Week 8 - All the talk about the 49ers having a cake walk through the first seven weeks of the season would be put to rest on Sunday as 6-0 San Francisco played host to the 4-2 Carolina Panthers. Winners of four straight, Ron Rivera's Panthers team entered their meeting against the Niners with plenty of confidence and plans to pull off an upset while coming off a BYE. But despite Carolina being the ones well rested with over a week to prepare, it was the 49ers who came out swinging, showing fresh legs on both fronts and displaying pure domination from start to finish while donning their throwback uniforms. If there was any doubt that the 49er offense was beginning to sputter after putting up only 9-points in the rainy, swamp-like conditions of Washington's FedEx Field a week ago, Kyle Shanahan's squad put to rest any and all worries of a repeat performance on Sunday from the outset.
With San Francisco opening the game on offense, Jimmy Garoppolo and company would take us for a ride as the 49ers jumped ahead early on and never looked back. Capping an 11-play, 75-yard opening drive would be the newest member of the 49ers who was acquired just days earlier via trade. Adding a new target for Garoppolo to throw to, Emmanuel Sanders who was sent from the Denver Broncos during the week in exchange for a pair of draft picks, wasted little time to introduce himself to the 49er faithful on Sunday, scoring the first of seven touchdowns for a busy San Francisco offense. Sanders would catch only four passes for 25-yards on Sunday, including the 4-yard touchdown grab that made it 7-0. Equally as engaged was the 49er defense who also had a busy afternoon, forcing a three-and-out on Carolina's first offensive possession. However, an interception on the Niners' very next play would be one of the very few mistakes committed in what was otherwise a relatively clean day of football for coach Shanahan's team. Holding the Panthers to only a field goal, Garoppolo would shake off the turnover on the ensuing possession by marching his team down the field and allowing Tevin Coleman to do the rest.
Kick-starting an eventful afternoon on the ground, Coleman would scamper 19-yards for his first of four touchdowns on the day. Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen who has filled in rather nicely for the injured Cam Newton, entered the contest with a 5-0 record and an unblemished touchdown to interception ratio of 9-0, becoming the first QB to win his first five career starts with 0 interceptions since 1950. But in spite of his hot start, the San Francisco defense would not be impressed as Allen was picked off three times in this one when it was all said and done. Second-year cornerback Emmanuel Moseley would ignite the turnover frenzy by handing Kyle Allen his first career interception while also logging his own as the backup to starting corner Ahkello Witherspoon has dazzled since being called upon. Needing only three plays to capitalize on the Carolina miscue, Garoppolo would find Coleman on a scree-pass which he would take 10 yards to pay dirt. Coleman would make it a trio before the half with his biggest play yet, a 48-yard dash to the end zone which put his team ahead, 27-0 at the half. By halftime, the 49ers offense had out-gained that of Carolina's, 254 yards to 76.
The Panthers would begin to show a sliver of life in the second half, when Garoppolo was sacked in the end zone for a safety, and eventually led to good field position as Carolina began their next drive at midfield. Stud running back Christian McCaffrey who was held to only 21 yards thru the first two quarters, got going in the second half and ripped off his biggest play of the afternoon on a hand-off that he took 40-yards to the end zone for a touchdown before adding a successful 2-point conversion. McCaffrey's score would be the first rushing touchdown allowed to an opposing running back by the 49er defense this season. Ending the Panthers' sudden second half scoring run at 10 unanswered-points, another 75-yard scoring-drive was executed by the 49ers when Deebo Samuel finished off the possession with a 20-yard touchdown run that left the ballhandler untouched and the Carolina defense fooled. Intercepting Allen on back to back possessions would be Richard Sherman and Nick Bosa who would both get in on the fun. While Sherman's pick would setup the fourth and final touchdown of the day for running back Tevin Coleman, Bosa's interception which only led to a field goal, would be all the talk as it served as the cherry on top of what would end up being a monstrous day for the rookie.
While the 49er defense would log a season-high six quarterback sacks in the first half alone before finishing the game with seven, three of those would come from rookie Nick Bosa whom some are saying needs to be taken serious for not just Defensive Rookie of the Year, but also Defensive Player of the Year following his overly productive day on Sunday. Bosa, the 2nd overall pick in this year's Draft who turned just 22-years old four days earlier, became the first player in 49ers franchise history to record three sacks and an interception in a single game since 1982 and the youngest to record three sacks, a feat that had only been done by four other 49er players. Sandwiched between a pair of turnover on downs forced by the Niner defense, a 41-yard rushing touchdown by Raheem Mostert would cap the onslaught as the 49ers ran up the scoreboard by putting a 50-burger on the Carolina defense. Running away with the 51-13 victory, the 51-point outburst is the highest point total scored under coach Shanahan, surpassing the previous mark of 44-points scored on December 24, 2017 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the most by a 49ers team since 1993 when Steve Young was under center.
Improving to 7-0 for only the second time in franchise history and first since 1990, it would be another game that Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo didn't stack the stat sheet in, nor was it one where he needed to as Tevin Coleman supplied plenty of offense on his own while logging his first 100 yard performance of the season with a total of 105 yards rushing. Not to mention another stout showing by the defense which continues to obliterate their franchise-low mark of only seven takeaways from a season ago which also set an NFL record for the fewest in a single season. Completing 18 of 22 passes, Garoppolo tallied 175 yards thru the air along with two touchdowns and an interception as George Kittle hauled in a game-high six passes for 86-yards receiving to lead both teams. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey finished with 155 yards from scrimmage (117 yards rushing) and was the lone bright spot for the Carolina offense as Kyle Allen was held to only 158 yards passing and threw three interceptions while completing 19 of 37 pass attempts.
Week 9 Preview - Joining the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs as the only two teams in NFL history to begin a season 7-0 after winning only four or fewer games the previous year, the 49ers will look to make it 8-0 when they pay a visit to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1) on a short week. Despite both teams struggling the past several seasons, the rivalry between the two NFC West foes has been one-sided the last few years as the Cardinals have won their last 8 meetings against the 49ers. With the Cards coming off a 31-9 loss on the road to the New Orleans Saints after winning their previous three, the 49ers will get their first look at this year's No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray in a match-up that will pin him up against Nick Bosa, the No. 2 overall pick. Back to back games without a touchdown pass, the 49er defense will look to make it three straight touchdown-less games for the former Heisman Trophy winner who despite his recent scoring drought, still owns a 7 touchdown to 4 interception ratio on the year and has not committed a turnover in four straight contests. With injuries suffered to running backs David Johnson (ankle) and Chase Edmonds (hamstring), the Cardinals will feature a new weapon in their depleted backfield when they take the field on Thursday as the team announced on Monday that they had acquired Kenyan Drake from the Miami Dolphins via trade.
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Week 7 - Continuing their road trip with a visit to the nation's capital to face the (1-5) Washington Redskins, the (5-0) San Francisco 49ers would look to keep their unblemished record in tact in a match-up that had the makings of a blowout. However, with rain in the forecast caused from tropical storm Nestor which battered the east coast, mother nature would have other plans. Raining from start to finish, the gridiron of FedEx Field would resemble a marsh by games end. The elements would serve as a defense for and against both teams as neither offense was able to establish any rhythm.
Winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, the 49er defense would be tested early on. After having the ball ran down their throat and allowing their first rushing touchdown of the season a week ago on the Rams' opening-drive, it appeared that San Francisco would face a similar fate during Washington's first possession. Coming off his first 100-yard performance of the season, running back Adrian Peterson picked up right where he left off in this one as the 'Skins employed a heavy dose of the future Hall of Famer early on. Running the ball on their first 10-plays, including nine by Peterson, the 34-year old veteran would be nearly halfway to the century mark after Washington's first possession alone as he tallied 49-yards on the ground. Unfortunately for him, those hard earned yards would be wasted as a 39-yard field goal attempt by Dustin Hopkins went wide right. The combination of rain and wind wouldn't be any more kind to 49ers kicker Robbie Gould as he too would miss a field goal, but from 45-yards out as the ball soared wide left. Already the seventh missed field goal of the season for Gould, he has already tied a career-high in misses for a single season less than halfway through the year. From that point on, you knew it would be a struggle for both squads as points were going to be hard to come by.
Knowing another field goal attempt would not be in their favor, Washington would decide to go for it on a 4th and 1 at the San Francisco 28 yard-line. Even after proving last week that gambling against this 49er defensive-line was a bad idea as they forced four turnover on downs against Los Angeles, the Redskins decided to try their luck anyway and were left disappointed as they failed to pickup the needed yard. The nasty elements would claim the first half as both teams headed into the locker room scoreless. Thinking their luck on 4th down would be any different, Kyle Shanahan and the 49er offense was sadly mistaken on their first drive of the second half as Jimmy Garoppolo was picked off on a pass attempt to Dante Pettis on 4th and 5. Forcing a three and out thanks to a big sack by Arik Armstead, the 49er offense would finally put some points on the board as a big 40-yard play from Garoppolo to Richie James Jr. helped setup a 28-yard field goal that Robbie Gould would redeem himself with. Looking to answer and putting together a nice drive of their own, the 'Skins would make it to the San Francisco 29 yard-line before a pivotal play by the 49er defense stopped them in their tracks.
Linebacker Kwon Alexander would strip Peterson of the ball, allowing Jullian Taylor to scoop up his first career fumble recovery and turn it into a 10-yard gain. Turning the turnover into points, the 49ers would put another field goal on the board to increase their lead. Adding a third and final field goal to make it a 9-0 49er advantage, the game would be out of reach for Washington and with the clock winding down, rookie Nick Bosa would add a fitting end to the game as he collected a sack on the final play. Bosa and his 49er teammates would then turn the soggy field into their own personal slip 'n' slide as he celebrated his game-ending sack by sliding belly first before being joined by others who slid and made mud angels as the clock hit double-zero. Cornerback Richard Sherman said it best during his postgame interview, appropriately proclaiming his team, "Mud Bowl 2019 Champions" following their dominant victory in less than ideal conditions and with seven starters out of the lineup. With the win, their first shutout since 2016, the 49ers improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1990 and only the third time in franchise history. It would also mark the first time in franchise history that San Francisco had won a game by a final score of 9-0. Emphasizing after the game that he likes that his team can win the blowout games when needed as well as those when facing adversity and now the ugly ones in treacherous conditions, coach Shanahan praised his team for how they answered the call in the grind-it-out win against his former team.
And though the box score and final stat line wouldn't be anything to write home about for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as he completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 151 yards and an interception, he made the big plays in the passing game when he needed to and still outshined his counterpart as Washington QB Case Keenum was held to only 77 yards on 9 of 12 passes. Not to mention no other QB in 49ers franchise history has more than 10 wins in their first 14 starts compared to Jimmy G who is now a career 12-2 at the helm in SF. Bosa, Armstead and Dee Ford each tallied a quarterback sack to make things hard on Keenum as the San Francisco defense has now allowed 7 or fewer points in three straight games, their longest streak since Weeks 14-16 of the 1987 season. They're also one of just three teams to hold their opponents to 20 or fewer points in each game this season. As for the ground game, with Matt Breida leaving with a concussion after only 35 yards on 8 carries, Tevin Coleman led the attack with 62 yards on 20 rush attempts. And Adrian Peterson who was 1-yard shy of 50 following Washington's first possession, rushed for only 32-yards the rest of the way and finished with a game-high 81 yards.
Week 8 Preview - The (6-0) 49ers will return home to Levi's Stadium in Week 8 where they'll host the (4-2) Carolina Panthers. Winners of four straight, the Panthers have shown new life after a rough 0-2 start and are not to be taken lightly as they're coming off of a BYE week. After losing former MVP quarterback Cam Newton to a Lisfranc injury in Week 2, Carolina was thought to be doomed in the NFC South, but has instead stayed afloat thanks to backup QB Kyle Allen who has filled in nicely in Newton's absence. It also helps when you've got a weapon as dangerous as running back Christian McCaffrey who has been an absolute scoring machine for the Panthers and will certainly be a nice test for the San Francisco defense. Trailing only the (6-1) New Orleans Saints for the top spot in the division, Carolina will look to keep their own hot streak alive while hoping to put an end to San Francisco's. With the rival (5-2) Seattle Seahawks falling at home to the Baltimore Ravens, the 49ers now own a 2-game cushion in the NFC Western Division standings.
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Week 6 - Entering their Week 6 meeting against the division rival (3-2) Los Angeles Rams at the L.A. Coliseum, the (4-0) San Francisco 49ers were given little chance on Sunday by pundits around the league who blamed San Francisco's hot start on an easy schedule through their first four weeks of play, and that Kyle Shanahan's team would finally be exposed against opposing head coach Sean McVay and the defending NFC Champion Rams. And while things looked rough at the start of the game for the Niners, there would be a turning of the tables as it was San Francisco who did the exposing in a visiting stadium that felt a lot more like a home atmosphere as the Coliseum was drenched in red and gold-clad fans that kept the, "let's go Niners" chant reverberating through the stadium virtually all afternoon long. With both teams facing off with winning records for the first time since December 9, 2001, each club would have their eyes set on a streak as the Niners looked to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1990, while the Rams were trying to avoid their first three-game losing skid of the McVay era which began in 2017.
Opening the game on offense, the Niners were forced to punt after a three and out ended with a sack from Pro Bowl defensive-tackle Aaron Donald who has single-handedly been a thorn in the side of the 49ers over the years. And with a makeshift offensive-line tasked to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on his feet in the absence of two offensive-tackles in Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, the Rams defense would be held to only two sacks on the afternoon, both by Donald. L.A.'s offense would be equally as impressive on their first possession as McVay dialed up a touchdown-scoring drive that needed only seven plays, all of which via the rush. With the early score marking the first rushing touchdown allowed by San Francisco's defense this season, it was almost as if McVay and the Rams were trying to prove a point and beat them at their own game considering it's been the Niners' ground attack that has ran up and down the field against the opposition, having averaged a league-leading 200 yards rushing per game this season. In fact, their 800 rushing yards in the first four games this season is the most by San Francisco through the first four weeks since 1959.
Looking to answer, Jimmy G and the Niners would do just that as running back Tevin Coleman stiff-armed a defender before finding the end zone for a touchdown. For the Niners, it would seem as though the early struggles on both sides of the football would serve as a wake up call as Kyle Shanahan's team made the adjustments and returned to form the rest of the way. And while both teams would shut out the other for the remainder of the first half following the early touchdowns, the Niners' scoring drought was more of their own doing as they began shooting themselves in the foot, whereas the Rams were just unable to find an answer for San Francisco's smothering defense. After marching down the field and reaching the red zone for the second consecutive drive, thanks to a big play made by tight-end George Kittle who broke several tackles before finally being brought down, the Niners decided to pass the ball from the 1-yard line which resulted in a head-scratching interception by Garoppolo, followed by a missed field goal two drives later. An impressive goal-line stand by the 49er defense that held the Rams offense out of the end zone on back to back plays from the 1-yard line, helped keep the game tied at 7 entering the half.
Beginning the second half on defense, the 49ers would capitalize on an early miscue by the Rams as rookie running back Darrell Henderson fumbled a pitch from Jared Goff on the very first play of the third quarter. It would be the beginning of a nightmarish third quarter for L.A.'s offense as they were held to -19 yards for the quarter and netted a combined 0 total yards over their next six drives after being stood up at the goal-line to end the first half. Taking over in the red zone, San Francisco would claim their first lead as Garoppolo plowed into the end zone via the QB sneak which he would follow with an emphatic spike of the ball. With a chance to pull even further ahead on their next possession, Garoppolo would overthrow a wide-open Tevin Coleman in the end zone as they were forced to settle for a field goal. Increasing their lead to 20-7 with Robbie Gould's second field goal of the afternoon one drive later, the 49er defense would withstand anything McVay's offense would throw at them, forcing three turnover on downs in the fourth quarter. After coming out swinging on offense with a touchdown on their opening drive, the Rams would be held scoreless on their final ten possessions and for the remainder of the game as Jared Goff was stymied and held without a touchdown for the first time this season in what would be the worst start of his career. Finishing with only 78 yards passing from Goff, the fewest for any Rams QB who played a full game since T.J. Rubley in Week 15 of the 1993 season, the 7-points scored were also the fewest scored by a McVay coached team.
Garoppolo again didn't stack the stat sheet, passing for 243 yards on 24 of 33 attempts, nor did he have to as the defense carried the load. Garoppolo's favorite target -- George Kittle, finished with a game-high 103 yards receiving on 8 receptions. And on the day the great Jerry Rice celebrated his 57th birthday, Kittle became the first 49er to haul in 50+ receiving yards in 10 straight games since the aforementioned Rice. After becoming the first team since the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs to start a season 4-0 after winning four or fewer games the year prior, the 49ers have already surpassed their win total from a season ago by improving to 5-0 following Sunday's win. Now 11-2 in his career at the helm of the 49ers, Jimmy G who owns the best winning percentage of any QB in that span with a minimum of 10 starts, will look to add to that record with a favorable match-up next.
Week 7 Preview - Continuing on the road, the 49ers will pay a visit to the nation's capital to face the (1-5) Washington Redskins. Coming off their first win of the season, a 17-16 road win against the lowly Miami Dolphins, the 'Skins will be underdogs in their own home. That's right, the (5-0) San Francisco 49ers will be double-digit favorites on the road for the first time since 2013 as some sports books even opened up with the Niners being 10-point favorites against a team that is a week removed from firing head coach Jay Gruden after starting the season 0-5. Led by interim head coach Bill Callahan, quarterback Chase Keenum and rookie receiver Terry McLaurin who has impressed in the early stage of the season, will look to pull off the upset and string together their first winning streak of 2019. As for the Niners, I'd expect to see the offense regain its mojo and continue their success on the ground after putting up only 99 yards in the win against the Rams compared to the 200 rushing yards per game they had averaged.
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Week 5 - Coming off an early BYE in Week 4, the (3-0) San Francisco 49ers entered their Week 5 Monday Night meeting with the (2-2) Cleveland Browns with plans of putting a statement on their hot start. Despite beginning the season 3-0 for the first time since 1998, many pundits around the league have questioned the legitimacy of San Francisco's early streak because of who they've gone up against. But if opening the year with back to back road wins or shaking off five turnovers in a game and still finding a way to win isn't enough, perhaps nothing is. Regardless, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team would prepare for the task at hand and welcome the challenge of facing a Browns team that entered the season with expectations of competing in the AFC and was coming off their best game yet after an impressive road win over the division rival Baltimore Ravens.
Behind quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Browns would look to remain perfect on the road and keep pace with the aforementioned Ravens for the top spot in the AFC North. Seeking their first 3-0 start on the road since 1999 and their first record over .500 since 2014, the Niners would have none of that as they were chasing a mark of their own in trying to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 1990. Winning the coin toss and electing to receive, the Cleveland offense showed a bit of trickery early on as receiver Odell Beckham Jr. took a handoff and passed the ball down the field to Jarvis Landry for a 20-yard gain. Appearing to catch the Niner defense off-guard, it would be one of the very few big plays for the Browns offense that then went cold and was forced to punt. With San Francisco fourth in the league in total offense and second in scoring offense, they would waste little time to flex their muscles on offense. From the first play on, the Niners would set the tone of the game as running back Matt Breida made a house call for 83-yards on his first carry, setting a career-long and making it to the end zone untouched. According to Next Gen Stats, Breida clocked in at a speed of 22.3 mph on his highlight run, the fastest speed of any player in the last two seasons and living up to his nickname of, "Breida the cheetah".
Coming up with a huge play on offense, the 49er defense would take their turn on the very first play of Cleveland's next drive as Mayfield was hurried into throwing an errant pass that was intercepted by Richard Sherman. Getting his first taste of Monday Night Football action, the game would serve as the coming out party for rookie Nick Bosa who was a constant force for a San Francisco defense that tallied four sacks on the night, but finished with a hell of a lot more QB pressures as the Browns signal caller was erratic and under duress early and often. Unable to capitalize on the stellar field position following the interception, the 49ers would make sure it wouldn't happen in consecutive possessions as a series of passes by Jimmy Garoppolo helped the offense march to the red zone before he found Matt Breida in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown reception. Giving the offense even more chances, the 49ers defensive-line would again cause Mayfield to scratch his head as the duo of DeForest Buckner and Nick Bosa teamed up to force and recover a fumble that again put the Niners in prime scoring position. Calling on the trusty Robbie Gould for his first field goal attempt on the night, it would be the start of his worst game in a Niner uniform as Gould couldn't connect on the field goal from 47-yards out.
With a field goal of their own on the ensuing possession, Cleveland would finally get on the board. Beginning to finally show life on offense, Mayfield and the Browns would hit a brick wall when making a trip into the red zone as a short pass at the goal line was tipped into the air by the intended receiver Antonio Callaway, allowing cornerback K'Waun Williams to come up with the easy interception and returning it to midfield. Cashing in on the interception, running back Tevin Coleman who in his first game back following an ankle injury suffered in Week 1, would score his first touchdown as a member of the Niners as he followed his blockers and struck pay dirt with a 19-yard run. After a Cleveland three and out, San Francisco would try to get another three points just before the half, but Robbie Gould would miss his second field goal in as many tries, this time from 52-yards out as the score remained 21-3 heading into the half.
As has been the case in all four games this season, averaging 175 rushing yards per game, it would be a busy yet productive day for the 49ers ground attack as they headed into the locker room at the half with 185 yards rushing, five yards more than the Browns would tally all game long in total offense (180). Picking up right where they left off to open the second half, Garoppolo and the Niner offense would put together their best drive yet as tight-end George Kittle hauled in a 22-yard touchdown reception to cap a nine-play, 90-yard drive that made it a 28-3 ballgame. As if the Browns' turnover-laden first half wasn't bad enough, San Francisco's defense held Cleveland to only one first down in the second half as Mayfield was eventually benched for backup Garrett Gilbert late in the fourth quarter. After having a field goal blocked from 32-yards out, Robbie Gould would miss three field goals in a game for the first time in his career. But thanks to a late miscue by the Browns special-teams, Gould would get one last chance to redeem himself.
With Odell Beckham Jr. having made a reputation of having some of his best performances on Monday Night Football (57 receptions, 916 yards, 8 TD in 9 career games), the Pro Bowl wide-out was virtually M.I.A. in this one and actually did his team more harm than good as he fumbled a punt return that setup a late 49er field goal. OBJ's best friend and former college teammate Jarvis Landry who was coming off his best game as a Brown with eight receptions for 167 yards a week ago, finished with a game-high 75-yards receiving on four receptions, but even he would be unable to find the end zone as Baker Mayfield was held touchdown-less for the first time in his career, ending a streak of 17 consecutive games with a touchdown pass to start a career, the second longest streak of its kind since 1950, behind only Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (23 starts). One stat Mayfield would rather forget is the amount of interceptions he's thrown since the start of last season as his 21 picks are the most in the league since that span. Adding insult to injury, the San Francisco defense held Mayfield to only 100 yards passing on 8 of 22 pass attempts, a pedestrian performance for a QB and offense that many thought was turning the corner following their rough start that preceded the win in Week 4.
The former Heisman Trophy winner and walk-on at the University of Oklahoma was chased down all night long by 49ers rookie Nick Bosa who greeted Mayfield rather rudely with a celebration that stemmed from the time both players spent in college as Mayfield famously staked the OU flag at midfield following a win on the road for the Sooners over Bosa's Ohio State Buckeyes. Bosa made sure to get back at Mayfield as he followed up his second of two sacks on the night with a similar gesture that mocked Mayfield's flag celebration. Earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance, Bosa finished the game with a forced fumble and fumble recovery to go along with his pair of quarterback sacks and five QB hits. As for the offense, the San Francisco rushing attack tallied 275 yards behind the tandem of Matt Breida (114 yards, 11 carries) and Tevin Coleman (97 yards, 16 carries). Because of their dominant ground game, the 49ers would wind up not needing a big game thru the air as Jimmy Garoppolo finished with 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 of 29 pass attempts. One of only two unbeaten teams in the NFL alongside the (5-0) New England Patriots, the 49ers are the NFC's last unbeaten team for the first time since 1984 when they went 6-0 to start the year.
Week 6 Preview - Looking ahead to Week 6, the 49ers will travel to Southern California to face their first division opponent of the season in the (3-2) Los Angeles Rams. Coming off a 30-29 loss on the road to the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams hope to right the ship and put an end to their 2-game skid. But with an upset loss in the their last home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Rams are very beatable, but will definitely be on their A-game on Sunday as they try to avoid their first three-game losing streak under head coach Sean McVay. If not for a missed 44-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter by Greg Zuerlein, it would be the Rams who would be breathing on the necks of the 49ers in the NFC Western Division standings at 4-1 instead of Seattle. The 49ers defense will look to contain Jared Goff the same way they did Baker Mayfield, as the former no. 1 overall pick out of Cal is coming off a game in which he threw 395 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Looking to put their dominant run game to the test against a defense that boasts last year's Defensive Player of the Year in Aaron Donald, the 49ers will have to try their luck without right-tackle Mike McGlinchey who will undergo knee surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks as well as Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk who was carted off the field on Monday night and was diagnosed with an MCL sprain that will also keep him sidelined for 4-6 weeks. A threat in the passing game, Juszczyk has been a key cog in the Niners rushing success for his stout blocking ability and the same could be said for McGlinchey, the second-year man out of Notre Dame. Averaging a league-best 200 rushing yards per game, we'll see how the team can adjust without two of their best.
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Entering the month of September which would be the final month of the 2019 MLB regular season, the San Francisco Giants would need a strong finish if they wanted to send their future Hall of Fame manager off with one final postseason run before his retirement. Still in the thick of things fighting for a shot at an NL Wild Card spot, things began to look rather gloomy the first two weeks into the month for Bruce Bochy's ballclub as they played baseball for 18 consecutive days before finally having a day off. And with several teams ranked ahead of them in that Wild Card chase, the Giants didn't exactly get off to the start they had hoped for. After dropping the finale at home to the division rival Padres which allowed San Diego to claim the series by taking three of four, the Giants took to the road to face two of the National League's best.
A four-game set against the Red Birds in St. Louis would serve as a punch in the gut as the Giants eventually dropped three of four, but lost much more than the series as lefty reliever Tony Watson was lost for the season following an injury he sustained while trying to make a tag at first base. X-rays later revealed he suffered a fractured wrist, confirming what the training staff had feared. Aside from the first home run of Mauricio Dubon's career in the series-opener and a four-hit game by Kevin Pillar which was his fourth of the season and eighth of his career in Game 3's 9-8 win for San Francisco, the Giants were left with little to cheer for following the series-finale in which the Cardinals ran away with by a final of 10-0. Turning their focus to the archrival Dodgers in what would be skipper Bruce Bochy's final series in L.A., the Giants would award their manager with a series victory by taking two of three and helping Boch improve his win total at Dodger Stadium to 107, the most ever by an opposing manager in what is now the third oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. To put Bochy's Tinseltown success into perspective, Hall of Famer Bobby Cox is the next closest manager with 68-wins at Dodger Stadium. Helping his manager get there was Dubon who logged the first three-hit game of his career as he hit a home run off of Clayton Kershaw and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Making his 48th career start against the Giants, Kershaw who has virtually made a career out of dominating Bruce Bochy's ballclub, would fail to go more than 4-innings in what would ultimately be the shortest outing of his career against San Francisco. Like Dubon, it was another rookie in Game 2 that would answer the call as pitcher Tyler Beede again saved his best stuff for the hated Dodgers. After logging his first career win on the road against L.A. back in June, Beede not only duplicated that performance, but did himself one better by tossing five shutout innings before handing the ball off to the Giants bullpen who took it from there to complete the shutout. San Francisco's 1-0 win would mark the first time the Dodgers were held scoreless in a game since the month of May. Returning home to Oracle Park, the Giants welcomed in the Pittsburgh Pirates for a four-game set and were rudely awakened in the opener as the Giant bullpen who was without their closer in Will Smith due to back tightness, failed to hold a 2-run lead in the 9th inning and let a gem by Madison Bumgarner go to waste when the Bucs scored 4-runs to steal a victory. It would end a streak of 55 consecutive wins for the Giants when entering the 9th inning with a lead.
The bullpen would nearly blow their second game in a row and put a damper on a gem by Johnny Cueto who made his triumphant return to the mound after missing 13 months due to Tommy John surgery, but San Francisco managed to hold on for a 5-4 win. With 5 shutout frames in his first outing in over a year, Cueto continued his career dominance over Pittsburgh which boasts a record of 10-0 and an ERA of 1.68 in his last 14 starts against the Pirates, dating back to his days in the NL Central with the Cincinnati Reds. In that win, Shaun Anderson who was a closer during his collegiate career at the University of Florida, would record his first career big league save after making the move from the rotation to the bullpen. Sadly, the Pirates would find an answer for the rest of San Francisco's pitching rotation as they took three of four from the Giants who again found themselves in dire straits. Thankfully, they'd have a series against the lowly Miami Marlins ahead, the worst team in the National League. And with stellar outings all across the board from the Giants starting pitching staff, San Francisco would take two of three from the Marlins. While Beede and Cueto tossed shutouts in Games 1 and 3 of the series, it was Madison Bumgarner (7 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 3 K) who got the short end of the stick as he received a no-decision despite notching his 15th consecutive outing of allowing three earned runs or less.
With a rare visit to the granddaddy of them all -- Fenway Park, we would get to witness one of the cooler moments in baseball this season when Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski not only had the privilege of taking the field against a Boston Red Sox franchise his Hall of Fame grandfather became a household name with, but also logged a milestone against them. In Game 1 of a 3 game series, little Yaz slugged his 20th homer of the season some 36 years after his grandpa Carl Yastrzemski hit his last homer while playing all 23 of his big league seasons in Boston. Holding such Fenway Park records as the most games played (1,676), RBI's (1,063), runs (994) and doubles (382), while finishing second in home runs (237) behind only the great Ted Williams, both Carl and his grandson Mike would get to share a memorable moment when the two participated in the ceremonial first-pitch prior to Game 2. In a 15-inning marathon that saw Bruce Bochy set a franchise record with 13 pitchers used in Game 1, outfielder Alex Dickerson supplied the game-winning run with a sacrifice-fly to give the G-Men a 7-6 win, the franchise's first regular season victory at the 107-year old ballpark. And with another 11 pitchers used by Boston, the two teams combined to use 24 pitchers, tying an MLB record set by the Rockies & Dodgers on Sept. 15, 2015.
Another milestone would come one day later when the Giants ran away with an 11-3 win in Game 2 to give their skipper 2,000 career managerial wins, becoming just the 11th big league manager to reach the illustrious mark. Helping Bochy reach that milestone was backup catcher Stephen Vogt who tied a mark for the shortest home run hit this season (excluding inside-the-park) with a 2-run shot in the top of the first inning that traveled 311-feet, hitting Peske's pole out in right field. Coincidentally enough, Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez are the two players tied with Vogt tied for the shortest homer this season, both of whom play for the Red Sox. Though the Giants would fail to pull off the sweep, they would leave Beantown with a series victory and a happy skipper as the team headed to Atlanta in what would be Bochy's final series on the road. Getting pummeled 6-0 in the opener, the Giants wouldn't fair much better in Game 2 as the Braves got the better half of Johnny Cueto who suffered the loss in Atlanta's 8-1 victory. Salvaging the series-finale behind six stellar innings from rookie Logan Webb, the Giants staved off a sweep and returned home with a 4-1 win before their final homestand of the season.
Hosting the Colorado Rockies for three games, the two teams would partake in a 15-inning slugfest that saw the two teams combine to hit 8 home runs, the most home runs ever hit in a single game in Oracle Park history. Oh, and that record for the most combined pitchers used in a single game that the Giants and Red Sox set just a week earlier, would also come to an end as the Giants and Rockies combined to use 25-pitchers, setting a new record. And when it was all said and done, it was Colorado who walked away with an 8-5 victory as Charlie Blackmon delivered the deciding blow with a 3-run homer in the 15th inning. Stuck in another tie game entering the 9th inning in Game 2, a Giants rookie would put an end to any thoughts of a second consecutive extra-inning affair when outfielder Jaylin Davis made his first career homer a game-winner as his solo shot to dead center helped the Giants walk-off with a 2-1 win. Part of the Sam Dyson trade that brought Davis over from the Minnesota Twins, the home run was a long time coming for someone who had hit 35 HR's in the Minors this season. The 2-1 win would also be the 29th 1-run win of the season for the Giants, the most 1-run wins in a single season for Bochy which looking back, probably isn't the healthiest thing for a 64-year old manager. Luckily for Boch, his team would save him from the stress of a close game the very next day as the Giants won the series finale by a final of 8-3 to take two of three from the Rox.
As if emotions weren't already at an all-time high this season as San Francisco prepared for Bruce Bochy's final series at the helm of the Giants, the final series of the season would come against the archrival Dodgers. Having already clinched the division as well as the number one seed in the National League, the Dodgers had little to play for aside from crashing the party of their bitter rival and a skipper that has enjoyed success against them. And with the Giants' playoff hopes already out the window, San Francisco would also have little to play for with the exception of sending their beloved manager off with one final series victory against L.A. Unfortunately, the Giants would fail to win their skipper one final game in the series as the Dodgers completed the three-game sweep. The Giants would have plenty of opportunities in Game 1, but failed to capitalize as they stranded a season-high 17 runners on base, their most since 2017. With a 9-2 loss in the opener, the Giants failed to muster a single run in Games 2 and 3 as L.A. put the finishing touches on their historic regular season with victories of 2-0 and 9-0, respectively. But with the games rendered meaningless, Giants fans packed the house during Game 162 as the franchise honored their skipper of 13 years by bidding him a farewell fit for the legend he is.
With video tributes all day long between innings from celebrities, friends, former players and teammates alike, to gifts being given, the day would be one big celebration, regardless of the outcome on the field as not a single fan had left the ballpark despite the 9-0 score. And the plethora of Giants players that came out from center field to surprise and congratulate Bochy on his big day was truly special. From players like Barry Bonds, Omar Vizquel and Pedro Feliz, whom Bochy managed during his earlier years with the Giants, to players on each of the World Series champion teams in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Perhaps the most surprising appearance was that of fan favorite and 2-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum who made his first Oracle Park appearance since 2015 to bid his former skipper a final farewell. And the stories shared by many of those players and Bochy himself made it just as emotional as it was beautiful as an era came to an end, fittingly as Bochy rode around the ballpark in a classic vehicle, waving goodbye to the fans. With Bochy receiving a key to the city from San Francisco Mayor London Breed, the Giants organization will now be in search for a new manager to give the reigns to for the first time in 14 years. Finishing his 25-year managerial career with an overall record of 2,003 wins and 2,029 losses, Bochy is one of only nine managers to win three or more championships and all eight before him are enshrined in Cooperstown.
Finishing the year in third place in the NL West at 77-85, their third consecutive losing season, San Francisco struggled at home as their 35-46 record at Oracle Park was the franchises worst since 1984 dating back to their days at Candlestick. In comparison, the Giants were a much better ballclub on the road as they finished with the fourth best road record in the National League at 42-39. And some of the team's best highlights on the season came from players both new and old. While the starting pitching staff enjoyed a solid bounce back year from Jeff Samardzija who enjoyed his best season yet in a Giants uniform, finishing with an 11-12 record an an ERA of 3.52, his lowest in a season since 2014 when he split time between the Cubs and Athletics. Another Giants hurler that continued to set and break records was ace Madison Bumgarner who amassed over 200 strikeouts for the fourth time of his career, tying him for second-most in the SF-era history with Tim Lincecum and Gaylord Perry. And with another two home runs hit this year for MadBum, he and battery mate Buster Posey became the latest pitcher-catcher duo to homer in the same game three times since 1900, a mark only three other battery mates have reached.
But perhaps the biggest surprise this year, was that of Kevin Pillar who quickly became the heart and soul of this Giants team after being acquired from the Blue Jays a week into the season. When he wasn't dazzling in the outfield with his superb defense, Pillar was setting career-highs in home runs (21), extra-base hits (61), RBI (88) and runs (83), while also leading the team in hits (157), HR (21), RBI (87), XBH (60), runs (82) and steals (14). The winner of this year's Willie McCovey Award, Pillar would also become the first player since 1920 to lead his team in HR, RBI and stolen bases after beginning the season with another club. Pillar would also be one of three Giants to hit 20+ home runs this year as he was joined by Evan Longoria (20) and Mike Yastrzemski (21), their first trio to hit 20+ homers in a season since 2006 when they had four (Barry Bonds, Ray Durham, Moises Alou and Pedro Feliz). With another season in the books and vacancies in a number of positions outside of manager, questionmarks surrounding free-agent to-be players like Pillar, Will Smith and Madison Bumgarner come into play. Expected to be another busy offseason for GM Farhan Zaidi, Giants fans will surely have their ears to the ground as they anticipate those questions and more to be answered.
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