49ers unable to tame Lions

Week 16 - Heading into Detroit for their final road game of the season, the (4-10) 49ers entered Sunday's game hoping to exit the Motor City with a win and return home with a winning-streak to finish what's been a disappointing season. But with the (5-9) Lions playing their best football of the season as of late, the Niners would be put to the test. A challenge they appeared to be willing to accept as they jumped out to an early lead by scoring a touchdown on their first drive for the first time all year. It would also mark their first 1st quarter touchdown of the 2015 season.

After putting up a fight which saw the Niners not only score the first 7-points of the game, but also stick around in a back and forth first half, the San Francisco offense disappeared after halftime as they were shutout in the second half. 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin who caught his first career ball against the Lions, got things started off by becoming just the 13th player in NFL history to record 1,000 career receptions when he caught a 5-yard pass on the first play of the game. A series of runs and short passes helped San Francisco march all the way to the goal line where they put an exclamation point on the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass from QB Blaine Gabbert to tight-end Vance McDonald. The Lions answered by scoring a 36-yard field goal and a 29-yard touchdown on back to back drives to take their first lead. A fake punt in which Detroit converted a first down on a direct snap would setup the go-ahead touchdown. But Gabbert would have other plans as the Niners jumped back ahead after a 16-yard touchdown connection to Torrey Smith.

Gabbert managed to go without throwing an interception in the game but a 9-yard sack in which he fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line would cost him in the second quarter. Detroit's Joique Bell would capitalize on the very next play by scampering into the end zone for a touchdown. Niners kicker Phil Dawson would split a pair of field goals, missing a 45-yarder and making one from 40, only to be outdone by Detroit's Matt Prater who kicked a pair including one with time expiring to send his team into the locker room at the half, leading 20-17. Aside from keeping it a close game, San Francisco would also tie a season-high 17 first half points. Unfortunately, it would be all the scoring they would do as they failed to scratch a single point on the scoreboard in the second half. The 49ers shot themselves in the foot nearly all afternoon long as they were called for offsides or for being in the neutral zone seven times to set a single-game high by an NFL team this year, six of which came in the first half, the most for any team since 1993.

In what's been a nightmarish season for 49ers running backs this year with injuries sustained to Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush and now Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris got the nod and was one of the few bright spots for San Francisco on Sunday. Signed by San Francisco as recent as Tuesday just days before Sunday's game, Harris rushed for a career-high 73 yards to lead all players. Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne was also promoted to the team just in time for Sunday's affair and received his heaviest workload yet, rushing for 27 yards on 9 carries and catching a career-best 5 receptions for 20 yards. With both Harris and Hayne still getting their feet wet with their respected team, one name that has been around for quite awhile now in Detroit is receiver Calvin Johnson, better known as Megatron. In what may be his final home game in a Lions uniform, the ?-time Pro Bowl wide-out caught six passes for 77 yards including a fourth quarter touchdown as quarterback Matthew Stafford was sure to send his favorite target off with one last touchdown reception if he indeed plays elsewhere in 2016. Stafford threw for a pair of TD's and eclipsed the 300-yard mark with 301 yards on the afternoon, inching closer to his fifth consecutive 4,000 yard season, needing only 36-yards with one game remaining. Gabbert tallied 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns of his own, but did so in a losing effort as the Niners fell, 32-17.

Week 17 Preview - After falling to 4-11 on the season, the 49ers head back home to meet with the division-rival (7-8) St. Louis Rams where they'll hope to avoid their first four-win season since 2005. As for the Rams who are coming off a 23-17 win over the Seahawks in Seattle, St. Louis will look to finish their disappointing season by finishing with an even .500 record. And their rookie running back Todd Gurley who ran amok versus the Niners in their first meeting this year by racking up 133 yards and a touchdown, will be called upon to do the same thing a second time around. After holding Detroit to fewer than 90-yards on Sunday, the 49er run defense will once again need a strong effort in this one if they plan to end 2015 on a high note and avenge the 27-6 loss to St. Louis earlier this year.


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Week 2: Harbaugh's 49ers shake Schwartz' Lions

Coming into week two's meeting between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions, the storyline wasn't about the two 1-0 teams going against one another, but rather the coaches who stirred up quite the controversy the last time they met with what became known as "Handshake Gate." Both coaches made sure they got their handshake out of the way earlier this time around as they exchanged pregame pleasantries. But unlike their 2011 meeting which took place in Detroit exactly 11 months to the day, the 2012 rematch wouldn't be as close of a game as the final score indicated. 

For the second time in as many games, 49ers QB Alex Smith finished behind the opposition in total passing yards (226), but once again managed to play mistake-free football while throwing two touchdowns compared to Matt Stafford's one, a late 9-yard pass to tight-end Brandon Pettigrew with under 1:30 remaining. Stafford also threw an interception where as Smith completed 20 of his 31 throws and extended his streak of 216 passes without an interception, a franchise-record he holds over two of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game -- Steve Young & Joe Montana. Stafford nearly made history of his own if it wasn't for the stingy 49ers defense who put a leash on the Detroit QB, holding him to only 230 yards passing on 19-of-32 attempts and preventing him from becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 350 yards or more in five straight games. 

Alex Smith threw a pair of touchdowns to tight-end Vernon Davis, including the first TD on the 49ers opening-drive to give San Francisco an early 7-0 lead. The Lions clawed back with back-to-back field goals  from kicker Jason Hanson to make it a one point game before running back Frank Gore scampered into the end zone from 1-yard out, capitalizing on a roughing the kicker penalty by Detroit on a David Akers field goal attempt. The mistake would prove to be costly as the Lions wouldn't get any closer on the scoreboard. Field goals exchanged by both Hanson and Akers would highlight the first four possessions of the second half until a bloody Alex Smith found Davis again who slammed on the breaks and tricked his man and the Lions secondary into running left when a herd of Detroit defenders appeared to have him trapped down the right sideline. A gash above the nose of Smith caused on a play the 49ers QB found ground on and ran for a first down before sliding and being hit in the head would cause blood to trickle down his face. But that didn't seem to mind him as the touchdown gave San Francisco a 27-12 lead. Stafford would answer with a touchdown pass of his own, but it would be too late as his team fell, 27-19 in the 49ers home opener.

With the win, San Francisco ran their home winning streak against the Lions to 12 games, including the 9th consecutive meeting. What would go unknown in the box score however, was the pair of clutch receptions wide-receiver Michael Crabtree made on two key third downs to keep not one, but two San Francisco scoring drives alive. His 6 receptions led the team and trailed only Vernon Davis (73) in receiving yards with 67. Frank Gore carried the ball 17 times for 89-yards and the 49ers D contained Detroit's prolific wide-out Calvin Johnson to 94-yards on 8 catches while keeping him out of the end zone. The 49ers came a game shy of tying the New England Patriots mark of seven consecutive games without a turnover when backup running back Kendall Hunter fumbled a kick return in the first quarter, ending a streak of 26 straight quarters without turning the ball over. The lost fumble was also the first of Hunter's career. 

Week 3 Preview & Prediction: Week 3 will see the 49ers hit the road once again to take on the 1-1 Minnesota Vikings who are coming off a 3-point loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Granted Minnesota's defense has allowed 32 touchdowns in their last 13 games through the air, Alex Smith may be in store for a heyday on offense. But the 49ers run defense who hasn't gave up much of anything through the first two weeks will face arguably their toughest match-up all season long in Adrian Peterson. Their last trip to the Metrodome didn't end too well as the 49ers fell victim to some late-game heroics by Brett Favre who found Sidney Rice in the end zone to steal the lead and game from San Francisco. Sunday's game will also feature the return of Randy Moss in Minnesota where he broke quite a few records during his prime. With emotions running high, I expect him and the 49ers to come out on top, 31-13. 

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