San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens completed 20 of his 29 pass attempts for 275 yards with a touchdown. More important, he helped end a 10-game losing streak to the Seattle Seahawks that went all the way back to the 2013 season.
"For us to beat the Seahawks is a pretty big deal, I feel," Mullens said after the game. "I hope the fans are pumped up, as happy as we are. It's a big-time rival, big-time win."
Cornerback Richard Sherman was with Seattle the last time the 49ers beat the Seahawks. Seattle went on to win the Super Bowl that season. Sherman has been impressed with San Francisco's second-year quarterback, who is now 3-3 as a starter. The defensive veteran praised Mullens after Sunday's 26-23 overtime victory.
"Nick Mullens has stepped up to the moment week in and week out," Sherman said. "And he's shown he can play in this league."
Sherman hopes the 49ers hold on to Mullens, whose performance down the stretch may be earning him the backup quarterback role to Jimmy Garoppolo.
"He's making the right decisions," Sherman continued. "He's making good throws under pressure. I'd say he's playing like a top-half quarterback in this league. You've got guys that are out there right now that are not playing better football than Nick Mullens. He could be a starter for a lot of teams in this football league, and we appreciate that we have him and he's playing his tail off for us."
"I think I can play in the league, that's for sure," Mullens responded when told about Sherman's comments. "I believe that."
Sherman may have helped boost Mullens' trade value with his praises of the quarterback.
"What? I don't know anything," he said in jest. "I'm just giving my teammates the credit they deserve. Trade value? Nick Mullens, he's a starter."
Mullens has now passed for 1,754 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions during six starts this season.
