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.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
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.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
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.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
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.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
