Good as Gould, Niners knock off top-seeded Packers at Lambeau

NFC Divisional Round - Entering the playoffs as the one team nobody wanted to face in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers, winners of 8 of their last 10 games, proved it with their win against Dallas a week ago and then once again on Saturday when taking on the top-seeded Green Bay Packers at the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Playing a game in below freezing degree weather for the first time since the 2013 Wild Card round, which also featured the 49ers and Packers at Lambeau and ended in similar fashion, San Francisco would need to do something that no team had done this season by defeating Green Bay at home. With a perfect record of 8-0 at home this season, who better to reverse the curse than the Niners who have continued to be a thorn in the side of Aaron Rodgers throughout his postseason career (0-3 vs SF). However, Saturday's meeting at Lambeau would take on a completely different tone to start the game than any of the previous playoff bouts between Rodgers and the Niners, as well as the game that took place just a week earlier for the 49ers in Dallas. 

After a blazing start on both sides of the ball against the Cowboys, the 49ers were upended right out of the gates as Green Bay received the opening kickoff and did just about anything they wanted to on their way to marching down the field for an easy score. With no answer for Pro Bowl wide-receiver Devante Adams in their Week 3 meeting earlier this season, Rodgers continued to find his favorite target wide-open on Green Bay's opening-drive as the two caused fits for the San Francisco secondary by connecting on three plays for 35 yards. From there, Packers running back A.J. Dillon would do the rest as Green Bay scored with ease. As for the 49ers offense, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who had never played in a game throughout his career with the weather below 40 degrees, the Niners signal-caller certainly looked the part for much of the first half. With the temperature as low as 13 degrees at kickoff and a wind chill of 2 degrees, things would only get colder as the game wore on and the snowfall picked up. Putting things nicely, San Francisco's offense would get off to a sluggish start by going three and out on four straight drives to open a game for the first time since 2009. 

By the end of the first quarter, the Niners would have a whopping -7 yards of total offense to their name as dropped balls haunted San Francisco early and often. The -7 yards through the first quarter would be the 2nd fewest in a playoff game in the last 30 seasons and San Francisco's fewest to start a game since at least 2000 (including playoffs). Luckily for them, the defense would manage to contain Rodgers and co. the rest of the way, outside of a few big plays. Catching a break on defense, the 49ers were able to put a stop to Green Bay's second offensive possession when All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner forced a fumble on Packers tight-end Mercedes Lewis, but were unable to do anything with it. San Francisco's offense would finally show signs of life on their final possession of the first half when they marched inside the 10 yard-line, but a penalty and an errant pass would sour their hopes of scoring any points before the half. Rookie running back Elijah Mitchell appeared to rush the 49ers on the door step inside the Green Bay 5 yard-line, but the play would bring them back to the 19 yard-line after a holding call on left-tackle Trent Williams. One play later, Garoppolo would escape a pair of sacks, only to be intercepted on a pass intended for George Kittle. 

Hoping to at least head into the locker room at the half trailing 7-0, the 49ers nearly saw their deficit double when Packers running back Aaron Jones leaked out from behind the San Francisco secondary when safety Jimmie Ward was caught snoozing. The result of the play would be a 75-yard reception from Jones, before safety Jaquaski Tartt came through in the clutch by not giving up on the play and tracking down the Packers running back who appeared to be off to the races. After getting a big sack from Nick Bosa for a 5-yard loss, the Packers would setup for a Mason Crosby field goal from 39 yards out. Making up for his mistake just three plays earlier, Ward would find an opening and get a hand up to block the field goal attempt to keep it a one-score game. San Francisco would use the little momentum gathered from the big stop on special-teams by fueling their first scoring-drive of the game as Deebo Samuel ignited a spark with a 45-yard kick return to open the second half. The 49ers seemed destined to find the end zone at last, but a penalty for face-masking by the ball carrier Elijah Mitchell would pin the offense back another 15-yards. An additional infraction on the very next play for illegal-formation would force the 49ers to settle for a field goal which made it a 7-3 ballgame. 

After a successful field goal from Crosby to open the fourth quarter for Green Bay, San Francisco's offense would make another trip inside the red zone before a gamble by coach Shanahan on a 4th and 1 from the 19 yard-line. Dialing up a run play to Mitchell, the 49ers run game was stuffed as they turned the ball over on downs. But just like the two turnovers prior, the ensuing offense would fail to do anything of note. Following an 11-yard sack by Niners defensive-tackle Arik Armstead who brought down Rodgers for his second time of the night, the Packers were pinned back deep near their own end zone for a punt when San Francisco's special-teams came through once again. Getting a hand on the punt by Corey Bojorquez was defensive-end Jordan Willis who came up with the huge block that sent everyone in a frenzy, unsure of where the ball would land. After it was all said and done, Niners rookie safety Talanoa Hufanga recovered the ball cleanly and walked it into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. The blocked punt touchdown would be the first of its kind in 49ers franchise history in the playoffs and the first career touchdown for Hufanga. In front of a stunned Lambeau Field, the 49ers who had crept back into a game they showed little life in thru much of the first three and a half quarters, suddenly found themselves in prime position to steal another playoff victory from the grasps of Aaron Rodgers, all while riding multiple big plays on special-teams which had been their Achilles heel virtually all season long. Instead, that weakness was now winning them a must-win game. 

After forcing a three and out punt on Green Bay's following drive, Jimmy Garoppolo would get yet another chance to silence the critics as the offense began to march. No one play would be bigger than the one from the Green Bay 38 yard-line as the Niners faced a 3rd and 7. Handing the ball off to Deebo Samuel, San Francisco's secret weapon dashed for a 9-yard gain to pick up the monumental first down, setting up some late-game heroics from veteran kicker Robbie Gould. Stepping up to attempt the biggest kick of his career with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line, Gould would split the uprights from 45-yards out to complete the walk-off victory for the 49ers. Sending his team to the next round, the kick would be Gould's 20th made field goal in as many tries in the postseason, the most makes without a miss in the Super Bowl era. With the win, San Francisco improved to 7-5 all-time in the playoffs vs #1 seeds and are 1 of 5 franchises with a winning record in such games. Becoming the first team since the 1988 Buffalo Bills to block a field goal and a punt in the same playoff game, coach Shanahan's Niners became just the fourth team since 2000 to win a playoff game without an offensive touchdown. 

While neither team's quarterback wowed us with their statistics on Saturday (Garoppolo: 11 of 19 for 131 yards passing and 1 interception, Rodgers: 20 of 29 for 225 yards), the game did a lot for the overall postseason record of both QB's. What's likely to be the end of the road for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, the future Hall of Fame QB and favorite to take home the MVP Award this season for a second consecutive season, has now fallen to 0-4 vs the 49ers in the playoffs, the worst record by any QB vs a single team in the playoffs since 1950. The loss also drops Rodgers to a mediocre 11-10 in his career as a starter in the playoffs and 7-9 since his lone Super Bowl win back in 2010. Though he did manage to surpass his mentor Brett Favre (5,855) for the 4th-most postseason passing yards in NFL history. Entering the game needing 1 passing touchdown to surpass 49ers great Joe Montana for 2nd-most playoff passing TD's in NFL history, Rodgers who was sacked five times by the 49ers defense, was held touchdown-less for the first time in a playoff game since the 2010 NFC Championship win vs the rival Chicago Bears. Unfortunately for him, his Packers have now lost 7 playoff games at home over the last 20 seasons which are the most in the NFL in that span. 

As for his counterpart, Garoppolo now owns a career record of 21-6 (.778) as a starter on the road, 2nd-highest win percentage in the NFL since the 1970 merger, including playoffs with a minimum of 25 starts. Garoppolo is also 4-1 in his career as a starter in the playoffs, the highest postseason win percentage as a starting QB in 49ers history. Following Saturday's game, California teams are now 3-12 when playing in Green Bay during the months of December and January since 1950, including playoffs. The team that has won all three times? -- the 49ers. 

49ers-Rams Preview: The stage is now set for the NFC Championship as the 49ers will travel to southern California to face the Los Angeles Rams for a third time this season in a battle between division rivals. While the Niners swept the season series against the Rams this season and are riding a six-game winning streak against their fellow NFC West counterparts, beating anybody three times in a season doesn't happen often and certainly doesn't come easy. After taking out the rival Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round, the Rams knocked off Tom Brady and the defending champion Buccaneers in Tampa, but not before another blown lead and some late drama. If the last match-up between these two teams which took place just three weeks ago is any indication of how things will play out in the NFC title game, San Francisco should feel right at home as their fans showed up in droves for the regular season-finale. However, the Rams are trying to put a stop to that and avoid a repeat of another red and gold invasion as they've teamed up with NFL partners Ticket Master to cancel fans outside of the greater Los Angeles area from purchasing tickets to the big game. Scared, much? With a ticket to the Super Bowl on the line in the same stadium that they'll be in this weekend, Shanahan and the 49ers will look to make it a seventh consecutive victory over Sean McVay and the Rams. 

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49ers Beat Cowboys in Wild Playoff Win

Super Wild Card Weekend - A day after the 26th anniversary of the San Francisco 49ers beating the Dallas Cowboys in the 1995 NFC Championship that punched the Niners' ticket to Super Bowl 29, the two teams would renew their rivalries in the playoffs on Sunday, marking the first time since 1998 that both teams made the playoffs in the same season. In the first playoff meeting between these two storied franchises since three straight bouts in the NFC Championship from 1992-94, Sunday's game would be another classic in the long standing rivalry. In fact, the last four times the 49ers and Cowboys met in the playoffs, the winner went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and win the Super Bowl (1981, 1992, 1993, 1994). 

Entering the game facing a Dallas Cowboys (12-5) team that made history by becoming just the third team since 1960 to lead the NFL in total offense, scoring offense and takeaways, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers (10-7) squad knew their first round opponent would not be a walk in the park. However, through much of the game and most of the first half, San Francisco would have their way with Dallas on both sides of the ball. Receiving the opening-kickoff and starting the game on offense, the 49ers' success since the second half of the season would roll right into their first possession of the ball game as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo helped orchestrate a touchdown-scoring drive right out of the gates. Taking a stranglehold from the first play on, the 49ers found the end zone with a 4-yard rushing touchdown from rookie running back Elijah Mitchell. Equally as impressive would be San Francisco's defense, starting the game with a QB sack on 3rd and long to force a Dallas punt. Adding a pair of Robbie Gould field goals on each of their next two possessions, the 49ers would quickly jump out to a 13-0 advantage. 

Dallas' high-powered offense was held off the scoreboard and out of the end zone for the entire first quarter, a trend Cowboys fans have grown accustomed to considering the dubious streak has now reached seven straight home playoff games in which the Cowboys have failed to score a 1st quarter touchdown. You'd have trace back to the 1996 Wild Card game to find the last touchdown scored by a Cowboy in the first quarter -- a 2-yard TD run by Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman. However, it wouldn't be long before Dallas' league-best offense eventually found the end zone as Dak Prescott hit Amari Cooper in the end zone for a 20-yard score. Adding another field goal to give the Niner offense four straight scoring-drives to start the game, San Francisco went into their locker room at the half boasting a 16-7 lead. While confident with a double-digit lead at the half, the 49ers knew first-hand that they could not take their foot off the pedal after being in a similar predicament themselves a week ago when the roles were reversed and the Niners found themselves in a 17-0 hole to the division rival Rams. 

With both teams exchanging punts to open the second half, the 49er defense would force the game's first turnover when a Dak Prescott pass was intercepted by K'Waun Williams who had missed the season-finale against the Rams after being placed in Covid protocols. Returning to the field in a big way, the San Francisco offense knew just what to do with the takeaway. Following the turnover, receiver Deebo Samuel went up to coach Shanahan and demanded the ball on the very next play. The first time All-Pro wide-out would get his wish and the ball, taking it 26-yards to the house for a touchdown to put his team ahead, 23-7. Looking to put the rare Prescott interception behind them and his first since Week 14, it wouldn't be until the fourth quarter when Dallas would finally piece together some success. After adding a Greg Zuerlein field goal to make it a 23-10 ballgame thanks to a successful fake-punt attempt, the Cowboys would find themselves a golden opportunity after an errant pass from Garoppolo was picked off on San Francisco's ensuing possession. Capitalizing on the turnover just like the Niners did, Dak and company would make it a six-point game as the Cowboys signal-caller ran it in himself for a 5-yard score. 

Leading 23-17, the 49ers suddenly found themselves in a vulnerable position after suffering a trio of injuries on defense as Jordan Willis (ankle) and Pro Bowlers Nick Bosa (concussion) and Fred Warner (ankle) were all forced to leave the game with injuries. After San Francisco failed to make it a two-score game, the 49er defense would be asked to step up and deliver a much needed stop. Facing a 4th and 11 near midfield, the Niners D would answer the call by forcing a turnover on downs. In need of a big first down, the 49ers thought they had the game won on a handoff to Deebo Samuel as the referees called on the chain gang and gave him a first down that would've sealed the win. However, further review would show Deebo just shy of the first down marker, bringing up 4th and inches. Dialing up a QB-sneak, Garoppolo appeared to gain the first down, but not before a false start penalty on Trent Williams. Punting the ball back to Dallas, the Cowboys would get one final shot with 40-seconds remaining and no timeouts left. Prescott and company would move the chains on back to back completions of 20 and 10 yards, before a 9 yard pass got them to the 50 yard-line. But it would be there where the Cowboys turned into their own worst enemy and the drama intensified as Prescott ran up the middle for a 17-yard gain. Unbeknownst to them, the Dallas o-line ran to the line of scrimmage at the San Francisco 24 yard-line and attempted to spike the ball with 1-second remaining, but failed to allow the official to set the ball before hiking it as the game-clock hit double-zero.  

Escaping Dallas by the skin of their teeth and avoiding heartbreak, the 49ers punched their ticket to the next round with the 23-17 victory. Leading the way on offense, San Francisco's ground attack which ranks 7th-best in the league, rushed for 169 yards compared to Dallas' 77. While Elijah Mitchell rushed for a game-high 96 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, Deebo Samuel was not far behind. Deebo who became the first 49ers wide-receiver to score a rushing touchdown in a playoff game since at least 1950, continued his historic season by rushing for 72 yards, the most rush yards by a WR in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era, while adding a rushing touchdown of his own. Samuel would also add another 38 yards on 3 receptions to put him over the century mark in total yards. The 49ers offensive-line welcomed back All-Pro Trent Williams from his elbow injury after missing Week 18, and were able to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (16 of 25 pass attempts, 172 yards, 1 interception) on his feet all afternoon long by registering a clean game with zero sacks allowed. In comparison, the San Francisco defense pressured Dallas QB Dak Prescott (23 of 43, 254 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) into five sacks on the day. 

After leading the league in penalties and ranking No. 2 in penalty yards during the regular season, the Cowboys did not do themselves any favors on Sunday, committing a total of 14 infractions which tied them for the second-most penalties all-time in a playoff game and the most ever in a playoff loss. All of which helped contribute to Dallas' loss which now means the Cowboys have not made it to the NFC Championship since their last Super Bowl-winning season in 1995, setting a dubious record of 11 straight playoff appearances without reaching the Conference Championship. Having feasted on inferior opponents all season long within their own division (6-0 vs NFC East, 6-5 vs the rest of the league), the Cowboys proved once again under head coach Mike McCarthy that they were unable to answer the call against a battle-tested 49ers team that has been playing their best ball since getting off to a 3-5 start to the season. 

Niners-Packers Preview: Advancing to the next round, the 49ers will head to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field where they'll face off against the No. 1 seeded Green Bay Packers. Entering the showdown with the reigning MVP in Aaron Rodgers who could very well earn his second straight MVP Award and his fourth overall this season, the 49ers have a chance to avenge their first loss of the season -- a 30-28 last-second defeat at Levi's Stadium back in Week 3. Winners in 8 of their last 10 games following Sunday's playoff win over Dallas, the 49ers will look to deny the Northern California native Aaron Rodgers for a fourth time in the playoffs. Opposite of Rodgers who will be facing the team he grew up rooting for, will be Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo who is listed to have a "slightly" sprained right shoulder, but is expected to play in time for Saturday's game. San Francisco defensive-end Nick Bosa will also be worth keeping an eye on as he sits in concussion protocol after leaving Sunday's game late in the second quarter. As for their former All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, what was originally feared to be a knee injury, turned out to be an ankle injury that shouldn't keep the durable defensive leader out of next week's game. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Punch Ticket to Playoffs with Wild Comeback vs Rams

Week 18 - When the NFL committee brought to the table the idea of expanding their regular season schedule from 17 weeks to 18, as well as adding a third Wild Card team to the playoff picture, the owners of course saw the extra dollar signs it would mean for their wallets, but it also meant the likelihood of more theatrics in that 18th and final game. One thing that was certain on Sunday, is that there was no shortage of those theatrics and drama when the day finally came to an end. If there was ever a game that defined the resilience of Kyle Shanahan's San Francisco 49ers team (9-7), it was certainly this one. The phrase, "a tale of two halves" gets thrown around a lot in football, but never would that saying be more true than to describe the game that took place in the regular season-finale on Sunday at L.A.'s SoFi Stadium. In front of a packed house that was overrun by Niner fans, a pair of NFC West rivals would face off with plenty on the line. While the Los Angeles Rams (12-4) were seeking a division crown with a win or a loss from the Arizona Cardinals who had their hands full with the Seattle Seahawks, the visiting 49ers were fighting for their playoff lives. 

Entering Sunday's game as the 6th seed in the NFC's playoff picture, the 49ers needed a win against the Rams, or a loss from the New Orleans Saints who were waiting in the shadows facing the Atlanta Falcons. But after the Saints jumped out to an early lead, the Niners knew if they wanted things done, they'd have to do it themselves. And with wins over the Rams in five straight games dating back to 2019, there was no reason to believe these 49ers weren't capable of getting the job done. However, through the game's first two quarters, it didn't seem likely that head coach Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team was going to be playing any football this season beyond Sunday. Things looked gloomy for the Niners even before kickoff as they learned an hour before Sunday's game that they'd be heading into battle shorthanded, ruling out two of their most important players in left-tackle Trent Williams and cornerback K'Waun Williams. Adding insult to injury, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who missed Week 17 with a torn ligament in his thumb, was limited in practice all week, yet still had enough confidence from his head coach to be given the nod to start Sunday's must-win game. 

Much like the 49ers who came out guns blazing in their Week 10 match-up at Levi's Stadium on Monday Night Football, the Rams came out firing on all cylinders to start Sunday's game by jumping out to a 17-0 advantage. With two punts and an interception to show for following San Francisco's first three offensive possessions, the 49ers were in need of any spark they could get before the half. Finally forcing a punt with less than a minute remaining in the first half, the 49er defense was able to get off the field and at least give the offense a chance to get something going when they needed it most. Highlighted by a 26-yard gain from Jimmy G to receiver Brandon Aiyuk, the Niner offense was able to march 61-yards in five plays before setting up kicker Robbie Gould for a field goal to get San Francisco on the board. But even the field goal attempts wouldn't come easy for the 49ers as punter and placeholder Mitch Wishnowsky had to check out of the game early in the second quarter after sustaining a head injury when attempting to make a tackle during one of San Francisco's punts. Luckily, for the Niners, their Pro Bowl fullback and emergency QB Kyle Juszczyk would step up and fill the void.

With an unblemished track record of 45-wins and 0-losses including playoffs when leading at the half under head coach Sean McVay, which happens to be the longest streak of its kind to begin a head coaching career in the Super Bowl era, there was plenty reason to believe the Rams were headed for another victory as they entered the locker room leading, 17-3. But if anybody was going to spoil that streak, it would be McVay's friend and former colleague Kyle Shanahan who has had McVay's number for as long as they've been NFC Western Division rivals. And with San Francisco receiving the ball to open the second half, the field goal they were able to put on the scoreboard just before halftime was all they needed to spark a shift in momentum. Opening the second half with the same confidence they closed out the first with, Garoppolo again connected on a big play to Brandon Aiyuk for a 31-yard gain. Several plays later, the 49ers would call on their Swiss Army Knife in Deebo Samuel who took a handoff 16-yards to the house for their first touchdown of the afternoon. Cutting into L.A.'s lead, the 49ers suddenly found themselves right back in the game after forcing the Rams to punt on their ensuing possession. 

After rushing for a touchdown on their previous drive, Deebo Samuel would again be front and center for the 49er offense, this time taking a handoff to the right and launching a pass into the end zone to a wide-open Jauan Jennings. With the game now tied, the 49ers would intercept Stafford on the Rams' ensuing possession, but would be forced to punt the ball with Robbie Gould thrusted into the punter position for the first time since 2007. After forcing a punt of their own, the San Francisco offense would knock on the door of taking their first lead of the ballgame as they marched inside the Rams' 20 yard line, but an errant pass into traffic from Garoppolo to tight-end George Kittle would result in the second pick of the day from the 49ers QB, as L.A.'s Jalen Ramsey made a juggling catch in the end zone. Knowing just what to do with it, L.A. quarterback Matthew Stafford fed his star receiver Cooper Kupp with a number of plays, including a 30-yard pass on third and six and a 4-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to put the Rams back on top. With both teams exchanging punts, the 49ers would get the ball back with 1:27 remaining in the 4th quarter. Running the two-minute offense to perfection, Garoppolo would hit Aiyuk and Samuel for big gains with receptions of 21 and 43 yards, respectively. And with 31-seconds remaining, Garoppolo would find a wide-open Jennings cutting in the middle of the field for the game-tying touchdown from 14-yards out to send the game into overtime. 

Winning the coin-toss and electing to receive the ball, the 49er offense embarked on a 14-play, 79-yard drive, but was forced to settle for another field goal after making it inside L.A.'s 10-yard line before sputtering with three straight plays of 1-yard or fewer. Taking their first lead of the game in overtime, all eyes would be on the San Francisco defense who were in need of a turnover to punch their ticket to the playoffs after the Saints marched to a 30-20 victory over Atlanta. Not only would the Niners get their turnover, but they'd get it from one of the most unlikeliest of heroes as rookie corner Ambry Thomas who has struggled in his young career and has been on the giving end of many touchdown receptions, including the second touchdown reception of the day from Rams tight-end Tyler Higbee. But when they needed it most, Thomas came down with the game-sealing play when he intercepted a deep pass intended for Odell Beckham Jr., the first of his career, to punch San Francisco's ticket to the postseason. Winning by a final score of 27-24, San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo, thumb-splint and all, won his sixth straight game against the Rams, the third-longest streak of QB wins versus the Rams since the 1970 merger, throwing for 316 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions in the win. 

49ers running back Elijah Mitchell led all backs with 85 yards on 21 carries, as Deebo Samuel followed with 45 yards and a touchdown on eight rush attempts. Hauling in four receptions for another 95 yards receiving, Deebo also threw for 24 yards and a touchdown in his only pass attempt. Sunday would mark the best game of the season receiving-wise from wide-outs Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings who each caught six balls for 107 and 94 yards, respectively, with Jennings hauling in a pair of touchdown receptions. L.A.'s Cooper Kupp continued his record-setting season by catching passes for 118 yards receiving and a touchdown from QB Matthew Stafford who threw for 238 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, on his way to surpassing Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner (4,830 in 2001) for the most passing yards in a season by a Ram, albeit with an extra game added to the NFL's regular season schedule. Stafford also tied Warner's (1999) record for the most passing TD's in a season in Rams history with 31. Despite the loss, the Rams still managed to win the division as Arizona failed to win at home against the Seahawks. The Rams who have now dropped six straight against the Niners since 2019, are 31-12 vs all other opponents during that span. 

Wild Card Preview: Entering the Playoffs as the sixth seed, the 49ers will hit the road to face the No. 3 seeded Dallas Cowboys (12-5), winners of the NFC East. Spearheaded by quarterback and NFL Comeback Player of the Year candidate Dak Prescott, the Cowboys are just as dangerous on defense as they are on offense. Leading the league in both takeaways (34) and interceptions (26), Dallas is a team the Niners will need a clean game against if they plan to pull off the upset, and can ill-afford another multi-turnover game from Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco will also need to limit any extra-chances they give Dallas' offense which also ranked first in the NFL in total yards and scoring. Having put up 50+ points in two of their last three games, the Cowboys are not a team Kyle Shanahan will want his offense going blow for blow against as Dallas has as much fire power as anybody in all of football. Hoping to have Pro Bowl left-tackle Trent Williams back from his elbow injury in time from the game, the 49ers open as 3-point underdogs and will try to pull off the upset at Dallas' AT&T Stadium with a start time of 4:30pm ET. In his 11th NFL season, Williams who has faced the Cowboys many times dating back to his days in the division with the Washington Redskins, Williams has never been on a playoff-winning team. Coach Shanahan hopes to put an end to that streak this weekend for one of his best players. 

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Lance logs First Career Win as Niners handle Houston

Week 17 - The San Francisco 49ers (8-7) went into their final home game of the season in desperation mode with a must-win game on tap against the visiting Houston Texans (4-11). Despite being tied with the New York Jets for the 2nd-worst record in the AFC, Houston entered the meeting having scored 30+ points in back to back games, while riding their first winning-streak of the season, their most recent game being a 41-29 drubbing of a shorthanded L.A. Chargers team. Led by rookie quarterback Davis Mills, the Texans would look to continue their hot streak against a playoff hopeful Niners team with a rookie quarterback of their own under center. 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans would be up to the task to try and slow down a Houston Texans team that he spent his first six seasons in the NFL with, including an All-Pro campaign and two trips to the Pro Bowl as a linebacker. On a day that featured little offense from either side in the first half, Ryans' squad had answered the call early on to keep their team in the game when the offense was in need of a pick-me-up. 

Both teams would combine for five punts and a turnover on downs in the game's opening quarter, as San Francisco made it across mid-field on their second possession before failing to convert on a 4th and 1 attempt when 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell was stopped short of the first down marker. The second quarter wouldn't be much better for the San Francisco offense as quarterback Trey Lance took awhile to get going, having been missing in action since Week 5. Making only his second career start in place of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, Lance was picked off on San Francisco's first offensive play of the second quarter. Playing in front of the 49er faithful at Levi's Stadium for the first time, those rookie jitters would eventually dissipate for Lance the deeper the game went, but not before Houston struck first. Davis Mills would not shy away from hitting his favorite target as receiver Brandin Cooks hauled in four receptions on Houston's ensuing drive, including an 8-yard grab in the end zone for the game's first touchdown, capping a 16-play, 85-yard drive. While it would mark the first score of the game from either side, the Texans would not find the end zone again the rest of the day. 

After exchanging punts, the 49ers had less than a minute to get on the scoreboard and avoid being shutout in the first half for the first time since Week 5 at Arizona, which was Lance's only other start. Thanks to a pair of big plays on passes to receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, Lance was able to help march his team into field goal range by orchestrating a 7-play, 56-yard drive in just 38-seconds as Robbie Gould split the uprights from 37 yards out to put the Niners on the board. Receiving the ball at the half, the 49er offense started off the second half the same way they closed out the first, with Lance hitting Aiyuk for another big play, this time on a 43-yard gain. However, another 4th and 1 attempt would go up in flames when a passing play ended with an incompletion. Luckily, the 49ers would force a turnover of their own when Marcell Harris intercepted a pass on third down. Finding the end zone with a much-needed touchdown, San Francisco would finally strike pay dirt when Lance hit Eli Mitchell with a short pass for the walk-in score to take a 10-7 lead. After having missed the last three contests with a knee injury, the rookie running back returned to his team in a big way by setting a franchise record for the most rookie rushing yards in 49ers history, passing Vic Washington's 811 yards set in 1971. Rushing for 119 yards on the day, it would be Mitchell's 5th 100-yard rushing performance of the season, something no other 49ers rookie had done more than three times in a season since 1950. 

Entering the fourth quarter with San Francisco leading, 10-7, Sunday's game would mark the 21st consecutive game in which Houston trailed to start the fourth quarter. With a chance to tie the game early in the fourth, Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 45-yard field goal when his seventh miss of the season went wide left. Looking to take advantage of Houston's failed attempt to tie the game, Lance and company would do just that as the Niners' young signal-caller found Deebo Samuel streaking in the middle of the field with a play-action pass for a 45-yard touchdown. Adding a pair of late field goals, the 49ers increased their lead to 23-7, which would stand as the final score. Logging his first career win, Lance would wind up throwing for 249 yards passing, 2 touchdowns and an interception, while adding another 31 yards rushing on 8 carries. Receiver Deebo Samuel hauled in three catches for 63 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another 19 yards on his way to becoming the first player in NFL history with 1,200+ receiving yards and 300+ rushing yards in a season. Brandon Aiyuk compiled a game-high 94-yards on four receptions, continuing his resurgent second half to the season. The San Francisco defense held Texans QB Davis Mills to just 163 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Meanwhile, running back Rex Burkhead was held to just 47 yards on 17 carries, this after a career-high 149 yards rushing a week ago. 

Week 18 Preview: There will be plenty of scoreboard watching in the final week of the NFL's regular season, especially for the 49ers (9-7) and their fans. Entering the conclusion of the 2020-21 regular season schedule, San Francisco currently sits in the 6th spot out of the possible seven playoff seeds. Just behind the Niners are the New Orleans Saints (8-8) who also won on Sunday after defeating the division rival Carolina Panthers, 18-10. All leading up to a dramatic finish to the season with the final NFC Wild Card spot on the line, the 49ers can punch their ticket to the playoffs by simply winning on Sunday against their NFC West rivals Los Angeles Rams (12-4) who recently overtook first place in the division a week ago and are coming off a victory on the road in Baltimore, or a Saints loss. New Orleans will be on the road to take on the rival Atlanta Falcons, who beat the Saints in their first meeting this season. If both the 49ers lose and the Saints win on Sunday, San Francisco would be eliminated from playoff contention. Winners of five straight against the Rams, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will try to prevent that from happening by besting his friend and former colleague Sean McVay for a sixth straight time and for the first time at L.A.'s new SoFi Stadium with actual fans in attendance. Whether it will be Trey Lance under center for a second consecutive week or the return of Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, we still don't know. 

But of course, nothing can ever come easy for the Niners who as of Monday, may potentially be forced to play without a trio of key players on defense, specifically in the secondary where they're already depleted as safety Jimmie Ward and cornerbacks K'Waun Williams and Dontae Johnson have all been added to the Covid-19 reserve list. Talk about poor timing as the last game of the regular season will now be the most important for San Francisco who will need as much help as possible. 

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