Third Time a Charm - 49ers Back in Super Bowl following Epic Comeback over Lions

Playoffs - For the two teams meeting in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, no two clubs sit on completely opposite spectrums in terms of franchise success more than the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. While the 49ers own the most title game appearances in NFL history making their 19th appearance on Sunday, the Lions are the only NFC team yet to host or win a conference title game despite being one of the five oldest NFL franchises in all of football. And while it didn't look good for the 49er Faithful through the game's first two quarters, history once again repeated itself on Sunday and proved to be a thorn in the side of the Detroit Lions once more. During the NFL's regular season, quarterback Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers rarely found themselves trailing late in games and because of that, they did not have a single game-winning drive or fourth-quarter comeback under their belt all year. In the playoffs, however, they've had two in just as many games, pulling a rabbit out of their hat against both the Green Bay Packers and now the Detroit Lions. 

After erasing their first deficit of five or more points in the fourth quarter under head coach Kyle Shanahan a week ago against Green Bay, the 49ers did the unthinkable again by rallying from being down 17-points in the second half versus Detroit. The comeback would tie a 49ers franchise record for their largest playoff comeback, while also overcoming the largest halftime deficit in conference championship game history as teams were 0-21 all-time entering Sunday when trailing by 17+ at the half. With the Niners winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, it was the Lions offense that came out guns blazing to the tune of a 4-play, 75-yard drive that ended in the end zone following a 42-yard touchdown run by wide-receiver Jameson Williams. Looking to match Detroit's opening-drive score, the 49ers marched across midfield and into field goal range where rookie kicker Jake Moody missed wide-right on a 48-yard field goal attempt. Before you knew it, Detroit suddenly had a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter as many at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium looked stunned while their team's defense had absolutely no answer for the Lions' rushing attack. 

As soon as the first quarter came to an end, the San Francisco offense finally got rolling. 49ers running back sensation Christian McCaffrey took a short pass 28 yards and into the red zone where he would capitalize just two plays later with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. With the 49ers on the board and now trailing 14-7, their offensive woes in the first half were all but solved as their following possession ended in a third down interception when Purdy was pressured into throwing an errant pass into a sea of defenders. Several plays later, Detroit again found the end zone, this time by way of a 15-yard rushing touchdown by rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs. They would not be done there, however, adding a Mike Badgley field goal to take a commanding 24-7 lead at the half. Racking up 148 yards rushing on 21 carries thru the first two quarters, the Lions torched the 49er defense for the most rushing yards allowed in the first half in the seven seasons under coach Kyle Shanahan. 

With world renowned San Francisco-based band Journey performing at halftime, the song "Don't stop believin'" was played and was clearly the motto the 49ers coaching staff went with inside the locker room before the team came out in the second half to the tune of 27 unanswered-points. Despite the early hole the team dug themselves in, coach Shanahan's guys never wavered and took things one drive at a time, chipping away on offense and getting the much-needed stops on defense that eluded them in the first half. After settling for a field goal on their first possession to open the second half, the 49ers scored back-to-back touchdowns to tie the game at 24-all. Taking advantage of a pair of costly mistakes by Detroit on a 4th down gamble by head coach Dan Campbell to go for it instead of settling for a very manageable field goal attempt and a Gibbs fumble on the Lions' first play following San Francisco's first touchdown of the second half, the Niners suddenly found themselves right back in the thick of things. 

Before they stole all the momentum, the 49ers got a little luck on a 51-yard pass that Purdy launched towards the end zone that bounced off the helmet of a Lions defender and into the air where a leaping Brandon Aiyuk came down with the unbelievable catch that he would later credit to a ladybug that paid him a visit during pregame warmups. Purdy would award the efforts of his receiver just three plays later with a 6-yard touchdown pass to pull the Niners within seven. Cashing in on the Lions fumble, Purdy helped get his team inside the red zone with a 21-yard run that sparked a big second half for the 49ers QB on the ground. Two plays later, it was McCaffrey again who plowed into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown following Moody's point-after. After forcing a Detroit punt, the Niners took their first lead of the night on a 33-yard field goal. 

With another turnover on downs by the Lions offense despite again being in field goal range and trailing by only 3-points, coach Dan Campbell's gambling ways came back to haunt them once more. Seeking the final blow on offense, Purdy and McCaffrey -- two of the league's top MVP candidates, led the way and orchestrated an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from backup running back Elijah Mitchell who was summoned to fill-in for McCaffrey who needed a breather following a big 25-yard run on the prior play. Purdy also came up big on the play before McCaffrey's big gain, using his legs to pick up another 21-yards and move the chains on a key 3rd down conversion that kept the drive alive.

Trailing by 10 with just over 3-minutes remaining, Detroit was in need of a quick score if they wanted to pull off a stunning comeback of their own. Aided by a big play on a 25-yard reception from Lions quarterback Jared Goff to receiver Josh Reynolds, Detroit marched their way to the 1-yard line before a big stop by the duo of San Francisco's Javon Kinlaw and Fred Warner which led to a 2-yard loss. But on 4th down from inside the 5, Goff connected on a pass in the back of the end zone to Jameson Williams, cutting the deficit to a field goal with 1-minute remaining. Lining up for an on-side kick, 49ers tight-end George Kittle scooped up the ball which allowed Purdy and the offense to milk the rest of the clock and seal the 34-31 victory for San Francisco. 

In what will go down as a classic game and live forever in 49ers lore, it was certainly a whirlwind of emotions for both sides and from players and fans alike. Before pulling off their epic comeback when trailing by 17-points, one Detroit Lions player went as far as waving goodbye to 49er fans sitting in attendance. That player would be none other than cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson who has had an ongoing beef with Deebo Samuel of the 49ers dating back to last season's NFC title game loss to Philadelphia, who even tried getting in a cheap-shot during Purdy's second quarter interception. Hopefully those same fans stuck around and returned the favor with the waving as it was Deebo and company who got the last laugh on Sunday. In the end, Detroit was left seeking their first road win in San Francisco since 1971 and their first ever Super Bowl appearance, as their road playoff losing streak has now reached an NFL record 11 straight. As for the 49ers, coach Shanahan is now 6-0 at home in his playoff career. 

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 267 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in the win, while also adding another 48 yards rushing on 5 carries, giving him 315 combined yards which are the most ever by a 49ers QB in a conference title game victory. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished with 132 all purpose yards after 90 on the ground and another 42 receiving, as well as another pair of touchdowns to give him 25 on the season, breaking a tie with the great Jerry Rice for the most in team history in a single-season including playoffs. Deebo Samuel who was questionable to even play in Sunday's game with a shoulder injury, finished with a team-high 89-yards receiving on 8 receptions. 

Super Bowl Preview: After defeating the Lions to punch their ticket to the big game, the San Francisco 49ers logged their 38th playoff win in franchise history, breaking a tie with the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots for the most in NFL history. They will attempt to add one more win to that total in two weeks from now when they face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas in what will be a rematch of Super Bowl 54 which took place in Miami just 4 years ago. With a laundry list of storylines, the QB matchup is always one of the biggest headlines and this year is no different. While Mahomes versus Purdy might not be the big sexy QB match-up pundits wanted, the meeting does pin a QB vying to become arguably the greatest of all-time against another QB who has already laid claim to being the greatest Mr. Irrelevant of all-time in only his second season in the league and first full season as a starter. Already the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a pass in the NFL, Brock Purdy will now become the first player with that title to appear in a Super Bowl. Despite being one of the leading MVP candidates and even being the frontrunner to win the award for a good portion of the season, Purdy doesn't seem to have much of a chance prevailing over Mahomes according to NFL analysts, even with Vegas oddsmakers saying otherwise. 

Other storylines feature the McCaffrey family as Niners running back Christian McCaffrey will be playing in his first career Super Bowl, hoping to become just the second father-son duo to win a Super Bowl title with the same franchise. Before he was a back-to-back Super Bowl champion and a go-to target for the John Elway-led Broncos that won a pair of titles under Kyle's father Mike Shanahan, Christian's father Ed McCaffrey won a Super Bowl as a wide-receiver with the 49ers in 1994, their most recent championship. Kyle Shanahan will also try to join his father Mike by winning his first Super Bowl as head coach. Another is 49ers left-tackle and future Hall of Famer Trent Williams who is heading to his first Super Bowl after 14 seasons in the NFL. 

The betting lines opened up with San Francisco touted as 2.5 point favorites, but that spread has since dropped to just 1-point in favor of the 49ers. With Mahomes on the other side and the Chiefs being the reigning Super Bowl champs, it's hard to bet against a team that has proven time and time again that they know how to flip the switch and get things done come playoff time. For San Francisco, the team can ill-afford another slow start like the ones they've had in each of the last two games against the Packers and Lions, especially against a Patrick Mahomes-led offense, which in spite of being less potent than they were in their previous Super Bowl meeting against the Niners, are still very dangerous as proven in their playoff journey this season. The key to success in slowing and stopping Mahomes lies in pressuring the QB and containing his favorite target Travis Kelce. With a lackluster receiving corps in comparison to years past, the future Hall of Fame tight-end is the one guy the San Francisco defense has to keep tabs on and cannot let beat them. The 49ers will also have a tough task against the Kansas City defense which is also much improved since the last time they met in the big game. 

After dispatching the No. 1-seeded Ravens on the road in Baltimore to win the AFC and eliminating the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, both on the road, Kansas City will be making their fourth Super Bowl appearance in the last five seasons under head coach Andy Reid. For head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers, the team hopes to get their revenge after spoiling a 10-point fourth quarter lead against K.C. back in 2020, when the team was oh so close to winning their elusive sixth Super Bowl title.  

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Purdy leads Offense on 4th Quarter Comeback vs Pack to Inch Niners closer to Super Bowl

Playoffs - Continuing their quest for a sixth Super Bowl title and the franchise's first since the 1994 season, the NFC's number 1 seed San Francisco 49ers opened their 2023 Playoff campaign by playing host to the 7 seed Green Bay Packers. With Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad enjoying a Bye week in the NFL's Wild Card round a week earlier, the team watched and prepped from afar as the Packers became the youngest team in NFL history to win a playoff game following their blowout 48-32 win on the road over the 2 seed Dallas Cowboys. With no easy task remaining on the schedule for anyone at this point in the NFL season, San Francisco still opened up at the casinos as double-digit favorites with a trip to the NFC title game on the line. But with inclement weather in the forecast and rain expected to fall virtually all night long, the two teams that have met more than any others in the playoffs, would take centerstage on a wet and soggy field at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium. With the poor field conditions hindering both teams in all facets, the Niners would see their home field advantage dwindle as the playing field was leveled against an inferior opponent due in large part to the weather. 

As far as streaks go, Green Bay entered Saturday's Divisional round meeting against San Francisco riding a 4-game winning streak. In what would be the 10th postseason meeting all-time between the two franchises, the most in NFL history, the Niners entered the latest chapter of this rivalry with four straight wins in the head-to-head matchup, dating back to 2013. But with how the game started as San Francisco lost one of their best players in Deebo Samuel to a shoulder injury just several plays into their first drive and how things were shaping out even into the final minutes of the fourth quarter, it looked like Green Bay was finally on their way to ending their skid against the team that has ended their season so often over the last decade plus. Winning the coin-toss and electing to receive, the Packers began the game with a long opening-drive that lasted nearly 8-minutes on 16-plays, before having to settle for a field goal. After forcing a punt on San Francisco's opening possession, quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers offense were right back at it, making it to the red zone before stalling out inside the 15-yard line when Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur dialed up a QB sneak that was denied on 4th and 1, resulting in a turnover on downs. 

Taking advantage of Green Bay deciding to leave points off the board, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy began to kickstart the offense despite having trouble gripping the ball virtually all game long, showing just how uncomfortable he was throwing the ball in the rain. Even electing to go with a throwing glove in the early going, Purdy soon ditched the glove just one series later. But on one of his better throws of the night, San Francisco's signal-caller stepped up on a 3rd and 5 and launched a deep ball 32-yards into the end zone where he found tight-end George Kittle for the go-ahead touchdown. With the Packers adding another field goal on their next drive to make it a 1-point game, San Francisco had hoped to add to their lead before heading into the half, but a 48-yard field goal attempt by 49ers kicker Jake Moody was blocked to keep it a 7-6 San Francisco advantage thru the first two quarters. Opening the second half just as flat on offense as they did in the first, the 49ers were held to a three and out on their first possession of the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Packers began the half with their best offensive possession yet, aided by a 41-yard defensive pass interference call on 3rd and 15 by Niners cornerback Ambry Thomas who had a forgetful night for the San Francisco secondary.

One play later, Love found a wide-open receiver in the end zone as rookie Bo Melton hauled in his one and only grab on the night and made it count from 19-yards out for a touchdown. Igniting what would be a series of back-and-forth scores between the two teams, San Francisco answered on the other end with back-to-back big plays, the first of which on a 32-yard reception from Purdy to Kittle. Running back Christian McCaffrey would let his presence be known on the next play, taking a handoff up the middle and breaking a tackle on his way to paydirt as San Francisco retook a 14-13 lead. The Niners' lead would be short-lived, however, as the Packers nearly got it back on the ensuing kickoff as return man Keisean Nixon almost took it to the house before being stopped from behind and fumbling the ball. With Green Bay recovering the fumble, the 73-yard return by Nixon helped his team reclaim the lead with Love finding tight-end Tucker Kraft all alone just a few plays later for a 2-yard touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion on a bubble-screen to a wide-open Aaron Jones, the Packers took a 21-14 lead, their largest of the night. 

Forcing another San Francisco punt, Green Bay appeared to have the Niners right where they wanted them, with a chance to add to their lead and make it a two-score game. But Jordan Love who was red-hot entering Saturday's game having thrown 21 touchdowns to just 1 interception since Week 10, threw two costly interceptions down the stretch in what was the biggest game of his career up to this point. The first of which on an errant pass that was tipped, making for an easy pick by Niners linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Although they would only get a field goal out of it as Jake Moody split the uprights from 52-yards out, the bit into the deficit to make it a 21-17 game to start the fourth quarter. With trips to the red zone on each of their first five possessions, Green Bay was held to their first punt of the night on their first drive of the fourth quarter. Holding San Francisco to a punt of their own, Packers running back Aaron Jones appeared to have dealt the final blow on the first play of their next possession, finding a hole and darting ahead for a 53-yard gain to put him over the 100-yard mark, becoming the first 100+ yard rusher allowed by the 49ers in 51 games, snapping the longest active streak in the NFL. 

The big night for Jones would be just another day at the office for the Packers back who eclipsed the century mark for the fifth consecutive game. Unfortunately for Green Bay, their drive would stall out there, settling for an Anders Carlson field goal that he missed wide left from 41-yards out. No kicker had missed more kicks all season than Carlson who's 13th miss of the year would prove to be the most costly, keeping it a 4-point game. Taking over with under 7-minutes remaining in regulation, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who hadn't played particularly well while battling the elements, would have yet another chance to silence the critics. With a trip to the NFC title game on the line, Purdy would lead his team down the field by orchestrating a 13-play, 69-yard drive, converting on two key third downs before handing the ball off to his running back Christian McCaffrey who plowed forward 6-yards for his second rushing touchdown of the evening. With just 1:07 remaining in the fourth, the 49ers found themselves back on top leading 24-21. 

Since taking over the 49ers' head coaching job in 2017, no head coach has had a worse record when trailing by more than 5 points entering the fourth quarter than San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan who owned a dismal record of 0-31, including playoffs. But against his good friend and former colleague Matt LaFleur, Shanahan's team would find a way to pull it out and end the streak. Having a knack for trying to play hero-ball in an up and down first half of the season, Love reverted back to his old ways on a last-ditch effort on their ensuing possession. With a 1st & 10 from their own 36-yard line, Love was flushed from the pocket and threw an off-balance pass across the field and into trouble as San Francisco's Dre Greenlaw made a diving grab to secure his second interception of the night and seal the win for the 49ers, but not before stressing out the fans and his coaches alike by running around and breaking a few tackles when all he needed to do was go down. After being questionable to even play in Saturday's game with an Achilles injury, Greenlaw came up with two of the biggest plays of the game on defense and the only two interceptions on the night as San Francisco sent Green Bay home early in the playoffs for a fifth straight time. 

In the win, Brock Purdy threw for 252 yards and 1 touchdown on 23 of 39 pass attempts. 49ers tight-end George Kittle caught a touchdown pass and led his team in receiving yards with 81, followed by receiver Jauan Jennings who stepped up in the absence of Deebo Samuel in the opening quarter with 5 receptions for 61 yards. Running back Christian McCaffrey tallied 128 total yards, including 98 on the ground and rushed for 2 touchdowns on 17 carries, tying him with the great Jerry Rice for the most scrimmage TDs in a season (including playoffs) in 49ers franchise history with 23. Meanwhile, Jordan Love who tallied his lowest passer rating since Week 9 (72.4), threw for 194 yards on 21 of 34 attempts, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the loss for Green Bay. Romeo Doubs finished with a game-high 83-yards receiving on 4 receptions and running back Aaron Jones led all rushers with 108 yards on 18 carries. 

NFC Championship Preview: Making his second trip to the NFC Championship game in as many years as a pro will be 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. As for his team, it'll be San Francisco's third straight title game appearance and their fourth trip to the NFC Championship in the last five seasons. Looking to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, the 49ers will play host to the No. 3 seed Detroit Lions who stand in their way. Winners of the NFC North, Lions quarterback Jared Goff who is 0-5 in his last five meetings against the Niners, leads an explosive Detroit offense who's list of weapons are second to only that of the 49ers. The Lions advanced to only their second-ever NFC title game in franchise history and the organization's first since 1991 after dispatching the No. 4 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23 on Sunday. Eying their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, Lions QB Jared Goff hopes to make it to a second Super Bowl after losing to the Patriots as a member of the Rams in 2018. 

In what is expected to be another hard-fought battle for the 49ers, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan knows his team can ill-afford another performance like the one his team mustered up against Green Bay. And with no rain projected in the forecast, it's unlikely they'll get another sloppy performance from their QB in what will be the biggest game of his life as last year's Mr. Irrelevant goes toe-to-toe with a former 1st overall pick at quarterback. Another area San Francisco will need to do much better in is getting to the quarterback as the 49ers failed to record a single sack versus the Packers. They'll also need to clean up some of the penalties that hurt them in the Divisional round, specifically on defense in the secondary. One key going into the game will be whether or not Brock Purdy will have Deebo Samuel at his disposal, as the self-proclaimed wide-back will be a game-time decision with a shoulder injury that kept him out of all but the opening-drive against Green Bay. If history repeats itself, the 49ers will at least have that in their favor as the Lions have lost 13 consecutive road playoff games with their last road playoff win taking place on November 22, 1957 against the 49ers in the NFL Championship. However, the 49ers currently own a 13-game home win streak against the Lions dating back to 1975. 

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Rams Prevail over Niners in Battle of the Benches

Week 18 - Other than a minor tune-up heading into the NFL playoffs, Sunday's game between the (12-4) San Francisco 49ers and (9-7) Los Angeles Rams served little significance with both teams having already clinched playoff spots. But for L.A. who was vying for better playoff seeding with a win and a few rookie records for one of their star receivers, the Rams had a little more to play for in Sunday's regular-season finale. In a rivalry that dates back to 1950, coach Kyle Shanahan and the Niners have had the number of their southern California counterparts, having won nine straight regular-season meetings over the Rams. While that streak was bound to end sooner or later, it probably ended a little sooner than it would have had both teams gone with their starters. Instead, the Rams would prevail in the battle of the backups, logging their first regular-season win over San Francisco in 5 1/2 years. 

With both teams electing to sit their starting quarterbacks among a lengthy list of other notable players, the game would be a match-up between two backup QB's who were thought to be franchise-altering players, now looking to show their worth after being drafted near the top of their respective draft boards in San Francisco's Sam Darnold and L.A.'s Carson Wentz. Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick for the New York Jets in 2018 who had 55 career starts under his belt, would make his first in a 49ers uniform on Sunday. Meanwhile, Wentz who was passed on with the No. 1 overall pick by the Rams in the 2016 NFL Draft before sliding to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 2 pick, would also make his first start of the season in his first game action since Week 17 of the 2022 regular-season. Entering Sunday with a career record of 3-0 against SF, Wentz would snap the Niners' streak of 12 consecutive wins against NFC West opponents, while also improving his own streak against them. 

Darnold and the Niners offense would get off to a strong start on the game's opening-drive as the former USC Trojan went 5-for-5 on passes for 49-yards, before running back Elijah Mitchell rushed up the middle for a 1-yard score to give San Francisco an early 7-0 advantage. For the 49ers, the opening-drive touchdown would be their 10th of the season, the most in the NFL. Los Angeles rookie receiver Puka Nacua who has dazzled in his first year as a pro and has been a pleasant surprise during his first campaign in the Rams offense, would have a chance to break not one but two rookie receiving records for the most receptions and the most receiving yards in a rookie season. Needing one play less than the Niners' 14-play, 75-yard opening-drive, the Rams offense answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive of their own, capped off by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Wentz to Nacua. Orchestrating the longest drive of the first half, Darnold and the 49er offense would answer by retaking the lead on a 20-play, 82-yard drive that lasted just shy of 10-minutes, as the running back tandem of Mitchell and Jordan Mason got the Niners to the doorstep before Darnold was able to charge ahead for his 14th career rushing touchdown. 

Following up what was the longest drive of the first half, Wentz and the Rams would have the shortest drive as the L.A. QB would be intercepted on the first play of their ensuing possession when receiver Tutu Atwell had a pass skip off of his hands and into the air, allowing for a diving grab by a 49er making his season-debut as Tayler Hawkins made the play just days after being elevated from the team's practice squad. However, the turnover would not prove to be costly by the Rams as the 49ers attempted to add to their lead with a Jake Moody field goal before the rookie kicker missed from 38-yards out by doinking the ball off the right upright for his first missed kick of the season inside 40-yards. The 49ers would manage to add to their lead just before halftime as Darnold connected with receiver Chris Conley on the longest play of the game with a 48-yard pass, setting up a 5-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Ronnie Bell just a few plays later. With another miss from Jake Moody, this time on an extra-point for the first time this season, the 49ers took a 20-7 lead at the break. 

Sean McVay's Rams opened the second half with an impressive 20-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 10-minutes and 15-seconds and ended in the end zone with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Wentz to receiver Tyler Johnson for his first score of the season. Like Moody, Rams kicker Brett Maher would also miss on the extra-point attempt, keeping it an 8-point game. After a promising first half on offense, Darnold and the 49ers were shutout in the second half while compiling a measly 26 yards of total offense and were held to just two first downs. San Francisco's 20-13 lead lasted until the 5-minute mark when L.A. benefited from a 48-yard pass-interference penalty. After a few short runs, Wentz took it in himself by plowing forward from 12-yards out for his 11th career rushing touchdown. With momentum suddenly on their side, the Rams would go for the two-point conversion and cashing in on a successful pass from Wentz to Tutu Atwell to take their first lead of the day. 

San Francisco would have one last chance to pull off a comeback following both teams exchanging punts. Taking over possession with no timeouts remaining and just under a minute to go, Darnold connected on an 18-yard pass to Chris Conley for a first down that put them near midfield. Only needing to get into field goal range to give kicker Jake Moody a shot at redemption with a walk-off field goal, Darnold stepped up in the pocket and looked to have a sprinting Jordan Mason all alone for a big gain, but the Niners QB was caught from behind, jarring the ball loose as the Rams came up with the fumble recovery to seal the 21-20 victory for L.A. In the loss, Darnold threw for 189 yards and 1 touchdown and rushed for another score on 7 carries for 19 yards, but was haunted by the game-ending fumble. Wentz also did damage with his legs, leading all rushers with 56 yards and a touchdown on a game-high 17 carries, while throwing for 163 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception in the win. 

Playoff Preview: While the No. 1 seeded 49ers sit back and enjoy their extended rest with the first-round Bye, San Francisco whom owns homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, will await the outcomes of the NFC's Wild Card Round before playing host to the lowest-seeded winner. This weekend's match-ups include: Green Bay @ Dallas, Los Angeles @ Detroit, and Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay. When 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy retakes the field in the NFC's Divisional Round, he'll try to improve the record of starting QB's that have sat out of the final regular season game since 2005 as rested QB's own a record of 10-16 for a winning percentage of .385 in their first playoff game. In comparison, QB's that played in the regular season finale own a record of 112-84 in their first playoff game during that span, a winning percentage of .571. Looking to throw that nonsense out the same window that he has used to throw out all the criticisms he's received this season for being a "game manager", a "system QB" and for being a long shot to even be considered in the NFL's MVP race, Brock Purdy was named to the Pro Bowl earlier in the week, becoming the first 49ers QB selected since Jeff Garcia in 2002. Purdy also surpassed Garcia's franchise-record for the most passing yards in a season by a Niners QB just a week earlier. 

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49ers Right Ship vs Washington, Lock up Top Seed

Week 17 - Looking to bounce back from a blowout loss at home on Christmas night to the Baltimore Ravens, Brock Purdy and the (11-4) San Francisco 49ers set their sights on the (4-11) Washington Commanders in hopes of finishing 2023 by getting back on track with a win. Heading to the nation's capital to face a struggling Commanders team on New Years Eve, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would aim to make Sunday's game their last of the season as members of the road team as a win coupled with a loss from the Philadelphia Eagles would lock up the NFC's No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But before San Francisco could look ahead to the postseason, the meeting against Washington would be especially important for two current members of the 49ers in left-tackle Trent Williams and defensive-end Chase Young, both of whom are former Washington players. Facing off against their former team, Sunday's bout with Washington marked the first time for Williams at FedEx Field as a visitor and Young for the first time of his career at home or away. 

For others, most notably Niners quarterback Brock Purdy, the game would serve as a chance to bounce back as many around the league have written off San Francisco's signal-caller after his putrid 4-interception performance less than a week earlier on Christmas night. By game's end, Purdy would indeed bounce back in a big way with a 124.7 passer rating, on his way to recording the most passing yards in a single season by a 49ers quarterback with 4,280 in just his first year as the starting QB, eclipsing the previous mark of 4,278 passing yards set in 2000 by Jeff Garcia. With Purdy in a three-way race for the league's MVP Award alongside Baltimore's Lamar Jackson and teammate Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers QB would also witness history being made by McCaffrey and a few other of his teammates on Sunday. 

Opening the game on offense, the 49ers were able to march into Washington territory with a busy first drive from McCaffrey who entered the game leading the league in rushing. Making their way to the red zone rather easily, it was there where the Niner offense fizzled out and was forced to settle for a Jake Moody field goal, giving San Francisco an early 3-0 lead. Forcing a three and out at the other end on defense as Washington held the ball for less than a minute in time of possession, the 49ers had a much more successful drive on their second possession. With more touches to McCaffrey, Purdy was able to distribute the ball to both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, as the tandem of receivers helped the offense setup shop at the 2-yard line where Purdy flipped a pass to Deebo who was able to score with a walk-in touchdown. Taking a 10-0 first quarter lead, Washington would flip the script as soon as they started quarter no. 2, answering back with a Joey Slye field goal and a 3-yard touchdown pass to receiver Terry McLaurin. Commanders quarterback Sam Howell who was benched earlier in the week by head coach Ron Rivera for backup QB Jacoby Brissett, suddenly found himself at the forefront of a tie game against the NFC's No. 1 team after being reinserted as the starter with Brissett ruled out a day earlier due to a hamstring injury suffered in Thursday's practice. 

Looking to stave off a late season upset against one of the NFC's worst teams, the 49ers were able to march to Washington's goal-line where they struggled to find the end zone on three straight plays from the 1-yard line. Settling for a field goal, San Francisco took a 13-10 lead into the half with work to do. Making the needed adjustments at halftime, the 49ers defense forced a Washington three and out to open the third quarter. Adding to their lead, Brock Purdy and company put together the longest drive of the afternoon for either team with a 14-play, 68-yard drive that chewed up over 7-minutes of clock. Backup running back Elijah Mitchell who has had a roller coaster season with nagging knee injuries, recorded his best game of the season after filling in for McCaffrey who would leave early in the third quarter with a lower leg injury that was later described as a mild calf strain. Toting the rock for seven carries on the drive, Mitchell punched in his first touchdown of the season with a 2-yard score. 

Putting their clamps down on defense, San Francisco forced back-to-back turnovers with interceptions from Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir on consecutive drives. Turning one of those turnovers into points, Purdy was able to find Aiyuk with a pair of big plays, including a 38-yard connection that put the Niners inside the red zone. Several plays later, Purdy would work a bit of his magic by scrambling out of the pocket to avoid a sack and slinging the ball across the field to find Aiyuk all alone on the left side of the end zone. San Francisco would again make their way to the goal-line, but were unable to punch thru on fourth and goal as Elijah Mitchell was denied a second touchdown on the day. After exchanging punts, the 49ers forced a turnover on downs of their own to seal the 27-10 victory. Making their way to the locker room, several members of the 49ers joined members of the media to catch the ending of the Philadelphia Eagles-Arizona Cardinals game where they witnessed a remarkable comeback win by their division rivals which helped lock up the NFC's top seed for San Francisco. 

In the win, Brock Purdy threw for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also avoiding the turnover bug that plagued him a week earlier. His counterpart Sam Howell was held to just 169 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Elijah Mitchell led all rushers with 80 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, followed by 64 yards on 14 carries by McCaffrey before the injury. McCaffrey also added 27 yards on 4 receptions, becoming the first 49ers player with 2,000+ scrimmage yards since 2006 (Frank Gore), while also posting a new career-high in rushing yards with 1,459. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk had another big day at the office, recording his 6th game of the season with over 100 receiving yards, tallying 114 and a receiving touchdown on 7 receptions. Tight-end George Kittle had only 3 receptions for 29 yards receiving in the win, but did surpass 1,000 yards receiving for the third time in his career as the 49ers became the first team in NFL history with a running back, two wide receivers and a tight-end to each have 1,000-plus scrimmage yards in the same season (McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Deebo and Kittle). They're also just the 4th team in NFL history with a 4,000+ yard passer and 4 players with 1,000+ yards from scrimmage in a season. With the 17-point win, the Niners added to their dominance over the NFC Eastern Division, increasing their point differential to +90, the highest of any team versus an opposing division this season. 

Week 18 Preview: Having already clinched the NFC's top seed, (12-4) San Francisco's regular season dominance over the rival (9-4) L.A. Rams could very well finally come to an end in the team's regular-season finale as head coach Kyle Shanahan will likely sit a majority of his starters in a game with little significance. With nine straight regular season wins over Sean McVay and the Rams, the 49ers are on the cusp of hitting double-digits in consecutive wins against their southern California rivals. Other than a slight tune-up leading up to the 49ers' Playoffs Bye Week in the first round of next week's Wild Card round, I'd be very surprised to see San Francisco's starters out on the field longer than the opening quarter, if at all. The Rams who have also clinched a playoff spot as a Wild Card team after a close call on the road against the Giants, coming off a 26-25 win, are also expected to sit a number of starters. Among those sitting out for L.A. will be QB Matthew Stafford who will be benched in favor of Carson Wentz who will face off against Niners backup Sam Darnold. Sunday's game won't be completely meaningless for the Rams who can seal the NFC's No. 6 seed with a win over the Niners, or they could fall to the 7 seed with a loss and a Green Bay Packers win over the Chicago Bears. 

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