12 seconds remaining, marking the third time this season they blew a late lead in the fourth quarter against a division opponent. “It’s just infuriating, honestly,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “It’s not like us.
But that’s what we’ve shown this year. Until we stop doing that, then that’s what we are.” The latest loss for San Francisco (5-5) followed early season defeats to the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona when San Francisco led by double digits in the fourth quarter before allowing a late score.
The 49ers became the fifth team since the merger to lose three division games in a season after leading in the final tow minutes, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The last team to do that was Carolina in 2001. “We gave them a chance,” coach Kyle Shanahan.
“I thought our defense played great all game until that last drive. We let them hang around and when you let people hang around, that’s what happens.” The loss leaves San Francisco in a three.