49ers Fall to Cards in Season-Finale

Week 18 - With the (6-10) San Francisco 49ers closing out their 2024-25 season on the road against the division rival (8-9) Arizona Cardinals, both teams would take the field Sunday on the outside looking in having missed the playoffs. With little to nothing to play for from either team, all fans could hope for in the season-finale would be an entertaining game with nobody getting injured. And while the game did provide a good amount of back-and-forth entertainment through the first three quarters, the 49ers would learn early on that they would not be able to avoid the injury bug that has plagued them all season long. 

Opening the game with possession of the ball, the 49ers' hopes of playing injury-free football on Sunday lasted all but four plays as rookie running back Isaac Guerendo saw his third career start end rather quickly as he would need to be carted off the field after suffering an injury to his left leg. Initial reactions and fears had indicated that Guerendo might've suffered a torn MCL and perhaps a broken ankle as he was ruled out for the rest of the game immediately. Thankfully, results after the game revealed that the speedy running back had only suffered sprains to both his MCL and ankle which is a huge sigh of relief considering you could hear Guerendo screaming on live television as the injury took place. Settling for a 51-yard Jake Moody field goal on the drive, the Niners would take an early 3-0 lead. But just when you thought Moody had regained his confidence, he missed a 47-yard field goal attempt one possession later. With the game tied at 3 after a made field goal by Arizona's Chad Ryland, the 49ers would throw an interception which the Cardinals capitalized on. 

Making his first start of the season for San Francisco, backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs would face his former team whom he started 8 games with a season ago. And while Dobbs would throw for a career-high in passing yards on Sunday and showed flashes, he would have his fair share of miscues as well including an interception near the end of the first quarter. Turning the turnover into points, Cardinals QB Kyler Murray connected on a 23-yard touchdown to receiver Greg Dortch who would later record his first career multi-touchdown game. Dobbs would make up for his mistake a few possessions later, tying the game with a 1-yard touchdown run thanks to the help of his trusty fullback Kyle Juszczyk who gave Dobbs an extra push that catapulted him over the goal line and into the end zone for the score. With the Cardinals again jumping ahead via a Murray touchdown thru the air to tight-end Trey McBride, the 49ers again answered with a touchdown of their own as Dobbs drove the team into the red zone where he would find rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall. Playing in his home state of Arizona for the first time as a pro, Pearsall's homecoming would be a memorable one as he hauled in a 6-yard touchdown, tying the game just before the half. Unfortunately, with 16-seconds still remaining in the half, the 49er defense would be unable to keep the Arizona offense at bay as they marched 39-yards on three plays to setup a 49-yard Ryland field goal. 

After throwing for a season-high in passing yards a week ago against the Rams, Arizona QB Kyler Murray would log a season-high in passing touchdowns on Sunday with 4, including another to Greg Dortch to open the scoring in the second half. Dobbs and company would keep pace with a 36-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Juszczyk who dashed along the sideline before leaping into the end zone for the score to make it a 26-24 game. Unfortunately, that would be as close as San Francisco would get as they were skunked in scoring in the fourth quarter, 21-0. What was once a 2-point game with less than 5-minutes remaining in the third quarter, quickly turned into a 23-point blowout as San Francisco's next three possessions ended on a fumble, interception and turnover on downs, leading to a 47-24 loss. Dobbs finished with a career-high 326 passing yards, the most by a 49ers quarterback making his first start with the franchise. Dobbs also logged 2 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing touchdown, but also threw 2 interceptions and a fumble lost. His counterpart Kyler Murray threw for 242 yards, 4 touchdowns and no turnovers. 49ers backup running back Patrick Taylor had a solid game playing in relief of the injured Isaac Guerendo, rushing for a game-high 109 yards on 17 carries. Ricky Pearsall led all receivers with 69 yards receiving and a touchdown on 6 receptions. Another rookie that impressed on Sunday was Arizona's Marvin Harrison Jr. who caught 5 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown, tying him for the most receiving TD's in a rookie season in Cardinals teams history with 8, a mark set by Anquan Boldin in 2003 and tied a season later by Larry Fitzgerald in 2004. 

But the biggest bummer of the day for San Francisco, even more so than the loss, would be the shortcoming of 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings who entered Sunday's game just 77-yards shy of his first career 1,000 yard season. Jennings had 7 catches for 52 yards in the first half alone, but that's as close as he would get as he was ejected with 6:34 remaining in the second quarter, falling 25 yards shy of the century mark. After wrestling Arizona's Sean Murphy-Bunting to the ground on a pancake block, both players would be called for offsetting unnecessary roughness penalties and would be ejected from the game, ending both Jennings' season and his bid at his first 1,000 yard season. 

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49ers outdueled in Monday Night Shootout to Lions

Week 17 - Playing in front of the Faithful for the final time this season, the (6-9) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the visiting (14-2) Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium on Monday Night Football. In a rematch of last season's NFC Championship which saw Kyle Shanahan's Niners pull off a 17-point second half comeback win over Dan Campbell's Lions, the 49ers would head into the Monday Night tilt looking to play the role of spoilers and give the home crowd one last win before kissing the 2024-25 season goodbye. Meanwhile, for the Lions who have already punched their playoff ticket and entered the week having already set a franchise record in wins with 13 on the season, coach Campbell noted he would not sit any of his players in the meeting with the Niners and expressed that it was revenge the team had in mind for the brutal loss that still haunts him which his team suffered in the NFC title game a season ago. Football fans around the world were sure to tune in as Lions vs 49ers delivered some big time TV ratings to the tune of 22.2 million viewers, making it the No. 1 most-watched Monday Night Football broadcast this season and a top-5 most-watched MNF broadcast since ESPN took over the program in 2006.

Having won 14 straight home games against the Lions (including postseason) entering their Monday night bout, the 49ers looked to continue a streak that dates back to 1975, while also looking to put an end to Detroit's perfect road record of 7-0 with the Lions' only losses on the season coming at home. With both teams on completely different spectrums this season with the Lions contending for the NFC's top seed and San Francisco in the cellar of last place in their division, both teams would come out guns blazing on offense. Despite the large disparity between the two teams this season, it was the 49ers who jumped ahead early and led for a majority of Monday's game to the surprise of many considering their makeshift offensive-line that was missing several starters. With a combined five touchdowns scored in the first half alone, including on each of the first five possessions of the game, both teams were off and running on offense as the defense was nowhere to be found until the final minutes of the first half. In a game highlighted by offensive firepower, it would come down to who would blink first and force the big mistake. Detroit would manage to do that not once but twice, coming up with a pair of key interceptions from Niners quarterback Brock Purdy. 

In what's been a rollercoaster year for 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who was famously shot in an attempted robbery back in August less than two weeks before the start of the NFL's regular season, the first-round pick in April's Draft would have his coming out party on Monday night with his best game yet. Kicking off a career night for the former Florida Gator, Pearsall capped off an impressive opening-drive by San Francisco with a 3-yard touchdown reception to give his team an early 7-0 lead. With 10 opening-drive touchdowns scored by San Francisco a season ago, Monday night would mark only the third such drive by the Niners this season. Hauling in just the second touchdown reception of his career, Pearsall entered Week 17 with only 190 receiving yards on the season and would nearly match that mark on Monday night alone before finishing with a personal-best and game-high 141 yards receiving on 8 receptions. Pearsall's trip to the end zone on the game's opening-drive would spark three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives for San Francisco for the first time this season. Unfortunately, Detroit would answer two of those drives with touchdowns of their own.

49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk and QB Brock Purdy would add touchdowns in the first half to make it a 21-13 lead following a blocked extra-point by defensive-tackle Jordan Elliott on Detroit's opening-drive touchdown. The first blemish of the game by either team would come on the Lions' third possession of the game. Looking to match San Francisco's red-hot start of three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives to open the game, Detroit marched their way into the red zone but were stopped on a 4th down attempt from the 8-yard line when Lions QB Jared Goff had his pass to tight-end Sam LaPorta broken up inside the end zone by Niners rookie Renardo Green to force the turnover on downs. Looking to add to their lead just before the end of the half, San Francisco got a big gain two plays later on deep pass hauled in by running back Isaac Guerendo for 40-yards. Getting themselves in field goal range, the 49ers would attempt a field goal from 51-yards out, but kicker Jake Moody was unable to connect as his kick soared wide right. With the 49ers leading 21-13 at the half, the 8-point deficit would mark the second largest halftime deficit this season for the Lions after storming back and winning a game in which they trailed by 16-points at the half to the Houston Texans back in Week 9. 

With Detroit opening the second half with the ball, the Lions would tie the game on a touchdown and successful two-point conversion. Looking to open the second half with a similar spark of their own, Brock Purdy would connect on deep passes on back-to-back plays to Ricky Pearsall and tight-end George Kittle, helping setup a 5-yard touchdown reception from Deebo Samuel. After a season-high in scrimmage yards a week ago (121) and logging just his third touchdown of the season, Deebo made it two straight games with a score, putting his team back on top, 28-21. After the Lions added a field goal to bring them without four, Purdy made the first crucial mistake of the evening as he was intercepted on a pass airmailed over the head of Pearsall and into the hands of a waiting Kerby Joseph. Taking advantage of the first Niners turnover, Goff found his receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the end zone for the go-ahead score. Now trailing the Lions 31-28, the 49ers would begin the 4th quarter with an attempt to tie the game, but Jake Moody pushed a 58-yard field goal try wide-left for his second miss in as many attempts. 

Adding salt to the Niners' wound, Lions kicker Jake Bates would connect on a 42-yard field goal on the other end of Detroit's ensuing possession. Now trailing 34-28 but well within striking distance, the next 49ers possession would again go up in flames on another Purdy interception, again picked off by Joseph who added to his total with an NFL-leading 9th interception. And just like they did on the first interception, Detroit made it count with a touchdown as running back Jahmyr Gibbs made his stamp on the game with a big 30-yard score. Although the Niners did answer with a touchdown as backup QB Josh Dobbs came in for an injured Brock Purdy who would leave with an elbow injury earlier in the drive after taking a sack, taking it in himself from 7-yards out, San Francisco was unable to recover the on-side kick as time expired. With a missed extra-point by Moody, the 49ers ultimately fell, 40-34 in an entertaining shootout. Both QB's put up big numbers in the game, with Purdy throwing for a career-high 377 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, and Goff who had plenty of friends and family in attendance, with 303 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs led all rushers with 117 yards and a touchdown. 

Needing only 33-yards entering Monday night's game to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the season, 49ers tight-end George Kittle notched another stellar performance with 8 receptions for 112 yards, helping him eclipse the 1,000 yard mark. His fourth season with 1,000 receiving yards, Kittle is tied for the second most by a tight-end in NFL history and the only tight-end in 49ers franchise history with four such seasons. However, he remains the only tight-end in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving on less than 100 targets and he has now done it in back-to-back seasons. As for Ricky Pearsall, the rookie receiver logged the third most yards in a game by a Niners rookie (141) behind only Jerry Rice (231 yards in 1985) and Dave Park (146 yards in 1964), earning him a nomination for the NFL's Pepsi Rookie of the Week. 

Week 18 Preview: Taking the field for the final time this season, the (6-10) 49ers will pay a visit to the desert to take on the rival (7-9) Arizona Cardinals in the regular-season finale. With Arizona also already eliminated from the postseason, there won't be a ton to play for from a team standpoint from either squad on Sunday, with the exception of San Francisco attempting to avenge their 24-23 Week 5 loss to the Cardinals where the 49ers squandered a 10-point 4th quarter lead after kicker Jake Moody left just before halftime with an injury which ignited the team's ups and downs at the kicker position. As for the players, one 49er in particular who will be playing for a little more on Sunday is receiver Jauan Jennings who has already had a career year this season, leading all receivers in touchdowns (6) and receiving yards (923), just 77 yards shy of his first career 1,000-yard season. With Purdy ruled out for the season-finale with a sore elbow, suiting up at the quarterback position for the 49ers will be former Cardinal Josh Dobbs who played the first half of last season in Arizona before being traded to Minnesota. 

Expect Dobbs to look Jennings' way early and often come gameday. On the four passing plays that Dobbs filled in for on Monday night, the 49ers backup QB threw in Jennings' direction on three of those plays. With coach Shanahan well aware of how close Jennings is to the milestone, expect him to dial up a bevy of plays for Jennings, much like he did for Deebo in the Miami game in Week 16. Another match-up worth watching will be between both team's tight-ends in San Francisco's George Kittle and Arizona Trey McBride. Unlike Jennings, both Kittle and McBride have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark this season with McBride having the slight edge with 1,081 yards to Kittle's nearly identical 1,079 yards, but Kittle has the edge in touchdowns with 8 compared to McBride's 1. The most surprising stat of all is that Kittle has nearly the same amount of receiving yards with only 76 receptions, nearly 30 fewer than McBride's 104 catches. Regardless, Kittle vs McBride is the perfect example of two of the best tight-ends in the league both new and old. 

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Niners Drop to Dolphins, Eliminated from Playoffs

Week 16 - Entering Sunday's game, the (6-8) San Francisco 49ers held less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs after their disappointing loss to the Rams a week earlier on a rain-soaked Levi's Stadium field. But just moments before kickoff against the (6-8) Miami Dolphins, the Niners would learn that those playoff hopes would come to an end following the Washington Commanders' dramatic comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles which meant San Francisco was mathematically eliminated from punching their playoff ticket. With head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad missing the postseason for the first time since 2020, there was little to play for as San Francisco would not be given a chance to defend their NFC title. Making their first visit Miami, Florida since their loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 nearly five years ago, the 49ers would duel with a familiar face in Miami head coach Mike McDaniel who served five seasons under coach Shanahan in San Francisco as the run game coordinator and offensive coordinator before landing the Dolphins' head coaching gig in 2022. 

As for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who would be facing the team he grew up rooting for while idolizing Dolphins great Dan Marino, he would also face the team he recorded his first career win against in 2022 when stepping in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Having come a long way since making NFL history in that contest when Purdy became the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in a regular season game, Sunday would unfortunately end on a much somber note than the game that catapulted Brock Purdy's name on a national scale just two years earlier. Taking over duties in the backfield behind Purdy would be yet another running back in Patrick Taylor who in his fifth pro season would make his first career start in place of injured rookie Isaac Guerendo. Unfortunately, it would be a quiet day for Taylor, the team's fifth-string running back behind a laundry list of injured backs in Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason and Guerendo. One 49er who would not have a disappointing game in what's been a disappointing season is Deebo Samuel. After dropping a potential game-winning touchdown a week earlier, Deebo would have one of his best games of the season on Sunday. 

After the Dolphins jumped ahead in the first quarter with a Jason Sanders field goal, the 49ers answered to start the second quarter with a Deebo Samuel touchdown. His third TD of the season and first since Week 6, Deebo rumbled and tumbled his way into the end zone with an impressive show of strength, fighting off tackles to strike paydirt. Inching closer with another field goal by Sanders, the Dolphins would take the lead one possession later with a touchdown pass from Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa to receiver Tyreek Hill. After suffering a few dropped passes earlier in the game, Hill made up for it, hauling in the 100th career touchdown pass by Tua who became just the fourth Dolphins QB to reach the century mark. The 49ers would answer with a Jake Moody field goal but went into the locker room trailing 13-10 at the half. Picking up right where they left off, Miami converted on more field goals as Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders added to his busy day by adding another pair of field goals to open the second half. Sandwiched between those made field goals was a missed field goal by San Francisco's Jake Moody. 

Trailing 16-10, Moody's kick from 41-yards would sail wide-left, much to the chagrin of coach Shanahan who was seen fuming on the sideline after the missed field goal. Making matters worse, the 49ers had a 16-yard Deebo Samuel reception that would've given them a first and goal from the 2-yard line negated a few plays earlier due to an illegal-formation penalty on rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who was flagged twice on the same drive for illegal-formation. The back-breaking penalties followed by the missed field goal would only add to the frustration felt by the 49ers virtually all season long as the self-inflicted miscues have reared their ugly head far too often for San Francisco this year. After another made field goal by Miami that pushed their lead to 19-10, the 49ers marched their way to the end zone to open the fourth quarter, capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight-end who hauled in his first touchdown reception as a 49er and only the third TD of his 7-year career. Another tight-end that would make his presence felt on Sunday was San Francisco's George Kittle who notched his 20th career 100-yard receiving game after his 106-yard performance, making him the 4th tight-end with 20 such games in his first 8 seasons in NFL history. Kittle's 7,241 receiving yards passed Rob Gronkowski for the 2nd most by an NFL tight-end in his first 8 seasons in NFL history, trailing only Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. 

Pulling within 2 points, the 49ers had Miami right where they wanted them after forcing a punt on the Dolphins ensuing possession. But after having to punt themselves after nothing doing, Miami would add another field goal to add to their lead, the fifth of the game from kicker Jason Sanders. Still within striking distance trailing by 5, Brock Purdy would be pressured into hurrying a pass that was intercepted by the Miami defense. A few plays later, running back De'Von Achane would break for a 50-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach and sealing the Dolphins' 29-17 win. With his touchdown run that served as the dagger, Achane recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, logging 120 rush yards in total. Although Brock Purdy threw for 313 yards and a pair of touchdowns, his costly interception came at a pivotal time and was unable to rally his team to victory when playing from behind. The Niners' disappointing run game was outgained 166 to 81 as both Purdy (26) and Samuel (25) finished with more rushing yards than starting running back Patrick Taylor (24). Tua played turnover-free football and threw for 215 yards and a touchdown for Miami. 

Noteworthy: Playing in just his second game since returning from a torn Achilles, 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw would have to again leave Sunday's game early, this time with a calf injury that will likely lead to Shanahan and company shutting him down for the remainder of the season as a precaution. 

Week 17 Preview: Playing in their final home game of the season, the (6-9) 49ers will return to Levi's Stadium where they will play host to the (13-2) Detroit Lions on the last Monday Night Football of 2024 in what will be a rematch of last season's NFC Championship game. With the Lions currently sitting in the driver's seat as the NFC's No. 1 seed, Detroit will look to avenge their heartbreaking loss to the 49ers which saw San Francisco storm back from a 17-point deficit. With the rival Vikings on Detroit's heels and also sitting at 13-2 on the year, expect quarterback Jared Goff and the Lions to not pull any punches and give it everything they have on Monday night as explained by head coach Dan Campbell, despite having suffered a few major injuries to the roster down the stretch. 

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is hoping running back Isaac Guerendo will be one of the players back in time for gameday as he nurses a hamstring and foot injury. With 967 receiving yards on the season, Niners tight-end George Kittle is another name that expects to go full throttle on Monday night as he looks to surpass the 1,000 yard mark for the second consecutive season and for the fourth time in his career. Kittle also leads the team in touchdowns with 8, the second-most he's scored in a single season. As for San Francisco's offensive-line, quarterback Brock Purdy may be in for a world of hurt as he's expected to be without left-tackle Trent Williams, left-guard Aaron Banks, right-tackle Spencer Burford, and possibly right-tackle Colton McKivitz who is questionable with a knee injury. 

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49ers Faceplant vs Rams in Rainy Santa Clara

Week 15 - With just a handful of games remaining on the NFL's regular season schedule, the San Francisco 49ers entered their Thursday Night meeting with the rival (7-6) Los Angeles Rams with a record of 6-7 and very little margin of error to play with. Hoping to continue their improbable playoff run and cruise with a win at home, mother nature would have other plans as both teams struggled to get much of anything going on offense partly in part by the rainy conditions that effected both team's strategy through the air. With what many believed would be a back-and-forth shootout between two offenses led by two of the best young minds in all of football at the head coaching position between friends and former colleagues Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, instead turned into the first game in the NFL this season without a single touchdown scored. 

In a season that has been plagued by injuries, the 49ers finally received a bit of positivity on the injury front as linebacker Dre Greenlaw made his season debut, returning to action just 10 months removed from suffering a torn Achilles in a freak accident while on the sideline during February's Super Bowl. While the injury sent a ripple effect throughout the clubhouse and left his teammates in shock when it initially occurred, his return on Thursday night inspired the team and gave the defense a much-needed jolt on the field, at least through the first two quarters. Getting the start at linebacker opposite of Fred Warner, Greenlaw dazzled and led both teams with 10 tackles in the first half alone. With Greenlaw's help, the 49er defense held the Rams offense to four straight drives without a first down, the longest streak to start a game under head coach Sean McVay. While the 49ers did strike first with a 53-yard Jake Moody field goal on their second drive of the game, they weren't much better on offense as both teams combined for 11 punts in the first half, tied for the most in a half this season. After holding the Chicago Bears to just 3 yards of total offense in the first half a week ago, San Francisco was at it again and held the Rams to just 26 yards in the first half in rainy Santa Clara. 

With a score of 3-3 at the half, the 6-points scored were the fewest in a first half of a 49ers-Rams game since 2009. With 152 games played in the longstanding 49ers-Rams rivalry, it would also be the first game in series history without a touchdown thru the first three quarters, let alone the entire game as the kickers took centerstage and did all the scoring on Thursday night. After forcing a three and out on defense and taking a 6-3 lead following a field goal on San Francisco's first drive of the second half, things began to slip away for the 49ers both literally and figuratively. One play earlier before electing to kick the go-ahead field goal, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy threw a pass to a streaking Deebo Samuel who had blockers ahead of him and the end zone in his sights, but the recently disgruntled receiver dropped the pass and ran to the sideline holding his head in disbelief, much to the chagrin of the 49er fans in attendance as boo's rained down. The dropped pass that was likely destined for the end zone was especially frustrating for the 49ers as Deebo expressed to the media in the days leading up to Thursday's game that there was nothing wrong with him in what's been a down year for the former All-Pro receiver, he just hasn't been given the ball enough. Coach Shanahan and Brock Purdy both tried feeding Samuel on Thursday, even forcibly at times, dialing up plays both on the ground and through the air to no avail. 

Trailing 6-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Rams kicked field goals on their final three drives of the game to take a 12-6 lead. Just four nights after winning the highest-scoring game of the season in a 44-42 barnburner against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, L.A. suddenly found themselves in one of the lowest-scoring games of the year. With a chance to turn the tables and avenge a comeback loss to the Rams in L.A. back in Week 3, Purdy struggled to connect on a pair of home run passes to receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, respectively. After underthrowing a pass near the end zone to Pearsall, the Niners QB overthrew a deep ball to Jennings that was picked off inside the end zone. One possession later, the San Francisco offense would have one last-ditch effort remaining, but with no timeouts remaining and the game clock running against them, Purdy took a sack that sealed the Rams' win and most likely the Niners' season. With just 191 total yards of offense to show for, the 49ers put up the second fewest yards in a game under coach Shanahan. 

Perhaps an even bigger story than the proverbial final nail in the coffin that is the Niners' season, is that of linebacker De'Vondre Campbell who made headlines after refusing to go into the game for San Francisco during the third quarter. Demoted to a backup position on gameday due to the return of Dre Greenlaw, Campbell would hear his name called during the second half after Greenlaw and fellow linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles both went to the sideline after getting banged up, but Campbell refused to enter the game. Clearly feeling some type of way given his demotion, Campbell was sent to the locker room in what would end up being the final visuals of him in a 49ers uniform. Campbell's teammates and coaches sounded off on him when asked about the situation in their postgame interviews, and he has since been suspended for the team's final three regular season games this season. A former All-Pro while a member of the Green Bay Packers in 2021, Campbell began his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons, with stops in Arizona and Green Bay before ultimately landing in San Francisco during the offseason. After initially agreeing to a 1-year deal with free-agent linebacker Eric Kendricks, the plug was eventually pulled on the deal when Kendricks bailed out and ultimately signed with the Dallas Cowboys, thus resulting in the 49ers reaching an agreement with Campbell who might've very well played his final downs as an NFL linebacker. 

For the Rams, winners of 7 of their last 9 games, Matt Stafford and company now have their first 3-game win streak vs San Francisco since 1999-2001 which saw six straight wins over their longtime rivals. This after the 49ers had won 9 straight regular season meetings over the Rams more recently from 2019-2023. Neither team's quarterback lit up the stat sheet as Stafford threw for 160 yards with 0 touchdowns, compared to Brock Purdy who tallied 142 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. L.A.'s Puka Nacua led all receivers with 97 yards receiving and 7 receptions, followed by George Kittle of the Niners who hauled in 4 receptions for 61 yards. Most of the damage done by the Rams offense would come on the ground which came as no surprise in a rain-filled game as L.A. outrushed SF 142 to 63 yards rushing. Kyren Williams would have the busiest day of all running backs, leading the way for the Rams with 108 yards on 29 carries, compared to just 57 yards rushing on 19 carries by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo of the 49ers. 

Week 16 Preview - Hitting the road for sunny South Beach Florida, the (6-8) 49ers will visit the (6-8) Miami Dolphins. With the Niners sharing an identical record as the Dolphins, Miami's up and down season has had plenty to do with the health of their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who was forced to miss four games earlier this year due to yet another concussion. Since returning to action in Week 8, Tua had been playing some solid football to the tune of 15 touchdowns and only 1 interception, in spite of his team still losing games. That was until a clunker on the road in Houston where Tua threw only 1 touchdown to 3 interceptions in Week 15. With both teams coming off poor showings a week ago, both the 49ers and Dolphins will look to right the ship in Week 16 as Kyle Shanahan faces another one of his former colleagues in Miami head coach Mike McDaniel who spent five years on Shanahan's staff in San Francisco before landing his own head coaching gig. 

Seeking their first win in Miami since 1995, 49ers QB Brock Purdy who recorded his first career win against the Dolphins in relief of former teammate Jimmy Garoppolo in 2022, will attempt to get the job done against the team he grew up rooting for. 

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Right to Bear Arms - Niners Pummel Chicago

Week 14 - Looking to shake off their nightmarish two-game road trip and three-game skid, the (5-7) San Francisco 49ers returned home to Levi's Stadium in hopes of a rebound as they continue to play catchup in a crowded NFC West. Despite looking up at the rest of the division in the standings and sitting in last place, the Niners still have a scenario in play where they can make the playoffs, but they can ill afford losing more games to teams they should easily beat. A meeting with the visiting (4-8) Chicago Bears, losers of six straight entering Sunday, would allow them an opportunity to get back on track and into the win column. With the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus on black Friday, a day after the debacle that took place during their Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions, it was uncertain what the Chicago Bears would look like on Sunday under interim head coach Thomas Brown who took the sideline for the first time at the helm after starting the season as the team's passing game coordinator. And with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy coming off career-lows as a starter a week earlier in snowy Buffalo, the Niners signal-caller would come out with a chip on his shoulder as the offense began Sunday's contest firing on all cylinders right out the gates. 

Thanks to big gains on back-to-back plays by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo and tight-end George Kittle who picked up 23 and 33 yards respectively, the Niners were off to the races and found the end zone on Purdy's 7-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jauan Jennings. The quartet of Purdy, Guerendo, Kittle and Jennings would all be in line for big games, including Guerendo who would see his first career start at running back in the absence of fellow running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason. Jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead, San Francisco would score only their second opening-drive touchdown of the season, marching 70-yards in just 7-plays. With the 49er defense welcoming back safety Talanoa Hufanga after a 7-game stint on the Injured Reserve, San Francisco would be just as stout on the defensive side of the ball as the Chicago Bears were held scoreless in the first half and limited to only 4 yards of total offense through the first two quarters. With a rushing touchdown by Guerendo and a second touchdown grab by Jauan Jennings, the 49ers went into the locker room at the half with a resounding 24-0 lead. 

Whatever peptalk interim head coach Thomas Brown gave his team at the half, seemed to work as the Bears put together their most successful drive yet, marching 70-yards on 18-plays before finding the end zone on a 4-yard touchdown pass from QB Caleb Williams to receiver Rome Odunze for the rookie-to-rookie connection. In spite of the successful drive, the Bears ate up over 9-minutes of game time on their touchdown-scoring drive. After forcing a quick 49ers punt on San Francisco's ensuing possession, the Bears were suddenly marching down the field on offense and made it across midfield before being dealt a blow on a Caleb Williams fumble on a backwards pass that was recovered by the defense. Stopping the Bears in their tracks, the 49ers capitalized on the Chicago turnover with Isaac Guerendo's second rushing touchdown of the afternoon from 4-yards out. Setup by a 39-yard reception from Jauan Jennings, the 49ers had plenty of big plays under their sleeve on Sunday. After only eight plays of 20+ yards in their last three games combined, Kyle Shanahan's offense would match that mark in the first half of Sunday's game alone before surpassing that total with more big plays in the second half. 

With only one receiving touchdown on the season entering Sunday, Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze would haul in his second touchdown reception of the afternoon with a 14-yard grab, making it a 31-13 game. Answering Chicago's touchdown with a scoring drive of their own, the 49ers run game would put the final nail in the coffin following a 3-yard rushing touchdown up the middle by running back Patrick Taylor who put the game well out of reach. After losing their previous three games by a combined 7-points, the Bears were shellacked on Sunday by a final score of 38-13. Thanks to an overall solid performance in all facets by the 49ers, there was very little if anything at all to complain about as the Niners got back into the win column. Outgaining the Bears by nearly 300 yards in total offense, the 49ers racked up 452 yards to Chicago's 162. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy answered the call after setting career-lows the week earlier, throwing for 325 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, completing 20 of 25 passes. In contrast, Bears QB Caleb Williams also connected on a pair of touchdown passes, but threw for only 134 yards and was sacked seven times on Sunday, adding to his NFL lead as the most sacked quarterback in the league this season with 56, 15 more than the next closest quarterback (C.J. Stroud, sacked 41 times).

49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo answered the call in his first career start, rushing for 78-yards and 2 touchdowns and adding another 50-yards receiving on 2 receptions to give him 128-yards of total offense, resulting in a nomination for the NFL's Pepsi Rookie of the Week. Tight-end George Kittle had just six receptions on Sunday but made the most of them and finished with a game-high 151-yards receiving on his way to becoming just the third tight-end in NFL history with 500 receptions and 7,000 receiving yards. Leading all receivers with 7 receptions, Jauan Jennings continued his stellar 2024 campaign with 90-yards and 2 touchdown grabs in the win. Hampered by injury which has caused him to miss all but seven games this season, defensive-end Yetur Gross-Matos who was the team's big offseason signing on defense, led the 49ers in sacks on Sunday with 3, tripling his season output as he entered Sunday with only 1 sack on the year. 

Week 15 Preview: With a quick turnaround in store as the (6-7) 49ers play host to the rival (7-6) Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, San Francisco will look to win their second straight and avenge a tough Week 3 loss that saw the 49ers spoil a 10-point fourth quarter lead. In that game, the 49ers were without many of their playmakers on offense including George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, both of whom will be on the field on Thursday looking to make up for their absence in the previous bout. However, receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were also missing in action in that Week 3 meeting for the Rams and will look to prevent the 49ers from gaining any ground within the NFC Western Division. L.A. QB Matthew Stafford is also playing his best football of the season while riding a streak of 10 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions over the last four games for the Rams offense. After losing nine straight regular season games to the Niners, the Rams enter Levi's Stadium having won the last two matchups against San Francisco including last year's regular season finale in a battle of two backup QB's. 

Sunday's game will have a bit more significance than that playoff tune-up from a season ago with the Niners hoping to start a new streak against their rivals and inch back into the playoff picture with only four regular season games remaining on the schedule and plenty of ground to make up. One key reinforcement could be headed San Francisco's way in time for kickoff in the form of linebacker Dre Greenlaw who's been out all season after tearing his Achilles on the sideline in February's Super Bowl. With Thursday's game the targeted date for a possible season debut for the Niners' talented linebacker barring any setbacks during this week's practice, a healthy Greenlaw back on the field could be the perfect jolt needed for the 49ers looking to make a last-ditch run for a playoff spot. 

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Niners Frostbitten by Bills in snowy Buffalo

Week 13 - Continuing their brutal two-game stretch of road games played in frigid temperatures, the (5-6) San Francisco 49ers would follow up their visit from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field with a trip to the northeast for a date with the (9-2) Buffalo Bills. Facing yet another team coming off the Bye (that's four now for those of you keeping track at home), the 49ers would have their work cut out for them against arguably the best team in the AFC, not to mention playing in a snow game that required the help of those brave enough to shovel snow in and around the stadium in the hours leading up to kickoff. Offering $20 dollars an hour as well as hot meals and warm beverages, the Bills took to their social media account to rally as many shovelers as they could get with two feet of snow expected to fall come gameday. Unfortunately for the 49ers, the game's outcome would be as ugly as the conditions. 

Despite getting quarterback Brock Purdy back under center after missing Week 12 with a shoulder injury sustained in Week 11 against Seattle, there wasn't a whole lot to write home about regarding the 49ers' offense on Sunday. And the defense wasn't any better as guys were slipping up and down the field virtually all game long. While the San Francisco defense was able to force a three and out on Buffalo's opening-drive which allowed the 49ers to strike first thanks to a Jake Moody field goal on their first possession, it was about the only point in the game that the defense came off the field on a high note. Leading 3-0 early, the San Francisco defense nearly forced a second consecutive three and out punt to begin the game, but an illegal contact penalty on cornerback Charvarius Ward who returned to action after missing the previous four games due to personal reasons, breathed new life into Buffalo's offense and were off to the races from there. Given a fresh set of downs, MVP candidate Josh Allen and company did the rest as the Bills orchestrated their first of three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives. A busy day on the ground for both teams, Bills backup running back Ray Davis scored the game's first touchdown with a 5-yard rush that sent Bills Mafia into a frenzy as snowballs were thrown up in the air in celebration. 

Playing in less-than-ideal conditions to throw or kick a ball in, 49ers kicker Jake Moody learned firsthand just how difficult splitting the uprights would be in the snow, especially as the night progressed and conditions worsened. After drilling a 33-yard kick on his first field goal attempt before the heavier snowfall, Moody missed kicks from 45 and 55 yards out as San Francisco was unable to find the end zone in the first half. Making matters worse, running back Christian McCaffrey who had been the lone bright spot on the offense for the 49ers in the first half, would have to leave the game in the second quarter after falling to the ground with a lower body injury. With 53 yards on 7 rush attempts, McCaffrey was poised for a big performance before heading to the locker room where he would spend the rest of the night. Aided by a 65-yard touchdown run by Bills running back James Cook, Buffalo's longest TD run since 2016, both teams would surpass the 100-yard rushing mark by halftime, marking the first time in a game this season that two teams tallied more than 100 yards rushing in a first half (SF-108, BUF-141). 

Trailing 21-3 at the half, the 49ers would see their fewest points scored in a first half since Week 18 of the 2021 season. Hoping to get off to a better start in the second half, the 49ers were trending in the right direction thanks to a big return of 60 yards from return man Deebo Samuel on the second half kickoff. Making their way to the 4-yard line, San Francisco's woes inside the red zone would rear their ugly head once again as fullback Kyle Juszczyk fumbled at the goal line, committing his first fumble since 2018 and a costly one at that. With Buffalo adding another touchdown, this time on a pass to receiver Amari Cooper who was bottled up before pitching a lateral back to a streaking Josh Allen along the sideline, the Bills' athletic quarterback dove across the goal line for the highlight worthy score. Having grown up a 49ers fan in nearby Firebaugh, California, Allen would be credited for both a touchdown pass and touchdown reception on the play, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to have a receiving touchdown on a pass he threw.  

San Francisco's lone touchdown of the game would come on a 15-yard run by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo. Receiver Jauan Jennings who made 3 receptions for a game-high 56-yards, helped setup the touchdown with a big 26-yard gain on 4th and 5 that led the Niners into the red zone and eventually the end zone. Trailing 28-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, any chance of a miracle comeback would be nullified rather quickly as San Francisco fumbled the ball away on each of their next two possessions. The first occurred on the first play of the fourth quarter as the ball slipped out of the hands of quarterback Brock Purdy as he reared back for a pass, almost like a wet bar of soap. The second would come on a fumbled kick return by Deebo Samuel after an 8-yard rushing touchdown by Josh Allen. Buffalo would attempt to cash in on a 49-yard Tyler Bass field goal following the Deebo fumble, but the elements again proved to be too much. The Bills would call upon backup QB Mitch Trubisky for the fourth quarter with the game well out of hand and the score 35-10 which would hold up as the final. 

Two teams going in two different directions this season, the 49ers' loss was their third straight and while they're still technically alive in the NFC West, their playoff hopes are fading fast with each loss. Meanwhile, the Bills have now won an NFL-best seven consecutive games and appear to be the favorite in the AFC after clinching their fifth consecutive AFC East title and becoming the first team to clinch a division with five weeks remaining since the 2009 Colts. One of two teams with a takeaway in every game this season (Vikings the other), the Bills feasted on the many miscues committed by the Niners, including a total of three fumbles. Becoming the first QB in NFL history with a TD pass, TD rush & TD catch in a game, Josh Allen continued his MVP candidacy by throwing for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns compared to just 94 yards passing from Brock Purdy. 49er running backs combined to rush for 153 yards in the loss thanks to 78 yards from backup Jordan Mason and 53 from McCaffrey, but were still outgained on the ground by Buffalo's 220 rushing yards. Unfortunately, both Mason and McCaffrey would be placed on the Injured Reserve list on Monday due to a high ankle sprain and PCL injury respectively, likely ending McCaffrey's season.  

Week 14 Preview: Following their brutal two-game stretch on the road where the Niners were outscored a combined 73-20, the team will return to their home digs of Levi's Stadium for a meeting with the (4-8) Chicago Bears. Coming off a Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions, the Bears will take the field for the first time after the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus after 2+ seasons at the helm following a brutal mismanagement of the game clock in last week's loss, the first time in the team's 104-year history that they've fired a head coach mid-season. With interim head coach Thomas Brown now in the drivers seat for the Bears and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams coming off back to back stellar performances, the 49ers will try to get back on track with a win to help keep their playoff hopes alive. Like San Francisco who has dropped three straight, the Bears come into the Bay Area meeting having dropped six consecutive games. 

While Chicago ranks 23rd in the league in scoring and 26th in total offense, they are 3rd overall in red zone scoring (66.67%) which is where the Niners will need to be sharp on defense on Sunday, especially if their offense continues to struggle the way it has as of late. At the top in red zone offense a season ago, the 49ers have struggled in the red zone all season long this year and currently rank 28th in the NFL with a 47.7 touchdown %. Not a good sign, especially considering the Bears have the No. 1 ranked red zone defense in all of football at 40.91%. Plenty has been said about the 49ers' defense that has been underperforming this season in multiple areas and some of that appears to be for good reason after recent developments. One of San Francisco's best players and vocal leaders is linebacker Fred Warner who revealed earlier in the week that he's been playing on a fractured ankle suffered in Week 4 against the Patriots. You can bet your bottom dollar that Warner will be out there again on Sunday, hoping to stop the bleeding as the Niners look to get back into the win column. 

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Shorthanded Niners no match for Pack

Week 12 - With only a handful of games remaining on the NFL's regular season schedule, things are getting dire for the (5-5) San Francisco 49ers who are toeing the line of must-win territory as they trail the Cardinals and sit tied with the Rams and Seahawks in a crowded NFC Western Division. However, the timing of these must-win games would be rather unfortunate for the Niners who took to the road on Sunday to kickoff the first leg of a tough two-game road trip against the (7-3) Green Bay Packers and (8-2) Buffalo Bills, two of the better teams in all of football. Making matters worse, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would be without several key players including four Pro Bowlers in defensive-end Nick Bosa, left-tackle Trent Williams, cornerback Charvarius Ward and quarterback Brock Purdy. With Purdy missing practice during the week due to a sore shoulder, coach Shanahan announced backup QB Brandon Allen would be next in line to start, something he hadn't done since 2021 as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Making his first start in three years, Niner fans had a feeling Sunday's game would not be a pretty sight while going up against a hungry Green Bay team looking to avenge their playoff loss suffered at the hands of San Francisco a season ago. But nothing would prepare them for the lopsided struggle that ensued on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. As bad as the Niners were on offense, their defense was even worse as they committed 10 missed tackles in the first quarter alone, and 15 in the first half, both the most by any team in the NFL this season. That number would climb to 19 missed tackles in total by the end of the game. It would be a forgetful day in all facets for the 49er defense as they saw their streak of 55 consecutive games without allowing a 100+ yard rusher come to an end, snapping the longest streak in the NFL since 1955. Green Bay's offense opened the game with a 15-play, 77-yard drive that ate up nearly seven and a half minutes, ending in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Packers QB Jordan Love to tight-end Tucker Kraft. Meanwhile, the 49ers punted on each of their first two drives and didn't convert a first down until midway thru the second quarter. 

San Francisco also struggled with penalties on Sunday, committing nine penalties in total, including three first half penalties by rookie Dominic Puni who had committed only one penalty all season long entering Sunday. Trailing 17-0, the 49ers would finally piece together their first successful drive on offense, capped off by a 3-yard receiving touchdown by tight-end George Kittle. After missing last week's game with a hamstring injury, Kittle returned to the field picking up right where he left off by hauling in his league-leading 15th red zone reception and his eighth red zone touchdown on the season, the most in the NFL. The touchdown grab would also move Kittle into No. 3 on the franchise's all-time receptions list, giving him 507 career receptions, trailing only Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens. After a penalty-riddled first half, the 49ers received the ball to open the third quarter and appeared to have stolen some momentum after an 87-yard kick return by Deebo Samuel. But low and behold, a holding penalty would negate the potential game-shifting return. Instead of setting up shop at Green Bay's 8-yard line, San Francisco would be called back to their own 21-yard line and eventually turned the ball over on downs. 

The 49er offense would cross midfield on their next possession, but a high pass into traffic intended for Samuel went over his head and into the hands of a Packers defender. Any chance of a fourth quarter comeback like the one they pulled off against Green Bay in the playoffs last season, went down the drain after fumbles on consecutive drives by the San Francisco offense. A strip-sack fumble on Brandon Allen and a rare miscue by running back Christian McCaffrey would result in a pair of touchdowns by the Packer offense which cashed in 21-points off San Francisco turnovers in total. As for the 49er defense, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen's unit was unable to force any turnovers on Sunday with the exception of a late turnover on downs with just over a minute remaining in regulation. Packers QB Jordan Love entered Sunday's game having thrown at least one interception in every game this season, but steered clear against the Niners despite two near mistakes on dropped picks by San Francisco's Renardo Green and Ji'Ayir Brown.

While San Francisco's struggles inside the red zone are well documented this season, Green Bay has been equally as bad this year and ranked 27th in red zone percentage entering Sunday. However, they converted 4-for-4 in red zone trips against the Niners, including three rushing touchdowns by running back Josh Jacobs, his third career 3 touchdown game. Jacobs entered Sunday's meeting red-hot with 90+ scrimmage yards in six straight games, tied for the longest active streak in the NFL and third in the league in rushing with 838 yards. He kept that streak alive with a busy 106-yard performance, helping Green Bay score a season-high 38-points as the 49ers lost, 38-10. In the rivalry which spans 74 games between the two teams, the 28-point loss for San Francisco would mark their largest loss in the series' history. 49ers QB Brandon Allen did outproduce Jordan Love in passing yards: 199 to 163 but tallied only 1 touchdown and two turnovers compared to Love's 2 touchdowns and no turnovers. George Kittle led all receivers with 82 yards and a receiving touchdown on a game-high six receptions. 

Unfortunately for San Francisco, the loss would result in a dramatic drop in their playoff probability, dropping their playoff hopes from 46% had they won on Sunday, compared to just 15% with the loss. The 31% differential in win from loss is the largest in the NFL this week.  

Week 13 Preview - After falling to 5-6 on the season, the 49ers will have another tough one on Sunday when they take a trip to the northeast for a date with the (9-2) Buffalo Bills. With snow expected in the forecast and the elements likely to play a factor, the Niners will need a much better performance on the ground from Christian McCaffrey and company, especially after San Francisco was outgained 169 to 44 in rushing yards in Week 12 against the Packers. They'll also need a much cleaner game on defense against Bills quarterback Josh Allen who is currently in the MVP discussion as Buffalo trails only the (10-1) Kansas City Chiefs who they recently defeated for the top seed in the AFC. San Francisco's playoff hopes are fading fast, but if anything can catapult them back into the discussion it would be a road win against a stout Bills team that has won six straight and is undefeated at home this season (5-0). It's not exactly clear whether or not Brock Purdy will return on Sunday as he continues to battle shoulder soreness which has kept him limited at practice up to this point. If not, another tough day at the office could be in store for backup Brandon Allen. 

The 49ers did receive some good news on the injury front as linebacker Dre Greenlaw who's been out all season with a torn Achilles suffered on the sideline during February's Super Bowl, is expected to join team practices this week in a limited role before returning to game action in the coming weeks. San Francisco's defense has been nowhere near as dominant as they were a season ago and a lot of that can be attributed to the absence of Greenlaw who when healthy, provides arguably the best 1-2 punch at linebacker in all of football with Fred Warner. 

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Niners Late Lead Slips in Loss to Hawks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. 

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