49ers Drop Game to Chiefs, Lose Aiyuk to Injury

Week 7 - In one of the more highly anticipated matchups on the 2024-25 NFL regular season schedule, the (3-3) San Francisco 49ers played host to the (5-0) Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last season's Super Bowl. With both teams decimated by injuries, the game that actually took place on the field would be a far cry from the entertaining back and forth duel that we saw in the big game back in February. And after a sluggish start on offense by both teams, it was the defense that took centerstage for most of this one. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted in the days leading up to the rematch that he had avoided watching film on Super Bowl 58 for about a month following his team's heartbreaking loss. While not as crushing a defeat as the one his team suffered in overtime in the big game, Shanahan will be just as furious when he watches the tape from Sunday's bout. 

As if they needed any additional ammunition heading into the game, the Chiefs were well rested and coming off a Bye week. And in case you were wondering, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid came into Sunday's game owning a career record of 21-4 coming off the Bye in his 25 years at the helm. Those numbers would not bode well for Shanahan and company who have gotten off to a slow start to the season and are in need of any break they can get. Unfortunately, they wouldn't get any in this one and were instead dealt another blow to their playmakers. Calling on an already thin receiving corps that would be without Jauan Jennings who leads the team in receiving and was missed all week in practice while nursing a hip injury suffered in the Week 6 win in Seattle, things would go from bad to worse as another pair of receivers would be lost in the first half. Deebo Samuel who was expected to play a big role for Kyle Shanahan's offense in Sunday's game was seen heading back and forth from the field to the locker room during pregame warmups with what appeared to be flulike symptoms. And while Samuel would still suit up in time for kickoff, it was very apparent that he was feeling under the weather as he would last only six snaps before having to be pulled and sidelined for the rest of the game. It would later be revealed that Samuel was taken to a nearby hospital where he would spend the next two nights after nurses found he had fluid in his lungs and had to be treated for pneumonia. 

But even after all of that, the worst was still yet to come. With San Francisco opening the game on offense, a holing penalty on the second play from scrimmage would eventually result in a three and out punt by the 49ers. It would be only the sixth three and out all season for San Francisco who has the fewest in the league. Meanwhile, Andy Reid's Chiefs would showcase an aggressive approach out the gates with a fake punt attempt that was sniffed out by the 49ers' special-teams. The stop would be a rare win for San Francisco's special-teams unit that has cost them already on more than one occasion this season. However, the jubilation would be cut short on the very next play as 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had his pass intended for his tight-end George Kittle intercepted. A few plays later with the Chiefs threatening on offense, the 49er defense would come up with an interception of their own. Playing in only his second game of the season and just the fifth of his career after two injury-plagued seasons, defensive-tackle Kalia Davis would make a big play to stop the Kansas City offense in its tracks when he got a paw on a pass from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes at the line and came down with the interception. After a pair of 49er rookies came up with their first career interceptions in last week's win over the Seahawks, Davis joined the club by recording his first career interception as well. 

Following a pair of punts, the 49ers would strike first with a 55-yard field goal by the recently signed Anders Carlson who made a good first impression as the Niners' third kicker in as many weeks. As soon as the first quarter came to a close, it was almost as if the Chiefs offense flipped a switch and got going. Capitalizing on a number of penalties by the San Francisco defense, Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt made the opposition pay with touchdown runs on back-to-back drives with only punts to show for by the Niners. Finally beginning to show signs of life, the 49ers offense began to move the ball as Purdy connected on a 41-yard pass to George Kittle. Purdy would hit receiver Brandon Aiyuk with a 15-yard reception two plays later, but it was there where the Niners were dealt another crushing blow in the injury department. Tackled from behind on an inside route, a second Chiefs defender came flying in while Aiyuk was falling down and crashed into his right knee which forced Aiyuk to leave the game. While he was able to walk off the field on his own, he would require a cart that would take him to the locker room with what team doctors feared would be a torn ACL. Those results would come back worse as Aiyuk was later revealed to have town both his ACL and MCL which will require season-ending surgery. 

Now down three of their starting receivers, the 49er offense would march all the way to the 5-yard line, but were unable to punch into the end zone and were forced to settle for another field goal to make it a 14-6 game just before the half. The game wouldn't be all bad news, however, as their first round pick in April's Draft -- receiver Ricky Pearsall was able to make his NFL debut just 50 days removed from being shot in the chest in an armed robbery attempt. Entering the game to a standing ovation, the rookie Pearsall would haul in a 6-yard catch for his first career NFL reception. San Francisco would open the second half strong on both sides of the ball, first intercepting a pass from Patrick Mahomes as Deommodore Lenoir took advantage of the Chiefs' Xavier Worthy who tripped on the play which allowed for the easy pick. Purdy and company would capitalize as the 49ers QB took it in himself from 1-yard out. Cutting the deficit to just two, Carlson would fail to make the extra-point attempt, keeping it a 14-12 Kansas City lead. Just when the San Francisco was gearing towards taking a lead after forcing the Chiefs to punt on their ensuing drive, Purdy threw his second pick of the afternoon after he and receiver Ronnie Bell failed to get on the same page. 

Midway through the game, both QB's had struggled with quarterback ratings below 50. By this point Mahomes was 12 for 22 with 108 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a QBR of 30.1. Purdy was not much better having connected on 9 of 18 passes for 122 yards and 2 interceptions for a 48.8 QBR. Not great for a former 2-time MVP winner (Mahomes) and last year's MVP runner-up (Purdy). It would turn out Mahomes would get the last laugh as he normally does, cashing in on the Purdy interception with a touchdown run of his own on fourth down from the 1-yard line. Several plays earlier, Mahomes recorded the longest rush of his career with the help of the NFL's over-policing of today's quarterbacks on a play that probably shouldn't have happened. What should've been an 8-yard gain, turned into a 33-yard scamper as Mahomes had appeared to be headed to the sideline as he slowed down while being chased, but with several 49er defenders slowing down with him assuming the QB was going to step out of bounds and to avoid a costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Mahomes instead turned on the jets and began running down the sideline for a big gain. No way should the defense have assumed Mahomes was giving himself up on the play, but it was clearly a loophole the Chiefs QB exposed and got a way with and if the officials aren't going to do anything about it, why not? 

San Francisco would threaten on their ensuing drive after a big reception from 49ers rookie receiver Jacob Cowing who hauled in a 41-yard reception, the longest of his career, setting his team up inside the red zone. Closing in on the end zone, Purdy was pressured and knocked off-balance which led to an errant pass intended for George Kittle that was picked off in the end zone. The Chiefs would add another touchdown to make it a 28-12 game on an 18-yard run by Mecole Hardman, his first TD since hauling in the game-winner in the Super Bowl, before a garbage time touchdown ran in from a yard out by Purdy, his second of the game. With San Francisco unable to recover a last ditch onside-kick attempt, the Chiefs hung on to the 28-18 win, their fifth straight win over the Niners, including a pair of Super Bowls. Both QB's struggled to put up the numbers they did, as Brock Purdy led the way with 212 yards passing, 2 rushing touchdowns and 3 interceptions, while Patrick Mahomes finished with 154 yards passing, 1 rushing touchdown and 2 interceptions. K.C. running back Kareem Hunt led all rushers with 78 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, followed by Jordan Mason who still rushed for 58 yards on 14 carries for the Niners despite playing with a bum shoulder. San Francisco tight-end George Kittle finished with a game-high 92-yards receiving on six receptions. 

If there was a positive to point out in the disappointing loss for the Niners, it would be the return of rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who caught three passes for 21 yards and fellow rookie receiver Jacob Cowing who got his first real action after the injury to Brandon Aiyuk, hauling in a pair of receptions for 50 yards. 

Week 8 Preview: For the second straight week, the (3-4) 49ers will be facing a team coming off the Bye week when they host the (3-3) Dallas Cowboys. With both teams playing catchup within their respective division standings, this matchup will almost serve as close to a must win game as it can get this early in the year, despite more than a full half of the NFL regular season schedule remaining. While the 49ers have had the Cowboys' number as of late with wins in three straight including playoff victories in back-to-back postseasons in 2022 and 2023, San Francisco also handed Dallas the most lopsided loss in the long-standing rivalry between these two historic franchises just a season ago with a 42-10 drubbing. This up and down 49ers team will try to mimic that dominant win from last season when tight-end George Kittle hauled in a career-high 3 touchdown receptions. Sunday night would be a perfect night to repeat that feat as Week 8 will unofficially serve as National Tight-End Day, a mock holiday created by Kittle back in 2019 to be celebrated during the last weekend of October. 

Kittle should be in store for another productive game with receiver Jauan Jennings expected to miss his second straight game due to a lingering hip injury and Brandon Aiyuk placed on the season-ending Injured Reserve list. Meanwhile, receiver Deebo Samuel who was back at practice on Friday after missing the previous two practices during the week with pneumonia, is listed as questionable and may come down to a game-time decision. The Cowboys will also be without one of their own key players in edge rusher Micah Parsons who will be out for a third straight game with an ankle injury. Like San Francisco, Dallas has plenty to prove and are coming off a 47-9 loss at home to the Detroit Lions, their worst home loss since 1988. To their credit, the Cowboys are oddly enough undefeated on the road as they enter Sunday with a 3-0 record away from home. 

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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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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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49ers Spearheaded by Chiefs in Blowout Loss at Home

Week 7 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium to face the (4-2) Kansas City Chiefs in what would be a rematch of Super Bowl 54, the (3-3) San Francisco 49ers would welcome arguably their toughest match-up on the schedule. But even before kickoff between two of the league's heavyweights, the 49ers stole the spotlight heading into another action-packed NFL Sunday when they made a blockbuster trade to acquire All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers less than three days earlier. However, their new offensive weapon wouldn't be the only player Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan would be excited to see on the field come Sunday, as the team also welcomed back a pair of key cogs in left-tackle Trent Williams and defensive-end Nick Bosa, both of whom missed time nursing ankle and groin injuries, respectively. 

With plenty of excitement in the air, the 49ers offense came out guns blazing, receiving the ball to start the game. After a first down pass to George Kittle who had his best game of the season (6 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown), coincidentally on National Tight-End's Day, the 49ers and their fans got their first look at their newest offensive weapon on the field. Roars from the 49er faithful serenaded McCaffrey who got back to back touches on the opening possession and had carries of 10 and 9 yards right off the bat. It didn't matter if McCaffrey touched the ball or simply checked into the game, the welcoming cheers could be heard consistently each and every time his cleats met the turf on the playing field. Though San Francisco's hot start would eventually fizzle out as they made it inside the red zone and ultimately had to settle for a Robbie Gould field goal, the 49er offense would be right back at it just a few plays later as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was picked off on his first pass of the afternoon. Young San Francisco standout safety Talanoa Hufanga who seems to come out with a game-changing play on almost a weekly basis, made his presence felt early as he forced the Mahomes interception. While it would be the second straight game with an opening-drive pick for Mahomes, it would be his lone mistake of the ballgame as he was virtually flawless for the rest of the contest. 

Turning the early miscue into points, San Francisco made quick work of the prime field position, scoring just four plays later as 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo rolled to his right and hit Ray-Ray McCloud who made a diving catch to haul in his first-career touchdown reception. While the early trip to the end zone would give the Niners a quick 10-0 advantage, it would also wake up a sleeping giant in the Kansas City offense. Answering back with a touchdown of their own, Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman got his team on the board with an 8-yard touchdown. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the Chiefs marched once more on offense with a Hardman again finding the end zone, this time from the ground after a 25-yard touchdown run. With the Chiefs taking a 14-13 lead, a strange and rather sloppy sequence of events would take place, starting with the 49ers who marched their way into field goal range. 

Looking to recapture the lead, a costly false-start penalty on the offense knocked Gould back 5-yards and out of field goal range as they were forced to settle for a punt. Back to receive the punt was Chiefs rookie Skyy Moore who muffed the catch, giving the ball right back to the San Francisco offense. Looking to capitalize on the second-chance opportunity and at least head into halftime with a lead, Garoppolo instead returned the favor and gave the ball right back three plays later as he felt the pressure of a sack and lobbed a ball up to a crowd of players as Kansas City's Joshua Williams came away with the jump-ball interception. Looking to add to their own lead before opening the second half with the ball, Mahomes and the Chiefs offense marched into the red zone until a low-block penalty set them back 15 yards. Those yards would prove to be crucial as Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's lone field goal attempt on the day sailed wide right from 39 yards out, keeping the score at 14-13 entering the half. 

With San Francisco boasting the league's number two scoring defense entering Sunday, the once formidable unit which has been banged up and riddled with injuries the last few weeks, looked like a shell of themselves in the second half. Opening the half with four consecutive touchdown-scoring drives, the Niners were unable to find an answer for Mahomes and company on defense. Kansas City would be in business to start the second half after a 48-yard kick return by Chiefs rookie Isiah Pacheco and a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty tacked on, added to San Francisco's frustration on special-teams. The Chiefs would find the end zone just three plays later. While the Niners would answer with another field goal, K.C. again fired back with another trip to the end zone. Keeping the game close to start the fourth quarter, Garoppolo and the 49er offense embarked on their best drive yet.

Orchestrating a 13-play, 81-yard drive, Jimmy G hit George Kittle in the end zone for a jump-ball touchdown reception to make it a 28-23 ballgame. Sadly, that would be as close as the Niners would get as the rest of the scoring would come from the Chiefs. After allowing two more touchdowns and a safety, San Francisco's offense went stagnant as their final two possessions ended in a fumble and an interception. With the ballgame getting out of hand for the 49ers on the scoreboard, coach Shanahan would call on rookie quarterback Brock Purdy who was this year's Mr. Irrelevant as the final pick in April's Draft. Two big back-breaking plays for the 49er defense would come on a pair of third and longs as they gave up 34-yards on a screen pass to running back Jerick McKinnon on 3rd and 20, and another 57-yards on a deep pass to receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on 3rd and 11. 

When it was all said and done, the 49ers fell to the Chiefs, 44-23, as San Francisco gave up their most points in a home game since a 45-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Candlestick Park on October 11, 2009. With a season-high 423 yards passing for Patrick Mahomes, the K.C. signal-caller also threw for 3 touchdowns and an interception on his way to logging his 56th career win, tying him for the most among quarterbacks in their first 70 starts since 1950. While receiver Mecole Hardman finished behind four other Chiefs in receiving yards on Sunday, he became the first receiver in the Super Bowl era with 2+ rushing touchdowns and 1+ receiving TD in a game. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo had his most passing yards of the season with 303 to go along with a pair of touchdowns, but he also had a lost fumble and an interception as the 49ers were out-sacked by Kansas City's defense on Sunday: 5 to 1. 

Week 8 Preview: Falling to 3-4 on the year following the lopsided loss, the 49ers find themselves trailing the Seattle Seahawks of all teams in the NFC West standings who are currently in first place at 4-3. A few things San Francisco has had working for them this season is their 2-0 mark against teams within the division, and another is their recent domination of the rival Los Angeles Rams. With seven straight regular season victories over L.A., the 49ers will try to make it eight straight against their rivals when they take a trip down south to SoFi Stadium in Week 8. Looking to avenge their 24-9 loss to the Niners at Levi's Stadium on Monday Night Football in Week 4, the Rams are coming off a BYE and have had plenty of time to prepare for the team that has had their number over the past 3+ seasons. Meanwhile, 49ers new running back Christian McCaffrey who saw limited action on Sunday due to his unfamiliarity with coach Shanahan's playbook, will have some time to get up to speed on the offense in preparation of facing the team that came close to acquiring him before he landed in SF. Other suitors who had reportedly shown interest in trading for CMC were the Broncos, Eagles and Bills. McCaffrey who tallied 38 rushing yards on 8 carries and 24 receiving yards on 2 receptions, should also get more plays on passing downs against the Rams as Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk will miss a week after suffering a broken finger on Sunday. 

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Overcome with Injuries, Banged up 49ers lose to Falcons

Week 6 - If there's been any theme for the (3-2) San Francisco 49ers so far this season, it's been the string of bad luck in the injury department and losing to teams a Super Bowl contending team has no business losing to. Both of which would continue on Sunday as the Niners visited Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face the (2-3) Atlanta Falcons. Banged up and bruised up and down the roster on both sides of the ball, the 49ers entered Sunday's game missing six of their 11 starters on defense, and have already added 10 players to the Injured Reserve list this season, with defensive-tackle Javon Kinlaw (right knee) and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (torn left ACL) being the latest to fall victim. With that many absences on the roster, the glaring holes would be too much for even the league's top defense to overcome as Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota had his way with the opposition from the onset. 

With Atlanta receiving the ball to start the game, Mariota and company moved the chains with ease on their game opening-drive, converting on three third downs before reaching the end zone to cap off a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown-scoring drive. Finding themselves trailing early, it would be the first touchdown allowed in the first half this season by the San Francisco defense who looked every bit as a team missing more than half of their starters on defense. Unfortunately, the offense would not look any better on their first possession which ended with a three and out punt. While the 49er defense would force punts on each of Atlanta's next two possessions, the offense shot themselves in the foot when a rush attempt on third and 1 from running back Jeff Wilson Jr. backfired as the ball carrier was striped of the ball, making for an easy scoop and score for the Falcons defense. 

In what would be a reunion game for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan who spent two seasons as Atlanta's offensive-coordinator and helped coach the Falcons high-octane offense to a Super Bowl appearance in 2016, things for his current offense couldn't have gotten off to a more lousy start on Sunday. The 14-0 hole in the opening quarter would be the largest deficit faced by San Francisco this season. But with a long ways to go before the end of regulation, the 49ers would have plenty of time to turn things around. And at the start of the second quarter, San Francisco's offense would do just that. With the busiest game of the season thus far for 49ers tight-end George Kittle, QB Jimmy Garoppolo connected with receiver Brandon Aiyuk for touchdown passes on back to back drives to tie the game at 14-all midway through the second quarter. But just when San Francisco appeared to swing all the momentum in their favor, Atlanta stormed back with a touchdown of their own as Mariota took it in himself for an easy score from 3-yards out. Looking to answer just before the half, Garoppolo launched a deep ball down the field to Deebo Samuel, but was picked off for an interception. 

Receiving the ball to start the second half, San Francisco again came out flat on offense to start the half and were held to a three and out punt. Meanwhile, Atlanta came out guns blazing on offense just like they did to start the game. Capping a 10-play, 65-yard drive was second-year tight-end Kyle Pitts who after missing the previous game with a hamstring injury, hauled in his first touchdown reception of the season to put his team ahead 28-14. Rearing its ugly head again would be the injury bug which bit San Francisco two more times as cornerback Charvarius Ward (groin) and right-tackle Mike McGlinchey (calf) each left the game in the first half and did not return. Asked to fill in for the injured McGlinchey was Jake Brendel who had a rough day at the office and was called for three of San Francisco's five penalties on the afternoon, including one on a 39-yard pass from Garoppolo to Aiyuk that was brought back due to a holding call. A pair of drops on deep balls to Ray-Ray McCloud and Charlie Woerner would sum up the day for San Francisco who had their chances but let them slip thru their hands in what would ultimately be a 28-14 loss. 

With only 50-yards of rushing to show for on the day for the 49ers, Atlanta on the other hand had their most productive rushing day yet this season, despite being without their starting running back Cordarrelle Patterson, tallying 168 yards on the ground with 59 of those yards coming from Caleb Huntley, 51 from Tyler Allgeier and another 50 from Mariota. While Mariota would only throw for 129 yards on the afternoon, he took what the defense gave him and showed his accuracy by connecting on 13 of 14 passes for a pair of touchdowns thru the air and another on the ground. Jimmy Garoppolo nearly threw for 300 yards passing before finishing with 296, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, with both George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk each hauling in eight receptions for 83 yards. 

Week 7 Preview: Returning home to Levi's Stadium to face the (4-2) Kansas City Chiefs in what will be a rematch of 2019's Super Bowl 54, the (3-3) San Francisco 49ers are hoping to get multiple key players back from injury in anticipation of the big game. With the loss on Sunday to Atlanta and wins within the division from both Seattle and Los Angeles, the 49ers are currently in a 3-way tie for first place, but do own the tie-breaker with a 2-0 record against NFC West foes. Looking to stay on track and remain atop the division, coach Shanahan is hoping for some good news on the injury front regarding left-tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and defensive-end Nick Bosa (groin), as well as Mike McGlinchey (calf), Charvarius Ward (groin) and Talanoa Hufanga (concussion) who left Sunday's game vs Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are coming off back to back hard fought games after a 1-point win over the rival Raiders on Monday Night Football and a last-minute loss at home on Sunday to the Buffalo Bills. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight-end Travis Kelce as dangerous as any at their respective positions, Week 7 will be no easy task for the 49ers who will need every bit of help they can get come kickoff. 

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49ers Blow Late Lead, Fall in Super Bowl LIV

Heading into Super Bowl 54, there were plenty of story lines to tickle your fancy. If its superstar quarterbacks you like, look no further as no QB match-up in the history of the Super Bowl featured two players with a higher winning percentage than that of San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo and Kansas City's reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes. If head coaches are more your style, you'd be treated to two of the best minds the game has ever seen, both old school and new. If you prefer big-time play-makers on offense, take your pick as both teams featured a plethora of players in the receiver, tight-end and running back departments capable of making the highlight reel. If it was defense you desired, the 49ers showcased one of the best young defenses we've seen in years. And for three and a half quarters, that defense would look the part. Unfortunately, as we've witnessed all too often, if you don't show up for all four quarters in the NFL, you're likely to lose. That's unless your team possesses one Patrick Mahomes.

No stranger to winning the big game in Miami, the San Francisco 49ers who had claimed two of their five Super Bowl titles in the Magic City, were hoping to make it a third on Sunday while donning their white away uniforms. In comparison, the Kansas City Chiefs were out to get their second title in franchise history while making their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years. Winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, things began looking up for Kyle Shanahan's 49ers squad who after forcing Kansas City to punt on a three and out, were able to strike first and get on the scoreboard early. Thanks to a big play on the ground by rookie receiver Deebo Samuel, the Niners crossed midfield, but were unable to reach the red zone and had to settle for a Robbie Gould field goal. Inspired by San Francisco's 10-play drive that took nearly six minutes, Mahomes and company did them one better by orchestrating a 15-play drive that chewed up almost seven and a half minutes and ended with a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Mahomes himself. Any hopes of a response from Garoppolo would be shot down rather quickly as the 49er QB hurried a pass after feeling the pressure of a potential sack and fluttered the ball up in the air and into the arms of a Chiefs defender who came up with the interception. Taking advantage of the early turnover, K.C. increased their lead with a field goal.

Like he's done so often this season, Garoppolo shook off the early interception with a touchdown-scoring drive that would tie the game at 10-all. Having relied heavily on his fullback for his run-blocking prowess, Jimmy G awarded him with a touchdown reception as Kyle Juszczyk made the catch, fought off a defender and plunged into the end zone for the 15-yard score. With the fullback position deemed a dying breed in today's NFL, it would be the first TD scored by a fullback in the Super Bowl since Tampa Bay's Mike Alstott in Super Bowl 37. Getting the ball back following a K.C. punt, the 49ers had a chance to retake the lead heading into the half as just 59 seconds remained. In possession of two of their three timeouts, coach Shanahan didn't appear all that interested until third down as he drew up running plays on each of their first two downs. It wasn't until a 20-yard pass to fourth-string running back Jeff Wilson Jr. that Shanny and the Niner offense began taking things serious before halftime. With 14-seconds left, Garoppolo connected on a 42-yard pass to his tight-end George Kittle that would've put San Francisco in field goal range. Instead, Kittle would be flagged for a rather questionable offensive pass interference call that turned a 42-yard gain into a 10-yard loss that ended the half. In only the fourth Super Bowl to ever feature a tie game at the half and first since Super Bowl 49, the 49er defense would hold the Chiefs offense to their fewest first half point total of the season in preparation of a wild second half.

Opening the third quarter the same way as the first, the 49ers managed to take a 13-10 lead with Robbie Gould's second field goal of the night. Looking to make their first stamp of the game on defense, rookie sensation Nick Bosa nearly caused the first Chiefs turnover when he stripped the ball from the hands of Mahomes who was quick to recover the fumble. However, Mahomes wouldn't be as lucky on the next play as the 49ers would get their turnover in the form of a Fred Warner interception as he jumped in front of a pass intended for Tyreke Hill. Cashing in on the rare quarterback miscue which marked Mahomes' first career postseason interception, running back Raheem Mostert plowed his way into the end zone for a touchdown. Mahomes would be intercepted for a second time on the very next drive as a pass thrown behind the receiver went off the hands of Hill and into the arms of safety Tarvarius Moore who collected his first career pick. With a chance to blow the game open, San Francisco's offense was unable to do anything with the Chiefs' second consecutive turnover as K.C. was given another chance. And like they've shown on multiple occasions this year and more specifically this postseason, Mahomes and company would capitalize on that opportunity and make the opposition pay.

With under nine minutes remaining and Kansas City starring down a 10-point deficit, Andy Reid's offense would take us on a roller coaster ride that caught the emotions of both teams' fans and players alike. No one play would exemplify that more than a pivotal 3rd and 15 play that would turn the tide and shift all momentum from the side of San Francisco to that of Kansas City. Converting on the third and long, Mahomes lobbed a strike to the speedy Hill who got behind the defense with a 44-yard reception that ultimately broke both the back and the spirit of the Niner D. On what would be the most important play of the game, K.C. appeared to get away with a holding call as Nick Bosa applied pressure to the QB but was taken out of the play by offensive-tackle Eric Fisher. Following consecutive incompletions, a crucial pass interference penalty against Moore on Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce turned a would-be 4th and 10 from the 21 yard-line into a 1st and goal from the 1. One play later, Kelce would not be denied as he was left all alone in the back of the end zone where Mahomes would find him for the easy score. Holding on for dear life with their 10-point lead cut to just 3 at the 6:17 mark, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers began to appear as if they were playing not to lose opposed to playing to win.

With a three and out coming at the worst possible time for the Niner offense, the Chiefs began clicking once again with everything working in their favor as Mahomes slipped a potential sack from Bosa to find Kelce for the first down. Two plays later, receiver Sammy Watkins used his quickness to breeze by Richard Sherman and catch a pass in stride for a 38 yard reception. It was at that moment that you knew it was only a matter of time before K.C. took the lead and whether or not San Francisco would have enough time of their own to try and answer. Facing 3rd and goal, running back Damien Williams caught a pass and extended the ball over the goal-line just enough to break the plain for the go-ahead touchdown before stepping out of bounds. From leading 20-10 to trailing 24-20 in a matter of minutes, the 49ers suddenly found themselves in unfamiliar territory and in need of a touchdown-scoring drive. With the two-minute warning approaching and all three timeouts remaining, the 49ers appeared to have K.C. right where they wanted them. And a 17-yard carry by Mostert on 1st down gave us a flash of what we thought was a sign of things to come and a repeat of what ultimately led the Niners through each of their previous two playoff wins spearheaded by the dominant run-game. Instead, that game plan would be abandoned.

Having relied heavily on the running aspect of the offense, Mostert's carry on the first play of the drive would be the last rushing attempt by the 49er offense. Following a false start penalty by Emmanuel Sanders that would bring up 1st and 15, Shanahan called for six consecutive passing plays. Facing 3rd and 10 near midfield following a pair of tipped and batted down passes, Garoppolo dropped back and chucked a bomb to Sanders who had broke free of the secondary. Overthrown on the pass, the possibility of a game-winning touchdown reception in the final minutes would leave Niner fans wondering, "what if?" And on 4th and 10 with the play clock at 0, Garoppolo would be sacked for the turnover on downs. Adding salt to the wound, the Chiefs would take advantage of a winded 49er defense to put the final nail in the coffin as Damien Williams broke for a 38-yard rushing touchdown. Facing their largest deficit of the game trailing 31-20 and in need of a miracle, K.C. would apply the dagger into the hearts of Niner fans as Kendall Fuller intercepted a pass from Garoppolo to seal the deal.

Snubbed by his own quarterback for Super Bowl MVP honors, Chiefs running back Damien Williams rushed for 104 yards and 1 touchdown on 17 carries, while also adding 29 yards and a receiving touchdown on 4 receptions. Tyreke Hill led all receivers in receiving yards (105) and receptions (9), and Patrick Mahomes out dueled Jimmy Garoppolo by throwing for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions to Jimmy G's 219 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. By taking home the hardware, Mahomes is the first player in NFL history under the age of 25 to be named both league MVP and Super Bowl MVP and win a Super Bowl, and just the second youngest QB to win a Super Bowl (Ben Roethlisberger). Not nearly as lethal as he was in the NFC Championship game against Green Bay, 49ers running back Raheem Mostert still averaged close to 5 yards per carry by rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts (4.8 avg). Last but not least, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid captures his first career title that has long illuded him and took him 21 seasons to accomplish as he becomes the 6th oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl at 61 years, 320 days. Winning the big one would be a long time coming for Chiefs fans who've anxiously waited to see their team hoist the Lombardi Trophy exactly 50 years in the making.

As for the 49ers who all season long had celebrated the 25th anniversary of their last title during the 1994 season, fans like myself are still waiting and hope to one day see the team return to glory like they did oh so often during the 80's and 90's. With only three losses in the regular season, all of which coming by single-digits and on the final play of the game, Sunday's outcome which the final score would not reflect given the last-minute touchdown, would be a different kind of hurt for the 49er faithful. After all, it's not the loss that hurts, but rather the fashion in which they lost. Nevertheless, players like George Kittle and DeForest Buckner are already counting down the days until next season and like their chances of returning to the Super Bowl in what they're calling their, "redemption tour."

What went Wrong - Though I'm not one to blame a loss on poor officiating, there were several head-scratching calls that I thought put a dent in San Francisco's chances of winning this game. But even then, they should've still won. To me, there wasn't one reason or thing that led to San Francisco's downfall, but rather a combination of things that led to them shooting themselves in the foot. Though there was a mixture of poor clock-management and bad play-calling in my opinion on behalf of the coaching staff, the on-field execution in the fourth quarter by the quarterback was equally to blame for their collapse. Ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day whether true or false, is Jimmy G will be looked upon as a liability despite the team's 4-20 record without him under the current regime, and that this is the second game now in which a Shanahan-led offense has built a large lead in the biggest game of his team's life, only to let it slip away in the second half. The overthrown pass by Garoppolo to Sanders wasn't the only missed opportunity late by the QB, only the most visible as George Kittle was also left open on several plays but either never had the ball thrown his way or the ball was batted down at the line of scrimmage before it could get to him. And then there's the simple thought of continuing to feed running back Raheem Mostert who played a large role in helping the 49er offense get to the Super Bowl in the first place.

A look Ahead - If there is such a thing for a heartbroken fan base that could almost taste the champagne of victory, making sense of the gut-punch that is defeat, is best done when looking at the glass as half full. At least in the case of this young San Francisco team. After becoming just the third franchise to punch their ticket to a Super Bowl after winning only 4-games the previous season, albeit following a season-ending injury at the quarterback position three weeks into the year, it's hard not to believe that this won't be the first of many Super Bowl appearances to come for this young squad. Though nothing is ever granted in the sport of football, San Francisco possesses the perfect ingredients to make playing on Super Bowl Sunday an ongoing trend. While it does not take away from the sting and disappointment of the loss itself for a team that was mere minutes and a blown 10-point lead away from hoisting a record-tying sixth Lombardi trophy, it does make for a positive outlook in the foreseeable future. After playing in a Super Bowl that the 49ers really had no business being in if you stop and think about the blueprints of this team that has performed and developed ahead of schedule up to this point, you'd have to think that greener pastures lie ahead. Not to mention 2019-20 marked the first full year for Jimmy Garoppolo as a starter and in this offense. With the brain trust of Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch entering year four of their six year deals and a nucleus of young talent on both sides of the ball in place for many years to come, the 49ers are in prime position to be perennial contenders for the better part of the next decade. However, things won't be easy in their own backyard of the NFC West which has proven to be one of if not the toughest division in all of football. With the Los Angeles Rams only a year removed from making a Super Bowl appearance of their own and Russell Wilson continuing to put up MVP-caliber seasons for Seattle, the Arizona Cardinals are not to be slept on and are expected to be much improved in year two of Kyle Murray and Kliff Kingsbury's careers.


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49ers Run Rampant vs Packers, Punch Ticket to Super Bowl to face Chiefs

NFC Championship - After hosting their first ever playoff game a week ago at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara by handily beating the Minnesota Vikings, Conference Championship Sunday would bring another first to the San Francisco 49ers who despite playing in their NFL-leading 16th NFC Championship, hosted their first ever title game at their new digs and first overall since 2011. Playing host to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers who Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team beat to a pulp during Week 12 of the regular season, all the talk coming into the game was how things would play out differently in the rematch for the Packers quarterback. But even for a future Hall of Famer and former Super Bowl winning QB who will be remembered as one of the greatest of all-time at his position, the combination of San Francisco's lethal running game and dominant defense once again proved to be too much for the Chico, California native who grew up rooting for this 49ers team that has now handed him three early exits from the postseason throughout his career.

Though Sunday's game didn't get out of hand quite as quickly as it did in the Week 12 meeting, once the Niners got rolling on offense, there was little to nothing Green Bay could do against the runaway train that was the San Francisco run game. With Green Bay winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, it was the Packers defense that made the initial stop by forcing a 49ers three and out on their opening possession. Failing to take advantage of the early opportunity, the Packers, too, would have to punt which triggered six consecutive scoring drives for Kyle Shanahan's offense. It wasn't long before the game turned into the Raheem Mostert show as the undrafted running back out of Purdue opened the scoring with a 36-yard rushing touchdown before setting multiple postseason franchise records. With starting running back Tevin Coleman carted off the field with a shoulder injury, the Niners' radio call would sound like a broken record as Mostert scored all four of San Francisco's touchdowns and by halftime, the 49ers had jumped out to a 27-0 lead. When Green Bay wasn't calling on the punt team in the first half, they were left scratching their heads as the 49er defense forced turnovers on back to back possessions when a fumbled snap put an end to the Packers' best-looking drive of the half, followed by Emmanuel Moseley's interception which kept the shutout alive heading into halftime.

Rodgers and company would open the second half with their longest and most successful drive of the game when he helped lead the offense on an 11-play drive that ended in a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Aaron Jones. But answering Green Bay's first score of the game would be Mostert who made NFL history by becoming the first player to ever score four rushing touchdowns in a conference championship. The Packers would string together touchdowns on each of their next two drives, but a Robbie Gould field goal and a Richard Sherman interception following the two-minute warning, would spell doom for Rodgers and co. who came up short both on the clock and on the scoreboard as San Francisco pulled off the 37-20 win to punch their ticket to Miami for Super Bowl 54. In just their third year at the helm, the brain trust of Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch got the 49ers back to the promised land of competing for and appearing in a Super Bowl.

Though Rodgers would pass Packers great Brett Favre for the most postseason passing touchdowns in franchise history and moved into a tie with Peyton Manning for 4th most all-time postseason passing TD's with 40, he dropped to 0-5 in his career as a starter in the postseason against teams ranked top 10 in pass defense (SF ranked No. 1). In their two meetings combined this season, the 49ers have outscored Green Bay 50-0 in the first half. Perhaps the most remarkable stat of the entire game was that of 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo and just how little was needed from their franchise quarterback. Despite dispatching the Packers for the second time this season, the Niners needed only eight pass attempts from their star quarterback on Sunday as Jimmy G finished the game 6 for 8 with 77 yards, no giveaways and a 104.7 passer rating. In contrast, Rodgers who is now 0-3 in his career during the postseason against the Niners, finished with 326 yards passing on 31 of 39 attempts, threw for a pair of touchdowns but had three giveaways on his way to a 97.2 passer rating. With no answer for the Niners rushing attack from Green Bay, Shanahan was able to feed his running backs and bleed the clock in route to a record day from one of the most unlikeliest of heroes.

NFL Cinderella - One story that cannot be talked about enough is that of 49ers running back Raheem Mostert. Cut from seven teams before landing with the Niners, including the woeful Cleveland Browns, Mostert who did not have a single rushing attempt in the NFL before landing in Kyle Shanahan's system, became the first player in NFL history to record 150+ rushing yards and 3 touchdowns in a single half of a playoff game. Compiling a conference championship record of 220 yards on 19 rushing attempts to go along with his four TD's, Mostert could not be stopped on Sunday. It would be the most rushing yards in 49ers postseason history and the 2nd most in NFL postseason history as his 36-yard score in the first quarter was the 49ers' longest rushing touchdown in the playoffs since former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick's then record-setting performance against Green Bay in the 2012 divisional round which helped pave their way to Super Bowl 47.

Super Bowl Preview - The table is officially set for Super Bowl 54 as the San Francisco 49ers will take on the winners of the AFC in the Kansas City Chiefs. Making their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years and their third appearance overall, the Chiefs who under head coach Andy Reid and led by 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes, were able to book their flight to Miami after pulling off a pair of thrilling come-from-behind victories against both the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans. Despite earning the top seed in the AFC a year ago, making it back to the Super Bowl has been a long time coming for K.C. fans who witnessed their team fail at making it past Tom Brady and the Patriots in last year's conference title game. Still chasing the Lombardi Trophy in what is his 20th season as a head coach in the NFL, the former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles will now look to his young star quarterback to help him secure that piece of hardware that has long eluded him. When that game kicks off two weeks from now, Mahomes will become the 5th youngest QB to start a Super Bowl and would be the 2nd youngest ever (Ben Roethlisberger) to win it. Something Nick Bosa and the 49ers defense will do everything in their power to try and prevent from happening in what will be San Francisco's seventh Super Bowl appearance.

No strangers to playing the big game in Miami where the 49ers have won two of their five Super Bowl titles, San Francisco is only the third team to reach the Super Bowl after coming off a 4-win season and first to do it since the 1999 St. Louis Rams who went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The only other team to accomplish the feat was the 1988 Cincinnati Bengals who lost to the 49ers in Super Bowl 23 in 1988. But unlike that Super Bowl winning team that was part of a 49er dynasty, this team will have to deliver against the best arm in the game. Having struggled this year against mobile quarterbacks, the San Francisco defense can ill-afford to let Mahomes get comfortable when scrambling out of the pocket and need to prevent him from extending the play. They'll also have their hands full with one of the more dangerous receiving corps in the league when they lineup against speedsters Tyreke Hill and Sammy Watkins as well as one of the best tight-ends in the league in Travis Kelce. Much improved from last year, the Kansas City defense was able to do something no team had done since Week 8 by holding the Titans to under 100 yards rushing in their 35-24 win on Sunday. Containing 2019 rushing champion Derrick Henry to just 69-yards, the Chiefs will try to employ a similar game plan against Mostert and the 49ers run game.

With a limited arsenal from Jimmy Garoppolo and the passing game which saw only one target and completion to George Kittle in what was the second consecutive game in which Kittle was asked to do very little outside of blocking his tail off, I expect Shanahan and the Niner offense to dial up a heavy dose of action for their All-Pro tight-end come Super Bowl Sunday. With seven players on their roster with Super Bowl experience, San Francisco enters the game as 1.5 point underdogs. In what should be a spectacular match-up of two explosive teams on both sides of the ball and two rabid fan bases, Super Bowl 54 has the makings of what could be an instant classic that could very well come down to who's able to play mistake-free football and steer clear of the costly turnovers and penalties. Adding some spice on Sunday whether intentional or not was Chiefs defensive-end Frank Clark who in an expletive-laden post-game interview following the win over Tennessee, referenced the infamous off-sides penalty by former Chief and current 49er Dee Ford. Clark who was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to replace Ford who was then traded to San Francisco, also wears Ford's old jersey number 55.


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