Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir of the San Francisco 49ers received a punishment that was as light as possible in terms of fighting ejections. Following an interception between 49ers linebacker Fred Warner and Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf, there was a clear altercation between the two players with less than three minutes remaining in the 49ers’ 28-16 victory against the Seahawks in Week 14. Lenoir entered the frame at the conclusion of the dust-up and threw Metcalf a partial punch and partial shove to the face. Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers coach, was not happy.
Lenoir’s motivations were clear: he was standing up for Warner, the defensive coordinator. However, Warner had deliberately decided to fire Metcalf in order to make sure that Metcalf was the one punished. Both Lenior and Metcalf were removed from the game, which altered the dynamic.
It made little difference because the result was known. However, this is the kind of mental error that might cost the 49ers dearly as the takes increase. Shanahan claimed that a bashful Deommodore Lenoir approached him later to apologize following the game.
In a press conference the next day, Shanahan stated, “Yeah, he reached out to me last night.” He was already aware of our reactions to it. We have strong feelings on that.
Kyle Shanahan: 49ers ‘Play as Physical as Anyone’
Fred Warner had strong feelings about it as well, and footage from the play showed him berating Lenoir.
Warner said in his postgame press conference, “Man, I know what (Deommodore Lenoir) is made of, he ain’t got to show me nothing out there.” You know what I mean when I say that I don’t want him to injure himself? Hence, we are aware of his character, whether it be harming the team or himself. Nothing to prove, really. However, I always value men standing up for one another in public. I’m not at all surprised by that.
Kyle Shanahan responded pretty much the same way. He was grateful that Lenoir was supporting his teammate. However, he did not want to witness Lenoir endangering himself.
Shanahan declared, “We’ll play as physically as anyone in this league, but we never go anywhere beyond what football is.” “I love that he has the backs of all his people, but that’s not what we do; everyone else on our squad has their backs as well. We don’t throw punches to get in trouble or, most definitely, to be kicked out. He was, therefore, deeply sorry about it, and I think that. It was a worthwhile lesson acquired. In the future, I believe he’ll be lot better about that.
Deommodore Lenoir Had Perhaps His Best Game
The fact that Deommodore Lenoir was ejected during what may have been his finest game of the season is one regrettable part of it. At Pro Football Focus, he received his highest coverage grade of the season, 86.3. Throughout the game, he only allowed two completions for ten yards and broke up two passes.
Because Charvarius Ward was sidelined for the majority of the game due to a groin ailment, Kyle Shanahan took note of Lenoir’s performance.
Oh, Shanahan remarked, “I thought he played great.” “At first, we thought we would be nickel for the majority of that match. On the second play, Mooney went down there. We had to quickly switch it, and he didn’t even hesitate. Throughout the entire game, he kept up the pressure on the receivers and managed to make the crucial interception that [DL] Nick [Bosa] stole from him. Then he came dangerously close to having the first one that merely slipped through his hands. Thus, I felt that Demo was really amazing in the game.
