Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Third Time a Charm - 49ers Back in Super Bowl following Epic Comeback over Lions

Playoffs - For the two teams meeting in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, no two clubs sit on completely opposite spectrums in terms of franchise success more than the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. While the 49ers own the most title game appearances in NFL history making their 19th appearance on Sunday, the Lions are the only NFC team yet to host or win a conference title game despite being one of the five oldest NFL franchises in all of football. And while it didn't look good for the 49er Faithful through the game's first two quarters, history once again repeated itself on Sunday and proved to be a thorn in the side of the Detroit Lions once more. During the NFL's regular season, quarterback Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers rarely found themselves trailing late in games and because of that, they did not have a single game-winning drive or fourth-quarter comeback under their belt all year. In the playoffs, however, they've had two in just as many games, pulling a rabbit out of their hat against both the Green Bay Packers and now the Detroit Lions. 

After erasing their first deficit of five or more points in the fourth quarter under head coach Kyle Shanahan a week ago against Green Bay, the 49ers did the unthinkable again by rallying from being down 17-points in the second half versus Detroit. The comeback would tie a 49ers franchise record for their largest playoff comeback, while also overcoming the largest halftime deficit in conference championship game history as teams were 0-21 all-time entering Sunday when trailing by 17+ at the half. With the Niners winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, it was the Lions offense that came out guns blazing to the tune of a 4-play, 75-yard drive that ended in the end zone following a 42-yard touchdown run by wide-receiver Jameson Williams. Looking to match Detroit's opening-drive score, the 49ers marched across midfield and into field goal range where rookie kicker Jake Moody missed wide-right on a 48-yard field goal attempt. Before you knew it, Detroit suddenly had a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter as many at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium looked stunned while their team's defense had absolutely no answer for the Lions' rushing attack. 

As soon as the first quarter came to an end, the San Francisco offense finally got rolling. 49ers running back sensation Christian McCaffrey took a short pass 28 yards and into the red zone where he would capitalize just two plays later with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. With the 49ers on the board and now trailing 14-7, their offensive woes in the first half were all but solved as their following possession ended in a third down interception when Purdy was pressured into throwing an errant pass into a sea of defenders. Several plays later, Detroit again found the end zone, this time by way of a 15-yard rushing touchdown by rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs. They would not be done there, however, adding a Mike Badgley field goal to take a commanding 24-7 lead at the half. Racking up 148 yards rushing on 21 carries thru the first two quarters, the Lions torched the 49er defense for the most rushing yards allowed in the first half in the seven seasons under coach Kyle Shanahan. 

With world renowned San Francisco-based band Journey performing at halftime, the song "Don't stop believin'" was played and was clearly the motto the 49ers coaching staff went with inside the locker room before the team came out in the second half to the tune of 27 unanswered-points. Despite the early hole the team dug themselves in, coach Shanahan's guys never wavered and took things one drive at a time, chipping away on offense and getting the much-needed stops on defense that eluded them in the first half. After settling for a field goal on their first possession to open the second half, the 49ers scored back-to-back touchdowns to tie the game at 24-all. Taking advantage of a pair of costly mistakes by Detroit on a 4th down gamble by head coach Dan Campbell to go for it instead of settling for a very manageable field goal attempt and a Gibbs fumble on the Lions' first play following San Francisco's first touchdown of the second half, the Niners suddenly found themselves right back in the thick of things. 

Before they stole all the momentum, the 49ers got a little luck on a 51-yard pass that Purdy launched towards the end zone that bounced off the helmet of a Lions defender and into the air where a leaping Brandon Aiyuk came down with the unbelievable catch that he would later credit to a ladybug that paid him a visit during pregame warmups. Purdy would award the efforts of his receiver just three plays later with a 6-yard touchdown pass to pull the Niners within seven. Cashing in on the Lions fumble, Purdy helped get his team inside the red zone with a 21-yard run that sparked a big second half for the 49ers QB on the ground. Two plays later, it was McCaffrey again who plowed into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown following Moody's point-after. After forcing a Detroit punt, the Niners took their first lead of the night on a 33-yard field goal. 

With another turnover on downs by the Lions offense despite again being in field goal range and trailing by only 3-points, coach Dan Campbell's gambling ways came back to haunt them once more. Seeking the final blow on offense, Purdy and McCaffrey -- two of the league's top MVP candidates, led the way and orchestrated an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from backup running back Elijah Mitchell who was summoned to fill-in for McCaffrey who needed a breather following a big 25-yard run on the prior play. Purdy also came up big on the play before McCaffrey's big gain, using his legs to pick up another 21-yards and move the chains on a key 3rd down conversion that kept the drive alive.

Trailing by 10 with just over 3-minutes remaining, Detroit was in need of a quick score if they wanted to pull off a stunning comeback of their own. Aided by a big play on a 25-yard reception from Lions quarterback Jared Goff to receiver Josh Reynolds, Detroit marched their way to the 1-yard line before a big stop by the duo of San Francisco's Javon Kinlaw and Fred Warner which led to a 2-yard loss. But on 4th down from inside the 5, Goff connected on a pass in the back of the end zone to Jameson Williams, cutting the deficit to a field goal with 1-minute remaining. Lining up for an on-side kick, 49ers tight-end George Kittle scooped up the ball which allowed Purdy and the offense to milk the rest of the clock and seal the 34-31 victory for San Francisco. 

In what will go down as a classic game and live forever in 49ers lore, it was certainly a whirlwind of emotions for both sides and from players and fans alike. Before pulling off their epic comeback when trailing by 17-points, one Detroit Lions player went as far as waving goodbye to 49er fans sitting in attendance. That player would be none other than cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson who has had an ongoing beef with Deebo Samuel of the 49ers dating back to last season's NFC title game loss to Philadelphia, who even tried getting in a cheap-shot during Purdy's second quarter interception. Hopefully those same fans stuck around and returned the favor with the waving as it was Deebo and company who got the last laugh on Sunday. In the end, Detroit was left seeking their first road win in San Francisco since 1971 and their first ever Super Bowl appearance, as their road playoff losing streak has now reached an NFL record 11 straight. As for the 49ers, coach Shanahan is now 6-0 at home in his playoff career. 

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 267 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in the win, while also adding another 48 yards rushing on 5 carries, giving him 315 combined yards which are the most ever by a 49ers QB in a conference title game victory. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished with 132 all purpose yards after 90 on the ground and another 42 receiving, as well as another pair of touchdowns to give him 25 on the season, breaking a tie with the great Jerry Rice for the most in team history in a single-season including playoffs. Deebo Samuel who was questionable to even play in Sunday's game with a shoulder injury, finished with a team-high 89-yards receiving on 8 receptions. 

Super Bowl Preview: After defeating the Lions to punch their ticket to the big game, the San Francisco 49ers logged their 38th playoff win in franchise history, breaking a tie with the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots for the most in NFL history. They will attempt to add one more win to that total in two weeks from now when they face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas in what will be a rematch of Super Bowl 54 which took place in Miami just 4 years ago. With a laundry list of storylines, the QB matchup is always one of the biggest headlines and this year is no different. While Mahomes versus Purdy might not be the big sexy QB match-up pundits wanted, the meeting does pin a QB vying to become arguably the greatest of all-time against another QB who has already laid claim to being the greatest Mr. Irrelevant of all-time in only his second season in the league and first full season as a starter. Already the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a pass in the NFL, Brock Purdy will now become the first player with that title to appear in a Super Bowl. Despite being one of the leading MVP candidates and even being the frontrunner to win the award for a good portion of the season, Purdy doesn't seem to have much of a chance prevailing over Mahomes according to NFL analysts, even with Vegas oddsmakers saying otherwise. 

Other storylines feature the McCaffrey family as Niners running back Christian McCaffrey will be playing in his first career Super Bowl, hoping to become just the second father-son duo to win a Super Bowl title with the same franchise. Before he was a back-to-back Super Bowl champion and a go-to target for the John Elway-led Broncos that won a pair of titles under Kyle's father Mike Shanahan, Christian's father Ed McCaffrey won a Super Bowl as a wide-receiver with the 49ers in 1994, their most recent championship. Kyle Shanahan will also try to join his father Mike by winning his first Super Bowl as head coach. Another is 49ers left-tackle and future Hall of Famer Trent Williams who is heading to his first Super Bowl after 14 seasons in the NFL. 

The betting lines opened up with San Francisco touted as 2.5 point favorites, but that spread has since dropped to just 1-point in favor of the 49ers. With Mahomes on the other side and the Chiefs being the reigning Super Bowl champs, it's hard to bet against a team that has proven time and time again that they know how to flip the switch and get things done come playoff time. For San Francisco, the team can ill-afford another slow start like the ones they've had in each of the last two games against the Packers and Lions, especially against a Patrick Mahomes-led offense, which in spite of being less potent than they were in their previous Super Bowl meeting against the Niners, are still very dangerous as proven in their playoff journey this season. The key to success in slowing and stopping Mahomes lies in pressuring the QB and containing his favorite target Travis Kelce. With a lackluster receiving corps in comparison to years past, the future Hall of Fame tight-end is the one guy the San Francisco defense has to keep tabs on and cannot let beat them. The 49ers will also have a tough task against the Kansas City defense which is also much improved since the last time they met in the big game. 

After dispatching the No. 1-seeded Ravens on the road in Baltimore to win the AFC and eliminating the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, both on the road, Kansas City will be making their fourth Super Bowl appearance in the last five seasons under head coach Andy Reid. For head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers, the team hopes to get their revenge after spoiling a 10-point fourth quarter lead against K.C. back in 2020, when the team was oh so close to winning their elusive sixth Super Bowl title.  


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

Monday, January 22, 2024

Purdy leads Offense on 4th Quarter Comeback vs Pack to Inch Niners closer to Super Bowl

Playoffs - Continuing their quest for a sixth Super Bowl title and the franchise's first since the 1994 season, the NFC's number 1 seed San Francisco 49ers opened their 2023 Playoff campaign by playing host to the 7 seed Green Bay Packers. With Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad enjoying a Bye week in the NFL's Wild Card round a week earlier, the team watched and prepped from afar as the Packers became the youngest team in NFL history to win a playoff game following their blowout 48-32 win on the road over the 2 seed Dallas Cowboys. With no easy task remaining on the schedule for anyone at this point in the NFL season, San Francisco still opened up at the casinos as double-digit favorites with a trip to the NFC title game on the line. But with inclement weather in the forecast and rain expected to fall virtually all night long, the two teams that have met more than any others in the playoffs, would take centerstage on a wet and soggy field at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium. With the poor field conditions hindering both teams in all facets, the Niners would see their home field advantage dwindle as the playing field was leveled against an inferior opponent due in large part to the weather. 

As far as streaks go, Green Bay entered Saturday's Divisional round meeting against San Francisco riding a 4-game winning streak. In what would be the 10th postseason meeting all-time between the two franchises, the most in NFL history, the Niners entered the latest chapter of this rivalry with four straight wins in the head-to-head matchup, dating back to 2013. But with how the game started as San Francisco lost one of their best players in Deebo Samuel to a shoulder injury just several plays into their first drive and how things were shaping out even into the final minutes of the fourth quarter, it looked like Green Bay was finally on their way to ending their skid against the team that has ended their season so often over the last decade plus. Winning the coin-toss and electing to receive, the Packers began the game with a long opening-drive that lasted nearly 8-minutes on 16-plays, before having to settle for a field goal. After forcing a punt on San Francisco's opening possession, quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers offense were right back at it, making it to the red zone before stalling out inside the 15-yard line when Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur dialed up a QB sneak that was denied on 4th and 1, resulting in a turnover on downs. 

Taking advantage of Green Bay deciding to leave points off the board, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy began to kickstart the offense despite having trouble gripping the ball virtually all game long, showing just how uncomfortable he was throwing the ball in the rain. Even electing to go with a throwing glove in the early going, Purdy soon ditched the glove just one series later. But on one of his better throws of the night, San Francisco's signal-caller stepped up on a 3rd and 5 and launched a deep ball 32-yards into the end zone where he found tight-end George Kittle for the go-ahead touchdown. With the Packers adding another field goal on their next drive to make it a 1-point game, San Francisco had hoped to add to their lead before heading into the half, but a 48-yard field goal attempt by 49ers kicker Jake Moody was blocked to keep it a 7-6 San Francisco advantage thru the first two quarters. Opening the second half just as flat on offense as they did in the first, the 49ers were held to a three and out on their first possession of the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Packers began the half with their best offensive possession yet, aided by a 41-yard defensive pass interference call on 3rd and 15 by Niners cornerback Ambry Thomas who had a forgetful night for the San Francisco secondary.

One play later, Love found a wide-open receiver in the end zone as rookie Bo Melton hauled in his one and only grab on the night and made it count from 19-yards out for a touchdown. Igniting what would be a series of back-and-forth scores between the two teams, San Francisco answered on the other end with back-to-back big plays, the first of which on a 32-yard reception from Purdy to Kittle. Running back Christian McCaffrey would let his presence be known on the next play, taking a handoff up the middle and breaking a tackle on his way to paydirt as San Francisco retook a 14-13 lead. The Niners' lead would be short-lived, however, as the Packers nearly got it back on the ensuing kickoff as return man Keisean Nixon almost took it to the house before being stopped from behind and fumbling the ball. With Green Bay recovering the fumble, the 73-yard return by Nixon helped his team reclaim the lead with Love finding tight-end Tucker Kraft all alone just a few plays later for a 2-yard touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion on a bubble-screen to a wide-open Aaron Jones, the Packers took a 21-14 lead, their largest of the night. 

Forcing another San Francisco punt, Green Bay appeared to have the Niners right where they wanted them, with a chance to add to their lead and make it a two-score game. But Jordan Love who was red-hot entering Saturday's game having thrown 21 touchdowns to just 1 interception since Week 10, threw two costly interceptions down the stretch in what was the biggest game of his career up to this point. The first of which on an errant pass that was tipped, making for an easy pick by Niners linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Although they would only get a field goal out of it as Jake Moody split the uprights from 52-yards out, the bit into the deficit to make it a 21-17 game to start the fourth quarter. With trips to the red zone on each of their first five possessions, Green Bay was held to their first punt of the night on their first drive of the fourth quarter. Holding San Francisco to a punt of their own, Packers running back Aaron Jones appeared to have dealt the final blow on the first play of their next possession, finding a hole and darting ahead for a 53-yard gain to put him over the 100-yard mark, becoming the first 100+ yard rusher allowed by the 49ers in 51 games, snapping the longest active streak in the NFL. 

The big night for Jones would be just another day at the office for the Packers back who eclipsed the century mark for the fifth consecutive game. Unfortunately for Green Bay, their drive would stall out there, settling for an Anders Carlson field goal that he missed wide left from 41-yards out. No kicker had missed more kicks all season than Carlson who's 13th miss of the year would prove to be the most costly, keeping it a 4-point game. Taking over with under 7-minutes remaining in regulation, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who hadn't played particularly well while battling the elements, would have yet another chance to silence the critics. With a trip to the NFC title game on the line, Purdy would lead his team down the field by orchestrating a 13-play, 69-yard drive, converting on two key third downs before handing the ball off to his running back Christian McCaffrey who plowed forward 6-yards for his second rushing touchdown of the evening. With just 1:07 remaining in the fourth, the 49ers found themselves back on top leading 24-21. 

Since taking over the 49ers' head coaching job in 2017, no head coach has had a worse record when trailing by more than 5 points entering the fourth quarter than San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan who owned a dismal record of 0-31, including playoffs. But against his good friend and former colleague Matt LaFleur, Shanahan's team would find a way to pull it out and end the streak. Having a knack for trying to play hero-ball in an up and down first half of the season, Love reverted back to his old ways on a last-ditch effort on their ensuing possession. With a 1st & 10 from their own 36-yard line, Love was flushed from the pocket and threw an off-balance pass across the field and into trouble as San Francisco's Dre Greenlaw made a diving grab to secure his second interception of the night and seal the win for the 49ers, but not before stressing out the fans and his coaches alike by running around and breaking a few tackles when all he needed to do was go down. After being questionable to even play in Saturday's game with an Achilles injury, Greenlaw came up with two of the biggest plays of the game on defense and the only two interceptions on the night as San Francisco sent Green Bay home early in the playoffs for a fifth straight time. 

In the win, Brock Purdy threw for 252 yards and 1 touchdown on 23 of 39 pass attempts. 49ers tight-end George Kittle caught a touchdown pass and led his team in receiving yards with 81, followed by receiver Jauan Jennings who stepped up in the absence of Deebo Samuel in the opening quarter with 5 receptions for 61 yards. Running back Christian McCaffrey tallied 128 total yards, including 98 on the ground and rushed for 2 touchdowns on 17 carries, tying him with the great Jerry Rice for the most scrimmage TDs in a season (including playoffs) in 49ers franchise history with 23. Meanwhile, Jordan Love who tallied his lowest passer rating since Week 9 (72.4), threw for 194 yards on 21 of 34 attempts, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the loss for Green Bay. Romeo Doubs finished with a game-high 83-yards receiving on 4 receptions and running back Aaron Jones led all rushers with 108 yards on 18 carries. 

NFC Championship Preview: Making his second trip to the NFC Championship game in as many years as a pro will be 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. As for his team, it'll be San Francisco's third straight title game appearance and their fourth trip to the NFC Championship in the last five seasons. Looking to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, the 49ers will play host to the No. 3 seed Detroit Lions who stand in their way. Winners of the NFC North, Lions quarterback Jared Goff who is 0-5 in his last five meetings against the Niners, leads an explosive Detroit offense who's list of weapons are second to only that of the 49ers. The Lions advanced to only their second-ever NFC title game in franchise history and the organization's first since 1991 after dispatching the No. 4 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23 on Sunday. Eying their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, Lions QB Jared Goff hopes to make it to a second Super Bowl after losing to the Patriots as a member of the Rams in 2018. 

In what is expected to be another hard-fought battle for the 49ers, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan knows his team can ill-afford another performance like the one his team mustered up against Green Bay. And with no rain projected in the forecast, it's unlikely they'll get another sloppy performance from their QB in what will be the biggest game of his life as last year's Mr. Irrelevant goes toe-to-toe with a former 1st overall pick at quarterback. Another area San Francisco will need to do much better in is getting to the quarterback as the 49ers failed to record a single sack versus the Packers. They'll also need to clean up some of the penalties that hurt them in the Divisional round, specifically on defense in the secondary. One key going into the game will be whether or not Brock Purdy will have Deebo Samuel at his disposal, as the self-proclaimed wide-back will be a game-time decision with a shoulder injury that kept him out of all but the opening-drive against Green Bay. If history repeats itself, the 49ers will at least have that in their favor as the Lions have lost 13 consecutive road playoff games with their last road playoff win taking place on November 22, 1957 against the 49ers in the NFL Championship. However, the 49ers currently own a 13-game home win streak against the Lions dating back to 1975. 


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Rams Prevail over Niners in Battle of the Benches

Week 18 - Other than a minor tune-up heading into the NFL playoffs, Sunday's game between the (12-4) San Francisco 49ers and (9-7) Los Angeles Rams served little significance with both teams having already clinched playoff spots. But for L.A. who was vying for better playoff seeding with a win and a few rookie records for one of their star receivers, the Rams had a little more to play for in Sunday's regular-season finale. In a rivalry that dates back to 1950, coach Kyle Shanahan and the Niners have had the number of their southern California counterparts, having won nine straight regular-season meetings over the Rams. While that streak was bound to end sooner or later, it probably ended a little sooner than it would have had both teams gone with their starters. Instead, the Rams would prevail in the battle of the backups, logging their first regular-season win over San Francisco in 5 1/2 years. 

With both teams electing to sit their starting quarterbacks among a lengthy list of other notable players, the game would be a match-up between two backup QB's who were thought to be franchise-altering players, now looking to show their worth after being drafted near the top of their respective draft boards in San Francisco's Sam Darnold and L.A.'s Carson Wentz. Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick for the New York Jets in 2018 who had 55 career starts under his belt, would make his first in a 49ers uniform on Sunday. Meanwhile, Wentz who was passed on with the No. 1 overall pick by the Rams in the 2016 NFL Draft before sliding to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 2 pick, would also make his first start of the season in his first game action since Week 17 of the 2022 regular-season. Entering Sunday with a career record of 3-0 against SF, Wentz would snap the Niners' streak of 12 consecutive wins against NFC West opponents, while also improving his own streak against them. 

Darnold and the Niners offense would get off to a strong start on the game's opening-drive as the former USC Trojan went 5-for-5 on passes for 49-yards, before running back Elijah Mitchell rushed up the middle for a 1-yard score to give San Francisco an early 7-0 advantage. For the 49ers, the opening-drive touchdown would be their 10th of the season, the most in the NFL. Los Angeles rookie receiver Puka Nacua who has dazzled in his first year as a pro and has been a pleasant surprise during his first campaign in the Rams offense, would have a chance to break not one but two rookie receiving records for the most receptions and the most receiving yards in a rookie season. Needing one play less than the Niners' 14-play, 75-yard opening-drive, the Rams offense answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive of their own, capped off by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Wentz to Nacua. Orchestrating the longest drive of the first half, Darnold and the 49er offense would answer by retaking the lead on a 20-play, 82-yard drive that lasted just shy of 10-minutes, as the running back tandem of Mitchell and Jordan Mason got the Niners to the doorstep before Darnold was able to charge ahead for his 14th career rushing touchdown. 

Following up what was the longest drive of the first half, Wentz and the Rams would have the shortest drive as the L.A. QB would be intercepted on the first play of their ensuing possession when receiver Tutu Atwell had a pass skip off of his hands and into the air, allowing for a diving grab by a 49er making his season-debut as Tayler Hawkins made the play just days after being elevated from the team's practice squad. However, the turnover would not prove to be costly by the Rams as the 49ers attempted to add to their lead with a Jake Moody field goal before the rookie kicker missed from 38-yards out by doinking the ball off the right upright for his first missed kick of the season inside 40-yards. The 49ers would manage to add to their lead just before halftime as Darnold connected with receiver Chris Conley on the longest play of the game with a 48-yard pass, setting up a 5-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Ronnie Bell just a few plays later. With another miss from Jake Moody, this time on an extra-point for the first time this season, the 49ers took a 20-7 lead at the break. 

Sean McVay's Rams opened the second half with an impressive 20-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 10-minutes and 15-seconds and ended in the end zone with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Wentz to receiver Tyler Johnson for his first score of the season. Like Moody, Rams kicker Brett Maher would also miss on the extra-point attempt, keeping it an 8-point game. After a promising first half on offense, Darnold and the 49ers were shutout in the second half while compiling a measly 26 yards of total offense and were held to just two first downs. San Francisco's 20-13 lead lasted until the 5-minute mark when L.A. benefited from a 48-yard pass-interference penalty. After a few short runs, Wentz took it in himself by plowing forward from 12-yards out for his 11th career rushing touchdown. With momentum suddenly on their side, the Rams would go for the two-point conversion and cashing in on a successful pass from Wentz to Tutu Atwell to take their first lead of the day. 

San Francisco would have one last chance to pull off a comeback following both teams exchanging punts. Taking over possession with no timeouts remaining and just under a minute to go, Darnold connected on an 18-yard pass to Chris Conley for a first down that put them near midfield. Only needing to get into field goal range to give kicker Jake Moody a shot at redemption with a walk-off field goal, Darnold stepped up in the pocket and looked to have a sprinting Jordan Mason all alone for a big gain, but the Niners QB was caught from behind, jarring the ball loose as the Rams came up with the fumble recovery to seal the 21-20 victory for L.A. In the loss, Darnold threw for 189 yards and 1 touchdown and rushed for another score on 7 carries for 19 yards, but was haunted by the game-ending fumble. Wentz also did damage with his legs, leading all rushers with 56 yards and a touchdown on a game-high 17 carries, while throwing for 163 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception in the win. 

Playoff Preview: While the No. 1 seeded 49ers sit back and enjoy their extended rest with the first-round Bye, San Francisco whom owns homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, will await the outcomes of the NFC's Wild Card Round before playing host to the lowest-seeded winner. This weekend's match-ups include: Green Bay @ Dallas, Los Angeles @ Detroit, and Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay. When 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy retakes the field in the NFC's Divisional Round, he'll try to improve the record of starting QB's that have sat out of the final regular season game since 2005 as rested QB's own a record of 10-16 for a winning percentage of .385 in their first playoff game. In comparison, QB's that played in the regular season finale own a record of 112-84 in their first playoff game during that span, a winning percentage of .571. Looking to throw that nonsense out the same window that he has used to throw out all the criticisms he's received this season for being a "game manager", a "system QB" and for being a long shot to even be considered in the NFL's MVP race, Brock Purdy was named to the Pro Bowl earlier in the week, becoming the first 49ers QB selected since Jeff Garcia in 2002. Purdy also surpassed Garcia's franchise-record for the most passing yards in a season by a Niners QB just a week earlier. 


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Monday, January 1, 2024

49ers Right Ship vs Washington, Lock up Top Seed

Week 17 - Looking to bounce back from a blowout loss at home on Christmas night to the Baltimore Ravens, Brock Purdy and the (11-4) San Francisco 49ers set their sights on the (4-11) Washington Commanders in hopes of finishing 2023 by getting back on track with a win. Heading to the nation's capital to face a struggling Commanders team on New Years Eve, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would aim to make Sunday's game their last of the season as members of the road team as a win coupled with a loss from the Philadelphia Eagles would lock up the NFC's No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But before San Francisco could look ahead to the postseason, the meeting against Washington would be especially important for two current members of the 49ers in left-tackle Trent Williams and defensive-end Chase Young, both of whom are former Washington players. Facing off against their former team, Sunday's bout with Washington marked the first time for Williams at FedEx Field as a visitor and Young for the first time of his career at home or away. 

For others, most notably Niners quarterback Brock Purdy, the game would serve as a chance to bounce back as many around the league have written off San Francisco's signal-caller after his putrid 4-interception performance less than a week earlier on Christmas night. By game's end, Purdy would indeed bounce back in a big way with a 124.7 passer rating, on his way to recording the most passing yards in a single season by a 49ers quarterback with 4,280 in just his first year as the starting QB, eclipsing the previous mark of 4,278 passing yards set in 2000 by Jeff Garcia. With Purdy in a three-way race for the league's MVP Award alongside Baltimore's Lamar Jackson and teammate Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers QB would also witness history being made by McCaffrey and a few other of his teammates on Sunday. 
Opening the game on offense, the 49ers were able to march into Washington territory with a busy first drive from McCaffrey who entered the game leading the league in rushing. Making their way to the red zone rather easily, it was there where the Niner offense fizzled out and was forced to settle for a Jake Moody field goal, giving San Francisco an early 3-0 lead. Forcing a three and out at the other end on defense as Washington held the ball for less than a minute in time of possession, the 49ers had a much more successful drive on their second possession. With more touches to McCaffrey, Purdy was able to distribute the ball to both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, as the tandem of receivers helped the offense setup shop at the 2-yard line where Purdy flipped a pass to Deebo who was able to score with a walk-in touchdown. Taking a 10-0 first quarter lead, Washington would flip the script as soon as they started quarter no. 2, answering back with a Joey Slye field goal and a 3-yard touchdown pass to receiver Terry McLaurin. Commanders quarterback Sam Howell who was benched earlier in the week by head coach Ron Rivera for backup QB Jacoby Brissett, suddenly found himself at the forefront of a tie game against the NFC's No. 1 team after being reinserted as the starter with Brissett ruled out a day earlier due to a hamstring injury suffered in Thursday's practice. 

Looking to stave off a late season upset against one of the NFC's worst teams, the 49ers were able to march to Washington's goal-line where they struggled to find the end zone on three straight plays from the 1-yard line. Settling for a field goal, San Francisco took a 13-10 lead into the half with work to do. Making the needed adjustments at halftime, the 49ers defense forced a Washington three and out to open the third quarter. Adding to their lead, Brock Purdy and company put together the longest drive of the afternoon for either team with a 14-play, 68-yard drive that chewed up over 7-minutes of clock. Backup running back Elijah Mitchell who has had a roller coaster season with nagging knee injuries, recorded his best game of the season after filling in for McCaffrey who would leave early in the third quarter with a lower leg injury that was later described as a mild calf strain. Toting the rock for seven carries on the drive, Mitchell punched in his first touchdown of the season with a 2-yard score. 
Putting their clamps down on defense, San Francisco forced back-to-back turnovers with interceptions from Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir on consecutive drives. Turning one of those turnovers into points, Purdy was able to find Aiyuk with a pair of big plays, including a 38-yard connection that put the Niners inside the red zone. Several plays later, Purdy would work a bit of his magic by scrambling out of the pocket to avoid a sack and slinging the ball across the field to find Aiyuk all alone on the left side of the end zone. San Francisco would again make their way to the goal-line, but were unable to punch thru on fourth and goal as Elijah Mitchell was denied a second touchdown on the day. After exchanging punts, the 49ers forced a turnover on downs of their own to seal the 27-10 victory. Making their way to the locker room, several members of the 49ers joined members of the media to catch the ending of the Philadelphia Eagles-Arizona Cardinals game where they witnessed a remarkable comeback win by their division rivals which helped lock up the NFC's top seed for San Francisco. 

In the win, Brock Purdy threw for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also avoiding the turnover bug that plagued him a week earlier. His counterpart Sam Howell was held to just 169 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Elijah Mitchell led all rushers with 80 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, followed by 64 yards on 14 carries by McCaffrey before the injury. McCaffrey also added 27 yards on 4 receptions, becoming the first 49ers player with 2,000+ scrimmage yards since 2006 (Frank Gore), while also posting a new career-high in rushing yards with 1,459. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk had another big day at the office, recording his 6th game of the season with over 100 receiving yards, tallying 114 and a receiving touchdown on 7 receptions. Tight-end George Kittle had only 3 receptions for 29 yards receiving in the win, but did surpass 1,000 yards receiving for the third time in his career as the 49ers became the first team in NFL history with a running back, two wide receivers and a tight-end to each have 1,000-plus scrimmage yards in the same season (McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Deebo and Kittle). They're also just the 4th team in NFL history with a 4,000+ yard passer and 4 players with 1,000+ yards from scrimmage in a season. With the 17-point win, the Niners added to their dominance over the NFC Eastern Division, increasing their point differential to +90, the highest of any team versus an opposing division this season. 
Week 18 Preview: Having already clinched the NFC's top seed, (12-4) San Francisco's regular season dominance over the rival (9-4) L.A. Rams could very well finally come to an end in the team's regular-season finale as head coach Kyle Shanahan will likely sit a majority of his starters in a game with little significance. With nine straight regular season wins over Sean McVay and the Rams, the 49ers are on the cusp of hitting double-digits in consecutive wins against their southern California rivals. Other than a slight tune-up leading up to the 49ers' Playoffs Bye Week in the first round of next week's Wild Card round, I'd be very surprised to see San Francisco's starters out on the field longer than the opening quarter, if at all. The Rams who have also clinched a playoff spot as a Wild Card team after a close call on the road against the Giants, coming off a 26-25 win, are also expected to sit a number of starters. Among those sitting out for L.A. will be QB Matthew Stafford who will be benched in favor of Carson Wentz who will face off against Niners backup Sam Darnold. Sunday's game won't be completely meaningless for the Rams who can seal the NFC's No. 6 seed with a win over the Niners, or they could fall to the 7 seed with a loss and a Green Bay Packers win over the Chicago Bears. 


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Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Niners, Purdy Struggle in Christmas Bout vs Ravens

Week 16 - In a match-up between the top two teams in their respective conferences at 11-3 on the season, the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens met on Christmas evening for a heavyweight showdown on Monday Night Football, showcasing the NFC's best ranked offense versus the AFC's best ranked defense. After the Christmas feast concluded and all gifts were opened, all eyes were set on the star-studded meeting that also featured a trio of MVP candidates in San Francisco's Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. While McCaffrey had another solid performance and continued to make his case for an award that has been none too kind for any position outside of quarterback, one QB improved his candidacy in the NFL's MVP race while the other witnessed his stock take a hit. With both teams struggling early on while on offense, it was the defense that took centerstage through the game's opening quarter. 

After the 49er defense forced a three and out punt on Baltimore's opening-drive, the offense got rolling with a big play on third down as QB Brock Purdy hit tight-end George Kittle for a 58-yard gain. Able to cross midfield and threatening to score, the 49ers found themselves in the red zone before disaster struck when Purdy thought he had a wide-open Deebo Samuel in the end zone before Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton flashed in front of the intended target to make the interception. Dealing a blow to the momentum the 49ers appeared to capture out of the gates, the interception marked the first of Purdy's career on an opening-drive. Unfortunately, it would be the first of many miscues on the night by the 49ers' signal-caller who followed up one of the best games of his young career with what was undoubtedly his worst. Despite the early mistake, the San Francisco defense would pick up their QB by forcing the first 49ers safety in 88-games on the other end when Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambled and drifted too far into the end zone before being brought down for a sack with a little help from an official who lost his footing and got in the way of the Ravens QB. Receiving the ball following the safety, the 49ers were able to add a field goal to take a 5-0 lead.

The Ravens answered by getting on the scoreboard via a Justin Tucker field goal on their ensuing possession, igniting a flame within the Baltimore offense that went on to score on seven consecutive drives, the most consecutive scoring drives against a 49ers team since 2005. San Francisco had appeared to be headed for a score of their own before Purdy had a pass batted into the air by one defender and into the lap of another. It would mark the first game of Purdy's career with multiple interceptions in the first half. Sadly, for him the nightmare and interception woes were only just beginning. Turning the turnover into points as Baltimore running back Gus Edwards ran in a touchdown from a yard out at the other end, Purdy was again intercepted on San Francisco's next possession as a pass intended for George Kittle was again batted into the air, allowing for an easy interception by Kyle Hamilton who came down with his second pick in as many quarters. This time holding Baltimore to just a field goal, the 49er offense was finally able to stop the bleeding with a touchdown of their own for the first time of the evening. After nearly taking a 39-yard carry to the house, Niners running back Christian McCaffrey punched it in one play later for the 9-yard touchdown to make it a 1-point game at 13-12. 

Adding to their lead just before halftime, the 49ers were unable to contain Lamar Jackson who helped arguably the greatest field goal kicker of all-time with a 30-yard run to setup another Baltimore field goal. Though the 49ers had the Ravens right where they wanted them, opening the second half with possession of the ball and trailing by only 4-points, the offense was unable to do anything on their first four possessions of the second half. Following San Francisco's three and out punt to begin the third quarter, the Ravens struck fast with a 39-yard gain on a pass from Jackson to Edwards who finished the drive two plays later with a 1-yard score. Purdy who had never thrown more than two interceptions in a game in his professional career, would throw his fourth pick of the night just one play later. Making quick work of the turnover, Jackson would find rookie receiver Zay Flowers in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. Adding another field goal one possession later, the Ravens' lead ballooned to 30-12 as San Francisco suddenly found themselves staring down their largest deficit of the season (18-points). 

Purdy and the Niner offense would finally string together their first successful drive of the second half as receiver Brandon Aiyuk hauled in a pair of big receptions for 22 and 33 yards to move the chains. However, Purdy would have to leave the game after taking a hit from Baltimore's Jadeveon Clowney on a sack that left the Niners QB with the same stinger he felt a week ago against the Cardinals. Checking into the game to replace Purdy was backup QB Sam Darnold who connected with three different receivers on a trio of short passes before throwing a strike to rookie receiver Ronnie Bell who came down with the touchdown. Inching closer and making it a two-score game with 6:23 remaining in regulation, the 49ers were able to force the much-needed punt and began to march down the field before things stalled out inside the red zone. After marching to the 1-yard line and on the doorstep of scoring, an 11-yard sack and a false start penalty suddenly found the 49ers at the 17-yard line. It was there that the 49ers would throw their fifth and final interception on the night as Darnold chucked a pass into traffic inside the end zone as the Ravens came away with the football as well as the 33-19 victory. 

Electing to sit his starting quarterback for the remainder of the night despite Purdy's willingness to reenter the game, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan witnessed his team struggle to the tune of a season-high 5 turnovers which led to 17-points off turnovers for the opposition which was clearly the difference. In the loss, Purdy finished with a game-high 255 passing yards, 0 touchdowns and 4 interceptions and a dismal 42.6 QB rating, a far cry from his NFL leading 119.0 rating that he entered the game with. On a Christmas night that he would much rather forget, Purdy is the first 49er quarterback with a 4 interception game since Colin Kaepernick in 2015. Tight-end George Kittle led all receivers with a game-high 126 yards receiving on a team-high 7 receptions. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey added yet another game with over 100 scrimmage yards, rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries to go along with 6 receptions for 28 receiving yards, his 8th straight game with 100+ scrimmage yards which set a new team record and his 12th such game this season, the most in a season in 49ers franchise history, surpassing Roger Craig's 11 games in 1985 and 1988. 

For the Ravens, QB Lamar Jackson tossed for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while adding another 45 yards rushing to lead his team on 7 carries. With the win, Baltimore recorded their first 5 game winning-streak since 2021, while also snapping San Francisco's 6-game winning-streak on the other end. Leading the league in sacks, Baltimore was able to record 4 sacks compared to San Francisco's 2, recording all four when they needed them most in the fourth quarter. The 49ers' turnover woes coupled with their inability to get the Ravens off the field as they forced a punt on Baltimore's opening-drive but not another until the 10:30 mark of the 4th quarter, did them in as they were unable to dig themselves out of a three-score hole. In what was touted as a potential Super Bowl preview, the Niners hope to see Baltimore down the road again with a different outcome in mind and a chance to redeem themselves in what would also be a rematch from Super Bowl XLVII when then Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers were edged by brother and current Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh and the Ravens, 34-31. 

Week 17 Preview: Now at 11-4 on the season and tied with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFC, the 49ers still own the top seed and currently hold a tie-breaker over both clubs. Looking to maintain that top spot, San Francisco will look to bounce back in their final road game of the regular season when they make a stop in our nation's capital to take on the (4-11) Washington Commanders. Losers of six straight, the Commanders are jockeying for position near the top of the 2024 Draft board, and currently sit in the No. 3 spot if the season were to end today. However, despite their poor record and ongoing losing-streak, Washington has lost back-to-back games by one-score and have shown some improvement on offense with backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett under-center, having come off the bench in each of the last two games and nearly leading the Commanders to a comeback victory a week ago against the Jets, erasing a 27-7 halftime deficit and tying the game before eventually falling 30-27 on a last-second field goal. Brissett will get start on Sunday per Washington head coach Ron Rivera, taking over for the struggling Sam Howell. Former Commander and current 49er Chase Young will get a crack at his old team after being traded from Washington to San Francisco during the October 31 trade deadline. For the 49ers who can lock up the NFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round Bye by winning out the final two games of the regular season, the team is primed for a win to get back on track as QB Brock Purdy looks to redeem himself against the NFL's worst defense in hopes of salvaging his dwindling MVP chances. 


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Monday, December 18, 2023

Purdy Shines in Homecoming as 49ers Sweep Cards

Week 15 - A week after clinching the first playoff spot in the NFL this season following a win over rival Seattle coupled with a loss from the Green Bay Packers, the (10-3) San Francisco 49ers would have the opportunity to secure the NFC Western Division with a win on the road against the (3-9) Arizona Cardinals. With a chance to sweep the season series over the Cardinals, Sunday's game would also serve as 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's homecoming, facing the team in his home state of Arizona for the first time of his career. Honored by the Cardinals in 2017 for being named the Arizona Football Player of the Year out of High School, and with his family and friends in attendance, Purdy would add to his MVP resume with another strong outing on Sunday. But before the Niners would go on to put up a season-high in points scored, it was the Cardinals offense that opened the game with the ball and dealt the first blow. 

With QB Kyler Murray under-center against the 49ers for the first time this season, San Francisco would match-up against the former No. 1 overall pick in 2019 for the first time in over two years. Happy to have their signal-caller back, the Cardinals offense marched with ease on their opening-drive as Murray found his tight-end Trey McBride early and often as the two connected on a 38-yard gain that set a single-season franchise record for the most receptions by a Cardinals tight-end (57). Several plays later, running back James Conner gave Arizona an early lead by finding the end zone from 2-yards out. With San Francisco's defense leading the league in rushing yards allowed per game entering Sunday at 78.3, Arizona would eclipse that mark in the first half alone as the 49ers were without their top two defensive-tackles in Arik Armstead (foot/knee) and Javon Hargrave (hamstring). Wasting little time to answer back, the 49er offense got some big runs from running back Christian McCaffrey who had another big day at the office, before Purdy found a wide-open Deebo Samuel who was able to tip-toe his way into the end zone from 12-yards out. 

Making it across mid-field on their second possession, the Cardinals showed some aggressiveness early on by electing to go for it on a 4th and 3 call from the San Francisco 42-yard line. Stepping back to pass, Murray was intercepted by 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward who made a house-call and returned the pick-six 66-yards the other way for the go-ahead touchdown. Ward who was questionable coming into Sunday's game with a groin injury suffered on the first drive of last week's game against the Seahawks that kept him sidelined for 3+ quarters, showed that he was feeling just fine on Sunday, giving San Francisco their first defensive touchdown of the season. With a pair of Matt Prater field goals on their next two possessions, the Cardinals inched closer by making it a 14-13 ballgame. Looking to add to their lead before the half, the 49ers began to march, but endured a scare when Brock Purdy made a brief visit to the medical tent following a collision with a member of the Cardinals that led to a roughing the passer penalty. Backup QB Sam Darnold came in for three plays before Purdy reentered the game and was welcomed by a roar from the many 49er fans in attendance. Picking up right where he left off, Purdy hit tight-end George Kittle on a big third down conversion before finding McCaffrey in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown grab. 

Receiving the ball to start the second half, the 49er offense continued to roll as Purdy and Kittle connected again on third down, picking up 35-yards on a 3rd and 11. One play later, Purdy found a wide-open McCaffrey who leaked free and back-peddled his way to make a leaping grab that caused him to fall, get back and up dart free for the 41-yard score. After exchanging punts, the Cardinals added another field goal, but could not slow San Francisco on defense as McCaffrey struck pay dirt for his third time on the afternoon. In what would be a lackluster afternoon by the 49er defense in terms of tackling as a number of San Francisco's better defenders were struggling to wrap up on Sunday, the Cardinals took advantage and were able to keep it a two-score game early in the fourth quarter when running back Emari Demercado broke free from a tackle and rushed for a 49-yard touchdown. The Niner offense would answer back with Brock Purdy's fourth and final touchdown of the afternoon on a dime into the end zone that Deebo Samuel laid out to get, giving Deebo his third straight multi-touchdown game. 

With the game now out of reach and San Francisco leading 42-22 in the fourth quarter, Mooney Ward picked off Kyler Murray for a second time, making way for Sam Darnold to finish the game under-center in place of Brock Purdy with just over six-minutes remaining in regulation. Kicker Jake Moody added a 43-yard field goal to increase San Francisco's lead before a garbage-time touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to rookie tight-end Elijah Higgins who hauled in his first career score. Leaving the desert with a 45-29 win, the 49ers completed the season sweep of the Cardinals with their sixth straight win of the season and 12th consecutive victory within the division. Two of San Francisco's leading MVP candidates led the way as quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns without being sacked all afternoon, and running back Christian McCaffrey finished with 187 total yards and 3 total TD's, giving him a total of 20 touchdowns on the season and his 6th game with 100+ rush yards this season (the most in the NFL). With four touchdowns against Arizona in their earlier meeting this season, McCaffrey tied an NFL record for the most TD's versus one team in a season in the Super Bowl era with 7 against the Cardinals. He would tie another NFL record for the most career games with a rushing and receiving touchdown with 15. 

In the losing effort, Murray threw for 211 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions and ran for another 49 yards on 6 carries for Arizona, with 10 receptions and 102 of those yards going to tight-end Trey McBride who had a solid outing and led all receivers in both categories despite the loss. However, the Cardinals did excel with their running game on Sunday, rushing for 234 total yards compared to San Francisco's 144. Keeping Purdy on his feet throughout the entire contest, the 49ers were able to get to Murray three times, including a sack from Nick Bosa who hit double-digits this season and increased his mark for the most sacks since 2021 with 44.5. In the locker room after the game, the 49ers were given new hats and t-shirts as they celebrated the team's second straight division title and third NFC West title overall since Kyle Shanahan took over the head coaching job back in 2017. 

Week 16 Preview: The (11-3) 49ers will play host to the (11-3) Baltimore Ravens as the first two teams to punch a playoff ticket in each conference meet on Christmas Day for Monday Night Football. With both teams currently sitting atop their respective conference slotted as the No. 1 seed, both squads will look to come out with a win to stay on top in hopes of securing a first-round Bye in the playoffs. With the 49ers having already clinched the NFC West, the Ravens are looking to fend off the (9-5) Cleveland Browns for the AFC North crown. Where the 49ers will need to improve if they want to keep Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson at bey is keeping him in check with his legs as he is just as dangerous if not more when escaping the pocket and running the ball. The Ravens defense also ranks 2nd in the NFL in average yards allowed at 284.4, which will be a challenge the 49er offense will gladly welcome, serving as a tune up before the start of the playoffs. The last time these two teams met was in December of 2019 in Baltimore, a back and forth game in which the Ravens kicked a late field goal to win it in wet conditions by a final of 20-17. The 49ers will try to flip the script on Baltimore in the rematch in hopes of spreading some holiday cheer in front of the 49er Faithful of Levi's Stadium. 


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Tuesday, December 12, 2023

49ers Complete Sweep of rival Seahawks

Week 14 - A week after showing that they can beat just about anybody after handing the Philadelphia Eagles a 23-point beatdown in Philly, the (9-3) San Francisco 49ers turned their attention to the rival (6-6) Seahawks whom they've beaten in four straight meetings dating back to last season and as recent as Thanksgiving night. Returning home to Levi's Stadium, Brock Purdy and the 49ers would look to make it five straight wins over the Seahawks on Sunday, who've been on a bit of a tailspin having lost three straight games and could ill-afford another loss within the division as their chances of making the playoffs continue to plummet. Hoping for a saving grace, backup quarterback Drew Lock would make his first start in a Seahawks uniform in place of Geno Smith who was ruled out with a groin injury just hours before kickoff. 

Seeing his first NFL action since 2021 while a member of the Denver Broncos, Lock would keep Seattle in the game virtually all afternoon long before succumbing late to the stout Niner defense that tagged him for two interceptions and brought him down for four sacks on the day. While the defense of San Francisco came thru late in the game to shutout the Seattle offense in the fourth quarter, it was the offense that stole the show in the first quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey charged for a 72-yard run that immediately put the San Francisco offense on the door step before Jordan Mason walked in a touchdown from 3-yards out one play later. Taking a much different approach, Seattle would answer back on their ensuing drive with a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 31-yard touchdown pass to receiver D.K. Metcalf as Lock threaded the needle with a pass that zipped by the outstretched arms of San Francisco's Ambry Thomas. With two receptions for 52-yards on Seattle's opening-drive, Metcalf would be held catch-less the rest of the way despite the Niners' top cornerback Charvarius Ward being sidelined with a groin injury just a few plays into the game. 

After their blazing start on their first drive, the 49er offense began to lull as they were held to back to back three and out punts before finally showing life again. But just when the offense was starting to march, a bit of miscommunication by Purdy and receiver Brandon Aiyuk began to transpire as the two were not on the same page which led to an interception on a tipped-pass. Trailing 10-7, San Francisco got a big play from their most versatile weapon on offense in receiver Deebo Samuel who hauled in a 54-yard reception over the top for the go-ahead touchdown. With a 14-10 lead at the half, the 49ers added another Deebo Samuel touchdown to the scoreboard, this time on a 1-yard carry. Refusing to go down quietly, Seattle answered with a touchdown of their own after a pair of big plays through the air by running back Kenneth Walker III and tight-end Noah Fant who marched 53-yards on two plays before Lock hit his other tight-end Colby Parkinson for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the same exact play Brock Purdy and the 49ers successfully ran against the Seahawks in Seattle a season ago. 

With the game much closer than 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would've liked, San Francisco opened the fourth quarter with another quick score that put the game out of reach for good. Needing only three plays, Purdy got his own tight-end involved with a 44-yard touchdown grab that gave the 49ers a 28-16 lead. Rookie cornerback Ji'Ayir Brown would record his second career interception on Seattle's ensuing drive, but just when it appeared that the 49ers would turn the turnover into points, Brandon Aiyuk was stripped from behind after collecting 30-yards on a play that would've put his team in the red zone. It would be no harm, no foul for the Niners as Seattle was held to a punt. Putting the finishing touches on the afternoon would be All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who came down with the Niners' second interception of the contest on a Drew Lock heave on 4th and 13 that led to a little fisticuffs between Warner and Seattle's D.K. Metcalf who was shutout in the second half. Metcalf and 49ers corner Deommodore Lenoir were both ejected for for unsportsmanlike conduct.  

49ers QB Brock Purdy would record a career-high in passing yards in the win with 368 to go along with his 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 145 yards on 16 carries, while Deebo Samuel (7 receptions, 149 receiving yards and 2 total touchdowns) and Brandon Aiyuk who surpassed the 1,000 receiving yards mark for the season (6 receptions, 126 receiving yards) led all players through the air. As for San Francisco's defense which has generated 29 sacks in their last 5 games played (1st in the NFL), which is seven more than the next-closest team, defensive-end Nick Bosa was the cause of 1.5 of those four sacks on Sunday which moved him to 3rd all-time in 49ers franchise history with 52.5 career sacks. While Drew Lock threw for a respectable 269 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in a losing effort, and showed that he can be a capable backup when needed, even against the formidable 49er defense, it wasn't enough to prevent San Francisco from pulling off a season sweep of the Seahawks for a second straight season. 

Week 15 Preview: With their fifth straight win coupled with a loss from the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, the (10-3) 49ers became the first team in the NFL this season to clinch a playoff berth with four games remaining on the regular season schedule. Next on their list will be the (3-10) Arizona Cardinals whom the 49ers defeated at home back on October 1, but are coming off the Bye Week and an impressive 24-10 road win before that over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tempers flared at the end of the game the last time these two teams met between 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga and Cards running back James Connor, as both players needed to be separated following San Francisco's 35-16 win. With quarterback Kyler Murray back under center, the 49ers will face Murray for the first time this season and for the first time since Week 5 of the 2021 regular season as he's dealt with multiple injuries including a torn ACL during Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season. In the running for the 1st overall pick, only the (1-12) Carolina Panthers have a worse record than Arizona, with the New England Patriots also sitting at 3-10 on the year. As for San Francisco, the 49ers will need to keep their foot on the gas if they want to maintain the NFC's No. 1 overall seed as they can control their own destiny and currently hold a tie-breaker over the Eagles & Cowboys who both also sit at 10-3 on the season, but both have a division loss under their belt. 



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Monday, December 4, 2023

49ers Handle Eagles in Landslide Win

Week 13 - Looking to continue their winning-streak and gain ground in the race for the NFC's No. 1 seed, the (8-3) San Francisco 49ers would have a date against the (10-1) Philadelphia Eagles, a team 49er fans and players alike have had circled on their calendar since the release of the NFL's regular season schedule. Despite the reputation of Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field for being one of the tougher venues in the NFL to play in for opposing teams and the Eagles being the NFC's top seed, the San Francisco 49ers opened as 3-point favorites on the road in Philly, much to the surprise of many around the football world. But by game's end, some might have been left thinking why only 3-points? After all, the Eagles as good as their record is, have made a habit out of pulling a rabbit out of their hat this season by staging second half comebacks and sneaking by with wins in games they probably should've lost. Sunday's heavyweight bout with the 49ers appeared to be just the latest chapter to that story, but San Francisco's suffocating defense would have other plans once they got settled in, coupled with the Niners offense which was unstoppable once they got things rolling.

There had been a lot of chatter between these two teams dating back to the last time they met 10 months earlier in the NFC Championship which led to a blowout win for Philly after the 49ers were virtually handicapped by losing their third-string quarterback Brock Purdy at the time, one drive into the game. One member of the 49ers who didn't shy away with his comments was none other than receiver Deebo Samuel who had some choice words for a specific Eagles DB, and was also quoted as saying, "If Brock was in, I don't think it would've been close." With QB Brock Purdy indeed healthy and on the field Sunday for the rematch, Deebo's words would prove to ring true in this one, giving even further reason to ask what really would've happened had the 49ers not lost their quarterback in that game? 10 months after tearing his UCL several plays into the biggest game of his career and missing out on a trip to the Super Bowl, Purdy once again stuck it to his critics and bolstered his case for the MVP Award. But not before a pair of ugly drives that left the 49ers with negative yardage on offense through the first quarter. 

With San Francisco winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, the Eagles put together back-to-back impressive drives of 13-plays for 67 yards and 12-plays for 53 yards, respectively, spanning 5:09 and 6:48 of game time, but were held to field goals on both possessions. That bend but don't break mentality by the Niner defense proved to be huge and allowed San Francisco to keep the game within striking distance and prevented things from getting out of hand, while also snapping Philadelphia's streak of 12 straight red zone drives with a touchdown scored, the longest streak of its kind in the NFL entering Sunday. Meanwhile, the 49er offense was held to three and outs on each of their first two possessions. By the end of the first quarter, San Francisco found themselves outgained by Philly: 124 total yards to San Francisco's -6 yards, the fewest in a quarter under coach Kyle Shanahan. But as soon as the second quarter started, it was almost as if someone on the 49ers flipped a switch as the team began to turn things around and never looked back, going back to basics by running the ball and finding success doing so. Embarking on an 11-play, 88-yard drive, San Francisco began their scoring barrage which was setup by a big gain from tight-end George Kittle, capped off with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to receiver Brandon Aiyuk to take a 7-6 lead. 

Kittle would help setup another 49ers touchdown with another big gain before running back Christian McCaffrey struck pay dirt with a 2-yard rushing touchdown just before the half, giving San Francisco a 14-6 halftime lead. Despite trailing at the half, the Eagles found themselves in familiar territory, boasting an NFL-best 5-0 record when trailing at home this season. However, the 49ers would pick up right where they left off to open the second half as the game soon turned into the Deebo Samuel Show. Following a 33-yard gain on a short pass from Purdy to McCaffrey, Deebo took a handoff 12-yards to the house for a touchdown. The trash-talk and animosity between both teams that ignited after last season's NFC Championship would boil over onto the field during the Eagles' first drive of the second half when 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw got into an altercation along the Philadelphia sideline with the Eagles' director of security. After an unnecessary roughness penalty on Greenlaw for a late hit on Philly receiver DeVonta Smith, the Eagles' team security guard stepped in and attempted to separate the two players, something Greenlaw and his fellow teammates took exception to, with the 49ers linebacker making contact with the staffer's face that ultimately resulted in automatic ejections for both parties. Philly would use the ejection to their advantage, finding the end zone several plays later with a 1-yard touchdown by quarterback Jalen Hurts by way of their famous "Brotherly Shove" play. 

Finding the end zone for the first time of the day, Philadelphia crept up to make it an 8-point game midway thru the third quarter. Just when the Eagles had the 49ers right where they wanted them, Deebo Samuel struck for 48-yard touchdown, breaking a tackle on a quick pass and darting through the middle to find pay dirt. After a three and out punt by the Eagles, San Francisco orchestrated another long drive that lasted nearly 7-minutes on 13-plays for 75-yards and ended with a touchdown pass from Purdy to receiver Jauan Jennings who shook off a tackle and rushed in for an 18-yard score. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts who entered Sunday with 5 straight wins when facing a 10+ point deficit which was tied for the longest streak since 1950 with Joe Montana & Steve Bartkowski, did what he could to keep that streak alive, but San Francisco's offensive firepower was too much for the Eagles defense. Even after Hurts returned from a brief visit to the locker room after being shaken up and marched his offense into the end zone on a 17-play drive that resulted in a touchdown, Deebo Samuel provided the dagger a few plays later with a 46-yard receiving touchdown to put the game out of reach as San Francisco held on for the 42-19 win.

Returning to the same field he was injured on 10 months earlier, quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and 4 touchdowns and was named the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week. Meanwhile, Deebo was awarded NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 3 touchdown performance, finishing with 22 yards rushing on 3 attempts and 116 yards receiving on 4 receptions. Running back Christian McCaffrey again topped 100 scrimmage yards on his way to becoming the first 49ers rusher to top the 1,000 yard rushing mark since Frank Gore in 2014. With his single-season franchise record 12th rushing touchdown on the season, McCaffrey also joined Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore as the only players in NFL history with at least 50 rushing touchdowns and 25 touchdown receptions in their career. In the loss, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts tallied 298 yards, 1 rushing touchdown and 1 passing touchdown, snapping his streak of 14 straight wins versus teams with a winning record, the longest such streak since 1950 as the 49er defense got to him for three sacks on the day. After a slow start, the San Francisco offense torched Philly for 456 total yards of offense compared to the Eagles' 333 yards, this after -6 total yards thru the first quarter for the 49ers. 

Week 14 Preview: The (9-3) 49ers will return to their home digs of Levis Stadium in Week 14 to host the rival Seattle Seahawks whom they'll face off against for the second time in three weeks. Looking to add to their lead in the NFC Western Division standings which currently sits at 3 games above the Seahawks and L.A. Rams who both sit at 6-6 on the year, Seattle comes in riding a 3-game losing streak after suffering losses to the aforementioned Rams, Niners and Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers can deal a another blow to Seattle's playoff hopes as Geno Smith and company will need to right the ship fast if they plan to vie for an NFC wild card spot. The 49ers meanwhile will look to win their fifth straight game of the season and their fifth straight over Seattle. With 8 games of 30+ points scored for the 49ers offense this season, quarterback Brock Purdy is now the new MVP favorite in Vegas at +300, owning a slight edge over Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Dak Prescott of the Cowboys, with both at +350. 


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