Week 3 - Hoping to put a blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers behind them with a trip to the desert, the San Francisco 49ers saw those hopes vanish quickly on Sunday as rival Arizona bullied their way to a 40-point victory. Niners QB Colin Kaepernick entered the game with one interception in 154 career pass attempts versus the Cardinals, a mark he would surpass on the team's first two offensive drives alone. A career worst 67 passing yards and 4 interceptions highlighted a miserable day for Kaepernick who had two of his first four passes returned for a touchdown as Arizona jumped out front to an early 14-0 lead. The bleeding wouldn't stop there, however, as San Francisco was staring down a 28-point deficit before finally getting on the board via a touchdown run by Kaepernick, set up by an impressive 37-yard punt return from Aussie Jarryd Hayne. Unfortunately, the Niner offense would fail to muster up anymore points as they were blown out of the water, 47-7.
The loss marked the first time since 2005 that San Francisco has lost five straight on the road, all by double-digits as the 49ers were held to a measly 156 total yards on offense. As for Arizona who tallied 446 total yards, not since 1969 have the Cardinals registered back-to-back 40-point performances like they did in week's 2 and 3. Though Cards QB Carson Palmer threw his first interception of the season, the first pick of 49ers cornerback Kenneth Acker's young career, the 35-year old veteran threw for 311 yards and a pair of touchdowns in route to his 16th victory in his last 18 starts and 9th win in a row, the longest active streak in the NFL. Palmer had himself a rather easy day at the office as Arizona was able to turn their opponents costly mistakes into points, scoring three touchdowns and a field goal off of Kaepernick's four interceptions as the Niners were unable to find an answer for Arizona on either side of the ball. With a career-low quarterback rating of 16.7 for Kaepernick on Sunday, the 49ers have now been outscored 90-25 in their last two games and unless they make the needed adjustments quick, that number will only increase with a date with the NFL's best quarterback to follow.
With a forgetful performance from Kaepernick who was made a non-factor thru the air, Niners bell cow Carlos Hyde was also held in check by Arizona's suffocating defense which held the San Francisco running back to 51 yards on 15 carries and also stopped him in his tracks for a safety in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Cardinals backup running back Chris Johnson had himself a vintage performance while filling in for the injured Andre Ellington, rushing for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns to stymie San Francisco's run defense for a second consecutive outing. Speaking of vintage performances, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald looked a lot like his old self for the second week in a row as he torched the Niners secondary from the slot position for 9 receptions, 134 yards and a pair of touchdown grabs after putting up three scores against Chicago just a week ago. With the loss, San Francisco falls to 1-2, while Arizona improves their undefeated mark to 3-0 while remaining atop the NFC Western division standings and one of only seven unbeaten teams in the league.
Week 4 Preview -Getting back into the win column will be no easy task for Jim Tomsula's 49ers in Week 4 as they play host to Aaron Rodgers and the (3-0) Green Bay Packers who so far this season look like the team to beat in the NFC. Coached by former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy, the Packers have had limited success against SF over the past few years as Colin Kaepernick looks to improve his unbeaten mark to 4-0 against Green Bay, with two of those wins coming during the playoffs. Kaepernick and company are hoping a return to their home field of Levi's Stadium coupled with a meeting with a familiar foe will be the perfect ingredients to getting them back on track as they seek their first win since Week 1. San Francisco's offensive-line will have their hands full on Sunday as they face a Packers defense that is coming off a 7 sack performance on Monday night vs Kansas City and former 49ers QB Alex Smith.
Week 2 - Entering Sunday's Week 2 match-up between the (1-0) San Francisco 49ers and (0-1) Pittsburgh Steelers, the Niners held a two game edge over Pittsburgh, having won 11 of 20 meetings between the two teams all-time. But San Francisco would dig themselves too big a hole to climb out of early on as the Steelers utilized something Minnesota didn't in Week 1 -- the deep pass. QB Ben Roethlisberger shredded the San Francisco secondary on numerous occasions, including pickups of 28 and 41 yards to convert on third down on each of Pittsburgh's first two drives, the second ending with a touchdown as Big Ben found Heath Miller in the end zone.
The only answer San Francisco was able to put up in the first half was a Phil Dawson field goal, only to watch the Steelers QB connect for a big gain once again with receiver Antonio Brown who hauled in a 59-yard strike, setting up an easy touchdown run by running back DeAngelo Williams. A week after holding one of the game's very best in Adrian Peterson to a measly 31 yards rushing and zero touchdowns, Pittsburgh's DeAngelo Williams humbled San Francisco's run defense by finding the end zone three times which tied a Steelers franchise record coupled with 77 yards. Heading into the game, the 49ers had initially thought they had caught a break with Steelers All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell serving the final game of a 2-game suspension, but it didn't matter who Roethlisberger handed the ball off to on Sunday as they were bound to score. As for the 49ers who ran their way to victory in Week 1 with the help of Carlos Hyde's monster performance, the San Francisco bell cow who celebrated his 24th Birthday on Sunday, only mustered 43 yards on 13 attempts while leaving the game in the third quarter after being checked by team officials for head and leg injuries.
Facing a 29-3 deficit at the half, the blowout score coupled with Hyde's injuries forced the 49er offense to take a much different approach thru the air as they played catch up. Niner QB Colin Kaepernick logged career-high's in pass attempts (46) and completions (33) while throwing for 335 yards and 2 touchdowns. Though Kaepernick had himself a nice game overall aside from a lost fumble, his performance was overshadowed by the offensive-line's inability to buy him time as Kap was brought down for a sack 5 times and was constantly hurried. The 49er offense had two would-be touchdowns wiped off the board when Bruce Miller dropped a pass in the end zone on fourth down and Kaepernick came up short on a play that was reversed after initially being ruled a touchdown. The replay showed the knee of a diving Kaepernick touch the ground before he broke the plane of the end zone as the Steelers took over on downs from the 1-yard line and let the clock die down. Not even defensive coordinator Eric Mangini's familiarity with the Steelers could prepare his defense for the aerial assault Pittsburgh put on thru the air as Roethlisberger bombarded the Niner D time and time again as 195 of Big Ben's passing yards were caught by Antonio Brown who also hauled in 1 of 3 touchdown passes.
The Niner defense couldn't do much to stop Pittsburgh's pass game from close range either as Big Ben and company converted on both of their 2-point conversion attempts. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin might be the league's newest trendsetter with the 2-point conversion being strongly considered more often than years past with the league recently implementing a new rule which moved the traditional extra point back to the 15-yard line which has already ed to more missed PAT's this season thru the first two weeks than all of last season. The lone highlight for the 49ers in Week 2 came on a 75-yard catch and run touchdown pass from Kaepernick to his new receiver Torrey Smith who tallied 120 yards on 9 receptions and has been known to torch the Steelers throughout his career while playing in Baltimore. Still, it wouldn't be enough as the Steelers stormed their way to an easy 43-18 victory to claim their first win of the year and handing San Francisco their first loss.
Week 3 Preview - Week 3 will see the 49ers travel to the desert to take on division rival Arizona as the Cardinals remain the only undefeated team in the NFC West at 2-0. After lighting up the scoreboard in Chicago with a 48-23 win over the Bears, the 49er defense will once again have their hands full thru the air versus a Carson Palmer led Arizona team that is averaging a league-best 39.5 points per game through the first 2 weeks. The meeting will be 49ers first-year head coach Jim Tomsula's first taste at a division opponent as the two teams split the division series a year ago with both teams winning at home. A win for San Francisco would do wonders for the team's confidence considering they'll be given the daunting task of playing host to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
After a long wait from 49er fans ready to put the tumultuous offseason behind them, football finally made its return on Monday night as San Francisco hosted the Minnesota Vikings. With the story heading into the game swirling around the return of two of the game's best at their respective position -- All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman and future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson, only one would come out victorious. Bowman, who saw his first regular season action since sustaining a left knee injury during the 2014 NFC Championship over a year and a half ago, looked like a man possessed with no cobwebs at all. As for Peterson, who hasn't played in over a year after serving a suspension stemming from a child-abuse case filed against him, the former NFL MVP looked rather rusty.
With all eyes on Peterson in the run game, it would be San Francisco's running back who stole the show. Making his first career start, second-year running back Carlos Hyde would make his starting debut a memorable one by putting up career-highs in almost every category. Hyde led the way for the 49ers offense, shouldering the load left by the franchises all-time leading rusher Frank Gore who departed during the offseason for Indianapolis. In it's first game without the future Hall of Famer Gore, San Francisco's run-game didn't skip a beat as Hyde rushed for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 carries, spinning and diving his way into the end zone on one carry, reminiscent of a Madden juke move. But before Hyde found the end zone to put his team on the board, the 49ers endured a special-teams nightmare in the first quarter. On their opening-drive, QB Colin Kaepernick and Hyde led the offense on a promising drive that sputtered near the red zone and went up in flames as kicker Phil Dawson had his field goal attempt blocked and nearly taken to the house. Luckily, Minnesota would fail to capitalize as Vikings kicker Blair Walsh shanked a field goal wide right from 44-yards out. The 49er special teams would later shoot themselves in the foot once again when former Australian rugby starJarryd Hayne fumbled his first career touch when called on to return a punt.
With a 7-0 lead heading into the half following the first of Hyde's two rushing touchdowns, rookie head coach Jim Tomsula addressed his team's sloppy play as the team played a much more fluid game during the second half, not committing nearly as many penalties as they did in quarters 1 and 2. 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick didn't overwhelm anyone with his numbers, but logged a clean sheet while managing to play a turnover-free game. In many ways, Kaepernick registered an Alex Smith-like performance, playing it safe and not forcing anything as he completed 17 of 26 passes for 165 yards while gaining 41 yards on the ground. On the other side, Minnesota's Teddy Bridgewater who many are expecting to take a huge leap forward this year, had arguably his worst night as a pro yet. Bridgewater threw for 231 yards and was picked off once by Tremaine Brock on a night where he was sacked 5 times as Minnesota's only points came via a field goal.
Seeking his first 100-yard performance in a season-opener since 2009, Adrian Peterson entered Monday night's game having struggled against the 49ers throughout his career. With only 51.3 yards per game and 0 touchdowns in 4 games vs San Francisco, Peterson saw much of the same as the 49er defense shut him down and held him to only 31 yards rushing on 10 carries. Credit first year defensive coordinator Eric Mangini who drew up the perfect game plan on the ground for Peterson and through the air for Bridgewater as neither looked comfortable all night. On a night where the 49ers debuted their new black and red uniforms, the first ever alternate jersey in franchise history, San Francisco pulled off the 20-3 victory. And despite Carlos Hyde's 168 yard performance which marked the most rushing yards by a Niner since 2011 (Gore) and was the second-most yards by a 49er running back in a season opener behind only Garrison Hearst's 187 in 1998, the game ball was awarded to coach Jimmy T in the locker room after the game with Kaepernick doing the honors. It would be the 7th consecutive win for SF on Monday Night Football, the second-longest active streak behind only the hated Seahawks who have won nine straight.
Week 2 Preview: Even after his team won in his first career game as head coach, Jim Tomsula made it known that there was little time to celebrate and that it was on to Pittsburgh where the (0-1) Steelers will look to bounce back from a 28-21 loss to the defending champion Patriots in the season-opener. Though the (1-0) 49er defense looked stout in the win against Minnesota, they'll be given the tough task of having to face Big Ben Roethlisberger at home in the Steelers' home-opener. The Niners will look to spoil Pittsburgh's homecoming and make it 2-0 as defensive coordinator Eric Mangini renews his rivalry with the Steelers, a team he's grown to know quite well spending time in the AFC as head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.
Injury News:49ers RB Reggie Bush was the only reported injury after Week 1's win as he sustained a calf strain in the first quarter which forced him to leave the game. Bush has been listed as week-to-week which opens the door for rookie Jarryd Hayne who should see his reps at running back increase come Week 2.
The Hayne Plane has officially touched down as Australian Rugby star Jarryd Hayne has made the cut and was named to the San Francisco 49ers' 53-man final roster on Saturday in what's been the story of the 2015 NFL preseason. If you've kept up at all with the 49ers' preseason, this should come as no surprise as Hayne's stellar play stood out like a sore thumb. The 2014 National Rugby League player of the year who was on the verge of signing the wealthiest contract in NRL history, dropped a bomb on the sports world when he announced his decision to leave rugby and purse a career in the NFL nearly a year ago in October of 2014.
With no experience in the American sport at all and the Australian media covering his every move, the 28-year old Hayne made the transition look rather easy while displaying nifty cuts and a brutal stiff arm in both the run game and on special teams as a kick and punt returner. In his preseason debut against the Houston Texans, Hayne broke off a 53-yard run on only his second touch of the ball and later added a 33-yard kick return which helped catapult him into a celebrity overnight in the States. His second preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys would be equally impressive as he found a hole for a 34-yard gain before eventually finishing as the game's leading rusher with 54 yards on 8 carries. Hayne's 175 rushing yards on 25 carries was good enough for second in the league, trailing only Zach Zenner of the Detroit Lions. He also placed third on punt returns with 163 yards on 10 carries while his average of 7.0 yards per carry was tops in the NFL.
Hayne's only flaw early on while transitioning to his new sport was that he wasn't getting low enough when approaching a defender, something he has since worked and improved on as the preseason progressed. His explosiveness and big play ability will most likely be used on special teams with Hayne specializing as a kick and punt returner but could also see some action as a running back behind Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush.
What started off as nothing more than an improbable journey has developed into a full on dream come true for the former rugby star who less than a year ago was deciding between the 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions. After initially falling of his radar, the 49ers immediately jumped to the top of Hayne's list when the team announced the hiring of head coach Jim Tomsula. The two had already developed a relationship during a meeting alongside then head coach Jim Harbaugh, but it was Tomsula's experience overseas with NFL Europe and rugby players which ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in Hayne's decision to head for the Bay Area. With an entire country backing him and proud of his success in making the team's 53-man roster, he's inspired an entire nation and is one player I'll be supporting in full force.
View Hayne's press-conference on his decision down below:
With the dog days of August officially in the books and September baseball in full swing, things are getting down to the nitty-gritty with MLB down to its last full calendar month in the 2015 season. And for the San Francisco Giants, August supplied us with plenty of highs and lows. Unfortunately, the highs would be far outnumbered by the lows as a number of key players were forced to hit the disabled-list and a couple of pivotal series' with playoff implications were lost. Injuries to shortstop Brandon Crawford who's been in and out of the lineup battling oblique & calf injuries, second baseman Joe Panik (back) and right fielder Hunter Pence (oblique) would leave the Giants without three of their most productive hitters, meanwhile, a 4-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field (the first since 1977) would bury the G-Men in the race for the NL Wild Card, some 7 games back.
Making matters worse, with only one start under his belt in a Giants uniform, the newly acquired Mike Leake would also miss time on the DL due to a hamstring strain, furthering the team's pitching woes in August. World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner would continue to dazzle both on the mound and at the plate as he became the first Giants southpaw ever with at least 200 strikeouts in multiple seasons as well as becoming the first Major League pitcher to club 5 home runs in a single season since the Cubbies Carlos Zambrano did it in 2006, but even MadBum's heroics wouldn't be enough to put the Giants in the drivers seat. However, Bumgarner did manage to land himself another NL Player of the Week honor for his stellar performance as he threw back-to-back complete games during the second week of August against the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals respectively, while joining Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal as the only Giants hurlers to throw a shutout, strikeout at least 10 and hit a homer in the same game.
In need of some depth in the outfield, the Giants went out and acquired veteran slugger Marlon Byrd from the Cincinnati Reds. Having bounced around the league as a journeyman who's played for nine different ball clubs, Byrd wasted little time to make his presence felt as he made a great first impression on his new teammates by homering in his first Giants at-bat, a 2-run shot that would ultimately be the difference in a 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Byrd would also help the Giants post a new franchise record by belting the team's 8th Grand Slam of the season in a 5-4 victory vs the Cardinals. Coincidentally, it was also the eighth Grand Slam of Byrd's career. Unfortunately, it would be one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise brutal road trip against NL Central division powers which have been a thorn in the side of the Giants this season. With a very tough schedule in the month of August, Bruce Bochy's ball club finished the month at a 13-16 clip, posting an 8-4 record at Home and a dismal 5-12 mark away from AT&T Park. Then came a 3-game sweep at the hands of the archrival Dodgers to open the month of September, digging the Giants a 6.5 game hole in the division.
With the Giants in desperate need of an immediate spark, the team will need contributions from just about everyone from top to bottom, including outfielder Alejandro De Aza whom general manager Brian Sabean acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. With the nagging oblique injury bothering right fielder Hunter Pence much longer than anticipated and threatening any chance of a return this season, Sabean was forced to work his magic while hoping to find someone to fill the void. One player who will not be returning this season is pitcher Tim Lincecum who was ruled out for the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on Thursday to shave down some of the bone on his left hip, an issue that has bothered the 2-time Cy Young Award winner who last pitched on June 27. With Lincecum needing to rehab and his contract expiring at the end of the season, it's a possibility that we've seen the last of Timmy in a Giants uniform.
On a positive note, the Giants have a much favorable schedule ahead of them in the month of September. In the seven upcoming series (@ Rockies, @ D-Backs, vs Padres, vs Reds, vs D-Backs, @ Padres, @ Athletics, vs Dodgers), only one will be against a team with a winning record when they host the visiting Dodgers in a pivotal 4-game series that could very well determine the fate of both ball clubs. That's if the Giants can take advantage of their weak schedule and catch fire down the stretch, something they'll have to do if they plan to put an end to the curse of the odd numbered year.
