Niners trounced as Magical Playoff run ends in Seattle

NFC Divisional Playoff - As if two meetings between two of the NFL's best teams wasn't enough, a third match-up would be slated between the No. 6 seeded San Francisco 49ers and the No. 1 seeded Seattle Seahawks, two hated rivals hailing from the NFC West. With just one win separating these two teams in the regular season standings with a Week 18 regular season-finale being the deciding factor in who would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, "what could've been" would be the theme for the San Francisco 49ers had they won that week 18 match-up against Seattle and had they had a healthy roster that was without not only three of their best players and emotional leaders, but three of the best players in the entire league in Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and George Kittle. But after reigning victorious the week prior on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, the many holes left by those injured 49ers would prove to be too large and would take their toll against a stout Seahawks team that was out for blood from the first play on, while boasting the league's best defense.

Despite having won four straight games over the Seahawks at Lumen Field entering Saturday, the most in team history, the 49ers' lone playoff game in Seattle, however, ended in defeat with the infamous Richard Sherman-Michael Crabtree beef during the 2013 NFC Championship. While things between these two teams aren't quite as heated as they once were, there would be no love lost as both sides had their fair share of trash talk before game day. Unfortunately, the back-and-forth banter would end up being more eventful than the game itself considering how one-sided things became in the opening moments. From the opening-kickoff, the rout was on. With San Francisco winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, Seattle would make that a regrettable decision by pouncing on their opponent with a 95-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown by Rashid Shaheed. Shaheed, a trade deadline acquisition from the Saints known for his speed, entered Saturday's game as the only player in the NFL with a kickoff and a punt return for a touchdown this season. He would add a third which would give his team an early 7-0 advantage, sucking the air right out of the San Francisco sideline. 

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold who would make his second career playoff start, entered the day questionable to play after getting hurt during practice in the days leading up to Saturday with an oblique injury that Darnold admitted he had never dealt with before. But after Seattle jumped out to an early lead without having to take a single snap on offense thanks to the team's red-hot start on special-teams, coupled with a dominant performance from the team's defense, Darnold was able to take a backseat and play things safe, allowing his running back Kenneth Walker III to do most of the dirty work. Staring down an early 7-0 hole, Brock Purdy and the 49er offense would make it past midfield on their opening-drive, but a failed 4th and 1 attempt would leave them empty handed with a turnover on downs. After initially appearing to have converted a first down with a completed pass, the officials blew the play dead and awarded Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald with a very late timeout call that left everyone on the field and watching from home confused. Most notably was coach Shanahan who was absolutely livid with the officials. The referees wouldn't be the only ones getting an earful from the 49ers' head coach, however, as second-year cornerback Renardo Green was also seen being chewed out and temporarily benched for something that upset his coach. 

With San Francisco hoping for a more successful drive on their second possession, things again would go south as backup tight-end Jake Tonges who was the hero in the Week 1 win over Seattle, hauled in an 11-yard reception for a first down before fumbling the ball away and giving the Niners their second turnover in as many possessions. Unlike the turnover on downs which only led to a Jason Myers field goal, the Seattle offense was able to capitalize with a touchdown following the fumble as Darnold connected with his favorite target and number one receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba inside the end zone. By the end of the first quarter the 49ers were already down 17-0 and in need of a jolt quick. San Francisco's offense would finally begin to string together a few successful drives before the half but were unable to make it to the end zone and were forced to settle for field goals as kicker Eddy Pineiro converted on kicks of 40 and 56 yards to help his team chip away, now trailing 17-6. With the Niners getting the ball to open the second half, forcing a Seattle punt like they did on their previous possession would be a huge win to keep the game within striking distance. Sadly, that would not be the case as the Seahawks were able to run the ball right through the San Francisco defense, eventually scoring on a 7-yard touchdown from Walker III. 

The drive would come at a cost, however, as Seattle's dynamic-duo of Walker III and Zach Charbonnet took a hit when Charbonnet left the game with what coach Macdonald would later confirm to be a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee. Taking over possession to open the second half, the 49ers would have a tall task ahead having to claw back from being down 24-6 and having been manhandled thus far in all three facets of the game. Things would only continue to sour as San Francisco's first four possessions of the second half would all end in turnovers -- fumble, interception and two on downs. With a chance to get their All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner back the following week for the NFC Championship game, the 49ers who were playing inspired football in hopes of a return for their emotional leader and defensive captain, would unfortunately witness that magical ride come to an end. After a Jason Myers field goal, Kenneth Walker III would put the finishing touches on a dominant night by completing the hat-trick with his second and third rushing touchdowns of the evening as Seattle stormed their way to a one-sided 41-6 victory. In what would go down as the most lopsided loss for the 49ers in the Shanahan era, the Seahawks matched their largest playoff win in franchise history while advancing to the franchise's fifth conference championship and first since 2014. 

Sam Darnold recorded his first career playoff win by throwing for 124 yards and a touchdown against his former team, while Brock Purdy threw for 140 yards and an interception. Seattle's Cooper Kupp led all receivers with 60 yards on 5 receptions, besting both Jake Tonges and Christian McCaffrey who each had 5 receptions for 59 and 39 yards receiving, respectively. 

Looking ahead -  With San Francisco's remarkable Cinderella season now over, it's still a remarkable feat given the 49ers were able to advance this far and win as many games as they did in spite of all the challenges they endured and all the injuries they sustained. To be without their number one receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the entire season, have their two best defensive players go down for the season by Week 6, to missing their starting quarterback for eight weeks, to losing their future Hall of Fame tight-end and emotional leader in the first half of a playoff game that they would go on to win in, it would be quite difficult to deem this season a failure given all the pieces they were deprived of and lost along the way. Coach Shanahan should be the runaway favorite to win the Coach of the Year Award for those very reasons. 49ers left-tackle Trent Williams described it perfectly when explaining during the team's postgame interview that they were, "playing with house money" when describing the many obstacles they overcame in the face of adversity. With a franchise QB now locked in under contract for years to come and some promising young talent that should only grow and get better with the experience they gained this season, the future remains bright for this 49ers group. 

What they will now need to focus on is improving the roster to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, two teams they share a division with that will now compete in the conference championship for a shot at a Super Bowl title. While the 49ers claimed early season wins over both teams this year, they went on to drop the rematch to each team and clearly have areas in which they need to improve on if they want to catch up and eventually surpass their division foes. For coach Kyle Shanahan who has enjoyed success against the competition in the NFC West for most of his tenure, appears to have a new thorn in his side as the Macdonald-led Seattle defense has now kept Shanahan's offense to under 7-points twice this year, something that had only been done one other team entering this season. The team will also be back to the drawing board and in search of yet another defensive coordinator as Robert Saleh is expected to take the head coaching job of the Tennessee Titans, leaving San Francisco searching for their fifth defensive coordinator in the Shanahan-John Lynch era. Early candidates to potentially land the vacant DC role include Brian Flores, Raheem Morris, Jim Schwartz, KJ Wright, and current 49ers assistant head coach Gus Bradley. 

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49ers Outlast Bears in Sunday Night Rumble

Week 17 - With things getting down to the nitty-gritty as teams approach the homestretch of the NFL's regular season, two teams vying for the NFC's top seed would faceoff in a heavyweight matchup on Sunday Night Football between the (11-4) San Francisco 49ers and (11-4) Chicago Bears. While both teams have ascended their way near the top of the league's power rankings in surprising fashion for very different reasons, few teams in the NFL have looked as good on offense this year as Kyle Shanahan's 49ers and Ben Johnson's Bears. While San Francisco has continued to defy all odds despite suffering a plethora of injuries to some of the league's best players, the Bears on the other hand have come out of nowhere after bouncing back from a last place finish just a season ago. And with Sunday night's game expected to be knock-down, drag-out war, nothing would quite prepare us for the back-and-forth melee that would actually ensue. 

After winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, the Chicago Bears would take over on defense and would make their presence felt in a hurry. Having gone the entire month of December without punting the ball away entering Sunday's game, the 49ers would again begin their night on that streak but not in the way they had envisioned. San Francisco would suffer a double-whammy on the opening-play that resulted in a pick-six interception as well as an injury suffered by left-tackle Trent Williams who just days earlier was named to his 12th career Pro Bowl. Following a tipped-pass from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy intended for Jauan Jennings, Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards came up with the interception and ran it back as Williams injured his hamstring on the play and was forced to watch all of the game from the sideline. While the play left the 49ers and their fans shocked, it would serve as a wakeup call if anything as the early turnover would prove to be nothing but a minor speedbump. Purdy and company would waste little time before answering with a score of their own, connecting on a deep pass to receiver Demarcus Robinson for 25-yards before finding backup tight-end Jake Tonges in the end zone for the 1-yard score. Filling in for the injured George Kittle who would sit out while nursing a sprained ankle, Tonges would answer the call with a team-high 7 receptions on the night against his former team. 

After forcing a three-and-out punt on Chicago's first offensive drive, the 49ers would also be forced to punt, something they hadn't done in a franchise-record 23 consecutive drives. Following another Chicago three-and-out, the 49ers were right back to their old selves with another touchdown-scoring drive, this time requiring only three plays. Setup by a 41-yard rush from running back Christian McCaffrey, the longest run of the season by a 49er, Purdy scrambled into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. Following his rushing touchdown, Purdy would become the first QB in NFL history to rush for a TD, pass for a TD and throw an interception for a TD in the first quarter of a game. Any hopes of San Francisco taking an early lead and riding it to the finish line would go right out the window as Chicago answered with a quick touchdown drive of their own following a pair of deep passes, including one into the end zone from 35-yards out to rookie receiver Luther Burden III for the equalizer. With already a wild first quarter in the books, things would only intensify as touchdowns became commonplace. 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall who was a game-time decision with a knee injury, hauled in a team-high 85-yards on the night, including a 30-yarder that helped setup McCaffrey for a 5-yard score. 

Needing half the number of plays to score a touchdown of their own, the Bears would march 65-yards on just three plays before a free-play touchdown pass from Bears QB Caleb Williams to rookie tight-end Colston Loveland. Called for a defensive offsides penalty on the play, it would mark the second consecutive week in which the 49ers were snakebitten by a free-play touchdown. While San Francisco would lack much of the efficiency Chicago had on most of their first half drives, they would manage much greater success as Shanahan's offense embarked on an 18-play drive that ate up nearly 9-minutes of time of possession before Purdy capped things off with his second rushing touchdown of the night and his third of the season to give the Niners a 28-21 halftime lead. While the 49ers would dominate the first half on offense with 330 total yards and 47 plays to just 19 plays for Chicago, only one score would separate both teams on the scoreboard. With a combined 49-points scored in the first two quarters, it would be hard for these two teams to give us another half of football as entertaining as the first one, but they would somehow manage to do just that. 

Opening the second half with the ball, Chicago would tie things at 28 with another touchdown-scoring drive capped off by running back D'Andre Swift who scored from 2-yards out. Orchestrating another drive that would end with a visit to the end zone would be Purdy who's 25-yard strike on the first play of the possession to receiver Kendrick Bourne would help setup an eventual touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk as the 49ers' shifty quarterback danced around a pair of Chicago defenders before finding his target. With the Bears trailing 35-28 entering the fourth quarter, they would kick things off with a game-tying touchdown on the first play of the quarter when Swift scored his second touchdown of the night after a 22-yard scamper. With the game tied at 35-35, the tit for tat dog fight would make the record books as the first game in NFL regular season history to be tied at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35, a feat that had only happened one other time but during the playoffs. After a rare punt for the 49ers on their first possession of the final quarter, the Bears would take their first lead since the opening-drive with a 73-yard drive that ended with a 29-yard field goal from kicker Cairo Santos and Chicago ahead, 38-35. 

Having found themselves trailing in the second half of a game for the first time in nearly two months, Purdy would remain calm, cool and collected before marching his offense 70-yards before hitting Jauan Jennings across the field for a 38-yard touchdown to give his receiver five straight games with a score and seven TDs in his last eight matches as San Francisco took a 42-38 lead. But with 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter for Chicago, things were beginning to align much like they have been all season long for second-year QB Caleb Williams who had made a habit out of fourth quarter comebacks this season. He nearly had another one up his sleeve in this one before San Francisco's makeshift defense pulled a rabbit from their hat. With their backs against the wall, Robert Saleh's defense answered the call when they needed it most. Williams and company would not go down without a fight and certainly not before causing a bit of drama as the Bears reached the 2-yard line before two final incompletions, including one of the final play of the game that left Williams flushed from the pocket and throwing on the run and off his back foot to an empty spot in the end zone as the game came to an end with the 49ers prevailing. 

In what will be an instant classic for years to come with both teams combining for 936 total yards, Brock Purdy became the first QB in 49ers franchise history with back-to-back 5 touchdown games after his performance on Sunday night included 2 rushing touchdowns, 3 passing touchdowns and 303 passing yards. Caleb Williams also played exceptionally well to the tune of 330 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns. Chicago's Luther Burden III led all receivers with 8 receptions and 138 receiving yards, while San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey led all rushers with 140 yards to go along with 41 yards receiving and a rushing touchdown. McCaffrey also had 100 rushing yards in the first half for the first time in his career, and joined Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinson as the only players in NFL history to have 3 seasons with 2,000+ scrimmage yards and 15+ TD. 

Week 18 Preview: Staying in the bay area for the regular season-finale, the (12-4) San Francisco 49ers will play host to the archrival (13-3) Seattle Seahawks in a winner-take-all battle for the NFC Western Division title and the NFC's No. 1 seed. As if these two teams needed any more ammunition to spice up their rivalry, the temperature will be increased to the nth degree as the stakes couldn't be any higher for a regular season match. Despite having already defeated the Seahawks in Seattle this season back in Week 1 and being at home, the 49ers opened up as 1.5-point underdogs according to oddsmakers. With both teams entering the heavyweight bout having won their last six games, we may be in store for yet another slugfest as each team has been on a roll and doesn't seem to like each other one bit. The one glaring difference over the last few games between these two clubs has been the quarterback play. While the 49ers have rode off the success of their quarterback Brock Purdy the last few games, Seattle has managed to win despite recent struggles from QB Sam Darnold. Robert Saleh's squad will look to continue to make things miserable for Seattle's signal-caller on Saturday night, but the last two weeks haven't exactly gone that way as opposing quarterbacks have had a field day against San Francisco's defense for the greater part of the last two weeks now. 

However, no offense in football is as hot as San Francisco's right now as Kyle Shanahan's team has now scored in 27 consecutive quarters entering the regular season-finale. Saturday's meeting is sure to be the latest chapter in what's been a rivalry defined by eventful endings including the stop at the goal-line by San Francisco's Dre Greenlaw in the 2020 regular season finale that helped secure home-field advantage and the No. 1 seed for the 49ers during the Super Bowl run. 

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Turnovers too much to Overcome for 49ers in 1st Loss of the Season

Week 4 - Looking to keep their undefeated streak alive, the (3-0) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the (2-1) Jacksonville Jaguars. But before the two teams would even have a chance to step onto the gridiron to face one another, fireworks would fly in the days leading up to the matchup when Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh mentioned during his Thursday presser with the media that his players and staff would have to be extra careful with their signs and communication on gameday when explaining that Jags first-year head coach Liam Coen's staff has an elite system of legally stealing signs that dates back to his time in Los Angeles with the Rams where he spent four seasons on their coaching staff. While Coen kept things light and deflected to address Saleh's comments during the week, they were sure to be a hot topic when both teams met at midfield after the game which led to both Coen and Saleh having to be separated by players and staff following a war of words. 

With injuries plaguing the 49ers each and every week in the early part of the season thus far, second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall who has been a godsend through the first three weeks and practically the only healthy receiver remaining on the team, ironically appeared on the team's injury report as somewhat of a surprise on Wednesday with knee soreness. Like teammate and fellow wide-receiver Jauan Jennings who has been dealing with ankle and shoulder injuries of his own, the two wide-outs would be game-time decisions for Sunday. Meanwhile, quarterback Brody Purdy who had missed the last two games while dealing with toe and shoulder injuries, was given clearance to return to action for Sunday's game, albeit while having to wear extra toe protection. But by the time the game started, it was evident that the Niners signal-caller would have to shake off the cobwebs as many of his passes were off-target or often time had too much air on them which led to overthrows or worse -- interceptions. Purdy's problems weren't the only thing holding the Niners back on Sunday, but they certainly led the charge, especially in the first half. 

The 49ers would open the scoring on Sunday with a field goal on their opening-drive after making a trip inside the red zone but failed to strike pay dirt. After forcing Jacksonville to punt after what appeared to be a successful opening-drive by the Jags, the 49ers suffered their first of several miscues on the afternoon when tight-end and former-Jaguar Luke Farrell fumbled on the first play of the second quarter during a first down reception that would've set the Niners up near mid-field. Quick to turn the turnover into points, Jags running back Travis Etienne wasted no time by taking the handoff on the first play of the ensuing drive 48-yards to the house to give his team a 7-3 lead. Looking to answer, Purdy connected with Pearsall on a highlight-worthy reception for 31-yards just a few plays later, only to have his next pass intercepted on a ball that was just out of the reach of a streaking Christian McCaffrey, tipped into the air and into the hands of a Jaguars defender. With a 19-play, 107-yard drive that spanned more than 8-minutes, Jacksonville was able to take a 14-3 lead after quarterback Trevor Lawrence found tight-end Hunter Long in the end zone for the touchdown. 

Taking over with just under 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the second half, the 49ers who were in need of any points they could get before halftime, marched their way inside the red zone before stalling out at the 5-yard line. Able to add to another Eddy Pineiro field goal, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers appeared to be heading into the half trailing by only one score. Instead, San Francisco's special-teams which has been a nightmare for the past few seasons, reared its ugly head once again on the ensuing kickoff as Jacksonville returned the kick 66-yards to put his team within striking distance with 0:32 remaining. By adding a field goal of their own, the Jaguars were virtually able to steal back those three points and put a dent in any momentum San Francisco had planned on carrying with them into the half. Opening the second half trailing 17-6, the 49ers were finally able to find the elusive touchdown-scoring drive that eluded them in the first half. After forcing a three and out on the Jags' opening-drive to begin quarter No. 3, a big play to backup tight-end Jake Tonges helped setup an 8-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to McCaffrey on a shovel pass. With a successful two-point conversion to Jauan Jennings, the Niners would pull within a field goal, but they would suffer a price as Jennings took a shot to the ribs that would limit him for the remainder of the contest. 

With as good as San Francisco's defense has been through the first three weeks of the season, Robert Saleh's unit has been unable to force an interception up to this point. Even worse, the Niners' interception drought spans to their last ten games. Meanwhile, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence had thrown at least one interception in six straight games entering Sunday, both of which are the longest active streaks in the NFL. The 49ers thought they had their first pick on the year during Jacksonville's ensuing possession when rookie cornerback Upton Stout jumped in front of a pass intended for Jags rookie receiver Travis Hunter, but a dubious pass interference call wiped away any hopes of a turnover. With the drive eventually ending in a punt, the 49ers would get the ball back with a chance to take the lead, but Brock Purdy had his pass tipped and intercepted on the first play of the drive. By adding a field goal, the Jaguars were able to score their 17th point off of San Francisco turnovers. 

The 49ers nearly got off the schneid by forcing their first turnover of the afternoon when All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner punched the ball loose while making a tackle for his 17th career forced fumble, but the Niners were unable to recover the football. Nonetheless, Warner's forced fumble would put him in sole possession for the most in franchise history, breaking a tie with newly inducted Hall of Famer Patrick Willis. With the 49er defense playing much better in the second half, allowing only 3-points, perhaps the biggest back-breaker of them all would come on an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jacksonville's Parker Washington. With a turnover on downs on the other end to open the fourth quarter, things were not looking good for the 49ers who were now trailing 26-14. But even then, San Francisco would fight back and put themselves in a position to potentially steal another win. With another big reception from Christian McCaffrey, Jake Tonges was able to score just a few plays later, taking a screen pass 21-yards for the touchdown. Narrowing the gap to make it a 26-21 ballgame, the 49ers appeared to be in business when Jags kicker Cam Little missed a field goal attempt from 47 yards out. But just when the Niners began to march following a quick 13-yard gain on first down, Purdy was stripped of the ball from none other than former 49er Arik Armstead, sealing the win and spoiling things for the team that drafted him 17th overall where he spent the first nine years of his career. 

Having lost 15 of their last 19 games on the west coast entering Sunday, the Jags were able to improve to 3-1 on the year for the first time since 2018, thanks in large part to their ability to force takeaways. By winning the turnover battle 4-0 against San Francisco, the Jacksonville defense logged 3+ takeaways in four straight games for the first time in franchise history. With only nine takeaways all of last season, the fewest in the NFL, the Jags have already surpassed that mark in only four games with 13, the most in the league. On the other hand, San Francisco committed four turnovers for the first time since December 25, 2023 versus the Baltimore Ravens. Playing in their first game without defensive star Nick Bosa, the effect of not having their best pass rusher was blatantly clear after Sunday as the 49ers failed to log a single sack or single QB hit in a game for the first time since September 20, 2015 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. San Francisco's defensive-line saw their QB pressure totals take a major dip on Sunday, dropping from 22 each of the last two weeks to just 5. Their previous season-low was 10 in Week 1 against Seattle. 

As bad as San Francisco's special-teams has been over the last few years, Sunday saw a low even for them as they allowed their first punt return for a touchdown since Dec. 3, 2017 versus the Chicago Bears. 49ers QB Brock Purdy threw for 309 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the loss, compared to only 174 yards passing and 1 touchdown from Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence. Jags running back Travis Etienne rushed for a game-high 124 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Christian McCaffrey hauled in six receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown to lead all receivers and added another 49 yards on the ground to give him 141 yards of total offense. Unfortunately, Sunday would mark the first time in 47-years the 49ers would fail to log a single rushing touchdown thru the first four weeks of a season and the last remaining team in the league to find the end zone on the ground this season. 

Week 5 Preview: Sitting in a 3-way tie for 1st place in the NFC West following their Week 4 loss, the (3-1) 49ers will have a chance to improve to 3-0 in the division when they get set to face the last remaining rival and their longest standing rival in the (3-1) Los Angeles Rams. With a banged up roster and a short week ahead of the Thursday Night meeting at LoFi Stadium aka Levi's South, the 49ers will have their hands full and will likely summon Mac Jones back into the starting quarterback role once again to make his third start of the season with Brock Purdy experiencing more toe soreness following Sunday's game. Purdy joins receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall as well as linebacker Dee Winters who were all dinged up on Sunday and are all listed as questionable for the quick turnaround of Thursday's game. Regardless of health, the 49ers will need to do a much better job in the turnover department as the four turnovers suffered in the loss to the Jags were far too many for any team to overcome, especially one with a myriad of injuries. With Jennings and Pearsall out, former Ram Demarcus Robinson will likely see a heavy workload in his first game against the team he spent the last two seasons with. A revenge game for Robinson would do wonders for a receiving corps that has been descimated by injuries. Robinson is also looking to make his first stamp with his new team after having served a 3-game suspension to start the season stemming from a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. 

The Rams enjoyed success against the Niners last season with wins in both meetings including a late-game comeback in L.A. in Week 3 which kickstarted a series of games in which the 49ers struggled to hold leads late. Ironically enough, special-teams also proved to be a major factor and a key reason the 49ers were able to allow L.A. to sneak back in and win that game, just like it did on Sunday against the Jags. The only loss suffered by the Rams so far this season came at the hands of the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles who blocked and returned a go-ahead field goal in the final seconds of their Week 3 meeting.  

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A Tale of Two Jakes - 49ers Win a Wild One in Seattle

Week 1 - With the San Francisco 49ers kicking off their 2025-26 regular season on the road against the rival Seattle Seahawks, head coach Kyle Shanahan's team would have a chance to make an early statement within the NFC Western Division with a win on Sunday. With three straight wins at Seattle's Lumen Field for the 49ers, including a Thursday Night win last season during Week 6, San Francisco would look to continue their success in the same building that was once a house of horrors for this 49ers franchise. Under quarterback Brock Purdy, however, San Francisco has enjoyed a turn of the tide as he entered Sunday boasting a perfect 3-0 record in the Emerald City. But with a revamped defense and plenty of new faces on offense, Purdy and company would look to keep that trend going against his QB counterpart and former teammate Sam Darnold. 

Making his Seahawks debut and facing his former team after a resurgent year as the man at the helm of the Minnesota Vikings, which of course followed up his bounce back season as a backup to Purdy in 2023, Darnold gives plenty of credit to coach Shanahan for helping him turn things around after a tumultuous start to his career with the Jets and Panthers. After handing San Francisco a loss a season ago during the team's Week 2 visit to Minneapolis, Purdy and Shanahan would love to return the favor to start off their 2025 campaign by handing Darnold an L in his first game with Seattle. While Darnold was certainly Seattle's biggest offseason acquisition, perhaps the biggest acquisition during the offseason for the 49ers came in the form of a coach with the return of former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh who found his way back as the team's defensive play-caller. After four solid seasons at the helm of the Niners defense from 2017-2020, Saleh made the jump to head coach for the New York Jets for three-plus seasons before being fired mid-season after a 2-3 start. But one team's trash is another team's treasure and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan couldn't be any happier as the re-hired Saleh was right back to his old self, dialing up magic as the San Francisco defense turned up the heat in the season-opener and ultimately kept the 49ers in it after a shaky start on offense. Although the 49ers did score on their opening-drive to jump out to a quick 7-0 lead behind their new $265 Million dollar man Brock Purdy under-center, the rest of the day was rather forgetful on offense until their final drive. 

One of the biggest question marks entering the season for the 49ers was the health of All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey who missed 12 games a season ago but had shown signs during training camp that he was back to his old self and as healthy as he's been in over a year. But on Thursday, CMC was pulled from practice and added to the team's injury report with a calf issue. With uncertainty hanging over McCaffrey's head in the days leading up to the season-opener, San Francisco's do-it-all playmaker was right back out there on Sunday helping lead the way on offense. After the 49er defense forced a punt on Seattle's opening-drive, Purdy hit McCaffrey for a 3-yard gain on the team's first play from scrimmage. From there they would be off to the races as they embarked on a 17-play, 85-yard drive that ended in Purdy finding tight-end George Kittle for a 5-yard touchdown. Making an impact early on and primed for a big day, Kittle would unfortunately leave the game in the first half with a hamstring injury and would have to watch the rest of the game from the sideline. 

After witnessing a successful drive by San Francisco, the Seattle offense would follow suit and orchestrate their best drive of the day with a 13-play, 51-yard touchdown-scoring drive spearheaded by backup running back Zach Charbonnet who scored from a yard out. From there, the game would turn ugly as defense began to steal the show for both teams, leading to a combined four consecutive punts. Marching down the field just before halftime, San Francisco appeared as if they would be heading into the locker room at the half with a 3-point lead when kicker Jake Moody setup for a 27-yard field goal attempt with a minute remaining. But after struggling mightily a season ago, Moody's demons appeared once again as he missed the short field goal attempt by hitting the left upright. Coach Shanahan was visibly upset on the team's sideline and his frustration would only grow as Seattle was able to march into field goal range in the final minute of the first half to setup kicker Josh Myers for a 48-yard field goal to turn the tables and pull off the 6-point swing as it was Seattle who instead took a 10-7 lead into the half. 

Despite opening the second half with possession of the ball, things were already less than ideal for the San Francisco offense which would be without George Kittle for the remainder of the game. But things would take another turn for the worse after the team began to march across midfield when Purdy was intercepted on a pass intended for receiver Jauan Jennings. After being stopped in their tracks, San Francisco's next possession which saw them convert four first downs ended with another head-scratching moment on special-teams, this time as Jake Moody's 36-yard field goal was blocked. Luckily, San Francisco's defense would force a turnover of their own when Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was stripped of the ball from behind on the first play of the fourth quarter from Sam Okuayinonu, recovered by rookie starting safety Marques Sigle. The 49ers would convert the turnover into points as they tied the game at 10 behind Jake Moody's 32-yard field goal. After forcing a Seattle three-and-out on their ensuing possession, things were looking up for San Francisco before Purdy was picked off for a second time as he tried forcing a pass to second-year man Ricky Pearsall. The turnover would allow Seattle to jump back ahead with another Josh Myers field goal. 

Trailing 13-10 with just over 3-minutes remaining, Niners QB Brock Purdy would remind us all of his magical prowess as he launched a 45-yard pass on the second play of the drive down the left sideline to Pearsall to put his team within striking distance. With things slowing down a bit on the next few plays, Purdy was flushed out of the pocket and forced to make a running pass to one of the most unlikeliest of heroes in third-string tight-end Jake Tonges who had to pry the ball away from a defender before coming down with the go-ahead 4-yard score in the game's final minutes. With the 49ers leading 17-13 and 1:44 remaining in regulation, the game was all but over as Seattle looked to pull off some magic of their own with 1-timeout remaining. And after a 40-yard reception from Darnold to Smith-Njigba helped Seattle setup shop inside the red zone, it looked as if the Seahawks were going to deal the latest heartbreaking-loss to coach Shanahan and the 49ers. Luckily for them, San Francisco defensive-end Nick Bosa would have other plans as he picked the perfect time to come up with the team's one and only sack on the day with a strip-sack, forcing and pouncing on the loose ball to seal the 17-13 win for the 49ers in the opener. 

Helping San Francisco start the season 1-0, quarterback Brock Purdy who had perfect bookend touchdown drives to start and finish the game, helped lead the game-winning drive by going 6-for-6 for 67 yards and a touchdown before ultimately finishing with 277 yards passing, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on the day. Elsewhere, running back Christian McCaffrey who was active for the frist time since December 1, 2024, registered 142 total yards on 9 receptions and 22 carries, marking his 31st career game with 50+ rush yards and 50+ receiving yards, second most since 1950 (Marshall Faulk: 41). But the biggest storyline of all is that of San Francisco's third-string tight-end Jake Tonges who's career numbers before Sunday were as follows: 20 games, 34 offensive snaps played, 10 routes run, and 1 target for 0 catches. Helping fill-in for the injured George Kittle, Tonges finished Sunday's game with 31 offensive snaps played, 15 routes run, 3 targets and 3 catches for 15 yards including the game-winning touchdown. Purdy's game-winning touchdown to Tonges had a completion probability of 14.7%, the most improbable completion of the week entering the Sunday Night game. At the time of Purdy's pass, the Niners QB was traveling 15.98 mph, while Tonges had 0.4 yards of separation when the ball arrived. 

The 49ers have now won 5 of their last 6 matchups against Seattle, all with Brock Purdy as the starting QB, with four straight victories at Seattle's Lumen Field, their longest road winning-streak against Seattle in franchise history. The two teams will not meet again until Week 18. 

Week 2 Preview: The (1-0) 49ers will continue their 2025-26 season on the road in Week 2 when they pay a visit to the Big Easy to take on the (0-1) New Orleans Saints. With the Saints falling in Week 1 by a final score of 20-13 to the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers will look to become the second NFC Western team in as many weeks to leave New Orleans with a win. Hopefully they'll receive some good news in time for that meeting on the injury front as both George Kittle (hamstring) and Jauan Jennings (shoulder) are scheduled to undergo MRI's on Monday after both left Sunday's game with injuries. Having to play Week 2 without both players would be a big blog considering the team is already thin at the receiver position with Brandon Aiyuk, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins all on the shelf with injuries, and while newcomer Demarcus Robinson serves a 3-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy in the offseason. Whether or not Kittle or Jennings make it back in time for Week 2 action, expect another big game from receiver Ricky Pearsall who hauled in 4 catches for 108 yards in Week 1 for the Niners. 

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