Blown Opportunities Doom 49ers in Music City Meltdown

Week 16 - The final Thursday Night Football game on the 2021-22 NFL schedule would be a doozy and a major letdown if you're a fan of the San Francisco 49ers (8-6). On the road to take on the Tennessee Titans (9-5) in the Music City, Thursday's match-up would mark the latest point in the season that the 49ers would have to travel two time zones and over 2,000 miles in preparation for a game, not to mention on short rest. But none of that would seem to bother coach Kyle Shanahan's team early on as San Francisco quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead, while also missing several other opportunities and leaving plenty of other points on the table. 

San Francisco was in total control of the game through the first two quarters and came out guns blazing on offense as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo connected on each of his first five pass attempts, including a big play on a 23-yard gain to receiver Deebo Samuel to setup the game's first touchdown. Playing without rookie running back Elijah Mitchell who missed his third straight game with a knee injury, Jeff Wilson Jr. got the start and answered the call with a 1-yard touchdown to put his team ahead, 7-0. The Niners offense which didn't face a single third down on their initial possession (11-plays), would march just as easy on their second possession after a big play from fullback Kyle Juszczyk who's 26-yard reception turned into a 41-yard gain after a face-mask penalty against the defense. Several plays later, the 49ers would setup shop for a 2nd and goal from the 8 yard-line. It would be there where San Francisco would commit their first of many blown opportunities. Looking to connect with tight-end George Kittle, Garoppolo's pass was intercepted in the end zone, ending the scoring threat and marking Jimmy G's first red zone interception since 2019. 

Though Tennessee's offense failed to do anything with the takeaway and was forced to punt, the damage was still done as Garoppolo never looked the same from that point on. The Niners would add to their lead with a Robbie Gould field goal one possession later, but only after Garoppolo missed his target on a deep pass to a wide-open Juszczyk who was streaking down the right sideline but was overthrown. What should've easily been a 17-0 lead, was only a 10-0 advantage for the Niners who walked off the field and into the locker room at halftime having dominated through the game's first two quarters. However, the game would quickly turn into a tale of two halves as Tennessee came out firing on all cylinders to open the third quarter. After four offensive possessions and only four punts to show for through the first two quarters, head coach Mike Vrabel was able to get through to his Titans team at halftime. With the Niners leading by 10+ points for a seventh straight game, Tennessee chipped away at San Francisco's lead with a field goal to open the second half. Showing some signs of life, the Titans defense would get yet another gift just one play into the Niners' ensuing possession when Garoppolo air-mailed a pass intended for Deebo Samuel and into the arms of a Titans defender. 

Taking over in the red zone, the Titans would find the end zone several plays later to tie the game at 10-all. In a matter of less than two-minutes, the 49ers quickly saw their 10-point lead evaporate and all momentum shift to the side of Tennessee. Making it across mid-field on their next possession, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan faced a difficult decision to go for it on 4th and 1 which then turned into a 4th and 6 following a false start penalty on 49ers All-Pro Trent Williams. Even that wouldn't stop Shanahan as the decision to gamble would backfire once Garoppolo was unable to connect with Brandon Aiyuk for the first down. Making matters worse, the San Francisco defense would have the Titans pinned back on several third and long's on their next drive, including a third and 23 & a third and 10, but were unable to come up with a stop on either play. Having to play without their whole left side of the offensive-line, Tennessee did catch a break in time for Thursday's game by getting a pair of starting wide-receivers back in A.J. Brown who's been out since Week 11, and Julio Jones. Marking the first time since Week 9 that Titans QB Ryan Tannehill would have both targets at his disposal, the game would quickly turn into the A.J. Brown show as the star receiver came up with both receptions when facing those aforementioned third and long's. 

Rewarding him for his big third down conversions, Tannehill continued to feed Brown, including on an 18-yard strike in the end zone that gave Tennessee a 17-10 lead, their first of the game. In need of a response, the 49ers would get just that two possessions later. The Niners entered Thursday night's game with a league-leading five drives of 90+ yards and they would get another late in the fourth quarter, embarking on a 9-play, 95-yard touchdown-scoring drive to tie the game at 17-all. Fueled by a 56-yard play from Garoppolo to Deebo Samuel which left the Niners duel-threat wideout winded and on the sideline for the remainder of the drive, Jimmy G found Brandon Aiyuk all alone in the back of the end zone for the easy score. Taking over with less than two and a half minutes in regulation would be the Titans offense led by Tannehill who entered the game with 12 game-winning drives since joining the franchise in 2019, the most in the NFL in that span. With a number of dink and dunk plays through the air and on the ground, Tannehill would wait until his team's final drive to show off his athleticism as he broke free for a 23-yard scramble up the middle to put his team in field goal range. Kicker Randy Bullock would take it from there, splitting the uprights from 44-yards out for the game-winning field goal. With only 4-seconds remaining, the Niners would be in need of a Music City Miracle of their own, but came up short as time expired as Tennessee escaped with the 20-17 victory. 

After committing four turnovers a week ago in Pittsburgh, the Titans registered a clean sheet on Thursday as the 49er defense was unable to force a single turnover, eventually losing the turnover battle -- 2-0, both on a pair of Jimmy Garoppolo interceptions. With the win, Tennessee improved to 10-5 on the year, completed their mission of clinching the AFC South Division. Meanwhile, the loss by the 49ers dropped them to 8-7 on the year and clinched a playoff spot elsewhere in the conference for the Dallas Cowboys. In the loss, Garoppolo threw for a game-high 322 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions compared to Tannehill's 209 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions. Deebo Samuel hauled in 9 receptions for 159 yards, while also adding 32 yards on five carries for San Francisco. A.J. Brown made his return to the field a memorable one, catching a game-high 11 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. Neither team did much on the ground, with the Niners' Jeff Wilson Jr. leading all rushers with only 45 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in a game played without Tennessee's All-Pro running back Derrick Henry. 

Week 17 Preview: The Niners will return to Levi's Stadium to play their last home game of the season when they welcome the visiting Houston Texans (4-11). Facing another one of Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan's previous employers, the Texans are riding their first two-game winning streak of the season after upsetting a depleted Chargers team behind a pair of strong performances from rookie QB Davis Mills and a career day from running back Rex Burkhead who carried the ball 22 times for a personal-best 149 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. With L.A. missing several key players due to Covid issues, Houston took advantage of the holes in the Chargers' lineup and put up their highest point total of the season. Not to be taken lightly, Houston can not be overlooked by a 49ers team that can ill afford dropping another winnable game against an inferior opponent with the playoffs on the horizon. With a chance to flush the disappointing loss at Tennessee, the Niners control their own fate in the NFC Wild Card picture after both the division rival Rams and Cardinals clinched playoff spots in Week 16 on Sunday. 

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Niners Down Dirty Birds, 31-13

Week 15 - With the exception of their annual struggles each and every year when playing in Seattle, the San Francisco 49ers (7-6) entered Sunday's game as one of the better teams since the start of the second half of the season, while playing their best ball yet. But the two things that have haunted the Niners this year, aside from the injury bug, has been missed tackles and their woes on special-teams. Both would show up early and often in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) who along with San Francisco, are also in the hunt in the NFC's Wild Card picture. With the 49ers receiving the opening kickoff, the Falcons would receive a gift right out the gates as San Francisco's struggles on special-teams continued when running back JaMycal Hasty fumbled the ball which was recovered by Atlanta. Looking to capitalize on the early miscue and take advantage of the exceptional field position, the Falcons offense would make it all the way to the 1-yard line before running into trouble. 

Having stood their ground a number of times with goal-line stands this season, San Francisco's defense came thru yet again when they needed it most. Electing to go for it on 4th and goal, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan failed to complete a pass inside the end zone to his rookie tight-end Kyle Pitts. Unable to get beyond their own 10-yard line, the 49ers offense would have to punt which eventually setup Atlanta's kicker Younghoe Koo for the go-ahead field goal. After getting a field goal of their own on their next possession to tie the game at 3-all, San Francisco's offense would finally get going as Jimmy G and company flipped the switch and began firing on all cylinders. Finding the end zone with four straight touchdown-scoring drives, it was fullback Kyle Juszczyk who opened up the Niners' touchdown-scoring barrage. Setup by a big play from receiver Brandon Aiyuk who made sure his only reception of the game was a big one by turning on the burners for a 36-yard gain, Juice struck pay dirt with a 6-yard score, logging his first rushing touchdown of the season to put San Francisco up, 10-3. The Niners' first lead of the game would be short-lived, however, as Atlanta's offense was awarded another gift, this time by the officials. 

After a big stop on 3rd and 4 by the San Francisco defense, defensive-end Arden Key's 5-yard sack that would've setup 4th down and a likely 52-yard field goal attempt by Atlanta, instead turned into an automatic first down as Key was flagged for "landing on the quarterback" as he was taken to the ground. The bogus penalty would give the Falcons offense new life which they would take advantage of on the very next play as Ryan connected in the end zone with receiver Russell Gage for the game-tying 20-yard touchdown. Feeling like they should still be leading the game, the 49er offense made sure they'd take a lead into the half as Garoppolo hit Deebo Samuel for a 30-yard catch and run. Awarding him for his big play, Deebo would take a handoff several plays later for a 10-yard touchdown to give him seven rushing touchdowns on the year. Continuing his historic 2021, no other receiver in the Super Bowl era has more than four rushing touchdowns in a single season. Even more impressive, it would be his fifth consecutive game with a rushing touchdown, something no other player has accomplished in the Super Bowl era. 

Opening the second half with a 17-10 lead, the 49ers would have their roles reversed with the Falcons just a few plays into the third quarter. After fumbling the opening kickoff to start the game, the Niners forced a fumble on defense just three plays into Atlanta's possession to start the second half. Chasing and bringing Matt Ryan down from behind, San Francisco's Nick Bosa tallied his 15th sack of the season and stripped the Falcons QB of the ball which was recovered by Fred Warner. Needing only four plays to convert it into another touchdown, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. plowed his way into the end zone to give San Francisco their first multi-score lead of the game. After Atlanta answered with another field goal, the 49er offense went right back to work. Picking up right where they left off, a 12-play, 75-yard drive ended with QB Jimmy Garoppolo finding Jauan Jennings for the 4-yard touchdown. Playing catchup to start the fourth quarter, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith would gamble the rest of the way on offense. Making it to the red zone on two of their final three drives, the Falcons offense would be stood up twice inside the 10-yardline, including once at the 1 as San Francisco's goal-line defense epitomized the bend but don't break mentality, forcing a pair of turnovers on downs, the third of the game for the Niners inside the 10. 

Marching away with the 31-13 victory, the Niners improved to 8-6 on the year, moving two games above .500 for the first time since their 2-0 start to the season as coach Kyle Shanahan defeated his former team. Logging his second straight game without an interception, Garoppolo registered a clean game in the win, avoiding any sacks or turnovers on his way to passing for 235 yards and a touchdown on 18 of 23 passes for a 123.7 passer rating. The win would mark Jimmy G's eighth straight game with a passer rating of 90+, good enough for the second-most among 49er QB's since 1950, trailing only Hall of Famer Steve Young's streak of 15 straight from 1994-95. Atlanta's Matt Ryan finished with a similar stat line -- 19/32 passes, 236 yards and 1 touchdown, but only a 92.7 passer rating. On the ground, 49ers running back Jeff Wilson Jr. finished with 110 yards rushing and a touchdown on 21 carries, making him the first 100-yard rusher against the Falcons defense since Week 17, 2019. 

49ers tight-end George Kittle had another strong game on Sunday, despite being held out of the end zone for the first time in the last three weeks, finishing with a game-high 93 yards receiving on six receptions. With three games still remaining on the regular season schedule, Kittle surpassed Rob Gronkowski for the third-most receiving yards by a tight-end in his first five NFL seasons. And after a slow start, at least slow to his standards, the 49ers All-Pro tight-end has logged 28 catches for 425 yards and 3 touchdowns over his last 3 games. This after logging 35 catches for 425 yards and 3 touchdowns thru the first 8 games of the season. His 425 yards over a 3-game span are tied for the most ever by a tight-end in NFL history. 

Week 16 Preview - It will be a quick turnaround for the Niners who will need to be ready for their only Thursday Night Football game on the schedule in Week 16 when they pay a visit to the Music City of Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans (9-5). Coming off a road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers where Tennessee lost the turnover battle -- 4-0, the 49ers would love a repeat performance if they're able to force as many turnovers as the Steelers did. Shutout in the second half, the Titans entered halftime with a 13-3 lead in Pittsburgh before three fumbles and an interception doomed them, including three turnovers in the second half before falling, 19-13. Sitting atop the AFC South with a 1-game advantage over the Indianapolis Colts, the Titans would've been the top seed in the conference had they pulled off the win on Sunday over Pittsburgh. Instead, they'll look to right the ship with a rebound performance on Thursday night. Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners will look to put a stop to that while maintaining their own ground in the NFC's playoff picture as they currently own a 1-game advantage over the New Orleans Saints (7-7) for the 6th seed. 

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49ers pull off Walk-off Winner over Cincy in OT

Week 14 - Looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to an inferior opponent in Week 13 and stay afloat in the NFC's Wild Card race, the San Francisco 49ers (6-6) continued their road trip to Cincinnati, Ohio where they'd take on Joe Burrow and the Bengals (7-5). No easy task by any stretch of the imagination given the many weapons on offense that the Bengals would feature, the 49ers were able to subdue Cincinnati's play-makers and were able to dominant thru the first three quarters. But as was the case in Seattle a week ago, San Francisco was unable to get anything going on offense in the 4th quarter when they needed it most, as their only scoring opportunity late in the game went up in flames. 

Neither team would have much to show for on offense to start the game, with both teams exchanging punts. It wouldn't be until San Francisco's second possession that also ended in a punt, when they would finally have a chance to score. After being on the wrong end of a forgetful day on special-teams a week ago versus the Seahawks, the Niners were able to capitalize on not one, but two miscues by the Bengals special-teams unit on Sunday. A muffed punt by Cincy return man Darius Phillips would allow the Niners to open up the scoring with a Robbie Gould field goal, which the Bengals would answer with a field goal of their own. After missing one of their biggest playmakers on offense a week ago in Deebo Samuel, the receiver turned Swiss Army Knife was back on the field in Week 14 making plays just like he was prior to his groin injury suffered against the Vikings just two weeks earlier. Taking a handoff 27-yards to the house, Deebo would give the Niners a 10-3 lead with another history-making touchdown to add to his remarkable season. The go-ahead touchdown would make Deebo the first wide-receiver in NFL history with a rushing touchdown in four straight games played and would also give him six rushing touchdowns on the year. No other receiver in the Super Bowl era has more than four in a season. 

Leading 10-6 with under two-minutes remaining in the first half, the 49ers were looking to add to their lead before halftime. Instead, that plan nearly backfired as the San Francisco offense was forced to punt after two passing plays that netted only 5 yards, a 10-yard holding penalty and an incompletion. Eating up only 45-seconds on the clock, the Niners were slated to give the Bengals the ball back with a minute left before disaster struck for a second time to Cincinnati's special-teams when Phillips muffed his second punt return of the afternoon. Pouncing on the ball, the 49ers would get another touchdown just before the half, as a taunting penalty against the Bengals turned a would-be 4th and 7 and likely field goal attempt into an automatic first down for the San Francisco offense. And on the very next play, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo knew just what to do with it, hitting tight-end George Kittle who made an acrobatic play for a 14-yard touchdown. 

Opening the second half with a field goal after holding Cincy to a three and out punt, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson would attempt to respond with a field goal of his own, but missed from 46-yards out. Clinging onto a 20-6 lead entering the fourth quarter, the 49er defense which had done a stellar job through the first three quarters, took a turn, specifically in the secondary as guys were suddenly left wide-open. Burrow and company would take advantage of these openings as Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase came up with big gains thru the air. Facing a 4th and 5 from the San Francisco 17 yard line, Burrow hit Chase in the back of the end zone for a touchdown as the rookie sensation had snuck by the 49er defense. Having been relatively quiet up to that point, the impressive touchdown grab would give him confidence and breath life back into Burrow and the Cincinnati offense. After a trio of punts, including two by San Francisco, the Bengals would tie the game with a 13-play drive that ended in another touchdown pass to Chase who beat the defender and left rookie cornerback Ambry Thomas in his dust for the 32-yard score. 

With the game tied at 20 a piece, the 49ers would get the ball back with just under a minute and a half remaining in regulation. Needing to go 79-yards to find the end zone, the 49ers were unable to strike pay dirt, but did march well within field goal range after a circus catch from George Kittle on third and 10 gave them 19-yards and a first down with 13-seconds to go. Setting up a potential game-winning field goal from Robbie Gould, the 47-yard attempt sailed wide-right as time expired. Sending things into overtime, the Bengals won the coin-toss and elected to receive. After a pair of big plays thru the air for gains of 26 and 23 yards, Cincy appeared to be destined for the end zone, but came up short after a big QB sack from the Niners' Nick Bosa. Settling for a field goal, the Bengals took their first lead of the ballgame in OT. Just like Burrow, Jimmy G would hit on a couple of big plays thru the air Jauan Jennings and George Kittle helped setup a wild finish. Marching down to the 12 yard-line, Garoppolo hit Brandon Aiyuk with a short pass before the second-year receiver sailed near the goal-line after being pushed out of bounds. Ruled out of bounds at the 1, the play went under review and was reversed to a walk-off touchdown. 

Playing strong football through the first three quarters, the 49er defense did a stellar job holding Bengals running back Joe Mixon to under 100 yards and out of the end zone, something no team has been able to do since Week 3, snapping Mixon's 9-game touchdown streak which set a franchise record. But no player on the field for either team had a better game than that of San Francisco's George Kittle. Hauling in his sixth touchdown reception on the season late in the third quarter, Kittle now has the most TD's by a 49ers tight-end since Vernon Davis' 13 in 2013 which set a record at the time. Sunday's game would also mark the 13th 100-yard receiving game of Kittle's career, finishing with 151 yards and a touchdown while catching 13 of 15 targets. With his career far from over, no other 49ers tight-end has more than 9 100-yard performances since 1950. Both QB's did a great job slinging the rock as Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns to Joe Burrow's 348 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

Week 15 Preview - Returning home to face and fend off another team vying for an NFC Wild Card spot, the San Francisco 49ers will play host to Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons (6-7). In a log jam with four other teams, the Falcons will need to continue winning if they want to sneak into the playoffs. Featuring a Swiss Army Knife of their own in receiver turned running back Cordarrelle Patterson, the Falcons' offensive weapon who has a total of 10 touchdowns on the year, including one in last week's road victory at Carolina, will look to add to that mark and keep the 49er defense on its heels. San Francisco on the other hand will need a much sharper game from start to finish on defense, as the Falcons are one team you cannot let stick around late in a game, especially with QB Matt Ryan under center. The 49ers were upended and caught by surprise the last time they hosted the Falcons when a last-second touchdown pass from Ryan to Julio Jones spoiled their chances of clinching the division and number one seed back in 2019. Looking to avenge that loss, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will face his former team and quarterback that he called plays for and helped to a Super Bowl appearance the year before landing in San Francisco. One player who can help them accomplish that is Nick Bosa who logged his 10th game of the season with at least 1 quarterback sack, the most such games by a 49er since Aldon Smith's 10 in 2012. 

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Ugly Game in Seattle ends with Ugly Results for 49ers

Week 13 - Whenever the San Francisco 49ers take a trip up north to face the division rival Seattle Seahawks, it's almost guaranteed that it will be a meeting filled with strange events, head-scratching decisions or nail-biting outcomes. In this case, with both teams on complete opposite sides of the spectrum entering Sunday's game as the Niners came in riding a three-game winning streak, whereas Seattle came in on a three-game losing skid, Sunday's game would have no shortage of the trio, featuring all three. Especially for the 49er Faithful who showed up in droves in enemy territory, as red and gold could be seen throughout the stands at Lumen Field. But the game would begin with a scary moment when an injury occurred on the opening-kickoff that put a stop to the game and required an ambulance for one Trenton Cannon of the 49ers. 

In what was a nightmarish afternoon on special-teams for San Francisco, Trenton Cannon would need medical assistance after taking a knee to the head and neck area from a teammate while attempting to make a tackle on the opening-kick. Staying overnight at a nearby hospital with what doctors described as a concussion, the 49ers would have to continue without their return man and gunner. And of course, the loss of Cannon would serve as a bad omen that came back to haunt them later in the game. Once play resumed, the 49ers appeared to have Seattle right where they wanted them by forcing a three and out punt, but head coach Pete Carroll had a trick up his sleeve as the Seahawks special-teams dialed up a fake that was executed to perfection. Catching the Niners off-guard, running back Travis Homer took a direct-snap 73-yards to the house for an early touchdown. What ended up being the longest fake-punt rushing touchdown in the last 30 seasons, would be a tough break for the San Francisco defense as they suddenly found themselves trailing 7-0. From then on, you got the feeling that it was going to be one of those games for the visiting 49ers, and boy was it ever. 

While the game wasn't anything to write home about for Seattle fans either and proved to be a game that general football fans would prefer to forget, San Francisco's inability to defeat the Seahawks in Seattle over the greater part of the last decade or so again reared its ugly head. Other than the 49ers' victory on the goal-line stand in Seattle during the final game of the 2019 regular season, Sunday's game was more of the same between these two teams in the pacific northwest. But San Francisco would have some fight in them, at least in the first half. After being held to a three and out punt on their first offensive possession, the 49ers would get their first of many gifts in the turnover department when Seattle tight-end Gerald Everett fumbled just two plays into Seattle's next drive. The Niners would turn that mistake into points as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found George Kittle in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown on the first next play, tying the game at 7. With another three and out forced by the 49er defense, Garoppolo followed up the good with the ugly as he was intercepted on the very first play of San Francisco's ensuing possession. Luckily, Seattle would be held to a field goal which they would miss. 

San Francisco would take their first lead of the ballgame on their next drive as a big play by Kittle helped setup an easy touchdown run in by 49ers rookie running back Elijah Mitchell from 2-yards out. Logging their first quarterback sack of the day on Seattle's ensuing drive, the 49er defense again held the opposition to a three and out punt, this time marching down the field and adding to their lead with a Robbie Gould field goal from 50-yards out. Seattle would bite into that lead with a touchdown-scoring drive during their next possession as future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson trotted into the end zone from a yard out to make it a 17-14 game, and logging his 126th career touchdown, tying him with the great Jim Brown for 10th on the NFL's all-time touchdown list. Other than the touchdown, it would be a quiet day for Peterson who finished the game with only 16 yards on 11 carries while making his Seahawks debut. The 49ers would storm back with a 10-play, touchdown-scoring drive on another big play by George Kittle who this time tip-toed his way near the sidelines for a 48-yard score to again put his team ahead by double-digits. Unfortunately, the San Francisco defense was unable to keep their hand out of the cookie jar as they were penalized on a pair of roughing the passer calls, one of which was ticky-tack on the newest 49er Charles Omenihu, ultimately setting Seattle up inside the 10-yardline. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson would turn that gift into pay dirt one play later with a touchdown just before the half as 8-seconds remained. 

With San Francisco clinging onto a 23-21 lead to start the third quarter, things would go from bad to worse as the game would be a tale of two halves. Following up their poor start to the first half on special-teams, the 49ers got off to another rough start when receiving the second half kickoff. Taking the place of the injured Trenton Cannon, San Francisco's Travis Benjamin fumbled the return that appeared to put Seattle within striking distance. But another gaffe by Gerald Everett would bailout the Niners near the goal line. Bobbling what appeared to be an easy touchdown pass from Wilson to his tight-end, Everett kicked the ball up into the air which allowed for an easy interception in the end zone by the 49ers' K'Waun Williams who didn't get far and was brought down at the 3-yardline. Of course, Jimmy Garoppolo and company would fall victim to the worse case scenario when pinned deep near your own end zone as the 49ers QB was brought down for a sack on third and long, resulting in a safety that tied the game at 23-23. Jimmy G's outing would again get worse as he was intercepted for a second time on San Francisco's next drive as a pass intended for Kittle was air-mailed up the middle and picked-off by the Seattle defense. 

The Seahawks would use that turnover to take their first lead since the opening drive as Russell Wilson connected in the end zone with Tyler Lockett. From there on, the game would turn into a struggle fest as both teams failed to score and continued the theme of ugly football. After a series of punts, Seattle had a chance to take a two-score advantage, but their 13-play drive that lasted nearly seven minutes, went up in flames when Gerald Everett who had already suffered a game to forget, committed his third turnover of the day when he fumbled near the goal line. Giving San Francisco new life and a chance to tie the game, the Niners would need to travel 98 yards in just over 4-minutes on offense to find the end zone. They would end up traveling a total of 115 yards after a pair of costly penalties, and still failed to reach the end zone. Making it as far as the Seattle 3-yardline, a missed pass interference call in the end zone on an incomplete pass intended for receiver Trent Sherfield on third down, would setup a do or die 4th and goal attempt. Looking Sherfield's way again, Jimmy G cocked back to throw to his man who appeared to have a path to the end zone, but the ball was batted down at the line of scrimmage by Seattle's Carlos Dunlap for the game-saving stop. Falling 30-23, San Francisco dropped to 6-6 on the year and into the 7th and final playoff spot in the NFC Wild Card race, being eclipsed by Washington and landing just a game ahead of Philadelphia. 

Other than San Francisco's George Kittle who had himself a monster day on Sunday, hauling in 9 receptions for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns, nobody on either team really had a noteworthy day on offense. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 299 yards and two scores on 20 of 30 passes, but also threw for two interceptions. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, but was also intercepted and sacked four times by the 49er defense. One player who was deeply missed on offense was San Francisco's Deebo Samuel (groin), as no 49ers receiver even came close to touching Kittle in either the receptions or receiving yards categories. As for absences on the defense, 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner was forced to miss the first game of his career with a hamstring injury after starting in each of his first 59 career games. 

Week 14 Preview: Sunday's loss would spell more doom on the injury front for the 49ers (6-6), with this week's victim being cornerback Emmanuel Moseley who suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter and is expected to miss the next few weeks according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Unfortunate news considering the many weapons that the Niners will be up against in their next match-up. Continuing their road trip, the 49ers will make a trip to Ohio to face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals (7-5). After back to back double-digit wins against the Raiders and Steelers, the Bengals were nearly doubled up at home against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. If the 49ers register another lackluster game on special-teams and commit the same number of turnovers against Cincinnati that they did against Seattle, a team that has been putrid on offense prior to Week 13, the Niners could be in for a long day against a high-powered offense like that of the Bengals. If the lethal receiving corps of Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and rookie sensation Ja'Marr Chase isn't enough to worry about on defense for the 49ers, running back Joe Mixon who is having a career year for the Bengals offense, will also need to be accounted for. 

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49ers Win 3rd straight with Victory over Vikes

Week 12 - On the heels of their first winning streak since opening the season 2-0, the San Francisco 49ers would play host to a Minnesota Vikings team coming off a statement win at home against the rival Green Bay Packers. In a battle between two teams with playoff aspirations and identical 5-5 records, the team that prevailed on Sunday would have one leg up on the other in the fight for the NFC's second Wild Card spot. All things considered, both teams knew that a win wouldn't come easy. With both quarterbacks having played their best ball of the season over the last few weeks entering Sunday, neither QB would steal the show at Levi's Stadium as we saw the good and the ugly from both Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo. For San Francisco's Jimmy G, the ugly came rather early.

After the 49ers defense forced a three and out on Minnesota's opening-drive, Kyle Shanahan's offense appeared to have something brewing as they made it to midfield following a big reception in traffic by Jauan Jennings. But another risky pass in traffic just several plays later would prove costly for Garoppolo as his pass was intercepted. Taking advantage of the early turnover, Cousins and company would punch their ticket into the end zone with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen on 4th and goal. It wouldn't be long before the game turned into the Deebo Samuel show on their ensuing possession as San Francisco turned to their biggest playmaker on offense. After a big play by receiver Brandon Aiyuk who turned in a 37-yard gain, Samuel helped the 49ers answer with a 20-yard touchdown run to tie the game up at 7-all. With the touchdown, Deebo Samuel would become just the third receiver in NFL history to score a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games and the first ever to accomplish the feat in the same season since the start of the Super Bowl era. Though his day would be far from over. 

After both teams exchanged punts, the Vikings found the end zone again with Thielen at the forefront. Sneaking past the defense once again, Thielen was left all alone for the 20-yard touchdown, his second of the half, marking the first time in his career with two touchdowns in the first half. Looking to end the first half on a high-note, the 49ers would put together another long Kyle Shanahan patented drive on offense, marching 87-yards on 19-plays and eating up 8-minutes and 20-seconds in the process. The end result being a dart from Garoppolo to Jennings for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. With only 18-seconds remaining, the 49er offense would leave little to no time for Cousins to work with as the first half came to a close. Receiving the ball to start the second half, the 49ers would be right back in business thanks to another big play by Deebo. A 49-yard run by San Francisco's Swiss army knife, would set things up inside the red zone. Rewarding Deebo for his efforts, Shanahan would dial up another run play that resulted in his second score of the game, this time a 3-yard touchdown. With their first lead of the day, on top 21-14, San Francisco was poised to tack on more. 

One play into Minnesota's ensuing possession, Cousins would throw a rare interception as his pass intended for Thielen was picked off by Azeez Al-Shaair and nearly taken to the house before he was tripped up at the 2-yardline following a 24-yard return. The Niners would waste no time cashing in on the takeaway and Cousins' third interception on the year, as running back Elijah Mitchell walked it into the end zone on the very next play. After a relatively quiet first half from the Minnesota rushing attack as they finished with 25 or fewer first half rushing yards for second week in a row, Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook began to wake up. A 30-yard run on the first play of Minnesota's ensuing drive, followed by a 24-yard catch and run a few plays later, both by Cook, backup running back Alexander Mattison picked up the pieces with the 6-yard rushing touchdown on the next play. However, the Vikings would come up short on the point-after as kicker Greg Joseph's extra-point attempt sailed wide right. San Francisco would make it a two-possession game with a field goal on their next drive, but again the Vikings came right back with a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown from Kene Nwangwu. With one kick return for a touchdown already under his belt this year, Nwangwu would be the first return man with two on the season, this one inching his team closer. But a failed two-point conversion would leave the Niners with a 31-26 lead. 

After having to punt, the 49ers would get a gift on a Dalvin Cook fumble as the Vikings running back was met in the backfield by San Francisco's Kevin Givens who knocked the ball loose, recovered by the defense. Unfortunately, Cook would need to be carted off the field as he left the game with an upper-body injury. Oddly enough, Deebo Samuel would be injured on the very next play, also in the backfield on a handoff that ended in a 6-yard loss. The air would be sucked out of the home crowd at Levi's Stadium momentarily before Deebo walked to the sideline under his own power where he would watch the rest of the game as a spectator. Adding to their lead with a field goal, San Francisco would go ahead 34-26. Minnesota would have a chance to tie the game as they were knocking on the door of another touchdown, but were stood up at the 3-yard line as Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer gambled for a second time on 4th and goal, but came up short. With a chance to ice the game and take an 11-point advantage, the 49ers marched for 7-minutes and 8-seconds, running 13-plays and traveling 67-yards before a missed field goal by kicker Robbie Gould from 42-yards out. As the kick drifted wide right, the Vikings would have one last chance to pull off the comeback. 

With no timeouts left and just under two-minutes remaining, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins would need to orchestrate a 68-yard, touchdown-scoring drive, as well as a successful two-point conversion attempt to tie the game. And while things would look rather promising after a 23-yard connection to receiver Justin Jefferson, incompletions on three of Cousins' next four passes would spell doom as the 49er defense held on and forced Minnesota to turn the ball over on downs. Kneeling the ball for the last two plays, San Francisco held on for the much needed 34-26 victory to improve their record to 6-5 on the season and into sole possession of the NFC's second Wild Card spot. Stealing the show on offense and breaking more records on Sunday was Deebo Samuel. After becoming the first wide-receiver in 49ers franchise history with 1+ rushing touchdowns in three straight games since at least 1950, Deebo became the first WR in the Super Bowl era with 2 rushing touchdowns in a game. With 5 rushing touchdowns on the season, Deebo Samuel surpassed Tavon Austin's mark of 4 rushing touchdowns in 2015, setting a record for the most rushing touchdowns in a season by a wide receiver in NFL history. But the biggest stat of them all might be his receiving yards. Though he only caught one ball on Sunday for 12-yards, Deebo eclipsed the 1,000 receiving yards plateau, becoming the first WR in NFL history with 1,000 receiving yards, 5 receiving TDs and 5 rushing TDs in a season. Oh, and he also became the first 49ers WR with 1,000+ receiving yards in a season since Anquan Boldin in 2014. 

49ers running back Elijah Mitchell also made an impact in Sunday's game, compiling a career-high in scrimmage yards with 168, including 133 of them on the ground, as he and Deebo combined for 199 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries. With four games of 100+ rush yards on the season now, Mitchell made some history of his own by surpassing Billy Kilmer (1961) for the most games of 100+ rush yards by a 49ers rookie since 1950. Not bad for a guy playing with a fractured finger. As for the quarterbacks, both Jimmy Garoppolo (230 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) and Kirk Cousins (238 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) finished with similar stat lines in the passing department. San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk led all receivers in receiving yards with 91 on 3 receptions. 

Week 13 Preview: Unfortunately, the 49ers win on Sunday did come at the expense of a few losses as both Deebo Samuel (groin) and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner (hamstring) suffered injuries that will keep them off the field for their Week 13 visit up north to face the division rival Seattle Seahawks (3-8). With Warner out for one game and Samuel possibly out for the next two, the 49ers will need to keep pace in the playoff race and try to avenge their Week 4 loss to Seattle without two of their biggest pieces. Coming off a road loss on Monday Night Football to the Washington Football Team, Pete Carroll's Seahawks are spiraling out of control and have lost six of their last seven games since handing the 49ers a loss at Levi's. With three of those games without QB Russell Wilson under center, Seattle is riding a three-game skid with their leader back on the field. Nothing would help No. 3 get off the schneide more than a win at home against San Francisco. Hopefully, Jimmy G and company can put a stop to that as the Niners eye their fourth straight win and first in Seattle since the goal-line stand that decided the division back in 2019. 

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49ers Rout Jags in 30-10 Beatdown

Week 11 - Coming off a statement win at home against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers (4-5) took a trip to the southeast to face the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7) with a chance to get to .500. Though the Niners have looked much better overall on the road this season than they have at home, the atmosphere on Sunday would feel rather homely come kickoff as Jimmy Garoppolo and company were welcomed by a sea of red in the stands at Jacksonville's TIAA Bank Field. And much like the way they kicked things off on offense a week ago on Monday Night against the Rams, tiring the opposition with an 18-play, 93-yard opening-drive that spanned 11-minutes and 3-seconds, head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense picked up right where they left off in this one. Setting the tone with another run-heavy 20-play, 77-yard drive that chewed up 13-minutes and 5-seconds, San Francisco again found themselves in the drivers seat early on, imposing their will, but only managed to walk away with a field goal this time around.

Leading 3-0, the 49er defense forced a three and out on Jacksonville's first possession, allowing for San Francisco's offense to wear the Jags down some more. Needing less plays and time to travel further on their next possession, the 49ers were able to punch it into the end zone with ease on their second drive, thanks to a bit of running from receiver Deebo Samuel. Coming off NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his two-touchdown performance against the Rams a week ago, Deebo again proved to be a problem for the opposition in the running game, taking a handoff 25-yards to the house for a touchdown. Creeping up on 49ers all-time great and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (9) as the only 49ers receiver since 1950 with more rushing touchdowns than Samuel who now has six, Deebo joined Rice as the only wide-receivers in 49ers franchise history to take home NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors multiple times in a single season (Rice did it on three occasions in 1990, 1992, 1994). As if Jacksonville wasn't gassed enough on defense, their offense didn't do them any favors as receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. was stripped of the ball just one play into the Jags' ensuing possession by San Francisco's Josh Norman who added to his total with an NFL-leading fifth forced fumble on the year, recovered by Pro Bowl linebacker Fred Warner. 

Getting under the skin of Jacksonville's exhausted defense, first-year head coach Urban Meyer would be without his starting safety less than midway through the second quarter as Rayshawn Jenkins was ejected from the game for throwing a punch at San Francisco's Jauan Jennings after a play, resulting in a penalty. It would be one of three penalties against Jacksonville that benefited the Niners on third down in the first half alone. A few plays later, the 49ers would strike pay dirt for a second consecutive drive as Garoppolo found Brandon Aiyuk in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. Jaguars quarterback and 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence would get Jacksonville on the board on their next possession with a field goal just after the 2-minute warning, but San Francisco answered with a field goal of their own as Robbie Gould's 48-yarder completed the first half with the Niners on top, 20-3. Putting their first half dominance into perspective, the 49ers ran 39 plays on offense to Jacksonville's 15. 

Opening the second half the same way they did the first, the 49er defense forced a three and out punt on the Jags' first possession following three straight incomplete passes, while also having success on offense. Marching down the field with the ball, Deebo Samuel would again be at the forefront, as the 49ers made it inside the 5-yardline before deciding to go for it on 4th and goal. A gusty gamble by coach Shanahan would pay dividends as Garoppolo connected with tight-end George Kittle in the end zone from a yard out for the easy score. For Kittle it would be his third straight game with a touchdown, the longest streak of his career and the longest such streak by a 49ers tight-end since Vernon Davis' five consecutive games with a touchdown back in 2013. Things would begin to slow down as both teams exchanged a pair of punts, but San Francisco would receive a gift on special-teams as Tavon Austin muffed a fair-catch attempt that was recovered by the 49ers' Trent Sherfield. Taking advantage of the stellar field position, the Niners would add to their lead with a field goal to make it, 30-3. Jacksonville's best possession of the day would come on their final drive of the ballgame as the Jags marched 63-yards on 11-plays, capped off by a 1-yard run by running back James Robinson. With just over three minutes remaining, coach Shanahan would call on rookie QB Trey Lance to run out the clock as he rushed for the game-sealing first down with a 7-yard carry on 3rd and 5. 

Entering Sunday's matchup, Jimmy G would boast a QB Rating of 109.8 over his last three games, the best in the NFL over that span, and certainly looked the part again in the 30-10 victory over Jacksonville. Other than a missed touchdown pass to a wide-open Jeff Wilson Jr. in the end zone on the team's opening-drive, it was another spotless performance by Garoppolo who again didn't try to do too much and got the job done by taking what the opposing defense gave him on his way to completing 16 of 22 passes for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns. Opposite of Garoppolo, Trevor Lawrence threw for 158 yards on 16 of 25 passes, while being sacked three times in total, twice by the Niners' Nick Bosa who now has a career-high 10 sacks on the year. San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk led all receivers with 7 receptions for 85-yards and a score, while Deebo Samuel outgained Jeff Wilson Jr. and Trey Sermon in rushing yards with a game-high 79 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. 

Week 12 Preview: One of the more entertaining games on Sunday in Week 11 was the divisional showdown between the rival Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. In a wild, back and forth melee between the two bitter rivals, the Vikes walked it off with a last-second, game-winning field goal to improve to 5-5 on the year. Like the 49ers who also improved to 5-5 with their win on Sunday, Minnesota is hoping to at least vie for a Wild Card spot if they're unable to catch the division-leading Packers. Setting up for a big game in Week 12, a win over the other team will do wonders as both squads look to keep pace in the NFC's Wild Card race. Playing some of the best ball of his career, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will try to take it to his former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan dating back to their time spent in Washington, who was very high on trying to acquire Cousins prior to the trade with the Patriots that sent Jimmy Garoppolo to the Bay Area. With a number of weapons on offense in receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen and running back Dalvin Cook, the 49ers will need another stout performance on defense like they've gotten in each of their last two games. 

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49ers Run away from Rams in Dominant Monday Night Win

Week 10 - With the San Francisco 49ers (3-5) playing host in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football and seeking their first home win of the season, a meeting with the rival Los Angeles Rams (7-2) would be a welcome sight for Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan who has prevailed in four straight meetings against his friend and former colleague Sean McVay. Looking to shake off an embarrassing loss at home to a short-handed Cardinals team, what better way to bounce back than to take it to another division foe in what would be the 144th all-time meeting between the Rams and 49ers. The match-up would also feature two of the brightest young stars at the receiver position as Los Angeles' Cooper Kupp and San Francisco's Deebo Samuel entered the meeting as the league's No.'s 1 and 2 leading receivers, marking the 18th time in NFL history that the league's top two receivers in receiving yards faced off in a season in Week 10 or later since 1970. 

All the buzz leading into the marquee matchup between the two long standing rivals would revolve around a pair of reinforcements acquired by the Rams just days prior to gameday. After trading for outside-linebacker and former Super Bowl MVP Von Miller from the Denver Broncos, the Rams made a splash by signing 3-time Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to add to their star-studded roster. But come kickoff, neither player would put their stamp on the game as both guys were virtually nonfactors in a game dominated by the home team. Though Odell would get his feet wet on the Rams' first play from scrimmage, hauling in a 5-yard reception from quarterback Matthew Stafford, he would go relatively quiet the rest of the night (2 receptions, 18 yards). Stafford would attempt a home run pass to his newest weapon just four plays into the game, but overthrew his target on a deep ball that was air-mailed and intercepted by San Francisco's Jimmie Ward. Pinned deep near their own end zone at the 7-yardline, the 49er offense would embark on an 18-play, 93-yard drive that lasted 11-minutes and 3-seconds before ultimately resulting in a touchdown pass from QB Jimmie Garoppolo to tight-end George Kittle. Utilizing a heavy diet of run plays, San Francisco had their way with the Rams, tiring them down before capitalizing with an early trip to the end zone.  

Possession number two wouldn't be much better for Stafford and the Rams as the former No. 1 overall pick was intercepted for a second time in as many drives, again by Jimmie Ward who took this one to the house for a 27-yard pick-six touchdown. With the ball bouncing off of Rams tight-end Tyler Higbee and into the Niners' lap, Jimmie Ward who hadn't recorded an interception since Week 14 of 2016, suddenly found himself with two interceptions in the game's opening quarter. As for the San Francisco defense who entered Monday's game with only two interceptions on the year, the team had doubled their output in a matter of minutes. The third time would be a charm, however, for Stafford and company, as the Rams responded with a touchdown-scoring drive of their own. Redeeming himself for the bobble that resulted in the pick-six, it was Higbee who came down with the 10-yard strike to put L.A. on the board to start the second quarter. But picking up right where they left off would be Jimmy G and the Niner offense, turning in another lengthy drive that ended in success. 

Running it right down the Rams throat once again, Deebo Samuel capped off the 15-play, 91-yard drive that ended in Deebo rushing it into the end zone from 8-yards out. With the Rams marching just before the end of the first half, L.A. would setup for 34-yard field goal, but coach McVay would try to get cute by dialing up a fake that was sniffed out perfectly by San Francisco's D.J. Jones who made the stop. Taking a 21-7 lead into the half, the 49ers would get the ball back to open the second half, but were held to their first punt of the evening. Forcing a Rams three and out on the ensuing possession, the 49ers would add to their lead with a Robbie Gould field goal from 50-yards out. With little to no fireworks from either team in the third quarter, San Francisco kicked things off with a bang to open the fourth. Electing to go for it on 4th and 6, coach Shanahan's gutsy decision paid off as Garoppolo found Deebo Samuel down the middle for a 40-yard touchdown that put the game away for good. The Rams offense would threaten on each of their next two possessions by making it into the red zone both times, but were only able to walk away with three points as a turnover on downs and a field goal was all they had to show for. 

Continuing to have success in the run game, the 49ers were able to milk the clock and cruise to a 31-10 victory. Helping hand the Rams their first road loss of the season, 49ers rookie running back Elijah Mitchell would lead the way with 91 yards on 27 carries, and Jeff Wilson Jr. returned to the field after missing the first eight weeks of the season due knee surgery, adding 28 yards on 10 carries. But the biggest weapon of the night for the Niners would be Deebo Samuel who logged 133 all purpose yards (97 yards receiving, 36 yards rushing) and 2 touchdowns. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for an efficient 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 of 19 pass attempts, being sacked only once and avoiding the costly turnovers that doomed him a week earlier. Meanwhile, Cooper Kupp shined once more for the Rams, hauling in 11 receptions for 122 yards as Matt Stafford's (243 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions) favorite target of the night. With 393 days in between Monday Night's game and their last regular season home win, also against the Rams, the Niners appeared to turn back the clock and enjoy some success similar to that of their run-dominant performance in the 2019 NFC Championship against the Packers which just so happened to be the last win at Levi's Stadium with a live crowd. Though they may trail them in the standings, for the 49ers it's their fifth straight victory over the Rams, making it safe to say that coach Shanahan has McVay's number, at least for now. 

Week 11 Preview: Hoping to build off their first home win of the season, snapping an 8-game home losing streak, the San Francisco 49ers (4-5) will hit the road to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7). Led by the No. 1 overall pick in April's Draft -- Trevor Lawrence and first-year head coach Urban Meyer, the Jags up to this point have looked a lot like what you'd expect from a team with a rookie QB and rookie head coach, but do have one of the biggest upsets of the season under the belt after a 9-6 win over one of the AFC's heavyweights in the Buffalo Bills back in Week 9. Coming off season-highs in third down conversions and in time of possession, coach Shanahan would love to see more of the same on Sunday. Never a dull moment on the 49ers injury front, it was learned on Tuesday that rookie running back Elijah Mitchell fractured his finger and will undergo a procedure with a chance of him returning to the practice field as early as Wednesday according to coach Shanahan. His status for Sunday's game, however, remains uncertain. 

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Conner, McCoy too much to handle for 49ers

Week 9 - The San Francisco 49ers' (3-4) nightmarish season continued on Sunday when hosting an Arizona Cardinals (7-1) team that was without a number of key starters on offense. Among those who were inactive on Sunday was quarterback Kyler Murray and receiver DeAndre Hopkins, two of the very best in the league at their respective positions. Instead, it would be no Murray no problem for Arizona as the 49ers were unable to take advantage of a makeshift Cardinals offense and had their hands full with Arizona's backup quarterback and a former player of their own in veteran QB Colt McCoy. Thinking they'd have an easy win on Sunday with Murray and Hopkins out, that couldn't be any further from the truth for San Francisco as missed tackles, costly turnovers and bogus penalties all reared their ugly heads once the game got underway. 

Welcoming the return of their All-Pro tight-end George Kittle who had missed the last three games, the 49er offense showed signs of life right out the gates on each of their first two offensive possessions with Kittle at the forefront as he had made receptions of 19 and 18 yards before fumbling on the first play of San Francisco's second drive. While it would be the Niners' first mistake of the game, it certainly wouldn't be their last as Arizona capitalized with a touchdown. After running back Chase Edmonds was hurt on Arizona's first play from scrimmage following just a 3-yard gain, the window of opportunity swung open for James Conner who took the torch and ran with it on Sunday, scoring his first of three touchdowns on the afternoon to give the Cards an early 7-0 lead. With Murray missing the first start of his career, the game would soon turn into the Conner and McCoy show for Arizona's offense as both guys stepped up huge when called upon. Facing a 3rd and 18 from their own 12 yard line, McCoy connected with Conner on a short pass that turned into a 21-yard gain and a first down. The frustration on third and long wouldn't stop there for the San Francisco defense, as Arizona faced a 3rd and 9 near midfield that ended in a 7-yard sack by Arik Armstead. Unfortunately, just when it appeared the Cardinals were forced to punt, Armstead would be called for a facemask penalty that instead gave Arizona an automatic first down. They would turn that costly penalty into another touchdown as Conner ran up the middle from a yard out. 

Trailing 14-0, the 49ers appeared to be on their way to finally scoring as they made their way inside the red zone with a leaping grab from second-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk for 22-yards, but the former Arizona State alum was striped of the ball on his way down, resulting in another gut-wrenching fumble. McCoy would catch the 49ers secondary snoozing just two plays later as he lobbed up a pass that Christian Kirk came down with 50-yards downfield. Arizona would only end up walking away with a field goal this time around, but still increased their lead to 17-0. On that drive, a pair of bizarre penalties were called on both Josh Norman of the Niners for taunting and Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury for unsportsmanlike conduct, as the two exchanged words near the Arizona sideline, turning a would-be 4th and 20 into an automatic 1st and 24. Unlike other penalties in the game, thankfully, this one wouldn't come back to haunt San Francisco, but Norman would be benched for the rest of the game. With four minutes to go before the half and the 49ers in desperate need of a touchdown, George Kittle would make up for his first career fumble in 58 games by hauling in a 6-yard touchdown grab to put his team on the board just before the half. It would be Kittle's first touchdown reception of the season and his first in his last nine games, ending the longest drought of his career since his rookie season in 2017. 

Trailing 17-7 at the half, the 49ers were hoping their touchdown just before halftime would swing the momentum in their favor, but again they returned to the field without an answer for either McCoy or Conner on defense. With 145 yards passing by halftime for Colt McCoy, his most in a first half since 2011, the all-time great with the Texas Longhorns came out of the locker room poised to continue pouring it on and that they did. Needing only four plays to march 72-yards, McCoy dumped a short pass to Conner that he took 45-yards to pay dirt. Following a 49ers three and out, the Cardinals again found the end zone as a 35-yard run by Conner helped setup a bruising 21-yard run by Arizona's third-string running back Eno Benjamin who steamrolled former Cardinal Dre Kirkpatrick on his way to his first career touchdown. Down 31-7, the 49ers again found themselves in desperate need of a score and had those wishes granted after a pair of big gains on consecutive plays by Aiyuk and Kittle. Logging his best game of the season, Aiyuk (6 catches, 89 yards) would be awarded with his second touchdown grab of the season as 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo found him in the end zone for the 11-yard score. 

Making it a 31-17 game at the start of the fourth quarter, the 49er defense forced Arizona to punt to give the San Francisco offense a chance to pull within single-digits, but Garoppolo would have his pass intended for Deebo Samuel picked off for the game-sealing turnover. In his first game back, George Kittle would haul in a game-high 101 yards receiving and a touchdown on six receptions. Jimmy Garoppolo would throw for 326 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception on 28 of 40 pass attempts in the loss, meanwhile, Colt McCoy completed 22 of 26 passes for 249 yards and touchdown as Arizona racked up 437 yards of total offense. Much of that offense would go through running back James Conner who rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, and hauled in another 77 yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions for the first three-touchdown performance of his career. Arizona's Chandler Jones recorded a sack late in the second quarter to become the Cardinals' all-time sacks leader with his 67th sack in an Arizona uniform. With the win, Arizona improved to 8-1 for only the second time since 1950. 

Week 10 Preview: Still in search of their first home win of the season, the San Francisco 49ers (3-5) will welcome in the Los Angeles Rams (7-2) for a division rival showdown on Monday Night Football. Coming off an upset loss at home on Sunday Night Football to the Tennessee Titans who were without their star running back in Derrick Henry, the Rams will look to get back in the win column as they 've fallen a game behind Arizona for first place in the NFC West. As for San Francisco who has won the last four meetings against the Rams, but has yet to win a home game this season (0-4), the 49ers will be in full blown panic mode if they fall to 3-6 on the year. The 49ers are already in a sticky situation as they've fallen to last place in the division and have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings and in need of as many reps under center as he can get, making for an unenviable decision by coach Kyle Shanahan. Fans have already grown unhappy given the circumstances, and things continue to get worse on the injury front as both defensive-tackle Javon Kinlaw (knee) and offensive-tackle Mike McGlinchey (torn quadriceps) will be lost for the year after sustaining season-ending injuries. 

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Garoppolo Shines in Homecoming Win vs Chicago

Week 8 - Hitting the road in search of their third win of the season and first since Week 2, the San Francisco 49ers (2-4) would pay a visit to the windy city to face the Chicago Bears (3-4). In what would be a homecoming game for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who was born in Arlington Heights and went to college at nearby Eastern Illinois, the Niners signal-caller would feel right at home on Sunday in a game that was as close to a must-win as it gets in Week 8. And while things wouldn't exactly start like you'd hope for San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan, the end result would be all that mattered when it was all said and done. 

After their turnover-filled loss at home in stormy weather just a week earlier, the entire 49ers team was happy to see nothing but clear skies at Chicago's Soldier Field come kickoff. But even without the rain and wind that caused problems in Week 7 against the Colts, things would go awry on San Francisco's opening possession. Marching into field goal range to start the game, 49ers kicker Joey Slye would attempt a 48-yard field goal to give his team an early lead, but instead missed wide right as the game remained scoreless. That was until Chicago who was without head coach Matt Nagy due to Covid, converted on a 39-yard field goal attempt by kicker Cairo Santos on their first possession of the ballgame. And while Slye would redeem himself one possession later by splitting the uprights from 48-yards out to tie the game, the Bears would aim for bigger and better things on their next possession. Hitting a trio of different receivers, Chicago's rookie QB Justin Fields showed poise early on and didn't try to overdo or force things as he eventually marched the offense into the end zone, hitting tight-end Jesse James for an 8-yard score.  

With both teams exchanging field goals on their next possessions, the 49ers got the ball back with 1:16 remaining in the first half. And at the 25-second mark, it appeared that Chicago would take a seven-point lead with them into the locker room. Instead, Jimmy Garoppolo went for the home run pass and connected with receiver Deebo Samuel for a 50-yard completion before being brought down on the doorstep of the end zone at the Chicago 4-yardline. Spiking the ball with 8-second remaining, the Niners tried their luck with one shot at the end zone, but were unsuccessful as they settled for the field goal to bring them within four at 13-9. Opening the second half with another field goal, Chicago brought their lead back up to seven. Meanwhile, whatever pep talk coach Shanahan gave during halftime, seemed to resonate for the 49er offense as Garoppolo and co. came out swinging to begin the second half. Facing a 3rd and 19, Jimmy G and Deebo Samuel engaged in a simple game of pitch and catch as the receiver caught the short pass and took it 83-yards before being tripped up at the 1-yardline. Garoppolo would do the rest, finding the end zone for the touchdown. But after a missed PAT by Slye, Chicago would hang onto a 16-15 lead. 

Following the first punt of the day by either team on Chicago's ensuing possession, the 49ers again struck pay dirt, this time by rookie running back Elijah Mitchell who received a little help from the offensive-line, pushing him over the goal-line and into the end zone for the score. A pass from Garoppolo to Brandon Aiyuk would result in a successful two-point conversion attempt that gave the 49ers their first lead of the day at 23-16 to start the fourth quarter. Chicago would answer with a touchdown of their own with arguably their best possession of the game, capped off with the most impressive play from their rookie quarterback. Facing a 4th and 1 at the San Francisco 22 yard-line, Justin Fields appeared to be going down for a sack as the 49er defense had him dead to rights and in their sights before he sprinted free and broke loose for a highlight-worthy run that ended with him finding the end zone. Unfortunately for him, his kicker would miss the game-tying extra-point. Fields' dazzling play would be the last time that Chicago found the end zone on Sunday. 

With no Khalil Mack to worry about along the Bears' defense for Jimmy Garoppolo who was kept upright on his feet all day without taking a single sack, San Francisco received big plays from running backs Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty before Garoppolo plowed into the end zone for the second time of the day. After Joey Slye's fourth and final field goal on the game, the San Francisco defense sealed the 33-22 win with a tip-drill interception by Josh Norman. San Francisco became just the second team to not turn the ball over or punt the ball all game long against Chicago since 1940. Prior to Sunday, only the archrival Green Bay Packers in Week 4 of the 2014 season went the entire game without a turnover or punt versus the Bears. And on the four year anniversary of the trade that sent Garoppolo from New England to the Niners, Jimmy G would have his best game of the season statistically.

By throwing for a season-high 322 yards and rushing for a pair of touchdowns in a single game for the first time of his career, Garoppolo joined some elite company on Sunday by becoming one of only three 49er QB's since 1950 with 300+ passing yards and two rushing touchdowns, something only Steve Young and Jeff Garcia had accomplished before him. He would also pass both Colin Kaepernick and John Brodie for the 4th-most games with 300+ passing yards among San Francisco QB's since 1950, as San Francisco is 7-0 in games when Garoppolo has over 300 yards passing. Garoppolo's counterpart Justin Fields also had his best game yet on Sunday and was just as dangerous with his feet as he was with his arm, becoming the first Bears QB with 175+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards in a game since at least 1950, to go along with his rushing and passing touchdowns. The quarterback's weren't the only ones breaking and setting records as 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel who has already set a career-high in receiving yards this year with 10 regular season games remaining, joined Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (1986, 1996) and Dwight Clark (1982) as the only 49er receivers with 50+ receiving yards in each of the team's first seven games. Samuel's 819 receiving yards are the most in 49ers franchise history through the first seven games of a season, surpassing Rice's record of 781 yards set in 1986. 

Running back Elijah Mitchell also had himself a game to remember, becoming just the second 49ers rookie with two straight 100+ yard games in team history (Billy Kilmer). After a career-high 107 yards rushing a week ago, Mitchell set a new personal-best with 137 yards rushing on 18 carries. His 433 yards on the ground are also the most rushing yards by a 49ers running back through their first five career games since at least 1970, surpassing Ricky Watters' mark of 397 yards set in 1992. 

Week 9: The 49ers (3-4) return home to host the Arizona Cardinals (7-1) in Week 9. Coming off their first loss of the season which came at the hands of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, Arizona hopes to receive a bounce back performance from quarterback Kyler Murray whom Green Bay's defense made look rather pedestrian after an MVP-caliber start through their first seven games to begin the season. With the winning-streak ending on a game-sealing interception thrown by Murray in the end zone, the last standing undefeated team has finally fallen and will look to get back on track against their division rival. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and company has other plans as they look to both return to .500 on the year as well as gain some ground in the NFC Western Division standings. This time with Garoppolo under-center, hopefully San Francisco can receive better play from the quarterback position than what Trey Lance was able to provide in his first career start on the road in Arizona back in Week 5 when he was held touchdown-less and threw an interception. Expected to get a few players back from injured-reserve including George Kittle, the Niners will welcome all the help they can get. One player who will not be on the field to help his team in Week 9 or any other week this season for that matter, is 49ers second-year defensive-lineman Javon Kinlaw who underwent season-ending knee surgery over the weekend. 

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