Key Safety the Difference in 49ers Loss to Denver

Week 3 - In what was expected to be a game highlighted by stellar defense, it was the sluggish offense that stole the show for both the San Francisco 49ers (1-1) and Denver Broncos (1-1), and not in a good way. With both teams coming off their first wins of the season in Week 2, fans of both teams had hoped for another step in the right direction for the offense in Week 3, despite going up against a pair of good defenses. Unfortunately for all who sat thru the Sunday Night tilt, that was not the case as boo's were heard in Denver and were echoed from 49er fans on Twitter from fans frustrated with the offense of both teams. Even with quarterback Russell Wilson no longer in the NFC Western division where he tormented the 49ers for 10 long years with the rival Seahawks, San Francisco was not able to dodge the QB who has owned them throughout his entire career, boasting a 16-4 record against them. And while he was hardly a factor in this one, Wilson again reigned victorious over the Niners, this time with Denver.  

Coming out swinging was the 49er defense who forced a three and out punt on Denver's first possession, before the San Francisco offense followed suit with a 7-play, 75-yard touchdown-scoring drive on their second possession of the game. After a deep pass to receiver Brandon Aiyuk and a big run from running back Jeff Wilson, the 49ers smelled blood and capitalized with an early trip to the end zone as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found Aiyuk for the easy score from a few yards out. Other than a Brandon McManus field goal to start the second quarter for Denver, there wasn't much to highlight in the first half for either team as the punters were on full display for much of the evening. Both teams would combine for 10 punts in the first half alone, the most in the first half of any game this season thru the first three weeks. Even worse, the game would feature nine three and outs by the Denver offense, the most of Russell Wilson's career. 

Looking to come out swinging in the second half the same way they opened the first, the 49ers were able to accomplish that feat on defense, but the offense failed to deliver their end of the bargain as Garoppolo fumbled the snap at mid-field, turning the ball over and giving Denver their best field possession yet. Luckily for them, the Broncos offense would fail to do anything with it as the San Francisco defense again came thru when it was needed. In what quickly turned into a game of field position as both teams took turns pinning each other back deep in their own territory, the 49ers ultimately lost that battle as a crucial mistake took place that would prove to be the difference on the scoreboard. Pinned all the way back at their own 2 yard-line, Garoppolo took the snap and backpedaled into the end zone, feeling the pressure and eventually stepping out of bounds for what would end up being a safety to make it a 7-5 game. Eying their first lead of the game, Denver would march across midfield for a 53-yard field goal that was missed wide-right by McManus. 

Exchanging punts on the next two possessions, the 49ers would increase their lead with a Robbie Gould field goal from 51 yards out to bring the score to 10-5, San Francisco. After another pair of punts, Wilson and the Broncos would embark on their best drive yet and their only touchdown-scoring drive of the evening, marching 80-yards on 13-plays. Capping the drive and giving Denver their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter, running back Melvin Gordon III rushed forward from a yard out. The key play of the drive came on a crucial 3rd and 10, as Wilson connected with Kendall Hinton for 27-yards and a first down, only after the Broncos QB escaped the pocket and dodged a sack like he's done so often against San Francisco throughout his career. Failing to convert on the two-point conversion, the 49ers found themselves trailing, 11-10 with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. 

In need of a score any way they could get it, San Francisco's next two possessions would go up in flames in the worst way, starting off with an interception as Garoppolo threw into traffic attempting to force the ball to Deebo Samuel as the ball was deflected and landed in the lap of a defender. With just over two minutes remaining, the Niner offense would get another chance after the defense forced another Denver three and out, but a 12-yard sack would again pin the offense back near their own end zone before a dump off pass from Jimmy G to Jeff Wilson ended in disaster as the 49er running back was tackled from behind, fumbling the ball in the process. With Denver recovering the football, San Francisco's late-game heroics would fall short. Despite having held the lead for more than three quarters and edging Denver in total yards 267 to 261, the 49ers were doomed by two fumbles, an interception and a safety, and while the defense played great, they were unable to force any turnovers of their own. 

Under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Denver had a good game plan on defense in not letting two guys in particular beat them in Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. That strategy would pan out as Deebo was a non-factor on the ground after being held to only 6 rushing yards on 5 carries, and Kittle who torched the Broncos for a career-best 210 receiving yards the only other time he faced them back in 2018, setting a franchise record for the most receiving yards in a game by a 49ers tight-end, was held to 28 yards receiving on four receptions. Although Deebo did have a team-high 73 yards receiving on 5 receptions as the main target of Jimmy Garoppolo who threw for 211 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception on 18 of 29 passes. Russell Wilson was held to just 184 yards passing and finished the game touchdown-less in the win for Denver. 

Week 4 Preview: The 49ers (1-2) will return home for another primetime battle against a division foe as they welcome in the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams (2-1) for a Monday Night showdown. Having owned the Rams for the better part of 3 seasons now with six straight regular season wins over their division rival, the 49ers will look to avenge their loss in last year's NFC Championship when they blew a 10-point lead on the road in L.A. After dropping the season-opener on Thursday Night Football to the Buffalo Bills, the Rams have stringed together back to back wins against Atlanta and Arizona, and are the only team in the division at 2-1. In need of all the help they can get along the offensive-line as they go up against Aaron Donald and company, the 49ers will be without their All-Pro left-tackle Trent Williams who left Sunday Night's game in Denver during the second half. 

Expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with what head coach Kyle Shanahan described as a high-ankle sprain, the absence of Williams was immediately felt in the third quarter of Sunday's game as the flood gates opened and Garoppolo was constantly under pressure from the moment he left the game. Hopefully an extra day before their Week 4 bout will allow for some additional preparation heading into the big game. Also on the injury front, the team will be without linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for up to 8 weeks with an MCL sprain, similar to the one suffered by RB Elijah Mitchell back in Week 1. If not for bad luck, the 49ers would have no luck at all it seems as Shanahan and company can not catch a break when it comes to the injury bug as they've already lost several key players in a matter of weeks to open the 2022 season. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Dominate Seattle in first Win of the Season

Week 2 - With the start of a new era in Seattle for the Seahawks as former quarterback Russell Wilson has moved on after being traded to the Denver Broncos, no team in the NFL is more relieved of Wilson departing the Emerald City than the San Francisco 49ers. In his 10 seasons in the NFC West, the Wilson-led Seahawks tormented the rival 49ers to the tune of 16-4 record since drafting Wilson in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Also relieved of Wilson's departure is Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan who has witnessed his team lose 8 of 10 meetings against the Seahawks with Wilson under center. With Wilson now gone and a new-look Seattle team to focus on, the 49ers welcomed in their division rival with payback on their minds for all the years Seattle had their number and their sights set on getting in the win column for the first time this season. 

After taking it to their former franchise quarterback a week ago on Monday Night Football, the Seahawks appeared to be in good hands with Geno Smith taking the reigns, but the suffocating San Francisco defense proved to be too much for Seattle's signal-caller on Sunday. Greeted by more inclement weather in their home-opener as rain fell for most of the afternoon, the conditions weren't nearly as bad as they were a week ago in Chicago when the 49ers were upset by an inferior Bears team, but they were again less than ideal for a team looking to put a stamp on the 2022 season. Getting back on track in every way imaginable were the 49ers who looked like their normal selves at Levi's Stadium on Sunday, pitching a shutout on defense and playing a much cleaner game after being ravaged by penalties in the season-opening loss. But before the final whistle would blow on Sunday, plenty of drama would transpire, most notably at the quarterback position. 

From the onset of the offseason to the final snap of the preseason, the 49ers' quarterback controversy between Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo would hit a fever pitch in the days leading up to the regular season when the team failed to deal Jimmy G and instead announced the his return as both sides agreed to restructure his contract and bring him back for the final year of his five-year deal signed back in 2018. Keeping Garoppolo around in the event of a monumental collapse under Lance or even worse a major injury, coach Shanahan would be forced to make the switch much sooner than anyone expected, including the pundits who've been calling for Lance's downfall from the moment he was named the team's starter during training camp. After getting off to a hot start on both sides of the ball as the Niners opened the game with a field goal and got a stop on defense, the San Francisco offense was knocking on the door again when the Niners' young QB would require medical attention. 

On a designed-run, Lance rushed up the middle for a 2-yard gain on 2nd and 8, when his right lower-leg was rolled up on underneath him. With Lance laying in pain, his teammates immediately called for help as the team's medical staff quickly rushed onto the field where they would provide assistance. With his leg in an air cast, Lance would be carted off the field as a somber mix of whistles and cheers serenaded the 22-year old quarterback who was carried thru the tunnel. Once play resumed, Garoppolo would take over under-center as the offense again settled for a Robbie Gould field goal. After forcing another Seattle punt, the 49ers would finally find the end zone when Garoppolo hit a wide-open Ross Dwelley along the left side-line for a 38-yard touchdown. Filling in at tight-end for the injured George Kittle who missed his second consecutive game to start the season due to a groin injury, Dwelley caught only one pass on Sunday, but made the most of his lone opportunity as the sounds of fog horns rang throughout the raucous Levi's Stadium crowd. 

The 49er defense would get in on the fun when they forced back to back interceptions, with the first on a deflected ball off the hands of Niners safety Talanoa Hufanga and into the bread basket of Tashaun Gipson. Hufanga was everywhere on Sunday and played like a man possessed, making play after play along the defense. They would follow up that takeaway with another when a bit of trickery backfired on the Seattle offense. Threatening to score their first touchdown of the afternoon, the first career pass attempt from running back DeeJay Dallas was one he would regret throwing as Chavarius Ward who was San Francisco's big free-agent grab during the offseason, came up with the big turnover. The 49ers would again fail to turn the turnover into points, but they would get the ball back right away when a pair of Seahawks ran into one another on the ensuing punt. Recovering the ball and capitalizing on superb field position, the 49ers would cash in at the goal-line with a run up the gut from fullback Kyle Juszczyk to give his team a 20-0 lead at the half. 

Coming out of the locker room at halftime with more of the same dominance on both sides of the ball, the 49ers forced a Seattle punt on their first possession of the half before setting up for a 20-yard field goal. What appeared to be a chip-shot for Gould, ended in a blocked field goal, generating the lone highlight of the day for Seattle as the ball was recovered and returned to the house for a special-teams touchdown. It would mark Seattle's first blocked field goal for a touchdown since December 23, 2012 vs SF, ending a span of 147 games without. While the touchdown appeared to give Seattle new life, especially after forcing a punt on San Francisco's following possession, the 49er defense continued to show no mercy against the Seahawks offense as they forced a pair of punts of their own before Jimmy Garoppolo and company embarked on a 16-play drive that chewed up over seven minutes of the fourth quarter. Making it all the way to the 1-yard line and facing fourth and goal, Jimmy G put an exclamation mark on the game as he plowed up the middle for the game-sealing touchdown before being helped to his feet and embraced in the end zone by his teammates. 

Treating the Niner Faithful to some home-cookin, San Francisco claimed their first win over Seattle since December 29, 2019 to snap a 4-game losing-streak, doing so in front of the home fans by a final score of 27-7. Filling in nicely for the injured Elijah Mitchell, backup running back Jeff Wilson carried the ball 18 times for 84 yards, with wide-back Deebo Samuel adding another 53 yards on the ground on four carries, plus another 44 yards on five receptions. Garoppolo connected on 13 of 21 pass attempts for 154 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Geno Smith threw for 197 yards and an interception for Seattle, with Tyler Lockett hauling in 107 of those yards receiving, and Rashaad Penny finished as the team's leading rusher with only 15 yards on six carries. With only two sacks recorded in the game, both would come from San Francisco's Nick Bosa to give him 3 QB sacks on the year. With wins on Sunday from the 49ers, Rams and Cardinals, all four teams in the NFC West sit at 1-1 thru the first two weeks. 

Week 3 Preview: Paying a visit to the Mile High City, the 49ers and Broncos will face off on Sunday Night Football against an old foe in Russell Wilson. One of the more impressive showings by the San Francisco defense in their dominant win over Seattle on Sunday was their ability to stop the run, which is something they will hope to carry into their meeting with the Broncos in Week 3, specifically against Wilson who has made a living out of hurting the 49er defense with his feet. In easily the biggest trade of the offseason, the acquisition of Russell Wilson which was followed by a hefty payday (5-years, $245 Million) has not yet panned out for Denver who after losing their season-opener to Seattle, needed some late-game heroics to sneak by the rebuilding Houston Texans, 16-9 at home. Not to mention first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett has looked every bit as a rookie head coach thru his first two games at the helm. With Denver off to a sluggish 0-for-6 start in red zone opportunities to start the season, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers are making the trip to Colorado just in time before the Broncos figure things out this year, if they figure things out at all. 

After losing Elijah Mitchell for up to eight weeks with an MCL sprain, the 49ers will be without another running back in rookie Tyrion Davis-Price who suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday that will cause him to miss at least a few weeks. The injury to two running backs in as many weeks is alarming given how many games are left, but also opens the door for fellow rookie running back Jordan Mason who was signed as an undrafted free-agent and Marlon Mack who was signed just last week to the practice squad after the injury to Mitchell. Also, it was reported on Monday that Trey Lance underwent successful surgery to repair two injuries to his right ankle and is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2023 season. The injury is unfortunate as it stunts the growth of a young player very much in need of all the reps he can get and further delays the development of the inexperienced Lance who will now have to wait quite some time before he's able to hit the gridiron again. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

Ugly Game in Seattle ends with Ugly Results for 49ers

Week 13 - Whenever the San Francisco 49ers take a trip up north to face the division rival Seattle Seahawks, it's almost guaranteed that it will be a meeting filled with strange events, head-scratching decisions or nail-biting outcomes. In this case, with both teams on complete opposite sides of the spectrum entering Sunday's game as the Niners came in riding a three-game winning streak, whereas Seattle came in on a three-game losing skid, Sunday's game would have no shortage of the trio, featuring all three. Especially for the 49er Faithful who showed up in droves in enemy territory, as red and gold could be seen throughout the stands at Lumen Field. But the game would begin with a scary moment when an injury occurred on the opening-kickoff that put a stop to the game and required an ambulance for one Trenton Cannon of the 49ers. 

In what was a nightmarish afternoon on special-teams for San Francisco, Trenton Cannon would need medical assistance after taking a knee to the head and neck area from a teammate while attempting to make a tackle on the opening-kick. Staying overnight at a nearby hospital with what doctors described as a concussion, the 49ers would have to continue without their return man and gunner. And of course, the loss of Cannon would serve as a bad omen that came back to haunt them later in the game. Once play resumed, the 49ers appeared to have Seattle right where they wanted them by forcing a three and out punt, but head coach Pete Carroll had a trick up his sleeve as the Seahawks special-teams dialed up a fake that was executed to perfection. Catching the Niners off-guard, running back Travis Homer took a direct-snap 73-yards to the house for an early touchdown. What ended up being the longest fake-punt rushing touchdown in the last 30 seasons, would be a tough break for the San Francisco defense as they suddenly found themselves trailing 7-0. From then on, you got the feeling that it was going to be one of those games for the visiting 49ers, and boy was it ever. 

While the game wasn't anything to write home about for Seattle fans either and proved to be a game that general football fans would prefer to forget, San Francisco's inability to defeat the Seahawks in Seattle over the greater part of the last decade or so again reared its ugly head. Other than the 49ers' victory on the goal-line stand in Seattle during the final game of the 2019 regular season, Sunday's game was more of the same between these two teams in the pacific northwest. But San Francisco would have some fight in them, at least in the first half. After being held to a three and out punt on their first offensive possession, the 49ers would get their first of many gifts in the turnover department when Seattle tight-end Gerald Everett fumbled just two plays into Seattle's next drive. The Niners would turn that mistake into points as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found George Kittle in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown on the first next play, tying the game at 7. With another three and out forced by the 49er defense, Garoppolo followed up the good with the ugly as he was intercepted on the very first play of San Francisco's ensuing possession. Luckily, Seattle would be held to a field goal which they would miss. 

San Francisco would take their first lead of the ballgame on their next drive as a big play by Kittle helped setup an easy touchdown run in by 49ers rookie running back Elijah Mitchell from 2-yards out. Logging their first quarterback sack of the day on Seattle's ensuing drive, the 49er defense again held the opposition to a three and out punt, this time marching down the field and adding to their lead with a Robbie Gould field goal from 50-yards out. Seattle would bite into that lead with a touchdown-scoring drive during their next possession as future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson trotted into the end zone from a yard out to make it a 17-14 game, and logging his 126th career touchdown, tying him with the great Jim Brown for 10th on the NFL's all-time touchdown list. Other than the touchdown, it would be a quiet day for Peterson who finished the game with only 16 yards on 11 carries while making his Seahawks debut. The 49ers would storm back with a 10-play, touchdown-scoring drive on another big play by George Kittle who this time tip-toed his way near the sidelines for a 48-yard score to again put his team ahead by double-digits. Unfortunately, the San Francisco defense was unable to keep their hand out of the cookie jar as they were penalized on a pair of roughing the passer calls, one of which was ticky-tack on the newest 49er Charles Omenihu, ultimately setting Seattle up inside the 10-yardline. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson would turn that gift into pay dirt one play later with a touchdown just before the half as 8-seconds remained. 

With San Francisco clinging onto a 23-21 lead to start the third quarter, things would go from bad to worse as the game would be a tale of two halves. Following up their poor start to the first half on special-teams, the 49ers got off to another rough start when receiving the second half kickoff. Taking the place of the injured Trenton Cannon, San Francisco's Travis Benjamin fumbled the return that appeared to put Seattle within striking distance. But another gaffe by Gerald Everett would bailout the Niners near the goal line. Bobbling what appeared to be an easy touchdown pass from Wilson to his tight-end, Everett kicked the ball up into the air which allowed for an easy interception in the end zone by the 49ers' K'Waun Williams who didn't get far and was brought down at the 3-yardline. Of course, Jimmy Garoppolo and company would fall victim to the worse case scenario when pinned deep near your own end zone as the 49ers QB was brought down for a sack on third and long, resulting in a safety that tied the game at 23-23. Jimmy G's outing would again get worse as he was intercepted for a second time on San Francisco's next drive as a pass intended for Kittle was air-mailed up the middle and picked-off by the Seattle defense. 

The Seahawks would use that turnover to take their first lead since the opening drive as Russell Wilson connected in the end zone with Tyler Lockett. From there on, the game would turn into a struggle fest as both teams failed to score and continued the theme of ugly football. After a series of punts, Seattle had a chance to take a two-score advantage, but their 13-play drive that lasted nearly seven minutes, went up in flames when Gerald Everett who had already suffered a game to forget, committed his third turnover of the day when he fumbled near the goal line. Giving San Francisco new life and a chance to tie the game, the Niners would need to travel 98 yards in just over 4-minutes on offense to find the end zone. They would end up traveling a total of 115 yards after a pair of costly penalties, and still failed to reach the end zone. Making it as far as the Seattle 3-yardline, a missed pass interference call in the end zone on an incomplete pass intended for receiver Trent Sherfield on third down, would setup a do or die 4th and goal attempt. Looking Sherfield's way again, Jimmy G cocked back to throw to his man who appeared to have a path to the end zone, but the ball was batted down at the line of scrimmage by Seattle's Carlos Dunlap for the game-saving stop. Falling 30-23, San Francisco dropped to 6-6 on the year and into the 7th and final playoff spot in the NFC Wild Card race, being eclipsed by Washington and landing just a game ahead of Philadelphia. 

Other than San Francisco's George Kittle who had himself a monster day on Sunday, hauling in 9 receptions for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns, nobody on either team really had a noteworthy day on offense. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 299 yards and two scores on 20 of 30 passes, but also threw for two interceptions. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, but was also intercepted and sacked four times by the 49er defense. One player who was deeply missed on offense was San Francisco's Deebo Samuel (groin), as no 49ers receiver even came close to touching Kittle in either the receptions or receiving yards categories. As for absences on the defense, 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner was forced to miss the first game of his career with a hamstring injury after starting in each of his first 59 career games. 

Week 14 Preview: Sunday's loss would spell more doom on the injury front for the 49ers (6-6), with this week's victim being cornerback Emmanuel Moseley who suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter and is expected to miss the next few weeks according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Unfortunate news considering the many weapons that the Niners will be up against in their next match-up. Continuing their road trip, the 49ers will make a trip to Ohio to face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals (7-5). After back to back double-digit wins against the Raiders and Steelers, the Bengals were nearly doubled up at home against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. If the 49ers register another lackluster game on special-teams and commit the same number of turnovers against Cincinnati that they did against Seattle, a team that has been putrid on offense prior to Week 13, the Niners could be in for a long day against a high-powered offense like that of the Bengals. If the lethal receiving corps of Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and rookie sensation Ja'Marr Chase isn't enough to worry about on defense for the 49ers, running back Joe Mixon who is having a career year for the Bengals offense, will also need to be accounted for. 

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More Injuries and Costly Turnovers spell doom vs Seattle

Week 4 - If there was ever one word to best describe the 49ers season thus far, it would be "injured." Before the game even started on Sunday between the San Francisco 49ers (2-1) and archrival Seattle Seahawks (1-2), the Niners who have already suffered a number of injuries up and down the lineup on both sides of the ball, would learn that they would be without kicker Robbie Gould who injured his groin in pre-game warmups. And his absence would be felt rather early as punter Mitch Wishnowsky would be forced to try his luck at the unfamiliar position. Though things ultimately wouldn't end well for the home team, it wouldn't all be bad at the start as the 49ers looked good both offensively and defensively at the onset. The 49ers had as dominant a start as you could have in the first half without being up by double-digits. 

After forcing a three and out on defense during Seattle's opening-possession, the 49er offense then delivered on their end of the bargain. Following a slow start on offense at home in their previous game against Green Bay, Jimmy Garoppolo and company did the complete opposite on Sunday, moving the ball with ease before a 21-yard touchdown grab in the end zone from tight-end Ross Dwelley. Continuing to share the love on offense, the score by Dwelley would mark the Niners' 12th offensive touchdown scored this season, all of which by 12 different players. Forcing another three and out on defense, San Francisco again appeared to be in business. Instead, their second offensive possession would go up in flames as Jimmy G was intercepted on a pass intended for George Kittle. Again forcing a Seattle three and out, the 49er offense would move the ball into field goal range where Wishnowsky would attempt a 41-yard field goal that sailed wide-left. After forcing another pair of Seattle three and outs to give them five in as many possessions, Russell Wilson and company would get things going before the half. A pair of big plays on passes from Wilson to running back Alex Collins and wide-receiver D.K. Metcalf would setup the game-tying score as both teams headed into the locker room tied up at 7 at the half. 

Continuing the never ending trend of injuries, the 49ers would open the second half with a new quarterback under center as Jimmy Garoppolo was listed as questionable to return with a calf injury. He would not see the field for the remainder of the game as rookie Trey Lance took over the QB duties. After exchanging punts to open the second half, Seattle would take a 14-7 lead on a QB scramble by Wilson who dove across the goal-line for the go-ahead score. Unfortunately, San Francisco's offense wouldn't even get a chance to answer as their costly mistakes made their way to the special-teams side when 49ers return man Trenton Cannon who was praised for giving San Francisco a jolt when they needed it most a week ago against the Packers, muffed and fumbled the ensuing kick. Giving Seattle the ball back inside the red zone, the Seahawks would need only two plays to capitalize on the costly turnover. Just when the 49er defense appeared to have Wilson dead to rights for a sack to bring up a third and long, the shifty QB squirmed free before lobbing up a pass into the end zone for a touchdown to receiver Freddie Swain. 

With Russell Wilson and the Seahawks coming off back to back losses, the 8-time Pro Bowl QB has never lost three straight games in his career and he wouldn't fall victim to his first three-game skid on Sunday, especially against a 49ers team he's owned throughout his career (15-4 record against SF including playoffs entering Sunday). Like Wilson who seemingly plays his best against San Francisco, 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel has also enjoyed his most success when facing Seattle. With only six career games of at least 100+ receiving yards, three of those games have come against the Seahawks. After being up by a touchdown to trailing by two scores, the 49er offense would find an answer on their ensuing drive when Trey Lance dropped a pass over the top and into the lap of Samuel who ran up the sidelines untouched for a 76-yard score. Sadly, their kicking woes would continue as Wishnowsky missed the point-after. With defensive pass-interference on third down being a hot-topic for the Niners following a trio of pivotal calls in their loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers the week before, another P.I. call on third and 10 would hurt the defense and give new life to the opposition as 49ers newcomer Dre Kirkpatrick was flagged for a 23-yard penalty and automatic first down. Two plays later, Alex Collins would run up the middle for another Seattle touchdown. 

Trailing 28-13 with under five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, San Francisco would pull within a touchdown as Trey Lance again found Deebo Samuel for the touchdown, but an unsuccessful onside-kick attempt would put an end to any chance of pulling off the comeback as Seattle milked the clock to a 28-21 final. Rookie running back Trey Sermon had his best game yet on the ground, rushing for 89 yards on 19 carries, but Deebo Samuel would lead the way on offense, hauling in game-highs with eight receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns to join Jerry Rice and Dwight Clark as the only SF players since 1950 with 90+ receiving yards in three of the team's first four games of a season. Garoppolo finished with 165 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 14 of 23 pass attempts, while Lance threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 9 of 18 attempts. Seattle's Russell Wilson threw for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 16 of 23 passes. 

Week 5 Preview: Continuing their gauntlet of facing formidable foes in the NFC West, the 49ers will attempt to bounce back from their current two-game skid while also continuing their winning ways on the road where they're 2-0 this year, with a trip to the desert up next to face the undefeated Arizona Cardinals (4-0). Sitting atop the division in first place after winning on the road and handing the L.A. Rams their first loss of the season, Cards QB Kyler Murray looks like an early favorite for the MVP Award. With Jimmy G scheduled for an MRI in the coming days to determine the severity of his calf injury, it's almost certain Trey Lance will make his first career start in Week 5. Hopefully he'll have his running backs and kicker back as San Francisco will need all the help they can get if they want to stop the bleeding and prevent themselves from falling below .500 on the season. 

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49ers drop Close Call vs Seattle in Season-Finale

Week 17 - Closing the book on the 2020-21 NFL regular season, the San Francisco 49ers (6-9) entered their season-finale against the archrival Seattle Seahawks (11-4) in yet another home game away from home as the two went toe to toe at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. With Seattle having already clinched the NFC Western Division following their Week 16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers would be unable to play the role of spoiler like they did the week prior after hanging a loss on their fellow stadium tenant -- Arizona Cardinals. But one thing they could do, was hand Seattle a loss to finish the regular season and leave them with a bad taste in their mouth heading into the Playoffs. However, Seattle's star quarterback and team leader Russell Wilson would have none of that as San Francisco took the field without receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ankle) and tackle Trent Williams (elbow), two of the very few bright spots for the 49ers this year. 

In what would end up being a lackluster first half by both teams highlighted by seven total punts, it was the kickers and punters who stole the show and saw a majority of the action through the first two quarters as Seattle entered the half with a 6-3 lead. In the days leading up to Sunday's game, the 49ers announced the return of kicker Robbie Gould who was inked to a 2-year extension worth $7.25 Million. But on Sunday, it would be Tristan Vizcaino who filled in for Gould at the kicker position and did a mighty fine job in his absence. Seeing his first NFL action, Vizcaino tied the game with a 47-yard field goal to open the second half and gave them the lead one possession later with a 33-yarder. With their defense holding strong through the first three quarters led by linebacker Fred Warner who was named as the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season due to his efforts in Week 16, San Francisco would take a 16-6 lead early in the fourth quarter when running back Jeff Wilson shot through the middle for a 7-yard touchdown. Coming off a career game in which Wilson tallied over 200 yards of total offense, it would be Seattle's Wilson who began to chip away at the surprising double-digit deficit that his team faced at the early part of the fourth quarter. 

Needing to flip the switch on offense, Russell Wilson and company were able to do just that to finish the game strong as they orchestrated three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives. On the first two, Wilson would connect with receiver Tyler Lockett for back to back touchdowns of six and four yards. Seattle's third and final touchdown of the fourth quarter would be aided by a costly 49ers fumble as quarterback C.J. Beathard was sacked and stripped of the ball which allowed for an easy touchdown-scoring drive just three plays later as backup running back Alex Collins found the end zone for an 8-yard score. After leading by 10-points near the start of the fourth quarter, the 49ers quickly found themselves trailing by 10 with just under two-minutes remaining. In need of a quick score, San Francisco was able to answer fairly quickly as Beathard and co. stringed together an 8-play, touchdown-scoring drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown catch by Jeff Wilson, his second touchdown of the afternoon and his 10th TD of the season after scoring only 5 TD's through his first two campaigns. Unfortunately, an onside-kick attempt by San Francisco would be recovered by Seattle who was able to run out the last of the game clock and hang on for the 26-23 win. 

By collecting their 12th win of the season, history will be looking over the shoulders of the Seahawks heading into the postseason and while it might not be something Niner fans want to hear (or read), Seattle has gone on to make it to the Super Bowl each season in which they won 11+ games and were crowned NFC Western Division champions. As for San Francisco who finished the season 6-10 on the year and will pick 12th overall in April's Draft, they're the first team since the 2016 Carolina Panthers to follow up a trip to the Super Bowl with a losing record the following season. And we can all thank the injury gods for that. But breathe easy Niner fans as the 2020-21 NFL regular season has officially come to an end. And what a year it was for Kyle Shanahan's squad that endured just about everything and then some in what will ultimately be a season to forget. Just one year removed from the big dance of Super Bowl Sunday, anything that could've gone wrong, practically did for a Niners team that finished the year five games below .500 and is already counting down the days until next season, while also hoping to have much better luck on the health front as the injury bug was none too kind to the reigning NFC Champions. Not to mention the team having to play their final three home games out of state in Arizona after being kicked out of Levi's Stadium by health officials and the strict regulations put in place by Santa Clara County. 

An Inevitable Farewell - Leaving 2020-21 in their rearview, the 49ers will now have to prepare for life without defensive coordinator Robert Saleh who is scheduled to meet with and interview for several of the NFL's six head coaching vacancies around the league. With ties to both the Detroit Lions who play just a stones throw away from Saleh's hometown of Dearborn, Michigan, and the Jacksonville Jaguars where he spent three seasons as the team's linebackers coach from 2014 to 2016 before landing a gig on Kyle Shanahan's coaching staff, Saleh is a top candidate to land a head coaching position after leading a short-handed 49er defense which finished 5th in yards per game allowed, despite a complete overhaul to the roster that was decimated by injuries just two weeks into the season. Saleh could've very well had his name called for a head coaching job in 2020, but instead decided to return to the Bay Area for some unfinished business after coming minutes away from winning the Super Bowl the year before. Now, he's almost a shoo-in to find a top job elsewhere, and if he does, his energy and fiery personality will greatly be missed on the 49ers sideline. 

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49ers Lose Kittle & Garoppolo in Loss to Seattle

Week 8 - Coming off an impressive two-game winning-streak and playing their most inspiring football yet this year, the San Francisco 49ers (4-3) appeared to finally begin hitting their stride following the sluggish 2-3 start that had many pundits declaring their season as good as over. But the one thing that has deprived the Niners in the first half of the season -- injuries, would rear its ugly head once again. Entering their meeting with the first-place Seattle Seahawks (5-1), the 49ers looked to continue their winning ways against their division rivals as they took a trip to CenturyLink Field for the first time since the thrilling Week 17 victory that secured both a division title and the number one overall seed in the NFC just a season ago. And with Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo boasting a record of 5-0 on the road versus NFC West opponents throughout his career, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan had to have liked his quarterback's chances of improving that record heading into Sunday's game, but things would take a turn as his depleted team suffered yet another blow on the injury front. 

Prior to the trio of injuries that would deplete the Niners offense even further, San Francisco came out swinging on defense and appeared to be thirsty for blood as they forced the Seattle offense to punt on each of their first two possessions. But an interception by Garoppolo on a pass behind his intended target, would setup their opponent and give Seattle new life on offense. The Seahawks would use that new life and turn it into a 46-yard touchdown by receiver D.K. Metcalf. The early score on the final play of the first quarter would be just the start to a busy afternoon by the second-year receiver that has quickly become one of Russell Wilson's favorite and most reliable targets this season. After a missed point-after by Seattle, the 49ers responded with a touchdown-scoring drive of their own that spanned 14-plays and over eight minutes long as rookie running back JaMycal Hasty scored his first career touchdown from 1-yard out to give his team a 7-6 lead. Not to be outdone, Wilson and the Seattle offense would march down the field and score on a second Metcalf touchdown in consecutive drives. With San Francisco trailing 13-7 at the half, the 49ers would find themselves in hot water and history against them as Seattle entered the game having won 59 out of their last 60 home games when leading by 4 or more points at the half. A stat that would not bode well for any visiting team, much less for a 49ers team that has struggled so mightily over the years at CenturyLink Field. 

Receiving the ball at the half and hoping to get off to a better start than they did in the first, the Niners would witness things go from bad to worse as they were held to a consecutive three and outs and were forced to punt as Seattle began to have their way. Scoring on a 2-yard touchdown by rookie running back DeeJay Dallas, the first of his career, Seattle would string together 17 unanswered-points as 49ers return man Dante Pettis fumbled on the ensuing kick return. Adding insult to injury, Jimmy Garoppolo would fall victim to a high-ankle sprain that would force him to leave the game, the same injury that caused him to miss two and a half weeks earlier in the year. One drive later, the 49ers would lose their Pro-Bowl tight-end George Kittle to a foot injury. With both Garoppolo and Kittle sidelined and off to the locker room, the 49ers would string together three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives in the fourth quarter with backup QB Nick Mullens under center. The first of which on a 1-yard score by running back Jerick McKinnon and the next two on touchdown passes from Mullens to Ross Dwelley and Brandon Aiyuk, respectively. Unfortunately, an unsuccessful on-side kick would allow Seattle to setup shop and score one final touchdown to put the game out of reach as the 49ers dug too big a hole to climb out of and lost 37-27. 

Russell Wilson who has been the league MVP up to this point and entered Sunday's game with 22 passing touchdowns on the year, tied for the most all-time through the first six games (Peyton Manning - 2013), added four more TD's and 261 yards in the win. Meanwhile, Garoppolo finished with zero touchdowns, one interception and 84 yards passing, to Mullens' pair of touchdowns and 238 yards in only one quarter. Seattle's D.K. Metcalf led all receivers with 12 receptions, 161 yards and 2 touchdowns. 49ers rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk logged another nice game after hauling in 8 catches for 91 yards receiving and a touchdown. Neither team got much from their run game as DeeJay Dallas led all rushers with 41 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. San Francisco saw JaMycal Hasty tote the ball 12 times for 29 yards and a touchdown and got another 20 yards on three carries from Tevin Coleman who returned from a 5-game absence due to a knee injury before having to depart Sunday's game with another knee injury. 

Week 9 Preview - The 49ers will have a shortened week to get things back on track as they return home to welcome the Green Bay Packers to Levi's Stadium on Thursday Night Football. A rematch of last year's NFC Championship, this one will feature a totally different 49ers team as they continue to deal with the injury bug after recently learning that both Kittle and Garoppolo will be out indefinitely. But that won't stop Aaron Rodgers and company from attempting to avenge two blowout losses at Levi's a season ago, including one that allowed San Francisco to punch their ticket to last year's Super Bowl. Having started the season 4-0, the Packers find themselves at 5-2 following losses in two of their last three games, including a loss at home to the lowly division rival Minnesota Vikings. For San Francisco, backup QB Nick Mullens will be thrusted into the starting role and will one again be given a chance to shine and prove himself in Jimmy G's absence. Something he did quite well in Weeks 2 and 3 and again in the fourth quarter on Sunday when the Garoppolo injury had occurred. 

UPDATE: Due to Covid-19 protocols, the 49ers will be without wide-receiver Kendrick Bourne in their Thursday Night game against Green Bay, as Bourne was initially reported to have tested positive for the Corona Virus. Teammates Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams were also ruled out after coming into close contact with Bourne around the time of his positive test. However, it was later discovered that Bourne's positive test was a false positive, meaning he didn't actually contract the virus. Unfortunately, he along with Samuel, Aiyuk and Williams will still be ruled out with little to no time to prep for gameday, meaning San Francisco will be even more shorthanded come kickoff. 

Noteworthy - The lone transaction made by the 49ers before the November 3rd trade deadline, was a deal that sent linebacker Kwon Alexander and his expensive contract to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round pick. While the often injured Alexander served as the emotional leader and provided an energy boost to the 49ers defense during the team's Super Bowl run a season ago, his hefty contract and unreliable health were enough to will Niners GM John Lynch to ship him off once they were able to find a trade partner as the Saints take the remainder of his four-year, $54 Million dollar contract off of San Francisco's hands. Having missed the last three games, the 26-year old Alexander is nursing a high ankle sprain that New Orleans is confident he'll be able to recover from relatively quickly as they battle it out in the NFC South with their rival and Alexander's former team -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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49ers Win the West on Goal-line Stop vs Seattle

Week 17 - Entering Week 10 of the 2019 NFL season a perfect 8-0, the San Francisco 49ers welcomed into town their division foe and arch nemesis Seattle Seahawks who spoiled the party and handed Kyle Shanahan's team their first loss of the season in an overtime thriller. With Seattle getting the better of San Francisco over the last few years, the (12-3) 49ers would get a chance to exact revenge over Pete Carroll's (11-4) Seahawks team with a win that would clinch a first-round BYE and number one seed in the NFC. But as the Niners know as well as anybody, Seattle isn't exactly the easiest place to come out victorious unless you're the home team of course. In what would be an NFC West Championship between two bitter rivals, the game that was flexed into Sunday Night Football, would be a fitting end to what's been one of the most heated rivalries of the last 10 years between the 49ers and Seahawks, putting a bow on the last game of the decade in the NFL's 100th season.

Having not won in Seattle since 2011, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team would still enter the game as 3-point favorites before kickoff. Through the first half, the 49ers looked like shoo-ins to finally get off the schneid up north as San Francisco dominated through the first two quarters on both sides of the ball. Coming off NFC Special-Teams Player of the Week honors for his game-winning heroics against the Rams the previous week, 49ers kicker Robbie Gould would kick things off with a 47-yard field goal on the team's first offensive possession to put San Francisco ahead early on. No receiver on Sunday night would have a bigger game than 49ers rookie Deebo Samuel who scored the lone touchdown of the first half not through the air, but on the ground. Faking a handoff to the running back, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tossed the ball in the backfield to Samuel who spun his way down the sideline and into the end zone for the 30-yard touchdown. Leading 10-0 at the start of the second quarter, the 49ers would again add to their lead with a second Robbie Gould field goal. Seattle's best-looking drive of the half would go up in flames when a 4th & 1 attempt was stuffed at the line by Niners rookie sensation Nick Bosa, causing the turnover on downs with less than a minute remaining. Having only allowed 3-points in the final two minutes of the first half all season long, the stout 49er defense once again held their ground before heading to the locker room.

After a quiet first half on offense much like in their first meeting against the Niners on Monday night, the Seahawks opened the second half on another level, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives of the second half. Unfortunately for them, San Francisco would answer two of those scores with a pair of touchdowns of their own. Following Seattle's first TD -- a 14-yard strike from QB Russell Wilson to receiver Tyler Lockett, 49ers running back Raheem Mostert responded with a score from 2-yards out. Orchestrating the longest drive of the game for either team, Wilson and the Seattle offense chewed up 8-minutes and 30-seconds while marching 75-yards over a 14-play drive that ended with a leaping touchdown at the goal-line from running back Marshawn Lynch. Playing his first down of NFL football in 441 days, Lynch would suit up in a Seattle uniform for the first time since the 2015 season after spending his previous two seasons with the Raiders before taking a break all of last year. With 5:51 remaining in the 4th quarter, the 49ers would take a 26-14 lead after Mostert's second rushing touchdown in as many drives. Hoping it would be the dagger, the game would be far from over as Russell Wilson continued to show why he's among the top candidates for league MVP.

In what would be a forgetful night in coverage for 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, the former third round pick in his third NFL season, was beat constantly in the secondary and allowed both of Seattle's touchdowns thru the air. The second of which, a 14-yard pass to rookie D.K. Metcalf, brought the Seahawks within five points with less than 4 minutes to play. And with San Francisco forced to punt following a three and out, Seattle would get one final chance and would have just under two and a half minutes to pull off the comeback. For San Francisco, the defense which has been among the league's best but has also had its fair share of close calls, would once again be called upon to win them the game. With the division on the line, the two teams would be locked in for one of the more wild final minutes to an NFL game this season. Marching down to the 12 yard-line, the Seattle offense would face a 4th and 10 that they would convert on a clutch reception by rookie receiver John Ursua who's one and only grab of the night gained his team the much needed first down. Out of timeouts and with the clock running, Wilson and company were in panic mode when one of their own linemen was slow to get back to the line to hike and spike the ball to stop the clock.

With the ball at the 1-yard line, the table was set for a story line fit for a Hollywood script when Marshawn Lynch grabbed his helmet and hurried to the line to set up for what figured to be a game-winning touchdown. But the storybook ending never materialized as "Beast Mode" was held in check and making matters worse, the Seahawks failed to snap the ball in time and were flagged for a delay of game penalty. Incomplete passes on the next two downs would set up a do or die 4th and goal from the 5 yard-line. Dropping back to pass, Wilson would fire a strike to tight-end Jacob Hollister who was stopped at the goal-line by 49ers rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw who kept the receiver out of the end zone for the game-winning tackle. After losing a game to the Atlanta Falcons just two weeks earlier in the same exact fashion, the 49er defense flipped the script and held their ground as the team stormed the field and celebrated the goal-line stand that clinched them both a division championship and a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1997 as San Francisco prevailed, 26-21. It would be a long time coming for the duo of coach Shanahan and general manager John Lynch who were each brought in on six-year contracts at the same time three seasons ago and promised to right the ship and get this proud organization back to their glory days.

When his career is all said and done, San Francisco's George Kittle will have set the bar pretty high for future 49er tight-ends. Kittle who missed the first meeting between the two teams, made his presence felt early and often in the rematch as he made several key blocks in the run game and hauled in 7 receptions for 86 yards to put him over the 1,000 yard mark for the season. Just a year after becoming the first 49ers tight-end in franchise history to record 1,000 yards receiving during his record-setting season of 1,377 yards, the most ever by a tight-end in NFL history, Kittle becomes the first 49er to do it in back-to-back seasons. But it was receiver Deebo Samuel who stole the show for the San Francisco offense as he caught five passes for 102 yards, while also carrying the ball twice for 33 yards and a touchdown. Raheem Mostert led all Niners with 57 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, giving him six consecutive games with a rushing TD which ties him for the most in 49er history in a single season. With Seattle's Russell Wilson entering Sunday night with a perfect 8-0 record in his career at home against the Niners, San Francisco finally ended their skid when they needed it most, all thanks to the stellar play by their own QB. Finishing 18 for 22 and throwing for 285 yards in his first ever visit to Seattle, Jimmy Garoppolo once again proved unfazed by the hostile environment on his way to an impressive passer rating of 118.8. And in his first full year at the helm of the Niners, Jimmy G finishes with 3,978 passing yards, the 4th most in franchise history, while joining Hall of Famers Steve Young and Joe Montana as the only 49er QB's to win 13 games and have a 100+ passer rating in a single season.

With the NFC's No. 1 seed clinched, the importance of a first-round BYE cannot be overstated as 26 of 34 teams to make the Super Bowl had a BYE, including teams in the last six Super Bowl's. And in the team's playoff history, San Francisco is 20-9 all-time when hosting a playoff game compared to just 5-10 when playing on the road. Having now played in five straight games decided by one-score, these quasi playoff games, though tiresome, could certainly pay dividends down the stretch for an otherwise inexperienced roster heading into the playoffs as Kyle Shanahan's team looks to take a week off and recover for the first time since their Week 4 BYE, while awaiting their next foe in the NFC as the Eagles host the Seahawks and the Saints host the Vikings.

Honorable mention - During the first meeting between these two teams, 49ers tackle Joe Staley was making a return after coming off a six-game absence following a broken leg suffered in Week 2. In what would go down as one of the worst games of his career as he was constantly beat by Seattle defensive-end Jadeveon Clowney who feasted on the 49ers o-line and had a monster night, Staley had a chance to get even with Clowney in the rematch. Not allowing a single sack all night, Staley would do just that, redeeming himself with arguably his best performance of the season and keeping Clowney at bey as he was virtually a non-factor, finishing the game with only one tackle. Like many of his 49er teammates, Staley is beginning to play his best ball at the best possible time as the playoffs are officially underway.


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49ers Suffer first Loss in Monday Night Classic

Week 10 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium for a Monday Night showdown against the division rival Seattle Seahawks (7-2), the San Francisco 49ers (8-0) would put their undefeated record to the test against the NFC's front-runner for league MVP through the first half of the season in quarterback Russell Wilson. But with tight-end George Kittle ruled out before game time with ankle and knee injuries, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would be forced to try their luck without their leading receiver and best player on offense. It would also be the team's first game without one of their emotional leaders in linebacker Kwon Alexander who was lost a week earlier to a torn pectoral muscle which ended his first season with the team. But perhaps the biggest absence would be that of kicker Robbie Gould (injured quad) as the fate of the game would come down to the foot of a free-agent kicker that was signed just four days earlier. And as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. So too would be the case for the 49ers' unbeaten mark of 8-0 as they entered the Monday Night affair as the last undefeated team in the league and gave it their all in what would go down as a Monday Night Classic.

Off to their best start since 1990 and vying for their 50th win in Monday Night Football history, the most of any team in the NFL, things were looking good early on for the Niners as they quickly jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Entering the Monday night match-up tied for the second best start in NFL history through his first 18 career starts at 16-2, San Francisco QB Jimmy Garoppolo was aided by three Seattle penalties on the opening-drive which setup the newest member of the 49ers, Chase McLaughlin, for a 43-yard field goal. Undrafted out of Illinois, McGlaughlin who had been waived or released by three different teams this season, seemed unfazed as he nailed his first kick right down the middle. San Francisco's second drive which resulted in a touchdown, was setup by big plays from receivers Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders before Jimmy G. found Kendrick Bourne in the end zone for the score. However, on the play made by Sanders, a 12-yard reception which resulted in a big hit that left Sanders without a helmet, the newcomer who has already developed into one of Garoppolo's favorite targets, would leave the game with a rib injury after showing obvious discomfort.

Forcing back to back three and outs to begin the game and punts on each of Seattle's first four possessions, the 49er defense would also open the game strong. However, it would be the Seahawks' defense that would get them on the board and swing the momentum in their favor just before the half when Garoppolo was sacked and stripped of the ball by Jarran Reed. Seattle's Jadaveon Clowney who was acquired before the start of the season from the Houston Texans, scooped up the Garoppolo fumble and returned it for the touchdown. Clowney would have a field day against a rusty 49ers offensive-line that had welcomed back a pair of starting tackles in Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey who had been out of action since Weeks 2 and 3, respectively. Seattle appeared to be on their way to taking the lead with them into the half, but a huge play would be made by Niners safety Jaquiski Tartt who helped the 49ers force a fumble recovery of their own. With San Francisco being the only remaining team in the league to hold opponents scoreless in the final two minutes of the first half, Tartt's heroics kept that streak alive when he stripped Seattle's DK Metcalf of the ball at the 2 yard-line to help stall the Seahawks' attempt to claim the lead.

The 49er defense would open the second half the same way they'd closeout the first, as K'Waun Williams and DeForest Buckner teamed up to force and recover a fumble on Seattle running back Rashaad Penny. However, San Francisco would give the ball back on three consecutive possessions which ended in turnovers by the offense. After a failed 4th and 2 attempt which resulted in a turnover on downs, Garoppolo was intercepted on a pass that went through the hands of Kendrick Bourne. And finally, a second fumble by the quarterback as Clowney once again got to Garoppolo to force the ball loose. Seattle would turn both the interception and fumble into points, capitalizing with touchdowns to put them ahead, 21-10. Trailing by double-digits for the first time this season to begin the fourth quarter, San Francisco would need to answer and stop the bleeding of 21 unanswered-points scored by Seattle. With all 21 of Seattle's points coming off turnovers, the Niner defense would finally break through with a score of their own when Russell Wilson was sacked and unable to hold onto the ball, allowing DeForst Buckner to take it into the end zone for a touchdown. Following a successful 2-point conversion cashed-in by Bourne, the Niners were once again in it, making it a 21-18 game before tying things up at 21-all following a field goal.

Seattle would recapture the lead with a 46-yard field goal from Jason Myers, leaving 1:44 remaining in regulation for the Niners to either tie or take the lead. With a series of short passes and dump-offs, Jimmy G would get his kicker in position to send the game into overtime. And from 47 yards out, McLauglin would connect to send both teams to the extended period. Winning the coin-toss and electing to receive, Russell Wilson would begin marching his team up the field and into the red zone as they had reached the San Francisco 14 yard-line, but it would be there where Wilson would throw his first career red zone interception against the Niners as rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw came up with the clutch turnover and first of his career. With the game now in sudden death as a score by either team would win the game, Shanahan once again left it up to his new kicker. With the only thing standing in their way of a perfect 9-0 record being a 47-yard field goal which McLaughlin had already made one possession earlier to force the game into overtime, the bright lights and big stage would get the best of the rookie kicker who was unemployed just a week earlier, as McLaughlin's kick was shanked wide-left.

Each team would exchange punts following a pair of three-and-outs, but San Francisco's biggest mistake would be their inability to chew up precious time as there was just enough on the clock for Wilson and company to come through in the clutch. With three straight incompletions by Garoppolo allowing the offense to eat up only 25 seconds of game-clock, Wilson used both his arm and his legs to put his kicker in position to win the game. And where McLaughlin failed to rally his team to victory, Myers answered the call as he shook off his missed extra-point and two missed field goal performance from a week ago by converting on the game-winning field goal from 42-yards out as Seattle won, 27-24. Needing overtime to hand San Francisco their first loss of the season, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson admitted after the back and forth affair that it was the craziest game he had ever been a part of. Held to only 72 yards in the first half, Wilson would finish the game with 232 yards to go along with his one touchdown and interception. As for Garoppolo who suffered his first career loss at Levi's Stadium, the Niners QB threw for 248 yards, one touchdown and one interception, despite his receivers not doing him any favors as there were a number of key drops up and down the lineup. One of the few players that did step up on offense, was 49ers rookie receiver Deebo Samuel who logged his first career 100-yard receiving game, finishing with 12 receptions for 112-yards.

After being handed the loss and seeing their run to perfection come to an end, you can bet that coach Shanahan will let this serve as a learning block for his young team as they try to make a positive out of their first loss and work on correcting their mistakes moving forward.

Week 11 Preview - San Francisco will need to put their first loss behind them rather quickly as they'll be on short-rest when they welcome the Arizona Cardinals (3-6-1) to Levi's Stadium. As evident by their close call two weeks ago when the Niners narrowly escaped the desert with a 28-25 victory on Halloween, these Cardinals are not to be taken lightly in spite of their record. Having played both Russell Wilson and Cards QB Kyler Murray in consecutive weeks, the Niner defense will once again have to be on their toes in the rematch against the speedy Murray and these Cardinals whom San Francisco struggled to put away in the previous meeting. They'll also have to be better at containing Arizona running back Kenyon Drake who had one of the best games of his career when making his Cardinals debut against this very 49ers defense. If San Francisco can steer clear of the turnovers and mistakes they committed against Seattle, they shouldn't have any problem at getting back into the win column.


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49ers Win in OT to Overcome Rival Seattle

Week 15 - Entering Sunday's game between the (3-10) San Francisco 49ers and (8-5) Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers had dropped ten straight games to Pete Carroll and their NFC West rival, including playoffs. And after being embarrassed by a final of 43-16 just two weeks earlier in the pacific northwest, the 49ers would have a chance at redemption while also looking to put a dent in the playoff hopes of a Seattle team that had plans of celebrating a Wild Card berth on enemy territory. Something Niners cornerback Richard Sherman would take great pride in against his former team after a war of words ensued in the days leading up to the game between Sherman and current Seahawk defensive-end Frank Clark.

After forcing a three and out on San Francisco's opening possession, Seattle would strike first with one of two touchdown connections thru the air from Russell Wilson to Doug Baldwin. But a missed extra-point by kicker Sebastian Janikowski would leave the door open and allow the 49ers to jump ahead as rookie return man Richie James Jr. returned the ensuing kick 97-yards for a touchdown. Robbie Gould would add the point-after to follow up the Niners' first kick returned for a touchdown since 2011 when Ted Ginn Jr. took a 102-yarder to the house against Seattle. Rookie running back Jeff Wilson Jr. who rushed for a career-high 90-yards in the win against Denver a week ago, would register another strong 46-yards on just seven carries, but would suffer his second fumble in as many games against Seattle in the first quarter. Determined to put the mistake behind them, San Francisco's next drive would be their longest of the season as quarterback Nick Mullens and company marched 96-yards to pay dirt which would be capped off by a 41-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Celek. However, the 14-6 lead would be short-lived as Doug Baldwin beat former teammate Richard Sherman to find the end zone for a second time to cut the lead to one before a Robbie Gould field goal made it a 17-13 49er lead at the half.

Following another Gould field goal in the third quarter, Seattle running back Chris Carson who was quiet in the early part of the game as Seattle was held to a season-low 31 rushing yards in the first quarter, had a busy rest of the day for the Seahawks' stout rushing attack as he powered his way into the end zone on a 4th & goal attempt from the 1-yard line to tie the game at 20-all. Both teams would exchange field goals in the fourth quarter before heading to their first overtime period of the season. With Seattle winning the coin toss in OT and electing to receive, the 49er defense held its ground and forced a three and out to give the offense a shot at winning the game. Aided by a 15-yard pass-interference penalty, one of a season-high 14 fouls committed by Seattle on Sunday and some nifty running by the tandem of Wilson Jr. and Matt Breida, the 49ers put themselves in prime position to allow Robbie Gould to be the hero. Setting up for a 36-yard field goal, Gould would answer the call and deliver the heroics by splitting the uprights for his 15th career game-winning kick and denying Seattle's attempt at clinching a Wild Card berth.

San Francisco's 26-23 victory would be their first over Seattle since December 8, 2013 when Jim Harbaugh was still coaching the team. Seattle's win in the NFC Championship just over a month later, would be the first of ten straight wins for Pete Carroll's Seahawks team against the 49ers. Since San Francisco's last win over Seattle, the 49ers have undergone three head coaching changes, have started six different starting quarterbacks, and have only two players remaining on their 2013 roster in Joe Staley and Garrett Celek. Though it would take them until Week's 14 and 15, the 49ers have finally strung together their first winning streak of the season, not to mention against two teams vying for a playoff spot while playing the role of spoiler. Throwing for 275 yards and a touchdown, QB Nick Mullens out-dueled Russell Wilson who finished with 237 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns as Seattle's franchise quarterback remains one win away from becoming the first QB in NFL history to have a winning record in his first seven seasons. Looking to rebound from the upset loss, Wilson and company will need to bounce back down the stretch if they plan to fend off other Wild Card hopefuls such as the Vikings, Eagles, Redskins and Panthers.

Week 16 Preview - With back to back victories under their belt for the first time this season, the 49ers who have pushed their way out of position to land the first overall pick in next year's Draft, will once again have their hands full when they host arguably the NFC's biggest surprise team this year in the (10-4) Chicago Bears. Playing stellar football under first-year head coach Matt Nagy and a stout defense under former 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the Bears have already won more games this season than they have over the last two years combined and are coming off a similar victory to San Francisco's as they managed to beat the hated rival Green Bay Packers who had won nine of the last ten meetings between the two teams prior to Sunday. Chicago's 24-17 victory at Soldier Field clinched their first playoff berth since 2010 as second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky looks to keep their winning streak alive in Week 16 against the 49ers. But with the 49ers looking to keep their own streak alive, coach Kyle Shanahan who has coached his team to a 7-1 record in December games since 2017, will likely throw everything but the kitchen sink at Chicago offensively to keep his guys motivated and continue their winning ways in the final calendar month of the season.


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More of the same in Seattle as Seahawks Pummel 49ers

Week 13 - Coming into the 2018-19 NFL season, the (2-9) San Francisco 49ers had lofty expectations of making it to the playoffs and finally ending their 9-game losing streak (including playoffs) to the division rival (6-5) Seattle Seahawks. And while their playoff hopes had all but slipped away the moment quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was lost for the year due to injury, defeating the Seahawks still remained a possibility. But with Seattle playing their best ball of the season as of late after getting off to a slow start, and San Francisco still seeking their first road win of the season, the odds would be stacked against Kyle Shanahan's football team once again as they entered Sunday having lost four of their six road games this season by 8-points or fewer and were headed to a stadium they haven't won in since 2011.

Looking to take advantage in the NFC Wild Card race as the Carolina Panthers were dealt a blow earlier in the day after losing to NFC South rival Tampa Bay, the Seahawks had plans of helping head coach Pete Carroll notch his 86th career win with the franchise which would tie him with former Seattle coach Mike Holmgren for the most regular season wins in team history. It would practically be a done deal by halftime as Carroll's team found themselves leading 20-3 at the half. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson would complete just 4 of 6 pass attempts in the first half, but three of those would go for touchdowns as he logged the fewest completions in a half with three TD's since Mark Rypien of the Washington Redskins in 1991. Though his busy day finding the end zone wouldn't end there. The Niners would have their chances to make it a much closer game before halftime, but a pair of fumbles including one inside the red zone by backup running back Jeffery Wilson and another on a muffed punt by Richie James, kept the San Francisco offense at bey with only a field goal to show for through the first two quarters.

The second half wouldn't start any better for San Francisco as Seattle return man Tyler Lockett returned the opening kickoff 84-yards before rookie running back Rashaad Penny took one to the house for a 20-yard touchdown run just one play into the third quarter. The 49ers would finally strike pay dirt of their own as rookie receiver and Washington alum Dante Pettis made a nifty move to find the end zone on a 17-yard score. It would be a busy day for Pettis who would later score on a 75-yard touchdown before finishing the game with 129 yards on 5 receptions and accounting for the only two trips to the end zone on the day for the 49ers. QB Nick Mullens would log a career-high 414 passing yards, but was intercepted by Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner who cashed in a 98-yard pick-six, the longest in Seattle franchise history. Russell Wilson would throw for only 185 yards in total, but tallied a season-high in passing touchdowns with four as Seattle ran away with the 43-16 win. The victory which helped Seattle improve to 7-5 on the year, was the 71st win of Wilson's career, tying Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens for the most wins at the QB position in NFL history thru the first seven seasons. Equally as impressive are the 63 TD passes Wilson has thrown since the start of last season which is the most in the league during that span.

Falling to 2-10 on the season, it would be a not-so-deal first attempt at a revenge game for former Seahawk Richard Sherman as the 49ers have now lost their 9th straight regular season meeting to Seattle and 10th overall when counting their loss in the 2013 NFC Championship in what's become a one-sided rivalry. The nine straight wins for Seattle over San Francisco ties Kansas City for the longest active winning streak against a divisional opponent as the Chiefs have also won nine straight against the rival Chargers.

Week 14 Preview - Returning home for a three-game homestand, the 49ers will play host to the (6-6) Denver Broncos who look to keep their AFC Wild Card hopes alive and are currently riding a 3-game winning-streak. Coming off a 24-10 road win over the Bengals, the Broncos will likely go with a heavy dose of rookie running back Phillip Lindsay on offense as the undrafted workhorse is coming off a 157-yard, 2 touchdown performance which helped him become just the 4th undrafted rookie since 1970 to record at least 1,000+ scrimmage yards in a single season. As for the 49ers who would own the 1st overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft if the season ended today, the remaining schedule for San Francisco will be a tough one, despite playing three of their next four games at home. With the coaching staff and front-office ready to put this season behind them, the 49ers will continue to evaluate what they have on the current roster in preparation for 2019 as this young team will continue to get valuable experience down the stretch in these last handful of weeks.


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