Skid continues for Niners who drop third straight

Week 8 - After never enduring a single loss during the regular season a year ago after taking over the reigns of the Niners' starting quarterback position in Week 14, Brock Purdy entered Sunday's Week 8 tilt versus a rejuvenated Cincinnati Bengals team that had won back to back games after getting off to a slow 2-3 start. With their own week 9 bye on the horizon, the sluggish 49ers who are limping to the break, faced a team coming off the bye week for a second consecutive week. With an extra week to prepare for their opponent, Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense looked the part and came out guns blazing, leaving much to desire from the San Francisco defense that hasn't looked like their normal self in each of the last two weeks after dominating their opponents through the first five weeks of the season. Despite their recent struggles and two-game skid, Brock Purdy who was cleared to play on Saturday after being in the league's concussion protocol as recent as Wednesday, still entered Sunday's game with a perfect record of 8-0 at home in his career. His perfect track record at home would be in jeopardy on Sunday, as was San Francisco's 11-game home winning streak which dates back to their last loss at home over a year ago on October 23, 2022 versus Kansas City. 

Winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, the Cincinnati defense sniffed out a rush attempt by the 49ers fullback on 3rd and 1, forcing a three and out punt on San Francisco's opening-drive. Equally as impressive was the Bengals offense which marched 80-yards on 12-plays before finding the end zone for an early lead, marking their third consecutive game with an opening-drive touchdown for the first time since 2016. Answering quickly with a score of their own, Purdy connected on a 31-yard pass to receiver Brandon Aiyuk before running back Christian McCaffrey tied the game at 7-all with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. With his 17th consecutive game with a touchdown (including playoffs), McCaffrey tied Baltimore Colts Hall of Famer Lenny Moore for the longest touchdown streak in NFL history. Cincy's Joe Burrow would tally an impressive streak of his own by opening the game with a career-best 18 consecutive completions, including a pass on the final play of the 1st quarter for a 2-yard touchdown to rookie receiver Andrei Iosivas. The Bengals would look to add a field goal to their lead one possession later, but kicker Evan McPherson missed wide-right from 50-yards out, keeping it a one-score game. 

On the other end, the 49ers inched closer with a field goal from Jake Moody on San Francisco's ensuing possession. The 49er defense would get an even bigger break during Cincinnati's next drive which spanned 10-plays for 71-yards and appeared destined for the end zone before going up in flames on a fumble inside the 5-yard line by tight-end Irv Smith as Clelin Ferrell forced the turnover. San Francisco would try to get within field goal range before the half, but with 31-seconds on the clock and no timeouts to work with, they would run out of time to try to clock the ball in hopes of giving their kicker a chance. The Bengals would add a field goal to open the second half thanks to the legs of quarterback Joe Burrow who finished Sunday's game with more rushing yards against San Francisco (43) than he had in the team's first six games this season combined, showing that his once injured calf is doing just fine. Purdy would also have a strong day on the ground, finishing with a career-high 57 rushing yards on 6 carries, besting McCaffrey by 3-yards. After a 12-yard run got the 49ers inside the red zone, San Francisco looked like they were going to tie the game before a nonchalant pass intended for backup running back Elijah Mitchell was picked off. 

Unable to do anything with the turnover, the Bengals were held to a punt. San Francisco would not be so fortunate on their next possession, however, as Purdy was intercepted again on his very next pass attempt, giving him two interceptions in as many passes and his first career game at home with multiple interceptions. Burrow and company would capitalize, needing only one play as the Bengals signal-caller hit Ja'Marr Chase for a 17-yard touchdown reception. Purdy and the Niners would answer with a touchdown of their own as Christian McCaffrey added a 4-yard receiving touchdown to his productive day, giving him 14 career games with a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game, 2nd all-time to Marshall Faulk's record of 15 such games. Trailing by a touchdown and in need of stop, the 49er defense was unable to contain Bengals running back Joe Mixon who added a devastating 9-yard touchdown run to put the 49ers out of their misery. One final last-ditch effort by Purdy would go sideways when he was sacked and stripped of the ball to put the final nail in the coffin as the Niners fell 31-17 for their third straight loss. 

Joe Burrow who entered Sunday 3-0 against the NFC West this season, completed the sweep of the division by throwing for 283 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brock Purdy tallied 365 yards and 1 touchdown, but his fumble and two interceptions would prove to be costly. Christian McCaffrey added a pair of touchdowns to give him 22 scrimmage TD's since joining San Francisco via trade last season, and had over 100 total yards (54 rushing, 64 receiving), while tight-end George Kittle and receiver Brandon Aiyuk both eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards with 149 and 109, respectively. Ja'Marr Chase of the Bengals led all receivers with 10 receptions and finished with an even 100 yards receiving and 1 TD. 

Week 10 Preview: When the (5-3) 49ers return from the BYE Week, they'll be headed to Duval County to face the (6-2) Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Winners of five straight games, the Jags and Niners are two teams that appear to be going in completely opposite directions as Jacksonville got off to a slow start but has been on a tear as of late, whereas San Francisco seemed unbeatable out of the gates and now resembles a reeling team in desperate need of righting the course. The bye comes at a pivotal time for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers who since losing receiver and Swiss Army knife Deebo Samuel to injury in Week 6, have been playing like a team with an identity crisis as they seem lost and unable to find their rhythm without one of their key cogs. Although rough at times, the defense has also taken a step back from their dominant start to the season, but hopes to get back on track with a little help thanks to a big move made by GM John Lynch who had already made a move a few weeks earlier with the addition of Randy Gregory. 

Just before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, the 49ers went out and made a splash by acquiring defensive-end Chase Young from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a third-round pick. Young, at 24 years old, is a former Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winner and former teammate of Nick Bosa as the tandem spent two seasons together at Ohio State where they tallied a combined total of 33 sacks as teammates from 2017-18. Both players were drafted with the No. 2 overall pick one year apart by their respective teams and will now reunite in hopes of helping provide a boost to San Francisco's pass rush. Young is slated to be a free-agent at the conclusion of the 2023 season after the Commanders declined to pick up his fifth-year option during the offseason due to his injury history. After his Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2020 which also included a trip to the Pro Bowl, an ACL tear limited Young to only 3 games last season. However, Young has enjoyed a bounce back season up to this point and joins SF with 5 sacks thru 7 games this season after leading Washington in the category. 

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49ers pull off Walk-off Winner over Cincy in OT

Week 14 - Looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to an inferior opponent in Week 13 and stay afloat in the NFC's Wild Card race, the San Francisco 49ers (6-6) continued their road trip to Cincinnati, Ohio where they'd take on Joe Burrow and the Bengals (7-5). No easy task by any stretch of the imagination given the many weapons on offense that the Bengals would feature, the 49ers were able to subdue Cincinnati's play-makers and were able to dominant thru the first three quarters. But as was the case in Seattle a week ago, San Francisco was unable to get anything going on offense in the 4th quarter when they needed it most, as their only scoring opportunity late in the game went up in flames. 

Neither team would have much to show for on offense to start the game, with both teams exchanging punts. It wouldn't be until San Francisco's second possession that also ended in a punt, when they would finally have a chance to score. After being on the wrong end of a forgetful day on special-teams a week ago versus the Seahawks, the Niners were able to capitalize on not one, but two miscues by the Bengals special-teams unit on Sunday. A muffed punt by Cincy return man Darius Phillips would allow the Niners to open up the scoring with a Robbie Gould field goal, which the Bengals would answer with a field goal of their own. After missing one of their biggest playmakers on offense a week ago in Deebo Samuel, the receiver turned Swiss Army Knife was back on the field in Week 14 making plays just like he was prior to his groin injury suffered against the Vikings just two weeks earlier. Taking a handoff 27-yards to the house, Deebo would give the Niners a 10-3 lead with another history-making touchdown to add to his remarkable season. The go-ahead touchdown would make Deebo the first wide-receiver in NFL history with a rushing touchdown in four straight games played and would also give him six rushing touchdowns on the year. No other receiver in the Super Bowl era has more than four in a season. 

Leading 10-6 with under two-minutes remaining in the first half, the 49ers were looking to add to their lead before halftime. Instead, that plan nearly backfired as the San Francisco offense was forced to punt after two passing plays that netted only 5 yards, a 10-yard holding penalty and an incompletion. Eating up only 45-seconds on the clock, the Niners were slated to give the Bengals the ball back with a minute left before disaster struck for a second time to Cincinnati's special-teams when Phillips muffed his second punt return of the afternoon. Pouncing on the ball, the 49ers would get another touchdown just before the half, as a taunting penalty against the Bengals turned a would-be 4th and 7 and likely field goal attempt into an automatic first down for the San Francisco offense. And on the very next play, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo knew just what to do with it, hitting tight-end George Kittle who made an acrobatic play for a 14-yard touchdown. 

Opening the second half with a field goal after holding Cincy to a three and out punt, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson would attempt to respond with a field goal of his own, but missed from 46-yards out. Clinging onto a 20-6 lead entering the fourth quarter, the 49er defense which had done a stellar job through the first three quarters, took a turn, specifically in the secondary as guys were suddenly left wide-open. Burrow and company would take advantage of these openings as Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase came up with big gains thru the air. Facing a 4th and 5 from the San Francisco 17 yard line, Burrow hit Chase in the back of the end zone for a touchdown as the rookie sensation had snuck by the 49er defense. Having been relatively quiet up to that point, the impressive touchdown grab would give him confidence and breath life back into Burrow and the Cincinnati offense. After a trio of punts, including two by San Francisco, the Bengals would tie the game with a 13-play drive that ended in another touchdown pass to Chase who beat the defender and left rookie cornerback Ambry Thomas in his dust for the 32-yard score. 

With the game tied at 20 a piece, the 49ers would get the ball back with just under a minute and a half remaining in regulation. Needing to go 79-yards to find the end zone, the 49ers were unable to strike pay dirt, but did march well within field goal range after a circus catch from George Kittle on third and 10 gave them 19-yards and a first down with 13-seconds to go. Setting up a potential game-winning field goal from Robbie Gould, the 47-yard attempt sailed wide-right as time expired. Sending things into overtime, the Bengals won the coin-toss and elected to receive. After a pair of big plays thru the air for gains of 26 and 23 yards, Cincy appeared to be destined for the end zone, but came up short after a big QB sack from the Niners' Nick Bosa. Settling for a field goal, the Bengals took their first lead of the ballgame in OT. Just like Burrow, Jimmy G would hit on a couple of big plays thru the air Jauan Jennings and George Kittle helped setup a wild finish. Marching down to the 12 yard-line, Garoppolo hit Brandon Aiyuk with a short pass before the second-year receiver sailed near the goal-line after being pushed out of bounds. Ruled out of bounds at the 1, the play went under review and was reversed to a walk-off touchdown. 

Playing strong football through the first three quarters, the 49er defense did a stellar job holding Bengals running back Joe Mixon to under 100 yards and out of the end zone, something no team has been able to do since Week 3, snapping Mixon's 9-game touchdown streak which set a franchise record. But no player on the field for either team had a better game than that of San Francisco's George Kittle. Hauling in his sixth touchdown reception on the season late in the third quarter, Kittle now has the most TD's by a 49ers tight-end since Vernon Davis' 13 in 2013 which set a record at the time. Sunday's game would also mark the 13th 100-yard receiving game of Kittle's career, finishing with 151 yards and a touchdown while catching 13 of 15 targets. With his career far from over, no other 49ers tight-end has more than 9 100-yard performances since 1950. Both QB's did a great job slinging the rock as Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns to Joe Burrow's 348 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

Week 15 Preview - Returning home to face and fend off another team vying for an NFC Wild Card spot, the San Francisco 49ers will play host to Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons (6-7). In a log jam with four other teams, the Falcons will need to continue winning if they want to sneak into the playoffs. Featuring a Swiss Army Knife of their own in receiver turned running back Cordarrelle Patterson, the Falcons' offensive weapon who has a total of 10 touchdowns on the year, including one in last week's road victory at Carolina, will look to add to that mark and keep the 49er defense on its heels. San Francisco on the other hand will need a much sharper game from start to finish on defense, as the Falcons are one team you cannot let stick around late in a game, especially with QB Matt Ryan under center. The 49ers were upended and caught by surprise the last time they hosted the Falcons when a last-second touchdown pass from Ryan to Julio Jones spoiled their chances of clinching the division and number one seed back in 2019. Looking to avenge that loss, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will face his former team and quarterback that he called plays for and helped to a Super Bowl appearance the year before landing in San Francisco. One player who can help them accomplish that is Nick Bosa who logged his 10th game of the season with at least 1 quarterback sack, the most such games by a 49er since Aldon Smith's 10 in 2012. 

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Ugly Game in Seattle ends with Ugly Results for 49ers

Week 13 - Whenever the San Francisco 49ers take a trip up north to face the division rival Seattle Seahawks, it's almost guaranteed that it will be a meeting filled with strange events, head-scratching decisions or nail-biting outcomes. In this case, with both teams on complete opposite sides of the spectrum entering Sunday's game as the Niners came in riding a three-game winning streak, whereas Seattle came in on a three-game losing skid, Sunday's game would have no shortage of the trio, featuring all three. Especially for the 49er Faithful who showed up in droves in enemy territory, as red and gold could be seen throughout the stands at Lumen Field. But the game would begin with a scary moment when an injury occurred on the opening-kickoff that put a stop to the game and required an ambulance for one Trenton Cannon of the 49ers. 

In what was a nightmarish afternoon on special-teams for San Francisco, Trenton Cannon would need medical assistance after taking a knee to the head and neck area from a teammate while attempting to make a tackle on the opening-kick. Staying overnight at a nearby hospital with what doctors described as a concussion, the 49ers would have to continue without their return man and gunner. And of course, the loss of Cannon would serve as a bad omen that came back to haunt them later in the game. Once play resumed, the 49ers appeared to have Seattle right where they wanted them by forcing a three and out punt, but head coach Pete Carroll had a trick up his sleeve as the Seahawks special-teams dialed up a fake that was executed to perfection. Catching the Niners off-guard, running back Travis Homer took a direct-snap 73-yards to the house for an early touchdown. What ended up being the longest fake-punt rushing touchdown in the last 30 seasons, would be a tough break for the San Francisco defense as they suddenly found themselves trailing 7-0. From then on, you got the feeling that it was going to be one of those games for the visiting 49ers, and boy was it ever. 

While the game wasn't anything to write home about for Seattle fans either and proved to be a game that general football fans would prefer to forget, San Francisco's inability to defeat the Seahawks in Seattle over the greater part of the last decade or so again reared its ugly head. Other than the 49ers' victory on the goal-line stand in Seattle during the final game of the 2019 regular season, Sunday's game was more of the same between these two teams in the pacific northwest. But San Francisco would have some fight in them, at least in the first half. After being held to a three and out punt on their first offensive possession, the 49ers would get their first of many gifts in the turnover department when Seattle tight-end Gerald Everett fumbled just two plays into Seattle's next drive. The Niners would turn that mistake into points as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found George Kittle in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown on the first next play, tying the game at 7. With another three and out forced by the 49er defense, Garoppolo followed up the good with the ugly as he was intercepted on the very first play of San Francisco's ensuing possession. Luckily, Seattle would be held to a field goal which they would miss. 

San Francisco would take their first lead of the ballgame on their next drive as a big play by Kittle helped setup an easy touchdown run in by 49ers rookie running back Elijah Mitchell from 2-yards out. Logging their first quarterback sack of the day on Seattle's ensuing drive, the 49er defense again held the opposition to a three and out punt, this time marching down the field and adding to their lead with a Robbie Gould field goal from 50-yards out. Seattle would bite into that lead with a touchdown-scoring drive during their next possession as future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson trotted into the end zone from a yard out to make it a 17-14 game, and logging his 126th career touchdown, tying him with the great Jim Brown for 10th on the NFL's all-time touchdown list. Other than the touchdown, it would be a quiet day for Peterson who finished the game with only 16 yards on 11 carries while making his Seahawks debut. The 49ers would storm back with a 10-play, touchdown-scoring drive on another big play by George Kittle who this time tip-toed his way near the sidelines for a 48-yard score to again put his team ahead by double-digits. Unfortunately, the San Francisco defense was unable to keep their hand out of the cookie jar as they were penalized on a pair of roughing the passer calls, one of which was ticky-tack on the newest 49er Charles Omenihu, ultimately setting Seattle up inside the 10-yardline. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson would turn that gift into pay dirt one play later with a touchdown just before the half as 8-seconds remained. 

With San Francisco clinging onto a 23-21 lead to start the third quarter, things would go from bad to worse as the game would be a tale of two halves. Following up their poor start to the first half on special-teams, the 49ers got off to another rough start when receiving the second half kickoff. Taking the place of the injured Trenton Cannon, San Francisco's Travis Benjamin fumbled the return that appeared to put Seattle within striking distance. But another gaffe by Gerald Everett would bailout the Niners near the goal line. Bobbling what appeared to be an easy touchdown pass from Wilson to his tight-end, Everett kicked the ball up into the air which allowed for an easy interception in the end zone by the 49ers' K'Waun Williams who didn't get far and was brought down at the 3-yardline. Of course, Jimmy Garoppolo and company would fall victim to the worse case scenario when pinned deep near your own end zone as the 49ers QB was brought down for a sack on third and long, resulting in a safety that tied the game at 23-23. Jimmy G's outing would again get worse as he was intercepted for a second time on San Francisco's next drive as a pass intended for Kittle was air-mailed up the middle and picked-off by the Seattle defense. 

The Seahawks would use that turnover to take their first lead since the opening drive as Russell Wilson connected in the end zone with Tyler Lockett. From there on, the game would turn into a struggle fest as both teams failed to score and continued the theme of ugly football. After a series of punts, Seattle had a chance to take a two-score advantage, but their 13-play drive that lasted nearly seven minutes, went up in flames when Gerald Everett who had already suffered a game to forget, committed his third turnover of the day when he fumbled near the goal line. Giving San Francisco new life and a chance to tie the game, the Niners would need to travel 98 yards in just over 4-minutes on offense to find the end zone. They would end up traveling a total of 115 yards after a pair of costly penalties, and still failed to reach the end zone. Making it as far as the Seattle 3-yardline, a missed pass interference call in the end zone on an incomplete pass intended for receiver Trent Sherfield on third down, would setup a do or die 4th and goal attempt. Looking Sherfield's way again, Jimmy G cocked back to throw to his man who appeared to have a path to the end zone, but the ball was batted down at the line of scrimmage by Seattle's Carlos Dunlap for the game-saving stop. Falling 30-23, San Francisco dropped to 6-6 on the year and into the 7th and final playoff spot in the NFC Wild Card race, being eclipsed by Washington and landing just a game ahead of Philadelphia. 

Other than San Francisco's George Kittle who had himself a monster day on Sunday, hauling in 9 receptions for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns, nobody on either team really had a noteworthy day on offense. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 299 yards and two scores on 20 of 30 passes, but also threw for two interceptions. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, but was also intercepted and sacked four times by the 49er defense. One player who was deeply missed on offense was San Francisco's Deebo Samuel (groin), as no 49ers receiver even came close to touching Kittle in either the receptions or receiving yards categories. As for absences on the defense, 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner was forced to miss the first game of his career with a hamstring injury after starting in each of his first 59 career games. 

Week 14 Preview: Sunday's loss would spell more doom on the injury front for the 49ers (6-6), with this week's victim being cornerback Emmanuel Moseley who suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter and is expected to miss the next few weeks according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Unfortunate news considering the many weapons that the Niners will be up against in their next match-up. Continuing their road trip, the 49ers will make a trip to Ohio to face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals (7-5). After back to back double-digit wins against the Raiders and Steelers, the Bengals were nearly doubled up at home against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. If the 49ers register another lackluster game on special-teams and commit the same number of turnovers against Cincinnati that they did against Seattle, a team that has been putrid on offense prior to Week 13, the Niners could be in for a long day against a high-powered offense like that of the Bengals. If the lethal receiving corps of Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and rookie sensation Ja'Marr Chase isn't enough to worry about on defense for the 49ers, running back Joe Mixon who is having a career year for the Bengals offense, will also need to be accounted for. 

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49ers Tame Bengals in 41-17 Route

Week 2 - Coming off their first road win since December 31, 2017, the (1-0) San Francisco 49ers would look to go 2-0 on the road to open a season for the first time since 1989 when they went on to win their fourth of five Super Bowls. And facing an (0-1) Cincinnati Bengals team that had nearly pulled off a Week 1 upset over the Seahawks in Seattle behind 418 passing yards by Cincy QB Andy Dalton -- the 5th-most passing yards in a single game in Bengals franchise history, the 49ers would be up for the challenge after spending the week practicing in nearby Youngstown, Ohio, hometown of the York & DeBartolo families. Playing in the second hottest home game in Bengals history, it would be the first meeting between the two teams in four years. And after winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, the 49ers offense would open the game nearly as hot as the Cincinnati temperature.

Following a three-and-out forced by the San Francisco defense, Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49er offense would need only four plays to find the end zone as the speedy Marquise Goodwin hauled in a 38-yard touchdown reception from Garoppolo who found his wide-open receiver for the easy score. It would be the start of a busy day for Garoppolo who matched a career-high with three touchdown passes on the afternoon. But the Bengals would stick around for at least the early part of the first quarter as Cincy tied the game on their ensuing possession as Bengals QB Andy Dalton connected with receiver Tyler Boyd for a 47-yard reception on their first play of the drive which eventually setup a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Tyler Eifert. Having to make due without their starting running back in Tevin Coleman, the 49ers ground attack would do just fine as the trio of Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. combined to feast for 238 of San Francisco's 259 yards rushing, while adding another 84 yards receiving. Equally as effective when passing, Mostert helped the Niners regain the lead on their second possession when coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a screen play that ended with the third-string running back reaching the end zone on a 39-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Though there weren't many mistakes in the game by the 49ers, especially in comparison to their Week 1 performance in Tampa Bay, Garoppolo did make one mental error when he threw a pass that he probably shouldn't have while facing a 2nd and 20 deep at his own 15-yard line. Surrounded by six Bengals defenders, Richie James Jr. found himself in no man's land as the pass was intercepted and returned near midfield. Luckily, the mishap wouldn't cost his team as Cincinnati kicker Randy Bullock failed to convert on a 52-yard field goal try. Taking over with good field position, the 49ers would capitalize with another touchdown, this time of the running variety as Jeff Wilson Jr. who was promoted from the practice squad and added to the 49ers roster just a day earlier, struck pay dirt for his first of two rushing touchdowns on the day. Both teams would exchange field goals before the half as a Cincinnati drive near midfield went up in flames when Niners linebacker Kwon Alexander picked off a pass from a running Dalton who was flushed from the pocket before unloading the errant throw. By halftime, the 49ers offense had already accumulated 291 yards of offense, 58-yards more than the Cincinnati defense had allowed in total during their Week 1 loss at Seattle.

Opening the second half much like they did the first, Garoppolo would connect on a 39-yard pass to rookie receiver Deebo Samuel on the first play of the half. Six plays later, Jimmy G would award the rookie with the first touchdown reception of his career as Samuel hauled in a 2-yard score to put his team on top, 31-10. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the last of the 49ers touchdown-scoring barrage would come on Wilson Jr.'s second rushing touchdown, this time from 4-yards out. Kicker Robbie Gould who had missed only one field goal in all of last season and had already matched that total after a miss a week ago against the Buccaneers, missed another on Sunday as his kick from only 39-yards out went wide right. A garbage-time touchdown with less than a minute remaining would allow Andy Dalton to eclipse the 300-yards passing plateau as receiver John Ross hauled in a 66-yard score. And though Ross and Tyler Boyd would both compile over a hundred yards receiving -- Ross 112 yards on 4 receptions and Boyd with a game-high 122 yards on 10 receptions, it wouldn't be enough as the Bengals were shellacked by a final score of 41-17.

While the 49ers ran amok with 259 of their 572 yards coming on the ground, the San Francisco defense held Cincy's ground attack to only 25 yards rushing on 19 attempts. Meanwhile, Matt Breida needed only ten carries to eclipse the century mark before finishing with 121-yards rushing on 12 attempts as Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. added 83 and 34 yards respectively. Leading the Niners in both receptions and receiving yards was Deebo Samuel who made five catches for 87-yards to along with his first career touchdown. Another noteworthy feat was that of third-year 49ers tight-end George Kittle who hauled in three receptions for 54-yards to reach 2,000 career receiving yards and needing only 33 career games to get there, tied for the third-fastest tight-end to reach that feat. With 31-points scored in their first game and another 41 in their second, the 49ers have now scored 30+ points in Weeks 1 & 2 for the first time since 1998, the last of Hall of Famer Steve Young's seven consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. It would also mark the first time since 2013 that the 49ers would score 40+ points on the road. Completing 17 of 25 passes for 297 yards, Jimmy G helped the 49ers tally 569 total yards of offense, the fifth most in team history since 1960, compared to only 316 total yards by Cincinnati.

But perhaps the most impressive stat of all is that the 49ers offensive-line didn't allow a single sack in the game compared to the four that the San Francisco defense tallied on Sunday. Sadly, that offensive-line would be dealt a huge blow in the third quarter when six-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Staley was lost late in the third quarter after suffering a broken left fibula that is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks. With the "next man up" mentality the 49ers played with last season given the plethora of injuries they suffered, rookie Justin Skule who was selected as a 6th round pick, will likely get the start in Staley's absence.

Week 3 Preview - Off to their first 2-0 start since 2012 when the Jim Harbaugh-led 49ers made it to their last Super Bowl appearance, San Francisco will kickoff their home-opener by hosting the (0-2) Pittsburgh Steelers. Following an embarrassing Week 1 performance against the reigning Super Bowl champion Patriots, the Steelers were stunned at home by Seattle after losing QB Ben Roethlisberger to a shoulder injury. And with Big Ben needing surgery that'll rule him out for the season, the Steelers will get a look at potentially their next franchise quarterback in Mason Rudolph. And though Rudolph will be making his first career start, the Niners can't exactly write off their opponent just yet, regardless of his inexperience at the NFL level as the second-year man out of Oklahoma State looked cool, calm and collected when coming into the game and taking over for the injured Big Ben. In fact, the Steeler offense actually began to show some life when Rudolph took over as he finished with 112 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the 28-26 loss to the Seahawks. Pittsburgh did however dodge a bullet with running back James Conner who also left Sunday's game with a knee injury, but should be able to suit up for Sunday's game in Santa Clara. Excited to take the field in front of the 49er Faithful, the 49ers will look to improve to 3-0 on the year as Jimmy Garoppolo takes the field at Levi's Stadium for the first time in over a year when the 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions in Week 2 of last season.


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Defense backs 49ers in Opening Win in Tampa

Week 1 - Football season is officially upon us. And one team that was expected to make vast improvements a season ago before having their new franchise quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo stripped from them some three weeks into the league year due to a knee injury, were the San Francisco 49ers. But the injuries didn't start or end with Jimmy G as the 49ers were ravaged by the injury bug which saw 13 players land on the injured reserve list including running back Jerick McKinnon who signed a big deal at the beginning of last season and has yet to play a single snap with his new team. Heading into the 2019-20 NFL season, the 49ers hope to have much better fortune on their side as it'll likely be needed in the competitive NFC Western division.

A season after forcing the fewest takeaways in NFL history with seven, the 49ers brain trust of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made bolstering the defense a point of emphasis in both free-agency and the trade market, as well as in the draft. And with only two interceptions to their name in all of 2018-19, it would only take one week for the newly revamped 49er defense to surpass that mark to begin the new season. Opening the year on the road and facing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that welcomed a new head coach in Bruce Arians whom the Niners are quite familiar with dating back to his days with the division rival Arizona Cardinals from 2013-17, San Francisco would look to avenge a 29-7 Week 12 loss suffered in Tampa Bay a season ago. And with the way the game started, the 49ers had to have likened their chances early on. With the game time temperature in the 90's and the humidity a factor, coach Shanahan had his guys well prepared as his team worked out during the week in a sauna tent to simulate the sticky conditions.

Unfazed on defense, the 49ers forced a three and out on Tampa's opening possession and helped Jimmy G and company set up shop with prime field position thanks to a big play on special-teams by Mark Nzeocha who blocked a punt by ex-49er Bradley Pinion. Taking over at the Tampa Bay 33-yard line, the 49er offense would begin to march before having a George Kittle touchdown wiped off the board due to a penalty. It would be one of two San Francisco touchdowns nullified in the first half and three in total. Settling for a Robbie Gould field goal, the 49ers would take a 3-0 lead. The Bucs would also have a pair of touchdowns called back in the first half, both on a drive that ended with a fumble inside the red zone as 49ers linebacker Fred Warner punched the ball loose from the hands of tight-end O.J. Howard. The first forced turnover would be a sigh of relief as the San Francisco defense was dealt a blow a few plays earlier when the newly acquired Kwon Alexander was ejected from the game after being penalized for an illegal hit on Tampa quarterback Jameis Winston. As fired up as anyone after signing a new four-year, $54 Million contract and facing his former team, Alexander appeared to be poised for a big game after tallying three tackles and nearly coming up with an interception in the opening quarter before his departure.

Pinned deep near their own end zone, Garoppolo would make a mistake of his own when he threw a pass near the sideline intended for the running back Tevin Coleman who was lined up outside and beaten on the play that Vernon Hargreaves II took to the house for an easy pick-six. After cutting into the deficit with another Gould field goal, San Francisco found themselves a golden opportunity to take a lead when Mark Nzeocha added an interception to his already stellar afternoon resume. But the ensuing possession which saw the 49ers reach field goal range with under a minute remaining in the first half, ended as rookie receiver Deebo Samuel fumbled the ball after running into his own teammate which jarred the ball loose. Thankfully, whatever Shanahan said to his team in the locker room at the half, helped awaken the offense as Garoppolo found a streaking Richie James Jr. who freed himself for a 39-yard touchdown reception to give his team a 13-7 lead. Inspired by their first touchdown of the season, the 49er defense would get in on the fun as Richard Sherman made a house-call two plays into the Bucs' ensuing possession as he intercepted a pass from Winston and returned it for a touchdown. His first interception as a member of Niners would be a memorable one as it was also the fourth touchdown of his career.

Tampa would answer with a touchdown of their own the very next drive as Winston capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin. Looking to make it a two-possession game again, Robbie Gould who missed only one field goal all of last season, attempted a 57-yarder that doinked off the middle crossbar and bounced out. Living dangerously, Bucs coach Bruce Arians would make a gamble of his own after his team took over near midfield before marching in the red zone as he elected to go for it on a 4th & goal from the 2-yard line. Bending but not breaking, the 49ers got the much needed goal-line stop as second-year cornerback Tarvarius Moore jumped out in front of a pass intended for Godwin to force the turnover on downs. After exchanging field goals, the 49er defense came through one final time to put the icing on the cake and seal the win with a pick-six interception by Ahkello Witherspoon as Bosa applied the pressure on the quarterback that led to the errant throw, their second pick-six and third interception on the afternoon as San Francisco made out with the 31-17 win. While the offense wasn't very impressive in their first bit of action, the defense was every bit as good as projected as Tampa Bay was out-sacked three to one, including sacks from newcomers Dee Ford and rookie Nick Bosa.

In his first regular season game since the knee injury suffered at Kansas City in Week 3 last year, Garoppolo completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 166 yards and a touchdown to go along with the interception. The ever so reliable George Kittle led both teams with eight receptions for 54-yards receiving and Raheem Mostert who split the carries with Matt Breida following an injury to Tevin Coleman, led the 49ers in rushing with 40 yards on nine carries. As for the defense, Winston was held to 194 yards passing on 20 of 36 attempts. In a game plagued by 19 penalties in all, 11 by San Francisco, the 49ers prevailed to win their first road game since December 31, 2017, snapping an 8-game road losing streak.

Week 2 - Continuing their season on the road in Week 2, the 49ers will head north to face the (0-1) Cincinnati Bengals who are coming off a 1-point loss to the Seahawks in Seattle. With Cincy nearly pulling off the upset win in Week 1, the 49ers will look to contain quarterback Andy Dalton who displayed an aerial assault of 418 yards passing and two touchdowns. A pair of players who will likely be sidelined for the meeting are the starting running backs as both Joe Mixon of the Bengals and Tevin Coleman of the Niners saw limited action in Week 1 after suffering ankle injuries. While coach Shanahan has already ruled Coleman out for Week 2 with a high-ankle sprain and called his running back, "week to week," the Bengals have not yet decided on Mixon's status as he'll likely be a game-time decision. Even with Coleman ruled out, I'd expect a much stronger performance from the Niners run attack in Week 2 than the one we saw in Tampa with Matt Breida carrying a bulk of the load.


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Turnover happy 49ers lose to Bengals

Week 15 - Sunday's meeting between the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals was a clash between two teams going in completely opposite directions. With a win by the visiting Bengals, Cincinnati would clinch a playoff spot. But with backup QB AJ McCarron making his first career start, a win would have to be fought for. And with former Alabama quarterbacks a combined 0-13 since 1987, McCarron would be called upon to buck the trend while filling in for the injured Andy Dalton. After a scoreless first quarter which saw the 49ers force a turnover on downs as the Bengals elected to go for it on a fourth and 1 attempt, Cincinnati would get things going in the second. 

Forcing three 49er turnovers in the second quarter, the Bengals capitalized on two of them, jumping out to a double-digit lead. Two of the miscues would be dealt to quarterback Blaine Gabbert as tight-end Vance McDonald had a pair of dropped passes result in interceptions, meanwhile, Anquan Boldin had a would-be first down reception stripped from his grasp as he went down, fumbling the ball. Bengals running back Jeremy Hill scored the first two of Cincy's three second quarter touchdowns with a pair of 1-yard runs at the goal line. The third being thru the air as McCarron's only touchdown pass on the afternoon went to a wide-open Tyler Kroft on a 20-yard dart to the rookie tight-end. Trailing 24-0, the Niners would finally get on the board after recovering a Jeremy Hill fumble as he was ran into by his own teammate. Five plays later, the offense would punch it in as fullback Bruce Miller recorded his first career touchdown with a 1-yard run up the middle. After blocking a field goal attempt a week ago versus Cleveland, the Niners had one of their own blocked on Sunday as kicker Phil Dawson who had made his last 19 field goal attempts, watched number twenty hit the hand of a Bengals defender.

With Anquan Boldin zeroing in on 1,000 career receptions, the 13-year veteran caught 8 passes for 74 yards on Sunday including one for a 15-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that pulled San Francisco within two scores. The 49ers would recover the ensuing on-side kick following the touchdown, but Gabbert would be picked off in the end zone for a third time just two plays later, helping Cincy seal the 24-20 victory. Despite holding the Bengals to less than 200 yards thru the air and only 68 yards on the ground, the four 49er turnovers including three by Blaine Gabbert who threw for 295 yards, were too much for the 49ers to overcome on a day they fell behind, 24-0. As for McCarron who played turnover-free football while passing for 192 yards and a touchdown, the two-time National Champion with the Crimson Tide, became the first Alabama alum to win a game as the starting QB since Jeff Rutledge of the Giants in 1987. With the win, the Bengals improved to 11-3 and clinched their fifth straight playoff berth with an AFC North division title still up for grabs and next on their Christmas wishlist. As for San Francisco, the loss dropped the 49ers to 4-10 on the year and guarantees them their first last place finish in the NFC West since 2005.

Week 16 Preview - In what will be their final road game of the season, the 49ers head north to take on the (5-9) Detroit Lions. Already eliminated from playoff contention, Matt Stafford and company will look to finish the season strong in what could potentially be the final home game for Lions receiver Calvin Johnson who's in the final year of his contract. Coming off a 35-27 win on the road over the Saints, Detroit hopes to make it consecutive wins. The 49ers on the other hand are just hoping to complete the 2015 season on a high note coming off another string of back to back losses. 


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Carson Palmer, Back in Black

Are the 4-2 Oakland Raiders ready to give the reigns of their offense to a guy who hasn't practiced or taken a snap since the 2010 NFL season?

During their 24-17 route of the Cleveland Browns last Sunday in Oakland, Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell who's been decent at times but came out guns blazing to help lead his team to a stellar 4-2 record this season was carted off the field after sustaining an injury in the first half. With backup QB Kyle Boller filling in to finish the game, it would later be learned that Campbell had suffered a broken collarbone which would require surgery, thus putting him on the shelf for what looks to be the remainder of the season.

Hoping to stay afloat in the AFC West and keep within striking distance of the 4-1 San Diego Chargers, the Raiders decided to hit the free agent market in search of someone with leadership skills to fill the void of the ailing Campbell. After contacting an uninterested David Garrard who also plans to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, the Raiders were forced to consider a trade. With just hours to spare before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, the Raiders front office got in touch with the Cincinnati Bengals who were letting the contract and career of former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer rot on the sidelines following a trade demand that went sour.

The Raiders got their man, but at an expensive price sending a first round draft pick (2012) and a second round draft pick that could turn into a first round pick if the Palmer-led Raiders win a Playoff game to Cincy. Though Oakland gets a much needed veteran QB to help bolster their offense, the Bengals are the ones who come out winners in this deal for the sole fact that they were willing to eat the contract of Palmer, but instead score not one, but two draft picks for virtually nothing. But that's not to take away from the Raiders either if Palmer can lead them to the promise land. Many have begun to question the decision of Oakland shipping two early draft picks for a former Pro-Bowl QB who's in his 30's and appears to have already peaked, but it should prevent the team from pushing the panic button just yet.

Following a press-conference, reports first had Palmer taking snaps no earlier than next week, but after his first day of practice coach Hue Jackson appears to have a change of heart. Instead of going with the more knowledgeable Boller who's in his second year with the team and is familiar with the playbook, the Raider Nation will get to see their first glimpse of the newest member to don the black and silver as soon as Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs according to sources. With little to no chemistry with his receivers just yet, I think it's safe to say we can expect a bit of rust and cobwebs from Palmer considering it was only three days ago that he was sitting on the couch at his southern California home.

However, one thing is certain this season and that's that the Raiders are all in this year. And with the recent passing of Raiders owner Al Davis, what better way to pay homage to the boss than to try and win him another Super Bowl in his remembrance.

The Palmer Situation

In sports nowadays, it's quite often you hear or read about a disgruntled player who's dissatisfied and fed up with where he plays or where he's headed to after a trade, but never have we seen a situation made as publicly as the one in Cincinnati involving QB Carson Palmer. Following their disappointing last place finish in the AFC North this past season, the Bengals Quarterback requested a trade, only to have it denied the next day by the team's president. Several months later, no progress has been made between the two parties and both sides are sticking to their guns. Despite Palmer threatening to retire from the game of football if he isn't traded come the start of the 2011 season, developments as recent as today says the team still has no intentions to deal their 2-time Pro-Bowl QB.

Although the retiring part sounds like somewhat of a joke, the former Heisman Trophy winner isn't bluffing and says he has $80 million stashed away in the bank, according to a friend of his. This unknown friend of Palmer's quoted him on a local news station in Cincinnati as saying, "I don't have to play football for money. I'll play it for the love of the game, but that would have to be elsewhere." Though the Bengals front office hasn't flinched yet, unless they've got a trick up their sleeve or plan on selecting a QB in this year's Draft, I suggest they act fast considering their roster lacks on the depth chart at the Quarterback position. Carson's younger brother Jordan and former college standout Dan LeFevour fill out the Bengals' number two and three spots in the QB department, but neither are seasoned enough to take the starting job, despite LeFevour's outstanding college career at Central Michigan where he set the record for the most total touchdowns in NCAA history.

With the 2011 NFL Draft a little more than a month away, there's still plenty of time for the Bengals to reconsider holding onto Palmer, and with the 4th overall pick, I won't be surprised if they take Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert granted either is available. And if they do, the demand for a QB will be that much greater considering both names are atop many teams' lists. One of the handful of teams who were linked to landing Palmer when trade talks first surfaced, were the San Francisco 49ers. And as a die hard fan, I wouldn't mind acquiring Palmer one bit for the simple fact that it would mean the end of the Alex Smith regime. But even if 49ers owner and team president Jed York was unable to land Palmer, other trade options for a QB include Philadelphia's Kevin Kolb and Vince Young of the Titans, both of whom are younger than Palmer. In Tennessee, the Titans front office and Vince Young appear to be in a similar predicament as the Bengals, other than the retiring part of coarse.

Hell, at this point, perhaps even the lockout could benefit both parties in working something out. Team's remain unable to trade with one another at this point, but maybe the sun will come out of the clouds and Palmer and the Bengals will work something out. But until then, I'm sticking with my gut feeling and think Cincy will end up eating their words and dealing him in due time.

Bengals Making A Roar

One of the biggest and earliest acquisitions of the 2010 NFL offseason, was the Cincinnati Bengals signing of wide receiver Antonio Bryant. But before taking a single snap with his new squad, the Bengals decided to release Bryant several weeks prior the start of the regular season and only five months into a 4-year deal worth a reported $28 Million dollars. Bryant did however earn a $7 Million dollar paycheck in bonuses from the team that recently let him go, despite not playing a single down. Other than spending an extra several million bucks, the move makes a little more sense considering they also have the recently acquired T.O., who just so happens to be the player they chose Bryant over in the first months of the offseason. The early release of Bryant only adds to the long list of poor personnel decisions the Bengals have built a bad reputation for having.

But even with the departure of Bryant, the Bengals are one of the more stacked teams in the wide receiver department with players such as Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley, and the tandem everyone is anxiously waiting to see play alongside one another -- Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. With Bryant no longer in the mix, the move creates more leeway for the T.O. & Ocho show to flourish. And with the wide variety of talented wide-outs for QB Carson Palmer to throw to, the Bengals have to be a prime candidate to repeat last year's success and make the playoffs for a second straight year given the upgrade. However, sites like Sports Illustrated would disagree, as their latest issues of the popular magazine has the Pittsburgh Steelers projected to not only make it to the Super Bowl, but to win it, beating out the Green Bay Packers, excluding the Bengals from making the Playoffs.

If you ask me, I'd say they're on one if they think Pittsburgh will win a ring with their QB Ben Roethlisberger absent for the first 4-games, if they couldn't do it last season with him present for the full year. As for my predictions, I think it'll be a division rival of the Bengals and Steelers who makes it to the big game -- the Baltimore Ravens. As for the NFC, I too believe it will be the Green Bay Packers. With that said, here's to another season of exciting Football!