Week 17 - For 49er fans, the 2018 season couldn't end soon enough. And with a Week 17 meeting at the L.A. Coliseum against the (12-3) Los Angeles Rams, the chances of finishing the year on a high note seemed slim to none heading into their season-finale. Despite being without their best player on offense in Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley, Sean McVay's Rams would have no problem disposing of their NFC West rivals with the No. 2 seed in the playoffs on the line. Defensive monstrosity Aaron Donald who's a shoo-in to win Defensive Player of the Year and is vying to become only the third defensive player in NFL history to take home league MVP honors, entered Sunday's game needing three sacks to tie Michael Strahan's single-season sacks record of 22.5 sacks. And after tallying a career-high four sacks against the Niners in their Week 7 meeting in San Francisco earlier this year, tying or surpassing the record was certainly a possibility. And though there would be a new NFL record set in this one, it would be by an offensive player and on the opposing team as 49ers tight-end George Kittle etched his name into the record books once again.
Three weeks after setting the NFL record for the most receiving yards in a first half with 210 and falling just four yards shy of tying the all-time mark in a single-game by a tight-end, the second-year Iowa alum who's already been named to his first career Pro Bowl this season, did it again. This time Kittle would break a record that was set less than an hour earlier. Patriots tight-end Rob Gronkowski's record of 1,326 receiving yards set back in 2011 stood for six seasons until Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce surpassed him in K.C.'s win over the Raiders on Sunday. But that mark would fall just minutes later as Kittle did him one better by scoring a 43-yard touchdown to nab the record in style and finish the season with 1,377 receiving yards. In a season that provided very few bright spots for the 49ers and was predominately marred by injuries, disappointment and so forth, Kittle was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise dismal game for San Francisco.
The Niners offense would get off to as bad a start as possible in the opening quarter when they committed three turnovers via a Kyle Juszczyk fumble and a pair of interceptions by quarterback Nick Mullens. Entering the game having scored 99-points off of turnovers this year, the Rams would add to that total just minutes in as they jumped out to a 14-0 lead following the first two San Francisco miscues. Kicker Robbie Gould would get the Niners on the board with a field goal before the end of the first, but Mullens' third interception of the half would be a pick-six that forced head coach Kyle Shanahan to consider benching Mullens in favor of C.J. Beathard who began to warm up. Fortunately, Mullens would settle in from there and began manufacturing a solid drive of his own before connecting in the end zone with rookie receiver Richie James Jr. for a 9-yard score, logging the first receiving TD of James' career. But by then, the score was already 28-10 and the Rams would add another field goal just before the half. L.A. would pick up right where they left off to open the second half as Rams QB Jared Goff connected for touchdown passes on consecutive drives to receiver Josh Reynolds.
Already thin at the running back position, San Francisco's Jeff Wilson Jr. would need to be carted to the locker room in the first quarter which opened the door for a big game from veteran Alfred Morris who scored a touchdown and eclipsed the century mark for the first time this season with 111 yards rushing. Like Morris, Rams running back C.J. Anderson would also have a big day on the ground while filling in for the ailing Todd Gurley as he followed up last week's 167 yard, one touchdown performance against Arizona with another 132 yards and a touchdown against the Niners. Nick Mullens would toss a touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne to start things off in the fourth quarter before connecting with Kittle on his record-setting score as he was mobbed in the end zone and congratulated by his teammates. Unfortunately by then the game would be well out of reach as the Rams walked away with the 48-32 victory to clinch the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC. Mullens would finish with a game-high 282 yards passing with three touchdowns and three interceptions. However, the biggest difference between the two quarterbacks would be in the turnover department as Goff would steer clear of committing any miscues while throwing for 199 yards and four touchdowns. As for Aaron Donald, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle would log only one sack on Sunday, falling two shy of Strahan's record and finished the season with a career-high 20.5 sacks.
Beating San Francisco for the second time in as many games this season, the Rams would complete the sweep of their NFC West rival for the first time since 2004 to log their third 13-win season in franchise history (first since 2001). While the Rams would finish the season as the only team to go unbeaten within their division this year, the 49ers failed to win a single game on the road in 2018 (0-8) for the first time since 1979. Even more frustrating would be San Francisco's inability to force turnovers in 2018 as they failed to log a single takeaway on Sunday which led to Robert Saleh's 49ers defense setting a dubious record of only 7 turnovers forced this season which is four fewer than the previous mark of 11 shared by the 1982 Baltimore Colts, 2013 Houston Texans, 2015 Dallas Cowboys and 2016 Chicago Bears. Finishing 4-12 on the season, the 49ers will own the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, selecting behind only the Arizona Cardinals.
More Kittle - George Kittle led both teams in both receptions (9) and receiving yards (149) on Sunday as he put a stamp on his busy day by also setting a franchise record for most catches in a single-season by a 49er tight-end with 88 and is one of only seven tight-ends in NFL history to finish a season with 75+ receptions and 1,200+ receiving yards. While his unforgettable season will certainly go down as one of the greatest ever at the tight-end position, the fact that he nearly set both the single-game and single-season receiving records in the same year is insane. And with both fans and the coaching staff looking forward to next season, Kittle is one name everyone in the league will be keeping an eye on moving forward.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 16 - Coming off their first winning streak of the season following wins against the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, the (4-10) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the (10-4) Chicago Bears in what would be the final home game of 2018 for Kyle Shanahan's team. It would be a homecoming of sorts for 49ers kicker and longtime Chicago Bear Robbie Gould as well as Vic Fangio who served four years in San Francisco under Jim Harbaugh as defensive coordinator before becoming the current defensive play-caller in Chicago. Taking home Special-teams Player of the Week honors for his stellar performance against Seattle a week ago which included kicking a game-winning field goal in overtime, Gould has excelled at his position with the Niners much like Fangio has in Chicago as he's helped transform the Bears defense into one of the best in the league. But the 49ers defense would also play inspiring football on Sunday as they helped keep it a close game by holding second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky and the Chicago offense to under 20-points for only the third time this season.
Under first-year head coach Matt Nagy who's made a strong name for himself this season in the race for NFL Coach of the Year, the Bears who entered Sunday's game having already claimed the NFC North, became the first team to ever follow-up four straight last-place finishes with a division title. Already with more wins this season than they've had in the last two seasons combined, Nagy's Bears would need to keep their winning streak alive if they planned to keep pace with the top dogs in the conference and sneak their way to a top-2 seed in the NFC playoff picture. It would take awhile for Chicago to get things going in this one as the Bears were shutout on offense for nearly the entire first half. A missed field goal by Chicago's Cody Parkey highlighted a scoreless first quarter which featured a combined four punts and a trio of three and outs. After taking a 3-0 lead thanks to a made field goal by Robbie Gould, San Francisco would force a rare turnover when a backwards pass by Trubisky was recovered by Niners defensive-end DeForest Buckner. It would be one of two fumbles recovered by the 49ers defense on Sunday and the team's first takeaway of any kind since the first week of October. Sadly, the offense was only able to muster a field goal out of the miscue to make it a 6-0 ballgame.
The turnover would serve as a wake-up call for Trubisky and company as the Bears finally began to show life on offense on their next possession, capping things off with a touchdown pass to rookie receiver Anthony Miller. Trailing 7-6, 49ers QB Nick Mullens would then orchestrate a nice drive of his own just before the half to put his team in position to retake the lead. But after losing both Matt Breida (ankle) and Dante Pettis (knee) to injuries on the same possession and a costly penalty on receiver Trent Taylor for an illegal block, San Francisco was forced to settle for their third field goal of the half, taking a 9-7 lead into halftime. Unfortunately for the 49ers, Gould's third field goal would be the last time they'd strike the scoreboard as they were shutout in the second half. Meanwhile, the Bears picked up right where they had left off, marching 75-yards and capping a 12-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Jordan Howard. The rushing TD with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter would mark the last time either team would score in the ballgame, but not for a lack of trying. San Francisco's first possession of the fourth quarter appeared to be headed in the right direction as they managed to march 70-yards before a tipped pass off the hands of receiver Marquise Goodwin landed in the arms of Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan.
The turnover appeared to be the straw that broke the camels back for the 49ers, especially after Chicago crossed midfield on their ensuing possession. With Chicago looking to put the game out of reach for good, a fight would break out several plays into the drive when rookie safety Marcell Harris was called for unnecessary roughness after his hit on a sliding Trubisky. Spilling out onto the Bears sideline, San Francisco's Richard Sherman and Chicago's Joshua Bellamy and Anthony Miller were in the middle of it all and were seen exchanging punches before being disqualified. However, the excitement wouldn't end there as a forced fumble by rookie cornerback Tarvarius Moore gave the 49ers a sliver of hope as they took over with just under two minutes remaining and no timeouts left. But San Francisco's attempt at pulling off the late game heroics would come up just short as they reached midfield before Nick Mullens threw three straight incompletions, including one on 4th and 4 to seal their fate. Mullens appeared to have a clear path and could've ran for the first down, but instead elected to heave a deep pass intended for Marquise Goodwin that sailed off the mark and out of bounds as the Bears took over and milked the clock.
Through his first seven career starts, Nick Mullens is off to the third best start by an NFL QB in terms of passing yards as he has now amassed 1,995 yards, a figure only surpassed by Patrick Mahomes and Cam Newton. But Sunday's performance would be one he'd prefer to forget as he totaled only 241 yards thru the air on 22 of 38 pass attempts and threw an interception while being held without a touchdown for the first time in his career. As for Trubisky, the Bears QB completed an impressive 25 of 29 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown.
Week 17 Preview - Hitting the road to wrap up their 2018 season, the 49ers will take on the division rival (12-3) L.A. Rams in the regular season-finale. Having won both games at the L.A. Coliseum since the Rams relocated from St. Louis in 2016, the 49ers will look to look to make it a three-peat on Sunday and can play the role of spoiler as Los Angeles tries to seal the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC playoff picture. Chicago who has already beaten the Rams this season, could sneak into the 2 seed if they were to win in their season finale at Minnesota and if San Francisco deals the Rams a loss. However, a win for San Francisco would also hurt their draft position as they currently own the No. 2 overall pick in next year's Draft behind only the (3-12) Arizona Cardinals who the 49ers can leap for sole possession of the No. 1 overall pick if the Cards win and the 49ers lose on Sunday. Both teams will be without key players on offense as both Dante Pettis (knee) and Matt Breida (ankle) will see their 2018 campaigns come to an end while nursing injuries for the 49ers, and Rams Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley will also sit out Sunday's game with left knee inflammation in hopes of recovering in time for the playoffs.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 15 - Entering Sunday's game between the (3-10) San Francisco 49ers and (8-5) Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers had dropped ten straight games to Pete Carroll and their NFC West rival, including playoffs. And after being embarrassed by a final of 43-16 just two weeks earlier in the pacific northwest, the 49ers would have a chance at redemption while also looking to put a dent in the playoff hopes of a Seattle team that had plans of celebrating a Wild Card berth on enemy territory. Something Niners cornerback Richard Sherman would take great pride in against his former team after a war of words ensued in the days leading up to the game between Sherman and current Seahawk defensive-end Frank Clark.
After forcing a three and out on San Francisco's opening possession, Seattle would strike first with one of two touchdown connections thru the air from Russell Wilson to Doug Baldwin. But a missed extra-point by kicker Sebastian Janikowski would leave the door open and allow the 49ers to jump ahead as rookie return man Richie James Jr. returned the ensuing kick 97-yards for a touchdown. Robbie Gould would add the point-after to follow up the Niners' first kick returned for a touchdown since 2011 when Ted Ginn Jr. took a 102-yarder to the house against Seattle. Rookie running back Jeff Wilson Jr. who rushed for a career-high 90-yards in the win against Denver a week ago, would register another strong 46-yards on just seven carries, but would suffer his second fumble in as many games against Seattle in the first quarter. Determined to put the mistake behind them, San Francisco's next drive would be their longest of the season as quarterback Nick Mullens and company marched 96-yards to pay dirt which would be capped off by a 41-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Celek. However, the 14-6 lead would be short-lived as Doug Baldwin beat former teammate Richard Sherman to find the end zone for a second time to cut the lead to one before a Robbie Gould field goal made it a 17-13 49er lead at the half.
Following another Gould field goal in the third quarter, Seattle running back Chris Carson who was quiet in the early part of the game as Seattle was held to a season-low 31 rushing yards in the first quarter, had a busy rest of the day for the Seahawks' stout rushing attack as he powered his way into the end zone on a 4th & goal attempt from the 1-yard line to tie the game at 20-all. Both teams would exchange field goals in the fourth quarter before heading to their first overtime period of the season. With Seattle winning the coin toss in OT and electing to receive, the 49er defense held its ground and forced a three and out to give the offense a shot at winning the game. Aided by a 15-yard pass-interference penalty, one of a season-high 14 fouls committed by Seattle on Sunday and some nifty running by the tandem of Wilson Jr. and Matt Breida, the 49ers put themselves in prime position to allow Robbie Gould to be the hero. Setting up for a 36-yard field goal, Gould would answer the call and deliver the heroics by splitting the uprights for his 15th career game-winning kick and denying Seattle's attempt at clinching a Wild Card berth.
San Francisco's 26-23 victory would be their first over Seattle since December 8, 2013 when Jim Harbaugh was still coaching the team. Seattle's win in the NFC Championship just over a month later, would be the first of ten straight wins for Pete Carroll's Seahawks team against the 49ers. Since San Francisco's last win over Seattle, the 49ers have undergone three head coaching changes, have started six different starting quarterbacks, and have only two players remaining on their 2013 roster in Joe Staley and Garrett Celek. Though it would take them until Week's 14 and 15, the 49ers have finally strung together their first winning streak of the season, not to mention against two teams vying for a playoff spot while playing the role of spoiler. Throwing for 275 yards and a touchdown, QB Nick Mullens out-dueled Russell Wilson who finished with 237 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns as Seattle's franchise quarterback remains one win away from becoming the first QB in NFL history to have a winning record in his first seven seasons. Looking to rebound from the upset loss, Wilson and company will need to bounce back down the stretch if they plan to fend off other Wild Card hopefuls such as the Vikings, Eagles, Redskins and Panthers.
Week 16 Preview - With back to back victories under their belt for the first time this season, the 49ers who have pushed their way out of position to land the first overall pick in next year's Draft, will once again have their hands full when they host arguably the NFC's biggest surprise team this year in the (10-4) Chicago Bears. Playing stellar football under first-year head coach Matt Nagy and a stout defense under former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the Bears have already won more games this season than they have over the last two years combined and are coming off a similar victory to San Francisco's as they managed to beat the hated rival Green Bay Packers who had won nine of the last ten meetings between the two teams prior to Sunday. Chicago's 24-17 victory at Soldier Field clinched their first playoff berth since 2010 as second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky looks to keep their winning streak alive in Week 16 against the 49ers. But with the 49ers looking to keep their own streak alive, coach Kyle Shanahan who has coached his team to a 7-1 record in December games since 2017, will likely throw everything but the kitchen sink at Chicago offensively to keep his guys motivated and continue their winning ways in the final calendar month of the season.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 14 - Playing with heavy hearts on Sunday following a death in the 49ers family as Tony York, brother of team owner Jed York, passed away just two days earlier on Friday at the age 35, the (2-10) Niners would return home to host the (6-6) Denver Broncos. In what's been a lost season for months now, coach Kyle Shanahan would see his offense put up numbers that he hadn't seen since taking the helm a season ago, all while looking to play the role of spoiler against a playoff hopeful Broncos team that he grew up rooting for. Facing the team his father Mike Shanahan coached to two Super Bowl titles in the 90's and the team he served as a ballboy with while growing up, Kyle would witness his star tight-end put up a record-setting performance in a rare 49er win. Another oddity would be at the quarterback position as the match-up between Nick Mullens and Case Keenum marked the first time that a pair of undrafted QB's would oppose one another since Tony Romo and Austin Davis in 2014.
Starting the game with a Robbie Gould field goal on their opening possession, the 49ers would kick start one of their better first halves of the season on both sides of the ball. After taking an early 3-0 lead, the game would quickly turn into the George Kittle show as the 49ers' second-year tight-end who's developed into one of the premier players at his position, began to run amok against the Denver defense. On a day he needed only 73-yards to tie Vernon Davis' franchise mark of 965 receiving yards for the most in a single-season by a 49ers tight-end, Kittle tallied 52-yards on the final play of the first quarter which would once again put the 49ers in field goal range. As if the big gainer wasn't enough, Mullens would connect with Kittle on the first play of their ensuing possession with an 85-yard touchdown which would be a career-long, setting the record as the longest touchdown reception by a tight-end in 49ers franchise history. San Francisco would add another touchdown before the half as Mullens found Dante Pettis in the end zone as the rookie receiver became the first 49er to log a touchdown reception in three straight games since Vernon Davis in 2013. By halftime, the Niners had gotten off to a 20-0 lead and Kittle had accumulated seven receptions for 210 yards, the most first half receiving yards by a player at any position since 1991.
Needing only four yards to tie former Broncos great Shannon Sharpe's all-time record of 214 receiving yards by a tight-end, Kittle seemed destined to break the record with a full half left to play. However, that wouldn't be the case as the game would be a tale of two halves as the 49ers dominated both the scoreboard and the box score in the first half, but would soon witness the Broncos who were snake-bitten for ten penalties in the first half including three off-sides penalties by Pro Bowler Von Miller, turn the tables in the third and fourth quarters. With San Francisco out-producing their opponent in total yards 311 to 65 (33 yards passing), it would be the most total yards put up in the first half of a game for the 49ers since 2016 and the most under coach Shanahan. Denver's second half role reversal would begin on their second possession as they marched 54-yards before rookie sensation Philip Lindsay rushed up the middle for a 3-yard score to put his team on the board. Eager to get his team closer on the scoreboard, Broncos head coach Vance Joseph who spent six seasons as an assistant with the 49ers, saw his team fall short on back to back fourth down attempts in the fourth quarter. Denver would eventually inch closer and endure better luck on fourth down, as a 4th and goal attempt from the 1-yard line ended with Keenum finding receiver DaeSean Hamilton in the end zone for the touchdown to make it a 20-14 game with under 4 minutes remaining in regulation.
With plans to milk the clock, Mullens converted on consecutive third down attempts to seal only the third win of the season for San Francisco despite being shutout in the second half. Failing to log a single reception in the second half, Kittle would fall just four yards shy of Sharpe's record. However, his 210 receiving yards were enough to break multiple franchise records previously held by Vernon Davis, such as the most receiving yards in a single-game by a 49ers tight-end (180 yards) and the most receiving yards by a tight-end in a single season (965). Kittle who entered Sunday's game leading the league in yards after catch, also became the first 49er to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving since Anquan Boldin in 2014, in what's become a Pro Bowl caliber season for the 25-year old stud. As for Nick Mullens, the 49ers QB who was coming off a 414 yard performance against Seattle a week ago, threw for 332 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the win. Playing without Matt Breida who was sidelined with an ankle sprain, Jeffery Wilson carried the load for the Niners run game, totaling a career-high 90 yards rushing on 23 carries. The 49er defense which had one of its better performances of the season, held Keenum to 186 yards and a TD through the air, and kept Philip Lindsay to only 30 yards on the ground on 14 carries, his third fewest yards in a game this season.
Despite the win, the 49ers still remain in position for the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft as the Oakland Raiders also won on Sunday, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers. For Denver who could ill afford a loss, especially to an inferior opponent, their playoff hopes were dealt a sizable blow after losing on Sunday. Dropping to 6-7 on the year, the Broncos now trail the Titans, Dolphins, Colts and Ravens for the final AFC Wild Card spot, all of which are currently 7-6.
Week 15 Preview - Two weeks after being embarrassed by the division rival Seahawks in Seattle, the 49ers will prepare to host those same Seahawks in Week 15. Winners of four straight, Seattle is coming off a 21-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings and are playing their best ball of the season in what will likely end with an NFC Wild Card berth for Pete Carroll's team. In what'll be a rematch of 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman facing his former team, the former Seahawk great who's been engaged in a war of words with former Seattle teammate Frank Clark leading up to Sunday's game. But with Seattle currently riding a 9-game regular game winning-streak against San Francisco, the 49ers will need to step up on the field if they want to prevail in this recent tiff. One way to do that would be through another stout performance from QB Nick Mullens who's been playing solid ball as of late, and will try to steer clear of the turnovers and replicate his performance in Seattle two weeks ago when he threw for 414 yards, the most by a 49er QB since Tim Rattay in 2004.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 13 - Coming into the 2018-19 NFL season, the (2-9) San Francisco 49ers had lofty expectations of making it to the playoffs and finally ending their 9-game losing streak (including playoffs) to the division rival (6-5) Seattle Seahawks. And while their playoff hopes had all but slipped away the moment quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was lost for the year due to injury, defeating the Seahawks still remained a possibility. But with Seattle playing their best ball of the season as of late after getting off to a slow start, and San Francisco still seeking their first road win of the season, the odds would be stacked against Kyle Shanahan's football team once again as they entered Sunday having lost four of their six road games this season by 8-points or fewer and were headed to a stadium they haven't won in since 2011.
Looking to take advantage in the NFC Wild Card race as the Carolina Panthers were dealt a blow earlier in the day after losing to NFC South rival Tampa Bay, the Seahawks had plans of helping head coach Pete Carroll notch his 86th career win with the franchise which would tie him with former Seattle coach Mike Holmgren for the most regular season wins in team history. It would practically be a done deal by halftime as Carroll's team found themselves leading 20-3 at the half. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson would complete just 4 of 6 pass attempts in the first half, but three of those would go for touchdowns as he logged the fewest completions in a half with three TD's since Mark Rypien of the Washington Redskins in 1991. Though his busy day finding the end zone wouldn't end there. The Niners would have their chances to make it a much closer game before halftime, but a pair of fumbles including one inside the red zone by backup running back Jeffery Wilson and another on a muffed punt by Richie James, kept the San Francisco offense at bey with only a field goal to show for through the first two quarters.
The second half wouldn't start any better for San Francisco as Seattle return man Tyler Lockett returned the opening kickoff 84-yards before rookie running back Rashaad Penny took one to the house for a 20-yard touchdown run just one play into the third quarter. The 49ers would finally strike pay dirt of their own as rookie receiver and Washington alum Dante Pettis made a nifty move to find the end zone on a 17-yard score. It would be a busy day for Pettis who would later score on a 75-yard touchdown before finishing the game with 129 yards on 5 receptions and accounting for the only two trips to the end zone on the day for the 49ers. QB Nick Mullens would log a career-high 414 passing yards, but was intercepted by Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner who cashed in a 98-yard pick-six, the longest in Seattle franchise history. Russell Wilson would throw for only 185 yards in total, but tallied a season-high in passing touchdowns with four as Seattle ran away with the 43-16 win. The victory which helped Seattle improve to 7-5 on the year, was the 71st win of Wilson's career, tying Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens for the most wins at the QB position in NFL history thru the first seven seasons. Equally as impressive are the 63 TD passes Wilson has thrown since the start of last season which is the most in the league during that span.
Falling to 2-10 on the season, it would be a not-so-deal first attempt at a revenge game for former Seahawk Richard Sherman as the 49ers have now lost their 9th straight regular season meeting to Seattle and 10th overall when counting their loss in the 2013 NFC Championship in what's become a one-sided rivalry. The nine straight wins for Seattle over San Francisco ties Kansas City for the longest active winning streak against a divisional opponent as the Chiefs have also won nine straight against the rival Chargers.
Week 14 Preview - Returning home for a three-game homestand, the 49ers will play host to the (6-6) Denver Broncos who look to keep their AFC Wild Card hopes alive and are currently riding a 3-game winning-streak. Coming off a 24-10 road win over the Bengals, the Broncos will likely go with a heavy dose of rookie running back Phillip Lindsay on offense as the undrafted workhorse is coming off a 157-yard, 2 touchdown performance which helped him become just the 4th undrafted rookie since 1970 to record at least 1,000+ scrimmage yards in a single season. As for the 49ers who would own the 1st overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft if the season ended today, the remaining schedule for San Francisco will be a tough one, despite playing three of their next four games at home. With the coaching staff and front-office ready to put this season behind them, the 49ers will continue to evaluate what they have on the current roster in preparation for 2019 as this young team will continue to get valuable experience down the stretch in these last handful of weeks.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 12 - Even before their meeting against the (3-7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers found themselves in a bit of a quandary as news broke just hours before kickoff that linebacker Reuben Foster had been arrested by Tampa police on domestic violence charges at the team's hotel. Following his third run in with the law in less than a year, the team decided to cut ties with their first round pick from a season ago after giving the troubled 24-year old one last chance to keep his nose clean as he failed to follow those guidelines. But despite the gaping hole the Niners now face at the linebacker position which has been without Brock Coyle since the early part of the season due to head and back injuries, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team still had a game to play on Sunday.
Coming off the Week 11 BYE, the 49ers would take on a Buccaneers offense that ranks tops in the league despite a QB carousel that would land former first overall pick Jameis Winston back at the helm for Tampa Bay. But as good as the Bucs' offense has been this season, their defense came into the game having allowed a league-worst 33-points per game on average, something Nick Mullens and the 49ers offense would hope to exploit. With both teams exchanging punts to open the game, Winston and the Bucs would be first to strike as a 42-yard gain on a deep pass to receiver Mike Evans would set things up for a 6-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Brate. The 49ers would come close to tying things up in the second quarter as Mullens connected with rookie receiver Dante Pettis who scored his first touchdown since Week 1 and second overall, but Robbie Gould would miss the point-after, making it a 7-6 Tampa lead. It would be a busy day for Pettis who's been plagued with injuries this season and entered the game with only seven receptions on the year, as he compiled more than half that in this game alone. A pair of Cairo Santo field goals before the half would allow the Bucs to take a 13-6 lead through the first two quarters.
Looking to answer on their opening possession of the second half, the 49er offense would march all the way to the 1-yard line, but were stopped on both 2nd and 3rd downs before a false start penalty on 4th down stalled any chance to go for it at the goal-line as the offense was forced to settle for a field goal. San Francisco's inability to capitalize in the red zone would sting the team even more considering Winston would lead the Bucs offense on back-to-back touchdown-scoring drives heading into the fourth quarter. In need of a few quick scores to answer, Mullens was picked off on each of San Francisco's final two drives, ending any chance of pulling off the miracle comeback. For Tampa Bay, their performance on defense would be their best of the season as the pair of interceptions were only their second and third of the season which also ended a streak of seven consecutive games without allowing a single takeaway. The Bucs D which held Kyle Shanahan's offense to their fewest point total in a game this season, also did a good job at disrupting the quarterback as they kept Mullens in check by forcing a total of four sacks and prevented the 49ers quarterback from getting into any type of rhythm in the passing game. The constant pressure was something Mullens saw very little of through his first two starts considering his offensive-line didn't allow a single sack in those first two games.
The only positive takeaway on the day for the 49ers, would be that of running back Matt Breida who rushed 14 times for 106-yards in the loss, his second consecutive game with over 100 yards rushing and the team's 9th game with over 100+ yards on the ground, the most in the NFL. As for Breida's counterpart, Bucs running back Peyton Barber who was coming off a career-high 106 yards rushing in Week 11, was held to only 47 yards on 18 carries. As good as San Francisco's defense was against Barber, they were unable to say the same for quarterback Jamis Winston as the former No. 1 overall pick threw for 312 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including 116 yards to Mike Evans who eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving on the season and was a constant problem against a banged up Niners secondary. Nick Mullens had easily his worst start of his career as he finished with 221 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 2 picks while completing only 18-of-32 pass attempts. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 2-9 on the year and stand alongside the division rival Cardinals as the only 2-win teams in the NFC. Of course Arizona's only two wins on the season came at the hands of San Francisco.
Week 13 Preview - The 49ers' schedule won't get any easier in their next match-up as they take a trip up north to renew rivalries with the (6-5) Seahawks in Seattle where the Niners haven't won since 2011. Coming off a pair of 3-point wins against the Packers and Panthers, Seattle will look to continue their hopes of making the playoffs as they currently stand in the hunt for an NFC Wild Card spot. Going three straight games without throwing a single interception, the always dangerous Russell Wilson will try to maintain their recent dominance over the 49ers against an old friend as former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman will look to exact revenge as he prepares to oppose his former team for the first time since being released in the offseason. With two of their five losses suffered at home this year where Pete Carroll's Seahawks have been virtually untouchable in years passed, the Niners will need a near perfect game from their offense if they plan to end their streak of six straight losses in Seattle's Century Link Field.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 10 - Following their blowout win over the Bay Area rival Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night, Nick Mullens was the talk of the town among Niner fans. After becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for three touchdowns in his Niner debut, Mullens had a chance to send his team into the Week 11 BYE on a two-game winning-streak as the lowly (1-7) New York Giants came into town for a Monday Night meeting. But those aspirations would fall short as the San Francisco defense collapsed yet again in the fourth quarter. Like they've done so often this season, Kyle Shanahan's 49er team has continued to find new ways to lose games late as they've proven time and time again that they're virtually incapable of holding onto a lead and closing out a game. Aside from the 31-point beat down put on the putrid Raiders, even the Week 2 win against Detroit didn't come easy as the Niners escaped a late comeback attempt by the skin of their teeth as a 17-point fourth quarter lead quickly evaporated to a 3-point win. And then there's their attempts to hang on late against teams like the Cardinals and Packers which ended in defeat. Throw in a struggling 1-win New York Giants team and what do you get? Deja vu.
Forcing a three and out on New York's opening-drive, San Francisco would take advantage of their good field position by setting up their kicker Robbie Gould who would connect on a 53-yard field goal, his eighth straight from beyond 50-yards. Their second possession, however, wouldn't quite go as planned as the turnover bug reared its ugly head after failing to show up a week ago. Nick Mullens would suffer his first career interception as a deflected pass intended for Kendrick Bourne ended up in the hands of a defender. A costly mistake that Eli Manning would make sure to capitalize on as he found a wide-open Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone on third & goal to give New York the lead and their first touchdown in the first half of a game in three contests. Putting the mistake behind him, Mullens would be quick to answer as he drove his team down the field before handing things off to running back Matt Breida who would cap things off with a touchdown. It would be the start of a busy night for Breida who would eclipse the century mark in the rushing department. After both teams exchanged punts, the Giants would tie things up at 10 in what would appear to be a tie at the half, but Mullens would have none of that as a trio of passes to George Kittle and Marquise Goodwin allowed Gould to strike again and give his team a 13-10 lead at halftime.
San Francisco would open the second half the same way they would finish the first, only this time the clock wouldn't be a factor as they were able to cap their 11-play drive with a touchdown. Mullens' lone touchdown pass of the night would be an 11-yarder to Matt Breida who became the first 49ers running back to score a touchdown both on the ground and thru the air in the same game since Frank Gore in Week 2 of the 2010 season. The score would give the Niners a 20-10 lead, but it would be short lived as Manning and Beckham Jr. began to pick on the poor San Francisco secondary. After a 30-yard connection from Manning to OBJ put the G-Men in enemy territory, the Giants QB tried finding his superstar receiver in the end zone on back to back plays, the second of which they would succeed on as 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon didn't stand a chance and surrendered the easy score to pull New York within a field goal. The Giants would get that field goal to tie things up on their following possession.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Mullens would be tagged with his second career interception, but didn't receive any favors from Marquise Goodwin who stopped mid-route before stutter-stepping and continuing to run, but by then Mullens had already committed to the pass which Goodwin was unable to corral, resulting in a tip-drill that the Giants would come away with at midfield. And though the Giants were unable to turn the turnover into points, it would be a sign of bad things to come. The Niners would regain the lead thanks to Gould's third made field goal of the evening, but the offense's inability to strike pay dirt would prove to be costly as it gave the opposition a chance to steal a victory. And with just under three minutes remaining in regulation, that's exactly what would happen as the lackluster 49ers secondary made the aging Eli Manning look more like his brother Peyton Manning in crunch time. A pair of big play passes to Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley, coupled with a crucial pass interference call on 2nd & 20 by Ahkello Witherpoon, would set things up for a dramatic finish as Manning hooked up with receiver Sterling Shepard for the game-winning touchdown. The 9-play, 75-yard drive would be the 36th game-winning drive of Manning's career and just the latest dagger to pierce the hearts of Niner fans who watched their team fall at home, 27-23.
With the win, the Giants snapped their five-game losing streak and improved to 2-7 on the season, meanwhile, the 49ers fell to 2-8 and will have to dwell on being letdown for an extra week as they go into the BYE. Manning who finished with 188 yards passing and 3 touchdowns, moved into a tie with the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger for 7th place on the NFL's all-time passing touchdowns list with 350 TD's. As for his counterpart, Mullens tallied 250 passing yards and 1 touchdown in the loss. Matt Breida rushed 17 times for a game-high 101-yards and scored both touchdowns for the Niners, out-rushing Barkley who was held to 67-yards on 20 carries, but netted another 33-yards in receiving to give him 100 total yards on the night, his 8th game of 100+ scrimmage yards in 9 career games. Pounding the rock to his tight-end, Mullens and George Kittle connected 9 times for 83-yards, giving the 49ers standout tight-end 775 receiving yards on the season. Most impressive regarding the second-year tight-end's stout 2018 season has been his ability to eat up yardage after the catch as his 16.9 YAC leads all tight-ends, and his 535 total YAC is over 150-yards higher than the next closest player at that position (Travis Kelce -- 362 YAC). Not to mention he's accumulated 31% of the team's receiving yardage this season, the highest in the league.
Week 12 Preview - After the much needed BYE in Week 11, San Francisco's season will continue in Week 12 when they pay a visit to Tampa Bay to take on the (3-6) Buccaneers who will get their crack at the Giants in Week 11. Coming off a 500-yard performance on offense against the Redskins in which Tampa Bay only scratched 3-points across the board at home, the Niners will also look to hand the Bucs a loss while allowing far less yardage. One way to prevent that will be getting to the quarterback, something the Niners were able to do very little of in the loss to the Giants as they recorded only one sack compared to the Giants' zero. As it stands before the Bucs and Giants meet, Tampa is currently riding a 3-game skid, this after opening the season with a surprising win on the road over the Saints in Week 1. Since then, it's been a roller coaster for head coach Dirk Koetter and his last place Bucs team as they've bounced back and forth at the quarterback position between Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 9 - Returning home to host the Oakland Raiders (1-6) with bragging rights on the line in what's likely to be the last installment of the Battle of the Bay before the silver and black pack their bags and relocate to Las Vegas in 2020, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers (1-7) liked their chances of pulling out the rare win and ending their six-game losing-skid on Thursday night. But a game-time decision at the quarterback position would force coach Shanahan to start his third-string quarterback who had never stepped onto an NFL field outside of the preseason. With C.J. Beathard nursing an injured wrist, waiting in the wings would be Nick Mullens who would get the starting nod to make his NFL debut about an hour before kickoff. With little known about Mullens and very few giving him a chance coming into the game, the undrafted QB in his second-year out of Southern Mississippi would be the talk of the town by games end.
Following an opening-drive field goal by the Raiders, Mullens would answer back with a perfect drive on San Francisco's first possession by going 3-for-3 thru the air and capping things off with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon who had returned to action after missing last week's game with a knee injury. In his second year with the team, the touchdown reception would be Garcon's first in a Niners uniform after being dangled on the trading block before the NFL trade deadline just two days earlier. But things wouldn't end there for Mullens who's spectacular night would just be getting started as he orchestrated yet another impressive drive on San Francisco's second possession. Facing third & goal from the 4-yard line, Mullens remained calm before throwing a strike to Kendrick Bourne in the end zone. The 49ers nearly struck for a third touchdown just before the half, but a drop by rookie receiver Richie James Jr. who hauled in a 53-yard reception just three-plays earlier, forced them to settle for a field goal. By halftime, Mullens had already hit eight different receivers in the passing game and the Niners had jumped out to a 17-3 lead.
Having made a bad habit out of blowing second half leads in games this season against the Chargers, Packers and Cardinals, Mullens and company would refuse to take their foot off the gas pedal in this one as they showed no mercy on each of their first two possessions of the third quarter. George Kittle who's been one of if not the best tight-end in the league this year, flexed his muscles yet again by hauling in four catches for 108-yards on Thursday, none bigger than the one-handed grab he snagged and took 71-yards before being brought down. Mullens would reward him for his efforts just two-plays later with an easy touchdown. The Niners' scoring barrage would get its biggest touchdown of the night one-drive later as running back Raheem Mostert used a down-field block from 2018 first-round pick Mike McGlinchey to his advantage for a 52-yard touchdown, putting a dagger in the heart of a Raiders run defense that ranks last in the league and was coming off a BYE. Mostert would lead all rushers with 86-yards on just 7 carries, but would unfortunately suffer a gruesome arm injury that would end his season. All the Raiders would have to show for in the second half was a missed field goal attempt that would clink off the right upright as the Niners stormed away with a 34-3 victory.
With the win, San Francisco snaps its six-game losing-streak and improves to 2-7 on the year. Meanwhile, the team across the bay who in their first season (again) under head coach Jon Gruden, falls to 1-7 on the season, their third worst start in franchise history thru their first 8 games. Raiders quarterback David Carr who was sacked a total of seven times on Thursday, was held to only 171-yards passing on 16-of-21 attempts. As for Nick Mullens, the Southern Mississippi kid who wears his No. 4 jersey in honor of fellow Southern Miss. alum Brett Favre and who's school records he broke for both career passing yards and career passing touchdowns, the new kid on the block threw for 262-yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-22 pass attempts. Mullens would one-up his idol once more by logging a 151.9 passer rating in his first career start compared to the 144.6 rating put up in Favre's debut. Mullens' passer rating would be the highest in an NFL debut since 1990 with a minimum of 20 pass attempts and would earn him a phone call from the man himself as Favre called and congratulated Mullens following the game for his performance and first career victory.
Week 10 Preview - Playing host to the lowly New York Giants (1-7) on Monday Night Football before heading into their Week 11 BYE, the 49ers could very well be riding a two-game winning-streak when we see them again in Week 12. The lone team the Niners were able to beat a season ago with somebody not named Garoppolo under center, San Francisco will likely make it back-to-back victories against the G-Men. However, the Giants will be coming off a BYE and are likely to unleash rookie sensation Saquon Barkley who will have fresh legs and will look to make the Niners' win-streak a short-lived one. And again we might not know until kickoff who coach Shanahan elects to go with at the QB position as he refused to commit to Mullens even after he became the first Niners QB to throw for 250+ yards with at least 3 TD's and no interceptions since Colin Kaepernick did it in Week 6 of 2014. Not to mention Beathard's only career victory came against these Giants a year ago. While I'd like to think Mullens earned the right to start for a second consecutive game, I expect the Niners to pull off their second straight win regardless of who's at the helm come Monday.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 8 - With the San Francisco 49ers hitting the road to visit the division rival Arizona Cardinals in the desert, the contest between the two 1-6 teams would be as winnable a game the Niners would see away from home this season. But having lost eleven straight games in the month of October and riding a seven-game losing-streak to the Redbirds, nothing would be easy, nor guaranteed for Kyle Shanahan's group. Looking to avenge a Week 5 loss at home in which the 49ers obliterated the Cardinals in almost every major statistical category and yet still suffered defeat, San Francisco would need to play a much cleaner game as the turnover department was the lone outlier in that contest, 5-0 in favor of Arizona.
Not only would the 49ers manage their first turnover-free game of the season, but they would also force a pair of turnovers to go along with a safety. By halftime, the 49ers took a 5-3 lead into the locker room in what resembled more of a baseball score, highlighted by a pair of field goals and a safety cashed in by the San Francisco defense. Collecting only their second interception of the season, Niners defensive back Jaquiski Tartt jumped in front of a pass intended for Arizona's Christian Kirk to come up with the rare pick that put his team in field goal range. After throwing for a career-high 349 yards in the earlier meeting between these two teams, quarterback C.J. Beathard had a more modest performance thru the air in the rematch, throwing for only 190 yards on Sunday. Receiver Marquise Goodwin would provide the only fireworks for the San Francisco offense as he caught a pass and turned on the afterburners to blow by Patrick Peterson for a 55-yard touchdown. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the 49ers took a 15-3 lead into the fourth quarter and appeared to be on their way to a second win of the season. But rookie quarterback Josh Rosen and long-time Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald would have other plans.
Having been a thorn in the side of the 49ers since being drafted in 2004, Fitzgerald has had plenty of memorable games throughout his illustrious career which will ultimately send him to Canton, Ohio one day. Sunday was another one of those games as the Cardinals lifer who tallied 102 yards on 8 receptions, caught a pass for the 219th straight game to inch his team closer in the early part of the fourth quarter as he hauled in a 13-yard score that landed him seventh on the NFL's all-time touchdowns list. Now trailing 15-10, the work of Rosen & Fitzgerald would be far from over, but would hit a bit of a speed-bump on their next possession as Cardinals tight-end Jermaine Gresham fumbled the ball after crossing midfield. The turnover would give the 49ers a golden opportunity to potentially score and put the game out of reach for good, but instead had virtually no effect as San Francisco suffered a costly sack that would put the ball back in Rosen's hands with just over two minutes remaining. After watching Aaron Rodgers work his magic just two weeks earlier to help Green Bay pull off the comeback victory that would hand the Niners a crushing loss, Rosen would pull a similar stunt.
Streaking past a defender in the back of the end zone, Rosen found a wide-open Christian Kirk for the go-ahead touchdown. Electing to go for the two-point conversion to make it a 3-point lead, Rosen and Fitzgerald would hookup once more to make it an 18-15 Arizona advantage with only 39 seconds remaining in regulation. With the tables suddenly turned and what was once a 12-point lead now squandered, Beathard and company would need to pull off some late-game heroics of their own to avoid another heartbreaking loss. After making it across midfield with one timeout and seven seconds remaining, the Niners were in need of a quick pass and a gain of 8-yards or so to give their kicker a shot at tying it. Unfortunately, things would end before Gould would be given that opportunity as an errant snap sailed over the head of Beathard, icing the game and handing San Francisco their 12th straight loss in the month of October, their eighth consecutive loss against Arizona and their sixth straight loss overall. Rosen who's only two career victories have come against San Francisco, became the first rookie QB to overcome a 12+ point deficit in the fourth quarter by throwing multiple TD passes since Andrew Luck in 2012. He would finish the game with 252 yards to go along with his pair of touchdowns and one interception.
Neither team's rushing attack would prove to be much of a factor on Sunday as Cardinals running back David Johnson rushed for a game-high 59 yards on 16 carries and remains without a single 100-yard rushing performance this season, failing to rush for more than 71 yards in a game all year. San Francisco's Matt Breida also logged 16 carries but only managed 42 yards on the ground in what was a game-time decision for the 49er running back. Kendrick Bourne would lead all 49ers receivers with 7 receptions for 71 yards. While Richard Sherman would collect his first quarterback sack since 2012 in what was a three sack performance by San Francisco's defense, the 49ers offensive-line allowed four sacks on Sunday which now ties them with the Cleveland Browns for allowing the most sacks this season with 31.
Week 9 Preview - The 49ers (1-7) will have to put their latest loss behind them quickly as they get set to host their Bay Area rival on Thursday Night Football when the 1-6 Raiders make the short trip from Oakland to Levi's Stadium. Coming off a 42-28 loss at home to the Colts in which the Raiders also blew a late lead by allowing 21 unanswered-points in the fourth quarter, the two struggling franchises will square off in what will likely be the last Battle of the Bay before the Raiders relocate to Las Vegas after next season. Playing without their first-string running back in Marshawn Lynch who is dealing with a groin injury that could keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season, what better way to bid their cross-bay rival a final farewell than to hand them their fourth straight loss of the season and seventh overall. With San Francisco having the third easiest strength of schedule the rest of the season, their best chance at stringing a winning streak together will be these next two weeks before heading into the Week 11 BYE. Whether those games will be played with C.J. Beathard under center for the 49ers or Nick Mullens is anyone's guess at this point as Shanahan might be considering a change at the QB position.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 7 - Entering Week 7 against the unbeaten Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers would have to steer clear of the turnovers that have cost them time and time again this season if they wanted to put a dent in L.A.'s unblemished record. Instead, those costly mistakes would not shy away from rearing their ugly head as the division rival Rams made quick work of their struggling foe. Not only did the Niners commit a total of six turnovers in all, but L.A. made sure to capitalize on them when given the chance, scoring 24-points off of San Francisco turnovers. As if the NFC's highest-scoring offense needed help scoring points. That alone would be enough to seal the fate of the 49ers who have now lost 13 straight games in the month of October, the longest active streak in the NFL during that month.
One of the major issues for San Francisco coming into the game has been ball security, having already suffered 15 fumbles this season and wasting no time to add to that number on their first drive on Sunday. After forcing a three and out on the Rams' opening-possession, the 49er offense would make it to midfield before the flurry of turnovers began as quarterback C.J. Beathard was hit from behind by a Rams defender who jarred the ball loose and caused the fumble. And though L.A. would only get a field goal out of it, they would be given a second chance to strike paydirt just two possessions later as running back Matt Breida was stripped of the ball by Aaron Donald on the first play of the drive. For Donald, the forced fumble would be the start of a busy day for the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year as he finished the game with a career-high four sacks on the afternoon and single-handedly out-sacked the 49er defense who only logged two sacks as a unit. The second forced fumble of the opening quarter by the Rams would also jump start a trio of touchdowns scored by running back Todd Gurley who coming off his first career 200 rushing yard performance a week ago against the Broncos, would fail to hit the century mark against the Niners but found other ways to be effective.
Things would go from bad to worse for San Francisco as the struggles on offense made their way to the special-teams as punter Bradley Pinion had a punt blocked into the end zone that the Niners were fortunate enough to only suffer a safety from as the ball rolled out of bounds. Greg Zuerlein's second field goal of the day coupled with a touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Brandin Cooks after a Beathard interception, ran the score to 22-0 before the Niners finally got on the board. Prior to scoring their one and only touchdown in the last few seconds of the first half, San Francisco's first five possessions on Sunday would look like this -- fumble, punt, fumble, safety and interception. A head coach's nightmare, especially when facing a division rival and the last undefeated team in the league. Tight-end George Kittle would be one of the lone bright spots on the day for the Niners as he finished the game with five catches for a game-high 98 yards and a 9-yard touchdown that helped stop the bleeding and make it a 22-7 game at the half. Though it would only be a two-score game at halftime which meant Kyle Shanahan's team was still very much in it, Sean McVay's Rams knew they were in a good position to keep their winning-streak alive as they're a perfect 13-0 dating back to last season when scoring 15+ points in the first half.
Things would be just as ugly to start the second half for the 49ers as a three and out and interception stung the offense that managed only a field goal in the third quarter before being blanked in the fourth. For Robbie Gould, the 51-yard field goal would be his seventh straight made field goal of 50 yards or more. Todd Gurley's third and final touchdown, this time on a pass from Goff, ran the score to a final of 39-10. With the win, the Rams improve to 7-0 for the first time since 1985. As for Gurley who rushed for 63-yards on 15 carries, last year's Offensive Player of the Year and rushing touchdowns leader became just the third player in NFL history with at least 14 touchdowns in his team's first seven games of a season, joining Priest Holmes and Jim Brown. For Goff, a Bay Area product out of Cal, the Rams QB logged a clean performance by completing 18 of 24 passes for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the team he grew up rooting for. Beathard on the other hand threw for 170 yards and a touchdown to go along with a pair of picks on 15 of 27 passing.
While San Francisco has had no problem with committing the turnover, their inability to force the turnover has been well documented as the 49ers who were without their shutdown corner in Richard Sherman (calf), had a pair of would-be interceptions negated on drops. The first of which by safety Jaquiski Tartt who failed to come up with a gimme interception that went thru his hands and another by safety Adrian Colbert who had an interception ripped out of his hands by teammate Ahkello Witherspoon. Making matters worse, Colbert would be injured on the play and placed on IR with a high ankle sprain, adding to the laundry list of injuries the 49ers have already suffered this season. And then there's the lack of pressure put on the opposing quarterback as the 49ers logged only two sacks on Sunday compared to L.A.'s seven. All of which adding to the frustration that has been the 49ers' 2018 season and one of the many reasons this team is now 1-6 on the year.
Week 8 Preview - Hitting the road to take on the division rival (1-6) Cardinals in the desert, the 49ers will look to avenge their Week 5 loss at home and end their seven game losing-streak against Arizona who's only win of the season came at the hands of the 49ers. Coming off a 45-10 shellacking at home against the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, Josh Rosen and the Cardinals will be well rested when they play host to a 49ers team that has now lost five straight. Arizona's rookie QB who threw three picks in the loss to Denver, will look to make it a perfect 2-0 against a San Francisco team that is very much in need of a bounce-back win. Though they're unlikely to turn things around and compete for a playoff spot this season given the way their has season started, the 49ers are in an ideal position to get a winning-streak going as they'll be facing teams with a combined record of 3-wins and 17-losses these next three weeks (Cardinals, Raiders and Giants). If Kyle Shanahan's team can duplicate the performance they had against Arizona in Week 5, minus the costly turnovers -- three fumbles and two interceptions, they should be able to revisit the win column for the first time since Week 2 and end their woes against the redbirds.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 6 - C.J. Beathard and the 1-4 San Francisco 49ers on the road taking on Aaron Rodgers and the 2-2-1 Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for a Monday Night showdown, sounds like a blowout, right? Instead, the Niners surprised virtually everyone by putting up a fight from start to finish and nearly pulling off the upset as Rodgers and the Pack were pushed to the brink. So much so that it would take a last-minute drive and some late-game heroics by a banged-up Rodgers who in a last-ditch effort would setup his friend and long-time teammate Mason Crosby for a game-winning field goal as time expired. An entertaining game from the opening drive, the ending albeit fitting, was almost something you'd expect to see in a script from Hollywood given the circumstances that took place just a week earlier for Crosby who redeemed himself in the biggest way possible.
A Monday night win at Lambeau would've been a huge step forward for Kyle Shanahan's Niners team who's still seeking their first win of the season since losing starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 3. Not to mention it would've continued San Francisco's streak of nine consecutive victories on Monday Night Football, the third longest streak in NFL history. But claiming Monday night win number ten was expected to be no easy task heading into the game as the Packers have not lost a home game with Rodgers under center in nine straight. Not to mention Rodgers has also been one known to bring his A-game on Monday Night as he entered the meeting against the team he grew up rooting for, owning a record of 5-1 in six career appearances on Monday Night. However, one thing we've grown to expect from a Kyle Shanahan coached team, is that he'll have his players ready to compete regardless of who they're playing or who's at quarterback. That much was very evident in this one against arguably the greatest quarterback in the league.
Like they've done in each of the past two weeks, the Niners once again came out swinging on offense to open the game. An impressive seven-play opening-drive touchdown would kick things off for the Niners as running back Matt Breida who entering the Monday Night affair as a game-time decision, began the scoring barrage that would take place in the first quarter. But the same issues that plagued San Francisco the week before in the home loss to Arizona, would once again appear on Green Bay's ensuing drive. It would almost seem like deja vu as the opposition answered with a big gain of their own just one play later. Similar to Josh Rosen's 75-yard bomb on the Cardinals' first play from scrimmage a week ago that answered an opening-drive touchdown by the Niners, the San Francisco defense once again fell victim to the big play as Rodgers connected with rookie receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 60-yard gain that would setup a Packers touchdown just three plays later. Then the nightmare that has been San Francisco's ball-handling or lack thereof this season, made its usual appearance. Rookie return man D.J. Reed who has already lost a fumble this season on kick returns, coughed up yet another one on the ensuing kick to give Green Bay the ball in scoring position. And though the Packers would be held to a field goal, it would only add to the laundry-list of fumbles San Francisco has already suffered this season. Unfortunately, the ball control woes wouldn't end there.
Before you knew it, the Niners and Packers went blow for blow and combined to score a total of 31-points in the first quarter alone, the second highest point total through an opening quarter in Monday Night Football history. After both teams exchanged touchdowns, a 9-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams and a 67-yard bomb from Beathard to Marquise Goodwin who returned to the field after missing the last game and being forced to watch most of this season from the sidelines while battling injuries, the Niners would gift the opposition with yet another generous fumble. One play into their next possession, a 21-yard reception from Beathard to Kyle Juszczyk would go up in flames as the Niners fullback fumbled the ball. The Packers would once again be held to a field goal following the turnover, but it would improve Green Bay's lead to six. But Beathard's second touchdown pass of the half to Goodwin, a 30-yard score coupled with a Robbie Gould field goal, gave San Francisco a 24-20 lead at the half. Holding a four-point lead heading into the third quarter, the Niners still had a long ways to go if they planned on logging their second win of the season, but had shown up to that point that they could pull this thing off if they played clean football the rest of the way.
Following a trio of field goals, San Francisco carried a 30-23 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining in regulation. Rodgers would have his team knocking on the door on their first possession of the fourth quarter before Packers head coach Mike McCarthy elected to go for it in the red zone on a 4th & 3 attempt as the Niner defense staved off Green Bay's chance to tie it, forcing a turnover on downs. Looking for another score to put the game out of reach or at the very least milk as much time as possible, Shanahan's offense suffered back to back three and outs and managed to only wipe off 3 minutes and 19 seconds from the clock on two possessions. As for Rodgers, the third time would be a charm as he began carving the Niners secondary like an expert surgeon. A 38-yard pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams would ignite the comeback as the two connected again just three plays later for the game-tying touchdown. Taking over at the two-minute warning, the 49ers were in perfect position to march down the field and at the very least setup Gould for a game-winning field goal once Richie James Jr. returned the ensuing kick to the 32 yard-line and was awarded an extra 15-yards at the Packers were hit with a late-hit. Several plays later, San Francisco found themselves facing a pivotal 3rd & 3, and instead of going for the short gain, Beathard went for the long-ball, taking a shot at the end zone to Goodwin. Only this time Beathard would be picked off as Packers cornerback Kevin King came up with the game-changing interception.
Taking over at their own 10-yard line with 1:07 remaining and no timeouts left, Rodgers went to work and reminded us all of his greatness. But not before catching a break on a key penalty that saved the day. Facing 3rd & 15 and pinned inside their own 20-yard line, Rodgers was sacked by DeForest Buckner for a 4-yard loss, but an illegal-contact call against Richard Sherman would give Green Bay new life with an automatic first down. Using his feet, Rodgers scampered for a 21-yard gain before utilizing the sidelines and connecting on passes of 8, 19 and 19 yards to setup Mason Crosby for the chance to send his team home with a win and redeem himself from missing four field goals and an extra-point that cost his team a win in Detroit the week prior. But thanks to his old buddy Rodgers, the 34-year old kicker who in his 11th season with the Packers, would be asked to make a 27-yard chip-shot to send his team home. And with time expiring, he would do just that as Green Bay pulled off the 33-30 win. Rodgers finished with 425 yards passing compared to Beathard's 245 as both QB's each logged a pair of touchdown passes through the air. Both Devante Adams who caught 10 passes for 132 yards and Marquise Goodwin who tallied 4 receptions for 126 yards, scored the only two touchdown passes thrown by their respective QB's. Meanwhile, Raheem Mostert led all rushers with 81-yards on 12 carries, followed by another solid performance by a less than healthy Matt Breida who ran for 61-yards on 14 carries.
Week 7 Preview - For San Francisco and coach Kyle Shanahan, the loss is a tough one to swallow as they've come so close to victory yet again, only to fall in such heart-breaking fashion. But things won't be getting any easier in Week 7 as the Niners return home to face the last remaining unbeaten team in the league in the 6-0 Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco will once again be tabbed as underdogs as they get set to renew rivalries with their division foe while on short rest. If facing the best team in the NFC isn't frightening enough, the Niners will be given the daunting task of having to stop last year's reigning Offensive Player of the Year in Rams running back Todd Gurley who's coming off his first career 200 yard performance on the ground. The match-up against Gurley will be a true test for a Niner defense that has been surprisingly tough against the rush up to this point this season. Rams quarterback Jared Goff will also be a tough assignment as the Bay Area native and Cal alum has been playing great this season under second-year head coach Sean McVay, but is looking to rebound from a so-so performance in Week 6 against Denver. The folks at NBC aren't expecting the Niners to put up much of a fight as the game was flexed from the station's Sunday Night Football slot now that Jimmy Garoppolo won't be under center for San Francisco. Hopefully that'll be added bulletin board material for Shanahan to help rally his team in hopes of pulling off the upset.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
