Niners drop Rematch vs Rams behind Struggling Defense

Week 10 - One of the biggest upsets in the NFL this season took place during Week 5 when the (6-3) San Francisco 49ers paid a visit to SoFi Stadium aka Levi's South to take on the (6-2) Los Angeles Rams. Despite being 8.5-point underdogs and missing several key players on both sides of the football in that game, the Niners managed to pull off the 26-23 win in what ended up being an overtime thriller. Fast forward to Sunday where the two rivals would face off again in the rematch in Santa Clara, the 49ers would put their perfect 3-0 record against the division to the test against a Rams team that hasn't lost since their Week 5 bout when these two teams last met. Winners of three straight games, the Rams have been riding hot behind quarterback and MVP-canidate Matthew Stafford who at the age of 37 is playing arguably his best football yet in his 17th professional season. After dealing with back problems that kept him on shelf for much of training camp and into the preseason, there was no telling whether Stafford would be ready by the time the regular season started. Now 10 weeks into the season, there's no telling when the Rams' QB will call it quits given his recent resurgence as he entered Sunday's game with 13 TD passes in his last three games, the most in Rams franchise history over a three-game span. 

While the Niners jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter of their Week 5 meeting, it was the Rams who looked sharp to start this one by jumping ahead 21-0 after scoring touchdowns on each of their first three possessions. Kickstarting the barrage on offense was Rams running back Kyren Williams who shouldered much of the blame for L.A.'s Week 5 loss after fumbling near the goal line, scoring his first of two touchdowns on the afternoon and giving the Rams their third consecutive game with an opening-drive touchdown. After a three and out punt by the Niners on their first possession of game, Stafford connected with receiver Puka Nacua who broke several tackles before finding the end zone to take an early 14-0 lead. San Francisco began to march on offense during their ensuing possession which made it to the Rams' 26-yard line before receiver Jauan Jennings fumbled the ball after converting the first down. The turnover would be a momentum killer for the 49ers as the Rams took advantage by adding another touchdown as Stafford found tight-end Davis Allen in the back of the end zone to make it 21-0. The touchdown pass would also be the 400th TD pass of Stafford's career, making him the 9th QB in NFL history to reach that mark. 

After what appeared to be another successful drive on offense for San Francisco, quickly went up in flames again as the Niners made their first trip into the red zone before coming up short on a 4th and 1 that resulted in a turnover on downs. Luckily, the 49ers defense would finally force a Rams punt, allowing Kyle Shanahan's team to finally get something going before the end of the first half. With Mac Jones making his sixth consecutive start at QB and his 8th start in 10 games for the 49ers this season while filling in for the injured Brock Purdy, the trusty backup helped his team finally get on the board with a touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings who was able to shake off a rough first quarter that included a dropped pass, a penalty and a fumble. Grabbing his third touchdown of the season and second in as many games, Jennings would remain the only 49ers wide-receiver with a touchdown reception so far this season. 

Trailing 21-7 to open the second half, the 49ers got off to a much better start in the third quarter as backup running back Brian Robinson continued to be a nice change of pace from Christian McCaffrey who was held in check virtually all game long on the ground. Plowing over a Rams defender, Robinson found the end zone for a second consecutive week to make it a one-score game and inch the 49ers closer, 21-14. But answering back to kill the momentum again would be Stafford and company as the Rams scored a touchdown of their own on a 2-yard touchdown reception from Davante Adams. The two teams would again answer one another with touchdowns to open the fourth quarter with Mac Jones connecting with tight-end Luke Farrell and Kyren Williams finding the end zone again on the ground for L.A.. Jones' only blemish on the afternoon would come on San Francisco's ensuing possession as a pass intended for McCaffrey was tipped and intercepted, allowing for more points off turnovers as Stafford hit tight-end Colby Parkinson for his first touchdown grab of the season. With his fourth touchdown pass of the day, Stafford would become the sixth player all-time with 4+ TD passes in three straight games in a single season and the first player in NFL history with 4+ TDs and 0 interceptions in three straight games. 

Mac Jones and the Niners would answer with a touchdown of their own, albeit in garbage time as George Kittle got in on the fun, further adding to what was already a busy afternoon for tight-ends, making a grab near the sideline and lunging into the pylon for the score. Failing to convert on the two-point conversion, the 49ers would ultimately fall in this one, 42-26. While the offense woke up a bit in the second half, the defense was unable to force any turnovers and other than one sack, was unable to force much pressure which allowed Stafford to do just about anything he wanted through the air as San Francisco's defense allowed their highest point total of the season (42). The Rams also managed to play penalty-free football for an entire game, a feat that has only been accomplished in the NFL 40 other times since the year 2000. In comparison, the 49ers were called for 7 penalties for 45 yards and perhaps none bigger than a head-scratching, "illegal motion" penalty on Kittle that wiped out a 4th down conversion just one play prior to the Jones interception during the fourth quarter. 

Both quarterbacks would put up impressive numbers as Mac Jones threw for 319 yards on 33 of 39 pass attempts, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception for a 115.7 passer rating in the loss, while Matt Stafford completed 24 of 36 passes, tallying 280 yards, 4 TDs and 0 interceptions for a 127.1 passer rating in the win. George Kittle logged his best game of the season with a game-high 9 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown to lead both teams in receiving. Kyren Williams of the Rams racked up 73 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, more than San Francisco's tandem of McCaffrey and Robinson combined (71). Despite the loss, there is a silver lining for the 49ers who for the first time this season have no new injuries to report following a game. 

Week 11 Preview: Looking to get back into the win column and keep pace in the race for the NFC Western Division, the (6-4) 49ers will turn their attention to another division rival when they visit the desert to take on the (3-6) Arizona Cardinals. With a 16-15 walk-off win against the Cardinals in Week 3 at Levi's, both teams will look very different when they toe-off for the rematch. Notably for the Cardinals who underwent a change at the quarterback position, Jacoby Brissett will be under center on Sunday instead of Kyler Murray who was placed on Injured Reserve with a mid-food sprain. Coming off a 44-22 drubbing against the Seattle Seahawks, the Cardinals found themselves in a 38-7 hole in the first half that they were unable to climb out of. With a win over Arizona on Sunday the 49ers would complete a season sweep of the Cardinals, something they'd like to achieve after being swept at the hands of Arizona a season ago. Sunday's game will also kickoff a four-game stretch of winnable games for the Niners against struggling opponents -- Cardinals, Panthers, Browns and Titans. Expected to be favorites in each, the window is open for San Francisco to add to their win total and make a push for a playoff spot before a tough stretch to closeout the season. 

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Niners Rout Giants with Win in the Big Apple

Week 9 - Traveling out east to take on the (2-6) New York Giants, the (5-3) San Francisco 49ers would attempt to get back on track in the win column following a loss last week to the Texans and with a pair of division games on the horizon. But in order to make that happen, Kyle Shanahan's team would have to be much better on defense than they were a week ago after failing to log a single sack against the quarterback and were unable to force a punt until the midway point of the fourth quarter. As for the offense, a mediocre Giants run defense would open the door for a big day by the Niners rushing attack as both Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr. looked to bounce back in a big way after being virtually shut down in Houston a week earlier. 

Making his seventh start of the season in place of a recovering Brock Purdy (toe), 49ers quarterback Mac Jones would come out on fire by completing 14-of-14 pass attempts in the first half. After the Giants began the game with a touchdown on their opening-drive, Jones helped the Niners answer with a 5-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey. Following a three-and-out punt on the Giants' next possession, Jones again led the 49ers to pay dirt, finding receiver Jauan Jennings in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. Jennings, the subject of possible trade rumors just days ahead of the November 4 trade deadline, hauled in his second touchdown reception of the season and his first since Week 2. It would also mark just the second touchdown reception by a 49ers wide receiver this season, compared to the seven TD's caught by tight-ends and the five by running backs. San Francisco would add an Eddy Pineiro field goal to make it 17-7 at the two-minute warning and had plans on adding more before an interesting series of events for both teams. 

After forcing the Giants to punt and using timeouts to preserve the clock, the 49ers would get the ball back with 49-seconds remaining in the first half. But on the first play of their ensuing possession, Mac Jones would be hit from behind, jarring the ball loose and leading to a fumble. Taking over possession in prime field position, New York was unable to move the ball and settled for a 45-yard field goal attempt by kicker Graham Gano who entered Sunday's game a perfect 8-for-8 on the season, before missing wide left to end the first half. Getting the ball back to open the second half, the 49ers would add another Pineiro field goal to give them 20 unanswered-points and a 20-7 lead. While the Giants would eventually stop the bleeding with a field goal to make it a 10-point deficit, the two teams would exchange touchdowns throughout the fourth quarter. Kickstarting the flurry of a combined four consecutive touchdown-scoring drives would be 49ers backup running back Brian Robinson Jr. who only had five carries on the afternoon but made them count, finishing with 53 yards total, including an 18-yard touchdown run that saw him steamroll a Giants defender on his way to reaching the end zone for his first touchdown as a member of the 49ers.  

Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart who was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for October, responded by carrying the ball into the end zone himself for a 6-yard score. The touchdown for Dart would be a special one as he joined former NFL QB Tim Tebow as the only other quarterback in NFL history to record at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in four straight games, and the first rookie to ever accomplish the feat. Also making history on Sunday would be Christian McCaffrey. With a receiving touchdown earlier in the game, CMC added a 3-yard rushing touchdown, marking his 16th career game with a rushing and receiving touchdown, the most all-time, passing Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. Dart and the Giants would score one final touchdown in garbage time as receiver Gunner Olszewski came up with just his second career receiving touchdown and first reception since 2023, a 24-yard score to make it a 34-24 game. With the Giants unable to recover the onside-kick, the 49ers converted a game-sealing first down to close out the win, handing New York a third straight loss. 

Quarterback Mac Jones finished with another strong outing by throwing for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns to go along with a passer rating of 135.2. Meanwhile, Jaxson Dart threw for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns for a passer rating of 107.01, while also rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown to lead all Giants on the ground. McCaffrey again led the offense for San Francisco, rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown and adding another 67 yards and a score through the air. McCaffrey has now amassed over 500 rushing and 500 receiving yards for the season, becoming just the second player in the past 10 years to do that within the first nine games of a season, joining Saquon Barkley (2018). He also becomes just the second 49er to do it, joining Roger Craig in 1985. Unfortunately, the Niners were unable to avoid making it out of Sunday's game without an injury as rookie first-round pick Mykel Williams went down in the final minutes of regulation with a knee injury. Although he was able to walk to the sideline under his own power, he was later seen walking to the locker room in frustration as team officials fear he might've suffered a season-ending ACL injury. 

Week 10 Preview: Returning home to Levi's Stadium, the (6-3) 49ers will play host to the rival (6-2) Los Angeles Rams. Winners of three straight games since their upset loss at home to the Niners on Thursday Night Football, the Rams will face a very different 49ers team in the rematch as San Francisco will be without several key players that helped them pull off the upset in overtime, most notably linebacker and leader Fred Warner who helped make some key plays in that win. Having already matched their season total in wins from a season ago with their sixth win on Sunday, the Niners will look to add to that mark while eying a season sweep of the Rams much like they accomplished against San Francisco last year. But with Rams QB Matthew Stafford having appeared to turn back the clock so far this season with what could be an MVP season, the Rams will not be going down without a fight when these two teams meet in the rematch. With the 49ers yet to have their Bye week, they currently trail both the Rams and Seahawks in the division at 6-2 on the year. 

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49ers Win Thursday Night Thriller over Rams behind Pair of Defensive Rookies

Week 5 - After dropping both games to the rival (3-1) Los Angeles Rams a season ago, the (3-1) San Francisco 49ers were dubbed the little brother to their southern California counterparts by L.A. running back Kyren Williams. Referencing a changing of the guard after the Niners had enjoyed a dominant run in recent years over the Rams in their historic rivalry with nine straight regular season wins dating back to 2019, the Rams had suddenly found themselves winners of three straight head-to-head meetings for the first time since 1999 to 2001. With a myriad of injuries up and down the roster for the Niners and only four days removed from their first loss of the season in Week 4, San Francisco made the trip to L.A. and opened up as 8.5 point underdogs. While not exactly a surprise to some given the Rams' hot start and San Francisco's ever expanding injury list, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed to his team before kickoff that the game's high spread had pissed him off as echoed at the podium in quarterback Mac Jones' postgame presser. Not to mention homefield advantage was hardly a factor as the 49er faithful would paint the town red once again as L.A.'s SoFi Stadium, appropriately nicknamed Levi's South, resembled a 49ers home game as red and gold was adorned throughout. 

Making the start at QB for a third time this season after a brief return from Brock Purdy who would miss his third game in four weeks due to a toe injury, backup Mac Jones filled in quite nicely once again despite having his thinnest options at wide receiver yet. With a banged up receiving corps that was missing Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) who were just the latest additions to the injury list, as well as Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Jacob Cowing (hamstring), Jordan Wakins (calf) and All-Pro tight-end George Kittle (hamstring), the 49ers would look to Kendrick Bourne who had only joined the team three weeks ago via free-agency and Demarcus Robinson who barely made his season debut with the team a week ago after serving a 3-game suspension to start the season. While Robinson didn't quite have the revenge game many including myself thought he would against his former team of the past two years, Bourne on the other hand turned back the clock and registered a career night with 10 receptions and 142 receiving yards. With San Francisco being the only team in the NFL ranked in the top 5 in total offense and total defense this season, they would flex both of those muscles in the first half on Thursday. 

Coming out guns blazing on both sides of the ball to open the game, the 49ers were absolutely dominant in the opening quarter, highlighted by an opening-drive touchdown that spanned 87-yards over 12-plays, capped off by a touchdown pass from Jones to backup tight-end Jake Tonges who again answered the call while filling in for the injured Kittle. After forcing a punt on L.A.'s first possession of the game, Kyle Shanahan's offense embarked on an even longer drive of 76-yards on 19-plays, eating up over 8-minutes in time of possession. Again, ending the drive with a touchdown, Jones threw a dart to running back Christian McCaffrey who scored from a yard out to give his team a 14-0 lead. Just when the Rams began to finally show some life on offense, the 49ers pounced on a fumbled pitch from L.A.'s quarterback Matt Stafford. The Rams would finally find the end zone before the half with a touchdown reception from Kyren Williams, but San Francisco would manage to add to their lead before halftime with an Eddy Pineiro field goal, making it 17-7 at the half. 

Opening the second half with the ball, the Rams would have an early opportunity to put a dent into San Francisco's lead, but their kicking woes would once again haunt them. Prior to Thursday night, the only loss suffered by the Rams this season came at the hands of the kicking team as kicker Joshua Karty had his potential game-winning field goal attempt blocked and returned by the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles in Week 3. Against the Niners, Karty would have another forgetful game as his 53-yard field goal attempt was missed wide right. Making matters worse, the Niners were able to add another Eddy Pineiro field goal on the other end to make it a 20-7 game. While San Francisco would continue to dominant in the time of possession battle, their inability to score a touchdown from the 1-yard line would allow the Rams to stick around. With touchdowns on each of their next two possessions, Matt Stafford and the Rams would do just that as Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams each hauled in touchdown receptions to help pull L.A. even. What was once a 20-7 game with 6:36 remaining in the third quarter, quickly turned into a 20-20 tie with a pending extra-point that would give the Rams a 21-20 lead. However, the Rams would be snakebitten again by kicker Joshua Kurty who this time had his PAT blocked by Jordan Elliott of the 49ers. 

With both teams exchanging punts after failing to move the chains, San Francisco took over from their own 2-yard line before moving the ball up the field and making it across midfield. But it was there where their drive would begin to stall as they were forced to settle for yet another field goal attempt. With his deepest attempt yet in a 49ers uniform, kicker Eddy Pineiro would nail the 59-yard field goal attempt, setting a new career-long and giving San Francisco a 23-20 lead with 2:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. It would also mark the second longest made field goal in 49ers franchise history (David Akers, 63-yards). After logging his 50th career game-winning drive a week earlier against the Colts, Rams QB Matt Stafford would have a chance to add another to his resume as L.A. took over and quickly began to march down the field. Already thin on the defensive-line, defensive tackle Kalia Davis (broken hand) and defensive-end Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) would have to leave Thursday's game with injuries. But that wouldn't stop another name on the defensive-line from stepping up big and making a game-saving play as rookie Alfred Collins turned in his best game yet at the pro level. With the Rams making it all the way to the 1-yard line, running back Kyren Williams would be met near the goal line by Collins who was able to punch the ball loose and recover his own forced fumble. 

While the Niners would take over pinned back at their own goal line with only 1:05 remaining in regulation, they would fail to convert a game-sealing first down and instead had to punt the ball back to the Rams who were able to successfully preserve clock by using all three of their timeouts. Taking over at midfield, the Rams were able to move the ball another 20 yards to setup Karty who was able to redeem himself a bit with a 48-yard field goal that would tie the score at 23-23 and send the game into overtime. With the Rams winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, the 49ers were given another gift from Karty who's kickoff fell short of the landing zone which resulted in a penalty and San Francisco taking over at the 40-yard line. Able to move the ball another 46 yards on strikes from Mac Jones, the 49ers eventually settled for a 41-yard field goal from Pineiro that skipped off the inner-post before splitting the uprights. Just enough to give the 49er fans in attendance and watching from home a mild heart-attack. With the Rams taking over possession with a chance to sneak away with a win, Stafford launched a deep pass on 2nd and 1 to a wide-open Tutu Atwell for a 38-yard gain that put the Rams in the red zone. But after failing to convert the first down on the next three plays, Rams head coach Sean McVay opted to go for it on a crucial 4th and 1 attempt from the San Francisco 11-yard line where running back Kyren Williams would be met just shy of the 1st down marker by a gang of 49er defenders including rookie safety Marquis Sigle who came up with the game-winning stop, sending the 49er sideline and the SoFi Stadium crowd into a frenzy. 

Pulling off the upset to improve to 4-1 on the season, San Francisco improved to 3-0 in the division after a dreadful 1-5 record against division foes a year ago and snapped their three-game skid to the Rams. With all five games this season decided by one score, Thursday marked the first game without a turnovers this season for San Francisco. And while they came up with two fumbles in the win, the defense is still in search of their first interception of the season. 49ers quarterback Mac Jones threw for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns, becoming just the 4th QB since 1950 to record a 3-0 record and pass for 800+ yards and 6+ touchdowns in his first three starts with a team (Matt Stafford 2021, Patrick Mahomes 2017-18, and Kurt Warner 1999). With his league-best third game this season with 275+ passing yards and a 65+ completion percentage, Jones also became just the 4th 49ers QB since 1950 to win his first 3 starts in franchise history (Y.A. Tittle, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy). Elsewhere, running back Christian McCaffrey was unable to record a rushing touchdown yet again, but made his presence felt in other ways by registering another 139 yards from scrimmage, giving him 100+ scrimmage yards in each game this season. CMC becomes just the 6th player in NFL history to reach 11,000+ scrimmage yards and 80+ total touchdowns in their first 100 games. All other players to reach that feat before him are either Hall of Famers or are guaranteed to one day reach that honor (Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith, Ladanian Tomlinson, and Adrian Peterson). Matt Stafford of the Rams also had a stellar outing in the loss, passing for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns. Receiver Puka Nacua logged another 10 catches for 85-yards and a touchdown, becoming the first player in NFL history with 50+ receptions in the first five games to a season. 

Week 6 Preview: The (4-1) 49ers will hit the road in Week 6 where they are undefeated up to this point with a record of 3-0 away from Levi's Stadium and will pay a visit to Tampa Bay to face off against Baker Mayfield and the (4-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Leaders of the NFC South, Mayfield has the Bucs looking to run the table once again in the division. Coming off an impressive road victory over the Seahawks in Seattle, Mayfield has gotten the Bucs off to a tremendous start so far with the help of his newest toy and early Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Emeka Egbuka. The two have connected inside the end zone on five occasions already and will be one of the key storylines the 49er defense will have to keep close tabs on come Sunday. With San Francisco still yet to give up any points in the first quarter of a game this season, they'll try to keep that trend alive against this high-powered Bucs offense. While the 49ers have won all of their games by close margins with wins of 4, 5, 1 and 3 points, the Bucs actually have them beat as they're the first team in NFL history to win four games by 3 or fewer points in the first five games of a season. Of those four wins, three of them have come on the road.

And like San Francisco, Tampa Bay is winning games without some of their best players as receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, running back Bucky Irving and tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke have all missed time this season. After losses from both Philadelphia and Seattle on Sunday, the 49ers currently sit atop the NFC standings with a record of 4-1 and the only team in the conference with more than one division win under their belt. With a thrilling 23-20 win over Tampa Bay at home a season ago, there will likely be more fireworks when these two teams meet as both clubs try to stake their claim atop the NFC standings.

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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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49ers Faceplant vs Rams in Rainy Santa Clara

Week 15 - With just a handful of games remaining on the NFL's regular season schedule, the San Francisco 49ers entered their Thursday Night meeting with the rival (7-6) Los Angeles Rams with a record of 6-7 and very little margin of error to play with. Hoping to continue their improbable playoff run and cruise with a win at home, mother nature would have other plans as both teams struggled to get much of anything going on offense partly in part by the rainy conditions that effected both team's strategy through the air. With what many believed would be a back-and-forth shootout between two offenses led by two of the best young minds in all of football at the head coaching position between friends and former colleagues Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, instead turned into the first game in the NFL this season without a single touchdown scored. 

In a season that has been plagued by injuries, the 49ers finally received a bit of positivity on the injury front as linebacker Dre Greenlaw made his season debut, returning to action just 10 months removed from suffering a torn Achilles in a freak accident while on the sideline during February's Super Bowl. While the injury sent a ripple effect throughout the clubhouse and left his teammates in shock when it initially occurred, his return on Thursday night inspired the team and gave the defense a much-needed jolt on the field, at least through the first two quarters. Getting the start at linebacker opposite of Fred Warner, Greenlaw dazzled and led both teams with 10 tackles in the first half alone. With Greenlaw's help, the 49er defense held the Rams offense to four straight drives without a first down, the longest streak to start a game under head coach Sean McVay. While the 49ers did strike first with a 53-yard Jake Moody field goal on their second drive of the game, they weren't much better on offense as both teams combined for 11 punts in the first half, tied for the most in a half this season. After holding the Chicago Bears to just 3 yards of total offense in the first half a week ago, San Francisco was at it again and held the Rams to just 26 yards in the first half in rainy Santa Clara. 

With a score of 3-3 at the half, the 6-points scored were the fewest in a first half of a 49ers-Rams game since 2009. With 152 games played in the longstanding 49ers-Rams rivalry, it would also be the first game in series history without a touchdown thru the first three quarters, let alone the entire game as the kickers took centerstage and did all the scoring on Thursday night. After forcing a three and out on defense and taking a 6-3 lead following a field goal on San Francisco's first drive of the second half, things began to slip away for the 49ers both literally and figuratively. One play earlier before electing to kick the go-ahead field goal, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy threw a pass to a streaking Deebo Samuel who had blockers ahead of him and the end zone in his sights, but the recently disgruntled receiver dropped the pass and ran to the sideline holding his head in disbelief, much to the chagrin of the 49er fans in attendance as boo's rained down. The dropped pass that was likely destined for the end zone was especially frustrating for the 49ers as Deebo expressed to the media in the days leading up to Thursday's game that there was nothing wrong with him in what's been a down year for the former All-Pro receiver, he just hasn't been given the ball enough. Coach Shanahan and Brock Purdy both tried feeding Samuel on Thursday, even forcibly at times, dialing up plays both on the ground and through the air to no avail. 

Trailing 6-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Rams kicked field goals on their final three drives of the game to take a 12-6 lead. Just four nights after winning the highest-scoring game of the season in a 44-42 barnburner against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, L.A. suddenly found themselves in one of the lowest-scoring games of the year. With a chance to turn the tables and avenge a comeback loss to the Rams in L.A. back in Week 3, Purdy struggled to connect on a pair of home run passes to receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, respectively. After underthrowing a pass near the end zone to Pearsall, the Niners QB overthrew a deep ball to Jennings that was picked off inside the end zone. One possession later, the San Francisco offense would have one last-ditch effort remaining, but with no timeouts remaining and the game clock running against them, Purdy took a sack that sealed the Rams' win and most likely the Niners' season. With just 191 total yards of offense to show for, the 49ers put up the second fewest yards in a game under coach Shanahan. 

Perhaps an even bigger story than the proverbial final nail in the coffin that is the Niners' season, is that of linebacker De'Vondre Campbell who made headlines after refusing to go into the game for San Francisco during the third quarter. Demoted to a backup position on gameday due to the return of Dre Greenlaw, Campbell would hear his name called during the second half after Greenlaw and fellow linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles both went to the sideline after getting banged up, but Campbell refused to enter the game. Clearly feeling some type of way given his demotion, Campbell was sent to the locker room in what would end up being the final visuals of him in a 49ers uniform. Campbell's teammates and coaches sounded off on him when asked about the situation in their postgame interviews, and he has since been suspended for the team's final three regular season games this season. A former All-Pro while a member of the Green Bay Packers in 2021, Campbell began his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons, with stops in Arizona and Green Bay before ultimately landing in San Francisco during the offseason. After initially agreeing to a 1-year deal with free-agent linebacker Eric Kendricks, the plug was eventually pulled on the deal when Kendricks bailed out and ultimately signed with the Dallas Cowboys, thus resulting in the 49ers reaching an agreement with Campbell who might've very well played his final downs as an NFL linebacker. 

For the Rams, winners of 7 of their last 9 games, Matt Stafford and company now have their first 3-game win streak vs San Francisco since 1999-2001 which saw six straight wins over their longtime rivals. This after the 49ers had won 9 straight regular season meetings over the Rams more recently from 2019-2023. Neither team's quarterback lit up the stat sheet as Stafford threw for 160 yards with 0 touchdowns, compared to Brock Purdy who tallied 142 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. L.A.'s Puka Nacua led all receivers with 97 yards receiving and 7 receptions, followed by George Kittle of the Niners who hauled in 4 receptions for 61 yards. Most of the damage done by the Rams offense would come on the ground which came as no surprise in a rain-filled game as L.A. outrushed SF 142 to 63 yards rushing. Kyren Williams would have the busiest day of all running backs, leading the way for the Rams with 108 yards on 29 carries, compared to just 57 yards rushing on 19 carries by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo of the 49ers. 

Week 16 Preview - Hitting the road for sunny South Beach Florida, the (6-8) 49ers will visit the (6-8) Miami Dolphins. With the Niners sharing an identical record as the Dolphins, Miami's up and down season has had plenty to do with the health of their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who was forced to miss four games earlier this year due to yet another concussion. Since returning to action in Week 8, Tua had been playing some solid football to the tune of 15 touchdowns and only 1 interception, in spite of his team still losing games. That was until a clunker on the road in Houston where Tua threw only 1 touchdown to 3 interceptions in Week 15. With both teams coming off poor showings a week ago, both the 49ers and Dolphins will look to right the ship in Week 16 as Kyle Shanahan faces another one of his former colleagues in Miami head coach Mike McDaniel who spent five years on Shanahan's staff in San Francisco before landing his own head coaching gig. 

Seeking their first win in Miami since 1995, 49ers QB Brock Purdy who recorded his first career win against the Dolphins in relief of former teammate Jimmy Garoppolo in 2022, will attempt to get the job done against the team he grew up rooting for. 

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Right to Bear Arms - Niners Pummel Chicago

Week 14 - Looking to shake off their nightmarish two-game road trip and three-game skid, the (5-7) San Francisco 49ers returned home to Levi's Stadium in hopes of a rebound as they continue to play catchup in a crowded NFC West. Despite looking up at the rest of the division in the standings and sitting in last place, the Niners still have a scenario in play where they can make the playoffs, but they can ill afford losing more games to teams they should easily beat. A meeting with the visiting (4-8) Chicago Bears, losers of six straight entering Sunday, would allow them an opportunity to get back on track and into the win column. With the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus on black Friday, a day after the debacle that took place during their Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions, it was uncertain what the Chicago Bears would look like on Sunday under interim head coach Thomas Brown who took the sideline for the first time at the helm after starting the season as the team's passing game coordinator. And with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy coming off career-lows as a starter a week earlier in snowy Buffalo, the Niners signal-caller would come out with a chip on his shoulder as the offense began Sunday's contest firing on all cylinders right out the gates. 

Thanks to big gains on back-to-back plays by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo and tight-end George Kittle who picked up 23 and 33 yards respectively, the Niners were off to the races and found the end zone on Purdy's 7-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jauan Jennings. The quartet of Purdy, Guerendo, Kittle and Jennings would all be in line for big games, including Guerendo who would see his first career start at running back in the absence of fellow running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason. Jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead, San Francisco would score only their second opening-drive touchdown of the season, marching 70-yards in just 7-plays. With the 49er defense welcoming back safety Talanoa Hufanga after a 7-game stint on the Injured Reserve, San Francisco would be just as stout on the defensive side of the ball as the Chicago Bears were held scoreless in the first half and limited to only 4 yards of total offense through the first two quarters. With a rushing touchdown by Guerendo and a second touchdown grab by Jauan Jennings, the 49ers went into the locker room at the half with a resounding 24-0 lead. 

Whatever peptalk interim head coach Thomas Brown gave his team at the half, seemed to work as the Bears put together their most successful drive yet, marching 70-yards on 18-plays before finding the end zone on a 4-yard touchdown pass from QB Caleb Williams to receiver Rome Odunze for the rookie-to-rookie connection. In spite of the successful drive, the Bears ate up over 9-minutes of game time on their touchdown-scoring drive. After forcing a quick 49ers punt on San Francisco's ensuing possession, the Bears were suddenly marching down the field on offense and made it across midfield before being dealt a blow on a Caleb Williams fumble on a backwards pass that was recovered by the defense. Stopping the Bears in their tracks, the 49ers capitalized on the Chicago turnover with Isaac Guerendo's second rushing touchdown of the afternoon from 4-yards out. Setup by a 39-yard reception from Jauan Jennings, the 49ers had plenty of big plays under their sleeve on Sunday. After only eight plays of 20+ yards in their last three games combined, Kyle Shanahan's offense would match that mark in the first half of Sunday's game alone before surpassing that total with more big plays in the second half. 

With only one receiving touchdown on the season entering Sunday, Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze would haul in his second touchdown reception of the afternoon with a 14-yard grab, making it a 31-13 game. Answering Chicago's touchdown with a scoring drive of their own, the 49ers run game would put the final nail in the coffin following a 3-yard rushing touchdown up the middle by running back Patrick Taylor who put the game well out of reach. After losing their previous three games by a combined 7-points, the Bears were shellacked on Sunday by a final score of 38-13. Thanks to an overall solid performance in all facets by the 49ers, there was very little if anything at all to complain about as the Niners got back into the win column. Outgaining the Bears by nearly 300 yards in total offense, the 49ers racked up 452 yards to Chicago's 162. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy answered the call after setting career-lows the week earlier, throwing for 325 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, completing 20 of 25 passes. In contrast, Bears QB Caleb Williams also connected on a pair of touchdown passes, but threw for only 134 yards and was sacked seven times on Sunday, adding to his NFL lead as the most sacked quarterback in the league this season with 56, 15 more than the next closest quarterback (C.J. Stroud, sacked 41 times).

49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo answered the call in his first career start, rushing for 78-yards and 2 touchdowns and adding another 50-yards receiving on 2 receptions to give him 128-yards of total offense, resulting in a nomination for the NFL's Pepsi Rookie of the Week. Tight-end George Kittle had just six receptions on Sunday but made the most of them and finished with a game-high 151-yards receiving on his way to becoming just the third tight-end in NFL history with 500 receptions and 7,000 receiving yards. Leading all receivers with 7 receptions, Jauan Jennings continued his stellar 2024 campaign with 90-yards and 2 touchdown grabs in the win. Hampered by injury which has caused him to miss all but seven games this season, defensive-end Yetur Gross-Matos who was the team's big offseason signing on defense, led the 49ers in sacks on Sunday with 3, tripling his season output as he entered Sunday with only 1 sack on the year. 

Week 15 Preview: With a quick turnaround in store as the (6-7) 49ers play host to the rival (7-6) Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, San Francisco will look to win their second straight and avenge a tough Week 3 loss that saw the 49ers spoil a 10-point fourth quarter lead. In that game, the 49ers were without many of their playmakers on offense including George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, both of whom will be on the field on Thursday looking to make up for their absence in the previous bout. However, receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were also missing in action in that Week 3 meeting for the Rams and will look to prevent the 49ers from gaining any ground within the NFC Western Division. L.A. QB Matthew Stafford is also playing his best football of the season while riding a streak of 10 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions over the last four games for the Rams offense. After losing nine straight regular season games to the Niners, the Rams enter Levi's Stadium having won the last two matchups against San Francisco including last year's regular season finale in a battle of two backup QB's. 

Sunday's game will have a bit more significance than that playoff tune-up from a season ago with the Niners hoping to start a new streak against their rivals and inch back into the playoff picture with only four regular season games remaining on the schedule and plenty of ground to make up. One key reinforcement could be headed San Francisco's way in time for kickoff in the form of linebacker Dre Greenlaw who's been out all season after tearing his Achilles on the sideline in February's Super Bowl. With Thursday's game the targeted date for a possible season debut for the Niners' talented linebacker barring any setbacks during this week's practice, a healthy Greenlaw back on the field could be the perfect jolt needed for the 49ers looking to make a last-ditch run for a playoff spot. 

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49ers let Win slip away Late vs rival Rams

Week 3 - Hoping a return to sunny California would bring better fortune to the (1-1) San Francisco 49ers on the road in Week 3, all signs pointed towards a win against the rival (0-2) Los Angeles Rams who were banged up and without two of their biggest stars on offense in receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. However, the 49ers offense would be without a trio of their own stars with Christian McCaffrey (Achillies), Deebo Samuel (calf) and George Kittle (hamstring) all sidelined due to injury. While McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve due to Achilles tendinitis and is now expected to miss a couple months, both Samuel and Kittle were ruled out in the days leading up to gameday. With a slow start to the season after a big payday following his holdout during training camp, Sunday's game would be the perfect opportunity for a breakout performance for receiver Brandon Aiyuk who had yet to top 50 yards receiving in either of San Francisco's first two games. Instead, it would be receiver Jauan Jennings who would step up in the shadows of his teammates, answering the call with a game for the record books. 

Becoming only the second 49er in franchise history behind the great Jerry Rice to have 10+ receptions and 3 receiving touchdowns in a single game in team history, Jennings got the Niner offense going early and often while connecting with his quarterback Brock Purdy who entered Sunday's game leading the league in passing yards (550). However, a career day from Jauan Jennings would not be enough to prevent a 4th quarter collapse from the 49ers and a late game comeback by the Rams. By looking at just the box score, you would be hard pressed to believe Kyle Shanahan's 49ers did not walk away with a win on Sunday, which marked only the second time since 2017 that the Rams won a game where they were outgained by at least 100 total yards. San Francisco also finished with six more first downs, 129 more yards, ran 10 more plays and possessed the ball for nearly 7 more minutes than L.A. on Sunday. All of which made Week 3's loss to the Rams that much more gut-wrenching. 

San Francisco jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with trips to the end zone on each of their first two drives, highlighted by touchdowns from Purdy to Jennings from 13 and 4 yards out. Meanwhile, Rams QB Matthew Stafford would not have his first completed pass until the 8:26 mark of the second quarter. The Rams would finally show signs of life after a successful fake punt attempt midway thru the second quarter, which ultimately led to a 16-play, 98-yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Stafford to running back Kyren Williams who tied Marshall Faulk's mark of six straight games with a TD, the longest streak by a Rams player since 2000. Also tying him with Detroit's David Montgomery for the longest active streak in the NFL. Looking to add to their lead just before halftime, the 49ers made it across midfield, but that's where Brock Purdy would be sacked and striped of the ball as the Rams recovered the fumble and kept it a 14-7 game. 

Opening the second half by holding the Rams to a punt, the 49er offense opened the third quarter just like they did the first, guns blazing as Purdy found Jennings for a third and final touchdown on a 31-yard deep ball. But the Rams would answer with a touchdown of their own, taking advantage of the first of several costly second half penalties by the San Francisco defense. Facing a 1st and 15, Stafford took a shot downfield where 49ers cornerback Isaac Yiadom was called for defensive pass-interference. Kyren Williams would strike paydirt several plays later for his second touchdown on the afternoon. Both teams would exchange field goals to start the fourth quarter, but the Niners would miss a golden opportunity to put the game away when kicker Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal attempt that kept it one-score game with under 3-minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. 

The missed field goal would ignite a series of things to go wrong for San Francisco, starting with a 50-yard completion given up by 49ers All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward who was beaten by Rams receiver Tutu Atwell on the first play of the Rams' ensuing drive. Setting up shop inside the 5-yard line, Kyren Williams found the end zone for a third time just two plays later to tie the game at 24. Still the 49ers would have a chance to put themselves in winning position and appeared to do just that, but on a day San Francisco had accumulated a total of seven dropped passes, the biggest and most costly one of all came on a dropped pass on a very catchable deep ball to receiver Ronnie Bell which spelled doom as San Francisco punted the ball away two plays later. On that punt, another thing that couldn't go wrong did go wrong when the Rams returned the punt 38-yards to midfield with just under a minute remaining in regulation. Already in prime field position, another costly defensive pass interference penalty awarded the Rams 25 yards which put them in field goal range. Two plays later, rookie kicker Joshua Karty put the Rams ahead for the first time all day with a 37-yard field goal to win the game, 27-24. 

While the come-from-behind win would mark the biggest comeback win (14-points) by the Rams under head coach Sean McVay who was hired in 2017, it would be the 36th comeback win in the career of QB Matt Stafford, tying him with Drew Brees for the fifth most all-time, five more than the next closest active player -- Russell Wilson (31). As for his counterpart Brock Purdy, the 49ers QB played his tail off despite being without several of his big name playmakers and made a bit of history with his performance on Sunday. Purdy became only the third QB in 49ers franchise history to complete 70+% of his passes and throw 3 touchdowns in a loss, joining the elite company of Joe Montana in 1985 versus the Rams and Steve Young in 1992 against the Bills. While it doesn't all fall on him, Pudy who previously suffered only one loss during the regular season to an NFC foe prior to the start of this season, has now lost back-to-back games within his conference. Sunday's loss for Purdy also marks his first loss to a division opponent as he entered Sunday's game a perfect 7-0 versus NFC West opponents. 

Week 4 Preview: Returning home to Levi's Stadium for the first time since their season-opening win against the Jets on Monday Night Football, the (1-2) 49ers will hope to get back on track in Week 4 when they welcome in the (1-2) New England Patriots. Unfortunately, when Sunday comes, they'll be taking the field without defensive-tackle Javon Hargrave who they'll miss for the rest of the season after he suffered a partially torn triceps in the loss to the Rams, a game in which he recorded his first sack of the year. While these two teams rarely face each other, the 49ers are seeking their first win at home over New England since 1995, having lost the last two times these two teams met in San Francisco. 

After opening the season 1-0 following a surprise road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots just like San Francisco have dropped each of their last two games and are coming off a 24-3 loss at the hands of the rival Jets. Behind veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett who was brought in to serve as a transitional piece before handing the reigns over to rookie QB Drake Maye who the Pats selected with the third overall pick in April's Draft, New England's offense ranks at the very bottom in both touchdowns (3) and average yards per game (246.3). The 49er defense will look to keep those numbers low on Sunday after giving up more touchdowns than they would've liked in each of the last two weeks. Entering their Week 4 meeting, the 49ers have 3 players that rank in the top 3 in their respective stat categories thru the first three weeks: Brock Purdy 2nd in passing yards, Jordan Mason 2nd in rushing yards and Jauan Jennings 3rd in receiving yards.

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49ers Still unable to Solve Vikings on Road

Week 2 - Following a dominant Week 1 Win at home on Monday Night Football over the New York Jets, Kyle Shanahan's (1-0) San Francisco 49ers would hit the road for the first time this season where the (1-0) Minnesota Vikings would play host in their home-opener. Another dominant win for San Francisco was already highly unlikely given the Niners' recent misfortunes on the road against the Vikings where they've lost seven straight entering Sunday, but even more so considering Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium has been a house of horrors for the 49ers since its inception in 2016. However, the Niners' struggles in the land of ten thousand lakes actually predates the Vikings' new digs, dating back to 1992 which was Joe Montana's last season as a member of the 49ers. 

Keeping up with their historically poor luck in Minnesota, the 49ers fell into a 10-0 hole in the first half. After both teams opened the game by exchanging punts, the Niners' second drive on offense was stalled and resulted in another punt. However, this time punter Mitch Wishnowsky would have his punt blocked, giving the Vikings stellar field position. Although the San Francisco defense would hold the Minnesota offense to only a field goal, the Vikings would take an early lead they would not relinquish. San Francisco would reach the doorstep of the end zone on their ensuing possession, but were stopped at the 2-yard line after a 4th and goal attempt went awry following an incomplete pass from quarterback Brock Purdy to receiver Jauan Jennings. Matters would only get worse as the 49er defense had the Vikings pinned back near the goal line inside their own 5, but Minnesota QB Sam Darnold would connect on a 97-yard score to All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson. The touchdown pass would be the longest ever against the 49ers in their storied history, topping a 96-yarder from Tobin Rote to Billy Grimes of the Green Bay Packers back on Dec. 10, 1950. 

Trailing 10-0, the double-digit deficit nearly increased as the Vikings were threatening before an incredible interception by All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. The takeaway would finally wake up the 49er offense after a pair of big plays by receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Jordan Mason helped setup a 7-yard touchdown grab by tight-end George Kittle. With a last-second field goal as time expired to end the second quarter, the Vikings went into the locker room with a 13-7 halftime lead. Both teams would come out sluggish to open the second half, highlighted by three straight punts before a Brock Purdy interception on a bobbled pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The Vikings would capitalize one play later with a touchdown pass from Darnold to a wide-open Jalen Nailor. The game would continue to get ugly for San Francisco as Purdy fumbled the ball on their very next possession after losing grip of the ball on a pass attempt. Warner would bail his team out for a second time by coming up with a heads-up tackle near the goal-line to force a fumble on Vikings running back Aaron Jones, recovered in the end zone by the 49er defense. 

Brock Purdy and company would cash in on the takeaway yet again, this time by orchestrating their best drive of the day, capped off with a 10-yard touchdown run by Mason who also topped 100-yards rushing on the day. Inching closer but still trailing 20-14, the 49ers were in need of a stop on defense but succumbed to another Vikings field goal. The Niners would get a late field goal of their own to pull within one score but were unable to recover the onside-kick attempt as both time and their luck expired. With the loss, 49ers QB Brock Purdy in now 0-2 in his career against Minnesota, and 14-0 against all other NFC opponents. Improving to 2-0 on the year, Minnesota is off to their best start to a season since 2016, evening the all-time series with San Francisco in head-to-head matchups: 25-wins, 25 losses, and 1 tie. 

Although Minnesota was without receiver Jordan Addison who had his best game against the Niners a season ago during his rookie campaign while hauling in 7 receptions for 123 yards and 2 TDs in a Week 7 Monday Night win, they had no answer for Justin Jefferson who sat out in last season's match-up between the two teams with an injury. Jefferson finished a game-high 133 receiving yards and a touchdown on just 4 catches, fueled by the big 97-yarder. Deebo Samuel finished with 110 yards receiving and led both teams with 8 receptions. Niners quarterback Brock Purdy had a good game statistically with 319 yards passing and a touchdown, but his two turnovers proved to be costly in a close game. Vikings starter and former 49er Sam Darnold also had an impressive performance by throwing for 268 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Despite the loss, 49ers tight-end George Kittle joined Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce with the third most yards ever by a tight-end in their first 100 games. 

Noteworthy: Mitch Wishnowsky's first quarter blocked punt was already the third blocked punt on the season, after only 6 blocked punts in the entire NFL last season.

Week 3 Preview: The 49ers will hope to have much better luck on the road in Week 3 when they depart a stadium (Minnesota) they've never won in, for a stadium where they've never lost a regular season meeting -- L.A.'s SoFi Stadium. Coined the nickname "Levi's South" due to the large amount of 49er fans that flood the stadium anytime these two teams meet, Brock Purdy and company will look to get back in the win column in their first division matchup of the season when they take on the rival (0-2) Los Angeles Rams. Expected to be near the top of the division standings along with the 49ers, the slow 0-2 start for the Rams is among some of the biggest surprises thru the first two weeks of the 2024-25 NFL season. However, it doesn't help that the Rams are without two of their biggest playmakers on offense in receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Without the superstar tandem to throw to, QB Matthew Stafford will have to make do with his other targets. 

Unfortunately, the 49ers are also banged up and will be without a number of weapons of their own on offense, including running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles), receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) and tight-end George Kittle (hamstring). Pro Bowl defensive-end Nick Bosa is also nursing an injury (rib) that has kept him limited in practice, but he's expected to be ready in time for gameday. Will the Rams drop to 0-3 on the season, or will both teams walk away from this one with a 1-2 record on the season? 

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Rams Prevail over Niners in Battle of the Benches

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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