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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.