49ers Outlast Bears in Sunday Night Rumble

Week 17 - With things getting down to the nitty-gritty as teams approach the homestretch of the NFL's regular season, two teams vying for the NFC's top seed would faceoff in a heavyweight matchup on Sunday Night Football between the (11-4) San Francisco 49ers and (11-4) Chicago Bears. While both teams have ascended their way near the top of the league's power rankings in surprising fashion for very different reasons, few teams in the NFL have looked as good on offense this year as Kyle Shanahan's 49ers and Ben Johnson's Bears. While San Francisco has continued to defy all odds despite suffering a plethora of injuries to some of the league's best players, the Bears on the other hand have come out of nowhere after bouncing back from a last place finish just a season ago. And with Sunday night's game expected to be knock-down, drag-out war, nothing would quite prepare us for the back-and-forth melee that would actually ensue. 

After winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, the Chicago Bears would take over on defense and would make their presence felt in a hurry. Having gone the entire month of December without punting the ball away entering Sunday's game, the 49ers would again begin their night on that streak but not in the way they had envisioned. San Francisco would suffer a double-whammy on the opening-play that resulted in a pick-six interception as well as an injury suffered by left-tackle Trent Williams who just days earlier was named to his 12th career Pro Bowl. Following a tipped-pass from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy intended for Jauan Jennings, Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards came up with the interception and ran it back as Williams injured his hamstring on the play and was forced to watch all of the game from the sideline. While the play left the 49ers and their fans shocked, it would serve as a wakeup call if anything as the early turnover would prove to be nothing but a minor speedbump. Purdy and company would waste little time before answering with a score of their own, connecting on a deep pass to receiver Demarcus Robinson for 25-yards before finding backup tight-end Jake Tonges in the end zone for the 1-yard score. Filling in for the injured George Kittle who would sit out while nursing a sprained ankle, Tonges would answer the call with a team-high 7 receptions on the night against his former team. 

After forcing a three-and-out punt on Chicago's first offensive drive, the 49ers would also be forced to punt, something they hadn't done in a franchise-record 23 consecutive drives. Following another Chicago three-and-out, the 49ers were right back to their old selves with another touchdown-scoring drive, this time requiring only three plays. Setup by a 41-yard rush from running back Christian McCaffrey, the longest run of the season by a 49er, Purdy scrambled into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. Following his rushing touchdown, Purdy would become the first QB in NFL history to rush for a TD, pass for a TD and throw an interception for a TD in the first quarter of a game. Any hopes of San Francisco taking an early lead and riding it to the finish line would go right out the window as Chicago answered with a quick touchdown drive of their own following a pair of deep passes, including one into the end zone from 35-yards out to rookie receiver Luther Burden III for the equalizer. With already a wild first quarter in the books, things would only intensify as touchdowns became commonplace. 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall who was a game-time decision with a knee injury, hauled in a team-high 85-yards on the night, including a 30-yarder that helped setup McCaffrey for a 5-yard score. 

Needing half the number of plays to score a touchdown of their own, the Bears would march 65-yards on just three plays before a free-play touchdown pass from Bears QB Caleb Williams to rookie tight-end Colston Loveland. Called for a defensive offsides penalty on the play, it would mark the second consecutive week in which the 49ers were snakebitten by a free-play touchdown. While San Francisco would lack much of the efficiency Chicago had on most of their first half drives, they would manage much greater success as Shanahan's offense embarked on an 18-play drive that ate up nearly 9-minutes of time of possession before Purdy capped things off with his second rushing touchdown of the night and his third of the season to give the Niners a 28-21 halftime lead. While the 49ers would dominate the first half on offense with 330 total yards and 47 plays to just 19 plays for Chicago, only one score would separate both teams on the scoreboard. With a combined 49-points scored in the first two quarters, it would be hard for these two teams to give us another half of football as entertaining as the first one, but they would somehow manage to do just that. 

Opening the second half with the ball, Chicago would tie things at 28 with another touchdown-scoring drive capped off by running back D'Andre Swift who scored from 2-yards out. Orchestrating another drive that would end with a visit to the end zone would be Purdy who's 25-yard strike on the first play of the possession to receiver Kendrick Bourne would help setup an eventual touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk as the 49ers' shifty quarterback danced around a pair of Chicago defenders before finding his target. With the Bears trailing 35-28 entering the fourth quarter, they would kick things off with a game-tying touchdown on the first play of the quarter when Swift scored his second touchdown of the night after a 22-yard scamper. With the game tied at 35-35, the tit for tat dog fight would make the record books as the first game in NFL regular season history to be tied at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35, a feat that had only happened one other time but during the playoffs. After a rare punt for the 49ers on their first possession of the final quarter, the Bears would take their first lead since the opening-drive with a 73-yard drive that ended with a 29-yard field goal from kicker Cairo Santos and Chicago ahead, 38-35. 

Having found themselves trailing in the second half of a game for the first time in nearly two months, Purdy would remain calm, cool and collected before marching his offense 70-yards before hitting Jauan Jennings across the field for a 38-yard touchdown to give his receiver five straight games with a score and seven TDs in his last eight matches as San Francisco took a 42-38 lead. But with 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter for Chicago, things were beginning to align much like they have been all season long for second-year QB Caleb Williams who had made a habit out of fourth quarter comebacks this season. He nearly had another one up his sleeve in this one before San Francisco's makeshift defense pulled a rabbit from their hat. With their backs against the wall, Robert Saleh's defense answered the call when they needed it most. Williams and company would not go down without a fight and certainly not before causing a bit of drama as the Bears reached the 2-yard line before two final incompletions, including one of the final play of the game that left Williams flushed from the pocket and throwing on the run and off his back foot to an empty spot in the end zone as the game came to an end with the 49ers prevailing. 

In what will be an instant classic for years to come with both teams combining for 936 total yards, Brock Purdy became the first QB in 49ers franchise history with back-to-back 5 touchdown games after his performance on Sunday night included 2 rushing touchdowns, 3 passing touchdowns and 303 passing yards. Caleb Williams also played exceptionally well to the tune of 330 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns. Chicago's Luther Burden III led all receivers with 8 receptions and 138 receiving yards, while San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey led all rushers with 140 yards to go along with 41 yards receiving and a rushing touchdown. McCaffrey also had 100 rushing yards in the first half for the first time in his career, and joined Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinson as the only players in NFL history to have 3 seasons with 2,000+ scrimmage yards and 15+ TD. 

Week 18 Preview: Staying in the bay area for the regular season-finale, the (12-4) San Francisco 49ers will play host to the archrival (13-3) Seattle Seahawks in a winner-take-all battle for the NFC Western Division title and the NFC's No. 1 seed. As if these two teams needed any more ammunition to spice up their rivalry, the temperature will be increased to the nth degree as the stakes couldn't be any higher for a regular season match. Despite having already defeated the Seahawks in Seattle this season back in Week 1 and being at home, the 49ers opened up as 1.5-point underdogs according to oddsmakers. With both teams entering the heavyweight bout having won their last six games, we may be in store for yet another slugfest as each team has been on a roll and doesn't seem to like each other one bit. The one glaring difference over the last few games between these two clubs has been the quarterback play. While the 49ers have rode off the success of their quarterback Brock Purdy the last few games, Seattle has managed to win despite recent struggles from QB Sam Darnold. Robert Saleh's squad will look to continue to make things miserable for Seattle's signal-caller on Saturday night, but the last two weeks haven't exactly gone that way as opposing quarterbacks have had a field day against San Francisco's defense for the greater part of the last two weeks now. 

However, no offense in football is as hot as San Francisco's right now as Kyle Shanahan's team has now scored in 27 consecutive quarters entering the regular season-finale. Saturday's meeting is sure to be the latest chapter in what's been a rivalry defined by eventful endings including the stop at the goal-line by San Francisco's Dre Greenlaw in the 2020 regular season finale that helped secure home-field advantage and the No. 1 seed for the 49ers during the Super Bowl run. 

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Purdy Leads 49ers in Monday Night Shootout over Colts

Week 16 - With three games remaining on the regular season schedule for the (10-4) San Francisco 49ers, the team would learn on Sunday night that their playoff ticket would be punched before even having to take the field on Monday night against the (8-6) Indianapolis Colts thanks to a loss from the Detroit Lions. And with a chance to secure the NFC's No. 1 seed by winning their final three games, first on the list would be a 44-year old quarterback in Philip Rivers. Stealing the headlines entering Monday night's game, all eyes would be on Rivers who would make his home debut for the Colts after coming out of retirement on December 10, ending a layoff of nearly five years. And after nearly returning to a victory one week earlier had it not been for some late-game heroics from Seattle Seahawks kicker Josh Myers, Rivers who played well enough to win in his season debut, would try his luck at Indy's Lucas Oil Stadium. Through nearly 3 1/2 quarters Monday night, Rivers would go toe-to-toe with 49ers QB Brock Purdy in a tit-for-tat slugfest that saw the most combined points scored in a Monday Night Football game since a 54-51 shootout between the Rams and Chiefs in 2018. 

Winning the coin-toss and electing to receive, it was Rivers and the Colts who came out guns blazing on offense to begin the game. Having lost their last four games, Rivers had the Colts offense looking much like they did earlier in the year when they jumped out to a 7-1 start to the season under quarterback Daniel Jones. Marching 82-yards in 11-plays, Rivers capped things off with the first free-play touchdown of his career, connecting on a 20-yard pass to receiver Alec Pierce inside the end zone to open up the scoring and give Indy an early 7-0 lead. Up for the challenge, Brock Purdy and the 49er offense would answer quickly with a touchdown of their own by marching 69-yards in only 6-plays before a touchdown pass to receiver Demarcus Robinson from 22-yards out, his first of the season. With a fumble on the ensuing return from the Colts' special-teams, the 49ers would take over with a short field and once again wasted little time before finding the end zone again as Purdy threw a strike to running back Christian McCaffrey for a 2-yard score, giving San Francisco their first lead of the ballgame. 

After throwing for a total of 120 yards a week earlier against Seattle, Rivers would have more passing yards in the first quarter Monday night than he had all of last week. Looking to answer and keep his team in the game, Rivers would do just that on the Colts' next drive, opening the second quarter with another touchdown pass to Pierce, marking the first time since 2012 that Rivers would have touchdown passes on his first two drives. But no matter what Rivers and the Colts offense threw at the San Francisco defense, Kyle Shanahan's offense continued to throw haymakers in return as Brock Purdy and company showed no signs of slowing down and kept firing away with successful drives of their own. By the 9:30 mark in the second quarter, Purdy would have three touchdown passes to three different targets over his team's first three possessions as George Kittle joined in on the scoring palooza with an 11-yard touchdown reception to help San Francisco regain the lead. Following a three and out punt from Indy, the 49ers added an Eddy Pineiro field goal to add to their lead. After the Colts answered with a field goal of their own, Pineiro came on for one final field goal attempt to send the game into halftime, but his 64-yard try that would've set a new career-high clanked off the crossbar, keeping the score at 24-17 in favor of San Francisco. 

After tossing three first half touchdowns for the first time in his career, Purdy picked up right where he left off to begin the third quarter, connecting on big plays to Jauan Jennings and Kittle before a touchdown pass on third down to Jennings, ending a streak of seven games without allowing a third quarter touchdown by the Colts defense, their longest streak since 2007. Both teams would exchange field goals before setting up a wild fourth quarter that began with the Colts making it a 7-point game following a 1-yard rushing touchdown from running back Jonathan Taylor. With a record of 9-0 this season when leading at the half for San Francisco, Niners running back Christian McCaffrey did his part to keep that streak alive by tallying a 24-yard run, his longest of the season to put him over 1,000 rushing yards for the season. Purdy would award his running back later in the drive with his second TD reception of the night from 9-yards out to give Purdy a career-high 5 passing touchdowns, the most by a 49ers quarterback since Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX. As for regular season statistics, you would have to go back even further to 1990 when Joe Montana threw a franchise-record 6 passing TD's against the Atlanta Falcons. On a near perfect night for Purdy, his only blemish on the evening came on a tipped pass just out of the reach of a leaping Kendrick Bourne and into the arms of a Colts defender. 

With Rivers and Colts looking for a quick score with under 5-minutes remaining, the San Francisco defense came up with their biggest play of the night when linebacker Dee Winters made his first career interception a good one, making a house call with a 74-yard pick-six. It would be the final nail in the coffin on the night for Robert Saleh's defense that failed to play anywhere near their best ball but made a big play in the end when they needed it most. With a final score of 48-27, the 49ers captured their first win over the Colts since 2001 after dropping their last five meetings. San Francisco also improved to 11-4 on the year and increased their winning streak to an NFC-best 5 straight games, all by 10+ points, their 2nd longest streak under coach Shanahan. San Francisco's offense which is firing on all cylinders, has now gone two full games without a single punt, a feat achieved by only four other teams in the Super Bowl era: 2004 Steelers, 2021 Bills, 2024 Commanders and the 2025 Colts. With 11 touchdowns and 6 field goals over their last 20 drives, the last 49ers punt took place on November 30 against the Cleveland Browns. Having scored in 23 straight quarters, the 49ers are on their longest scoring streak since 1995. Helping spearhead that offense on Monday night was Brock Purdy who would be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for throwing for 295 yards, 5 touchdowns and 1 interception for a PFF grade of 96.6, setting a career-high and the highest grade of any QB in an NFL game this season. 

49ers tight-end George Kittle led all receivers with a season-high 115 yards and a touchdown before having to leave the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Christian McCaffrey added 117 yards on the ground, while scoring both of his touchdowns on the night thru the air and is now just 151 receiving yards shy of becoming the first player ever with two 1,000 yards rushing/1,000 yards receiving seasons. Kittle and McCaffrey would be two of six 49ers named to the NFC Pro Bowl team, joining Kyle Juszczyk, Trent Williams, Luke Gifford and Jon Weeks. With six representatives being named, they tie the Ravens, Broncos and Seahawks for the most players chosen from one team. For the Colts, Monday night's loss guaranteed playoff berths for the Chargers, Bills and Steelers in the AFC. With the Colts having a playoff percentage of 98% back in Week 8, those chances have now plummeted to 5% after the loss on Monday. Despite the loss, Rivers had an impressive outing by throwing for 277 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception to add to his Hall of Fame resume. 

Week 17 Preview: Setting up a primetime clash on Sunday Night Football, the (11-4) 49ers will play host to the (11-4) Chicago Bears, leaders of the NFC North. In their first year under head coach Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams and the Bears have gone from last to first in the division and are currently sitting in the No. 2 position in the NFC and like San Francisco, have their eyes set on the No. 1 seed. With San Francisco riding their NFC-best five game winning streak, Chicago enters Sunday's game having won 7 of their last 8. The Bears are coming off an overtime win at home over the archrival Green Bay Packers in which Chicago came back from being down 13-3 in the fourth quarter before capitalizing late and recovering a successful onside-kick. Facing a stout secondary which leads the NFL in interceptions forced with 21 and a league-best +21 turnover differential, Brock Purdy and the 49ers will attempt to keep things rolling on offense with 26+ points scored in six of their last seven games. 

With 8 passing touchdowns over his last two games, Brock Purdy is getting hot at the right time and has made receiver Jauan Jennings a top target of his with Jennings scoring touchdowns in four straight games and six of his last seven. While the Chicago defense has excelled against the pass, they've struggled to contain the opposition on the ground, allowing 5 yards per carry to running backs this season which ranks 29th in the league. That could translate to another big game on the ground from San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey who's coming off his best game in eight weeks. 

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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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A Perfect Storm -- 49ers Drop Opener in slippery Chicago

Week 1 - Heading into the 2022 NFL season, plenty has been said about what teams are expected to be good this year in the NFC and what teams aren't. The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears would be on completely different spectrums in the expectations department with the Niners coming off a dropped interception away from making it to the Super Bowl last year and chosen by many to again compete for an NFC title, and the rebuilding Bears transitioning under a rookie head coach. But regardless of how much better one team's roster is over the other, the difference in talent can easily be made up if you add in some torrential downpours to even the playing field like the ones that shook the windy city and flooded Soldier Field. 

Even before the 49ers took the field in what resembled a marshland more than it did a football field, they were met with the unfortunate news that first-year starter Trey Lance would be playing QB without one of his key weapons in All-Pro tight-end George Kittle. Nursing a groin injury suffered in Monday's practice, Kittle was a game-time decision before being ruled out just before kickoff. Once the game started, things began to look up for San Francisco as the 49er defense forced a three and out on Chicago's opening-drive. The offense would start things off at midfield before marching into enemy territory and making it as far as the Bears' 12-yard line when disaster struck. Getting his first carry of the season after a big payday in the offseason, Deebo Samuel was stripped of the ball, fumbling away a chance at taking an early lead as the drive went up in flames. Helping the Niners get the ball back moments later would be second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga who had himself a day tallying a career-high 11 tackles and recorded his first career interception on Chicago's second possession. 

After both teams exchanged a pair of punts, the 49ers finally got on the board in the second quarter when Deebo made up for his early mistake by taking a handoff from 6 yards out into the end zone for a touchdown. It would be one of the game's few bright spots for San Francisco and the lone score of the first half as the score remained 7-0 at halftime. Chicago nearly got on the board just before the half when they setup for a field goal attempt before being penalized as kicker Cairo Santos used a towel to dry the field prior to the kick. In what will likely be one of the more bizarre penalties you'll see called this year, the 49ers caught a break for a brief moment as the penalty knocked the Bears out of field goal range. While the 49ers managed to dominate the box score in the first half, they could've easily been up by three scores if not for a QB-sack that knocked them out of field goal range and an overthrown pass on a deep ball to a wide-open Tyler Kroft for a would-be touchdown. Instead, the game would be a tale of two halves. 

After San Francisco took a 10-0 lead following the first possession of the second half, the Bears would steal all momentum and never look back as the 49ers began to shoot themselves in the foot with self-inflicted miscues and penalties that quickly began to mount. While the Niners didn't exactly have everything working for them in the first half, the handful of things that were, began to slow following their first possession of the third quarter. After tallying two quarterback sacks in the opening quarter, the 49er defense would not record another the rest of the way. Also, second-year running back Elijah Mitchell who led the team in rushing a season ago and was expected to be the team's bell cow this year, was forced to leave the game in the second quarter with an apparent knee injury and did not return for the second half. Also not returning in the second half was San Francisco's run game as they rushed for 115 yards in the first half, compared to just 61 in the second. Before departing Sunday's game, Mitchell who finished with 41 yards rushing on 6 carries, eclipsed the 1,000 career yards total to become the fastest player in franchise history to reach the century mark, needing only 12 games to do so. 

Appearing to have the Bears on the ropes with a would-be punt following a no-gain on a rushing attempt on third and 4, Chicago was gifted a first down on a 15-yard face-mask penalty on linebacker Dre Greenlaw who wasn't even needed on the play as Chicago's David Montgomery was gang-tackled. Three plays later, the 49er defense appeared to have Bears quarterback Justin Fields dead to rights in the backfield for a sack, but instead allowed him to escape and launch a deep ball down the sideline to a wide-open receiver in former 49er Dante Pettis who scored on a 51-yard touchdown. The Bears suddenly found themselves back in the game and trailing 10-7. This after San Francisco's defense held Fields to just 19 net passing yards in the first half, the fewest they've allowed since 2019, as well as a passer rating of 2.8 in the first half, the lowest registered by an opposing quarterback in a first half against the 49ers since 1973 when passer rating became an official statistic. 

Following a San Francisco punt, the Bears got the ball back and benefited from another pair of bad penalties on third down, including one on 3rd and 9 that prolonged the drive that eventually gave the Bears a lead they would not relinquish. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead, the 49ers allowed Chicago to score 19 unanswered-points on touchdowns scored on each of their first three possessions of the second half, the last of which setup by a Trey Lance interception. Any chance of a comeback would disappear for San Francisco as the penalties loomed costly and often, not to mention the field conditions which only grew worse the later the game went as visibility or lack thereof quickly became a factor. Playing catchup and needing to air out the ball, mother nature couldn't have cared less as back to back drives ending in a turnover on downs spelled doom for the Niners who fell, 19-10. 

While nobody on either sideline played great, San Francisco's miscues far outweighed those of Chicago's, most notably in the penalty department. Proving to be the more sloppy of the two teams, the 49ers were tagged with 12 penalties for a total of 99 yards, including three on third downs on consecutive drives that led to Chicago's first two touchdowns, compared to just 3 penalties for 24 yards on Chicago. Despite the final score, San Francisco had Chicago's number in numerous statistical categories that usually translate to wins, but not in this one. The 49ers ran 11 more plays on offense than the Bears, while gaining 127 more yards of offense and possessing the ball nearly 7 minutes longer. Hopefully Kyle Shanahan and company can steer clear of monsoon weather the rest of the way this season. 

Week 2 Preview - As much as everyone wants to blame the loss on the young quarterback who didn't receive any favors from his offensive-line on Sunday as Lance was constantly under pressure despite little to no blitzing from Chicago's defense, the Week 1 loss was not a fair assessment of Lance's quarterbacking abilities given the elements. Kicking off the home-opener and facing the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium, 49ers QB Trey Lance should have a much dryer field to play on and a second chance at making a first impression as the team's starting quarterback. Coming off a Week 1 victory at home over the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, the Seahawks were the only team in the NFC West to come out victorious thru the first week as the Niners, Rams and Cardinals all suffered losses. In an emotional rollercoaster that provided plenty of ups and downs and lots of drama late, Seattle outlasted their former quarterback Russell Wilson with a 17-16 win. Handing the Seahawks' all-time leader in wins and the greatest player in franchise history a Week 1 loss was Seattle QB Geno Smith who outplayed Wilson in many ways despite finishing with over 100 fewer yards, especially in the first half. 

Hoping to get George Kittle back in time for the first divisional game of the season, the 49ers will have to look elsewhere in the backfield as running back Elijah Mitchell will miss 8 weeks with an MCL sprain. While the first-year starter who was drafted in the sixth-round in last year's Draft out of Louisiana will not need surgery, Mitchell's absence will deal a huge blow to coach Shanahan's offense as big things were expected from team's leading rusher from a season ago. And just like last season with Raheem Mostert who was lost for the season in Detroit, also with a knee injury, the 49ers are forced to go in a different direction with their starting running back less than one full game in. Backup running back Jeff Wilson Jr. is expected to get the bulk of the team's carries, with rookies Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason fighting for seconds behind him. 

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Garoppolo Shines in Homecoming Win vs Chicago

Week 8 - Hitting the road in search of their third win of the season and first since Week 2, the San Francisco 49ers (2-4) would pay a visit to the windy city to face the Chicago Bears (3-4). In what would be a homecoming game for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who was born in Arlington Heights and went to college at nearby Eastern Illinois, the Niners signal-caller would feel right at home on Sunday in a game that was as close to a must-win as it gets in Week 8. And while things wouldn't exactly start like you'd hope for San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan, the end result would be all that mattered when it was all said and done. 

After their turnover-filled loss at home in stormy weather just a week earlier, the entire 49ers team was happy to see nothing but clear skies at Chicago's Soldier Field come kickoff. But even without the rain and wind that caused problems in Week 7 against the Colts, things would go awry on San Francisco's opening possession. Marching into field goal range to start the game, 49ers kicker Joey Slye would attempt a 48-yard field goal to give his team an early lead, but instead missed wide right as the game remained scoreless. That was until Chicago who was without head coach Matt Nagy due to Covid, converted on a 39-yard field goal attempt by kicker Cairo Santos on their first possession of the ballgame. And while Slye would redeem himself one possession later by splitting the uprights from 48-yards out to tie the game, the Bears would aim for bigger and better things on their next possession. Hitting a trio of different receivers, Chicago's rookie QB Justin Fields showed poise early on and didn't try to overdo or force things as he eventually marched the offense into the end zone, hitting tight-end Jesse James for an 8-yard score.  

With both teams exchanging field goals on their next possessions, the 49ers got the ball back with 1:16 remaining in the first half. And at the 25-second mark, it appeared that Chicago would take a seven-point lead with them into the locker room. Instead, Jimmy Garoppolo went for the home run pass and connected with receiver Deebo Samuel for a 50-yard completion before being brought down on the doorstep of the end zone at the Chicago 4-yardline. Spiking the ball with 8-second remaining, the Niners tried their luck with one shot at the end zone, but were unsuccessful as they settled for the field goal to bring them within four at 13-9. Opening the second half with another field goal, Chicago brought their lead back up to seven. Meanwhile, whatever pep talk coach Shanahan gave during halftime, seemed to resonate for the 49er offense as Garoppolo and co. came out swinging to begin the second half. Facing a 3rd and 19, Jimmy G and Deebo Samuel engaged in a simple game of pitch and catch as the receiver caught the short pass and took it 83-yards before being tripped up at the 1-yardline. Garoppolo would do the rest, finding the end zone for the touchdown. But after a missed PAT by Slye, Chicago would hang onto a 16-15 lead. 

Following the first punt of the day by either team on Chicago's ensuing possession, the 49ers again struck pay dirt, this time by rookie running back Elijah Mitchell who received a little help from the offensive-line, pushing him over the goal-line and into the end zone for the score. A pass from Garoppolo to Brandon Aiyuk would result in a successful two-point conversion attempt that gave the 49ers their first lead of the day at 23-16 to start the fourth quarter. Chicago would answer with a touchdown of their own with arguably their best possession of the game, capped off with the most impressive play from their rookie quarterback. Facing a 4th and 1 at the San Francisco 22 yard-line, Justin Fields appeared to be going down for a sack as the 49er defense had him dead to rights and in their sights before he sprinted free and broke loose for a highlight-worthy run that ended with him finding the end zone. Unfortunately for him, his kicker would miss the game-tying extra-point. Fields' dazzling play would be the last time that Chicago found the end zone on Sunday. 

With no Khalil Mack to worry about along the Bears' defense for Jimmy Garoppolo who was kept upright on his feet all day without taking a single sack, San Francisco received big plays from running backs Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty before Garoppolo plowed into the end zone for the second time of the day. After Joey Slye's fourth and final field goal on the game, the San Francisco defense sealed the 33-22 win with a tip-drill interception by Josh Norman. San Francisco became just the second team to not turn the ball over or punt the ball all game long against Chicago since 1940. Prior to Sunday, only the archrival Green Bay Packers in Week 4 of the 2014 season went the entire game without a turnover or punt versus the Bears. And on the four year anniversary of the trade that sent Garoppolo from New England to the Niners, Jimmy G would have his best game of the season statistically.

By throwing for a season-high 322 yards and rushing for a pair of touchdowns in a single game for the first time of his career, Garoppolo joined some elite company on Sunday by becoming one of only three 49er QB's since 1950 with 300+ passing yards and two rushing touchdowns, something only Steve Young and Jeff Garcia had accomplished before him. He would also pass both Colin Kaepernick and John Brodie for the 4th-most games with 300+ passing yards among San Francisco QB's since 1950, as San Francisco is 7-0 in games when Garoppolo has over 300 yards passing. Garoppolo's counterpart Justin Fields also had his best game yet on Sunday and was just as dangerous with his feet as he was with his arm, becoming the first Bears QB with 175+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards in a game since at least 1950, to go along with his rushing and passing touchdowns. The quarterback's weren't the only ones breaking and setting records as 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel who has already set a career-high in receiving yards this year with 10 regular season games remaining, joined Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (1986, 1996) and Dwight Clark (1982) as the only 49er receivers with 50+ receiving yards in each of the team's first seven games. Samuel's 819 receiving yards are the most in 49ers franchise history through the first seven games of a season, surpassing Rice's record of 781 yards set in 1986. 

Running back Elijah Mitchell also had himself a game to remember, becoming just the second 49ers rookie with two straight 100+ yard games in team history (Billy Kilmer). After a career-high 107 yards rushing a week ago, Mitchell set a new personal-best with 137 yards rushing on 18 carries. His 433 yards on the ground are also the most rushing yards by a 49ers running back through their first five career games since at least 1970, surpassing Ricky Watters' mark of 397 yards set in 1992. 

Week 9: The 49ers (3-4) return home to host the Arizona Cardinals (7-1) in Week 9. Coming off their first loss of the season which came at the hands of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, Arizona hopes to receive a bounce back performance from quarterback Kyler Murray whom Green Bay's defense made look rather pedestrian after an MVP-caliber start through their first seven games to begin the season. With the winning-streak ending on a game-sealing interception thrown by Murray in the end zone, the last standing undefeated team has finally fallen and will look to get back on track against their division rival. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and company has other plans as they look to both return to .500 on the year as well as gain some ground in the NFC Western Division standings. This time with Garoppolo under-center, hopefully San Francisco can receive better play from the quarterback position than what Trey Lance was able to provide in his first career start on the road in Arizona back in Week 5 when he was held touchdown-less and threw an interception. Expected to get a few players back from injured-reserve including George Kittle, the Niners will welcome all the help they can get. One player who will not be on the field to help his team in Week 9 or any other week this season for that matter, is 49ers second-year defensive-lineman Javon Kinlaw who underwent season-ending knee surgery over the weekend. 

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49ers Slip and Slide in Loss to Colts

Week 7 - On tap for the San Francisco 49ers (2-3) in Week 7 coming off the BYE would be a meeting on Sunday Night Football with the Indianapolis Colts (2-4). With both teams under .500 and in desperate need of a win, San Francisco could ill-afford dropping another game in the NFC Western Division standings as they and the rest of the conference plays catchup behind the last of the unbeatens in the Arizona Cardinals (7-0) who won again on Sunday. But with a 100% chance of rain and wind gusts reaching up to 40 mph, inclement weather would very much be a factor heading into Sunday night's game as the conditions were damp and ugly all night long. Expected to be a run-heavy night for both teams, 49ers rookie running back Elijah Mitchell did not disappoint and wasted little time to get things going after kickoff as the game plan quickly turned to feed Mitchell and feed him often as he amassed 57 yards on five carries to begin the game. In comparison, the Rajin' Cajun alum finished with only 43 yards on 9 carries in his previous game versus Arizona.

After the first five plays of the opening-drive netted a pair of 49er first downs, Mitchell broke free on three consecutive carries of 20, 14 and 14 yards, the last of which going for a touchdown to put his team up early. Following a missed point-after by the newly acquired Joey Slye, the 49ers kicker would have a chance to redeem himself just a few moments later. After a touchback on the ensuing kick, the 49er defense who have been on the wrong side of early turnovers so far this season, finally had a bone thrown their way, forcing a turnover on Indy's first play from scrimmage as cornerback Josh Norman punched the ball free from Colts running back Jonathan Taylor for a fumble after a short gain. In business again, San Francisco cashed in on the early turnover with a 34-yard field goal from Slye to take a 9-0 advantage. Taylor's early mistake would be an indication of how things would play out the rest of the way. As the weather conditions worsened, so did both team's ability to hang onto the ball. With nothing going for the Colts offense on their first three plays -- fumble, 1-yard loss and incompletion, QB Carson Wentz took a page out of Aaron Rodgers' book on Indy's second possession, throwing up a pass downfield on third and long and hoping for a pass-interference penalty which he would get as San Francisco's Josh Norman was draped all over Michael Pittman who came down with the reception anyway for a 57-yard gain. Three plays later, the Colts would answer with a touchdown pass from Wentz to receiver Mo Allie-Cox. 

With another field goal on San Francisco's next possession, the 49er offense would register scoring drives on each of their first three possessions of the game as Joey Slye split the uprights from 56-yards out, the 49ers' longest made field goal since 2013 (Phil Dawson) to put them ahead, 12-7 in the first quarter. Unfortunately, from that moment on, the Niner offense would embark on a struggle-filled second and third quarter which featured four punts and two fumbles before their next trip to the end zone. Facing another third and long, the 49er defense was again called for pass-interference on a deep ball, this time a 40-yarder with K'Waun Williams as the guilty party. A 33-yard carry from Taylor before being tripped up inside the 5-yardline appeared to have the San Francisco defense on their heels, but Kentavius Street would turn up the heat two plays later, getting a hand on Wentz and forcing him to bobble the ball in the air and into the lap of a 49ers defender for the turnover. The Niners would be unable to do anything with the takeaway as both teams exchanged three punts each before the next mistake was made. 

After a fumble snap that 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo picked up and ran forward for a positive gain, receiver Deebo Samuel wouldn't be as lucky two plays later as his 10-yard reception went up in flames as he had the ball jarred loose for a fumble. The Colts knew just what to do with it: throw it up into the air and rely on the inability of San Francisco's secondary who just can't avoid the defensive pass-interference as Emmanuel Moseley was dinged for another 19-yarder. Facing a 3rd and goal from the 1, Carson Wentz would do things himself, rushing into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Electing to go for two, the Colts would come up short but found themselves leading, 13-12 heading into the half. Capping off an ugly half of play by both teams, it would be the first NFL game of the season where both teams entered the locker room at the half having completed less than 50% of their passes. 

Opening the second half just as bad as they finished the first on offense, the 49ers would fumble the ball away yet again, this time on a strip-sack as Garoppolo had nowhere to go, dodging one defender before being gobbled up by another. The Colts would again capitalize on San Francisco's costly miscues, but not before another pass interference penalty awarded Indy 38-yards as Pittman was held by Jaquiski Tartt. A few plays later, Jonathan Taylor would strike pay dirt to make it a 20-12 Indianapolis advantage. In need of response, the 49ers would finally find the end zone again to begin the fourth quarter when Garoppolo and company marched 70-yards in three plays which took only 1:11, capped off by Jimmy G finding Deebo Samuel for the touchdown. Looking to tie things up at 20-all, a failed two-point conversion attempt allowed the Colts to hang onto a 20-18 lead. 

Following a Colts field goal, San Francisco had a chance to take a fourth quarter lead, but a pass in traffic to Samuel popped out of the hands of the receiver and into the hands of the defender as Indy's Xavier Rhodes came away with the interception. Cashing the turnover in for points, Wentz, with the 49ers secondary wrapped around his finger, lobbed a pass 28-yards out to Pittman who came down with the ball and bullied his way into the end zone. Adding insult to injury, Garoppolo would be picked off again on their next possession when a deep pass intended for Jauan Jennings squirted away from the quarterback and into heavy traffic for the easy pick. Fittingly enough, the game would ultimately end on a quarterback sack registered by former 49er DeForest Buckner who brought down his former teammate Jimmy G to seal the Colts' 30-18 victory. 

Carrying a bulk of the load for their respective teams, running backs Elijah Mitchell and Jonathan Taylor mirrored one another by finishing with 107 yards rushing and a touchdown on 18 carries. Both Deebo Samuel of the Niners and Michael Pittman of the Colts finished with 100 yards receiving and a touchdown, but it all came down to the play of the quarterbacks as Garoppolo outgained Wentz 181 yards passing to 150, but Wentz threw for two touchdowns to Garoppolo's one, while also committing far less turnovers -- three to one. The two teams would combine to make history, marking the first time that both teams had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver, but neither team had 300+ total yards. As much as I'd like to complain about how flat and unprepared this 49ers team looked coming off the BYE week, the weather was just too much of a factor as Indianapolis just had a few more slips and falls go their way.  

Week 8 Preview: With the 49ers dropping to 2-4 on the year and 0-3 at home this season, San Francisco will be glad to leave their own digs of Levi's Stadium where they're just 1-6 over the last two seasons and winless in three tries this season. Instead, they'll take a trip to the Windy City to face rookie quarterback Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears (3-4) at Solider Field. Coming off a forgetful game of his own, the rookie Fields will also look to rebound after a three interception, two fumble performance in Chicago's blowout loss to the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the 49ers being one of the teams that showed the most interest in Fields prior to selecting QB Trey Lance 3rd overall at April's Draft, Fields will likely have a chip on his shoulder come Sunday and will have some added motivation in wanting to take it to Kyle Shanahan and company for passing on him. The 49ers on the other hand will look to get back in the win column and spoil the party for Bears head coach Matt Nagy who's on the hot seat and could be fired by seasons end if Chicago fails to turn things around. 

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49ers Unable to Tame Bears in Final Home Game

Week 16 - Coming off their first winning streak of the season following wins against the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, the (4-10) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the (10-4) Chicago Bears in what would be the final home game of 2018 for Kyle Shanahan's team. It would be a homecoming of sorts for 49ers kicker and longtime Chicago Bear Robbie Gould as well as Vic Fangio who served four years in San Francisco under Jim Harbaugh as defensive coordinator before becoming the current defensive play-caller in Chicago. Taking home Special-teams Player of the Week honors for his stellar performance against Seattle a week ago which included kicking a game-winning field goal in overtime, Gould has excelled at his position with the Niners much like Fangio has in Chicago as he's helped transform the Bears defense into one of the best in the league. But the 49ers defense would also play inspiring football on Sunday as they helped keep it a close game by holding second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky and the Chicago offense to under 20-points for only the third time this season.

Under first-year head coach Matt Nagy who's made a strong name for himself this season in the race for NFL Coach of the Year, the Bears who entered Sunday's game having already claimed the NFC North, became the first team to ever follow-up four straight last-place finishes with a division title. Already with more wins this season than they've had in the last two seasons combined, Nagy's Bears would need to keep their winning streak alive if they planned to keep pace with the top dogs in the conference and sneak their way to a top-2 seed in the NFC playoff picture. It would take awhile for Chicago to get things going in this one as the Bears were shutout on offense for nearly the entire first half. A missed field goal by Chicago's Cody Parkey highlighted a scoreless first quarter which featured a combined four punts and a trio of three and outs. After taking a 3-0 lead thanks to a made field goal by Robbie Gould, San Francisco would force a rare turnover when a backwards pass by Trubisky was recovered by Niners defensive-end DeForest Buckner. It would be one of two fumbles recovered by the 49ers defense on Sunday and the team's first takeaway of any kind since the first week of October. Sadly, the offense was only able to muster a field goal out of the miscue to make it a 6-0 ballgame.

The turnover would serve as a wake-up call for Trubisky and company as the Bears finally began to show life on offense on their next possession, capping things off with a touchdown pass to rookie receiver Anthony Miller. Trailing 7-6, 49ers QB Nick Mullens would then orchestrate a nice drive of his own just before the half to put his team in position to retake the lead. But after losing both Matt Breida (ankle) and Dante Pettis (knee) to injuries on the same possession and a costly penalty on receiver Trent Taylor for an illegal block, San Francisco was forced to settle for their third field goal of the half, taking a 9-7 lead into halftime. Unfortunately for the 49ers, Gould's third field goal would be the last time they'd strike the scoreboard as they were shutout in the second half. Meanwhile, the Bears picked up right where they had left off, marching 75-yards and capping a 12-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Jordan Howard. The rushing TD with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter would mark the last time either team would score in the ballgame, but not for a lack of trying. San Francisco's first possession of the fourth quarter appeared to be headed in the right direction as they managed to march 70-yards before a tipped pass off the hands of receiver Marquise Goodwin landed in the arms of Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan.

The turnover appeared to be the straw that broke the camels back for the 49ers, especially after Chicago crossed midfield on their ensuing possession. With Chicago looking to put the game out of reach for good, a fight would break out several plays into the drive when rookie safety Marcell Harris was called for unnecessary roughness after his hit on a sliding Trubisky. Spilling out onto the Bears sideline, San Francisco's Richard Sherman and Chicago's Joshua Bellamy and Anthony Miller were in the middle of it all and were seen exchanging punches before being disqualified. However, the excitement wouldn't end there as a forced fumble by rookie cornerback Tarvarius Moore gave the 49ers a sliver of hope as they took over with just under two minutes remaining and no timeouts left. But San Francisco's attempt at pulling off the late game heroics would come up just short as they reached midfield before Nick Mullens threw three straight incompletions, including one on 4th and 4 to seal their fate. Mullens appeared to have a clear path and could've ran for the first down, but instead elected to heave a deep pass intended for Marquise Goodwin that sailed off the mark and out of bounds as the Bears took over and milked the clock.

Through his first seven career starts, Nick Mullens is off to the third best start by an NFL QB in terms of passing yards as he has now amassed 1,995 yards, a figure only surpassed by Patrick Mahomes and Cam Newton. But Sunday's performance would be one he'd prefer to forget as he totaled only 241 yards thru the air on 22 of 38 pass attempts and threw an interception while being held without a touchdown for the first time in his career. As for Trubisky, the Bears QB completed an impressive 25 of 29 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown.

Week 17 Preview - Hitting the road to wrap up their 2018 season, the 49ers will take on the division rival (12-3) L.A. Rams in the regular season-finale. Having won both games at the L.A. Coliseum since the Rams relocated from St. Louis in 2016, the 49ers will look to look to make it a three-peat on Sunday and can play the role of spoiler as Los Angeles tries to seal the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC playoff picture. Chicago who has already beaten the Rams this season, could sneak into the 2 seed if they were to win in their season finale at Minnesota and if San Francisco deals the Rams a loss. However, a win for San Francisco would also hurt their draft position as they currently own the No. 2 overall pick in next year's Draft behind only the (3-12) Arizona Cardinals who the 49ers can leap for sole possession of the No. 1 overall pick if the Cards win and the 49ers lose on Sunday. Both teams will be without key players on offense as both Dante Pettis (knee) and Matt Breida (ankle) will see their 2018 campaigns come to an end while nursing injuries for the 49ers, and Rams Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley will also sit out Sunday's game with left knee inflammation in hopes of recovering in time for the playoffs.


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Former Bear Gould Plays Hero in 49ers Win at Chicago

Week 13 - In a match-up between two under-performing teams, Jimmy Garoppolo and the (1-10) San Francisco 49ers would pay a visit to the windy city to take on Mitch Trubisky and the (3-8) Chicago Bears. With San Francisco leading the all-time series versus Chicago by a slim margin entering Sunday at 33-31-1, Sunday's game would be another close affair in the latest chapter of the 49ers-Bears rivalry. Making only the third start of his career and first in a 49ers uniform, newcomer Jimmy Garoppolo would impress in his return home with a little help from a former Chicago Bear. Having grown up just 26 miles north of Soldier Field in Arlington Heights, Jimmy G. would make quite the impression on Niner fans as he helped lead San Francisco to their second victory of the season and first on the road. It would also be a memorable day for former Bears kicker Robbie Gould who was kept busy all afternoon long while providing all the scoring the Niners would need on Sunday to beat the team he spent 11 seasons with. A year after being cut by the team Gould set multiple franchise records with for most career points and field goals made, the 35-year old kicker would connect on five field goals to exact his revenge in his first return to Soldier Field as a member of the visiting team, including the game-winning field goal with seconds to spare.

Having trailed in 62% of minutes played this season (3rd most in the NFL), Garoppolo would lead the San Francisco offense down the field on their opening possession before fizzling out in the red zone and having to settle for a Robbie Gould field goal, something they would make a trend out of virtually all afternoon long as all five of Gould's field goals came inside the 20. The Niners' inability to strike pay dirt would be the result of multiple red zone penalties. Chicago on the other hand would make only one trip inside the red zone on Sunday, but would make the most of it as Trubisky capitalized with an 8-yard touchdown pass to receiver Deontrelle Inman who hauled in his first score as a member of the Bears. Helping set up Chicago's touchdown would be a 49er turnover as Garoppolo was charged with an interception, the first of his career, on a ball that was stripped from the receiver as Bears corner Kyle Fuller wrestled the ball out of Louis Murphy's hands before both players fell to the ground. The so called "interception" which was more of a fumble than anything, would set the table for Trubisky while also ending a streak of 104 career passes without an interception for Garoppolo.

Aside from Trubisky's lone touchdown pass, rookie running back Tarik Cohen would provide the rest of Chicago's offensive fireworks with an explosive 61-yard punt return to give his team a 14-6 lead in the first half. After being surrounded by multiple Niner defenders and appearing to be dead in his tracks on the punt return, Cohen reversed from sideline to sideline before bursting up the middle for a special teams touchdown that would've made Devin Hester blush. It would mark the first punt returned for a touchdown by a Chicago Bear against the Niners since Hall of Famer Gale Sayers took one to the house in 1967. A man of many traits, Cohen has dazzled in his rookie campaign and now has a passing touchdown, receiving touchdown, rushing touchdown and special teams touchdown under his belt this season. The special teams score would be a wake up call for a San Francisco squad that has been the best coverage unit in the NFL thus far, having held opponents to an average of 2.5 yards per return before Cohen's big play. A pair of Niner weapons would make some big plays of their own on Sunday as rookie receiver Trent Taylor and speedster Marquise Goodwin each eclipsed the 90-yards receiving mark while combining for 14 receptions and helping Garoppolo set a new career-high in passing yards.

Completing 26 of 37 pass attempts (70%), Garoppolo finished with 293 yards through the air as San Francisco held onto the ball for a season-high 38:47 in time of possession. Though it's still very early in the career of Garoppolo who has only three career starts to his name, the newest member of the Niners received some high praise from running back and fellow San Francisco teammate Carlos Hyde who said Jimmy G. reminded him of, "a young Tom Brady." And while he's still light years away from being held in the same regard as one of the game's all-time greats, it's safe to say the two share a handful of similar traits as Garoppolo displayed a comfort level that I wouldn't have imagined possible behind an offensive-line as spotty as San Francisco's. Garoppolo also excelled on third down (10 of 18), an area the Niners offense has been exceptionally awful in this season as the ten third down conversions were the most by a 49er team since 2007. Taking over with just under five and a half minutes remaining in regulation and trailing 14-12, Garoppolo made excellent work of the field and game-clock on San Francisco's final possession as he helped march his team 86-yards into field goal position while eating up 5:23 of time to set up kicker Robbie Gould who put the dagger into the heart of his former team with his fifth field of the day to give the 49ers the 15-14 win.

Week 14 Preview - Continuing their road trip, the 49ers will travel to Houston to take on the (4-8) Texans. Coming off a 24-13 loss to the division rival Titans on the road, the Texans will look to bounce back as they return to Reliant Stadium and play host to Garoppolo and the Niners. One of Kyle Shanahan's earliest employers in the NFL where he spent a total of four seasons as the team's wide receivers and quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator, Shanahan hopes to break even against his former employers after a Week ? loss to the Washington Redskins whom Shanahan also worked for in the past. Backed by a solid defense that features one of the most dominant defensive-lines in all of football, even without perennial Pro Bowler J.J. Watt who is out for the year with a ? injury, Garoppolo will be on high alert all afternoon long. The same can be said about the San Francisco secondary which will have to keep close tabs on one of the NFL's best receivers in DeAndre Hopkins who has tallied nine receiving touchdowns on the season and has already eclipsed the 1,000 yards receiving mark for the third time in five years. Throwing to Hopkins will be Texans quarterback Tom Savage who is looking to improve off a career-high 365 yards passing on 31 of 49 pass attempts in Sunday's loss. One way to limit Savage in the passing game will be getting to the QB who has had a hard time hanging onto the ball when he's being pressured as he's fumbled the ball eight times this year, losing seven.


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