San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is feeling good after shutting down Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf in Thursday’s 36-24 victory for the reigning NFC champs.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Lenoir said “one of us showed up tonight” when talking about his matchup with Metcalf. (Video contains profanity)
Lenoir also appeared to troll Metcalf during a live stream on Instagram:
The 49ers entered the game without No. 1 cornerback Charvarius Ward because of a knee injury. Lenoir took over his role against the Seahawks, with Isaac Yiadom moving into the starting lineup.
Rookie cornerback Renardo Green also saw his most action this season with 71 defensive snaps played.
Lenoir and the rest of San Francisco’s secondary held Metcalf to three catches for 48 yards on 11 targets. The Seahawks wideout would have had a 52-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter, but the play was nullified by an illegal shift penalty.
Metcalf also came within inches of having a touchdown catch at the end of the first half on a terrific play, but the tip of his right cleat landed out of bounds.
Lenoir had a terrific pass breakup on the previous play when he knocked the ball out of Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s hands.
Any of those plays could have altered the outcome of the game if they went in Seattle’s favor. The Seahawks had to settle for a field goal after the incomplete pass in the second quarter to get points on the board before halftime.
The fourth-quarter play would have cut San Francisco’s lead to 29-24 with just under five minutes to play. The 49ers already blew two games against NFC West opponents they led by at least 10 points in the fourth quarter.
A third such defeat would have dropped the Niners to 0-3 in the division and 0-4 overall against the NFC, putting them in a very difficult spot for the rest of the season in the playoff race.
Instead, the 49ers were able to hold on for a road win against the Seahawks to move into a tie for first place in the NFC West.
Green and fellow rookie safety Malik Mustapha recorded the first interceptions of their careers against Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.
Lenoir, who can become a free agent after this season, is off to a terrific start with 32 combined tackles, four pass breakups and one tackle for loss in six games. He also has bragging rights over Metcalf, at least until these two teams meet again in San Francisco in Week 11.
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