The San Francisco 49ers bounced back with a win over the Seattle Seahawks, thanks, in part, to the Niners’ secondary limiting DK Metcalf.
The Seahawks’ top receiver only caught three passes in the game, totaling 48 yards. On top of that, Metcalf was targeted 11 times by Seattle QB Geno Smith, significantly more than any other player in the game.
Afterward, 49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir had a lot to say. During the game, Metcalf was seen jawing with San Francisco defenders frequently, and Lenoir addressed that with some extra commentary on top.
“I just know the hyena can’t be f— with… there was a lot of conversation out there,” Lenoir said in his post-game comments. “We kept it football, but you know, one of us showed up tonight. He going to talk… Not like me, proof is in the pudding.”
Lenoir also hosted an Instagram live after the game, and mocked Metcalf by singing about his three catches. You can watch a screen-record of the video here.
It was another impressive performance for Lenoir, who is seemingly gaining momentum as the season goes on. Considering the Thursday victory followed up his recent message to 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan, he’s clearly confident.
Lenoir Comments on Role in San Francisco
While the 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals was a tough one to swallow, Lenoir provided one of the game’s bright spots. On his 25th birthday, Lenoir recovered a blocked field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown.
That was the first touchdown of his NFL career, and he also made 8 tackles as well as a pass defended. After the game, Lenoir sent a blunt message in a since-deleted Instagram post.
“Been the same dawg. Kyle just let me out the kennel,” Lenoir wrote.
It’s not clear exactly what Lenoir means by being “out of the kennel,” but it could be how he’s being utilized. The 49ers may be giving him more freedom to play his style, or it could be a general scheme change.
Either way, Lenoir has 4 PDs in six games this year and a tackle for loss to boot.
Shanahan Praises 49ers Secondary
On October 11, Shanahan was asked about how his secondary performed. San Francisco was without 2023 Pro Bowl CB Charvarius Ward, but Lenoir and co. showed up in a big way.
“I was real impressed with those guys. We kind of knew they would be up for the challenge. I think between [CB Isaac Yiadom] Ike and [CB] Renardo [Green], we all know how [DB Deommodore Lenoir] DMo is, those guys are some competitive, they’re three of the most competitive guys on our team. And to have all those three out there together, we thought they would be ready for the challenge… They were a big reason why we won,” Shanahan said.
Smith and the Seahawks did total 312 passing yards. but most of that came while they were chasing the 49ers’ lead. Plus, the veteran QB threw two interceptions as rookies Green and S Malik Mustapha earned their first NFL interceptions.
