Richard Sherman: 49ers Still Have 'Great Defense' Despite Super Bowl 'Mistakes'

The San Francisco 49ers allowed 21 points in the final nine minutes of their 31-20 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

After the game, 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman told reporters that his team still has a "great defense" despite some costly "mistakes."

"We're still a great defense. Just didn't execute our game," Sherman said. "... It was just mistakes—self-inflicted."

The 49ers defense was exceptional for much of the year, allowing the eighth-fewest points in the NFL and finishing second in Football Outsiders' DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) metric.

Sherman, who earned his fifth Pro Bowl honor this year, played a big part in that effort.

After the game, Sherman posted on Twitter.

"Proud of this team!" Sherman wrote. "Wasn't the result we wanted but we battled through. I wasn't good enough tonight and I will fix that. Thank you for all the support all year."

The cornerback had an unusually rough game to cap an otherwise excellent season in which he was named Pro Football Focus' best coverage defender.

Of note, Kansas City wideout Sammy Watkins beat Sherman for a 38-yard catch late in the fourth quarter to set up Chiefs running back Damien Williams' game-winning touchdown. Watkins also beat Sherman for a 19-yard completion in the beginning of the third quarter.

Still, the loss doesn't fall all on the pass defense. Williams rushed for 104 yards on 17 carries and effectively ended the game with his 38-yard score with just over one minute remaining to put Kansas City on top 30-20. The 49ers offense also didn't get much going in the fourth quarter and failed to get past the Chiefs' 49-yard line.

For now, it's wait until next year for the 49ers, who are third on the Caesars Sportsbook Super Bowl LV odds ledger at 9-1. They pace the NFC and trail only the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.