The 49ers played some of their best football of the season on Sunday and in turn took down the NFL’s best team. Although, if Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman were to be believed, the officials were the real difference makers in the game.
The Seahawks dropped just their second game of the season on Sunday 19-17 in a defensive battle in San Francisco. The loss came as a bit of a shock to Sherman, who was expecting something similar to the Seahawks’ 29-3 win against the Niners in Week 2. Even in defeat, Sherman wasn’t impressed with the 49ers on Sunday, instead crediting some fortunate calls from the officials as the main reason behind the loss.
“We didn’t project it to be this way,” Sherman said, via  the 49ers’ website. “We expected to blow them out, but they got the benefit of a few calls tonight throughout the game, and that helps you especially on third down. We will see them again, and it will be a different result.”
The Seahawks were flagged nine times for 85 yards on Sunday, including two holding penalties against Sherman on pivotal third downs, and it may have made a difference as the 49ers were penalized just seven times for 70 yards on the day. The return of receiver Michael Crabtree, who had three catches for 40 yards, garnered some attention in the win, but Sherman quickly nixed that notion altogether.
“It didn’t make a difference at all,” Sherman said of Crabtree. “The penalties, that is what made the difference today.”
The Seahawks held a 17-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but the 49ers drove 76 yards in the final minutes to set up kicker Phil Dawson for the game-winning 22-yard field goal. So, maybe Sherman and the Seattle defense need to take a little blame for the loss as well.
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