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 Pull off Walk-off Win over Cardinals, But Lose Bosa for the Season

Week 3 - After starting the season with back-to-back road games, the (2-0) San Francisco 49ers would return to Levi's Stadium to host the (2-0) Arizona Cardinals in front of the Faithful in their home-opener. Sitting atop the NFC Western Division standings at 2-0 in a three-way tie with the Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers would have a chance to separate themselves a bit with what would be their second win against a division opponent in as many tries and the only team entering Sunday with a win within the division. With only one win against the vaunted NFC West a year ago, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would be able to eclipse that mark on Sunday with a victory, while also looking to bounce back from dropping both games against the Cardinals in 2024-25. What would begin as an offensive struggle highlighted by stellar defensive play by both sides thru the first three quarters, quickly turned into a classic finish that would be won in large part thanks to the contributions of several of the 49ers' newest members. 

But not before both teams were struck hard by the injury bug, claiming team captains from both sides with season-ending leg injuries. Having suffered several key injuries in the early going of the season through the first two weeks, the Niners got more bad news on Sunday when defensive-end and former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa went down in the first quarter with a knee injury. While Bosa was able to walk off the field gingerly under his own power, he would hit the deck on the sideline while being examined by the team's medical staff before giving a thumbs down to family members watching from the stands. Meanwhile, Arizona running back James Conner suffered an ankle injury that would require him to be carted off the field early in the second half. The injuries to both players would be a gut-punch to their respective teams and will undoubtedly leave a void on the field and in the clubhouse. But as always, the show must go on. 

While neither team was able to do much of anything in the opening quarter, the limited success on offense came from Arizona on the Cardinals' opening-drive which spanned 14-plays before eventually stalling on a missed field goal attempt from kicker Chad Ryland who missed from 57-yards out. San Francisco on the other hand saw two possessions in the first quarter, both of which ending with a three and out punt. After Arizona struck first with a field goal on their next drive, San Francisco answered with a field goal of their own as the offense finally began to move the chains before kicker Eddy Pineiro tied the game at 3. Running the two-minute offense would become a thing of beauty for San Francisco on Sunday, as quarterback Mac Jones was able to stay cool, calm and collective in marching his team down the field to close out both halves against the Cardinals. After forcing an Arizona punt just before the two-minute warning, Jones was able to get his kicker in position to kick a go-ahead field goal just before halftime as Pineiro split the uprights from 51-yards out to give his team a 6-3 lead heading into the locker room. 

Without one of their team captains on defense for 3+ quarters, guys like linebackers Fred Warner and Dee Winters as well as rookie defensive-end Mykel Williams would all have to step up in Bosa's absence. Behind the tutelage of defensive-coordinator Robert Saleh, the defense would answer the call and keep the Arizona offense at bay virtually all game long. With the Cardinals tying the game after a field goal on their first possession of the second half, the 49ers began a 12-play, 73-yard drive that spanned 6 minutes and 22 seconds of game time, their longest of the afternoon. Unfortunately, that drive would go up in flames near the goal line as San Francisco came up short on third and fourth downs from only a yard out. San Francisco's next possession, however, would have a much better outcome to open the fourth quarter. 

Facing a 4th and 2 at the Arizona 40-yard line, head coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a gutsy pass play that saw quarterback Mac Jones heave a deep ball down the sideline and into the bucket for 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall who has had quite the start to his sophomore campaign. Coming down with the 34-yard gain to keep the drive alive, Jones hit fullback Kyle Juszczyk in the end zone for the go-ahead score and the game's first touchdown with 10:50 remaining in regulation. With Arizona QB Kyler Murray held in check virtually all game long through the air with only short passes and minimal gains to show for, the aerial attack suddenly began to click as the Cardinals found gains of 32 and 33 yards thanks to a big reception from second-year receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and a huge defensive pass interference call in the end zone from San Francisco's second-year cornerback Renardo Green. Murray would cash in on the crucial penalty two plays later with a 1-yard pass to standout tight-end Trey McBride for the game-tying touchdown. 

Looking to answer right back, the 49ers began to march after a big rush from second-string running back Brian Robinson who got his team in field goal range. But just a few plays later, Jones would be intercepted when attempting to squeeze a pass thru a tight window intended for Ricky Pearsall. The Cardinals would fail to cash in with the turnover and were held to a quick three and out punt to pin the 49ers deep inside their own 10. The poor field position would prove to be costly as the 49ers were called for a safety in their own end zone after a holding penalty on guard Dominick Puni. Ironically, the 49ers defense nearly forced a safety a few possessions earlier on an intentional grounding penalty by Murray who was pinned back inside his own territory, but officials claimed the Arizona quarterback was not fully in the end zone at the time he released the ball. With Arizona now leading 15-13 and in possession of the ball following the safety, Murray and company had a chance to close out the game with a few first downs. They would manage to get just one before a pivotal pass breakup by 49ers rookie cornerback Upton Stout on a third and long, knocking the ball loose from receiver Zay Jones as both players went to the ground. Resulting a fourth and long, the Cardinals would be forced to punt, giving Mac Jones and the 49er offense one last chance to march their way to victory. 

Taking over with 1:46 remaining in regulation, Jones began to chip away at the field, hitting a variety of receivers for gains of 11, 10, 7 and 11 yards before a big 20-yard completion to McCaffrey on a screen play, setting up kicker Eddy Pineiro for a game-winning field goal attempt. With six game-winning kicks under his belt entering Sunday, Pineiro added game-winner No. 7 by splitting the uprights from 35-yards out to give his team the 16-15 win in their home-opener and send the Levi's Stadium crowd into a frenzy as time expired. The come-from-behind win in the final moments would mark a series of firsts for the 49ers, including their first win when trailing in the final 10-seconds of regulation since their epic battle against Drew Brees and the Saints in 2019 that ended on a walk-off field goal by former kicker Robbie Gould. It would also mark the first time in franchise history that the 49ers would win three straight games to open a season all by seven points or less. After leaning on the defense to close out wins in each of the first two weeks, Sunday's resilient win was the team's first this season at the hands of the offense. The 49ers were able to claw their way to victory on Sunday despite losing the time of possession battle by 9-minutes and 18-seconds, their biggest deficit in a win since October 31, 2021 against the Chicago Bears. 

Helping lead the team to a win for a second straight week, quarterback Mac Jones threw for 284 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception on Sunday, connecting on 8 passes to receiver Ricky Pearsall who totaled 117 yards receiving to become the first 49er since Antonio Bryant in 2006 with 100+ receiving yards in two of the team's first three games. Running back Christian McCaffrey tallied 140 total yards after 52 yards rushing and 88 yards receiving, with a game-high 10 receptions. It would be McCaffrey's 12th career game with 10+ receptions, extending his own NFL-record for the most among running backs. Arizona's Kyler Murray threw for 159 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another 37 yards in the loss. 

Week 4 Preview: Improving to 3-0 for the first time since 2023 which ended with a trip to the Super Bowl, the 49ers are 1 of 6 remaining unbeaten teams in the NFL and will look to keep things rolling as they get set to welcome in the (2-1) Jacksonville Jaguars. The 49ers will get their first look at last year's Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. The two-way college star has seen action playing both sides of the ball as a receiver and cornerback, having played 43 snaps on defense in Week 3 compared to 37 snaps on offense. 

Serving as the backup to Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence a season ago where he made seven starts and amassed a record of 2-5, Mac Jones may get a crack at his former team if coach Kyle Shanahan decides to give first-string QB Brock Purdy an extra week of rest while recovering from shoulder and toe injuries suffered in Week 1. Labeled as a game-time decision in Week 3, time will tell if Purdy is ready as he's expected to return to practice this week. Then again, Jones himself was forced to finish Sunday's game with a knee brace after re-aggravated a PCL sprain he suffered during training camp. Whether it's Purdy or Jones that suit up under-center for the Niners in Week 4, San Francisco will look to improve their winning streak to four and hopefully go a week without suffering a key injury which they've been unable to avoid thru the first three weeks of the season with Kittle, Purdy, Jennings and now Bosa all missing time in the early going. If the Niners can continue to find ways to win without some of their best players, coach Shanahan will certainly be one of the top Coach of the Year candidates in the league. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Niners Late Lead Slips in Loss to Hawks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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49ers Complete Sweep of rival Seahawks

Week 14 - A week after showing that they can beat just about anybody after handing the Philadelphia Eagles a 23-point beatdown in Philly, the (9-3) San Francisco 49ers turned their attention to the rival (6-6) Seahawks whom they've beaten in four straight meetings dating back to last season and as recent as Thanksgiving night. Returning home to Levi's Stadium, Brock Purdy and the 49ers would look to make it five straight wins over the Seahawks on Sunday, who've been on a bit of a tailspin having lost three straight games and could ill-afford another loss within the division as their chances of making the playoffs continue to plummet. Hoping for a saving grace, backup quarterback Drew Lock would make his first start in a Seahawks uniform in place of Geno Smith who was ruled out with a groin injury just hours before kickoff. 

Seeing his first NFL action since 2021 while a member of the Denver Broncos, Lock would keep Seattle in the game virtually all afternoon long before succumbing late to the stout Niner defense that tagged him for two interceptions and brought him down for four sacks on the day. While the defense of San Francisco came thru late in the game to shutout the Seattle offense in the fourth quarter, it was the offense that stole the show in the first quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey charged for a 72-yard run that immediately put the San Francisco offense on the door step before Jordan Mason walked in a touchdown from 3-yards out one play later. Taking a much different approach, Seattle would answer back on their ensuing drive with a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 31-yard touchdown pass to receiver D.K. Metcalf as Lock threaded the needle with a pass that zipped by the outstretched arms of San Francisco's Ambry Thomas. With two receptions for 52-yards on Seattle's opening-drive, Metcalf would be held catch-less the rest of the way despite the Niners' top cornerback Charvarius Ward being sidelined with a groin injury just a few plays into the game. 

After their blazing start on their first drive, the 49er offense began to lull as they were held to back to back three and out punts before finally showing life again. But just when the offense was starting to march, a bit of miscommunication by Purdy and receiver Brandon Aiyuk began to transpire as the two were not on the same page which led to an interception on a tipped-pass. Trailing 10-7, San Francisco got a big play from their most versatile weapon on offense in receiver Deebo Samuel who hauled in a 54-yard reception over the top for the go-ahead touchdown. With a 14-10 lead at the half, the 49ers added another Deebo Samuel touchdown to the scoreboard, this time on a 1-yard carry. Refusing to go down quietly, Seattle answered with a touchdown of their own after a pair of big plays through the air by running back Kenneth Walker III and tight-end Noah Fant who marched 53-yards on two plays before Lock hit his other tight-end Colby Parkinson for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the same exact play Brock Purdy and the 49ers successfully ran against the Seahawks in Seattle a season ago. 

With the game much closer than 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would've liked, San Francisco opened the fourth quarter with another quick score that put the game out of reach for good. Needing only three plays, Purdy got his own tight-end involved with a 44-yard touchdown grab that gave the 49ers a 28-16 lead. Rookie cornerback Ji'Ayir Brown would record his second career interception on Seattle's ensuing drive, but just when it appeared that the 49ers would turn the turnover into points, Brandon Aiyuk was stripped from behind after collecting 30-yards on a play that would've put his team in the red zone. It would be no harm, no foul for the Niners as Seattle was held to a punt. Putting the finishing touches on the afternoon would be All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who came down with the Niners' second interception of the contest on a Drew Lock heave on 4th and 13 that led to a little fisticuffs between Warner and Seattle's D.K. Metcalf who was shutout in the second half. Metcalf and 49ers corner Deommodore Lenoir were both ejected for for unsportsmanlike conduct.  

49ers QB Brock Purdy would record a career-high in passing yards in the win with 368 to go along with his 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 145 yards on 16 carries, while Deebo Samuel (7 receptions, 149 receiving yards and 2 total touchdowns) and Brandon Aiyuk who surpassed the 1,000 receiving yards mark for the season (6 receptions, 126 receiving yards) led all players through the air. As for San Francisco's defense which has generated 29 sacks in their last 5 games played (1st in the NFL), which is seven more than the next-closest team, defensive-end Nick Bosa was the cause of 1.5 of those four sacks on Sunday which moved him to 3rd all-time in 49ers franchise history with 52.5 career sacks. While Drew Lock threw for a respectable 269 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in a losing effort, and showed that he can be a capable backup when needed, even against the formidable 49er defense, it wasn't enough to prevent San Francisco from pulling off a season sweep of the Seahawks for a second straight season. 

Week 15 Preview: With their fifth straight win coupled with a loss from the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, the (10-3) 49ers became the first team in the NFL this season to clinch a playoff berth with four games remaining on the regular season schedule. Next on their list will be the (3-10) Arizona Cardinals whom the 49ers defeated at home back on October 1, but are coming off the Bye Week and an impressive 24-10 road win before that over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tempers flared at the end of the game the last time these two teams met between 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga and Cards running back James Connor, as both players needed to be separated following San Francisco's 35-16 win. With quarterback Kyler Murray back under center, the 49ers will face Murray for the first time this season and for the first time since Week 5 of the 2021 regular season as he's dealt with multiple injuries including a torn ACL during Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season. In the running for the 1st overall pick, only the (1-12) Carolina Panthers have a worse record than Arizona, with the New England Patriots also sitting at 3-10 on the year. As for San Francisco, the 49ers will need to keep their foot on the gas if they want to maintain the NFC's No. 1 overall seed as they can control their own destiny and currently hold a tie-breaker over the Eagles & Cowboys who both also sit at 10-3 on the season, but both have a division loss under their belt. 

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49ers Feast on Seahawks in Thanksgiving Win

Week 12 - Facing off with their hated rivals from the pacific northwest for the first time this season, the (7-3) San Francisco 49ers would look to continue their recent success against the (6-4) Seattle Seahawks in a Thursday night showdown on Thanksgiving. Rallying around the gridiron together instead of the dinner table, there would be no such thing as sharing between these two bitter foes come kickoff. Looking to distance themselves from Seattle in the NFC Western Division standings, San Francisco, donning their throwback white uniforms, would try to make it four straight wins over Pete Carroll's Seahawks following a sweep in all three meetings a season ago, including a playoff win in the NFC's Wild Card round. 

Things would get off to a great start for quarterback Brock Purdy, the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his Week 11 performance against Tampa Bay, and the 49ers who opened the game with the ball and marched it 71-yards on 11-plays, ending in a 2-yard touchdown run by Deebo Samuel. Although the Seahawks would answer on their ensuing possession with a field goal thanks to a 64-yard kick return by D'Wayne Eskridge, the Seattle offense was virtually shutout by the 49er defense throughout the first half. San Francisco jumped out to a 14-3 lead to start the second quarter when running back and scoring machine Christian McCaffrey punched in a 1-yard rushing touchdown, kickstarting a busy night for the all-time record holder for the most consecutive games with a touchdown. The San Francisco defense would put their first stamp on the game by forcing the first turnover of the night when cornerback Ambry Thomas jumped in front of Geno Smith's pass intended for receiver Tyler Lockett. The 49ers would not be able to do anything with the takeaway and were instead held to a three and out punt, but they would redeem themselves one possession later. 

McCaffrey would continue to make history and etch his name into the record books, this time setting a 49ers franchise single-season record with his 11th rushing touchdown on the season after an 8-yard score. Previously, six players shared the team record of 10 rushing touchdowns in a season: Frank Gore (2009), Derek Loville (1995), Ricky Waters (1993), Billy Kilmer (1961), J.D. Smith (1959) and Joe Perry (1953). McCaffrey's second touchdown of the night would also give him 16 total TD's on the year, the most by a running back in a single season in franchise history. The 49ers would add to their lead again with a Jake Moody field goal thanks to another Seattle turnover, this time forced by San Francisco's special-teams unit, capitalizing on a muffed punt that resulted in a fumble recovery by the Niners and special-teams stud Oren Burks. Unfortunately, Burks who would be injured on the play with what was later confirmed to be a torn biceps that will require surgery and likely cause him to miss the rest of the season. Seattle would attempt to inch closer before the end of the half with a 53-yard field goal attempt by kicker Jason Myers who missed wide right as time expired. 

In no way did the 49ers play a perfect game in any facet, but the defense came pretty darn close as Seattle's offense was held out of the end zone all night long. The Seahawks did receive a sliver of hope early in the second half when their defense forced a turnover. Following a punt by Seattle on the opening-drive to start the second half, Purdy and the 49ers found themselves pinned deep inside their own territory at the 4 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Purdy was picked off for his first career pick-six after an errant pass skipped off the hands of McCaffrey and into a defender as linebacker Jordyn Brooks recorded his first career interception and took it in for an easy score. Appearing to take their foot off the gas pedal, the 49ers were forced to punt on each of their next two possessions, but Seattle would only manage a field goal out of it, cutting San Francisco's lead to 24-13. Allowing Seattle to hang around until midway into the fourth quarter, the 49ers would end any chance of a rally by the Seahawks as Purdy barreled down and put the game out of reach with an absolute dime of a touchdown pass to receiver Brandon Aiyuk who made the grab in between four defenders for the 28-yard score. 

Trailing 31-13 with under 8-minutes remaining, Seattle's last-ditch effort at a comeback would end on a turnover on downs as the Niners shutdown the Seahawks offense on three consecutive plays when they needed only 1-yard. From there, San Francisco was able to milk the clock on a pair of big first down plays by backup running back Elijah Mitchell and receiver Ray-Ray McCloud who sealed the win with a dagger 23-yard reception on 3rd and 3 after the two-minute warning, as the 49ers celebrated at midfield with a Thanksgiving feast supplied by the NBC crew. San Francisco's defense tallied a season-high six sacks on the night, creating pressure virtually all night long and making things difficult for Seattle QB Geno Smith who was questionable throughout the week to even start in Thursday's game with a bruised triceps suffered in the Seahawks' Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams a week earlier. 49ers QB Brock Purdy won't be taking home NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for a second consecutive week, but he did manage to record a solid road outing under the bright lights in a hostile environment, completing 21 of 30 passes for 209 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, compared to Geno Smith's 180 yards passing, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception on 18 of 27 passes. 

Niners running back Christian McCaffrey was once again the team's bell cow on offense, rushing for 114 yards and 2 TD's on 19 carries to go along with another 25 yards receiving on 5 receptions. Deebo Samuel led all receivers with 7 receptions for a game-high 79 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown. Right behind him was Brandon Aiyuk who hauled in two receptions for 50 yards and a score, giving him 5 touchdowns on the season, making him the first 49ers receiver to achieve 5+ TDs in each of his first four NFL seasons. Aiyuk joined Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens as the only 49ers wide receivers in the past 40 seasons to have five or more receiving TDs in four straight seasons. Back to the defense, defensive-end Nick Bosa recorded another pair of sacks in the win, giving him three straight games with 1.5+ sacks, the longest streak for a 49er since 2012 (Aldon Smith, 4). Enjoying their latest acquisition, the San Francisco defense has now feasted on the opposing quarterbacks to the tune of 15 sacks in their last 3 games since acquiring defensive-end Chase Young at the trade deadline from Washington. The 49ers have now won four straight against their rivals from up north dating back to last season, outscoring them by a combined score of 120-56. 

Week 13 Preview: Pulling 2 full games ahead of Seattle in the division standings and into the NFC's No. 2 spot after their win coupled with a Detroit loss earlier on Thanksgiving morning to open the busy slate of games, the 49ers will have a chance to pull closer to the NFC's top seed in their next bout. With a few extra days of rest following the Thursday night game and the holiday, the (8-3) 49ers will now direct their attention to the (10-1) Philadelphia Eagles in one of the most highly anticipated match-ups on the NFL's 2023 calendar. In what will be a rematch of last year's NFC Championship, the meeting will signify a chance at redemption for one Brock Purdy, as the 49ers QB suffered a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm on San Francisco's first drive, kicking him out of the game and into a six month recovery that required surgery. The 49ers eventually lost 31-7 to the Eagles who punched their ticket to the Super Bowl where they would go on to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35. Proving to be a force again this year and likely to be in the thick of it again come playoff time, the Eagles exacted revenge against the Chiefs just a week ago on the road at Arrowhead, and are coming off a thrilling 37-34 overtime win against the Buffalo Bills at home in the rain. Philly QB Jalen Hurts threw for 200 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the win, adding another 65 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, including the walk-off score in OT. Hopefully both the football and weather gods are on the side of San Francisco this time around in what should be a tough blow for blow match-up between NFC heavyweights. 

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Purdy Perfect in Niners' Win over Bucs

Week 11 - Looking to build on their dominant victory against one of the league's top defenses in Jacksonville a week ago, the (6-3) San Francisco 49ers returned home to play in front of the Faithful of Levi's Stadium, welcoming in the visiting (4-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The meeting between the two teams would be especially important for Niners quarterback Brock Purdy who would face off against the Bucs for the first time since making his first career NFL start against them just under a year ago in Week 14 of last season, taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo and helping defeat a Tom-Brady led Bucs team by a final score of 35-7 and putting the rest of the league on notice that he was far more than just the latest "Mr. Irrelevant." In just his 18th career start at QB, Purdy would not only have the best outing of his professional career yet, but one of the best by a 49er quarterback in the history of the franchise in terms of passer rating. 

A week after putting up a career-best passer rating of 148.9, Purdy 1-up'd himself on Sunday with a perfect passer rating of 158.3, becoming only the second QB in 49ers franchise history to reach the feat and the first since Joe Montana in 1989. Equally as impressive, Purdy's 157.3 passer rating combined over his last two starts is the highest by any NFL QB over a 2-start span since QB stats were first tracked in 1950. But as perfect as Purdy's box score might appear, the 49er offense was far from on their opening-drive. After a 24-yard connection from Purdy to tight-end George Kittle on the game's second play from scrimmage, the San Francisco offense fizzled out and were forced to punt. Luckily, the 49er defense would also have themselves a strong afternoon, forcing a few turnovers and answering the call late when the team needed them to deliver, beginning with a three and out punt on Tampa's opening-possession. Following San Francisco's one and only punt of the first half, Purdy led the offense on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that spanned 7-minutes and 11-seconds of game clock and ended with a 3-yard passing touchdown to running back Christian McCaffrey. 

A week after being held out of the end zone for the first time in over a calendar year and tying an NFL-record for the most consecutive games with a touchdown scored with 17, McCaffrey didn't waste much time to score in this one, in hopes of starting a new streak. The next big play would come from the defense and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who was celebrating his 27th birthday on Sunday. As captain on defense, Warner treated himself to a little birthday gift, sharing a sack with teammate Nick Bosa and forcing and recovering a fumble that stalled what appeared to be a promising drive by quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense. Turning the turnover into points, the 49ers added a Jake Moody field goal to take a 10-0 lead. Tampa Bay would find the end zone on their next drive, however, biting into San Francisco's lead with a 1-yard touchdown grab from receiver Mike Evans. Answering with their second field goal in as many drives, Moody would help the 49ers take a 13-7 lead into the half. 

A week ago against the Jags, the 49ers put their foot down on their first possession out of the locker room, starting the second half with a big play to impose their dominance thanks to a 66-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Kittle for what was the longest play of Purdy's career. After a stop on defense to force a punt, Purdy set a new mark for both the longest pass of his career and the longest touchdown pass in the NFL this season as the 49ers QB found receiver Brandon Aiyuk on a 77-yard strike just three plays into the second half. The fun wouldn't stop there, however, as Purdy found the end zone for a third time just one possession later, connecting with Kittle who came down with the ball to put his team up big: 27-7. Tampa Bay would score early to start the fourth quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Rachaad White and made things interesting by forcing a pair of punts and a turnover on downs on San Francisco's next three possessions. But when the 49er defense was most needed, they answered the call on three straight Tampa Bay drives which ended in a pair of turnover on downs and an interception. 

After losing safety Talanoa Hufanga to injury in the second half with what 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan feared might be an ACL tear, rookie Ji'Ayir Brown came into the game and stepped up despite being picked on right away. With the Bucs threatening inside the red zone, Brown came up with a clutch diving interception on a tipped pass in the end zone that added to the Niners' league-leading interception total (14), and should've iced the win for San Francisco. Instead, the Bucs would get another chance after the 49ers failed to bleed clock and convert on a 4th and 1 attempt that turned the ball over on downs and allowed at least another last-ditch effort by Baker Mayfield and company, which was also stopped. Throwing for 333 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 of 25 pass attempts, Purdy shined in the 27-14 win, with receiver Brandon Aiyuk leading all receivers with 156 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 receptions. Tight-end George Kittle also logged another solid performance, recording a game-high 8 catches for 89-yards and a touchdown, while Christian McCaffrey eclipsed the century mark in scrimmage yards once again, tallying 78-yards rushing and another 25 in receiving to go along with his receiving touchdown. The 49er defense got to Baker Mayfield four times for a sack and held him to 246 yards and 1 touchdown, while forcing him to fumble once and throw an interception on 29 of 45 pass attempts. 

Week 12 Preview: It'll be a quick turnaround for the (7-3) 49ers who will be right back to work in Week 12 on Thursday Night as they pay a visit to Seattle on Thanksgiving to face the (6-4) division rival Seahawks for the first time this season. After defeating Seattle in all three meetings a season ago, including a playoff win in the NFC Wild Card round, the Seahawks will have payback on their minds come Thursday, as the 49ers now find themselves a game ahead of Seattle for first place in the NFC West. Coming off a surprise 17-16 loss on the road against the division rival Rams, Seattle has now dropped both games against the Rams this season, the latest on a last-second missed field goal attempt by kicker Jason Myers. It's always a duel when these two teams meet to battle, and even though it'll be Thanksgiving, expect no sharing at the dinner table between these two squads come kickoff. 

One player who will not be on the field to help the 49ers vie for a third straight win will be All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga whom San Francisco confirmed will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL suffered in the third quarter of Sunday's game. 

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Niners Back on Track with Dominant Win over Jags

Week 10 - Coming out of the bye week and hitting the road for Jacksonville, the (5-3) San Francisco 49ers would face the red-hot (6-2) Jaguars in a battle between two teams that have gone in completely different directions from one another after totally different starts to the season. While the 49ers got off to arguably the best start in all of football with a blazing 5-0 start, the Jags on the other hand began the season 1-2 through their first three games. Since those starts, the Niners have dropped three straight, and the Jags have won an NFL-best five in a row entering Sunday. In desperate need of a win to stop the bleeding and end their three-game skid, the 49ers received some much needed help on defense from defensive-end Chase Young who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Washington Commanders. 

Coming out of college as the No. 2 overall pick in 2019, Niners defensive-end Nick Bosa was touted as being one of the best pass rushers of this generation. And coming out of college a year later was his Ohio State teammate Chase Young who many believed was even more talented after also being drafted with the No. 2 overall pick. Now the two former Defensive Rookies of the Year have reunited at the professional level in San Francisco and will attempt to duplicate the success they had together at the collegiate level when they wreaked havoc and combined for a total of 33 sacks in two seasons with the Buckeyes. Facing a stout defense of their own, Jacksonville entered Sunday tied with the Saints for the most takeaways in all of football with 18, while also ranking 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards per game allowed (79). Like San Francisco, the Jags were also coming off the bye week, making it three straight weeks the 49ers would face a team coming off the bye and given an extra week to prepare for them. The extra week of preparation wouldn't matter for Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence, however, as the San Francisco defense had his number virtually all afternoon long. But it wasn't all about the defense in this one for the 49ers, as quarterback Brock Purdy helped get the offense back on track in a big way.

With Jacksonville receiving the opening-kickoff, the 49er defense would come out swinging by getting to the quarterback for a sack and forcing a three and out punt. Equally as impressive would be the 49er offense which needed only four plays to march 57-yards before finding the end zone on a 13-yard pass from Purdy who hit receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the touchdown. Escaping the pocket and running left, Purdy would throw across the field to find his target for the early score, and although it would be a success, his coach was not a fan. In his postgame press conference, coach Kyle Shanahan recalled the play as, "one of his worst decisions I think he's made since he's been here." While the daring play didn't win his coach over, it did help give his team an early 7-0 lead. The opening-drive score for the 49ers would be their sixth opening-drive touchdown on the season, the most in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Jags defense had given up zero opening-drive touchdowns on the year up to that point, allowing only 3-points on opening-drives which ranked as the fewest in the league. The theme of those first drives would be commonplace throughout the afternoon for both teams. 

Getting back to back stops on defense by forcing another Jacksonville three and out as the 49ers got to Lawrence for the second time in as many drives, the 49ers added to their lead with a Jake Moody field goal to take a 10-0 lead. The Jaguars would finally get the ball across midfield in the second quarter on their fourth possession, but two plays after their biggest play yet, a 16-yard run, the 49ers would force the first of many turnovers on the day as Bosa and Young combined for the sack just like old times, forcing a turnover recovered by the defense. Exchanging field goals before the half, the Niners took a 13-3 lead into halftime. Turning things up a notch on both sides of the ball to start the second half, Brock Purdy recorded the longest touchdown pass of his career on a deep ball to his tight-end George Kittle, launching a 66-yard strike just two plays into the half as Kittle was able to walk into the end zone untouched. The 49er defense would then string together three straight drives with forced turnovers as two interceptions and a fumble ignited a busy day for defensive-coordinator Steve Wilkes who was on the hot seat after the Niners' recent skid and was asked by coach Shanahan to ditch the press box in favor of calling the game from the field. Safe to say it worked. 

Jacksonville's one and only trip to the red zone in the second half would end in disaster when receiver Christian Kirk fumbled inside the 10-yard line after being tackled by San Francisco's Ambry Thomas. The turnover was initially returned 92-yards for a touchdown by Thomas, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by the 49er sideline nullified the big play as players were called for stepping onto the field before the play was over. Although the touchdown on defense would be called back, the offense would make up for it just a few plays later as utilityman Deebo Samuel returned to the lineup in a big way with a 23-yard rushing touchdown. After missing the last two games with a shoulder injury and all but one possession of the game prior to that, Deebo helped the 49er offense get back to their old ways alongside left-tackle Trent Williams who also returned after sustaining an injury to the Browns in Week 6, the same game Deebo was injured in. 

The 49er defense would intercept Trevor Lawrence a second time on Jacksonville's following possession to open the fourth quarter thanks to a pick from linebacker Fred Warner, as Javon Hargrave applied pressure that led to the errant pass. Putting the final nail in the coffin would be 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk  who hauled in a 22-yard grab, making it a 34-3 lead and putting the game well out of reach. Brock Purdy was able to sit the rest of the way, allowing Sam Darnold to finish the game under center. With star running back Christian McCaffrey sitting at 17 consecutive games with a touchdown, tied with Hall of Famer Lenny Moore for the all-time record, coach Shanahan dialed up multiple plays down the stretch in the fourth quarter for McCaffrey who had his eyes set on history. However, everyone in the building knew the ball was going to McCaffrey, including the Jags who sniffed out a pass attempt near the goal line, denying McCaffrey and forcing the turnover on downs.

Putting up a career-high passer rating of 148.9 and completing 73% of his passes, 49ers QB Brock Purdy did manage to make history of his own as Sunday's win marked the 3rd time in Purdy's professional career that he recorded at least three touchdowns and a passer rating of 140 or more, joining Kurt Warner as the only other QB in NFL history to accomplish that feat during their first two seasons in the league. Completing 19 of 26 passes for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns, Purdy helped the Niners score 30+ points for the sixth time this season, the most in the NFL. Even more impressive, all 3 of Purdy's TD's against the Jags traveled over 10 yards in the air with a time to throw off at least 2.5 seconds. Only five QB's have recorded a game with three such TD's this season, and Purdy is the only one to accomplish it multiple times. Elsewhere, the league's leading-rusher McCaffrey logged his 6th game this season with 100+ scrimmage yards (95 rushing, 47 receiving), the most in the NFL. Tight-end George Kittle led all receivers with 116 yards receiving and a touchdown on only three receptions. For Jacksonville, QB Trevor Lawrence was held to just 185 yards passing and 0 touchdowns, while throwing 2 interceptions and was sacked five times on the afternoon. 

Week 11 Preview: The (6-3) 49ers will look to build upon their most recent win in dominant fashion when they return home to Levi's Stadium to face Baker Mayfield and the (4-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’ll be the first time Brock Purdy faces Tampa Bay since making his first career start against them in Week 14 a season ago, helping defeat the Tom Brady-led Bucs by a final score of 35-7 and putting the league on notice that he was more than just the latest Mr. Irrelevant. 

Coming off a 20-6 win at home over the Tennessee Titans, the former 1st overall pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2018, has enjoyed a resurgent year under-center in his first season with the Bucs, having thrown 14 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions and has his team playing respectable football in what has been a poor division up to this point. One player that will look to contain Mayfield is Nick Bosa who had some fun the last time he faced Mayfield, planting the flag in his famous sack celebration that was in reference to Mayfield planting the Oklahoma Sooners flag at midfield in a win over Ohio State when the two faced off in college. Coming off his best game of the season with 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery which earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, Bosa will try to exact more revenge against Mayfield and apply pressure on the quarterback for a San Francisco defense that now leads the league in interceptions with 13 on the year. 

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