While the San Francisco 49ers were missing in action in Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft without a single pick in Rounds 2 or 3, the team more than made up for that quiet Friday with a busy Day 3 on Saturday. Just before the Cincinnati Bengals kicked things off with the first selection of the 3rd Round and 65th pick overall, 49ers general manager John Lynch made a splash by trading for disgruntled Washington Redskins left-tackle Trent Williams. The 31-year old Williams who did not play in 2019 after he and his agent demanded a trade following a series of trust issues with the team's medical staff that stemmed from a cancerous tumor that Williams had surgically removed in April of last year. After initially being told by team doctors back in 2013 that the diagnosis was nothing to worry about, Williams refused to play for the club that was unable to work a deal with another team. That was until this morning when John Lynch came calling.
A 7-time Pro Bowler who lands in San Francisco with one-year and $12.5 Million dollars remaining on his contract, Williams is quite familiar with Kyle Shanahan's offense as the current 49ers head coach was with Washington in 2010 as the team's offensive coordinator when the Redskins selected Williams out of Oklahoma with the 4th overall pick. Known for his outstanding footwork and athletic ability, Williams nearly landed with the Minnesota Vikings who were reportedly in deep talks with Washington before things fell through which ultimately allowed for San Francisco to come into the picture and nab him. Aside from his stellar and consistent play while protecting the quarterback, Williams is also most famous for an altercation that took place between him and a player he'll now share a locker room with. Williams was hit with an $8,000 fine after taking a swipe at former Seattle Seahawk and soon to be fellow teammate Richard Sherman following the Redskins' loss to Seattle in the 2012 NFC Wild Card game. The two took to Twitter and had a good laugh about the incident shortly after 49ers owner Jed York welcomed Williams to the team which prompted Sherman to ask for a rematch.
The acquisition of Williams which was already a major addition to the team, grew exponentially in significance just moments later as it was learned that long-time 49er and 6-time Pro Bowl left-tackle Joe Staley was retiring from the game of football at the age of 35 due to health concerns. A former first round pick of the 49ers in 2007, Staley played all 13 NFL seasons in San Francisco after they made him the 28th overall pick out of Central Michigan. Named to the NFL's 2010 All-Decade Team just a week earlier, Staley was a 3-time All-Pro with the Niners while playing 192 games that spanned over seven different head coaches. Following the disappoint loss in Super Bowl 54 in which the 49ers let a 10-point, fourth quarter lead slip through their hands, Staley was without question the one player who took the upsetting loss the hardest, at least in the public eye. It won't be long before Staley's No. 74 is retired by the team and hung up in the rafters of Levi's Stadium for all to see. Since 2011, Staley has been the highest-rated left-tackle in all of football with a grade of 93.8. But not far behind him was Trent Williams at No. 4 with a 92.5 grade. As saddened as the team and fans will be with Staley now on his way out, Williams will be plugged into that void immediately with fresh legs under him following the time off.
In the trade for Williams, the 49ers sent their 5th round pick (156th overall) and a 2021 3rd round pick to Washington. It would end up being the first of three trades executed by John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan as they also sent running back Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins for a 5th round pick and managed to jettison the contract of Marquise Goodwin by shipping him and a 6th round pick (210) to Philadelphia for their 6th round pick (190). Both Breida and Goodwin were expected to be big contributors to the 49er offense in 2019, but injuries would limit both players on the field last season. While Breida was often hurt and had both Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman to split running back duties with, Goodwin was frequently sidelined for both personal reasons and injury problems. After a strong 2017 campaign in which he was on the doorstep of 1,000 yards receiving before falling just shy with 962, the former Olympic speedster was given a new expensive three-year deal that he continuously failed to live up to.
Rounding out their busy Day 3 of the Draft, the 49ers made 5th, 6th and 7th round selections with picks No. 153, 190 and 217 to select West Virginia offensive-tackle Colton McKivitz, Georgia tight-end Charlie Woerner and Tennessee wide-receiver Jauan Jennings, respectively. With McKivitz and Jennings brought in to provide depth and possibly compete for a starting job, Woerner who was the No. 1 rated run-blocking tight-end in the entire draft class, will likely find himself in a nice run-blocking role for Kyle Shanahan's offense, following the departures of tight-ends Garrett Celek and Levine Toilolo. Similar to San Francisco's 25th overall selection Brandon Aiyuk who Shanahan acquired for his YAC (yards after catch) ability, Jennings brings a similar skill-set, having averaged 14.7 YAC for the Vols in 2019, while also adding some physicality and strength as his 30 forced missed tackles were the most among all NCAA wide-receivers last season.
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Week 5 - Coming off an early BYE in Week 4, the (3-0) San Francisco 49ers entered their Week 5 Monday Night meeting with the (2-2) Cleveland Browns with plans of putting a statement on their hot start. Despite beginning the season 3-0 for the first time since 1998, many pundits around the league have questioned the legitimacy of San Francisco's early streak because of who they've gone up against. But if opening the year with back to back road wins or shaking off five turnovers in a game and still finding a way to win isn't enough, perhaps nothing is. Regardless, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team would prepare for the task at hand and welcome the challenge of facing a Browns team that entered the season with expectations of competing in the AFC and was coming off their best game yet after an impressive road win over the division rival Baltimore Ravens.
Behind quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Browns would look to remain perfect on the road and keep pace with the aforementioned Ravens for the top spot in the AFC North. Seeking their first 3-0 start on the road since 1999 and their first record over .500 since 2014, the Niners would have none of that as they were chasing a mark of their own in trying to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 1990. Winning the coin toss and electing to receive, the Cleveland offense showed a bit of trickery early on as receiver Odell Beckham Jr. took a handoff and passed the ball down the field to Jarvis Landry for a 20-yard gain. Appearing to catch the Niner defense off-guard, it would be one of the very few big plays for the Browns offense that then went cold and was forced to punt. With San Francisco fourth in the league in total offense and second in scoring offense, they would waste little time to flex their muscles on offense. From the first play on, the Niners would set the tone of the game as running back Matt Breida made a house call for 83-yards on his first carry, setting a career-long and making it to the end zone untouched. According to Next Gen Stats, Breida clocked in at a speed of 22.3 mph on his highlight run, the fastest speed of any player in the last two seasons and living up to his nickname of, "Breida the cheetah".
Coming up with a huge play on offense, the 49er defense would take their turn on the very first play of Cleveland's next drive as Mayfield was hurried into throwing an errant pass that was intercepted by Richard Sherman. Getting his first taste of Monday Night Football action, the game would serve as the coming out party for rookie Nick Bosa who was a constant force for a San Francisco defense that tallied four sacks on the night, but finished with a hell of a lot more QB pressures as the Browns signal caller was erratic and under duress early and often. Unable to capitalize on the stellar field position following the interception, the 49ers would make sure it wouldn't happen in consecutive possessions as a series of passes by Jimmy Garoppolo helped the offense march to the red zone before he found Matt Breida in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown reception. Giving the offense even more chances, the 49ers defensive-line would again cause Mayfield to scratch his head as the duo of DeForest Buckner and Nick Bosa teamed up to force and recover a fumble that again put the Niners in prime scoring position. Calling on the trusty Robbie Gould for his first field goal attempt on the night, it would be the start of his worst game in a Niner uniform as Gould couldn't connect on the field goal from 47-yards out.
With a field goal of their own on the ensuing possession, Cleveland would finally get on the board. Beginning to finally show life on offense, Mayfield and the Browns would hit a brick wall when making a trip into the red zone as a short pass at the goal line was tipped into the air by the intended receiver Antonio Callaway, allowing cornerback K'Waun Williams to come up with the easy interception and returning it to midfield. Cashing in on the interception, running back Tevin Coleman who in his first game back following an ankle injury suffered in Week 1, would score his first touchdown as a member of the Niners as he followed his blockers and struck pay dirt with a 19-yard run. After a Cleveland three and out, San Francisco would try to get another three points just before the half, but Robbie Gould would miss his second field goal in as many tries, this time from 52-yards out as the score remained 21-3 heading into the half.
As has been the case in all four games this season, averaging 175 rushing yards per game, it would be a busy yet productive day for the 49ers ground attack as they headed into the locker room at the half with 185 yards rushing, five yards more than the Browns would tally all game long in total offense (180). Picking up right where they left off to open the second half, Garoppolo and the Niner offense would put together their best drive yet as tight-end George Kittle hauled in a 22-yard touchdown reception to cap a nine-play, 90-yard drive that made it a 28-3 ballgame. As if the Browns' turnover-laden first half wasn't bad enough, San Francisco's defense held Cleveland to only one first down in the second half as Mayfield was eventually benched for backup Garrett Gilbert late in the fourth quarter. After having a field goal blocked from 32-yards out, Robbie Gould would miss three field goals in a game for the first time in his career. But thanks to a late miscue by the Browns special-teams, Gould would get one last chance to redeem himself.
With Odell Beckham Jr. having made a reputation of having some of his best performances on Monday Night Football (57 receptions, 916 yards, 8 TD in 9 career games), the Pro Bowl wide-out was virtually M.I.A. in this one and actually did his team more harm than good as he fumbled a punt return that setup a late 49er field goal. OBJ's best friend and former college teammate Jarvis Landry who was coming off his best game as a Brown with eight receptions for 167 yards a week ago, finished with a game-high 75-yards receiving on four receptions, but even he would be unable to find the end zone as Baker Mayfield was held touchdown-less for the first time in his career, ending a streak of 17 consecutive games with a touchdown pass to start a career, the second longest streak of its kind since 1950, behind only Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (23 starts). One stat Mayfield would rather forget is the amount of interceptions he's thrown since the start of last season as his 21 picks are the most in the league since that span. Adding insult to injury, the San Francisco defense held Mayfield to only 100 yards passing on 8 of 22 pass attempts, a pedestrian performance for a QB and offense that many thought was turning the corner following their rough start that preceded the win in Week 4.
The former Heisman Trophy winner and walk-on at the University of Oklahoma was chased down all night long by 49ers rookie Nick Bosa who greeted Mayfield rather rudely with a celebration that stemmed from the time both players spent in college as Mayfield famously staked the OU flag at midfield following a win on the road for the Sooners over Bosa's Ohio State Buckeyes. Bosa made sure to get back at Mayfield as he followed up his second of two sacks on the night with a similar gesture that mocked Mayfield's flag celebration. Earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance, Bosa finished the game with a forced fumble and fumble recovery to go along with his pair of quarterback sacks and five QB hits. As for the offense, the San Francisco rushing attack tallied 275 yards behind the tandem of Matt Breida (114 yards, 11 carries) and Tevin Coleman (97 yards, 16 carries). Because of their dominant ground game, the 49ers would wind up not needing a big game thru the air as Jimmy Garoppolo finished with 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 of 29 pass attempts. One of only two unbeaten teams in the NFL alongside the (5-0) New England Patriots, the 49ers are the NFC's last unbeaten team for the first time since 1984 when they went 6-0 to start the year.
Week 6 Preview - Looking ahead to Week 6, the 49ers will travel to Southern California to face their first division opponent of the season in the (3-2) Los Angeles Rams. Coming off a 30-29 loss on the road to the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams hope to right the ship and put an end to their 2-game skid. But with an upset loss in the their last home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Rams are very beatable, but will definitely be on their A-game on Sunday as they try to avoid their first three-game losing streak under head coach Sean McVay. If not for a missed 44-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter by Greg Zuerlein, it would be the Rams who would be breathing on the necks of the 49ers in the NFC Western Division standings at 4-1 instead of Seattle. The 49ers defense will look to contain Jared Goff the same way they did Baker Mayfield, as the former no. 1 overall pick out of Cal is coming off a game in which he threw 395 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Looking to put their dominant run game to the test against a defense that boasts last year's Defensive Player of the Year in Aaron Donald, the 49ers will have to try their luck without right-tackle Mike McGlinchey who will undergo knee surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks as well as Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk who was carted off the field on Monday night and was diagnosed with an MCL sprain that will also keep him sidelined for 4-6 weeks. A threat in the passing game, Juszczyk has been a key cog in the Niners rushing success for his stout blocking ability and the same could be said for McGlinchey, the second-year man out of Notre Dame. Averaging a league-best 200 rushing yards per game, we'll see how the team can adjust without two of their best.
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Week 12 - Even before their meeting against the (3-7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers found themselves in a bit of a quandary as news broke just hours before kickoff that linebacker Reuben Foster had been arrested by Tampa police on domestic violence charges at the team's hotel. Following his third run in with the law in less than a year, the team decided to cut ties with their first round pick from a season ago after giving the troubled 24-year old one last chance to keep his nose clean as he failed to follow those guidelines. But despite the gaping hole the Niners now face at the linebacker position which has been without Brock Coyle since the early part of the season due to head and back injuries, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team still had a game to play on Sunday.
Coming off the Week 11 BYE, the 49ers would take on a Buccaneers offense that ranks tops in the league despite a QB carousel that would land former first overall pick Jameis Winston back at the helm for Tampa Bay. But as good as the Bucs' offense has been this season, their defense came into the game having allowed a league-worst 33-points per game on average, something Nick Mullens and the 49ers offense would hope to exploit. With both teams exchanging punts to open the game, Winston and the Bucs would be first to strike as a 42-yard gain on a deep pass to receiver Mike Evans would set things up for a 6-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Brate. The 49ers would come close to tying things up in the second quarter as Mullens connected with rookie receiver Dante Pettis who scored his first touchdown since Week 1 and second overall, but Robbie Gould would miss the point-after, making it a 7-6 Tampa lead. It would be a busy day for Pettis who's been plagued with injuries this season and entered the game with only seven receptions on the year, as he compiled more than half that in this game alone. A pair of Cairo Santo field goals before the half would allow the Bucs to take a 13-6 lead through the first two quarters.
Looking to answer on their opening possession of the second half, the 49er offense would march all the way to the 1-yard line, but were stopped on both 2nd and 3rd downs before a false start penalty on 4th down stalled any chance to go for it at the goal-line as the offense was forced to settle for a field goal. San Francisco's inability to capitalize in the red zone would sting the team even more considering Winston would lead the Bucs offense on back-to-back touchdown-scoring drives heading into the fourth quarter. In need of a few quick scores to answer, Mullens was picked off on each of San Francisco's final two drives, ending any chance of pulling off the miracle comeback. For Tampa Bay, their performance on defense would be their best of the season as the pair of interceptions were only their second and third of the season which also ended a streak of seven consecutive games without allowing a single takeaway. The Bucs D which held Kyle Shanahan's offense to their fewest point total in a game this season, also did a good job at disrupting the quarterback as they kept Mullens in check by forcing a total of four sacks and prevented the 49ers quarterback from getting into any type of rhythm in the passing game. The constant pressure was something Mullens saw very little of through his first two starts considering his offensive-line didn't allow a single sack in those first two games.
The only positive takeaway on the day for the 49ers, would be that of running back Matt Breida who rushed 14 times for 106-yards in the loss, his second consecutive game with over 100 yards rushing and the team's 9th game with over 100+ yards on the ground, the most in the NFL. As for Breida's counterpart, Bucs running back Peyton Barber who was coming off a career-high 106 yards rushing in Week 11, was held to only 47 yards on 18 carries. As good as San Francisco's defense was against Barber, they were unable to say the same for quarterback Jamis Winston as the former No. 1 overall pick threw for 312 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including 116 yards to Mike Evans who eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving on the season and was a constant problem against a banged up Niners secondary. Nick Mullens had easily his worst start of his career as he finished with 221 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 2 picks while completing only 18-of-32 pass attempts. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 2-9 on the year and stand alongside the division rival Cardinals as the only 2-win teams in the NFC. Of course Arizona's only two wins on the season came at the hands of San Francisco.
Week 13 Preview - The 49ers' schedule won't get any easier in their next match-up as they take a trip up north to renew rivalries with the (6-5) Seahawks in Seattle where the Niners haven't won since 2011. Coming off a pair of 3-point wins against the Packers and Panthers, Seattle will look to continue their hopes of making the playoffs as they currently stand in the hunt for an NFC Wild Card spot. Going three straight games without throwing a single interception, the always dangerous Russell Wilson will try to maintain their recent dominance over the 49ers against an old friend as former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman will look to exact revenge as he prepares to oppose his former team for the first time since being released in the offseason. With two of their five losses suffered at home this year where Pete Carroll's Seahawks have been virtually untouchable in years passed, the Niners will need a near perfect game from their offense if they plan to end their streak of six straight losses in Seattle's Century Link Field.
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Week 10 - Following their blowout win over the Bay Area rival Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night, Nick Mullens was the talk of the town among Niner fans. After becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for three touchdowns in his Niner debut, Mullens had a chance to send his team into the Week 11 BYE on a two-game winning-streak as the lowly (1-7) New York Giants came into town for a Monday Night meeting. But those aspirations would fall short as the San Francisco defense collapsed yet again in the fourth quarter. Like they've done so often this season, Kyle Shanahan's 49er team has continued to find new ways to lose games late as they've proven time and time again that they're virtually incapable of holding onto a lead and closing out a game. Aside from the 31-point beat down put on the putrid Raiders, even the Week 2 win against Detroit didn't come easy as the Niners escaped a late comeback attempt by the skin of their teeth as a 17-point fourth quarter lead quickly evaporated to a 3-point win. And then there's their attempts to hang on late against teams like the Cardinals and Packers which ended in defeat. Throw in a struggling 1-win New York Giants team and what do you get? Deja vu.
Forcing a three and out on New York's opening-drive, San Francisco would take advantage of their good field position by setting up their kicker Robbie Gould who would connect on a 53-yard field goal, his eighth straight from beyond 50-yards. Their second possession, however, wouldn't quite go as planned as the turnover bug reared its ugly head after failing to show up a week ago. Nick Mullens would suffer his first career interception as a deflected pass intended for Kendrick Bourne ended up in the hands of a defender. A costly mistake that Eli Manning would make sure to capitalize on as he found a wide-open Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone on third & goal to give New York the lead and their first touchdown in the first half of a game in three contests. Putting the mistake behind him, Mullens would be quick to answer as he drove his team down the field before handing things off to running back Matt Breida who would cap things off with a touchdown. It would be the start of a busy night for Breida who would eclipse the century mark in the rushing department. After both teams exchanged punts, the Giants would tie things up at 10 in what would appear to be a tie at the half, but Mullens would have none of that as a trio of passes to George Kittle and Marquise Goodwin allowed Gould to strike again and give his team a 13-10 lead at halftime.
San Francisco would open the second half the same way they would finish the first, only this time the clock wouldn't be a factor as they were able to cap their 11-play drive with a touchdown. Mullens' lone touchdown pass of the night would be an 11-yarder to Matt Breida who became the first 49ers running back to score a touchdown both on the ground and thru the air in the same game since Frank Gore in Week 2 of the 2010 season. The score would give the Niners a 20-10 lead, but it would be short lived as Manning and Beckham Jr. began to pick on the poor San Francisco secondary. After a 30-yard connection from Manning to OBJ put the G-Men in enemy territory, the Giants QB tried finding his superstar receiver in the end zone on back to back plays, the second of which they would succeed on as 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon didn't stand a chance and surrendered the easy score to pull New York within a field goal. The Giants would get that field goal to tie things up on their following possession.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Mullens would be tagged with his second career interception, but didn't receive any favors from Marquise Goodwin who stopped mid-route before stutter-stepping and continuing to run, but by then Mullens had already committed to the pass which Goodwin was unable to corral, resulting in a tip-drill that the Giants would come away with at midfield. And though the Giants were unable to turn the turnover into points, it would be a sign of bad things to come. The Niners would regain the lead thanks to Gould's third made field goal of the evening, but the offense's inability to strike pay dirt would prove to be costly as it gave the opposition a chance to steal a victory. And with just under three minutes remaining in regulation, that's exactly what would happen as the lackluster 49ers secondary made the aging Eli Manning look more like his brother Peyton Manning in crunch time. A pair of big play passes to Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley, coupled with a crucial pass interference call on 2nd & 20 by Ahkello Witherpoon, would set things up for a dramatic finish as Manning hooked up with receiver Sterling Shepard for the game-winning touchdown. The 9-play, 75-yard drive would be the 36th game-winning drive of Manning's career and just the latest dagger to pierce the hearts of Niner fans who watched their team fall at home, 27-23.
With the win, the Giants snapped their five-game losing streak and improved to 2-7 on the season, meanwhile, the 49ers fell to 2-8 and will have to dwell on being letdown for an extra week as they go into the BYE. Manning who finished with 188 yards passing and 3 touchdowns, moved into a tie with the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger for 7th place on the NFL's all-time passing touchdowns list with 350 TD's. As for his counterpart, Mullens tallied 250 passing yards and 1 touchdown in the loss. Matt Breida rushed 17 times for a game-high 101-yards and scored both touchdowns for the Niners, out-rushing Barkley who was held to 67-yards on 20 carries, but netted another 33-yards in receiving to give him 100 total yards on the night, his 8th game of 100+ scrimmage yards in 9 career games. Pounding the rock to his tight-end, Mullens and George Kittle connected 9 times for 83-yards, giving the 49ers standout tight-end 775 receiving yards on the season. Most impressive regarding the second-year tight-end's stout 2018 season has been his ability to eat up yardage after the catch as his 16.9 YAC leads all tight-ends, and his 535 total YAC is over 150-yards higher than the next closest player at that position (Travis Kelce -- 362 YAC). Not to mention he's accumulated 31% of the team's receiving yardage this season, the highest in the league.
Week 12 Preview - After the much needed BYE in Week 11, San Francisco's season will continue in Week 12 when they pay a visit to Tampa Bay to take on the (3-6) Buccaneers who will get their crack at the Giants in Week 11. Coming off a 500-yard performance on offense against the Redskins in which Tampa Bay only scratched 3-points across the board at home, the Niners will also look to hand the Bucs a loss while allowing far less yardage. One way to prevent that will be getting to the quarterback, something the Niners were able to do very little of in the loss to the Giants as they recorded only one sack compared to the Giants' zero. As it stands before the Bucs and Giants meet, Tampa is currently riding a 3-game skid, this after opening the season with a surprising win on the road over the Saints in Week 1. Since then, it's been a roller coaster for head coach Dirk Koetter and his last place Bucs team as they've bounced back and forth at the quarterback position between Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
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Week 5 - Returning home to host the 0-4 Arizona Cardinals, the 1-3 San Francisco 49ers had a much different outcome in mind than the one that played out at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. If you looked up the offensive stats by both teams in the final box score, you'd be hard pressed to believe that it was the visiting Cardinals who walked away with the 28-18 victory. For a pair of NFC West rivals struggling for two different reasons -- the Cardinals who are rebuilding under first-year head coach Steve Wilks and the 49ers who were expected to take a huge step forward in their rebuild this season and perhaps even compete for a playoff spot before they were hit hard with injuries, Sunday's meeting would see more of the same from the two lowly franchises. Whether it was the 447 yards of total offense by the 49ers compared to Arizona's 220 or San Francisco's 33 first downs which more than tripled the Cardinals' 10, the 49ers dominated their opponent in almost every aspect of the game. Not to mention the 40:12 time of possession San Francisco owned in comparison to Arizona's 19:48. And then there's the 92 offensive plays that San Francisco ran which set a franchise record and dwarfed Arizona's 49 plays on offense. But the one area that Arizona managed to stay clean in where the 49ers continued to shoot themselves in the foot, was the turnover department as San Francisco turned the ball over five times and failed to force a single turnover on defense.
Entering Sunday's game last in offense, rookie quarterback Josh Rosen who in his second career start, would try to put an end to that dubious mark on Arizona's first play on offense. After the Niners opened the game with an impressive eight-play drive that was capped off by a Brett Favre shovel-pass from C.J. Beathard to Matt Breida, Rosen would need only one play to answer and put his team on the board. A 75-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Christian Kirk would even things up at six before former Niner kicker Phil Dawson gave his team a 7-6 lead as Robbie Gould failed to get a kick off on San Francisco's point-after attempt due to a poor snap and hold. Then began the miscues as San Francisco's next drive would last only two plays before a pass bounced thru the hands of receiver Pierre Garcon and into the paws of Cardinals defender Tre Boston. Things would only get worse as the Niners' fourth possession ended in a fumble after the Niners were beyond midfield and in enemy territory. Running back Matt Breida who had rushed for 56 yards on 8 carries in the first quarter, would leave the game with an ankle injury, making way for special-teams specialist and fourth-string running back Raheem Mostert who fumbled on his first carry of the day. Taking over in the red zone, Rosen would hand it off to David Johnson who scored on a 2-yard rush.
With already eight starters missing at least one half in the last two weeks, Breida would be the latest name added to the list as he would be ruled out for the rest of the game, taking away yet another weapon from Kyle Shanahan's offense that was already without receiver Dante Pettis and Marquise Goodwin on Sunday. Pierre Garcon would also go down with an injury, albeit briefly as he left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury before later returning after being checked by the medical staff. San Francisco's first drive of the second half would also end negatively as the 49ers were once again in enemy territory before Beathard was stripped from behind by Arizona's Chandler Jones who had a monstrous game on defense. Looking to redeem themselves one possession later, Robbie Gould's franchise record of consecutive made field goals would come to an end at 33 as he missed a 45-yard try at the start of the fourth quarter. Seeking the end zone for the first time since their touchdown-scoring opening-possession, the 49ers would get all the way to the 1-yard line before needing four plays to finally score on 4th down as Beathard connected with Trent Taylor alongside the front pylon for a touchdown. But a failed 2-point conversion attempt to tie the game, would give Arizona a 14-12 lead with under seven minutes remaining.
After forcing a three and out, another strip-sack of Beathard would doom San Francisco's hopes of taking a lead, only this time the fumble would be recovered and taken to the house by Arizona's Josh Bynes. A second interception by Beathard on their following possession would setup David Johnson's second rushing touchdown of the day. Beathard would inch his team closer with a garbage-time touchdown by running it in himself, but by then the self-inflicted miscues were already too much to overcome as San Francisco fell by a final of 28-18 to give the Cardinals their first win of the season and the first victory in the careers of head coach Steve Wilks and quarterback Josh Rosen. Coming off a career-high 298 yards passing in the Week 4 loss to the Chargers, QB C.J. Beathard surpassed that mark on Sunday by throwing for 349 yards in the loss as the 49ers have now dropped seven straight at the hands of the Cardinals, Arizona's longest active winning streak against an opponent. San Francisco's 92 plays on offense is tied for the third most plays run in a loss since 1990. If there's any silver lining from this game, it would be that the defense bounced back with a solid performance, holding the opposition to only 56 yards rushing and benefiting from the return of cornerback Richard Sherman logged another stellar outing despite playing at less than 100%.
Week 6 Preview - The 49ers will have an extra day off before they hit the field again when they make the trip to Lambeau to face the (2-2-1) Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. Coming off a 31-23 road loss to the division rival Lions in which Aaron Rodgers tallied 442 yards passing, the Pack will look to keep pace in the NFC North with the first place Chicago Bears. Like the Niners, the Packers dominated their opponent in total yards in Week 5, logging 521 yards of total offense to Detroit's 264. Also like San Francisco, the missed kicks and turnovers were what proved to be the difference as kicker Mason Crosby missed 4 of 5 field goal attempts and an extra-point, and a trio of fumbles including two by Rodgers dug too big a hole for Green Bay to climb out of. With a game-time temperature expected to be in the 40's, the 49ers will endure their first game in chilly weather this season, but nothing close to the frigid temperatures we've seen in San Francisco's recent trips to the frozen tundra. Off to their worst start to a season through the first five games since 2012 when Green Bay began 2-3, Kyle Shanahan will try rallying his guys to their first road win of the season and second victory overall. Hopefully this time around he'll have the duo of Goodwin and Pettis healthy and on the field. One guy he won't have available in time for Monday's game is Breida who will be sidelined for at least a week with a mid-ankle sprain.
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Week 3 - For Niner fans, Sunday's game would seem like a bad dream. One you would wake up from the next day and hope wasn't real. Instead, the San Francisco fan base, collectively holding their breath since the 5:44 mark in the 4th quarter in hopes that it was only a strain their new franchise quarterback suffered and not a tear, would face the tough reality that they'd be without their QB for the rest of the season when that unfortunate news was confirmed on Monday. Trailing 38-24 and chipping away at what was once a 28-point deficit, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo was hard at work trying to get his team back into the game when the injury occurred. Facing pressure on a 3rd and goal and maneuvering out of the pocket to avoid a sack, Garoppolo broke free for positive yardage, but instead of stepping out of bounds to avoid any contact, decided to make a cut and stay in bounds while fighting for extra yardage before being met by a big hit put on by Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson. His decision, while respectable considering the urge to fight for every yard possible, is one Niner fans and the coaching staff alike would've preferred he never made. Slow to get up, Garoppolo sat out the next play and appeared to be shaken up by the helmet to helmet contact. However, replay would show Garoppolo's knee buckle on the cut that kept him in bounds. A replay that would haunt the coaching staff and deprive Niner fans of what could've been as their season is virtually all but lost just three weeks in.
Before kickoff, the Niners were riding high coming off their first win of the season, but knew they'd have a tough challenge ahead, facing Patrick Mahomes and the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) in their home-opener. The Chiefs would open as 6.5 point favorites and for good reason considering their blazing start and the fact that the 49ers hadn't won a game at Arrowhead since 1982 entering the game. And with the Chiefs scoring touchdowns on each of their first five possessions on Sunday for the first time in franchise history, including their third straight week with a touchdown on their opening-possession, the game appeared to be over by halftime. With 10 touchdown passes in his first two games, Patrick Mahomes who celebrated his 23rd birthday earlier in the week, continued to shine by adding another trio of touchdowns through the air on Sunday in the first half alone to set an NFL record with 13 touchdown passes through the first three weeks, breaking the previous mark held by Peyton Manning (12). Throw in a pair of easy first half touchdown runs by running back Kareem Hunt and Kansas City had built a 35 to 7 lead before a Robbie Gould field goal made it 35-10 at the half. San Francisco's lone trip to the end zone in the first half would come on a wide-open pass that fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in from Garoppolo and took 35-yards for the easy score.
Though it's been Kansas City's offense that has stolen all of the headlines through the first two weeks, their defense on the other hand has allowed over a thousand yards of offense and an average of 32 points per game to the opposition. Something Kyle Shanahan and company would take note of and try to expose at halftime. After forcing Kansas City's first punt of the ballgame in the third quarter, San Francisco opened the second half similar to how the Chiefs did the first, as Jimmy G and the Niners manufactured touchdown scoring drives in each of their first two possessions in the third quarter to make it 35-24 game. An 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver Marquise Goodwin who returned to the field after sitting out in Week 2 with a quad injury, and a 3-yard touchdown run by Alfred Morris gave the Niners new life as they found themselves right back in it with just under 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter. San Francisco appeared to be destined for the end zone for a third consecutive drive before Garoppolo suffered the injury and needed to be carted off the field, igniting the uncertainty regarding his status that would follow into Monday afternoon.
Backup C.J. Beathard came in to takeover for the injured Garoppolo under center and on his first play, linked up in the end zone with tight-end George Kittle for a touchdown on fourth down. However, a heinous offensive pass-interference call in the end zone against fullback Kyle Juszczyk wiped the touchdown off the board as coach Kyle Shanahan elected to go for the field goal with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. It would be their last possession of the game as Andy Reid's Chiefs become only the third team in NFL history to score 38-points or more in the first three games to start a season, before milking the clock to seal the 38-27 win. But that was the least of Shanahan's problems as he and his staff feared for the worst and faced the potential of a bigger loss. If the injury to Garoppolo didn't make you sick, the poor tackling and plethora of penalties committed by the Niners should've done the trick as San Francisco was flagged 14 times for 147 yards in penalties compared to K.C.'s six flags for 48 yards.
Before the injury, Garoppolo tossed for 251 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 of 30 pass attempts and received some much needed help in the ground game as running back Matt Breida ran for 90-yards on Sunday to go along with another 27 yards receiving. Through the first three weeks, Breida remains the league's leading rusher with 274 yards rushing and has been a nice jolt alongside Alfred Morris after the team learned just days before the season that they'd be without running back Jerrick McKinnon for the year. With both McKinnon and now Garoppolo lost for 2018, what started off as a promising season for the 49ers is now a season fans would prefer to hit the reset button on. Rubbing salt into the wound that has been San Francisco's 2018 season thus far, Garoppolo was also joined by cornerback Richard Sherman who needed to be helped off the field and taken to the locker room at the half as he suffered a strained calf that will cause him to miss the next 2-3 weeks. Sherman's absence is one the Niner defense can ill-afford given he's been one of the very few bright spots that has shined in what's been a putrid showing by the defense.
Week 4 Preview - Heading back to sunny California, the 49ers will take a trip down south to face the (1-2) Los Angeles Chargers in regular season match for the first time since their relocation from San Diego two years ago. Coming off a 35-23 defeat at the hands of the L.A. Rams in which the Chargers allowed their cross-town counterparts to rack up over 500-yards of total offense, it's unlikely the Niners will come anywhere close to that mark with Beathard under center, but they'll most certainly try. From facing one talented quarterback to another, the Niners will look to contain Philip Rivers and his big-body targets as Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Mike Williams, Antonio Gates, Virgil Green and even running back Melvin Gordon all measure in at 6-foot 1-inch or taller, a tall order for the Niners' mediocre secondary. Meanwhile, Beathard will look to rekindle his chemistry with tight-end George Kittle whom he connected with plenty of times in their rookie season last year and even before that at the University of Iowa. If the Niners defense can finally muster up a strong outing and the duo of Alfred Morris and Matt Breida can find some holes with the Chargers missing their best player on defense in Joey Bosa who's been nursing a foot injury, San Francisco might have a chance at evening their record on the road.
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Week 2 - Making the playoffs after falling to 0-2 to start a season in the NFL is no easy task. In fact, of the 92 teams that have opened a season 0-2 all-time, only 10 have went on to make the postseason which translates to a 12% success rate. And with both the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions falling in Week 1, both teams would much rather escape Week 2 with a victory and not have to test that statistic. After shooting themselves in the foot on multiple occasions and blowing several opportunities that resulted in a Week 1 loss against the Minnesota Vikings, the 49ers knew they'd have to tidy things up and play a much cleaner game if they wanted to get into the win column in Week 2, despite facing an opponent not nearly on the level of Minnesota. And hosting an 0-1 Lions team still searching for its identity under first-year head coach Matt Patricia whom 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo knows quite well dating back to the time they shared in New England where Patricia served as defensive coordinator, the 49ers would do just that. It wouldn't be easy, however, as the game quickly turned from being a blowout to a nail-biter that came down to the final drive.
Coming off a 48-17 shellacking on Monday Night against the visiting New York Jets which saw Pro Bowl quarterback Matthew Stafford throw four interceptions, the Lions appeared to be destined for a similar fate in Week 2 when they found themselves down by 17-points with under eleven and a half minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. But those interceptions which doomed Detroit in Week 1, never showed their face on Sunday as this time around it was Stafford's play-making ability that kept the Lions in the game, nearly pulling off the comeback. For San Francisco, their ground attack was on point virtually all afternoon long and wasted no time to get going as 49ers running back Matt Breida began what would ultimately be a career day for the second-year back with a 28-yard run on the offense's first play from scrimmage. But like they did so often in the season-opening loss, the Niners would once again sputter after marching into the red zone thanks to back-to-back sacks. Instead of opening the game with a touchdown, San Francisco would settle for a field goal. After taking an early lead, the 49ers would watch Detroit answer with a touchdown as a mental error in coverage by cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon allowed Lions receiver Kenny Golladay to catch a wide-open pass and take it to the 5-yard line before spinning his way into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Unfortunately for Detroit, it would be the only time the 49ers would trail as they would answer right back to recapture a lead they would never relinquish.
Orchestrating a 13-play drive that continued into the 2nd quarter, Garoppolo would not be denied on San Francisco's second trip inside the red zone, capping things off with a short 4-yard pass to a wide-open Kendrick Bourne who hauled in his first career touchdown reception, making it a 10-7 ballgame. With both QB's logging a much cleaner game in the turnover department on Sunday than in their season-opener's when they combined for seven total interceptions, Stafford's only blemish against the Niners would come in the second quarter when he was sacked and stripped of the ball by linebacker Elijah Lee who filling in for the injured Brock Coyle (concussion), would make his presence felt. But again, the Niners would only get a field goal out of it as Robbie Gould converted on his 28th consecutive made field goal, setting a new franchise record which he would later add to. Getting the ball back with less than a minute remaining before the half, Detroit would look to put any points they could onto the board as Matt Prater inched the Lions closer to make it a 13-10 San Francisco lead at halftime.
Opening the second half with some fireworks, rookie return man D.J. Reed would take the opening kickoff of the second half some 101-yards to the house before being called for a face masking penalty. Despite the call, the 49ers would setup shop within striking distance at the 26-yard line in enemy territory. Four plays later, Garoppolo would connect for his second touchdown pass of the day, throwing a dart to tight-end Garrett Celek for the 11-yard score. A few drives later, the 49ers would unleash Matt Breida who carried the ball 11 times on Sunday, but none bigger than the career-long 67-yard rushing touchdown that would also set a career-high in rushing yards as he tallied 138 to go along with 21 yards receiving. What won't show up on the box score is the superb blocking by Niners receiver Pierre Garcon that allowed Breida to reach the end zone on the big gain. He would also collect a team-high 4 receptions for 57-yards receiving. Robbie Gould's third and final made field goal on the day would make it a 30-13 lead that appeared to be out reach for Detroit given how the first three quarters went. But not so fast as the 17-point deficit instead appeared to be the fuel Matthew Stafford and company would need in order to get going.
Entering the 2018 season as the only quarterback in NFL history to record seven consecutive seasons of 4,000+ passing yards before reaching the age of 30, Stafford looked the part in the fourth quarter like he's done so often throughout his career. And with 30 career game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime under his belt, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2009 would try to make it 31 as the Niners were forced to fend off a late surge by the Lions QB. And a 67-yard reception to receiver Golden Tate would be the first big play to help ignite Detroit's attempt at a comeback as Stafford threw a touchdown pass just two plays later. For a moment it appeared Stafford would get some much needed help from the Lions special-teams. After forcing a three and out on San Francisco's ensuing possession, Lions punt-returner Jamal Agnew returned a punt 73-yards for a touchdown before receiving the bad news of an illegal block in the back penalty that nullified the big play. Stafford would once again have to do things the hard way as he marched his team down the field before tossing a touchdown pass to tight-end Michael Roberts inside the end zone. What was once a 17-point deficit at the start of the 4th quarter was now 3-point game with less than 3:30 remaining in regulation.
As if things couldn't get anymore dramatic, the Niners who were in need of a big drive to either score or chew up as much time as possible, caught a huge break when what appeared to be a pick-six thrown by Garoppolo, was called back on a defensive-holding call away from the ball. Levi's Stadium would collectively share a sigh of relief, but still weren't off the hook as the 49ers offense was able to erase two minutes and some change from the clock before a sack on Garoppolo forced San Francisco to punt, giving Detroit one final chance. Pinned back at their own 16-yard line and out of timeouts, Stafford and co. would have 1 minute and 8 seconds to either tie and send things into overtime or win the ballgame. And while the Lions would make it interesting, San Francisco's defense would bend but not break as back-to-back incompletions on 3rd and 4th down spelled doom for Detroit as they turned the ball over on downs, sealing the Niners' 30-27 victory. Garoppolo logged a clean 206 yards passing and 2 touchdowns on 18 for 26 pass attempts, meanwhile, Stafford completed 34 of 53 attempts for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns in the loss.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan congratulated his team on the win in the locker room after the game and admitted that wins in NFL are hard to come by, but shouldn't be nearly as hard as his team made it seem on Sunday, hinting that they got too comfortable and took their foot off the pedal. Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman took some of that blame and pinned it on the players on defense for nearly allowing Detroit to complete the comeback while also praising the great game called by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Playing with a banged up Mike Person at guard and without Joshua Garnett (foot) at the same position, the 49ers offensive-line allowed Detroit to get to San Francisco's expensive quarterback for a total of six sacks on Sunday, despite the Lions being without their best pass rusher in Ziggy Ansah who was inactive with a shoulder injury. Protecting the quarterback will most certainly be a point of emphasis in Week 3 if the 49ers hope to stand any chance in going toe to toe with their next opponent who looks as good as anybody thru the first two weeks of the season.
Week 3 Preview - The 49ers will hit the road in Week 3 and will look to build upon their first win of the season as they head to Arrowhead to take on the 2-0 Kansas City Chiefs. Among the biggest surprises in the early going of the 2018 NFL season is the red-hot start by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes who in his first-year at the helm, has dazzled at the QB position having tossing an NFL-record 10 touchdown passes through the first two games to start a season. And with such targets as Travis Kelce, Tyreke Hill and Sammy Watkins among others to choose from, there's no telling if and when Mahomes will show any signs of slowing. If an MVP Award was given to a player in the first two weeks of the season, it's likely Mahomes would be the recipient of that award. But the Niner defense won't shy away from the challenge as they look to crash the party and hand K.C. their first loss of the season in their home-opener. One player who will be added to that defense and will be making his season-debut is second-year linebacker Reuben Foster who will see his first action of the season after serving a two-game suspension which was handed down after a troublesome off-season that many thought was likely the end of his career in a Niner uniform. The 49er offense will also hope to welcome back one of their own as receiver Marquise Goodwin is currently ruled as questionable as he missed half of Week 1 and all of Week 2 with an injured quad. If he's able to play, Garoppolo will look to utilize his speed like K.C. does with the many deep threats they posses.
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Week 16 - Entering Sunday's meeting with the playoff-bound (10-4) Jacksonville Jaguars, the (4-10) San Francisco 49ers would once again look to play the role of spoiler while also keeping their recent winning-streak alive. After throwing a wrench into the works of the playoff-hopeful Tennessee Titans a week ago, the 49ers would look to duplicate that success against a Jacksonville team still vying for a top 2 seed to secure a first-round BYE in the AFC's Wild Card round. But if the red-hot 49ers had any plans of increasing their winning-streak to four consecutive games, Jimmy Garoppolo and company would need to knock off the NFL's number one defense. Something Jimmy G. and the rest of the 49ers offense would have very little trouble with on Sunday as the Niners QB often spent the day carving the league's best defense like a Christmas day ham.
With San Francisco receiving the opening kickoff, Garoppolo would pick up right where he left off with a blazing start to orchestrate the 49ers' first opening-drive touchdown of the season, running 10-plays before Garoppolo rushed it in himself from the 1-yard line. Garoppolo would finish his first career rushing touchdown with an emphatic spike in the end zone while receiving daps and pounds from his Niner teammates. Even more impressive, San Francisco's opening-drive touchdown would also be the first surrendered by Jacksonville since Week 10 of the 2016 season. After setting an NFL record with 15 made field goals in three games the last three weeks, Niners kicker Robbie Gould who was named the NFC's special-teams Player of the Week for the second time this month, would have a much quieter day on Sunday. Having made 20 consecutive field goals since his last miss, Gould would be called upon for only one field goal as San Francisco scored on each of their first two possessions to take a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. And what an odd quarter it would be, as Jacksonville who was tied for the second best first quarter point-differential (+51) in the league entering Sunday, found themselves trailing by two scores against a San Francisco team boasting the NFL's worst first quarter point-differential (-49).
The opening minutes of the second quarter would be equally as unforgiving to the Jags as quarterback Blake Bortles had a pass intercepted and taken to the house to give the 49ers a 16-0 lead before Gould had his extra-point attempt blocked and returned for two-points to put Jacksonville on the board. Bortles' pick-six would snap a streak of 98 consecutive passes without an interception and would ultimately be a sign of bad things to come for the Jags QB, but not before a pair of Jacksonville touchdowns tied things up at 16-all. After a rushing touchdown by rookie running back Leonard Fournette, Garoppolo would again march his team down the field, but their plan to score would be halted as the 49er QB was pressured into lobbing up a pass that was intercepted in the end zone. Thanks to a bit of luck, Bortles would capitalize on the lone 49er turnover as his pass into the end zone bounced off of one receiver and into the lap of another with 14 seconds remaining, tying the game just before the half. The Jags' scoring barrage would continue into quarter number three as Jacksonville made it a 19-0 run to take their first lead of the game on kicker Josh Lambo's field goal.
The 49ers would open the second half with only the second three and out since Garoppolo was named the starter, but Jacksonville's lead would be short lived as Bortles was picked off by K'Waun Williams who made his first career interception worthy of the highlight reel. Several plays later, Garoppolo would find tight-end George Kittle for the touchdown. Setting things up for a wild fourth quarter that would see a combined five touchdowns scored, Garoppolo would kick things off by displaying some of his baseball skills with a sidearm pass into the end zone to receiver Trent Taylor. Looking to answer, Bortles would be picked off for a third time on Jacksonville's first play following the touchdown. Three plays later, Carlos Hyde would join the party with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it a 37-19 ballgame with under 9 minutes remaining. But just when it appeared the 49ers were going to run away with it, the Jags came storming back with a touchdown of their own, capped by a successful two-point conversion. Making things even more interesting, Jacksonville would recover the ensuing onside-kick. Three plays and 26-seconds later, the Jags would pull within four points as Bortles threw for his second touchdown pass of the afternoon.
Trailing 37-33, four points would be as close as Jacksonville would get down the final stretch as Lambo missed the extra-point and Jacksonville's ensuing onside-kick went out of bounds as tempers began to flare. Failing to keep their cool, the Jags defense would be called for their second unsportsmanlike penalty of the second half when defensive-tackle Malik Jackson was flagged for a headbutt, costing his team a crucial 15-yards. San Francisco would welcome the extra 15-yards with open arms as 49ers backup running back Matt Breida dealt the decisive blow, striking for pay dirt with a 30-yard rushing touchdown to send the Levi's faithful into a frenzy. With the clock hitting double-zero, the 49ers would walk away with the 44-33 victory, marking the first time an NFL game would finish with a final score of 44-33, playoffs included. The 44-point outburst by San Francisco is the most points allowed by Jacksonville this year and would mark the first game in which the 49ers scored 40+ points since their last meeting with the Jags back on Oct. 27, 2013 on the road in London.
As for the defense, former Jags linebacker coach and current 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, would get the best of the team he spent the last three seasons with as the San Francisco defense forced three turnovers with a trio of interceptions. A week after holding the opposition to under 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive week for the first time since 2013, the Niner D made it four straight after holding Fournette to under 50-yards on 18 rushing attempts. Throwing for 382 yards in the loss, Jags QB Blake Bortles would help his team amass more than 400 yards of offense for the fourth straight game. And though Garoppolo would throw for 140 fewer yards than his counterpart (242 yards on 21 of 30 pass attempts), he's the only QB in the NFL this year to log a QB rating of 100+ against the Jacksonville defense. With the win, Garoppolo improves to 6-0 in his career, the best start to an NFL career since Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 and becomes the first Niner QB to ever go 4-0 to start their 49er career. San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk who is the only member of the 49ers to be named to this year's NFL Pro Bowl, would set a career-high in receiving yards in the first half of Sunday's game before finishing with a team-high 76-yards on 5 receptions, including a 44-yarder.
With the loss, the Jags fall to 2-11 all-time when playing in the Pacific time-zone and 10-5 on the year as the loss eliminates them from clinching a first-round BYE. As for whoever faces Jacksonville in the first round of the playoffs two weeks from now, a smart thing to do would be to dissect the footage of how Garoppolo and the 49er offense took them to school on Sunday as the mixture of play-action calls and constant men-in-motion played a key role in catching the Jags defense off-guard after they allowed a season-high 226 yards in the first half.
Week 17 Preview - Closing out the season on the road against a division rival, coach Kyle Shanahan will look to make it five straight victories as the 49ers pay a visit to the L.A. Coliseum to take on the (11-4) Rams. With both teams meeting back in Week 3, a 41-39 barn burner, both squads have taken on entirely different identities than the teams we saw in the Rams close victory on Thursday Night. While the Rams had yet to hit their stride and were still a team of mystery at the time of their Week 3 win, the 49ers were just three games into what would eventually be a nine-game losing streak. But with Los Angeles proving that they're for real to the tune of a 11-4 record and sending the franchise to their first playoff appearance since 2004 and the 49ers turning things around since the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo, Sunday's regular season finale probably won't equate to what we should be seeing from these two young teams for many years to come moving forward. Claiming their first NFC Western Division crown since 2003, Rams head coach Sean McVay who's in his first year at the helm and has done as good a job with his team as anyone in the league this year, might lean towards sitting a few of his guys to avoid injury, but doesn't necessarily want to take them out of their rhythm either. Most notably QB Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley III who's bounced back from a sophomore slump and has emerged as a true MVP candidate. Either way, the Rams defense figures to be yet another test for Jimmy G. and the suddenly streaking 49er offense who will look to close the season out on a strong note with their fifth straight victory.
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Week 8 - What do you get when you put an 0-7 San Francisco 49ers team that is tied for the worst overall record in the NFL against a 6-1 Philadelphia Eagles team that boasts the best record in the league? How about at a 33-10 shellacking in what is now the first 0-8 start in franchise history for first-year head coach Kyle Shanahan and the woeful 49ers. Entering Sunday's meeting against the Eagles in Philadelphia, the 49ers knew they'd have their work cut out for them matching up on defense against second-year quarterback Carson Wentz who has already surpassed his touchdown total from a year ago (16 TD's) in eight fewer games. They'd also have their hands full against a Philadelphia defense that ranks tops in the league against the run.
Playing on a damp Sunday afternoon, the 49ers would need to play a near perfect game if they had plans of pulling off the upset in rainy Philadelphia. Instead, they'd fall behind 17-0 heading into the locker room at the half as a pair of touchdowns allowed highlighted a dismal first two quarters for San Francisco. The 49ers would manage to stick around for a majority of the first half as Philly hung onto a 3-0 lead entering the 2-minute warning. But things would change quickly as a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Zach Ertz and a pick-six by cornerback Jalen Mills just 17 seconds later would allow the Eagles to take a 17-0 lead into the half. The lead would reach 20 to nothing before the 49ers finally scratched the scoreboard on a touchdown set up by rookie corner Ahkello Witherspoon who recorded his first career interception. San Francisco would capitalize as another 49ers rookie recorded a career first when quarterback C.J. Beathard's shovel pass to backup running back Matt Breida sprung the undrafted rookie from Georgia Southern 21-yards for the first touchdown of his career.
The two big plays by the trio of 49ers rookies would be the lone highlights on the afternoon for San Francisco as the mistakes and wrongdoings far outweighed the good. A week after setting a 49ers franchise record by throwing for the most yards in a rookie debut with 235 yards against the Cowboys, Beathard threw for only 167 yards in his second time around in another tough outing by the San Francisco offense who was stymied by Philadelphia's solid defense. Against the run, the Eagles held both Breida and Carlos Hyde to a combined 42-yards rushing as neither back was able to get anything going on the ground. Veteran kicker Robbie Gould would also see better days as he saw his perfect 91-for-91 mark of field goals from 20-30 yards come to an end as his 27-yard field goal attempt to start the fourth quarter was blocked. It would be Gould's first blocked field goal since 2012 with the Bears, though he would redeem himself on San Francisco's ensuing possession with a successful 50-yard try.
Leading the league in passing touchdowns entering Sunday, Wentz added his second touchdown pass of the afternoon on a 53-yard connection to Alshon Jefferey on the longest play of the receiver's brief Eagles career. A 12-yard touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount would round out the rest of the scoring for Philly who stormed away with the 33-10 victory and improved their league-best record to 7-1 on the year, leading the NFC East over second place Dallas (4-3). As for San Francisco who fell to 0-8 on the year for the first time in their 73-year history, the 49ers were also dealt a blow on both sides of the ball in the injury department as cornerback Jimmie Ward (fractured left forearm), offensive-lineman Joe Staley (broken orbital bone) and receiver Pierre Garcon (neck) were all bit by the injury bug on Sunday with Ward and Garcon's injuries being season-ending. The loss of those players would only add salt to the wound as the 49ers have now dropped 10 consecutive games in the eastern time zone. You'd have to date back to November 16, 2014 against the Giants in New York for the last time San Francisco departed the eastern part of the country with a victory.
Week 9 Preview - Returning home to kick off the first game of a three game homestand, the 49ers will play host to division rival Arizona as the (3-4) Cardinals are coming off a BYE week following their shutout loss to the Rams in London. With an 18-15 overtime win against the 49ers in their Week 4 meeting earlier this season in Arizona, the Cardinals are looking for the season sweep of San Francisco, but will be without quarterback Carson Palmer who is out for the season and is likely to retire after suffering a broken arm. The 49ers will hope to get the first win of the season after nearly defeating the Cardinals in Arizona after taking a 15-12 lead in overtime before Palmer connected with Larry Fitzgerald in the end zone for a walk-off, game-winning touchdown. San Francisco will be met by backup QB Drew Stanton and will also get their first look at running back Adrian Peterson in a Cardinals uniform as the former league MVP who began the season in New Orleans, was traded from the Saints to the Cardinals before Week 6.
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