The Seattle Seahawks (8-2) defeated the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers (8-1) on the road in overtime as the clock expired, obtaining perhaps their most important victory of the season. They now head into their bye week in the thick of the NFC West race. Here are five takeaways from Monday’s game.

The defense stepped up and showed drastic improvement at times

The Seahawks consistently got to the quarterback for seemingly the first time all year, in perhaps their most crucial game of the season. After surrendering 10 unanswered points to begin the game, the defense stiffened up and made plays in key moments. Jarran Reed strip-sacked Jimmy Garoppolo and Jadeveon Clowney recovered the ball, returning it for his second touchdown of the season and putting Seattle on the board. Quandre Diggs had a key interception off a pass that deflected off Kendrick Bourne’s hands and set up Seattle’s second touchdown to take a 14-10 lead. The defense also did enough in overtime to stop the 49ers offense and force a field goal try, which Chase McLaughlin shanked badly. However . . .

The defense dropped interceptions that could have sealed the game in regulation

On the 49ers’ final drive before overtime, Tre Flowers dropped an interception off another deflection by Bourne, bobbling it but failing to come up with the ball. Garoppolo then threw a ball directly to K.J. Wright, but he also failed to catch it. The ball to Flowers was tough to corral, but the pass to Wright was thrown right to him, and he could have sealed the game for Seattle right then and there.

Crucial fumbles and takeaways galore

Both offenses routinely had the ball stripped, and two of these fumbles were returned for touchdowns. In addition to Clowney’s fumble recovery for a TD, 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner scooped up a fumble by Germain Ifedi after a fumble by Russell Wilson, returning it for a touchdown that San Francisco would put an exclamation mark on with a two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 21-18. Clowney also had a strip-sack of his own, with Poona Ford recovering to set up a rushing TD by Chris Carson (who also had a fumble before the Seahawks’ second TD) to make the score 21-10 in favor of the Seahawks. Speaking of key fumbles . . .

DK Metcalf’s red zone fumble before halftime was costly

With just over a minute to go before the half, Wilson completed a pass to Metcalf. The rookie second-round pick tried to power his way through to the end zone, fighting through tacklers along the sideline. As Metcalf spun inside the 5-yard line, 49ers defensive back Jaquiski Tartt stripped the ball from Metcalf at the 2. It was more of a great play by Tartt than a mistake by Metcalf, but a golden opportunity to score was squandered.

Sweet redemption for Myers

After nearly costing the Seahawks the game against Tampa Bay last week with two misses, one of which came as regulation expired, Myers made two clutch field goals. His first was a 46-yarder that gave Seattle a 24-21 lead with 1:45 in regulation, and his second was the game-winning 42-yarder that went just inside the right upright after Kyle Shanahan nullified Myers’ first attempt (which he also made) by burning his final timeout. There were many fans wondering if Myers should have been cut after last week, and some outright clamoring for it. It’s safe to say he got redemption in Santa Clara.

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