Week 3 - With the (0-2) 49ers returning home on short rest to host the division rival (1-1) Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football in their only game scheduled in prime time this season, San Francisco would hope to continue their recent dominance of the only team they were able to beat a season ago when they claimed both wins against the Rams in their first season back in southern California. Boasting a record of 7-wins, 1-loss and 1-tie in their last 9 home meetings against the Rams, the 49ers would put that streak to the test under rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan. And after failing to score a single touchdown in each of their first two games this year, the 49ers offense would finally show signs of life while wearing their blacked-out Color Rush uniforms. Expected by many to be another lackluster showcase on Thursday night, this NFC West battle between northern and southern California would instead evolve into one of the more exciting and action packed Thursday Night Football games we've seen in years as the two rebuilding teams in search of their identities went blow for blow in a high-scoring affair.
After scoring a combined 12-points through their first two games of the season, the 49ers offense erupted for 39-points on Thursday night. But before their five touchdown barrage, San Francisco QB Brian Hoyer would get off to as bad a start as you could ask for as he saw his first pass attempt on the first play of the ballgame intercepted and nearly taken to the house by Nickell Robey-Coleman before a shoestring-tackle by Niners tight-end Garrett Celek helped save a touchdown. Unfortunately, the Rams would need only one play and a total of 12 seconds to capitalize as running back Todd Gurley took it in from three yards out to begin what would ultimately be a busy day for both he and the L.A. offense. The early pick-off would catch everyone on the San Francisco side by surprise, including Hoyer who entered the game with the third lowest interception rate among active QB's (70 passes), trailing only Tom Brady (126 passes) and Aaron Rodgers (75 passes). Oddly enough, the interception on the first play from scrimmage would serve as a wake up call for Hoyer as he would help the 49ers march down the field to tie the game on their ensuing possession. Aided by an offsides call during a punt that gave the offense another chance, Hoyer took advantage by taking matters into his own hands and scoring with his feet to give San Francisco their first touchdown of the season some 23 possessions later on a 9-yard scramble.
Second-year quarterback Jared Goff who was drafted first overall a year ago just a stones throw away from Levi's Stadium at nearby Cal, would look rather comfortable under center as a visitor while facing the team he grew up rooting for. With many of his friends and family in attendance watching from the stands, the game would serve as a homecoming for Goff who threw three touchdowns in a game for just the second time in his career and the first without recording an interception. The former Golden Bear and his receivers would feast on a banged up Niners secondary that was without Pro Bowl safety Eric Reid, to the tune of 292 passing yards, with both Robert Woods (108) and Sammy Watkins (106) each eclipsing the century mark in receiving yards. After receiving a gift on their first score, Goff and company would prove that they too could create scoring chances as they answered Hoyer's touchdown with one of their own on the ensuing possession as Gurley struck pay dirt for the second time in the opening quarter, this time of the receiving variety.
Both teams would turn turnovers into points in the second quarter as the two exchanged field goals with both 49ers third-string running back Raheem Mostert (fumble) and Rams return man Tavon Austin (muffed punt) serving as the guilty parties. Gurley's third and final touchdown on the evening, a 2-yard rush, would allow the Rams to take a 24-13 lead into the locker room at halftime. Receiving the ball to open the second half, the Rams nearly made it a three-score game before a goal-line stand by the San Francisco defense held them to another Greg Zuerlein field goal. Trailing 27-13, the 49ers would spark a streak of four consecutive touchdown-scoring drives between both teams as running back Carlos Hyde shook off an early hip injury by rushing for his first of two 1-yard touchdowns on 4th down. Rams receiver Sammy Watkins would match Hyde's pair of touchdowns with two scores of his own including a 1-yard score on L.A.'s ensuing drive. One drive later, Hoyer would connect with Marquise Goodwin for a 50-yard completion just before the end of the third quarter, setting up Hoyer's first passing touchdown as a Niner -- a 1-yard strike to Garrett Celek, and a very wacky 4th quarter.
Following a crucial missed extra-point by 49ers kicker Robbie Gould, L.A. would answer with the second touchdown connection between Goff and Watkins -- a 13-yard strike as Watkins fought off defenders and muscled his way over the goal-line. It would also be the fifth touchdown pass of the season for Goff, tying the mark he threw all of last year while needing four fewer starts. From there, both teams would exchange punts before another big gainer from Hoyer. Receiver Pierre Garcon who entered Thursday's game with 573 career receptions, the most by any active player without a single Pro Bowl selection, would haul in seven more catches including this one for 59-yards to set up another score. It would prove to be a game of firsts as Garcon finished with a game-high 142-yards receiving for his first big game in a 49er uniform. Three plays later, rookie wide-out Trent Taylor would haul in his first career touchdown on a 3-yard pass from Hoyer, making it an 8-point game with just over 5 minutes remaining in regulation. In need of another break, the 49ers would get one on the ensuing kickoff as Victor Bolden forced a fumble on return man Pharoh Cooper. Capitalizing on yet another Ram fumble, Hyde would once again rumble into the end zone on a do or die 4th and 1 call from the 1-yard line.
Electing to go for the game-tying 2-point conversion, Hoyer would have nobody to throw to as his receivers were blanketed and the pass was intercepted. But an excellent recovery on a surprise onside-kick would allow San Francisco one final chance to pull off the comeback victory. Facing third and 10 with the ball at their own 40 yard line, Hoyer would connect with Taylor for an 11-yard pickup for the first down. But a controversial offensive pass-interference call against Taylor would negate the first down and pin the 49ers back another 10-yards. With the fans already out of their seats in hopes of witnessing a comeback victory of epic proportions, the Levi's Stadium faithful was none too pleased as the replay of the heinous call resembled nothing remotely close to what would normally warrant an offensive pass-interference call. And on an all or nothing 4th and 20 two plays later, Pro Bowl defensive-end Aaron Donald would come up with a game-sealing sack as the 49ers turned the ball over on downs. With under two minutes remaining, Goff and co. would milk the clock as San Francisco's last-ditch effort fell just short, 41-39. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first game in NFL history to end with a final score of 41-39.
The loss would be painful one for San Francisco as it marked their second defeat in four days by a combined five points. However, the team finally showed that they're more than capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Or was the 80-point outburst between the two teams simply a product of two tired defenses playing on short rest? 49ers All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman admitted after the game that he didn't feel like he normally would have had the game been on Sunday and it definitely showed on the field as he missed a handful of tackles he usually makes in his sleep. Whether or not that sentiment was felt from the entire 49er defense, they would look the part as their inability to get to the quarterback resulted in their second game this season without recording a single sack. This while watching their guy go down a total of four times. As for the offense, Hoyer completed 23 of 37 passes for 332 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also getting some help from Hyde who rushed the ball 25 times for 84 yards and two TD's.
Los Angeles' first-year head coach Sean McVay who happens to be the youngest head coach in modern NFL history at 31 years of age, has the Rams trending in the right direction, especially on offense which has been their Achilles heal the past few seasons as they've now scored 107 points thru their first three games, the franchise's most thru 3 games since 2000 (119 scored). He also appears to have been able to breathe life back into the running game as Todd Gurley set a career-high with 33 touches (28 carries, 5 receptions) while logging his first 100-yard rushing performance since 2015. Only 3 games in and the 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year has already matched his touchdown total from a season ago with six. Hopefully this will serve as a preview for what will be an exciting rivalry for many years to come between two inner-division, rebuilding teams with rookie head coaches who're quite familiar with one another having served on the same Washington Redskins staff from 2010-2013. These two teams will meet again in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve for Week 17.
Week 4 Preview: The (0-3) 49ers will continue their play against the NFC West in Week 4 when they take a trip to the desert and face the (1-2) Arizona Cardinals for the first of three consecutive road games for San Francisco. With Carson Palmer and the Cards off to a sluggish start without their All-Pro running back from a season ago as David Johnson will miss an extensive amount of time while nursing a dislocated wrist, the 49ers will hope to take advantage of his absence. But once again they'll be hitting the field without yet another key player on defense as defensive-end Tank Carradine sustained a high ankle sprain in Thursday's loss which will sideline him for 4 to 6 weeks, thus adding to the pressure put on San Francisco's D-line. Coming off a Monday night loss at home to the Cowboys, Arizona hopes to right the ship against a banged up Niner D as Carradine joins both Eric Reid and Reuben Foster in the injury department.
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Week 2 - Entering San Francisco's Week 2 meeting with the division rival Seahawks, the 49ers were given the daunting task of having to face a Seattle team that not only has had their number over the past few years (6-0 since 2014), but has also been a perfect 12-0 at home in the month of September since 2010. Though Kyle Shanahan's squad would put up much more of a fight in the latest chapter of the rivalry, it would end up being the same old same when it was all said and done. With neither team scoring a touchdown in their season-openers (both losses), both teams would struggle to find the end zone for a majority of this one as well.
Making his first career start at rainy CenturyLink Field, known as one of the toughest stadium's in the NFL for an opposing team, 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer looked a lot like he was making his first NFL start as he was stymied and held in check virtually all afternoon long. Throwing for only 99-yards passing, the offense was forced to ride the coattail of Carlos Hyde who had himself quite a game while supplying most of the offense. Coming into 2017 as the only visiting player to rush for 100 yards in Seattle since 2015, Hyde doubled down on that feat and was at it again, rushing for a game-high 124-yards on 15 carries on the afternoon. After falling behind 6-0 in the first quarter following a pair of Blair Walsh field goals, one of which set up by a Brian Hoyer interception, Hyde would break off a career-long 61-yard run to help get the 49ers in field goal range as kicker Robbie Gould cut the deficit in half. Another nice rush by Hyde this time for 27-yards with a 15-yard face mask penalty tacked on at the end of it during San Francisco's next possession would again get them in field goal range and allow them to tie the game at 6 just before the half.
With neither team scoring in the third quarter, both squads would witness their touchdown scoring drought reach seven quarters to start the season. Unfortunately for the Niners, that's where Seattle's dry spell would end. As the 49ers took a 9-6 lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter with their third field goal of the day, the Seattle offense would respond in a big way. After struggling in the season-opener at Green Bay's Lambeau Field a week ago and suffering from a poor offensive-line, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson once again failed to resemble a comfortable quarterback in the pocket as he was constantly under pressure and was sacked three times on Sunday. However, he still managed to throw for twice the amount of yards as his counterpart (198 yards) and came through in the clutch when he was needed most. Helping march the Seattle offense inside the red zone, a crucial third and seven play on the 9-yard line would spell doom for San Francisco. With the pocket collapsing, Wilson managed to weave around four 49er defenders and toss the ball into the end zone where he found a leaping Paul Richardson for the touchdown. Blair Walsh would miss the extra point to give the 49ers at least a sliver of hope, but Seattle's defense would clamp down and force a punt with a much needed three and out which allowed Wilson and company to milk the clock from there, sealing the 12-9 victory and handing San Francisco their seventh consecutive loss to their northern rival.
With another nice showing on defense, the loss again falls on the hands of the offense which has now been held out of the end zone for each of the team's first two games and has been virtually nonexistent through the air as the most productive 49er receiver would net only 26 yards (Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin). On a much brighter note, the defense has already appeared to turn the corner after suffering both a league and franchise worst in multiple categories just a season ago. After failing to record a single sack in Week 1, the San Francisco defense tallied three sacks in their second performance, albeit against a below-average Seattle o-line as Tank Carradine, Arik Armstead and Aaron Lynch each supplied a QB sack.
Week 3 Preview: Carlos Hyde and company will have a short week to prepare for the Los Angeles Rams (1-1), the only team the 49ers were able to collect wins against a season ago as San Francisco plays host on Thursday Night Football. Like the 49ers, the Rams are looking to bounce back from a disappointing season a year ago and went out and hired a new coach of their own during the offseason in Sean McVay. The Rams are coming off a 27-20 defeat to the Redskins after serving up a 46-7 shellacking of the Colts in Week 1. Looking to get back into the win column, second-year quarterback Jared Goff will look to claim his first victory in two career tries against the team he grew up rooting for as the 49ers look to continue their recent dominance of the rival Rams. And they'll be doing so with a banged up defense that has already been without starting rookie linebacker Reuben Foster and will now be without one of their key cogs in the secondary as safety Eric Reid is out indefinitely with a knee injury. Fellow safety Jaquiski Tartt is also nursing an injury (neck) and will most likely be a game-time decision, leaving plenty of concern in the Niners' secondary for their only prime time match-up of the season. Rookies Lorenzo Jerome and Adrian Colbert could see some playing time in the absence of both players as they compete for the starting job.
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Week 1 - With NFL Sunday officially underway in 2017, the new-look San Francisco 49ers were one of many teams excited to kick start a new regime. Though the John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan era began in the off-season, the two finally got to see their work in progress hit the field in a meaningful game for a first time. And while many are expecting this season to be nothing but a rebuild or trial run, the team might be even further from contending than initially expected after their mistake-filled performance on Sunday. Making his head coaching debut, Kyle Shanahan would be greeted by a familiar foe in the Carolina Panthers. And while his offenses boast a 3-1 record and have scored an average of 33.7 points per game against the Panthers entering this one, Sunday's opener would be a much different story.
For the 49ers who entered 2017 having won each of their last six season-openers including the last two by a combined score of 48-3, San Francisco saw the roles reversed in Week 1. With both teams struggling to get anything going offensively on their first two drives, the 49ers had a golden opportunity slip through the hands of speedy receiver Marquise Goodwin as a deep third down pass by quarterback Brian Hoyer was dropped by the former Olympian, forcing them to punt. The big time completion would've given the Niners a touchdown or at the very least put them inside the 10-yard line and in position to take an early lead. Hoping for a much better second possession, the 49ers saw their second drive near midfield go up in flames after Hoyer was sacked from behind, causing a fumble which was recovered by the defense. It would be the first of four sacks allowed by San Francisco's offensive-line and by far the most costly as it put the Carolina offense within striking distance.
Adding insult to injury, first-round draft pick and 2016 Butkus Award winner Reuben Foster would have to be carted off the field less than 12 minutes into his NFL debut after having his right leg tweaked beneath him as he was blocked from the side by the 320 lb. Matt Kalil. His absence would be felt immediately as the Panthers scored on the very next play as Cam Newton found a wide-open Russell Shepard down the sideline who scored on a 40-yard touchdown after shaking off a poor tackle attempt by free-safety Jaquiski Tartt. Though Foster would later return from the locker room under his own power, he would be ruled out for the game and forced to watch from the sideline. Following the trio of Goodwin's drop, Foster's injury and Shepard's touchdown, it was almost as if someone had let all the air out of Levi's Stadium as the team struggled to get anything going for the rest of the half. The lone highlight of the half would come in the second quarter on an acrobatic interception by Tartt. With Newton looking to connect with Kelvin Benjamin on the home run pass, Tartt leaped into the air and cradled the ball with one hand, making a highlight worthy catch that even Odell Beckham Jr. would appreciate. Electing to go for it on 4th and 1 near midfield with under a minute remaining, San Francisco's failed attempt would be a gift for the Panthers as they were able to march into field goal range and increase their lead.
Staring down a 13-0 deficit to open the second half, any hopes of a hot start for the 49er offense would be erased rather quickly as they were snake bitten by another turnover just two plays in. Hoyer who entered the game with 200 pass attempts without an interception, saw that streak come to an end on the second play of the third quarter as a pass intended for rookie tight-end George Kittle was intercepted by Pro-Bowl linebacker Luke Kuechly. The pick would set up Newton's second touchdown pass of the day, giving Carolina a commanding lead. They would add a Graham Gano field goal on their following possession to make it 23-0 before San Francisco was finally able to get on the board with a field goal of their own, a 44-yarder to give Robbie Gould his first in a 49er uniform. The San Francisco defense would do their part once again by forcing a turnover to open the fourth quarter as second-year corner back Rashard Robinson forced and recovered a fumble on rookie running back Christian McCaffrey who was stripped of the ball. Needing 11 plays to move the ball 30-yards, the 49ers would find themselves on the doorstep of the end zone before being stuffed on the 1-yard line as Carlos Hyde was unable to break the plain.
It would be just one of many squandered opportunities by San Francisco who watched the Panthers milk the last 8:48 on the clock on their way to a 23-3 victory as Cam Newton bounced back from career-low numbers and off-season shoulder surgery. Though he didn't look like his normal self, missing a number of wide-open targets, he kept his team in the game by avoiding costly mistakes against a pass defense that looked decent and held Newton to 171 yards thru the air despite failing to log a single sack against him. McCaffrey who played his collegiate ball just a stones throw away at Stanford, totaled 47 yards on the ground and 38 thru the air, providing a headache for the Niner defense virtually all day long as the Panthers won their sixth consecutive regular season meeting against SF. As for the San Francisco offense, Hoyer who made his fourth consecutive opening-day start for a different team, a feat only surpassed by Jeff Garcia who has five, threw for 193 yards and was held touchdown-less while being sacked four times. Running back Carlos Hyde who provided much of the offense in the first half finished the game with 45 rushing yards and another 32 yards on a game-high 6 receptions. With 44 of Hyde's 45 rushing yards coming in the first quarter, the offense was forced to abandon the run after falling behind by multiple scores to open the second half.
Sweet 16: With only 16 players remaining from last year's 53-man opening-day roster, the 49ers tied a mark for the fewest returning players since 1992 (2012 Rams). Also, the 23-points surrendered by the 49er defense marks the 16th consecutive game in which they've allowed 20-points or more, the second longest streak in franchise history since allowing 17 straight in 1963-64.
Week 2 Preview: With four of their next five games away from Levi's Stadium, the San Francisco 49ers (0-1) will hit the road for the first time in 2017 as they head north to take on the division rival Seattle Seahawks (0-1) who are coming off a loss of their own, a 17-9 defeat to the Packers at Lambeau where Seattle QB Russell Wilson threw for only 158 yards on Sunday. Seeking their first win at Seattle's CenturyLink Field since 2011 and their first win overall against the Seahawks since 2013, both teams will look to avoid falling to 0-2 on the season. The Niners will have to do it without rookie Reuben Foster who's expected to be out at least a month with a high-ankle sprain.
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The nightmarish 2017 season took another step towards finally being over for the San Francisco Giants as the month of August came to a close. An even 40-games behind the division-leading Dodgers entering September has left the Giants officially mathematically eliminated from Postseason contention. And though the month of August was once again filled with more bad than good, the first two weeks looked rather promising.
After taking 2 of 3 against their Bay Area rivals in Oakland, the Giants would pull off a winning homestand by notching back-to-back series wins for the first time since May, doing so against two teams vying for a playoff spot no less in the Diamondbacks and Cubs. Unfortunately, they would follow up that homestand with a losing road trip by dropping two of three in both Washington and Miami, including a crushing defeat in the rubber-match of a double-header against the Nationals as Nats left fielder Howie Kendrick delivered a walk-off Grand Slam in the 11th inning to hand the Giants the series loss. In that Washington series, San Francisco's lone win would be recorded by right-handed starter and former first round pick Chris Stratton. In what would be a fine month of August for the Giants farmhand, the 27-year old would have his most impressive outing yet against the Nats as he struck out 10 Washington hitters over 6 2/3 shutout innings. Going 2-1 in the month with an earned run average of 1.52 in four August starts, Stratton would watch his season ERA dip from 6.63 to 3.82. And his only loss suffered would be a tough one as he allowed only two runs against Arizona but wasn't given a single run of support. With a solid September to finish off 2017, Stratton could make a strong case for a spot in the Giants' starting rotation next season.
Seeking their first winning month since June of last season when the Giants went 17-10, Bruce Bochy's ball club appeared to be headed in the right direction after a seven game homestand in which they split four games against the lowly Phillies and took two of three from the Brewers. But losses in 6 of their last 7 games including a sweep at the hands of the D-Backs in Arizona would put a dent in those hopes. Another pair of losses to the Padres and a series-opening loss at home on the final day of August would spell yet another losing month as the Giants fell to 13-16 in August and 53-83 overall. By losing two of three in San Diego, the Giants dropped their fifth consecutive series against the Padres who have owned their Bay Area counterparts to the tune of an 11-5 record this season. What stood out most in their lackluster series at Petco Park was the Giants' inability to deliver with runners in scoring position as they went a dismal 4-for-33 and were shutout in the series finale. As for the one game the Giants did prevail in, it would take one of the better pitching performances of the year from a Giants starters as Jeff Samardzija went the distance and tossed a complete-game shutout while allowing only three hits, no walks and striking out five. It would be the fourth shutout of Samardzija's career and only the second by a Giants hurler all year.
From one pitcher to another, staff ace Madison Bumgarner who was slated to start in the series-opener against St. Louis was scratched just hours before game time with flu-like symptoms. Making the spot start in MadBum's place was Matt Cain who suffered a career-high 10th consecutive loss. But it wasn't for a lack of trying as the Giants offense simply failed to back him as he gave up a pair of runs over five innings pitched. What started off as a rebound season for Cain who notched an impressive April, has now taken a nosedive as he suffered his worst calendar month of the season (7.90 ERA) and his streak of 10 consecutive losses is the longest active streak of its kind in the Majors.
For the final calendar month of the regular season, the Giants will try to fend off becoming the first team in franchise history since 1985 to record 100-losses. But with seven of the team's nine remaining series against teams jockeying for position in the pennant race, it's unlikely they'll be able to avoid that dubious feat. With 26 games remaining, the Giants must win at least 10 of those to avoid the dreadful 100-loss mark. Needing every bit of help they can get, San Francisco will open September with three more games against the Cardinals and for whatever reason the NL Central is the lone division the Giants have had success against this season having gone 17-14 against NL Central opponents. And next on the mound to face them will be Johnny Cueto who last pitched in a Giants uniform on July 14 after missing all of August with a strained right flexor tendon suffered while making a rehab start on July 31. The Giants will surely welcome him back with open arms as he looks to finish strong in what's been a disappointing 2017 campaign for Cueto who led the team in wins a season ago with 18.
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