Niners Rope Cowboys, Head into the Bye with Win

Week 8 - Hoping to head into the Bye week on a high note with a win to even their record and keep pace with a neck and neck NFC Western Division, the (3-4) San Francisco 49ers would host an up and down (3-3) Dallas Cowboys team that entered Sunday undefeated on the road with a perfect record of 3-0 away from home. Looking to spoil that unblemished road record for the Cowboys, the 49ers would try to get back on track at Levi's Stadium where they've split the first four games in their home stadium, dropping each of the last two after starting off 2-0. With Dallas coming off their own Bye week, it would mark the second consecutive week that the 49ers would have the misfortune of facing a team well rested with a week off following their meeting with the Chiefs. And just like their game against Kansas City, it would be the 49ers who would strike first. 

After forcing a punt on Dallas' opening-possession, the 49ers would cross midfield on a deep pass on third and long from quarterback Brock Purdy to receiver Deebo Samuel for 47-yards. With Deebo missing several practices during the week after being treated for pneumonia which required a few nights stay at a nearby hospital, his playing status entering the weekend remained in question before he was finally able to return to the practice field on Friday. Making plays almost instantly, coach Kyle Shanahan and company were more than happy to have their guy back after having to leave only four plays into the game a week earlier. Unfortunately, a holding penalty a few plays later would derail San Francisco's plans of reaching the end zone as they were held to a field goal. Splitting the uprights from 50-yards out, kicker Anders Carlson put the Niners on top early as the 49ers remained the only team in the NFL with 3+ kickers to make a field goal this season. On Dallas' ensuing possession, quarterback Dak Prescott would attempt a deep pass of his own but was picked off by San Francisco safety Ji'Ayir Brown. 

With the Niners unable to do anything with the early turnover, the Cowboys got things going on their next possession, converting on several third and longs before running back Ezekiel Elliott punched into the end zone from a yard out to give Dallas a 7-3 lead. The 49ers answered almost instantly with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Deebo, but another costly offensive holding call spoiled the scoring play for San Francisco. The two would try to reconnect a few plays later on a fourth and 3 attempt, but an errant pass by Purdy behind his receiver would result in a turnover on downs near midfield. Both teams would add field goals before exchanging punts as the first half came to a close with Dallas clinging onto a 10-6 halftime lead. In need of a jolt to start the second half, whatever was said in the locker room during halftime not only resonated but also woke up a sleeping giant within the team as the 49ers came out guns blazing to open the third quarter. Scoring touchdowns on three consecutive scoring drives to open the half, the 49ers offense pulled off a 21-skunk with a pair of rushing touchdowns by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo and quarterback Brock Purdy, as well as a receiving touchdown from tight-end George Kittle. 

Guerendo would see his busiest day as a pro yet, toting the ball for 14 carries after running back Jordan Mason reinjured his shoulder that began to hinder him in Week 6 vs Seattle. The rookie would answer the call with 85 rushing yards and a 4-yard touchdown, the first of his career. Guerendo would eclipse the 100-yard mark by adding another 17-yards receiving on 3 receptions. Kittle would put his own stamp on the game like only he can, as the founding father of National Tight-End Day, a makeshift holiday created by the 49ers tight-end to be celebrated on the final Sunday of every October, Kittle reached several milestones while hauling in a 2-yard touchdown grab. With the reception, Kittle moved to third place on the 49ers' all-time receiving list by passing Dwight Clark. With 6,777 receiving yards throughout his career, Kittle trails only Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens on that list, two Hall of Famers. Kittle also reached his 500th career reception, becoming only the fifth player in franchise history to reach that feat and moving closer to Clark's 506 mark and Roger Craig's 508, as only Owens (592) and Rice (1,281) have more in a 49ers uniform. Purdy would cap off the busy third quarter by plowing forward for a 2-yard score near the goal line. Not only would the 49ers outscore Dallas in the third quarter by a score of 21-0, they would put up more points scored in the quarter than the Cowboys had yards (16). 

Even with a dominant third quarter that allowed the 49ers to take a 27-10 lead entering the fourth, the 49ers almost let another double-digit lead in a game slip away. They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but it has for the 49ers and it nearly struck the same place for a third time this season. The Cowboys would suddenly find themselves back in a game they had no business being in when trailing by 17-points with just over 8-minutes remaining in regulation. Leaving the most dangerous weapon on the Cowboys' roster wide-open, Dak found receiver Ceedee Lamb all alone for an easy score to make it a 10-point game. Though the 49ers would add a 41-yard field goal by Carlson on their ensuing drive, Dak would find Lamb again wide-open for a touchdown when a pair of 49er defenders collided in the secondary with 3:36 left to play. What was once a 17-point lead just moments earlier, quickly evaporated into a 30-24 nail-biter which got even scarier when the 49ers were forced to punt after Purdy was brought down for a sack and was only able to shed 27-seconds off the clock throughout the possession. Taking over with 3:05 remaining, the Cowboys' attempt to pull off the comeback would fall short when Dak Prescott failed to complete a pass and turned the ball over on downs as the San Francisco defense stood tall and held down the fort when they needed it the most. 

Guerendo would put the final nail in the coffin with a 14-yard run that the rookie could've taken to the house before sliding just shy of the goal line to allow for the clock to run out. Converting the game-sealing first down on a 3rd and 2 attempt with 1:16 remaining, the 49ers were able to celebrate their fourth consecutive win over Dallas, handing them their first road loss of the season. Niners QB Brock Purdy finished the game 260 yards passing and a touchdown, while also rushing for another 56 yards and a rushing touchdown. Purdy's 56 yards on the ground would match the total amount of rushing yards by the Cowboys' running back tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook who were held in check virtually all game long. Dak Prescott threw for 243, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the loss for Dallas. Prescott's favorite receiver CeeDee Lamb would have his best game of the season, hauling in a game-high 13 receptions and leading both teams with 146 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. As for George Kittle, the 49ers tight-end just knows how to turn it up a notch on National Tight-End Day as he caught 6 passes for 128-yards and a touchdown to lead his team. Kittle averages nearly 30 yards more per game on the unofficial holiday and would be nominated for the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week for his performance in the win. On top of that, tight-ends throughout the league were able to collectively team up for 177 receptions on Sunday, the most in a single day in NFL history. 

Week 10 Preview - Coming soon...

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49ers Drop Game to Chiefs, Lose Aiyuk to Injury

Week 7 - In one of the more highly anticipated matchups on the 2024-25 NFL regular season schedule, the (3-3) San Francisco 49ers played host to the (5-0) Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last season's Super Bowl. With both teams decimated by injuries, the game that actually took place on the field would be a far cry from the entertaining back and forth duel that we saw in the big game back in February. And after a sluggish start on offense by both teams, it was the defense that took centerstage for most of this one. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted in the days leading up to the rematch that he had avoided watching film on Super Bowl 58 for about a month following his team's heartbreaking loss. While not as crushing a defeat as the one his team suffered in overtime in the big game, Shanahan will be just as furious when he watches the tape from Sunday's bout. 

As if they needed any additional ammunition heading into the game, the Chiefs were well rested and coming off a Bye week. And in case you were wondering, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid came into Sunday's game owning a career record of 21-4 coming off the Bye in his 25 years at the helm. Those numbers would not bode well for Shanahan and company who have gotten off to a slow start to the season and are in need of any break they can get. Unfortunately, they wouldn't get any in this one and were instead dealt another blow to their playmakers. Calling on an already thin receiving corps that would be without Jauan Jennings who leads the team in receiving and was missed all week in practice while nursing a hip injury suffered in the Week 6 win in Seattle, things would go from bad to worse as another pair of receivers would be lost in the first half. Deebo Samuel who was expected to play a big role for Kyle Shanahan's offense in Sunday's game was seen heading back and forth from the field to the locker room during pregame warmups with what appeared to be flulike symptoms. And while Samuel would still suit up in time for kickoff, it was very apparent that he was feeling under the weather as he would last only six snaps before having to be pulled and sidelined for the rest of the game. It would later be revealed that Samuel was taken to a nearby hospital where he would spend the next two nights after nurses found he had fluid in his lungs and had to be treated for pneumonia. 

But even after all of that, the worst was still yet to come. With San Francisco opening the game on offense, a holing penalty on the second play from scrimmage would eventually result in a three and out punt by the 49ers. It would be only the sixth three and out all season for San Francisco who has the fewest in the league. Meanwhile, Andy Reid's Chiefs would showcase an aggressive approach out the gates with a fake punt attempt that was sniffed out by the 49ers' special-teams. The stop would be a rare win for San Francisco's special-teams unit that has cost them already on more than one occasion this season. However, the jubilation would be cut short on the very next play as 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had his pass intended for his tight-end George Kittle intercepted. A few plays later with the Chiefs threatening on offense, the 49er defense would come up with an interception of their own. Playing in only his second game of the season and just the fifth of his career after two injury-plagued seasons, defensive-tackle Kalia Davis would make a big play to stop the Kansas City offense in its tracks when he got a paw on a pass from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes at the line and came down with the interception. After a pair of 49er rookies came up with their first career interceptions in last week's win over the Seahawks, Davis joined the club by recording his first career interception as well. 

Following a pair of punts, the 49ers would strike first with a 55-yard field goal by the recently signed Anders Carlson who made a good first impression as the Niners' third kicker in as many weeks. As soon as the first quarter came to a close, it was almost as if the Chiefs offense flipped a switch and got going. Capitalizing on a number of penalties by the San Francisco defense, Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt made the opposition pay with touchdown runs on back-to-back drives with only punts to show for by the Niners. Finally beginning to show signs of life, the 49ers offense began to move the ball as Purdy connected on a 41-yard pass to George Kittle. Purdy would hit receiver Brandon Aiyuk with a 15-yard reception two plays later, but it was there where the Niners were dealt another crushing blow in the injury department. Tackled from behind on an inside route, a second Chiefs defender came flying in while Aiyuk was falling down and crashed into his right knee which forced Aiyuk to leave the game. While he was able to walk off the field on his own, he would require a cart that would take him to the locker room with what team doctors feared would be a torn ACL. Those results would come back worse as Aiyuk was later revealed to have town both his ACL and MCL which will require season-ending surgery. 

Now down three of their starting receivers, the 49er offense would march all the way to the 5-yard line, but were unable to punch into the end zone and were forced to settle for another field goal to make it a 14-6 game just before the half. The game wouldn't be all bad news, however, as their first round pick in April's Draft -- receiver Ricky Pearsall was able to make his NFL debut just 50 days removed from being shot in the chest in an armed robbery attempt. Entering the game to a standing ovation, the rookie Pearsall would haul in a 6-yard catch for his first career NFL reception. San Francisco would open the second half strong on both sides of the ball, first intercepting a pass from Patrick Mahomes as Deommodore Lenoir took advantage of the Chiefs' Xavier Worthy who tripped on the play which allowed for the easy pick. Purdy and company would capitalize as the 49ers QB took it in himself from 1-yard out. Cutting the deficit to just two, Carlson would fail to make the extra-point attempt, keeping it a 14-12 Kansas City lead. Just when the San Francisco was gearing towards taking a lead after forcing the Chiefs to punt on their ensuing drive, Purdy threw his second pick of the afternoon after he and receiver Ronnie Bell failed to get on the same page. 

Midway through the game, both QB's had struggled with quarterback ratings below 50. By this point Mahomes was 12 for 22 with 108 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a QBR of 30.1. Purdy was not much better having connected on 9 of 18 passes for 122 yards and 2 interceptions for a 48.8 QBR. Not great for a former 2-time MVP winner (Mahomes) and last year's MVP runner-up (Purdy). It would turn out Mahomes would get the last laugh as he normally does, cashing in on the Purdy interception with a touchdown run of his own on fourth down from the 1-yard line. Several plays earlier, Mahomes recorded the longest rush of his career with the help of the NFL's over-policing of today's quarterbacks on a play that probably shouldn't have happened. What should've been an 8-yard gain, turned into a 33-yard scamper as Mahomes had appeared to be headed to the sideline as he slowed down while being chased, but with several 49er defenders slowing down with him assuming the QB was going to step out of bounds and to avoid a costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Mahomes instead turned on the jets and began running down the sideline for a big gain. No way should the defense have assumed Mahomes was giving himself up on the play, but it was clearly a loophole the Chiefs QB exposed and got a way with and if the officials aren't going to do anything about it, why not? 

San Francisco would threaten on their ensuing drive after a big reception from 49ers rookie receiver Jacob Cowing who hauled in a 41-yard reception, the longest of his career, setting his team up inside the red zone. Closing in on the end zone, Purdy was pressured and knocked off-balance which led to an errant pass intended for George Kittle that was picked off in the end zone. The Chiefs would add another touchdown to make it a 28-12 game on an 18-yard run by Mecole Hardman, his first TD since hauling in the game-winner in the Super Bowl, before a garbage time touchdown ran in from a yard out by Purdy, his second of the game. With San Francisco unable to recover a last ditch onside-kick attempt, the Chiefs hung on to the 28-18 win, their fifth straight win over the Niners, including a pair of Super Bowls. Both QB's struggled to put up the numbers they did, as Brock Purdy led the way with 212 yards passing, 2 rushing touchdowns and 3 interceptions, while Patrick Mahomes finished with 154 yards passing, 1 rushing touchdown and 2 interceptions. K.C. running back Kareem Hunt led all rushers with 78 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, followed by Jordan Mason who still rushed for 58 yards on 14 carries for the Niners despite playing with a bum shoulder. San Francisco tight-end George Kittle finished with a game-high 92-yards receiving on six receptions. 

If there was a positive to point out in the disappointing loss for the Niners, it would be the return of rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who caught three passes for 21 yards and fellow rookie receiver Jacob Cowing who got his first real action after the injury to Brandon Aiyuk, hauling in a pair of receptions for 50 yards. 

Week 8 Preview: For the second straight week, the (3-4) 49ers will be facing a team coming off the Bye week when they host the (3-3) Dallas Cowboys. With both teams playing catchup within their respective division standings, this matchup will almost serve as close to a must win game as it can get this early in the year, despite more than a full half of the NFL regular season schedule remaining. While the 49ers have had the Cowboys' number as of late with wins in three straight including playoff victories in back-to-back postseasons in 2022 and 2023, San Francisco also handed Dallas the most lopsided loss in the long-standing rivalry between these two historic franchises just a season ago with a 42-10 drubbing. This up and down 49ers team will try to mimic that dominant win from last season when tight-end George Kittle hauled in a career-high 3 touchdown receptions. Sunday night would be a perfect night to repeat that feat as Week 8 will unofficially serve as National Tight-End Day, a mock holiday created by Kittle back in 2019 to be celebrated during the last weekend of October. 

Kittle should be in store for another productive game with receiver Jauan Jennings expected to miss his second straight game due to a lingering hip injury and Brandon Aiyuk placed on the season-ending Injured Reserve list. Meanwhile, receiver Deebo Samuel who was back at practice on Friday after missing the previous two practices during the week with pneumonia, is listed as questionable and may come down to a game-time decision. The Cowboys will also be without one of their own key players in edge rusher Micah Parsons who will be out for a third straight game with an ankle injury. Like San Francisco, Dallas has plenty to prove and are coming off a 47-9 loss at home to the Detroit Lions, their worst home loss since 1988. To their credit, the Cowboys are oddly enough undefeated on the road as they enter Sunday with a 3-0 record away from home. 

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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. 

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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. 

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49ers get Back on Track with Big Win over Pats

Week 4 - Looking to get back into the win column after a win-less two-game road trip, the (1-2) San Francisco 49ers returned home to Levi's Stadium hoping a bit of home cooking would be all they needed to get back on track. Playing host to the (1-2) New England Patriots, the 49ers would welcome back a pair of All-Pros to the offense in receiver Deebo Samuel and tight-end George Kittle, both of whom were greatly missed a week ago in their Week 3 loss to the rival Rams. With two of his playmakers back on the field, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy would try to capture San Francisco's first home win over New England since 1995. Through the game's first two quarters, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers seemed like they would cruise away with an easy win, but a few hiccups along the way kept the game closer than it probably should've been. 

After forcing New England to punt on the game's opening-possession, Purdy and the 49er offense marched 90-yards down the field but were held to a field goal. The defense for San Francisco would come through on multiple occasions on Sunday, including on each of New England's next three possessions by forcing turnovers. On the first play of their ensuing drive, Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson would lose a fumble caused by San Francisco's Sam Okuayinonu who was promoted to the team's active roster just a day earlier in wake of Javon Hargrave's season-ending injury. Unfortunately for the Pats, it would be Stevenson's fourth consecutive game with a fumble after fumbling only once all of last season. Despite the stellar field position following the fumble, the 49ers would settle for yet another field goal. With the offense unable to make their way to the end zone, the defense would show them how it's done as All-Pro linebacker intercepted a Jacoby Brissett pass and returned it 45-yards for a pick-six touchdown. 

Finally making it across midfield and nearing the red zone, Patriots rookie head coach Jerod Mayo elected to gamble on a 4th and 1 and came up short as Stevenson was stuffed up the middle for no gain, resulting in a New England turnover on downs. With their own defense having scored just as many points as the offense, Brock Purdy and company finally orchestrated their best drive of the afternoon with a 12-play, 95-yard drive that ended with a highlight worthy touchdown grab by George Kittle who fought off three defenders to leap up and come down with the ball. With a 20-0 lead for San Francisco heading in the final seconds of the second quarter, New England kicker Joey Slye would connect on a 63-yard field goal, the fourth-longest made field goal in NFL history to end the half and finally put the Pats on the board. 

If there's one area that has plagued the 49ers over the past few seasons, it's been their special-teams which was very evident in their fourth quarter collapse a week earlier against the L.A. Rams. Those special-team woes would rear their ugly head once again on Sunday on San Francisco's kick return to open the second half. Rookie Isaac Guerendo who has had a quiet start to his NFL career in the limited action he's seen, didn't do himself any favors as he ran into his own teammate and fumbled the ball away. What was just a 20-0 San Francisco lead, quickly evaporated as the Pats cut the deficit in half with a Jacoby Brissett touchdown pass to tight-end Austin Hooper just a few plays later. Needing a response, the 49ers got just that on their ensuing possession when Purdy connected on a 53-yard bomb to Deebo Samuel on their first play from scrimmage. Mason would find the end zone three plays later with a 4-yard touchdown run to once again make it a three-score game. 

After adding another field goal to make it a 27-13 game, the Patriots showed some fight by intercepting a Brock Purdy pass inside the end zone. Purdy had connected on a 45-yard toss to Jauan Jennings just a few plays earlier but got a little carried away when he attempted to go for the kill-shot with nearly a full quarter left to play. Unable to do much with the 49er turnover, New England's last two drives ended in a turnover on downs and a fumble forced and recovered by the Niners' Nick Bosa who finished the game with nine QB-pressures on the day, nearly matching the ten pressures he tallied in total during Weeks 1 thru 3, as San Francisco snapped their two-game skid with a 30-13 victory. Purdy helped lead the offense to a win by throwing for 288 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. His counterpart Jacoby Brissett threw for a season-high 168 passing yards to go with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, but New England was outproduced in total yards: 431 to 216 in favor of San Francisco. Helping the 49ers amass much of those yards was Jordan Mason who tallied another busy day at the office with 160 total yards and a touchdown. 

On his way to becoming one of only three running backs with 100+ yards per game through the first four weeks this season, Mason once again proved to be a reliable backup in place of the injured Christian McCaffrey who has helped mentor Mason from the sidelines since he was thrusted into the starting job just hours before kickoff in Week 1. Mason's 447 rushing yards are also the second-most in 49ers franchise history thru the first four weeks of a season behind only McCaffrey's 459 rushing yards a season ago. Another 49er who continues to dazzle is linebacker Fred Warner who since 2019, is the only player in the NFL to record 10 interceptions, 10 sacks and 10 forced fumbles. Receiver Jauan Jennings who is coming off FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week honors for his stellar performance against the Rams, led all receivers with 88 receiving yards on just 3 receptions. 

Week 5 Preview: After evening their record at 2-2 on the year, the 49ers will attempt to record their first win of the season against an NFC foe as San Francisco has come up short in each of their first two tries this year. A win within the division would also do wonders and put the Niners over .500 with a tough schedule to follow. They can do all of that by defeating the (1-3) Arizona Cardinals who are coming off a 42-14 drubbing at home to the newly resurgent Washington Commanders. The Arizona defense allowed 449 total yards to Washington's offense.  

Following a pedestrian performance for Arizona QB Kyler Murray who threw for just 142 yards and 1 touchdown and was held to only 3 yards rushing on one attempt, the San Francisco defense will try to mimic that same success on Sunday. The same could be said for rookie receiver Marvin Harison Jr. who has dazzled in the first four games of his career, giving the Cardinals a new No. 1 receiving target. After a quiet Week 1 to begin his pro career, the fourth overall pick out of Ohio State has scored four touchdowns in his last three games and is riding a streak of three consecutive games with a TD, which San Francisco's secondary will look to put an end to. The 49ers who are 2-0 at home this season, have won four straight meetings over Arizona, outscoring them 156-68 in those games. They'll try to make it five consecutive wins on Sunday in what is expected to be the hottest game played in Levi's Stadium history. Attempting to do everything they can to combat the heat, the 49ers had put in a request with the NFL to don their road white uniforms but were rejected. 

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49ers let Win slip away Late vs rival Rams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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49ers Still unable to Solve Vikings on Road

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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49ers Ground Jets in Monday Night Opener

Week 1 - With the start of the 2024-25 NFL regular season in full-swing, football fans were given a steady diet of games all throughout the week including the season-opener on Thursday night between the Kansas City Chiefs & Balitmore Ravens, followed by a Friday matinee in Brazil between the Green Bay Packers & Philadelphia Eagles. The fun continued with a busy slate of matches on Sunday, bookended by the San Francisco 49ers hosting the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. The final match-up of the week would be one of the more intriguing games going in as no two teams are in win-now mode in their respective conferences more than the 49ers and Jets. 

But if there's one thing these two teams have in common aside from their closing championship window, it's their familiarity with heartbreak which both teams felt in two completely different ways just a season ago. On one hand, you have Kyle Shanahan's 49ers who have gotten to the Conference Championship in 4 of the last 5 seasons including 2 Super Bowl appearances but have come up short despite having arguably the best overall roster in the entire NFL. On the other hand, you have the Jets who also have a talented roster of their own on both sides of the football but have had a glaring weakness in the past at the quarterback position. Expectations were sky-high a season ago for the Jets under head coach Robert Saleh, former 49ers defensive-coordinator who served four years on Shanahan's staff, after the acquisition of one of the greatest QB's of all-time in Aaron Rodgers. Hoping the 4-time league MVP would be the answer to those problems after coming over from the Green Bay Packers via trade during the offseason, things went south rather quickly when Rodgers was injured just four plays into his season and ruled out for the year with a torn Achilles in the Monday Night-opener. Coincidentally, the Jets would find themselves playing on Monday Night to open the season for a second consecutive season, this time hoping to avoid injury to arguably their most important player. 

Taking the field without their big offseason acquisition Haasan Reddick whom quarterback Brock Purdy and the 49ers know quite well dating back to the 2023 NFC Championship game in Philadelphia against the Eagles which saw Reddick make a play that injured the Niners QB and put an end to their Super Bowl hopes, the Jets would have little to no answer for San Francisco's offense once the game started. With Reddick missing all of training camp and even demanding a trade after failing to receive a new long-term contract extension, similar to the incident that San Francisco's front-office endured with receiver Brandon Aiyuk, Reddick's presence was certainly missed in the trenches by the Jets defense, as demonstrated by a streak of eight consecutive scoring-drives which ignited the Niners to an easy win in the opener. 

Missing a key player of their own, the 49ers would announce just an hour before kickoff that 2023 AP Offensive Player of the Year and starting running back Christian McCaffrey would be scratched from Monday night's game with a lingering calf injury suffered in training camp. Having led the league in scrimmage yards and touchdowns since joining San Francisco in Week 7 of the 2022 season, CMC would leave some big shoes to fill while missing only his second game in a 49ers uniform. However, filling those shoes would not be a problem for backup running back Jordan Mason who would be called upon to make his first career start. After later revealing that it wasn't until Friday night that head coach Kyle Shanahan had informed Mason that he could get the nod at running back if McCaffrey's calf didn't show any signs of improvement before kickoff, the 49ers appear to have channeled a bit of gamesmanship by possibly withholding the severity of McCaffrey's injury. The CMC news quickly spread like wildfire and took the betting landscape by storm as sportsbooks across the country either tinkered with their spreads moments before kickoff or wiped the game off their boards completely. Nevertheless, McCaffrey's absence would be a footnote by games end. 

With both teams exchanging three and out punts on their initial drives, the 49ers struck first after Rodgers' first Jets completion ended in a turnover following a heads up play by Niners All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who forced a fumble on New York running back Breece Hall. San Francisco would turn Hall's fumble, just the second lost fumble of his career, into a Jake Moody field goal to give them an early 3-0 lead. The lead would not last long, however, as Rodgers and company embarked on their longest drive of the night with a 14-play, 70-yard drive that spanned over 7-minutes and ended in redemption for Breece Hall who rushed into the end zone with a 3-yard touchdown to put the Jets ahead. Adding a second Jake Moody field goal on their ensuing drive, the 49ers would make it a 7-6 ballgame before taking a 13-7 lead midway through the second quarter and never looking back. The Niners' first offensive touchdown of the new year would come from Deebo Samuel who also helped fill in for running back Christian McCaffrey, with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. By this time, the 49ers were off and running on what would be eight straight scoring-drives. 

Leading 16-7 at the half, Jordan Mason added the only other 49ers touchdown thanks to a 5-yard score up the middle to open the second half. The rest of the game in terms of scoring for San Francisco would turn into the Jake Moody show as the second-year 49ers kicker would add four more field goals on the night to give him a total of 6-for-6 on his way to being named NFC Special-teams Player of the Week in Week 1. The 49er defense did a good job stymying Rodgers, especially on the Jets' first possession of the second half when he was intercepted on a deflected pass intended for receiver Garrett Wilson. Niners cornerback Deommodore Lenoir broke up the pass, allowing for an easy tip-drill interception by teammate Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. One of the few mishaps on the night by the 49er defense came on New York's following possession when Rodgers took advantage of a free-play on an off-sides penalty by the newest member of the Niners Leonard Floyd, and chucked a 36-yard pass to receiver Allen Lazard for his lone touchdown pass of the night. After his NFL-leading 18th career free-play touchdown pass, Rodgers would sit out for most of the fourth quarter with the game out of reach after his final drive ended in a turnover on downs.

The Jets would add a garbage time touchdown with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor under center, who connected on a 2-yard pass with Lazard for his second touchdown reception on the night, before falling by a final score of 32-19, the first time ever a game ended with that score and handing the Jets their 13th loss in their last 14 games played in primetime. Lazard would lead all receivers with 6 receptions for 89 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns. In his first game back since tearing his Achilles in the season-opener a year ago, Rodgers finished the contest with career-lows in an opener in both completions and pass attempts, tossing for 167 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception on 13 of 21 passes. His counterpart Brock Purdy would finish with a quietly productive night, throwing for 231 yards passing on 19 of 29 attempts, but helped his team play a turnover-free game on offense. But the star of the night for either team would be backup running back Jordan Mason who had himself a career night by logging the fourth best game in 49ers opening-game history. 

Mason's 147 rushing yards were the 4th-most rush yards in a season-opener in 49ers franchise history, behind only Garrison Hearst's 187 yards in 1998 which also came at the hands of the Jets, Carlos Hyde's 168 yard performance in 2015 against Minnesota, and Christian McCaffrey who rushed for 152 yards just a season ago in Pittsburgh. Mason's 147 yards were also the most rushing yards in a season-opener by an undrafted player since Arian Foster's 231 rush yards in 2010 with the Houston Texans. By halftime, Mason had amassed 74 first half rushing yards which were the most total yards of his career in a full game. But perhaps the biggest stat of all is the 28 rushing attempts by Mason, the most in his football career since his 2016 Gallatin High School season in Tennessee, as well as the most carries of any 49ers player in a game under coach Shanahan. Prior to Monday night, the most touches Mason had in an NFL game was 11.  

With their 32-19 win, San Francisco won consecutive openers for the first time since 2011-16 and their first time in the Shanahan era. It was a night filled with firsts as they faced Jets head coach Robert Saleh for the first time since he left San Francisco's defensive coordinator position to coach the Jets back in 2021. It would also mark the first game with newly hired defensive coordinator Nick Sorenson, marking the team's fourth defensive coordinator in five years. When San Francisco went on their scoring spree of eight straight scoring possessions (6 field goals, 2 touchdowns), it was their longest streak in 45 years. Monday's game would not only be the first win on Monday Night Football in three career tries for Niners QB Brock Purdy, it would also be the first game for him as a starter without Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. And finally, Monday night's game was the first game without allowing a pressure since Week 3 of the 2022 season for 49ers left-tackle Trent Williams who had missed all of his team's training camp while holding out in a contract dispute. 

Noteworthy: The 49ers are the only NFL team in the Super Bowl era to get a 200-yard passing game (Purdy), a 125-yard rushing game (Mason), a 50-yard receiving game (Jennings) and an interception (Flannigan-Fowles) from 4 players who were drafted 200th or later or weren't drafted at all. 

Week 2 Preview: Hitting the road for the first time this season, the 49ers will make the trip to the land of ten thousand lakes where they haven't won on the road since 1992 when they take on the (1-0) Minnesota Vikings. Facing off against former 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold who spent last season as the backup in San Francisco and started in the regular season-finale, the 49er defense will try to keep Darnold from having the same amount of success as he had in Week 1. Coming off a 28-6 drubbing of the New York Giants on the road, Darnold tossed for 208 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the win. Darnold was brought in to provide a veteran presence and potentially even compete with Vikings first round draft pick J.J. McCarthy who was selected 10th overall out of Michigan, before the former Wolverine was injured in Minnesota's first preseason game. Requiring surgery to repair a torn meniscus, the injury would put McCarthy on the shelf for his entire rookie campaign, allowing the starting job to fall right into Darnold's lap. 

Early reports have 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey listed as questionable while still nursing his calf injury, but he is expected to practice ahead of Sunday's game according to coach Shanahan. If he is unable to go, we could be in store for another heavy workload from Jordan Mason. 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga could also make his return in Week 2 after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 11 last year that required surgery. The return of Hufanga would be a welcomed one for a 49ers secondary that figures to have their hands full with the very dangerous Justin Jefferson on the opposite side of the ball. San Francisco fell to Minnesota on Monday Night Football during Week 7 a season ago, losing 22-17 behind a Kirk Cousins-led Vikings team.  

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