Week 17 - For 49er fans, the 2018 season couldn't end soon enough. And with a Week 17 meeting at the L.A. Coliseum against the (12-3) Los Angeles Rams, the chances of finishing the year on a high note seemed slim to none heading into their season-finale. Despite being without their best player on offense in Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley, Sean McVay's Rams would have no problem disposing of their NFC West rivals with the No. 2 seed in the playoffs on the line. Defensive monstrosity Aaron Donald who's a shoo-in to win Defensive Player of the Year and is vying to become only the third defensive player in NFL history to take home league MVP honors, entered Sunday's game needing three sacks to tie Michael Strahan's single-season sacks record of 22.5 sacks. And after tallying a career-high four sacks against the Niners in their Week 7 meeting in San Francisco earlier this year, tying or surpassing the record was certainly a possibility. And though there would be a new NFL record set in this one, it would be by an offensive player and on the opposing team as 49ers tight-end George Kittle etched his name into the record books once again.
Three weeks after setting the NFL record for the most receiving yards in a first half with 210 and falling just four yards shy of tying the all-time mark in a single-game by a tight-end, the second-year Iowa alum who's already been named to his first career Pro Bowl this season, did it again. This time Kittle would break a record that was set less than an hour earlier. Patriots tight-end Rob Gronkowski's record of 1,326 receiving yards set back in 2011 stood for six seasons until Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce surpassed him in K.C.'s win over the Raiders on Sunday. But that mark would fall just minutes later as Kittle did him one better by scoring a 43-yard touchdown to nab the record in style and finish the season with 1,377 receiving yards. In a season that provided very few bright spots for the 49ers and was predominately marred by injuries, disappointment and so forth, Kittle was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise dismal game for San Francisco.
The Niners offense would get off to as bad a start as possible in the opening quarter when they committed three turnovers via a Kyle Juszczyk fumble and a pair of interceptions by quarterback Nick Mullens. Entering the game having scored 99-points off of turnovers this year, the Rams would add to that total just minutes in as they jumped out to a 14-0 lead following the first two San Francisco miscues. Kicker Robbie Gould would get the Niners on the board with a field goal before the end of the first, but Mullens' third interception of the half would be a pick-six that forced head coach Kyle Shanahan to consider benching Mullens in favor of C.J. Beathard who began to warm up. Fortunately, Mullens would settle in from there and began manufacturing a solid drive of his own before connecting in the end zone with rookie receiver Richie James Jr. for a 9-yard score, logging the first receiving TD of James' career. But by then, the score was already 28-10 and the Rams would add another field goal just before the half. L.A. would pick up right where they left off to open the second half as Rams QB Jared Goff connected for touchdown passes on consecutive drives to receiver Josh Reynolds.
Already thin at the running back position, San Francisco's Jeff Wilson Jr. would need to be carted to the locker room in the first quarter which opened the door for a big game from veteran Alfred Morris who scored a touchdown and eclipsed the century mark for the first time this season with 111 yards rushing. Like Morris, Rams running back C.J. Anderson would also have a big day on the ground while filling in for the ailing Todd Gurley as he followed up last week's 167 yard, one touchdown performance against Arizona with another 132 yards and a touchdown against the Niners. Nick Mullens would toss a touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne to start things off in the fourth quarter before connecting with Kittle on his record-setting score as he was mobbed in the end zone and congratulated by his teammates. Unfortunately by then the game would be well out of reach as the Rams walked away with the 48-32 victory to clinch the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC. Mullens would finish with a game-high 282 yards passing with three touchdowns and three interceptions. However, the biggest difference between the two quarterbacks would be in the turnover department as Goff would steer clear of committing any miscues while throwing for 199 yards and four touchdowns. As for Aaron Donald, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle would log only one sack on Sunday, falling two shy of Strahan's record and finished the season with a career-high 20.5 sacks.
Beating San Francisco for the second time in as many games this season, the Rams would complete the sweep of their NFC West rival for the first time since 2004 to log their third 13-win season in franchise history (first since 2001). While the Rams would finish the season as the only team to go unbeaten within their division this year, the 49ers failed to win a single game on the road in 2018 (0-8) for the first time since 1979. Even more frustrating would be San Francisco's inability to force turnovers in 2018 as they failed to log a single takeaway on Sunday which led to Robert Saleh's 49ers defense setting a dubious record of only 7 turnovers forced this season which is four fewer than the previous mark of 11 shared by the 1982 Baltimore Colts, 2013 Houston Texans, 2015 Dallas Cowboys and 2016 Chicago Bears. Finishing 4-12 on the season, the 49ers will own the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, selecting behind only the Arizona Cardinals.
More Kittle - George Kittle led both teams in both receptions (9) and receiving yards (149) on Sunday as he put a stamp on his busy day by also setting a franchise record for most catches in a single-season by a 49er tight-end with 88 and is one of only seven tight-ends in NFL history to finish a season with 75+ receptions and 1,200+ receiving yards. While his unforgettable season will certainly go down as one of the greatest ever at the tight-end position, the fact that he nearly set both the single-game and single-season receiving records in the same year is insane. And with both fans and the coaching staff looking forward to next season, Kittle is one name everyone in the league will be keeping an eye on moving forward.
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Week 3 - For Niner fans, Sunday's game would seem like a bad dream. One you would wake up from the next day and hope wasn't real. Instead, the San Francisco fan base, collectively holding their breath since the 5:44 mark in the 4th quarter in hopes that it was only a strain their new franchise quarterback suffered and not a tear, would face the tough reality that they'd be without their QB for the rest of the season when that unfortunate news was confirmed on Monday. Trailing 38-24 and chipping away at what was once a 28-point deficit, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo was hard at work trying to get his team back into the game when the injury occurred. Facing pressure on a 3rd and goal and maneuvering out of the pocket to avoid a sack, Garoppolo broke free for positive yardage, but instead of stepping out of bounds to avoid any contact, decided to make a cut and stay in bounds while fighting for extra yardage before being met by a big hit put on by Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson. His decision, while respectable considering the urge to fight for every yard possible, is one Niner fans and the coaching staff alike would've preferred he never made. Slow to get up, Garoppolo sat out the next play and appeared to be shaken up by the helmet to helmet contact. However, replay would show Garoppolo's knee buckle on the cut that kept him in bounds. A replay that would haunt the coaching staff and deprive Niner fans of what could've been as their season is virtually all but lost just three weeks in.
Before kickoff, the Niners were riding high coming off their first win of the season, but knew they'd have a tough challenge ahead, facing Patrick Mahomes and the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) in their home-opener. The Chiefs would open as 6.5 point favorites and for good reason considering their blazing start and the fact that the 49ers hadn't won a game at Arrowhead since 1982 entering the game. And with the Chiefs scoring touchdowns on each of their first five possessions on Sunday for the first time in franchise history, including their third straight week with a touchdown on their opening-possession, the game appeared to be over by halftime. With 10 touchdown passes in his first two games, Patrick Mahomes who celebrated his 23rd birthday earlier in the week, continued to shine by adding another trio of touchdowns through the air on Sunday in the first half alone to set an NFL record with 13 touchdown passes through the first three weeks, breaking the previous mark held by Peyton Manning (12). Throw in a pair of easy first half touchdown runs by running back Kareem Hunt and Kansas City had built a 35 to 7 lead before a Robbie Gould field goal made it 35-10 at the half. San Francisco's lone trip to the end zone in the first half would come on a wide-open pass that fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in from Garoppolo and took 35-yards for the easy score.
Though it's been Kansas City's offense that has stolen all of the headlines through the first two weeks, their defense on the other hand has allowed over a thousand yards of offense and an average of 32 points per game to the opposition. Something Kyle Shanahan and company would take note of and try to expose at halftime. After forcing Kansas City's first punt of the ballgame in the third quarter, San Francisco opened the second half similar to how the Chiefs did the first, as Jimmy G and the Niners manufactured touchdown scoring drives in each of their first two possessions in the third quarter to make it 35-24 game. An 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver Marquise Goodwin who returned to the field after sitting out in Week 2 with a quad injury, and a 3-yard touchdown run by Alfred Morris gave the Niners new life as they found themselves right back in it with just under 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter. San Francisco appeared to be destined for the end zone for a third consecutive drive before Garoppolo suffered the injury and needed to be carted off the field, igniting the uncertainty regarding his status that would follow into Monday afternoon.
Backup C.J. Beathard came in to takeover for the injured Garoppolo under center and on his first play, linked up in the end zone with tight-end George Kittle for a touchdown on fourth down. However, a heinous offensive pass-interference call in the end zone against fullback Kyle Juszczyk wiped the touchdown off the board as coach Kyle Shanahan elected to go for the field goal with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. It would be their last possession of the game as Andy Reid's Chiefs become only the third team in NFL history to score 38-points or more in the first three games to start a season, before milking the clock to seal the 38-27 win. But that was the least of Shanahan's problems as he and his staff feared for the worst and faced the potential of a bigger loss. If the injury to Garoppolo didn't make you sick, the poor tackling and plethora of penalties committed by the Niners should've done the trick as San Francisco was flagged 14 times for 147 yards in penalties compared to K.C.'s six flags for 48 yards.
Before the injury, Garoppolo tossed for 251 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 of 30 pass attempts and received some much needed help in the ground game as running back Matt Breida ran for 90-yards on Sunday to go along with another 27 yards receiving. Through the first three weeks, Breida remains the league's leading rusher with 274 yards rushing and has been a nice jolt alongside Alfred Morris after the team learned just days before the season that they'd be without running back Jerrick McKinnon for the year. With both McKinnon and now Garoppolo lost for 2018, what started off as a promising season for the 49ers is now a season fans would prefer to hit the reset button on. Rubbing salt into the wound that has been San Francisco's 2018 season thus far, Garoppolo was also joined by cornerback Richard Sherman who needed to be helped off the field and taken to the locker room at the half as he suffered a strained calf that will cause him to miss the next 2-3 weeks. Sherman's absence is one the Niner defense can ill-afford given he's been one of the very few bright spots that has shined in what's been a putrid showing by the defense.
Week 4 Preview - Heading back to sunny California, the 49ers will take a trip down south to face the (1-2) Los Angeles Chargers in regular season match for the first time since their relocation from San Diego two years ago. Coming off a 35-23 defeat at the hands of the L.A. Rams in which the Chargers allowed their cross-town counterparts to rack up over 500-yards of total offense, it's unlikely the Niners will come anywhere close to that mark with Beathard under center, but they'll most certainly try. From facing one talented quarterback to another, the Niners will look to contain Philip Rivers and his big-body targets as Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Mike Williams, Antonio Gates, Virgil Green and even running back Melvin Gordon all measure in at 6-foot 1-inch or taller, a tall order for the Niners' mediocre secondary. Meanwhile, Beathard will look to rekindle his chemistry with tight-end George Kittle whom he connected with plenty of times in their rookie season last year and even before that at the University of Iowa. If the Niners defense can finally muster up a strong outing and the duo of Alfred Morris and Matt Breida can find some holes with the Chargers missing their best player on defense in Joey Bosa who's been nursing a foot injury, San Francisco might have a chance at evening their record on the road.
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The San Francisco 49ers have made a habit out of winning in ugly fashion this season including back to back victories on the road by single-digits, but their latest win might take the cake. With sights on a playoff spot despite their bumpy start, the 49ers can ill-afford another loss at home to a mediocre team. But a series of turnovers and continued offensive woes nearly spelled doom for Jim Harbaugh and company versus the 3-7 Washington Redskins who have had problems of their own on offense this season.
However, the game couldn't have begun any better for the 49ers who after forcing a three and out on Washington's opening-possession, scored an early touchdown on a 30-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick to Anquan Boldin. It would be the 18th consecutive game with at least one touchdown pass for the Niners QB, tying the franchise record held by Hall of Famer Steve Young. The Redskins would tie the game in the second quarter on a 1-yard run in by running back Alfred Morris who logged a big day with 125 yards rushing and a TD, his first 100-yard performance in 18 tries for Washington. But a spectacular grab near the sideline by 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree on a gutsy fourth down call just before the half, would set up a go-ahead field goal by kicker Phil Dawson to send his team into the locker room with a 10-7 lead.
The 49ers would fail to carry that momentum with them into the second half, though, as a pair of turnovers made the game much closer than it should have been. After logging his first fumble of the season last week in New York, Frank Gore fumbled for the second time in as many games on Sunday. With the game tied, Washington would capitalize on the miscue by putting up a field goal and taking a 13-10 lead with under 8 minutes remaining in regulation. Though it would take them 11 games, the Niner offense finally logged their first fourth-quarter touchdown of the season under Kaepernick and it couldn't have came at a better time as Carlos Hyde rumbled his way into the end zone from 4-yards out for the go-ahead score. The only other offensive TD in the fourth quarter by the 49ers this season came in the winding minutes of the blowout loss in Denver when backup QB Blaine Gabbert connected with rookie WR Bruce Ellington.
Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III who threw for only 106 yards and was brought down five times on the afternoon, would be given one last chance to lead his team to victory, but he would be sacked and stripped of the ball by Justin Smith. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks who had been in the news lately after being accused of quitting on the team during San Francisco's most recent road trip, came up with the ball to seal the third straight win for the 49ers who overcame three turnovers in the ballgame. Aldon Smith also recorded his first pair of sacks on the season in his second game back as the 49er defense once again stepped up big when called upon. Colin Kaepernick logged 256 yards passing on the afternoon with more than half of them going to Anquan Boldin who had a monster day catching 9 of Kaep's 20 pass completions including his lone touchdown pass on the afternoon.
Week 13 Preview: Week 13 will feature a Thanksgiving showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the visiting Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of last year's NFC title game. With both teams at 7-4 in the NFC West and set to renew their rivalries, the winner of this one could very well determine who claims a Wild Card spot if both teams don't. And with San Francisco still having a trip to Seattle on their calendar, it might as well be a win or go home mentality for Jim Harbaugh's squad. Facing one another for the first time since last year's NFC Championship which many including myself consider to be the real Super Bowl, the hate these teams have for one another hasn't died down over time and in fact might get even more chippy given its the holiday with Black Friday right around the corner. As for Settle who's coming off a win at Home versus the division-leading Arizona Cardinals (9-2), a win for Pete Carroll's team against a bitter rival would do wonders for the club moving forward who hopes to keep their chances at winning back-to-back titles alive. If the Niners defense which has been stellar the last several weeks can contain Marshawn Lynch and force Russell Wilson to make plays, they can keep their playoff hopes alive. But it's their offense that is of the most concern to me as Seattle will take advantage of the poor play the 49ers have recently been putting out there.
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