49ers Play Spoiler in the Desert, Upset Cardinals

Week 16 - With the San Francisco 49ers (5-9) officially eliminated from playoff contention following their Week 15 loss to Dallas, the focus of Kyle Shanahan's team would turn to the division rival Arizona Cardinals (8-6) who are vying for a playoff spot as a potential Wild Card team. But with a change at quarterback for San Francisco who promoted C.J. Beathard in place of Nick Mullens, the hapless 49ers would look to redeem themselves and play the role of spoiler against a Cardinals team that would've benefited greatly with a win at home on Saturday, given the Chicago Bears (7-7) are hot on their heels. Making his first start since 2018, Beathard, who owned a career record of 0-3 versus Arizona entering Saturday's game, received some much needed help from an old college teammate who made his return to the lineup for the 49er offense. 

Having been sidelined with a foot injury since Week 8, San Francisco's Pro Bowl tight-end George Kittle returned to the lineup in a big way on Saturday, hauling in four passes from his former college teammate at Iowa, for a game-high 94 yards receiving. Despite their first time playing together in an actual game in nearly two years, Beathard and Kittle were able to rekindle their old chemistry which was a welcoming sight among 49er fans. Outscoring opponents 36-0 in the first quarter over their last four games, the Cardinals were quick to jump out to a 3-0 advantage after their first possession of the game, but the 49ers would succeed in putting an end to that first quarter shutout when Beathard hit running back Jeff Wilson Jr. for a 21-yard pass that he took to the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. In what would be the start of a busy day for Wilson Jr., the Niners' third-string running back would have a career day on Saturday before it was all said and done as he became the first 49ers running back since Frank Gore in 2009, to put up over 200 yards from scrimmage in a single game. And his early trip to the end zone would give the 49ers six consecutive games with a first quarter touchdown for the first time since 2002. 

After taking a 7-6 lead into the half, the 49ers would continue to go with a steady diet of Wilson Jr. on the ground, but a pair of missed field goals and a missed extra-point by kicker Robbie Gould, including one to open the second half, would make things a lot closer on the scoreboard than they should've been. Luckily, after forcing a three and out on Arizona's first possession of the second half, the offense would be able to add to their score without the help of Gould, as Beathard found fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a 9-yard touchdown pass to go up, 14-6. Opening the fourth quarter with a touchdown by Arizona, the Cardinals would fail to tie the game on a two-point conversion attempt as QB Kyler Murray's pass attempt was incomplete. After a failed fourth down attempt on Arizona's next possession led to a turnover on downs, the 49ers took advantage of the gutsy gamble by Cardinals head coach Cliff Kingsbury inside his team's own territory, as Wilson Jr. broke for a 34-yard run that allowed the 49ers to setup shop just shy of the goal-line. One play later, Beathard would again find Juszczyk inside the end zone for a touchdown. Trailing 20-12, Murray and company would march all the way to the red zone before a pass was lobbed into the end zone and intercepted by San Francisco's Ahkello Witherspoon. 

Despite their struggles, the Cardinals would still get one last-ditch attempt to tie the game, down 20-12 following Gould's second missed field goal on the afternoon. However, the 49er defense would manage to hang on as Arizona's fourth quarter comeback attempt came up short on a failed fourth down conversion. In what was an all-around stellar performance defensively for San Francisco, the 49er defense did exceptionally well in coverage as they were able to keep both DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald in check, as the duo combined for 14 receptions but were held to only 76-yards receiving. Also, Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake who was the last running back to rush for over 100 yards against the 49er defense when he did so in his Cardinals debut in Week 9 of the 2019 season, was also held in check for the most part as he was limited to only 45 yards rushing on 18 carries. C.J. Beathard finished with a quiet 183 yards passing, but managed to throw a trio of touchdown passes and avoided the costly interceptions that had doomed the 49er offense the past few weeks with quarterback Nick Mullens under center. Jeff Wilson Jr.'s 204 total yards from scrimmage were the most since Frank Gore compiled 246 total scrimmage yards in Week 2 of the 2009 season. Having played their last two home games at State Farm Stadium and coming up short in both affairs, the 49ers were finally able to pull out a win in Arizona, this time as the road team. 

Noteworthy: Earlier in the week, three 49ers were named to the NFC's Pro Bowl team: fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tackle Trent Williams and linebacker Fred Warner. Also, defensive-lineman Kerry Hyder was one of three 49ers to log a quarterback sack on Saturday, giving him a career-high 8.5 sacks on the season. 

Week 17 Preview - Staying in Arizona, the 49ers will finish their 2020 regular season when they play host to the division rival Seattle Seahawks (11-4). Coming off a victory over the Los Angeles Rams which clinched an NFC West title for Pete Carrol's Seahawks for the first time since 2016, Seattle will try to avoid an upset loss to San Francisco as they still have eyes on a top seed in the NFC's playoff picture. Unlike last year's heavyweight meeting between these two teams which took place on the final week of the regular season and was the final game of the regular season on NBC's Sunday Night Football which was won on a goal-line stand by San Francisco and determined the winner of the division as well as the NFC's number one seed, this time around the game will have much less meaning and far less drama. Nonetheless, Russell Wilson and company will try to continue their stride into the playoffs, while coach Shanahan's 49ers hope to finish the regular season strong with a little winning streak of their own to closeout the season and build upon come 2021. 

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Turnovers Galore End Niners Season

Week 15 - Taking a trip to the lone star state, the San Francisco 49ers (5-8) would go toe to toe with the Dallas Cowboys (4-9) in a must-win game. Initially scheduled as a primetime match-up on NBC's Sunday Night Football, the meeting was eventually flexed out of the late spot for a 10am start time in favor of the Cleveland Browns-New York Giants game. With both teams at or near the bottom of their respective division and playing without their starting quarterback, what was one of the more anticipated match-ups on the schedule for both teams at the start of the season, quickly lost its flare as injuries and poor play decimated what had the potential of being one of the more exciting games of the year between two old rivals. Instead, fans would be treated to a duel between two struggling teams led by backup QB's. Facing a do or die scenario, San Francisco saw their playoff hopes evaporate on Sunday following another turnover-filled performance that officially eliminated them from postseason contention. 

Having struggled virtually all season long in the turnover department, Sunday's game was no exception as the 49ers shot themselves in the foot right out the gates. After forcing a three and out on defense during Dallas' first offensive possession, punt-returner Richie James Jr. fumbled the ball away at the San Francisco 22 yard line. Even with an offense that has struggled mightily this season in the absence of both QB Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys made the most of the second chance opportunity as Tony Pollard scored several plays later to give Dallas an early lead, igniting what would go on to be a big day for the Cowboys' backup running back. The Niners' second possession would end in a similar fate as Mullens' recent struggles of protecting the ball and avoiding turnovers bit him once more when he was sacked and fumbled the ball. Wasting little time to capitalize on yet another 49er miscue, QB Andy Dalton found receiver Michael Gallup for a 3-yard score to put the home team on top, 14-0. Seeking their first winning streak of the season, Dallas would enjoy a hot start, but San Francisco would eventually chip away at their lead. A 13-play, 85-yard drive would end in a 49ers touchdown as Mullens connected in the end zone with tight-end Jordan Reed. 

After a Greg Zuerlein field goal made it 17-7 Dallas, the 49ers embarked on another 13-play drive that ended in the offense finding pay dirt. Having been one of the lone bright spots in the 49ers' dismal year, rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk continued his torrid pace with a 2-yard touchdown to pull San Francisco within a field goal. Trailing 17-14 at the half, the Niners would force another Dallas three and out before tying the game on a Robbie Gould field goal. But just when the 49ers offense began piecing things together, the defense gave in as a 45-yard connection from Dalton to rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb setup a touchdown on the very next play when Dalton Schultz hauled in one of his two receptions on the day for a 12-yard score. San Francisco would answer right back with another long drive capped off by Texas native Jeff Wilson Jr. who plowed into the end zone from a yard out. With the game tied at 24-24, the Niners would have a chance to take their first lead of the day after both teams exchanged punts, but Mullens' turnover woes would rear their ugly head once again as he was intercepted on a pass intended for Reed, which the Cowboys would turn into another field goal. 

Following another pair of punts, Mullens would be intercepted for a second time as he threw into traffic to commit another costly turnover which Dallas would be sure to make him pay this time around as Tony Pollard broke for a 40-yard touchdown just two plays later. Down by 10-points with under a minute remaining, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers quickly found themselves in a battle with the clock. Electing to go for a field goal on 2nd down, the 400th made field goal of Gould's career, the Niners made it a one-score game as they lined up for the onside-kick. With Dallas seeking their first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2008, Cowboy fans would witness that drought come to an end as CeeDee Lamb recovered the onside-kick attempt and took it 47-yards to the house, while receiving a pair of nice blocks along the way. San Francisco would get one last touchdown on the final play of the game. With many Niner fans calling for the end of the Nick Mullens experiment and the switch to C.J. Beathard, those fans got their wish late in the fourth quarter as he entered the game in relief of Mullens, and launching a 49-yard pass into the end zone that Kendrick Bourne leaped into the air and came down with to make it a 41-33 final score. 

Stringing together their first winning-streak in 21 games dating back to last season, the Cowboys ended the 49ers' playoff hopes while also keeping their own alive in the putrid NFC Eastern Division that is led by 6-8 Washington. Losing the turnover battle, 4-0, San Francisco continued to make things hard for themselves as they've now suffered 2+ giveaways in eight straight games, their longest streak since 2008. The culprit behind a lot of those turnovers is Mullens who has now allowed 14 turnovers (11 interceptions, 3 fumbles) in eight starts. While Mullens threw for more yards than Dalton, 219 to 209, he committed a whopping three turnovers to Dalton's zero as both QB's threw for a pair of touchdowns. Meanwhile, C.J. Beathard threw for an even 100 yards and a touchdown on 5 of 7 pass attempts. While the Cowboys relied heavily on Pollard who rushed for 69 yards and 2 TD's and caught six passes for another 63 yards, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. split the bulk of the carries for San Francisco, rushing for 68 and 60 yards, respectively. While Kendrick Bourne led all wide-outs in receiving yards with 86 yards on four receptions to go along with his touchdown, rookie Brandon Aiyuk was the real story for San Francisco as he caught a game-high 9 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, while passing teammate Deebo Samuel (57 in 2019) for the most receptions by a rookie in 49ers franchise history. This after Aiyuk missed three games this season, including the season-opener. 

Week 16 Preview - With their season over now as the 2020-21 NFL Playoffs will be played without the reigning NFC Champions, the 49ers (5-9) will return to their home away from home in Glendale, Arizona, this time as the away team when they take on the division rival Arizona Cardinals (8-6). Facing off for the first time since Week 1 which the Cardinals edged the Niners by a narrow 24-20 outcome, San Francisco will try to play the role of spoiler against a Cardinals team that is vying for a playoff spot. Or the 49ers can show some appreciation for the Cards allowing them to play their home ball at their stadium for the past two games, by rolling over and letting them win. While that seems like a fat chance given Kyle Shanahan's team will likely give it everything they've got come kickoff, it might not be the worst of decisions either seeing as the Niners are now jockeying for position in next year's NFL Draft. With gameday slated for Saturday, it wouldn't be the biggest surprise if C.J. Beathard is in under center to start the game at quarterback for San Francisco in place of the struggling Nick Mullens, opposite of Arizona's Kyler Murray. 

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Costly Turnovers spell Doom for 49ers

Week 14 - Hanging onto a sliver of hope in the NFC's Wild Card Playoff picture, the San Francisco 49ers (5-7) would take a second crack at winning a home game away from home while having to host the Washington Football Team (5-7) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. For whatever reason, history would not be on the side of San Francisco as teams having to play their "home" game at another team's stadium, boasted an overall record of 1-5 since the 1970 merger entering Sunday's bout. And like many of those other teams who failed before them, the 49ers would resemble anything but a team playing focused and comfortably at home. 

With the main headline entering Sunday's game being the return of Washington quarterback Alex Smith playing against his former team, the likely favorite to win this season's Comeback Player of the Year Award, was not around very long as he was forced to depart Sunday's game early with a leg injury. Unrelated to the devastating lower leg injury that took place just over two years ago that nearly ended Smith's playing career and even worse, his life, Smith's injury was later described as a calf strain. Taking over under center for Smith just before halftime would be second-year QB Dwayne Haskins. But regardless of who Washington had out there playing quarterback, the offense was ineffective and had little to show for as San Francisco jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter following a rushing touchdown from Jeff Wilson Jr. Washington would narrow the deficit with a pair of field goals, but where their offense lacked, their defense surely made up for it as the 49ers' turnover bug continued to bite them. Having suffered 2+ giveaways in six straight games entering Sunday, the Niners had yet another setback with two more in the first half to make it seven straight games of at least 2+ giveaways, their longest such streak since 2008. 

The first big blow to the 49er offense would be dealt by Washington's rookie and 2020 first round pick (2nd overall) Chase Young who had himself a game to remember on Sunday. After already logging a sack on the quarterback and forcing a fumble on the running back, Young scooped up a fumble recovery which he returned 47-yards for a touchdown as Washington took a 13-7 lead into the half. With another field goal to open the second half, the Washington Football Team relied on their defense and the mishaps of the 49ers offense to supply most of their scoring. Trailing 16-7, QB Nick Mullens and the 49er offense embarked on an 11-play drive and made it as far as the Washington 24-yardline before Mullens made an errant pass that was intercepted and returned 76-yards for a pick-six touchdown. With 23 unanswered-points scored by Washington, the 49ers found themselves playing from behind and down two-scores with only a quarter remaining. Their ensuing possession, another 11-play drive, would end much better for the San Francisco offense on their second time around as fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in a 6-yard touchdown reception, followed by a successful two-point conversion from Mullens to receiver Kendrick Bourne. 

Unfortunately for San Francisco, their final three possessions would end in a pair of punts and a turnover on downs as Washington prevailed over the Niners by a final score of 23-15. Having soared near the top of the league in quite a few defensive categories including points allowed and rushing yards allowed, the Washington defense once again stood on its head when they needed it most, seeing as their offense was virtually nonexistent all game long. San Francisco's defense was also stout in the loss, allowing only 193 yards of total offense compared to the 344 yards allowed by Washington, but their inability to force the costly turnovers like those committed by Nick Mullens and the 49er offense, proved to be the major difference on Sunday. For Washington, the defense would score multiple touchdowns in a game for the first time in over 20 years (1997), as the team won on the road without scoring an offensive touchdown for the first time since 1992. With Washington's win coupled with a Giants loss suffered at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, first-year head coach Ron Rivera witnessed his team capture first place in the NFC East as they try to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to make the playoffs after starting the season with a 2-7 record. 

Meanwhile, San Francisco saw their playoff hopes take a major hit as they fall to 5-8 on the year and will be without their dynamic receiver Deebo Samuel for the remainder of the season after he reinjured his hamstring in the first half of Sunday's loss. Samuel finished the game with 1 rush for 9 yards and 0 receptions. Neither Alex Smith (57 yards) nor Dwayne Haskins (51 yards) had much success in the passing game as both QB's failed to throw for 60 yards, but they were able to avoid the costly turnovers that eventually spelled doom for their counterpart in Nick Mullens. The 49ers QB threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, but his costly interception and fumble, both of which leading to Washington touchdowns, dug too big a hole for the San Francisco offense to climb out of. The lone bright spot on the day would be that of Brandon Aiyuk as the 49ers' rookie receiver continued to shine, making a game-high 10 catches for 119 yards.

Week 15 Preview - With division opponents in Weeks 16 & 17 to closeout the regular season, Week 15 will see the last of San Francisco facing foes outside of the NFC West as they make a trip to the lone star state to take on the Dallas Cowboys (4-9). Like the 49ers, Dallas has had to make due without their starting quarterback for most of the season as QB Dak Prescott saw his season come to an abrupt stop after suffering a horrific leg injury suffered back in Week 5. Clearly not the same team without their leader, Dallas is coming off a 30-7 victory against the Bengals in Cincinnati, their first win of the season by more than 3-points. And like their reunion with Alex Smith in Week 14, Week 15 will see the 49ers face off against another familiar face in Dallas' Aldon Smith. The former 49ers Pro Bowl defensive-end turned troubled individual has had somewhat of a resurgence in 2020, helping make plays for the Cowboys defense, while also keeping his nose clean. Unfortunately, this once proud rivalry will not have the same juice that it otherwise would have had both Prescott and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo been healthy. Instead, both franchises are near the bottom of their respective divisions and could very well be fighting for draft position at this point. 

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49ers No Match for Bills on Monday Night

Week 13 - Riding high after an uplifting victory on the road against a division rival, the San Francisco 49ers (5-6) were in prime position to right the ship and improve their record to .500 on the year, while also receiving some help in the division as both the Seahawks and Cardinals suffered losses. However, what was supposed to be a home game on Monday Night Football for the 49ers at Levi's Stadium, would instead take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, home of the Arizona Cardinals. Hoping to still make themselves at home, their Week 13 opponent would be the 8-3 Buffalo Bills who had other plans. While the 49ers have yet to play at State Farm Stadium this season to take on the division rival Cardinals, the Bills would be making their second trip to the desert this season and playing in a stadium that would bring back bad memories of a heartbreaking loss that took place just three weeks earlier. Anxious to avenge that loss at the hands of Arizona which came on the final play of the game, the team that stood in front of them on Monday night did not matter as quarterback Josh Allen and company would not hesitate to take it out on a short-handed 49ers team. 

Having grown up attending 49er games at the now demolished Candlestick Park and a native of Firebaugh, California, Allen's homecoming wishes of facing the 49ers in the Bay Area for the first time, were cancelled due to the strict restrictions put in place by Santa Clara County where the 49ers' new stadium lies, which has banned the play of contact sports for at least the next few weeks. But that wouldn't stop the Bills QB from having a coming out party on primetime television. Seeking their first win on Monday Night Football since 1999, Buffalo came out guns blazing on offense as San Francisco won the coin-toss and elected to differ. Moving the ball with ease, the Bills setup shop inside the red zone before being stood up at the goal-line by the 49er defense after a gutsy decision to go for it on 4th and goal. Taking over at their own 2-yard line, the San Francisco offense would also march their way to their opponents goal-line before being denied at the doorstep and held scoreless. The Niners would be gifted a second opportunity on the very next play as a bobbled handoff exchange from Allen to his running back ended up in the hands of San Francisco's Fred Warner. Though it would take them until third down, the 49ers would finally punch it into the end zone when QB Nick Mullens found rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the 2-yard touchdown. 

If there was anything the 49ers' touchdown did other than give San Francisco the lead, it was anger Allen and the Bills offense which went on a scoring surge of their own by orchestrating six consecutive scoring drives. Highlighting a first half which saw Buffalo take a 17-7 lead into the locker room, the 49ers were left clueless when trying to find an answer for slot receiver Cole Beasley who had a career-high in receiving yards by halftime before finishing with a game-high 130 yards and a touchdown on 9 receptions. While the 49ers did open the second half with a field goal to make it a one-score game, Buffalo answered with a touchdown to maintain their distance. The 49er defense suffered a mental breakdown when defensive-lineman Kentavius Street was called for a roughing the passer penalty that turned a would-be 3rd & 18 into an automatic first down. Making matters worse, the Bills would find the end zone two plays later. Looking to string together consecutive scoring drives of their own, San Francisco would do no such thing as Nick Mullens had his pass intercepted as Aiyuk was unable to come up with the grab which he bobbled into the hands of a Buffalo defender. 

After another Bills field goal, the Niners finally struck pay dirt in the second half as a 49-yard reception by Aiyuk setup fullback Kyle Juszczyk who hauled in a touchdown reception from 6-yards out. A fourth and final Bills touchdown would make it a 34-17 ballgame with the 49ers in desperate need of a touchdown-scoring drive. They would march all the way to the red zone inside the 5-yardline before Mullens was intercepted for a second time on the evening when his pass was pried out of the hands of running back Jeff Wilson Jr. who collided with Buffalo's Tre'Davious White as he came away with the ball. After finally forcing a Bills punt, the 49ers were able to score with a garbage-time touchdown in the final minute when Mullens connected in the end zone with tight-end Jordan Reed. Falling by a final score of 34-24, the 49ers were unable to capitalize on the losses of several teams vying for Wild Card spots in the NFC playoff picture. As for the Bills who will accomplish back to back winning seasons for the first time since 1998-99 under the tutelage of head coach Sean McDermott, Buffalo won their first Monday Night Football game of the century behind a fabulous performance from QB Josh Allen. 

Becoming the first Bills QB to complete 80% of his passes while tossing 4 TD's in a game, Allen completed 32 of 40 pass attempts for 375 yards and 0 interceptions, meanwhile his counterpart Nick Mullens threw for 316 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on 26 of 39 attempts. Aside from the aforementioned Cole Beasley who had a career-game receiving, wide-out Stefon Diggs also had a big night in the Buffalo receiving department, hauling in game-high 10 catches for 92 yards. Rookie Brandon Aiyuk led the way for San Francisco, catching five balls for 95 yards and a touchdown. Neither team had a monstrous game on the ground as Devin Singletary totted the rock 18 times for 61 yards for Buffalo, while both Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert shared the 49ers' workload to rush for 47 and 42 yards, respectively.  

Week 14 Preview - Continuing their stay at their home away from home in Glendale, Arizona, the 49ers (5-7) will play host to the Washington Football Team (5-7) in Week 14. Setting up a date against former 49er QB and first overall pick Alex Smith, Washington is riding high after handing the Pittsburgh Steelers their first loss of the season which took place earlier on Monday before the Niners faced the Bills. In what was their first win over Pittsburgh since 1991, the Washington Football Team has been playing inspiring football as of late after long journeys by both Smith who suffered a gruesome leg injury two seasons prior which almost cost him his leg, and head coach Ron Rivera who has had his own battle with cancer. Any thought of an easy game the 49ers had against Washington several weeks ago, can now be thrown out the window as San Francisco will need to bring their a-game if they want to get back in the win column. One way they can avoid another loss, although easier said than done, is by steering clear of the turnovers as the Monday night loss saw San Francisco commit at least two turnovers for the sixth consecutive game, their longest streak since 2008. If they're unable to do that and unable to hand Washington a loss, they can all but kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. 

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49ers Beat L.A., Complete Season Sweep of Rams

Week 12 - Coming off their BYE Week in Week 11, the San Francisco 49ers (4-6) got some much needed reinforcements as Deebo Samuel, Raheem Mostert and Richard Sherman all returned to the starting lineup after all missing extensive time as the Niners took a trip down south to face the division rival Los Angeles Rams (7-3). In a rematch of the Week 6 meeting which saw the Niners have their way with the Rams at Levi's Stadium, Los Angeles who entered Sunday in a tie for the division lead out west and a perfect record of 4-0 in their new multi-billion dollar stadium, was hoping some home cooking would do the trick in round two. Instead, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would get the best of his old pal and former colleague Sean McVay who's Rams fell at the hands of San Francisco for a second time this season and for the fourth time in as many tries. 

Since their Week 6 meeting, both teams have gone in opposite directions with the 49ers winning only one of four games and the Rams winning three of four. But as usual, strange things tend to happen when division rivals meet which was once again the case on Sunday. In what was a lackluster first half by both teams which featured a combined four first quarter turnovers and a total of five in the first half, each team struggled on offense as the defenses took centerstage. Making their presence felt early on, the aforementioned trio of Samuel, Mostert and Sherman each made a difference in the game's opening quarter. After a San Francisco three and out to open the game, the 49ers pounced on a Malcolm Brown fumble in enemy territory, but were unable to do anything with it as Niners QB Nick Mullens had his pass tipped into the air by defensive stalwart Aaron Donald and intercepted by the Rams defense. L.A. would strike first on a 48-yard field goal by Matt Gay, but the lead would be short-lived as the San Francisco offense wasted little time to answer with a score of their own. Thanks to receptions of 33 and 26 yards by Deebo Samuel, Raheem Mostert was able to put the Niners on the board and into the lead with an 8-yard touchdown. 

Seeing his first live action on the field since suffering a calf injury in Week 1, cornerback Richard Sherman provided a jolt on defense with his first interception of the season on an errant pass from Rams quarterback Jared Goff. Happy to have Sherman back in the lineup, the 49er defense didn't have long to celebrate the return of their veteran leader as the offense gave the ball right back one play later when backup running back Jeff Wilson Jr. fumbled the ball away. With both teams combining to exchange six consecutive punts, the 49ers would get another chance at adding some points on the scoreboard just before the half when the defense forced a fumble on the quarterback. But a 50-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the first half by 49ers kicker Robbie Gould would end up wide-right as San Francisco was forced to settle for their 7-3 halftime lead. With the Rams owning the best second half defense in the league, the 49ers knew they'd have to do much better than scoring only seven points in the second half if they wanted to escape L.A. with a victory. Two plays into the third quarter, San Francisco would get some much needed help on the scoreboard thanks to their defense as Goff was pressured in the pocket and threw a pass that was intercepted and taken to the house by rookie Javon Kinlaw, the first of his career. 

With another field goal at the 4:35 mark in the third quarter, the 49ers jumped out to a 17-3 lead. But things would begin to go sour as the Rams found themselves right back in it after a field goal and a fumble returned for a touchdown as L.A. scored 10-points in six seconds. Following a 49ers three and out, Rams rookie running back Cam Akers began to steal the show as he broke for a 61-yard run on L.A.'s first play of the drive before finding the end zone from a yard out just two plays later. Quickly erasing San Francisco's 17-3 lead, the Rams suddenly found themselves ahead, 20-17 at the start of the 4th quarter. After both teams exchanged punts, the 49ers would tie things up at 20-all thanks to Robbie Gould's 44-yard field goal with 3:15 remaining in regulation. Needing a stop on defense, the 49ers would get just that with 2:10 remaining. Facing a 3rd and 2, Nick Mullens connected with Deebo Samuel on a 24-yard gain that put them across midfield. Inching closer to victory with a series of short passes and runs, the 49ers were ready to put the game in the hands of Robbie Gould who was setting up for a 47-yard field goal to win it. Instead, he would receive a gift in the form of a 5-yard penalty on L.A.'s Jalen Ramsey who was whistled for offsides. Making things easier for the former Pro Bowl kicker, Gould split the uprights from 41-yards out for the game-winning field goal. With the 23-20 victory, the 49ers completed the season sweep of the Rams and improved to 5-6 on the year, while also dealing a blow to the Rams who fell to second place in the NFC West with the loss. 

While it wasn't a pretty win by any stretch of the imagination, the 49ers still managed to get the job done, mainly with their makeshift defense which forced the Rams to punt a total of seven times, the most punts by L.A. this season. Continuing their recent dominance of the Rams, the 49ers are now 5-3 against L.A. since 2017. An impressive record considering no other team has defeated the Rams more than twice in that span. While neither quarterback put up gaudy numbers on the stat sheet as Nick Mullens and Jared Goff threw for 252 and 198 yards respectively, one player who did outshine the rest on offense was receiver Deebo Samuel who caught a game-high 11 passes for 133 yards in his first game back after missing the previous three games with a hamstring injury. Most impressive: 83 of Deebo's 133 yards occurred after contact which are the most yards after contact by a wide-receiver in a game this season. 

Week 13 Preview - As if the 49ers haven't had enough issues to deal with this season with the countless amount of injuries and multiple failed Covid tests, the team is now being forced to play their next two home games elsewhere due to new Covid-related restrictions in Santa Clara County. The strict regulations which prohibit any and all contact sports for the next three weeks, were learned about on Saturday while the team was traveling to L.A. to face the Rams. Luckily, it was another division rival of the 49ers who were kind enough to lend a helping hand as Kyle Shanahan's team will be hosting each of their next two home games in the desert at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. First up in the 49ers' new home away from home will be a tough assignment against the first-place Buffalo Bills (8-3) on Monday Night Football. Sitting atop the standings in the AFC East, Buffalo is coming off a 27-17 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers and will be anxious to try and avenge a loss just two weeks earlier in the same building when the Cardinals won on a last-second desperation touchdown pass from Arizona's Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins. At 5-6 on the year, the 49ers are still hanging onto a sliver of hope in the playoff hunt and would benefit tremendously with a win against one of the AFC's best and will welcome any help they can get from team's facing those in their division. 

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