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. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Shake off Special-teams Woes to Win in Tampa

Week 10 - After a week off coming out of the Bye week, the (4-4) San Francisco 49ers would prepare to head into their matchup with the (4-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers while welcoming back a number of reinforcements on offense from injury including the trio of running back Christian McCaffrey, receiver Jauan Jennings and kicker Jake Moody. All three would put their stamp on the game one way or another in what would be a knock-down-drag-out war between two NFC foes looking to keep pace while trailing in their respective divisions. For 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Sunday would be an opportunity to prove once again that his San Francisco team is a force to be reckon with in the second half of the season as his teams have combined for a record of 43-18 after the Bye week, 3rd best in the NFL, compared to the 25-37 clip prior to the Bye. 

With the return of Christian McCaffrey, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year would make his long-awaited season debut for the 49ers, as coach Shanahan and company are hoping CMC will help solve their ongoing red zone woes that have plagued them in several of their early season losses. With 18 red zone touchdowns by McCaffrey a season ago which helped his team finish 1st in red zone touchdown percentage (67%), the Niners have stumbled to 28th in that same category to start this year (45%). Another department that McCaffrey figures to bolster is Yards After Catch as 49er running backs have combined for just 117 YAC this season, the fewest in the NFL. Despite missing over two months with Achilles tendinitis, any thought of a pitch count for McCaffrey would go right out the window as the dynamic running back saw the field for 88% of San Francisco's offensive snaps on Sunday. 

Sunday's game in Tampa Bay which featured temperatures in the upper-80's, would also be somewhat of a homecoming for 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall as the receiver was drafted in the first round out of the University of Florida in nearby Gainsville. Playing in just his third game of the season, Pearsall has made steady improvements in each game and had his best game yet on Sunday less than 3 months removed from being rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound following a robbery attempt. With both teams exchanging punts to start the game, it was the 49ers who struck first when quarterback Brock Purdy hit a wide-open Pearsall in the middle of the field who was able to reach the ball over the goal line for a 46-yard touchdown, the first of his career. According to analytics, Pearsall had just a 19.1% chance of scoring before he turned on the jets and made it happen with his team there to celebrate. San Francisco would add to their lead one possession later, but again failed to convert in the red zone and were forced to rely on kicker Jake Moody who returned to action after missing the last three games by splitting the uprights from 28-yards out. 

While the 49ers have struggled to put up touchdowns when making it inside the red zone, Tampa Bay on the other hand entered Sunday riding the longest active streak in the NFL with touchdowns scored on their last 9 trips to the red zone. That streak would come to an end in the second quarter when Bucs QB Baker Mayfield helped lead his team inside the San Francisco 10-yard line but were held to a field goal. Clinging onto a 10-3 lead, the Niners had looked to add to their lead before heading into the half when Purdy connected on a 30-yard reception to Jauan Jennings which setup a 49-yard field goal try that Moody missed wide left. With Tampa opening the second half with possession of the football, the 49er defense forced a quick three and out to set themselves up with an early opportunity. But as bad as San Francisco's problems have been inside the red zone this season, their issues on special-teams have been even worse. With rookie receiver Jacob Cowing back to return the punt, the 49ers would see shades of Super Bowl LVIII when second-year player Darrell Luter Jr. ran into his teammate which led to a muffed punt fumble. 

Luter famously caused a fumble for his own team in February's Super Bowl against the Chiefs when he failed to get out of the way on a punt that struck his foot which led to a go-ahead touchdown one play later for Kansas City. And just like in that game, the Bucs would capitalize with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to running back Rachaad White, tying the game at 10-all. The 49ers would retake the lead one possession later with another field goal from Moody, but the Bucs who suddenly found their offense firing on all cylinders, answered right back with a go-ahead touchdown. On their most successful possession yet, the 49ers had no answer for Bucs rookie running back Bucky Irving who followed up two nice runs with a 12-yarder that ended in paydirt. One play into their next drive, Brock Purdy hit his tight-end George Kittle who broke a tackle and turned a would-be short gain into a 33-yard reception. The offense would stall out there before coach Shanahan called on Moody for another field goal attempt which was missed from 50-yards. 

The duo of Purdy and Kittle would connect again on their next possession after a 30-yard reception to Christian McCaffrey who made a basket catch Willie Mays style on a dime ball from Purdy who floated a pass along the sideline while he had a defender barrowing down on him. Several plays later, with nobody initially open, Purdy would dance around the pocket before escaping to his left and throwing a dart into the corner of the end zone where he found Kittle who was able to get his feet down for the highlight reel touchdown to pull his team back ahead. The 49ers would look to add to their lead one possession later but kicker Jake Moody would miss his third field goal of the game, shanking one to the right from 44-yards out. With San Francisco stuck on a 3-point lead, Tampa Bay would have one final chance to potentially win the game with a touchdown-scoring drive or a field goal to tie it. 

For a moment it would appear that the 49er defense would seal the game when defensive-end Nick Bosa got ahold of Baker Mayfield's left arm on 4th and 7, but Mayfield was able to fight off the sack at least for the time being and stay on his feet long enough to sling the ball with his right arm to find Rachaad White for an 8-yard completion to convert the first down and keep both the drive and Tampa's hopes alive. Then came a frenzy of penalties committed by the San Francisco defense who were called for fouls on 4 of the next 6 plays. Despite being flagged for a defensive holding, face mask, roughing the passer and illegal use of hands, the 49ers were able to keep Mayfield and company out of the end zone as Tampa Bay threatened by making it to the 5-yard line before having to settle for a game-tying field goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation. With 41-seconds left on the clock, Purdy would come in to orchestrate a game-winning drive. With no timeouts remaining, Purdy connected on 4-of-4 passes to Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, including a 13-yarder to Jennings in which he elected not to go out of bounds and instead fought for a few additional yards that came up huge as Purdy spiked the ball to setup his kicker for a shot at redemption. 

After missing three field goals earlier in the day in his first game back off the injured reserve list, Moody stepped up one final time to nail what would be the game-winning field goal from 44-yards out. Escaping Tampa Bay with the 23-20 victory, the 49ers converted their fourth consecutive win over the Buccaneers. Moody showed great resilience by kicking the game-winner after being at the center of a scuffle that occurred after his third and final missed field goal attempt when receiver and teammate Deebo Samuel made a comment telling Moody to lock in in what was a game that the 49ers should've easily been leading by double-digits if not for their own self-inflicted errors. Long-snapper Taybor Pepper stepped in to defend Moody which Deebo took exception to, shoving him along the sideline which of course was caught on camera. The incident which happened in the heat of the moment in a very intense game has since been squashed according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. 

49ers QB Brock Purdy would throw for a season-high 353 yards passing to go along with 2 touchdowns in the win. Jauan Jennings led all receivers with a game-high in both receptions (7) and receiving yards (93), while Christian McCaffrey logged 107 yards of total offense with 68 yards receiving on 6 catches and 39 yards rushing on 13 carries. Meanwhile, Tampa QB Baker Mayfield who entered Sunday's game leading the league in both passing touchdowns (23) and 300+ yard games (4), the 49er defense held him to only 116 yards passing and 1 touchdown. Bucs rookie running back Bucky Irving led all rushers with 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Purdy spoke postgame with Tom Brady who helped call the game on FOX and was named Tom's LFG Player of the Game for his stellar performance and game-winning drive. If you can recall, Purdy made his first career start against the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers in 2022. Sunday's game seemed like a must-win for San Francisco as Tampa Bay was without not one but two playmakers in their top-2 receivers -- Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. 

Week 11 Preview - Returning to Levi's Stadium after the brief stop in Tampa, the (5-4) 49ers will look to improve on their first winning streak of the season to three games when they play host to the rival (4-5) Seattle Seahawks. For whatever reason, San Francisco will face yet another opponent coming off the Bye week, marking the third time in four games that the 49ers will face a team with a week off and more than a week to prepare for coach Kyle Shanahan's squad. After getting off to a quick 3-0 start to begin the season, the Geno Smith-led Seahawks have lost five of their last six games under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald and are currently tied with the L.A. Rams for last place in the NFC West. 

The 49ers handed the Seahawks a 36-24 loss on Thursday Night Football in Seattle back in Week 6, highlighted by 228 yards rushing by the 49ers, led by the duo of San Francisco's Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo. Receiver Deebo Samuel also had a big day against the Seahawks in the receiving department like he does so often versus Seattle, putting up 102 yards receiving and a touchdown on just 3 receptions. The 49ers will look to keep it rolling against the Seahawks whom San Francisco has beaten in six straight meetings entering their Week 11 matchup. Given the surprisingly busy workload for McCaffrey in the Week 10 win, it'll be worth keeping an eye on his status in the week leading up to Sunday's game versus Seattle and if his Achilles tendinitis flares up at all. As a precaution, coach Shanahan will likely make CMC a limited participant during the week's practices. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Run Wild in Seattle, Take 1st Place out West

Week 6 - With a gut-punch loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5 in which the (2-3) San Francisco 49ers blew a double-digit lead in the second half for the second time this season, coach Kyle Shanahan's team had little time to sulk in the loss with the quick turnaround before their next game. Hitting the road for a visit to the pacific northwest, the 49ers would renew rivalries with the first place (3-2) Seattle Seahawks. Seeking their first division win of the season after an 0-2 start against the NFC West, coach Shanahan and the 49ers avoided another scare on Thursday Night Football when their commanding 23-3 lead quickly evaporated after yet another special-teams blunder on a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown that breathed new life into the Seattle offense after much of Lumen Field went quiet following San Francisco's hot start. 

In what would be an all-time great uniform match-up as both teams donned their classic uniforms from the 1980's and 90's, San Francisco came into the game riding a 5-game winning streak over Seattle (including playoffs), having outscored them by 76-points in that span. At the helm of those victories would be 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who entered the meeting with a perfect record of 5-0 against Seattle and an average margin of victory of 12.5 points in those games. Looking to shake off the stench of his costly two interception performance just four days earlier and an abysmal 1-for-6 in red zone trips, the 49er offense would have plenty of opportunities to flip the script in the red zone in this one. But after starting the night 0-for-2 and having to settle for a pair of field goals, it looked like more of the same for San Francisco. The second half, however, would bring much better results as they closed out the game with three consecutive successful red zone trips to finish 3-for-5 on the night. 

Celebrating his 34th birthday on Thursday, Seahawks QB Geno Smith would not get any freebies from the San Francisco defense and instead was greeted rather rudely as he was intercepted on Seattle's opening-drive. Several plays after a 30-yard pass to receiver D.K. Metcalf helped convert on a third and long, Smith was picked off by San Francisco's rookie safety Malik Mustapha who came up with his first career interception. Playing without their top cornerback in Charvarius Ward who was ruled out just moments before kickoff with a knee injury, the 49er secondary received major contributions from Mustapha and fellow rookie Renardo Green who also recorded his first career interception. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir also had himself a night by containing Metcalf to just 48 yards receiving on the night on 3 receptions. Following Smith's first interception, the 49ers got on the board with a made field goal from the newest member of the Niners -- kicker Mathew Wright who was signed one day earlier to fill in for the injured Jake Moody. Wright would have an impressive night before suffering an injury of his own late in the second half. 

After exchanging punts, the 49ers offense struck paydirt with a big play on a 76-yard touchdown pass to receiver Deebo Samuel who was off to the races and has made a career out of torturing the Seahawks defense. Leading 10-0, the 49ers would be gifted another field goal after a fumble on the ensuing kickoff by Seattle's Laviska Shenault. Shenault would redeem himself later on with a play that nearly turned the tide for the Seahawks. With San Francisco ahead 16-0, Seattle would scratch the scoreboard with a Jason Myers field goal as time expired to end the first half, but not before a strong defensive stand by the 49er defense that kept Smith and company out of the end zone despite having three tries from the 2-yard line. Opening the second half with the ball, the 49ers finally got over the hump in the red zone after a 10-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to tight-end George Kittle who celebrated his 31st birthday just one day earlier. With San Francisco leading 23-3, it appeared the route was on, but that was until a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown by Shenault on the ensuing kickoff. 

The kick return touchdown would give the Seahawks a much-needed spark as the Seattle crowd had grown silent after falling behind by 20-points just moments earlier. That spark would translate onto the field as the Seahawks defense forced a 49er punt before finding the end zone with a 94-yard touchdown drive capped off by running back Kenneth Walker III who scored from 1-yard out. With San Francisco's lead cut to just 6-points, Seattle had not one but two chances to take a lead of their own before succumbing to a punt and an interception. Purdy would turn the latter into another score as he connected for his third touchdown pass of the evening and his second to George Kittle. Doing everything they could to stay alive, Smith rallied the Seahawks to a late touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Lockett on 4th and goal to make it a 5-point game before another 49ers rookie helped seal the deal. Helping takeover for the injured Jordan Mason who left late in the first half with an upper body injury, was rookie running back Isaac Guerendo who broke for a 76-yard run on the very first play of the next drive. With just over a minute and a half remaining in regulation and all three timeouts for Seattle, Guerendo had the wherewithal and selflessness to go down just shy of the end zone at the 5-yard line to allow San Francisco to milk more clock. They would score just two plays later on a touchdown by fullback Kyle Juszczyk to put the game out of reach with a 36-24 final. 

Leading the league in passing entering Thursday, Geno Smith had another 312 yards passing in the loss but threw for only 1 touchdown and was intercepted twice. Averaging 40 passes per game coming in, Smith threw another 52 passes on Thursday. Making things difficult for the birthday boy was San Francisco's Nick Bosa who generated 14 pressures against the Seahawks, tied for the most pressures by a pass rusher in a game over the last four seasons. Bosa was also the last to do it when he tallied 14 pressures in Week 4 of the 2022 season against the Rams. He now has 7 games with 10+ pressures since entering the NFL in 2019. Meanwhile, no other player has more than 4 such games over that span. Winning the turnover battle has been key in San Francisco's recent success over Seattle, having a 10 to 3 advantage in that department entering the meeting, which continued again on Thursday as the Niners forced 3 turnovers to Seattle's 0. 49ers QB Brock Purdy who threw for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win, improved his record to 6-0 against the rival Seahawks, helping the 49ers secure what is now the longest win streak versus Seattle in team history. 

Continuing his impressive stretch since taking over the starting quarterback job nearly two full seasons ago, Brock Purdy tied former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson's record for the most games with a passer rating of 120.0 or higher in their first three seasons. He'll have plenty of time to break that record as there's still more than half a season to go. Purdy also logged his 8th career game with 3 passing TD and 0 interceptions, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2022. Buffalo's Josh Allen and Detroit's Jared Goff are the next closest, each with six. Running back Jordan Mason who left the game in the second quarter due to injury, increased his league-leading rushing total with 73 yards on 9 carries, giving him 609 rushing yards in total, the most in 49ers franchise history thru six games, matching Charlie Garner's mark from the 2000 season. Rookie Isaac Guerendo added 99 yards on 10 carries as San Francisco outgained Seattle on the ground: 228 to 52, even without All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. Deebo Samuel led all receivers with 102 yards on just 3 receptions, including 1 for a house-call touchdown. With another stellar performance on Thursday, Deebo has now racked up 878 yards and 8 touchdowns in 8 career games versus Seattle in his career. The 49ers also entered into the record books on Thursday by becoming the only team in NFL history with a 75+ yard reception and a 75+ yard rush by two different players in the same game (Deebo & Guerendo). 

Week 7 Preview: Hoping to string together their first winning streak of the season, the (3-3) 49ers will return home to face the (5-0) Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the Chiefs will be well rested and likely well prepared while coming off a Bye week. Adding insult to injury, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid owns a record of 21-4 all-time off the Bye. With a few extra days off of their own before gameday, coach Kyle Shanahan is hoping running back Jordan Mason and kicker Matthew Wright can join them in time for kickoff as both players dodged a bullet with their injury prognosis. Tests on Friday revealed a sprained AC joint suffered by Mason who is considered day-to-day, meanwhile, Wright suffered a slight dislocation in his shoulder, but an MRI returned negative and should allow him to play next week with the extra rest. Finally, the 49ers received some good news regarding rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who will have his practice window open on Monday following a shooting incident which took place just days before the start of the regular season. 

Thanks to an Arizona Cardinals' loss on the road to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, dropping them to a 2-4 record on the year, the 49ers remained at the top of the NFC West standings and in first place with the win over Seattle. They'll need to bring their A-game against an undefeated Chiefs team that is vying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. While the 49ers would love to crash that party, they'll maintain their focus on handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season for now when the two teams meet on Sunday afternoon for what will be slated as FOX's Game of the Week. While K.C. remains unbeaten, they haven't exactly wowed anybody this season, but have simply gotten the job done by doing things the right way. Sunday in Santa Clara will be their biggest test yet on the road, and the same could be said for the 49ers who outside of Minnesota, the only other unbeaten in the league, the Niners have yet to face anybody of note since their Week 1 Monday Night meeting against the Jets. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Lose Kicker & Late Lead to Cards

Week 5 - Looking to get back over the .500 mark for the first time since their Week 1 win over the Jets to open the season, the (2-2) San Francisco 49ers would play host to a (1-3) Arizona Cardinals team that they've dominated over the past two seasons to the tune of a 4-0 record and outscoring them 156-68 during that span. But as we've come to learn, wacky things tend to happen in the NFL. The same would ring true on Sunday for Brock Purdy and the Niners who have already had their fair share of shortcomings on special-teams thru the first four weeks and were snake-bitten once again in that department in this one. While it was the 49ers who were the home team, one would think the game was played in Arizona given the sweltering heat at kickoff. Hoping to do everything they could to keep cool, coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers had requested to wear their white uniforms due to the heat but were denied by the league in what would be the hottest game ever played at Levi's Stadium, with temperatures reaching up to 101 degrees. So much for home field advantage... 

Despite Arizona's poor record coming into Sunday's game, the Cardinals offense has come out guns blazing in each of their previous four games this season with opening-drive touchdowns scored in all four games played. That streak would continue against the Niners, becoming the first team since at least 1991 to score an opening-drive touchdown through the first five games of the season. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray would help them accomplish the feat just two plays into their drive with a 50-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career and the third longest rushing touchdown in Cardinals franchise history. While Arizona's red-hot starts have been well documented, it hasn't been about how they start games this year, but rather how they finish them. The same could be said for their opponent as the 49ers have already scuffled this season when trying to closeout games with a lead late in the fourth quarter. That problem would rear its ugly head once again against another NFC Western Division rival. 

After a three and out punt on their initial possession, the 49ers offense would muster together four straight scoring-drives to jump ahead on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, three of those four scores would come by way of the field goal variety. Marching up and down the field through the air, Purdy connected with receiver Brandon Aiyuk early and often, helping Aiyuk record the first 100-yard first half of his career. With Aiyuk due for a breakout game following a slow start to the season after missing all of training camp during his holdout which eventually led to a big payday, he would lead all receivers with 147 receiving yards on 8 receptions. With Aiyuk leading the charge, San Francisco's lone touchdown on offense would come on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to tight-end George Kittle to put them ahead, 10-7. While Arizona would tie the game on their ensuing possession early in the second quarter, the 49ers would jump back on top after a Jake Moody field goal. The Cardinals would attempt to tie the game again with a field goal of their own, but kicker Chad Ryland had his 45-yard attempt blocked by Niners defensive-tackle Jordan Elliott and returned 61-yards for a touchdown by Deommodore Lenoir. San Francisco's first blocked punt since 2009 and the first allowed by the Cardinals since 1972 when they were still playing in St. Louis. 

Sadly, the good news on special-teams would be short-lived as kicker Jake Moody was injured on the ensuing kickoff while trying to make a tackle following another poor effort by San Francisco's coverage unit. Moody was seen grabbing at his kicking foot after getting bent back on his tackle attempt and had to be helped off the field. For a moment, it didn't appear that Moody's absence would be too detrimental during Sunday's game, especially after Nick Bosa intercepted a pass from Kyler Murray and returned it 30 yards to put the Niners back in scoring position once again before the half. Making it inside the 10, the 49er offense would once again sputter inside the red zone and was forced to settle for another field goal which punter Mitch Wishnowsky was able to convert on from 26-yards out in Moody's absence as time expired to end the first half. With 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Patrick Willis honored at halftime by being enshrined into the franchise's ring of excellence and the Niners leading 23-10, everything seemed to be going well for the home team, with the exception of their now injured kicker. 

Holding the Cardinals offense to a three and out on their opening possession to start the second half, the 49ers appeared to be in complete control over their opponent. But in a classic tale of two halves, out came the turnover bug which began to bite the San Francisco offense. After scoring on each of their previous four possessions to close out the first half, the 49ers' four second half possessions ended in: interception, turnover on downs, fumble, interception. These costly mistakes would open the door for the Cardinals who were able to flip the script and capitalize on San Francisco's errors. With Moody unable to return to the game in the second half, coach Kyle Shanahan elected not to call on his punter Mitch Wishnowsky for a 44-yard field goal attempt despite logging the first made field goal of his career just one quarter earlier. The drive ended in a turnover on downs and opened the floodgates as Arizona scored a touchdown and successful two-point conversion on their ensuing possession. Watching their lead dwindle to just two points, the 49ers seemed destined for the end zone and began to march after a pair of big run plays by running back Jordan Mason. Making it all the way to Arizona's 8-yard line, Mason was stopped in his tracks behind the line of scrimmage for a 4-yard loss, then was stripped of the ball as the Cardinals defense recovered the gut-wrenching fumble. 

It was at this point that you just knew the 49ers were going to find a way to lose this game. And sure enough, they did. With the Cardinals taking the lead with a go-ahead field goal from 35-yards out, Brock Purdy and company would have just over a minute and a half remaining and one final opportunity to get the job done. But after a 15-yard completion to Kittle on first down, Purdy was disrupted while rearing back for a pass which led to a game-sealing wounded duck interception by Arizona who was able to pull off the upset in comeback fashion, 24-23, recording their first win over the 49ers since Week 9 of the 2021 season. With an all-time record of 7-4 at Levi's Stadium, the Cardinals were able to log consecutive division wins for the first time since Nov. 2021. Meanwhile, the 49ers who were outscored 14-0 in the second half, have now dropped their second game this season to a division opponent while squandering a 10-point lead and a win probability of 85% or better in the fourth quarter. Prior to Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan owned a perfect record of 38-0 when leading in the 4th quarter by 10+ points in regular season games. 

Three major components that led to the 49ers' second half collapse were the missed tackles (12), turnovers (3) and their continued issues in the red zone (1 for 6). San Francisco's inability inside the red zone was especially frustrating on Sunday given they were a perfect 9 for 9 in red zone trips against the Cardinals a season ago. Despite the loss, a number of 49er players reached milestones on Sunday, including QB Brock Purdy who became the fastest quarterback to reach 50 career passing touchdowns in franchise history, while throwing for 244 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Running back Jordan Mason who rushed for 89 yards on 14 carries, tallied the most rushing yards thru the first five games in franchise history with 536. Elsewhere, receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings each hauled in just one reception on Sunday, but they happened to be milestones as Samuel caught his 300th career reception and Jennings with his 100th. 

Week 6 Preview: While the slow start is nothing to scoff at, the 49ers aren't exactly treading in uncharted territory here as we've grown accustomed to seeing them get off to a slower start than they'd like more often than not, having now posted a losing record through the first five games for the 7th time in the last 10 years. Though the hole to dig themselves out of is not insurmountable, the fact that all three losses are within the conference and two of the three losses are within the division makes this a less than ideal scenario in terms of playoff tiebreakers if there was ever a need for one. San Francisco will have a quick turnaround with their next game on Thursday, but can turn the tide in a big way if they can pull out a win on the road against the rival (3-2) Seattle Seahawks. Losers of two straight, Seattle is also coming off a heartbreaking loss in a game they came close to tying in the final minute of the fourth quarter to possibly force overtime, but had a potentially game-tying field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown, icing the 29-10 victory for the New York Giants. 

Entering a near must-win situation which is uncommon at this juncture of the season, the 49ers will definitely have all the pressure on their side and will need to correct the mistakes that plagued them in Week 5 or else Seattle will have a big leg up on them in the division standings. Hopefully the game will serve as a wakeup call and the Niners can get back on track before a tough schedule ahead. The 49ers have won five straight over the Seahawks dating back to 2022, including a playoff win in between. With the injury to kicker Jake Moody, the 49ers announced on Tuesday that they've signed free-agent Matthew Wright to fill the void. Wright spent time on the 49ers' practice squad a season ago before being released, and has spent playing time with the Chiefs, Jaguars, Steelers and Panthers. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

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. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Handle Eagles in Landslide Win

Week 13 - Looking to continue their winning-streak and gain ground in the race for the NFC's No. 1 seed, the (8-3) San Francisco 49ers would have a date against the (10-1) Philadelphia Eagles, a team 49er fans and players alike have had circled on their calendar since the release of the NFL's regular season schedule. Despite the reputation of Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field for being one of the tougher venues in the NFL to play in for opposing teams and the Eagles being the NFC's top seed, the San Francisco 49ers opened as 3-point favorites on the road in Philly, much to the surprise of many around the football world. But by game's end, some might have been left thinking why only 3-points? After all, the Eagles as good as their record is, have made a habit out of pulling a rabbit out of their hat this season by staging second half comebacks and sneaking by with wins in games they probably should've lost. Sunday's heavyweight bout with the 49ers appeared to be just the latest chapter to that story, but San Francisco's suffocating defense would have other plans once they got settled in, coupled with the Niners offense which was unstoppable once they got things rolling.

There had been a lot of chatter between these two teams dating back to the last time they met 10 months earlier in the NFC Championship which led to a blowout win for Philly after the 49ers were virtually handicapped by losing their third-string quarterback Brock Purdy at the time, one drive into the game. One member of the 49ers who didn't shy away with his comments was none other than receiver Deebo Samuel who had some choice words for a specific Eagles DB, and was also quoted as saying, "If Brock was in, I don't think it would've been close." With QB Brock Purdy indeed healthy and on the field Sunday for the rematch, Deebo's words would prove to ring true in this one, giving even further reason to ask what really would've happened had the 49ers not lost their quarterback in that game? 10 months after tearing his UCL several plays into the biggest game of his career and missing out on a trip to the Super Bowl, Purdy once again stuck it to his critics and bolstered his case for the MVP Award. But not before a pair of ugly drives that left the 49ers with negative yardage on offense through the first quarter. 

With San Francisco winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, the Eagles put together back-to-back impressive drives of 13-plays for 67 yards and 12-plays for 53 yards, respectively, spanning 5:09 and 6:48 of game time, but were held to field goals on both possessions. That bend but don't break mentality by the Niner defense proved to be huge and allowed San Francisco to keep the game within striking distance and prevented things from getting out of hand, while also snapping Philadelphia's streak of 12 straight red zone drives with a touchdown scored, the longest streak of its kind in the NFL entering Sunday. Meanwhile, the 49er offense was held to three and outs on each of their first two possessions. By the end of the first quarter, San Francisco found themselves outgained by Philly: 124 total yards to San Francisco's -6 yards, the fewest in a quarter under coach Kyle Shanahan. But as soon as the second quarter started, it was almost as if someone on the 49ers flipped a switch as the team began to turn things around and never looked back, going back to basics by running the ball and finding success doing so. Embarking on an 11-play, 88-yard drive, San Francisco began their scoring barrage which was setup by a big gain from tight-end George Kittle, capped off with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to receiver Brandon Aiyuk to take a 7-6 lead. 

Kittle would help setup another 49ers touchdown with another big gain before running back Christian McCaffrey struck pay dirt with a 2-yard rushing touchdown just before the half, giving San Francisco a 14-6 halftime lead. Despite trailing at the half, the Eagles found themselves in familiar territory, boasting an NFL-best 5-0 record when trailing at home this season. However, the 49ers would pick up right where they left off to open the second half as the game soon turned into the Deebo Samuel Show. Following a 33-yard gain on a short pass from Purdy to McCaffrey, Deebo took a handoff 12-yards to the house for a touchdown. The trash-talk and animosity between both teams that ignited after last season's NFC Championship would boil over onto the field during the Eagles' first drive of the second half when 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw got into an altercation along the Philadelphia sideline with the Eagles' director of security. After an unnecessary roughness penalty on Greenlaw for a late hit on Philly receiver DeVonta Smith, the Eagles' team security guard stepped in and attempted to separate the two players, something Greenlaw and his fellow teammates took exception to, with the 49ers linebacker making contact with the staffer's face that ultimately resulted in automatic ejections for both parties. Philly would use the ejection to their advantage, finding the end zone several plays later with a 1-yard touchdown by quarterback Jalen Hurts by way of their famous "Brotherly Shove" play. 

Finding the end zone for the first time of the day, Philadelphia crept up to make it an 8-point game midway thru the third quarter. Just when the Eagles had the 49ers right where they wanted them, Deebo Samuel struck for 48-yard touchdown, breaking a tackle on a quick pass and darting through the middle to find pay dirt. After a three and out punt by the Eagles, San Francisco orchestrated another long drive that lasted nearly 7-minutes on 13-plays for 75-yards and ended with a touchdown pass from Purdy to receiver Jauan Jennings who shook off a tackle and rushed in for an 18-yard score. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts who entered Sunday with 5 straight wins when facing a 10+ point deficit which was tied for the longest streak since 1950 with Joe Montana & Steve Bartkowski, did what he could to keep that streak alive, but San Francisco's offensive firepower was too much for the Eagles defense. Even after Hurts returned from a brief visit to the locker room after being shaken up and marched his offense into the end zone on a 17-play drive that resulted in a touchdown, Deebo Samuel provided the dagger a few plays later with a 46-yard receiving touchdown to put the game out of reach as San Francisco held on for the 42-19 win.

Returning to the same field he was injured on 10 months earlier, quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and 4 touchdowns and was named the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week. Meanwhile, Deebo was awarded NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 3 touchdown performance, finishing with 22 yards rushing on 3 attempts and 116 yards receiving on 4 receptions. Running back Christian McCaffrey again topped 100 scrimmage yards on his way to becoming the first 49ers rusher to top the 1,000 yard rushing mark since Frank Gore in 2014. With his single-season franchise record 12th rushing touchdown on the season, McCaffrey also joined Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore as the only players in NFL history with at least 50 rushing touchdowns and 25 touchdown receptions in their career. In the loss, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts tallied 298 yards, 1 rushing touchdown and 1 passing touchdown, snapping his streak of 14 straight wins versus teams with a winning record, the longest such streak since 1950 as the 49er defense got to him for three sacks on the day. After a slow start, the San Francisco offense torched Philly for 456 total yards of offense compared to the Eagles' 333 yards, this after -6 total yards thru the first quarter for the 49ers. 

Week 14 Preview: The (9-3) 49ers will return to their home digs of Levis Stadium in Week 14 to host the rival Seattle Seahawks whom they'll face off against for the second time in three weeks. Looking to add to their lead in the NFC Western Division standings which currently sits at 3 games above the Seahawks and L.A. Rams who both sit at 6-6 on the year, Seattle comes in riding a 3-game losing streak after suffering losses to the aforementioned Rams, Niners and Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers can deal a another blow to Seattle's playoff hopes as Geno Smith and company will need to right the ship fast if they plan to vie for an NFC wild card spot. The 49ers meanwhile will look to win their fifth straight game of the season and their fifth straight over Seattle. With 8 games of 30+ points scored for the 49ers offense this season, quarterback Brock Purdy is now the new MVP favorite in Vegas at +300, owning a slight edge over Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Dak Prescott of the Cowboys, with both at +350. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

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. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

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. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest