Week 16 - Entering Sunday's meeting with the playoff-bound (10-4) Jacksonville Jaguars, the (4-10) San Francisco 49ers would once again look to play the role of spoiler while also keeping their recent winning-streak alive. After throwing a wrench into the works of the playoff-hopeful Tennessee Titans a week ago, the 49ers would look to duplicate that success against a Jacksonville team still vying for a top 2 seed to secure a first-round BYE in the AFC's Wild Card round. But if the red-hot 49ers had any plans of increasing their winning-streak to four consecutive games, Jimmy Garoppolo and company would need to knock off the NFL's number one defense. Something Jimmy G. and the rest of the 49ers offense would have very little trouble with on Sunday as the Niners QB often spent the day carving the league's best defense like a Christmas day ham.
With San Francisco receiving the opening kickoff, Garoppolo would pick up right where he left off with a blazing start to orchestrate the 49ers' first opening-drive touchdown of the season, running 10-plays before Garoppolo rushed it in himself from the 1-yard line. Garoppolo would finish his first career rushing touchdown with an emphatic spike in the end zone while receiving daps and pounds from his Niner teammates. Even more impressive, San Francisco's opening-drive touchdown would also be the first surrendered by Jacksonville since Week 10 of the 2016 season. After setting an NFL record with 15 made field goals in three games the last three weeks, Niners kicker Robbie Gould who was named the NFC's special-teams Player of the Week for the second time this month, would have a much quieter day on Sunday. Having made 20 consecutive field goals since his last miss, Gould would be called upon for only one field goal as San Francisco scored on each of their first two possessions to take a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. And what an odd quarter it would be, as Jacksonville who was tied for the second best first quarter point-differential (+51) in the league entering Sunday, found themselves trailing by two scores against a San Francisco team boasting the NFL's worst first quarter point-differential (-49).
The opening minutes of the second quarter would be equally as unforgiving to the Jags as quarterback Blake Bortles had a pass intercepted and taken to the house to give the 49ers a 16-0 lead before Gould had his extra-point attempt blocked and returned for two-points to put Jacksonville on the board. Bortles' pick-six would snap a streak of 98 consecutive passes without an interception and would ultimately be a sign of bad things to come for the Jags QB, but not before a pair of Jacksonville touchdowns tied things up at 16-all. After a rushing touchdown by rookie running back Leonard Fournette, Garoppolo would again march his team down the field, but their plan to score would be halted as the 49er QB was pressured into lobbing up a pass that was intercepted in the end zone. Thanks to a bit of luck, Bortles would capitalize on the lone 49er turnover as his pass into the end zone bounced off of one receiver and into the lap of another with 14 seconds remaining, tying the game just before the half. The Jags' scoring barrage would continue into quarter number three as Jacksonville made it a 19-0 run to take their first lead of the game on kicker Josh Lambo's field goal.
The 49ers would open the second half with only the second three and out since Garoppolo was named the starter, but Jacksonville's lead would be short lived as Bortles was picked off by K'Waun Williams who made his first career interception worthy of the highlight reel. Several plays later, Garoppolo would find tight-end George Kittle for the touchdown. Setting things up for a wild fourth quarter that would see a combined five touchdowns scored, Garoppolo would kick things off by displaying some of his baseball skills with a sidearm pass into the end zone to receiver Trent Taylor. Looking to answer, Bortles would be picked off for a third time on Jacksonville's first play following the touchdown. Three plays later, Carlos Hyde would join the party with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it a 37-19 ballgame with under 9 minutes remaining. But just when it appeared the 49ers were going to run away with it, the Jags came storming back with a touchdown of their own, capped by a successful two-point conversion. Making things even more interesting, Jacksonville would recover the ensuing onside-kick. Three plays and 26-seconds later, the Jags would pull within four points as Bortles threw for his second touchdown pass of the afternoon.
Trailing 37-33, four points would be as close as Jacksonville would get down the final stretch as Lambo missed the extra-point and Jacksonville's ensuing onside-kick went out of bounds as tempers began to flare. Failing to keep their cool, the Jags defense would be called for their second unsportsmanlike penalty of the second half when defensive-tackle Malik Jackson was flagged for a headbutt, costing his team a crucial 15-yards. San Francisco would welcome the extra 15-yards with open arms as 49ers backup running back Matt Breida dealt the decisive blow, striking for pay dirt with a 30-yard rushing touchdown to send the Levi's faithful into a frenzy. With the clock hitting double-zero, the 49ers would walk away with the 44-33 victory, marking the first time an NFL game would finish with a final score of 44-33, playoffs included. The 44-point outburst by San Francisco is the most points allowed by Jacksonville this year and would mark the first game in which the 49ers scored 40+ points since their last meeting with the Jags back on Oct. 27, 2013 on the road in London.
As for the defense, former Jags linebacker coach and current 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, would get the best of the team he spent the last three seasons with as the San Francisco defense forced three turnovers with a trio of interceptions. A week after holding the opposition to under 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive week for the first time since 2013, the Niner D made it four straight after holding Fournette to under 50-yards on 18 rushing attempts. Throwing for 382 yards in the loss, Jags QB Blake Bortles would help his team amass more than 400 yards of offense for the fourth straight game. And though Garoppolo would throw for 140 fewer yards than his counterpart (242 yards on 21 of 30 pass attempts), he's the only QB in the NFL this year to log a QB rating of 100+ against the Jacksonville defense. With the win, Garoppolo improves to 6-0 in his career, the best start to an NFL career since Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 and becomes the first Niner QB to ever go 4-0 to start their 49er career. San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk who is the only member of the 49ers to be named to this year's NFL Pro Bowl, would set a career-high in receiving yards in the first half of Sunday's game before finishing with a team-high 76-yards on 5 receptions, including a 44-yarder.
With the loss, the Jags fall to 2-11 all-time when playing in the Pacific time-zone and 10-5 on the year as the loss eliminates them from clinching a first-round BYE. As for whoever faces Jacksonville in the first round of the playoffs two weeks from now, a smart thing to do would be to dissect the footage of how Garoppolo and the 49er offense took them to school on Sunday as the mixture of play-action calls and constant men-in-motion played a key role in catching the Jags defense off-guard after they allowed a season-high 226 yards in the first half.
Week 17 Preview - Closing out the season on the road against a division rival, coach Kyle Shanahan will look to make it five straight victories as the 49ers pay a visit to the L.A. Coliseum to take on the (11-4) Rams. With both teams meeting back in Week 3, a 41-39 barn burner, both squads have taken on entirely different identities than the teams we saw in the Rams close victory on Thursday Night. While the Rams had yet to hit their stride and were still a team of mystery at the time of their Week 3 win, the 49ers were just three games into what would eventually be a nine-game losing streak. But with Los Angeles proving that they're for real to the tune of a 11-4 record and sending the franchise to their first playoff appearance since 2004 and the 49ers turning things around since the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo, Sunday's regular season finale probably won't equate to what we should be seeing from these two young teams for many years to come moving forward. Claiming their first NFC Western Division crown since 2003, Rams head coach Sean McVay who's in his first year at the helm and has done as good a job with his team as anyone in the league this year, might lean towards sitting a few of his guys to avoid injury, but doesn't necessarily want to take them out of their rhythm either. Most notably QB Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley III who's bounced back from a sophomore slump and has emerged as a true MVP candidate. Either way, the Rams defense figures to be yet another test for Jimmy G. and the suddenly streaking 49er offense who will look to close the season out on a strong note with their fifth straight victory.
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Week 15 - Coming off their first multi-game winning-streak in three seasons, the new-look San Francisco 49ers who have begun to finally resemble an NFL team behind the recently acquired Jimmy Garoppolo, kept on rolling as they returned home to Levi's Stadium on Sunday. Hosting the Wild Card hopeful (8-5) Tennessee Titans, coach Kyle Shanahan's Niners would look to improve on their recent winning ways while also playing the role of spoiler against a team vying for a playoff spot. And while the previous two wins against a pair of lowly opponents were nice, a win over an above average Tennessee team would be yet another step in the right direction for this young 49ers squad.
The opening-drive by San Francisco which would result in a Robbie Gould field goal, would be an omen of things to come for the Niners who were able to move the ball rather easily but forced to settle for field goals as Gould registered another busy day in the kicking department. Struggling to score a first quarter touchdown for the 11th consecutive game, the 49ers would jump out to 6-0 lead before Tennessee answered with a field goal of their own to cut the deficit in half. Looking to ditch the field goals for a touchdown, the third time would be a charm for San Francisco as Jimmy Garoppolo capped off a 17-play drive by connecting in the end zone with tight-end Garrett Celek for the second time in as many weeks. Setting a career-high in touchdown receptions with four, Celek's score coupled with another Robbie Gould field goal would make it a 16-3 ballgame as San Francisco scored on each of their first four possessions for the first time this season. But the Titans would manage to inch a bit closer before the end of the half as quarterback Marcus Mariota found former 49er tight-end Delanie Walker in the end zone for a touchdown, allowing Walker to redeem himself after turning the ball over one possession earlier with a fumble.
After taking a lead into the half for only the third time this season, the 49ers would quickly witness that lead evaporate as Delanie Walker's touchdown sparked a streak of 17 unanswered-points for Tennessee who went from trailing 16-3 to leading 20-16 following Mariota's second touchdown pass of the afternoon. The Titans touchdown just three plays into the fourth quarter would ignite an intense final quarter that saw four lead changes before this one was finally decided. Answering Tennessee's touchdown with another pair of field goals to give San Francisco the lead again, Mariota led the Titans on an 11-play drive that would set up kicker Ryan Succop for a go-ahead 50-yard field goal. With 1:07 remaining in regulation and his team trailing 23-22, Jimmy Garoppolo would go to work, marching his team down the field after connecting on passes to three different targets -- Trent Taylor, George Kittle and Marquise Goodwin, to move the ball 45-yards before a short run by running back Carlos Hyde set things up for Robbie Gould who would once again be called upon to be the savior. And like he's done so often this season, Gould would answer the call, splitting the uprights from 45-yards out to give the Niners the dramatic 25-23 victory as time expired. Entering the game with the longest active streak in the NFL with 14 consecutive made field goals, Gould went one step further by adding another five field goals on Sunday to improve his streak to 19, in what figures to be another Pro-Bowl season for the 13-year veteran.
With his parents in attendance, Garoppolo would put on a show for his family and the 49er Faithful as he threw for 381 yards, becoming the first Niner QB with back to back 300-yard performances since Jeff Garcia in 2000. While the running game saw a quiet day from both Carlos Hyde (25 yards) and Matt Breida (16 yards), receiver Marquise Goodwin recorded another productive game under Garoppolo, recording game-highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (114). Though San Francisco's 2017 season has been over and well decided for weeks now, Garoppolo has breathed life back into the franchise and has given fans and team brass hope moving forward. Since naming Garoppolo the starting quarterback heading into Week 13, the team that had one victory through the first 11 weeks and often struggled to remotely resemble an NFL team, has now pulled off three straight victories and appears to be having a good time while doing so as 49ers general manager John Lynch even made it out onto the field to congratulate his new QB and celebrate Sunday's wild win the moment Gould's game-winning kick made it through the uprights. And though there's still plenty of work to be done moving forward, this team is finally making strides in the right direction. As for the Tennessee Titans who fall to 8-6 on the season following the loss, their chances of winning the division which were already slim prior to Sunday's loss, took another major hit as they remain in a three-way tie in the Wild Card along with (8-6) Kansas City and (8-6) Buffalo.
Week 16 Preview - After pulling off the upset victory over the Titans, the 49ers will now aim their attention to one of the best defenses in the league as the red-hot (10-4) Jacksonville Jaguars pay a visit to Levi's. Winners of three straight and 7 of their last 8, the Jags are coming off a 45-7 dismantling of division-rival Houston and are looking to continue their recent dominance despite already clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2007. Behind quarterback Blake Bortles who has logged three straight solid starts in which he's eclipsed the 300-yard mark twice and has thrown for 7 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, the Jags have scored 24-points or more in four straight outings and are expected to get their starting running back Leonard Fournette back on the field versus San Francisco after sitting out of Sunday's game with a quad injury. The former LSU standout who has missed three games this season due to injury, is still 77-yards shy of the 1,000 yard plateau in his and will look to capture that feat against a 49ers defense that has stepped up against the run as of late, allowing an average of only 3.7 yards per carry to opposing backs the last six weeks. SF will look to improve on that feat and keep Fournette and the number one rushing team in the league in line and force Bortles to get the job done through the air. If San Francisco's offensive-line can keep their QB on his feet and Garoppolo can catch the Jacksonville defense off-guard, the 49ers just might be able to keep things rolling and put a dent in the Jags' stellar record.
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Week 14 - With the (2-10) San Francisco 49ers heading into Week 14 coming off their first road victory of the season and second win overall, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the new-look Niners would head into Houston in search of their first pair of back to back road victories since 2014 and first multi-game winning-streak under rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan. A week after setting a franchise record for the most passing yards by a 49ers QB making his debut, Garoppolo would set a career-high in that same category on Sunday against a good Texans defense that has been without its captain in J.J. Watt since Week 5.
Getting off to yet another slow start on offense, San Francisco would fail to score a first quarter touchdown for a ninth consecutive game as Houston jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to a career-long 55-yard field goal from kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn. Threatening to answer with a score of their own, the 49ers offense would march to the Houston 34-yard line before Garoppolo was picked-off for the second time of his career on a botched play by he and receiver Trent Taylor who stopped and turned instead of cutting like Garoppolo had anticipated. Sunday's game would also turn out to be another busy one for Niners kicker Robbie Gould who followed up a five field goal performance a week ago against the Bears which helped him take home NFC Special-teams Player of the Week honors for Week 13, with four more made field goals in this one. With the game tied at 3 with less than three minutes remaining in the second quarter, both teams would exchange touchdowns just before the half. Ignited by a pair of big receptions by 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk who hauled in passes of 29 and 31 yards, running back Carlos Hyde put the finishing touches on the successful drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
Houston would be quick to answer on their ensuing possession led by an impressive nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive orchestrated by third-string QB T.J. Yates who would enter the game in place of the injured Tom Savage. Savage would leave the game in the 2nd quarter after suffering a concussion following a hard hit on third down by 49ers defensive-end Elvis Dumervil. It would be a scary moment as the Texans QB was seen lying on the ground with his hands twitching in what some experts fear was a possible seizure. Making matters worse, Savage would return on Houston's following possession, taking three more snaps before having to punt on a three and out. Savage would try making his way back onto the field one possession later before being stopped by a member of the medical staff who would escort him to the locker room, putting an end to his day. Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins would haul in his first of two touchdown receptions on the afternoon to bring Houston within a point with under a minute remaining. And while it appeared both teams would head into the half even at 10-points apiece, Houston would fail to convert on the extra-point as Fairbairn's kick went wide left. San Francisco would have other plans as Carlos Hyde crept into enemy territory with a 31-yard run on the first play of the ensuing drive. Garoppolo would move the ball another 31-yards in three plays before setting up Robbie Gould for a 35-yard field goal to help San Francisco jump out to a 13-9 lead at halftime.
Opening the second half, the Texans offense would pick up right where they left off in quarter number two as Yates and Hopkins connected once again in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown from 29-yards out. Unfortunately for them, it would be the last time Houston would score as they were shutout in the 4th quarter and watched as the 49ers put up 13 unanswered-points. After a field goal to tie it, tight-end Garrett Celek would break a tackle and turn up the field for a 61-yard completion that would set up Garoppolo's second touchdown of the season as he appropriately awarded Celek by throwing to him near the goal-line. Things would settle down as a series of punts from both teams kept it a one-possession game before a costly fumble by DeAndre Hopkins allowed San Francisco to take a double-digit lead as Robbie Gould registered just another day at the office by converting on his fourth field goal of the day. The Texans would get as close to the San Francisco 34-yard line to set up Fairbairn for a 52-yard field goal to make it a one-score game, but his kick would crash into the left upright, sealing the 26-16 win to make it two in a row for Shanahan and the Niners.
With the win, Garoppolo improves his career record to 4-0, becoming just the second QB in the last 13 seasons to win his first four starts, joining Broncos QB Trevor Siemian (2016). Jimmy G. finished with a career-best 334 passing yards in Sunday's win, giving him 627 yards in his first two starts in a Niner uniform, the most by a 49ers QB in the team's history since the merger in 1970. Meanwhile, the team improves to 3-10 on the season after logging their first winning-streak since a three-game win-streak in Weeks 10-12 in 2014. Along with Garoppolo, the accurate kicking of Robbie Gould has played a huge role in San Francisco posting back to back road wins for the first time since the Jim Harbaugh era as Gould has now connected on 14 straight field goals for the second time this season after beginning the year having made 15 straight. 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin also seems to be enjoying his new quarterback under center as the speedy Goodwin has caught 14 passes for 205 yards with Garoppolo as the starter, including a team-high 106 yards on Sunday and trailing only DeAndre Hopkins' 11 grabs and 149 yards for the game. Running back Carlos Hyde finished with 78 yards on 14 carries to lead all rushers and the 49er defense held Texans back Lamar Miller to only 53 yards on the ground in 17 attempts.
Week 15 Preview - Next on the schedule for the 49ers is a home game against the (8-5) Tennessee Titans who are currently in the AFC playoff picture for the second Wild Card but are coming off a 12-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Returning to Levi's Stadium for what will be the first home start for QB Jimmy Garoppolo since joining the Niners, Jimmy G. and company will welcome the struggling Marcus Mariota who has already thrown for more interceptions this year (14) than he did in either of his first two seasons, while also nursing a banged up left knee. But Mariota won't be the only one the Niner defense will have to keep tabs on as the unpredictable but dangerous running back tandem of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry look to bounce back from a disappointing performance in Sunday's loss as they combined to rush for just 54 yards on 19 carries. Sunday's game will also see the return of former 49er tight-end Delanie Walker who spent his first 7 seasons with the Niners before signing with Tennessee in 2013 where he's developed into one of the league's better tight-ends and has been named to a pair of Pro Bowl's since joining the Titans. With Tennessee trailing the (9-4) Jacksonville Jaguars who currently lead the AFC South by a game, the 49ers could play spoiler down the stretch with a win on Sunday, and could also put a dent in Jacksonville's hopes to lock up the No. 1 overall seed as they'll make a trip to Levi's the following week.
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Week 13 - In a match-up between two under-performing teams, Jimmy Garoppolo and the (1-10) San Francisco 49ers would pay a visit to the windy city to take on Mitch Trubisky and the (3-8) Chicago Bears. With San Francisco leading the all-time series versus Chicago by a slim margin entering Sunday at 33-31-1, Sunday's game would be another close affair in the latest chapter of the 49ers-Bears rivalry. Making only the third start of his career and first in a 49ers uniform, newcomer Jimmy Garoppolo would impress in his return home with a little help from a former Chicago Bear. Having grown up just 26 miles north of Soldier Field in Arlington Heights, Jimmy G. would make quite the impression on Niner fans as he helped lead San Francisco to their second victory of the season and first on the road. It would also be a memorable day for former Bears kicker Robbie Gould who was kept busy all afternoon long while providing all the scoring the Niners would need on Sunday to beat the team he spent 11 seasons with. A year after being cut by the team Gould set multiple franchise records with for most career points and field goals made, the 35-year old kicker would connect on five field goals to exact his revenge in his first return to Soldier Field as a member of the visiting team, including the game-winning field goal with seconds to spare.
Having trailed in 62% of minutes played this season (3rd most in the NFL), Garoppolo would lead the San Francisco offense down the field on their opening possession before fizzling out in the red zone and having to settle for a Robbie Gould field goal, something they would make a trend out of virtually all afternoon long as all five of Gould's field goals came inside the 20. The Niners' inability to strike pay dirt would be the result of multiple red zone penalties. Chicago on the other hand would make only one trip inside the red zone on Sunday, but would make the most of it as Trubisky capitalized with an 8-yard touchdown pass to receiver Deontrelle Inman who hauled in his first score as a member of the Bears. Helping set up Chicago's touchdown would be a 49er turnover as Garoppolo was charged with an interception, the first of his career, on a ball that was stripped from the receiver as Bears corner Kyle Fuller wrestled the ball out of Louis Murphy's hands before both players fell to the ground. The so called "interception" which was more of a fumble than anything, would set the table for Trubisky while also ending a streak of 104 career passes without an interception for Garoppolo.
Aside from Trubisky's lone touchdown pass, rookie running back Tarik Cohen would provide the rest of Chicago's offensive fireworks with an explosive 61-yard punt return to give his team a 14-6 lead in the first half. After being surrounded by multiple Niner defenders and appearing to be dead in his tracks on the punt return, Cohen reversed from sideline to sideline before bursting up the middle for a special teams touchdown that would've made Devin Hester blush. It would mark the first punt returned for a touchdown by a Chicago Bear against the Niners since Hall of Famer Gale Sayers took one to the house in 1967. A man of many traits, Cohen has dazzled in his rookie campaign and now has a passing touchdown, receiving touchdown, rushing touchdown and special teams touchdown under his belt this season. The special teams score would be a wake up call for a San Francisco squad that has been the best coverage unit in the NFL thus far, having held opponents to an average of 2.5 yards per return before Cohen's big play. A pair of Niner weapons would make some big plays of their own on Sunday as rookie receiver Trent Taylor and speedster Marquise Goodwin each eclipsed the 90-yards receiving mark while combining for 14 receptions and helping Garoppolo set a new career-high in passing yards.
Completing 26 of 37 pass attempts (70%), Garoppolo finished with 293 yards through the air as San Francisco held onto the ball for a season-high 38:47 in time of possession. Though it's still very early in the career of Garoppolo who has only three career starts to his name, the newest member of the Niners received some high praise from running back and fellow San Francisco teammate Carlos Hyde who said Jimmy G. reminded him of, "a young Tom Brady." And while he's still light years away from being held in the same regard as one of the game's all-time greats, it's safe to say the two share a handful of similar traits as Garoppolo displayed a comfort level that I wouldn't have imagined possible behind an offensive-line as spotty as San Francisco's. Garoppolo also excelled on third down (10 of 18), an area the Niners offense has been exceptionally awful in this season as the ten third down conversions were the most by a 49er team since 2007. Taking over with just under five and a half minutes remaining in regulation and trailing 14-12, Garoppolo made excellent work of the field and game-clock on San Francisco's final possession as he helped march his team 86-yards into field goal position while eating up 5:23 of time to set up kicker Robbie Gould who put the dagger into the heart of his former team with his fifth field of the day to give the 49ers the 15-14 win.
Week 14 Preview - Continuing their road trip, the 49ers will travel to Houston to take on the (4-8) Texans. Coming off a 24-13 loss to the division rival Titans on the road, the Texans will look to bounce back as they return to Reliant Stadium and play host to Garoppolo and the Niners. One of Kyle Shanahan's earliest employers in the NFL where he spent a total of four seasons as the team's wide receivers and quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator, Shanahan hopes to break even against his former employers after a Week ? loss to the Washington Redskins whom Shanahan also worked for in the past. Backed by a solid defense that features one of the most dominant defensive-lines in all of football, even without perennial Pro Bowler J.J. Watt who is out for the year with a ? injury, Garoppolo will be on high alert all afternoon long. The same can be said about the San Francisco secondary which will have to keep close tabs on one of the NFL's best receivers in DeAndre Hopkins who has tallied nine receiving touchdowns on the season and has already eclipsed the 1,000 yards receiving mark for the third time in five years. Throwing to Hopkins will be Texans quarterback Tom Savage who is looking to improve off a career-high 365 yards passing on 31 of 49 pass attempts in Sunday's loss. One way to limit Savage in the passing game will be getting to the QB who has had a hard time hanging onto the ball when he's being pressured as he's fumbled the ball eight times this year, losing seven.
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Week 12 - Coming off their BYE week and playing host to the rival (6-4) Seahawks in damp and windy Santa Clara, the (1-9) 49ers would get their first glimpse of their expected quarterback of the future in Jimmy Garoppolo as starter C.J. Beathard would fall to injury late. Looking to avoid their ninth straight loss to Seattle entering Sunday, San Francisco had hopes of taking advantage of a banged up Seattle secondary missing both Cam Chancellor and Richard Sherman due to injury. Factor in some poor weather along with the plethora of injuries from both sides and you'd get an ugly first two quarters of football as both teams failed to get much of anything going in a sloppy first half which featured 11 punts combined.
After receiving a gift thanks to the elements as 49ers kicker Bradley Pinion's opening kickoff blew out of bounds setting Seattle up at the 40-yard line, QB Russell Wilson would get picked off on the very first play of the game for the first time in his career as Eric Reid came up with the early interception. Sadly, San Francisco would fail to do anything with it as Seattle forced a three and out. Showing promise on their following possession, Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh who had missed a 52-yard field goal in Seattle's Monday night loss to the Falcons which would have sent the game into overtime, failed to convert on a 48-yard try. With a scoreless first quarter in the books, 49ers QB C.J. Beathard would have his pass intended for receiver Trent Taylor intercepted as linebacker Bobby Wagner out-wrestled Taylor for the ball to set his team up inside the red zone. Wilson would trot into the end zone untouched just two plays later as Seattle struck first to take a 7-0 lead. Despite the touchdown, Wilson who entered Sunday's game among the top 3 in the NFL in percentage of teams offense (1st), passing yards (2nd), and touchdown passes (3rd), had a rather pedestrian first half as the San Francisco defense held him to only 80 yards passing. However, the 49er offense wouldn't have a whole lot to cheer about in the first half either as they managed to get on the board via a Robbie Gould field goal just before halftime, cutting the deficit to four.
Trailing 7-3 entering the second half, the 49ers would settle for a second field goal to pull within a point, but that's as close as they would get as Wilson and company answered with touchdowns on each of Seattle's first two second half possessions. The second of which coming on a touchdown pass to tight-end Jimmy Graham on the first play of the fourth quarter, allowing Wilson to accomplish a milestone that only three others had achieved before him. Joining Dan Marino, Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan as the only four quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 150 TD's in their first six seasons. He would later add another accolade to his resume as he eclipsed the 3,000 passing yards mark to become one of just four players to log 3,000+ passing yards in each of his first six seasons, something only Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Peyton Manning had done before him. Having suffered from a poor offensive-line virtually all season long, the Niner defense was unable to record a single sack on Wilson all afternoon as head coach Pete Carroll's fifth different o-line combo of the season paid dividends for their Pro Bowl quarterback. This after allowing three QB sacks to the San Francisco defense in their previous match-up.
After being held out of the end zone by the Seattle defense in their Week 2 meeting, the 49ers would avoid a repeat performance in the rematch as they managed to score a garbage time touchdown when the recently acquired Jimmy Garoppolo made his Niner debut while filling in for an injured C.J. Beathard. Trailing 24-6 with under 3:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Beathard marched the San Francisco offense inside the red zone to the 18-yard line before being shaken up by a hit from Seahawks defensive-end Micheal Bennett, as the rookie QB was attended to on the field before heading to the sideline with just over a minute to play. With wins in his only two career starts, both as a member of the Patriots, Garoppolo looked good in the handful of plays he saw. After a 5-yard scramble on his first play under center and facing 4th down with 5 yards to go, Garoppolo connected with receiver Aldrick Robinson to move the chains. He would find Louis Murphy in the end zone one play later as time expired, giving San Francisco their one and only highlight of the afternoon as he finished 2 for 2 with 18 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers fell 24-13. 49ers running back Carlos Hyde who remains the only active player in the league to rush for over 100-yards against Seattle in their own home, was held in check for the most part on Sunday, finishing with a game-high 47-yards rushing on 16 carries.
Week 13 Preview - For San Francisco who was hoping to keep Garoppolo off the field this season in preparation for a clean slate and fresh start come 2018, the highly coveted QB who was acquired from New England at the trade deadline for a 2018 2nd round pick and is expected to be Kyle Shanahan's quarterback of the future, may see more action this season than originally planned depending on how quickly he adjusts to Shanahan's system and whether or not Beathard is healthy enough to return. But one thing that is certain is that Garoppolo will get the green light to start in Week 13 as the team prepares to head to the windy city to take on the 3-8 Chicago Bears. Last in the NFC North, the Bears have lost four straight behind the struggles of rookie QB Mitch Trubisky who Chicago traded up one spot to get from the 49ers in this year's Draft and are coming off a 31-3 shellacking of the Philadelphia Eagles. Held to only 140 net yards in their loss to Philly, the Bears figure to be one of the more favorable opponents for the 49ers as they eye their second win of the season and first on the road under coach Kyle Shanahan.
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Week 10 - For the first time in 2017, the San Francisco 49ers are in the win column. Though it would take them much longer than they had hoped, the Niners were able to claim their first victory of the season and first win under the John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan regime against a struggling (1-7) New York Giants team. In an emotional game that featured two teams with the fewest amount of wins this late in a season since 1984, the 49ers would ride a season-high in rushing yards (186) on their way to a 31-21 victory. Despite liking their chances of getting win No. 1 of the season entering Sunday's game, San Francisco would still be 3-point underdogs against a team that had been embarrassed at home by a score of 51-17 one week earlier.
With both teams scoring field goals on their opening possessions, the game would quickly jump out to a 3-3 score as the 49ers benefited from a penalty on New York's special-teams which gave San Francisco the ball at their 40-yard line after the opening kickoff failed to reach the end zone and rolled out of bounds. A 28-yard rush by running back Carlos Hyde on the first play from scrimmage and an extra 15-yards tacked on thanks to an unnecessary roughness penalty called on New York would set the table for kicker Robbie Gould before being answered by Giants rookie kicker Aldrick Rosas. San Francisco's second possession appeared to be heading in the same direction before being halted on a failed 4th and 1 attempt at New York's 36-yard line. After another Giants field goal, both teams would exchange fumbles as another promising 49er drive went up in flames as fullback Kyle Juszczyk fumbled the ball away for the second consecutive week. But the San Francisco defense would respond just three plays later with a forced fumble of their own as second-year defensive-end Ronald Blair's first of two sacks on Giants QB Eli Manning jarred the ball loose, forcing the turnover.
The biggest story of the day for the 49ers, however, would be that of receiver Marquise Goodwin who had received the unfortunate news that he and his wife had lost their unborn child due to pregnancy complications just hours before kickoff. Courageous enough to still hit the field and play on Sunday, albeit with a heavy heart, Goodwin would show up in a big way for his team as he hauled in his first touchdown reception as a 49er on an 83-yard bomb from rookie QB C.J. Beathard. Though it would be his only reception of the game, it would mark the longest pass reception by a 49er since 2005 as Goodwin used his speed coupled with a stiff-arm to break free of the defender as he struck pay dirt before being overcome with emotion as he dropped to his knees and blew a kiss to the sky. Making his 208th consecutive start, Eli Manning would be quick to respond to his 49er counterpart as he connected in the end zone with tight-end Evan Engram. Entering Sunday, San Francisco had led in games for a league-low 29 minutes and 37 seconds before leading in much of this one as Beathard would help the 49ers jump back ahead on their ensuing possession with a lead that they wouldn't relinquish for the remainder of the afternoon as he found tight-end Garrett Celek for a 47-yard touchdown to give SF a 17-13 lead heading into the half. It would also mark the first time the 49ers would lead heading into halftime this year.
New York would open the second half by marching into field goal range before things went sour after Rosas missed a field goal from 34-yards out. But another 49er turnover would once again put an end to an otherwise nice possession as Beathard was picked off by Olivier Vernon who disrupted a screen pass intended for Matt Breida before tipping it to himself for the interception. It would be the only blemish on the day for Beathard who finally received some protection from his offensive-line as the rookie QB was sack-free all afternoon long, this after taking an absolute beating against the Cardinals a week ago. And on the first play of the fourth quarter, Beathard would rebound from his earlier mishap with an 11-yard touchdown run to make it a 24-13 ballgame for San Francisco's first double-digit lead of the season. That lead would increase one possession later as Breida logged the first rushing touchdown of his career with a 33-yard score to give the Niners a 31-13 advantage. With scoring being a non-factor for the offense on Sunday, San Francisco's punting unit wouldn't be called upon until the 5:46 mark in the 4th quarter.
With the game all but decided, the Giants would get a garbage time touchdown from Manning to receiver Roger Lewis as well as a successful 2-point conversion with just over a minute remaining. But New York's onside-kick attempt would be recovered by the Niners who were able to get into victory formation and milk the clock for the 31-21 win. The victory at home would be San Francisco's first win at Levi's Stadium since their Week 1 shellacking of the Rams over a year ago on Monday Night Football and one that would result in a Gatorade bath inside the 49ers locker room for head coach Kyle Shanahan who was congratulated by his players. Game balls would be given out following the celebration as GM John Lynch personally handed a ball to Goodwin for his courageous efforts and heroics in spite of the family tragedy.
After a career-high in pass attempts (51) in his last outing, quarterback C.J. Beathard (19 for 25) would out-duel Eli Manning (28 for 37) 288 to 273 in the yards department as both QB's threw for a pair of touchdowns and finished with one turnover each. Giants receiver Sterling Shepard would finish with a game-high 142 yards receiving and 11 receptions and Carlos Hyde would lead all backs on the ground, falling two yards shy of the century mark with 98 yards rushing on 17 carries. On the defensive side, 49ers rookie linebacker Reuben Foster tallied double-digit tackles for the second consecutive week with 10 (6 solo, 4 assisted) to lead all tacklers. As for the Giants who dropped to 1-8 on the season for the first time since 1980, New York has now gone 13 games without scoring at least 24-points, the longest active streak in the NFL. The loss also adds some warmth to head coach Ben McAdoo's hot seat as his status to return next season remains up in the air following the Giants' dreadful 1-8 start.
Week 12 Preview - With the 49ers heading into the BYE on a winning note, Kyle Shanahan will look to get his guys mentally and physically ready for their next opponent as the Niners play host to division rival Seattle in Week 12. Since San Francisco's 3-point loss to Seattle in Week 2, the (6-3) Seahawks are looking much better than the team that barely escaped Century Link Field with a win in the first meeting between these two bitter rivals. But after suffering a loss at home just two weeks ago to the Washington Redskins, the Seahawks are still very beatable if the Niners can stick around at home much like they did in their first meeting while applying pressure to QB Russell Wilson. Carlos Hyde will look to add another busy day against the Seahawks defense as his 124-yard performance on the ground in Week 2 remains the only 100-yard performance for the 49er running back this season. Hosting the reigning NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons this week, Seattle currently trails the (7-2) L.A. Rams by a game in the NFC Western Division standings.
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Week 9 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium for the first leg of a three game homestand, the 49ers would renew rivalries with division foe (3-4) Arizona. Looking to both take advantage of the absence of Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer who's been placed on injured reserve with a broken arm and avenge a 3-point overtime loss suffered the last time these two teams met in Week 4, the San Francisco defense would have their hands full with running back Adrian Peterson who the 49ers have had a good history against in the 4 games they've faced him. But seeing Peterson for the first time in a Cardinals uniform, however, the former league MVP who tallied 27 carries in four games with the Saints before being traded to Arizona, would record a career-high 37 carries for 159 yards on Sunday. And while the San Francisco defense was able to keep Peterson out of the end zone once again, leaving him searching for his first career touchdown versus the Niners, they weren't able to make that claim against the Cardinals' passing attack.
Facing their third opponent coming off a BYE in four weeks, it would be a frustrating day all around for San Francisco as the offense generated only a single touchdown for the third consecutive game. Meanwhile, the defense would fail to log a single sack for the fourth time this season as Cardinals backup QB Drew Stanton threw for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the afternoon while completing half of his passes (15 for 30) and under minimum pressure from San Francisco's defense. Stanton and the Arizona offense would come out of the gates firing as the former Michigan State product connected on a 52-yard pass to receiver John Brown on the first play from scrimmage. Though it would be the only reception on the day for Brown, it would appear to be enough to at least set up a field goal try for the 42 year old Phil Dawson who had spent the last four seasons as a reliable kicker with the 49ers before signing with Arizona in the offseason. But having struggled mightily thus far in a Cardinals uniform despite now playing his home games indoors, Dawson who missed six field goals combined over the last two seasons with San Francisco, would miss his sixth field goal already this season as the game remained scoreless.
Like they've done so often this season, self-inflicted miscues would harm the 49ers and benefit the opposition once again. A fumbled carry near midfield by fullback Kyle Juszczyk on San Francisco's first possession of the game would help setup the Arizona offense who would strike first just three plays later on a touchdown pass to receiver Jaron Brown. Stanton would later connect with tight-end Jermaine Gresham for a second Arizona touchdown and nearly threw for a third before being picked off in the end zone by linebacker Eric Reid who had made the transition from the safety position just a week ago. Trailing 14-3 entering the second half, San Francisco's one and only trip to the end zone on Sunday would come on a 14-play drive that rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard capitalized with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to make it a 14-10 ballgame. Inspired by Stanton's 52-yard pass on the first play of the game, Beathard would show off his own arm strength with a 55-yard bomb to Marquise Goodwin as the speedy receiver used his Olympic speed to blow by both Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu for the big gain. But the highlights and lowlights for San Francisco would be few and far between as Beathard received little support from his offensive-line and was constantly under pressure all afternoon long.
After failing to pick up a first down on 4th and 3 near midfield, the 49ers would get another chance after forcing a fumble on Adrian Peterson the very next play. But the 9-yard line would be as far as the offense would get as Beathard threw an absolute clunker off his own man's helmet as the pass intended for Garrett Celek failed to make it over the head of his 6' 8" guard Trent Brown, allowing Arizona's Karlos Dansby to come up with the easy interception, sealing the 20-10 win. With his family in attendance watching from the stands, the boneheaded turnover would be the cherry on top of a miserable day for Beathard who received a beating under center to the tune of 5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits. Perhaps none harder than the lick he took from former 49er Antoine Bethea who was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a hit he made while Beathard was sliding. The hit would lead to a scuffle that resulted in three players being ejected including Niners running back Carlos Hyde, but not before he hauled in 9 receptions for 84-yards, both career-highs. The shellacking endured by Beathard who threw for 294 yards in the loss, would draw the attention of Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians who described the rookie QB as, "tough as nails."
Following their first 0-8 start in franchise history a week ago, the 49ers have now dropped to 0-9 on the season as Arizona completed their third straight season sweep of their division rivals. The game wouldn't be the only thing the 49ers would lose as strong-safety Jaquiski Tartt was injured during the 2nd quarter and lost for the season after suffering a fractured arm, the same injury free-safety Jimmie Ward would suffer a week ago. San Francisco has had terrible luck in the injury department this year season and now has an NFL-leading 16 players on Injured Reserve. However, there would be some good news on Sunday as rookie linebacker Reuben Foster who has had his fair share of injuries this season not only completed the first full game of his career, but racked up a game-high 14 tackles in doing so, 13 solo and 1 assisted.
Week 10 Preview - Before heading into their Week 11 BYE, San Francisco will play host to Eli Manning and the struggling (1-7) New York Giants. Coming off a 51-17 shellacking at home to the L.A. Rams, the Giants have been one of the biggest disappointments of 2017 and their struggles are something nobody saw coming as New York entered the season expected to cause fits for the Cowboys and at least pose a threat in the NFC East. Instead, the Giants have gotten off to a sluggish start that has not only begged the question of whether or not head coach Ben McAdoo isn't the man for the job, but also if it's time to move on from longtime quarterback Eli Manning. Sure they're without their star receiver in Odell Beckham Jr. who was lost for the season after fracturing his ankle, but the 2017 Giants have been a far cry from their 2016 self after making it to the playoffs as a Wild Card team via a 11-5 record just a season ago. Averaging just 16.1 points per game (29th in the league) compared to San Francisco's 15.9 (30th), the Giants trail the 49ers in all three of the following categories: total yards per game, passing yards per game, and rushing yards per game. At this point, their meeting with the Giants this week appears to be their best chance at recording a win this season. And what better way for head coach Kyle Shanahan to head into the BYE week with than after a win.
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Week 8 - What do you get when you put an 0-7 San Francisco 49ers team that is tied for the worst overall record in the NFL against a 6-1 Philadelphia Eagles team that boasts the best record in the league? How about at a 33-10 shellacking in what is now the first 0-8 start in franchise history for first-year head coach Kyle Shanahan and the woeful 49ers. Entering Sunday's meeting against the Eagles in Philadelphia, the 49ers knew they'd have their work cut out for them matching up on defense against second-year quarterback Carson Wentz who has already surpassed his touchdown total from a year ago (16 TD's) in eight fewer games. They'd also have their hands full against a Philadelphia defense that ranks tops in the league against the run.
Playing on a damp Sunday afternoon, the 49ers would need to play a near perfect game if they had plans of pulling off the upset in rainy Philadelphia. Instead, they'd fall behind 17-0 heading into the locker room at the half as a pair of touchdowns allowed highlighted a dismal first two quarters for San Francisco. The 49ers would manage to stick around for a majority of the first half as Philly hung onto a 3-0 lead entering the 2-minute warning. But things would change quickly as a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Zach Ertz and a pick-six by cornerback Jalen Mills just 17 seconds later would allow the Eagles to take a 17-0 lead into the half. The lead would reach 20 to nothing before the 49ers finally scratched the scoreboard on a touchdown set up by rookie corner Ahkello Witherspoon who recorded his first career interception. San Francisco would capitalize as another 49ers rookie recorded a career first when quarterback C.J. Beathard's shovel pass to backup running back Matt Breida sprung the undrafted rookie from Georgia Southern 21-yards for the first touchdown of his career.
The two big plays by the trio of 49ers rookies would be the lone highlights on the afternoon for San Francisco as the mistakes and wrongdoings far outweighed the good. A week after setting a 49ers franchise record by throwing for the most yards in a rookie debut with 235 yards against the Cowboys, Beathard threw for only 167 yards in his second time around in another tough outing by the San Francisco offense who was stymied by Philadelphia's solid defense. Against the run, the Eagles held both Breida and Carlos Hyde to a combined 42-yards rushing as neither back was able to get anything going on the ground. Veteran kicker Robbie Gould would also see better days as he saw his perfect 91-for-91 mark of field goals from 20-30 yards come to an end as his 27-yard field goal attempt to start the fourth quarter was blocked. It would be Gould's first blocked field goal since 2012 with the Bears, though he would redeem himself on San Francisco's ensuing possession with a successful 50-yard try.
Leading the league in passing touchdowns entering Sunday, Wentz added his second touchdown pass of the afternoon on a 53-yard connection to Alshon Jefferey on the longest play of the receiver's brief Eagles career. A 12-yard touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount would round out the rest of the scoring for Philly who stormed away with the 33-10 victory and improved their league-best record to 7-1 on the year, leading the NFC East over second place Dallas (4-3). As for San Francisco who fell to 0-8 on the year for the first time in their 73-year history, the 49ers were also dealt a blow on both sides of the ball in the injury department as cornerback Jimmie Ward (fractured left forearm), offensive-lineman Joe Staley (broken orbital bone) and receiver Pierre Garcon (neck) were all bit by the injury bug on Sunday with Ward and Garcon's injuries being season-ending. The loss of those players would only add salt to the wound as the 49ers have now dropped 10 consecutive games in the eastern time zone. You'd have to date back to November 16, 2014 against the Giants in New York for the last time San Francisco departed the eastern part of the country with a victory.
Week 9 Preview - Returning home to kick off the first game of a three game homestand, the 49ers will play host to division rival Arizona as the (3-4) Cardinals are coming off a BYE week following their shutout loss to the Rams in London. With an 18-15 overtime win against the 49ers in their Week 4 meeting earlier this season in Arizona, the Cardinals are looking for the season sweep of San Francisco, but will be without quarterback Carson Palmer who is out for the season and is likely to retire after suffering a broken arm. The 49ers will hope to get the first win of the season after nearly defeating the Cardinals in Arizona after taking a 15-12 lead in overtime before Palmer connected with Larry Fitzgerald in the end zone for a walk-off, game-winning touchdown. San Francisco will be met by backup QB Drew Stanton and will also get their first look at running back Adrian Peterson in a Cardinals uniform as the former league MVP who began the season in New Orleans, was traded from the Saints to the Cardinals before Week 6.
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Week 7 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium where the (0-6) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the (2-3) Dallas Cowboys, head coach Kyle Shanahan had hopes that his team's first home game in over a month would bring some good fortune. But after suffering five consecutive losses by a combined 13-points entering Sunday, the 49ers who were plagued by a trio of fumbles, stood little chance and were embarrassed by a whopping 30-points in their first game at home since Week 3. On a day the Niners honored former receiver Dwight Clark, the recipient who authored arguably the most famed play in NFL history "The Catch" 35 years ago against the Cowboys, 49er fans were left with a bad taste in their mouths following the largest loss in the Dallas-San Francisco rivalry since October 12, 1980.
With many 49er greats on hand for Dwight Clark's halftime ceremony, Niner fans would be left reminiscing of better days and fantasizing of how well those greats of yesteryear could help this team. In at quarterback making his first career start and hoping to one day cement his legacy among the great 49er QB's before him would be rookie C.J. Beathard who would also see his first bit of action in front of the Niner faithful. And just like he did a week ago, Beathard would take his first snap with his team trailing as things once again got off to a rocky start for San Francisco. Entering Sunday's game coming off a BYE week and having lost two straight, Dallas would look a lot more like the team that dominated their way to the No. 1 seed in the NFC a year ago and were given a golden opportunity before San Francisco's offense even took the field. After forcing a three and out on Dallas' opening possession, 49ers rookie Trent Taylor would fumble the punt return inside the 20-yard line to setup an early touchdown by running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The rushing touchdown by Elliott would kick start a busy day for the reigning rushing leader from a season ago as he would strike pay dirt again just one possession later to give Dallas a double-digit lead that they wouldn't relinquish. San Francisco would get on the board on the ensuing possession thanks to a Robbie Gould field goal, but their inability to reach the end zone would prove to be costly as Dallas continued to pile on points with score after score. After the first of three touchdown passes on the afternoon by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, the 49ers offense would finally begin to show some promise as Beathard would help get his team to the red zone just before halftime. Looking to cut the deficit in half, San Francisco found themselves knocking on the door at the 5-yard line before Beathard was blindsided from behind, resulting in a fumble that would preserve Dallas' 17-point lead heading into the half.
The Cowboys would open the second half much like they did the first, this time needing only one play to find the end zone. A pair of nice blocks would allow Elliott to add to his already busy day by recording his third touchdown of the afternoon and first of the receiving variety as he caught a screen pass and took it 72-yards to the house while walking the tightrope along the sideline. Elliott would be a thorn in the side of the San Francisco defense virtually all afternoon as he rushed for 147 yards and finished with over 200-yards in total. Prescott would get in on the fun one possession later as he added a 2-yard touchdown run of his own to run the score up to 33-3. For Beathard, the first start of his career would quickly turn into one he would prefer to forget as he was sacked for a fifth time, fumbling and turning the ball over yet again. Dallas would capitalize one final time as Prescott connected in the end zone with receiver Dez Bryant who displayed some nifty footwork while leaping into the air and coming down with the ball for the touchdown.
With the game well out of reach, the 49ers would finally find the end zone with a garbage time touchdown as Beathard used his legs to punch it in from 4-yards out. Though Beathard failed to log a single touchdown pass on the afternoon, he also steered clear of throwing any interceptions, but his offensive-line didn't do him any favors as the pair of fumbles on five total sacks for 48 yards would be his downfall as Dallas came away with the 40-10 victory to snap their 2-game losing streak. Completing six more passes in 13 more attempts than his counterpart, Beathard (22-for-36, 235 yards) managed to out pass Prescott (16-for-25, 234) by a yard despite the Cowboys QB benefiting from a 72-yard dump off. The 40-point outburst by Dallas would mark the second time this season the 49er defense had allowed 40-points or more. It would also be the third contest this season in which the 49ers failed to log a single quarterback sack.
Week 8 Preview - The (0-7) 49ers will have another tough task in store for Week 8 when they hit the road again to face the Philadelphia Eagles who boast the NFL's best record at 6-1. Coming off a 34-24 victory against the division rival Redskins on Monday Night Football, second-year quarterback Carson Wentz is looking to improve off his 4 TD performance against Washington and strengthen his case for MVP. San Francisco will need to play a much cleaner game on offense if they want to pull of the upset and record their first win of the season. In need of a more solid performance defensively, San Francisco will see a change of position as Pro Bowl safety Eric Reid will be asked to make a start at inside linebacker after being moved to the position against Dallas. Whether this is a position Shanahan and GM John Lynch plan to keep Reid at long-term is unknown at this point as the former right-round pick will be a free-agent at the end of the season.
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Week 6 - Entering their Week 6 meeting with the (2-2) Washington Redskins who were coming off a BYE, the (0-5) San Francisco 49ers had been on the cusp of victory in four straight matches, including overtime losses in each of their last two games. Since a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers to open the season, head coach Kyle Shanahan has witnessed his team fight hard week after week but has had little to show for as his team's last four losses have all come by three points or less. Hoping to avoid the first 0-6 start in 49ers franchise history since 1979, Shanahan would look to earn his first career win against a Redskins franchise he served four seasons with from 2010 to 2013 as the team's offensive coordinator. He and 49ers GM John Lynch would also get a much closer look at Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins who has been on San Francisco's radar as a possible long-term solution to their QB problem. But it wouldn't be long before both Shanahan and Lynch also got a look at their youngest quarterback that coincidentally has been compared to Cousins.
But after a rocky start that saw Washington score a touchdown on their opening possession before jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first half, San Francisco appeared to be in store for a beat down and were in dire need of a jolt on offense. Following four unsuccessful possessions led by starting quarterback Brian Hoyer, coach Shanahan decided to kick the tires on rookie QB C.J. Beathard after the third round pick from Iowa turned a few heads during preseason. Making his debut with 6:39 remaining in the first half and his team down by 10, Beathard completed a 13-yard completion on his first pass attempt, but showed some jitters on his next three attempts as a trio of incompletions would bring on the punting unit. With another Redskins touchdown on the ensuing possession, Beathard would be forced to dig his team out of a 17-point hole despite only a handful of plays under his belt. And on his second possession, the 23 year old Tennessee native would look much more comfortable in the pocket as three of his next four passes would go for gains of 19, 31 and 12 yards, helping march the offense to the 1-yard line before running back Carlos Hyde put the Niners on the board with a touchdown run on 4th down in the final seconds of the first half.
By adding a field goal on their first possession of the second half, San Francisco would cut the deficit to 7 as kicker Robbie Gould improved his streak to 32 consecutive made field goals, the longest active streak in the league. Unfortunately, that streak would come to an end just one possession later as Gould missed from 47 yards out, failing to bring his team within a point. San Francisco would catch a break, however, as former 49ers tight-end Vernon Davis hauled in a 6 yard pass before being stripped of the ball by linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, thus allowing cornerback Jimmie Ward to pick up the ball and nearly take it to the house before being pushed out of bounds near the goal-line. Carlos Hyde would need only one play to do the rest as his second rushing touchdown of the day tied the game at 17 all. Looking to answer, Washington would get a Dustin Hopkins field goal on a 16-play drive that lasted nearly seven and a half minutes to regain the lead. 'Skins captain Kirk Cousins would add to that lead with his feet as he scampered into the end zone untouched from 7-yards out for a touchdown before a missed extra-point by Hopkins.
Taking over with under three and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the former Iowa Hawkeye would tally his first career passing touchdown on a 45-yard pass to receiver Aldrick Robinson who found an opening near the right sideline as the Niners pulled within two points. In need of a stop on defense, the 49ers would force a three and out to put the ball back in the hands of their rookie QB with under a minute to go. But standing in the way of his team's first win of the season and the first victory of his young career would be the franchise C.J.'s grandfather Bobby Beathard once served over a decade with and helped win two Super Bowl's as the Redskins' general manager from 1978 to 1989. Hoping to make his grandfather proud by beating his old employer, Beathard would soon find himself stuck between a rock and a hard place as any chances of a late comeback attempt would be thwarted by yet another questionable penalty on the offense in the wining minutes of the fourth quarter.
Facing 2nd and 10 with 23 seconds remaining, former Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon would be called for offensive pass-interference as he collided with a defender when trying to make a cut while running his route. The penalty would set the Niners back an additional ten yards, turning the tide and knocking them out of field goal range and erasing any shot at setting up a potential game-winning field goal. Staring down a crucial 4th and 20 play with 9 seconds to go and zero timeouts remaining, Beathard would be forced to go for the home run play as his pass intended for Kittle was intercepted by corner Kendall Fuller as Washington survived for the 26-24 victory, handing San Francisco their fifth consecutive loss by a combined 13 points. Close but no cigar would be the motto once again for rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan who witnessed his team become the first squad in NFL history to lose five straight games by three points or less. For Beathard, the close loss is definitely something the rookie can hang his hat on as he nearly helped pull off the comeback victory by throwing for 245 yards and a touchdown despite missing all but the final six minutes of the first half. He also gives the franchise a glimmer of hope at the QB position moving forward.
Week 7 Preview: With the (0-6) 49ers returning home to Levi's Stadium for the first time since a Thursday Night loss to the Rams on September 21, Beathard will take over the reigns of the QB position for the first time in front of the home fans. Looking to make that homecoming as unwelcoming as possible will be the (2-3) Dallas Cowboys as the two teams renew rivalries once again. Having lost two straight, Dak Prescott and company who are coming off a BYE week, will look to avoid losing a third straight game and hope to keep pace in the NFC East with both (3-2) Washington and first place (5-1) Philadelphia. Week 7 could also see the possible return of 49ers rookie linebacker Reuben Foster who's been nursing an ankle injury suffered in the season-opener versus Carolina. And with the recent trade of veteran Pro-Bowl linebacker NaVorro Bowman, the 49ers defense could use all the help it can get against Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant and the rest of the Cowboys' play makers.
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Week 5 - With a trip to Indianapolis to take on the (1-3) Colts for the first time since the end of the Peyton Manning era, the (0-4) San Francisco 49ers would be reunited with one of their own franchise greats in running back Frank Gore, a match up Niners linebacker NaVorro Bowman was excited for as the two spent five seasons together as teammates and remain close to one another to this day. A day after revealing the statue of Peyton Manning outside of Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts honored the great No. 18 by inducting him into their ring ceremony and officially retiring his jersey during halftime. But with the 49ers still seeking their first win of the season, San Francisco would look to crash the party and spoil the special day arranged for one of the game's all-time greats.
Looking to continue his success against the Colts who he threw a career-high 397 passing yards against in Week 5 a season ago while a member of the Chicago Bears, QB Brian Hoyer had himself another nice game statistically after shaking off a slow start. But before any scoring would be done, Colts running back Frank Gore would move his way up the rankings on the NFL's all-time rushing list with a 9-yard carry on Indy's first possession as he passed Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson to move into the No. 7 spot. Several plays later, another all-time great added his name to the record books as Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri converted on a 52-yard field goal to give his team an early 3-0 lead while also becoming the third player ever with 2,000 points. With nothing but field goals to show for and the score tied at 6 heading into the half, San Francisco opened the third quarter with more woes on third down as their league-worst third down efficiency continued to plummet as the 49ers converted on only 4 of their 14 third down tries on Sunday. Because of those woes, it wouldn't be long before Hoyer and company found themselves behind by double-digits with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation.
Trailing 23-9 following back-to-back touchdown scoring drives by the Colts, coach Kyle Shanahan would need his offense to ditch the field goals for touchdowns if they stood any chance of pulling off the comeback. It would be a tall task, however, as the 49ers found themselves in a drought that saw 22 consecutive possessions without a touchdown. But a pair of deep passes hauled in by receiver Marquise Goodwin spanning 20 and 51 yards would put the Niners in position to score that elusive touchdown. Facing a 3rd and 6, Hoyer would find fullback Kyle Juszczyk with a shovel pass as he bulldozed his way into the end zone to pull his team within a touchdown. The 6-yard score would be San Francisco's first touchdown since Week 3 and first on the road this season. With a much needed stop on defense on Indy's ensuing possession, San Francisco would get the ball back with 5:29 remaining in regulation. They would use all but 20 seconds of that time by stringing together a 14-play drive that featured two 4th down conversions on passes to rookie tight-end George Kittle, the first of which on a 19-yard connection on 4th and 1 and the second on 4th and goal from the 5 as Kittle caught the ball and just made it over the goal line, thus tying the score at 23-all and sending the game into overtime.
With Indianapolis winning the coin toss and electing to receive in OT, it didn't appear that the 49ers would even get a chance to possess the ball as Colts QB Jacoby Brissett (22 for 34, 314 yards) marched his team all the way to the 8-yard line following multiple strikes down the field including a 46-yarder to T.Y. Hilton who amassed a game-high 177-yards receiving on 7 receptions. That wouldn't be the case, however, as 49ers linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong came up with his second interception in the end zone in as many weeks as he leaped into the air for the pickoff and returned it 29-yards. But after a costly holding penalty by the 49ers offensive-line, San Francisco would fail to cash in on their golden opportunity and were forced to punt. From there, backup running back Marlon Mack who showed the potential to be the team's starting running back of the future as he tallied 91-yards rushing on the afternoon including a 35-yard gain on his final carry of the ball game to put the Colts in field goal range and setup their Pro-Bowl kicker for the game-winner. And from 51-yards out, Vinatieri would add yet another feather to his cap as one of the most clutch kickers of all-time split the uprights one more time to give his team the 26-23 victory.
For San Francisco, the loss would be their fifth in as many games this season which in itself is frustrating, but perhaps even more so simply because of just how close they've been as they've now lost the last four games by a combined 11-points. And like they did a week ago in their overtime loss to Arizona, the 49ers squandered yet another golden opportunity in overtime as victory slipped through their hands once again. On the positive side of things, kicker Robbie Gould who had made 28 straight field goals entering Sunday added a trio of makes on Sunday to improve his streak to 31 consecutive made field goals, the longest active streak in the NFL. Brian Hoyer threw for 353 yards on the afternoon, 94 of those yards would go to former Colts wide-out Pierre Garcon who caught a game-high 8 passes while also adding to his streak of 271 consecutive receptions without a fumble, the longest active streak of its kind. Running back Carlos Hyde appeared to once again be bothered by his lingering hip injury as he started the game but missed a majority of the second quarter and all of the third quarter before returning late in the fourth.
Week 6 Preview - Rounding out their current 3-game round trip and 5th road game in seven weeks, the (0-5) 49ers will pay a visit to the nation's capital to take on the (2-2) Washington Redskins. Coming off a BYE week, QB Kirk Cousins and company will look to keep pace with the first place Philadelphia Eagles as he matches up with his former offensive coordinator in Kyle Shanahan. With rumors swirling regarding the 49ers showing interest in acquiring Cousins next season, the game could very well be a tryout as Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will get a clear look at Cousins on the field. San Francisco, meanwhile, will try and make his day as miserable as possible as they look to log their first win of the season before returning home next week to host Dallas. And just like Week 5 when they were reunited with long time Niner Frank Gore, San Francisco will see another familiar face in Washington as former head coach Jim Tomsula will be on the opposite sideline serving as the Redskins' defensive-line coach, a position he excelled at for 8 seasons with the 49ers.
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