San Francisco 49ers star makes inexcusable mistake that could cost team dearly in crucial NFC West showdown against Seahawks
Dre Greenlaw’s passion has always been part of his game. On Sunday against Seattle, it crossed a line the San Francisco 49ers could not afford to see crossed.
How do you lose your cool like that in a game this big? San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw got ejected from Sunday’s NFC West battle against the Seattle Seahawks. Make no mistake, it was an idiotic move by San Francisco’s key linebacker.
The 49ers led the Seahawks 14-10 when it happened and luckily it is now 21-13 heading into the halftime break. Now they have to finish a divisional game with first place on the line without one of the most important pieces of their defense.
What happened between Dre Greenlaw and Ernest Jones IV
The sequence started with Greenlaw chasing down a scrambling Sam Darnold. The Seahawks quarterback was on the move near the Seattle sideline, and Greenlaw hit him late out of bounds. That drew a penalty.
That late hit was not what got Greenlaw tossed, though.
What came next is the part that will cost San Francisco. Greenlaw, with his helmet still on, delivered a headbutt to Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who did not have a helmet on. The officials threw a 15-yard penalty right away, and the officiating crew followed it up with an ejection.
Look, there is no defending that one. You cannot headbutt a guy with your helmet on when he does not have his on. It does not matter how heated a division rivalry gets. That is a play you simply cannot make.
Greenlaw’s passion cuts both ways
Greenlaw had three tackles before his day ended early. Productive, physical, and all over the field, per usual. That is the player 49ers fans have come to love.
He plays with a lot of passion and violence, and most of the time that is exactly what you want from a linebacker. It sets a tone for the whole defense. Opposing offenses know he is coming every single snap. Heck, we saw it last week against Denver.
But that same edge can hurt you, and we are watching it happen right now. The fire that makes Greenlaw so good is the same fire that just took him off the field in a game the 49ers badly needed. When the line between intensity and recklessness gets crossed, the team pays for it.
And make no mistake, San Francisco is going to pay for it.
Why this one hurts San Francisco
This is a huge game early in the season. It is a divisional matchup against Seattle, and first place in the NFC West is at stake. Sure, it is only Week 5, but games like this add up as the season goes on.
Division tiebreakers come into play in December and January. A 49ers head-to-head loss to the Seahawks in October could be the difference between hosting a playoff game and traveling for one. San Francisco knows that better than anyone.
Now, here is the stat that tells you just how much Greenlaw matters. Since 2018, the 49ers are 48-20 with Fred Warner and Greenlaw on the field together. They are a much worse team without that duo. Warner and Greenlaw have been the heartbeat of this defense for years, and pulling one of them out of the lineup changes everything about how San Francisco defends.
Coverage responsibilities shift. Run fits get thinner. Somebody else has to step up in a role that Greenlaw has owned, and he has to do it in the middle of a tight division game.
The verdict
The 49ers’ defense could be in for a much more difficult second half without Greenlaw. Seattle now has a real opening, with Darnold able to test a linebacker group that just lost a key piece.
Could San Francisco still hang on and win this one? Of course. The 49ers have the talent to grind it out and they have a good cushion. But Greenlaw made their job a whole lot harder with one bad decision, and if the 49ers come up short in the NFC West race this season, people are going to look back at this moment.
Greenlaw is a great player. Sunday, he was his own worst enemy. He will certainly be fined by the league on top of his ejection. San Francisco can only hope that he will not be suspended as well.
