Niners Late Lead Slips in Loss to Hawks

Week 11 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium after stringing together their first winning streak of the season, the (5-4) San Francisco 49ers took the field on Sunday with a golden opportunity to keep pace with the first place (6-4) Arizona Cardinals in the division. Unfortunately for the Niners, they would face yet another team coming off the Bye week in the (4-5) Seattle Seahawks, marking the fourth team they've faced this season coming off an extra week of rest and preparation, the most in the NFL. With San Francisco riding a six-game winning streak against Seattle (including playoffs), the Seahawks are the only division foe that the Niners have beaten so far this season after falling to both the Rams and Cardinals in their first of two meetings. The tale of the tape at the quarterback position would be all you needed to know regarding San Francisco's recent domination in the rivalry as 49ers QB Brock Purdy entered Sunday with a perfect record of 5-0 versus Seattle, whereas Seahawks QB Geno Smith entered the match-up with a record of 0-5 against the Niners, the worst QB record of all-time vs SF. But after being dealt a loss at home in Week 6 against the Niners on his 34th birthday, Smith would have vengeance on his mind on Sunday while seeking his first career win against San Francisco.

The 49ers revealed late Saturday evening that their reigning All-Pro tight-end George Kittle was not likely to play on Sunday because of a hamstring injury that developed after the Week 10 win over the Buccaneers. Leading the league in almost every major offensive statistic among tight-ends including touchdowns, the absence of Kittle would be very apparent for an offense that struggled to maintain any type of consistency on Sunday. With Seattle jumping out to an early 3-0 lead following a Jason Myers field goal on their first drive of the game, the 49ers took a 7-3 lead behind the legs of Brock Purdy who dove into the end zone with a 10-yard rushing touchdown, the longest of his career. After starting the game hot completing 7-of-7 pass attempts, Purdy's first incompletion would be an interception on a pass intended for running back Christian McCaffrey that was batted into the air and fell into the lap of Seattle's Johnathan Hankins for his first career interception. Seattle would cash the turnover in with a field goal to make it a 7-6 game which would hold as the two teams went into the half. 

With Seattle receiving the ball to open the second half, they would return the favor as Geno Smith escaped the pocket while being pressured on third and long, only to heave an errant pass that was picked off by San Francisco's Isaac Yiadom. And just like the Seahawks did in the first half, the 49ers turned the turnover into a field goal as Jake Moody split the uprights from 33-yards out. With Seattle now trailing 10-6, the 49er defense would get a sack from Pro-Bowl defensive-end Nick Bosa, his second of the day which would help setup a 3rd and 12 situation for the Seahawk offense. But after making the play, Bosa was shown in obvious pain and would have to leave the game with an oblique injury suffered while already dealing with a bum hip. With Bosa on the sideline, the Seattle offense began to thrive, converting the third and long with a 26-yard pass to receiver D.K. Metcalf who returned to action after missing the previous two games. Marching their way to the 1-yard line, running back Kenneth Walker III would find the end zone to put Seattle ahead, 13-10. 

Needing to answer, the 49ers also converted on a third and long as Purdy hit receiver Jauan Jennings for a 14-yard pass, gaining the 11-yards needed and then some after fighting off a trio of Seattle defenders. Purdy would reward Jennings for his efforts a few plays later with a 3-yard touchdown pass to give the Niners a 17-13 lead. Searching for a stop on defense, the 49ers thought they had gotten a game-sealing turnover on downs when they stuffed Seattle on a 4th and 1 attempt at the line for no gain, but they were unable to do much on offense to extend their lead and were forced to punt the ball back to the Seahawks with less than three minutes remaining. Punter Pat O'Donnell who last played with the Green Bay Packers in 2022, would make his 49ers debut after signing with the team just four days earlier due to a back injury suffered by Mitch Wishnowsky who was placed on the injured reserve list, adding to the team's laundry list of issues in the special-teams department this season. While Sunday's game was possibly their cleanest game yet in terms of special-teams, the same could not be said for the defense.

Needing one final stop to preserve the win, the 49er defense would have their backs against the wall as they stood in an unfavorable position having allowed 29-points in the last two minutes of the second half, the 2nd most in the NFL behind only the Cincinnati Bengals. Accounting for nearly everyone on Seattle's offense, the 49ers let quarterback Geno Smith scramble for not one but two big gains, including 13-yard score to capitalize on an 11-play, 80-yard drive to give his team a 20-17 lead with 18-seconds remaining. The game-winning drive would be Smith's seventh since 2023, the most in the NFL in that span. It's worth noting that Seattle scored their lone two touchdowns of the game after Nick Bosa left the game with an injury midway through the third quarter. Neither quarterback had a very good game, but Smith did enough when it mattered late, throwing for 221 yards and 1 interception, while adding 29 yards with his legs and a rushing touchdown. With Seattle snapping their six-game losing-streak to the Niners, their win coupled with San Francisco's loss creates an even bigger logjam in the NFC Western Division standings. Following a win over the Patriots by the Rams, San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles are all deadlock at 5-5 on the season, staring up at the first-place Cardinals who enjoyed having a Bye week. 

In the loss, 49ers QB Brock Purdy threw for 159 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, while also rushing for another 40 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Running back Christian McCaffrey tallied over 100 yards of total offense for the second time in as many weeks, rushing for 79 yards and catching four passes for another 27 yards. But it was receiver Jauan Jennings who led the way for the 49er offense on Sunday, hauling in 10 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown to continue his solid season. After dropping another game that they probably should've won, the 49ers have now completed the trifecta by failing to hang onto a fourth quarter lead against all three division rivals this season. Something coach Kyle Shanahan will likely point to at the end of the season if San Francisco were to miss out on the playoffs this year. 

Noteworthy - The 49ers made news during the week on Tuesday by extending the contract of cornerback Deommodore Lenoir who inked a new 5-year, $92 Million dollar contract. One of their own homegrown players originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2021 Draft, Lenoir has improved each year he's been in the league and was in the final year of his rookie deal before signing the extension. Lenoir went from being one of San Francisco's most significant unrestricted free-agents this upcoming offseason to becoming one of their mainstays for the future. 

Week 12 Preview: The (5-5) San Francisco 49ers will hit the road for one of the tougher two-game road trips in the NFL when they make a trip to Lambeau Field to face the (7-3) Green Bay Packers before paying a visit to Buffalo to take on the (9-2) Buffalo Bills. With the Packers coming off a close 20-19 comeback win over the rival Chicago Bears, quarterback Jordan Love and company will be out for blood as they play host and try to avenge their Divisional Playoff loss to San Francisco back in January. With the Niners entering must-win territory as the number of games begins to dwindle and playoff hopes around the league are quick to fade, the team will welcome back tight-end George Kittle who has already expressed that he will not miss Sunday's game against the Packers. Whether or not his quarterback will be joining him is not yet certain as Brock Purdy has been added to the team's injury report due to shoulder soreness following Sunday's loss to Seattle and has been limited at practice. My guess is Purdy will be suited up to play given the importance of each game down the stretch, but the chilly weather in Green Bay will certainly not help an aching shoulder feel any better come kickoff. 

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49ers Run Wild in Seattle, Take 1st Place out West

Week 6 - With a gut-punch loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5 in which the (2-3) San Francisco 49ers blew a double-digit lead in the second half for the second time this season, coach Kyle Shanahan's team had little time to sulk in the loss with the quick turnaround before their next game. Hitting the road for a visit to the pacific northwest, the 49ers would renew rivalries with the first place (3-2) Seattle Seahawks. Seeking their first division win of the season after an 0-2 start against the NFC West, coach Shanahan and the 49ers avoided another scare on Thursday Night Football when their commanding 23-3 lead quickly evaporated after yet another special-teams blunder on a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown that breathed new life into the Seattle offense after much of Lumen Field went quiet following San Francisco's hot start. 

In what would be an all-time great uniform match-up as both teams donned their classic uniforms from the 1980's and 90's, San Francisco came into the game riding a 5-game winning streak over Seattle (including playoffs), having outscored them by 76-points in that span. At the helm of those victories would be 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who entered the meeting with a perfect record of 5-0 against Seattle and an average margin of victory of 12.5 points in those games. Looking to shake off the stench of his costly two interception performance just four days earlier and an abysmal 1-for-6 in red zone trips, the 49er offense would have plenty of opportunities to flip the script in the red zone in this one. But after starting the night 0-for-2 and having to settle for a pair of field goals, it looked like more of the same for San Francisco. The second half, however, would bring much better results as they closed out the game with three consecutive successful red zone trips to finish 3-for-5 on the night. 

Celebrating his 34th birthday on Thursday, Seahawks QB Geno Smith would not get any freebies from the San Francisco defense and instead was greeted rather rudely as he was intercepted on Seattle's opening-drive. Several plays after a 30-yard pass to receiver D.K. Metcalf helped convert on a third and long, Smith was picked off by San Francisco's rookie safety Malik Mustapha who came up with his first career interception. Playing without their top cornerback in Charvarius Ward who was ruled out just moments before kickoff with a knee injury, the 49er secondary received major contributions from Mustapha and fellow rookie Renardo Green who also recorded his first career interception. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir also had himself a night by containing Metcalf to just 48 yards receiving on the night on 3 receptions. Following Smith's first interception, the 49ers got on the board with a made field goal from the newest member of the Niners -- kicker Mathew Wright who was signed one day earlier to fill in for the injured Jake Moody. Wright would have an impressive night before suffering an injury of his own late in the second half. 

After exchanging punts, the 49ers offense struck paydirt with a big play on a 76-yard touchdown pass to receiver Deebo Samuel who was off to the races and has made a career out of torturing the Seahawks defense. Leading 10-0, the 49ers would be gifted another field goal after a fumble on the ensuing kickoff by Seattle's Laviska Shenault. Shenault would redeem himself later on with a play that nearly turned the tide for the Seahawks. With San Francisco ahead 16-0, Seattle would scratch the scoreboard with a Jason Myers field goal as time expired to end the first half, but not before a strong defensive stand by the 49er defense that kept Smith and company out of the end zone despite having three tries from the 2-yard line. Opening the second half with the ball, the 49ers finally got over the hump in the red zone after a 10-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to tight-end George Kittle who celebrated his 31st birthday just one day earlier. With San Francisco leading 23-3, it appeared the route was on, but that was until a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown by Shenault on the ensuing kickoff. 

The kick return touchdown would give the Seahawks a much-needed spark as the Seattle crowd had grown silent after falling behind by 20-points just moments earlier. That spark would translate onto the field as the Seahawks defense forced a 49er punt before finding the end zone with a 94-yard touchdown drive capped off by running back Kenneth Walker III who scored from 1-yard out. With San Francisco's lead cut to just 6-points, Seattle had not one but two chances to take a lead of their own before succumbing to a punt and an interception. Purdy would turn the latter into another score as he connected for his third touchdown pass of the evening and his second to George Kittle. Doing everything they could to stay alive, Smith rallied the Seahawks to a late touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Lockett on 4th and goal to make it a 5-point game before another 49ers rookie helped seal the deal. Helping takeover for the injured Jordan Mason who left late in the first half with an upper body injury, was rookie running back Isaac Guerendo who broke for a 76-yard run on the very first play of the next drive. With just over a minute and a half remaining in regulation and all three timeouts for Seattle, Guerendo had the wherewithal and selflessness to go down just shy of the end zone at the 5-yard line to allow San Francisco to milk more clock. They would score just two plays later on a touchdown by fullback Kyle Juszczyk to put the game out of reach with a 36-24 final. 

Leading the league in passing entering Thursday, Geno Smith had another 312 yards passing in the loss but threw for only 1 touchdown and was intercepted twice. Averaging 40 passes per game coming in, Smith threw another 52 passes on Thursday. Making things difficult for the birthday boy was San Francisco's Nick Bosa who generated 14 pressures against the Seahawks, tied for the most pressures by a pass rusher in a game over the last four seasons. Bosa was also the last to do it when he tallied 14 pressures in Week 4 of the 2022 season against the Rams. He now has 7 games with 10+ pressures since entering the NFL in 2019. Meanwhile, no other player has more than 4 such games over that span. Winning the turnover battle has been key in San Francisco's recent success over Seattle, having a 10 to 3 advantage in that department entering the meeting, which continued again on Thursday as the Niners forced 3 turnovers to Seattle's 0. 49ers QB Brock Purdy who threw for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win, improved his record to 6-0 against the rival Seahawks, helping the 49ers secure what is now the longest win streak versus Seattle in team history. 

Continuing his impressive stretch since taking over the starting quarterback job nearly two full seasons ago, Brock Purdy tied former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson's record for the most games with a passer rating of 120.0 or higher in their first three seasons. He'll have plenty of time to break that record as there's still more than half a season to go. Purdy also logged his 8th career game with 3 passing TD and 0 interceptions, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2022. Buffalo's Josh Allen and Detroit's Jared Goff are the next closest, each with six. Running back Jordan Mason who left the game in the second quarter due to injury, increased his league-leading rushing total with 73 yards on 9 carries, giving him 609 rushing yards in total, the most in 49ers franchise history thru six games, matching Charlie Garner's mark from the 2000 season. Rookie Isaac Guerendo added 99 yards on 10 carries as San Francisco outgained Seattle on the ground: 228 to 52, even without All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. Deebo Samuel led all receivers with 102 yards on just 3 receptions, including 1 for a house-call touchdown. With another stellar performance on Thursday, Deebo has now racked up 878 yards and 8 touchdowns in 8 career games versus Seattle in his career. The 49ers also entered into the record books on Thursday by becoming the only team in NFL history with a 75+ yard reception and a 75+ yard rush by two different players in the same game (Deebo & Guerendo). 

Week 7 Preview: Hoping to string together their first winning streak of the season, the (3-3) 49ers will return home to face the (5-0) Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the Chiefs will be well rested and likely well prepared while coming off a Bye week. Adding insult to injury, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid owns a record of 21-4 all-time off the Bye. With a few extra days off of their own before gameday, coach Kyle Shanahan is hoping running back Jordan Mason and kicker Matthew Wright can join them in time for kickoff as both players dodged a bullet with their injury prognosis. Tests on Friday revealed a sprained AC joint suffered by Mason who is considered day-to-day, meanwhile, Wright suffered a slight dislocation in his shoulder, but an MRI returned negative and should allow him to play next week with the extra rest. Finally, the 49ers received some good news regarding rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who will have his practice window open on Monday following a shooting incident which took place just days before the start of the regular season. 

Thanks to an Arizona Cardinals' loss on the road to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, dropping them to a 2-4 record on the year, the 49ers remained at the top of the NFC West standings and in first place with the win over Seattle. They'll need to bring their A-game against an undefeated Chiefs team that is vying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. While the 49ers would love to crash that party, they'll maintain their focus on handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season for now when the two teams meet on Sunday afternoon for what will be slated as FOX's Game of the Week. While K.C. remains unbeaten, they haven't exactly wowed anybody this season, but have simply gotten the job done by doing things the right way. Sunday in Santa Clara will be their biggest test yet on the road, and the same could be said for the 49ers who outside of Minnesota, the only other unbeaten in the league, the Niners have yet to face anybody of note since their Week 1 Monday Night meeting against the Jets. 

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