49ers Cruise in Australia with Season-Opening Win over Rams

Week 1 - For the first time in NFL history a regular season game would be played in Australia as the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams opened up their season in Melbourne at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of a packed house as 100,021 fans poured in to watch one of the NFL's longest-standing rivalries. Slated to be a dandy, the 49ers and Rams came into the match-up after splitting their season series a season ago at a game apiece before finishing the year with identical 12-5 records. Selling out the stadium, the many fans in attendance would make it the seventh-largest crowd ever for a regular season game in NFL history. With the NFL announcing early on during the offseason that the Rams would host a regular season game in Australia, rumors began to swirl that it was the 49ers that they would choose to bring along with them, in hopes of eliminating the pro-49er crowd that has made a habit of taking over L.A.'s SoFi Stadium, appropriately nicknamed, "Levi's South." But even after having the 49ers tag along to open the season some 9,000 miles away, making this the furthest two teams would ever travel for an NFL game, San Francisco would make Melbourne their home for a full week in preparation for the game and would steal the show come gameday. 

While 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made it a point to arrive in Melbourne early to adjust to the 17-hour time difference, Rams head coach Sean McVay took an entirely different approach, landing only 28-hours before kickoff in hopes of keeping his guys on a more familiar schedule before making the trip back home. The Rams even went as far as sending sleep experts to Australia in advance. But in McVay's defense, the quick turnaround did work for them last season when making a trip to London, England with less than 30 hours before kickoff in what was a dominant 30-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, albeit the flight to Melbourne is 6 hours longer. Despite being the "road team", the 49ers virtually served as NFL ambassadors, embraced their time in Melbourne by hosting various community events in and around the city and stole the support of the locals. Those newfound supporters would have plenty to cheer for come kickoff as the 49ers made early statements on both sides of the ball. 

With San Francisco winning the coin-toss, the Rams opened the game on offense where they would be met by Fred Warner and the 49er defense. Returning to his first bit of NFL action since suffering a broken ankle a season ago, Warner did not miss a beat on Thursday as he came up with a pass-breakup on L.A.'s first play from scrimmage before eventually finishing with a game-high 11 tackles. Forcing a three and out on the Rams' opening-possession, the 49ers would come out on offense and put up a 15-play drive that lasted over 7-minutes. Despite having some success and marching inside the red zone, the 49ers were held to a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. With both teams exchanging punts on their next possession, the Rams got their first taste of success after a big play on a 41-yard gain from All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua who corralled a deep pass and broke a pair of tackles to help set his team up inside the red zone. Two plays later running back Kyren Williams would help give the Rams a 7-3 lead with a rushing touchdown from 5-yards out on the first play of the second quarter. Making history with what would be the NFL's first Australian regular season touchdown, it would be the only scoring L.A. would do as the 49ers took the wheel from there. 

In what would ultimately be a strong performance from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, one of the lone mistakes on the day by the San Francisco offense would come on a pass intended for tight-end George Kittle that was intercepted by the Rams defense. With the Rams marching and already in field goal range, the league's reigning MVP Matthew Stafford threw up a questionable pass intended for Nacua that was picked off by 49ers cornerback Renardo Green. It would be a nice bit of redemption for Green who was benched the last time we saw the 49ers defense in action against the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round of the playoffs back in January. Green's big stop would keep the Rams off the board and helped turn the tide for the 49ers before the half. Turning the turnover into points, Purdy launched a deep ball into the end zone and into the arms of a streaking Demarcus Robinson as the former Ram hauled in the 39-yard touchdown grab to give the 49ers a 10-7 lead heading into halftime. 

The 49ers would receive some unfortunate news before coming out to begin the second half when rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling who dazzled during training camp and in the preseason for San Francisco after being selected in second round of April's Draft, was ruled out with a leg injury. Stribling would fail to log a single reception in his NFL debut and had to be carted off the field. With Stribling out and joining a list of other absent 49er receivers including Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco would need contributions from their other receivers, notably Deebo Samuel who returned to the team during the offseason after a year away. Deebo would get that memo to start the second half as he returned the second half kickoff 45-yards to give his team stellar field position to begin the half. A pair of big runs by running back Christian McCaffrey on the first two plays from scrimmage and the 49ers were already within striking distance. Several plays later, Purdy would connect inside the end zone with one of his newest teammates in Mike Evans as the future Hall of Fame receiver hauled in the 2-yard touchdown grab on third and goal. 

With the Rams down 17-7 and looking to answer, Stafford and company began to march and made it all the way to the doorstep before being stopped at the 1 on 4th down as the San Francisco defense came up with a huge goal-line stand to force the turnover on downs. Making it to the 3 yard-line on 2nd down, the 49ers held their ground on three straight downs to come up with the stop. Making matters worse for L.A., Shanahan's 49ers would march 99-yards on 12-plays before finding the end zone again as Purdy scrambled to his right and threw a strike to Deebo Samuel to take a 24-7 lead. Any hopes the Rams had of a comeback evaporated on their ensuing possession when Fred Warner punched the ball free from Rams tight-end Tyler Higbee to force a fumble recovered by defense. The Niners would cash in the turnover for another Eddie Piniero field goal, increasing their lead to 27-7 with under 10-minutes remaining in regulation. Things on offense would continue to sour for the Rams as their next possession ended in a turnover on downs, paving the way for what would end up being a 27-7 win for San Francisco. 

Without overreacting and buying too much into things only one week into the season, you have to like what you saw on the side of the 49ers, while also having some concerns on the side of the Rams who opened up the season as heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl this season. After making a big splash during the offseason by making multiple trades to beef up the defense, the Rams' newly acquired Myles Garrett who is coming off winning the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award after setting the league's single-season sacks record with 23 a season ago, was shutout in the box score, failing to log a single sack and was held without a single tackle for only the 4th time in his career. After missing most of the team's training camp with knee swelling, the Rams have decided to shutdown Garrett for now by placing him on the team's Injured Reserve list while he undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery that will cause him to miss at least the next four games. The 49ers can relate to the injury bug as they learned on Tuesday just two days before gameday that they would be without second-year defensive-tackle Alfred Collins for the year after he tore his patella tendon during practice.  

Elsewhere, the 49ers' newly hired defensive coordinator Raheem Morris made a great first impression with his new club while facing the team he helped win a Super Bowl with in 2022 under the same title. Morris' defense spearheaded by Fred Warner and Nick Bosa who returned from injury, held the NFL's best offense from a season ago to 290 yards of total offense and just one score. The 7-points allowed by San Francisco's defense mark the fewest-points in 85 games started by Matthew Stafford (including the playoffs) with the Rams. Finishing the game with 155 yards passing, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception, Stafford saw his streak of consecutive games with a passing touchdown come to an end on Thursday at 17 games. In fact, the Rams were the only team in the NFL to not score double-digit points in Week 1 and currently stand as the only win-less team in the NFC Western Division thru the first week after Seattle claimed a season-opening win over New England and the Cardinals pulled off the upset over the Chargers. Helping the 49ers claim their largest win over the Rams since Week 10 of the 2021 season, Brock Purdy threw for 205 yards and 3 touchdowns after shaking off the early interception. Having dealt with a groin injury during training camp, receiver Mike Evans got the nod and made all the difference for the 49ers passing game. Tying for the team-lead in receptions with 6 for 49 yards and a touchdown, Evans moved up to 20th on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list. 

San Francisco's Pro-Bowl tight-end George Kittle also returned to the field nine months after tearing his Achilles on January 11, making limited contributions on the stat sheet (2 receptions, 12 yards), but his infections energy and stellar run blocking made huge differences elsewhere. Rookie running back Kaelon Black who was drafted in the third round of April's Draft, made a strong first impression while sharing duties in the backfield alongside Christian McCaffrey, rushing the ball 14 times for 65 yards, compared to 68-yards on 10 carries from CMC. 

Week 2 Preview: The 49ers will make the long-distance trip back home to the Bay Area for Week 2 where they will host the (0-1) Miami Dolphins at Levi's Stadium. With the Niners coming off their fourth straight season-opening win, head coach Kyle Shanahan will look to keep things rolling just days after the team announced they came to an agreement to extend Shanahan's contract that was due to expire after the 2027 season. With multiple fan favorites returning to the field to play in front of the Faithful including Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and George Kittle who all suffered season-ending injuries a season ago, and both Deebo Samuel and Dre Greenlaw who agreed to return to the 49ers during the offseason after trying their luck elsewhere for a season last year, Levi's should be rocking come kickoff.

The Miami Dolphins enter the meeting as a rebuilding team and are coming off a 27-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. After bringing in free-agent quarterback Malik Willis in the offseason and hiring first time head coach Jeff Hafley, the Dolphins have plenty of work to do before they're expected to begin contending again in the AFC East. Looking to keep those Dolphins at bey come Sunday will be All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who is coming off an 11-tackle performance against the Rams which helped him become the all-time 49ers' franchise leader in tackles, passing the newly inducted Hall of Famer Patrick Willis for sole possession of first place. 

One player who will not suit up for San Francisco will be rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling who is expected to miss a month of action with a deltoid sprain in his ankle. While surgery is not currently planned, it remains a possibility while the team seeks other medical opinions. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

Niners Ride McCaffrey to Victory over Falcons

Week 7 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium after a brief two-game road trip, the (4-2) San Francisco 49ers would look to shake off their first road loss of the season while playing host to the upstart (3-2) Atlanta Falcons in primetime on Sunday Night Football. After finishing with an 8-9 record a season ago, second-year head coach Raheem Morris has the Falcons playing a much better brand of football so far this season as the team entered Sunday night's game coming off a pair of impressive wins over the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills, two teams that made it to their respective conference championship a season ago. Led by a red-hot running back in Bijan Robinson who tallied 170 rushing yards and a touchdown a week earlier, the head-to-head matchup against San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey would be one of the main storylines entering the game. Having trained with each other in the offseason, Sunday would be the first time both players would step on the same playing field in a game. 

Another storyline on the 49ers' side would be how the team would respond defensively without their leader and heartbeat in All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who was officially added to the team's Injured Reserve list earlier in the day after he suffered a broken and dislocated ankle a week ago. While no player would be able to step in and replicate the type of impact Fred Warner is capable of making, second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune made a good first impression in his first career start. When things were all said and done, Bethune tallied 10 total tackles setting a new career-high, including one tackle for loss. Needing to play inspired ball on defense, Bethune was one of several 49er players able to do just that as both he and fellow linebacker Dee Winters showed up to Levi's Stadium wearing a Fred Warner jersey. While Warner was unable to suit up with his squad, he made his presence very known by showing support to his 49er teammates on the field before the game while riding around on a mobility scooter and hugging them on their way into the locker room after the game. Warner was also shown multiple times on the Levi's Stadium jumbotron during the game which was sure to fire up the fans. 

In what's been a rough season for Kyle Shanahan's 49ers on the injury front, the team finally received some good news regarding tight-end George Kittle as the All-Pro returned to the field on Sunday. In his first game back in action since leaving in the first half of Week 1, Kittle failed to log a single reception in the entire game on two targets, but he still made his presence felt as his blocking prowess played a major role in why the running game was finally able to have some success. Behind Kittle's stellar blocking, running back Christian McCaffrey was able to surpass his season-high in rushing yards (69) by halftime. McCaffrey would nearly double that mark on Sunday night by finishing with 129 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, his most rushing yards in a game since Week 16 2023 and his seventh consecutive game with over 100 scrimmage yards. Sunday's game would also be McCaffrey's seventh career game with 100+ rushing yards and 70+ receiving yards, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk and Priest Holmes for the most in NFL history. CMC would also become the first player in NFL history with 50+ rush yards and 50+ receiving yards in 6 of his team's first 7 games. 

But before the 49ers took control of the ballgame on the ground and imposed their will in the trenches, things got off to a less-than-ideal start. While San Francisco was able to hold Atlanta's offense to a three and out punt on the game's opening-drive, the Falcons did manage to strike first with a field goal on their second possession and had an opportunity to add on more as San Francisco saw their second drive that was trending in the right direction go up in flames when quarterback Mac Jones had his pass intended for Jauan Jennings tipped into the air and intercepted. Their third possession would be a charm, however, as San Francisco found the end zone on McCaffrey's first of two touchdowns. The team would tack on a field goal after forcing Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to fumble the ball following a Bryce Huff strip-sack, giving the Niners a 10-3 advantage. Atlanta nearly got three-points back on their end just before the half following a big gain on a 38-yard completion to receiver Darnell Mooney down the sideline, but a key intentional-grounding penalty one play later would result in a pivotal 10-second runoff that ended the half and prevented the Falcons from even attempting a field goal try.  

With San Francisco opening the second half in possession of the ball, they would add another Eddy Pineiro field goal to increase their lead to 13-3. After holding the Falcons offense to their second-fewest rushing yards in a half this season thru the first two quarters, Atlanta would take advantage of a big 45-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Taking over near midfield, Falcons running back Bijan Robinson who had been held in check up to this point began to finally put his stamp on the game, catching a screen-pass and scoring on a 10-yard touchdown to make it a 13-10 ballgame. Atlanta would have a chance to take the lead or at least tie the game near the midway point of the fourth quarter, but coach Morris' decision to bypass a game-tying field goal attempt and instead go for it on 4th and 1 at the San Francisco 35 yard line would come back to haunt him as cornerback Chase Lucas read the play perfectly and caused a broken pass intended for Drake London, resulting in a pivotal turnover on downs. With rookie cornerback Upton Stout listed as a gametime-decision, his injured ankle would keep him sidelined for the game which led to Lucas being called upon to fill in. And fill in he did, making several key plays in coverage that helped keep London (4 receptions, 42 yards) and company at bay. 

Taking advantage of Atlanta's unsuccessful gamble, the 49ers marched 59-yards on 15-plays in just under 6-minutes, capping off the big drive with McCaffrey's second touchdown of the night from 4-yards out. Penix Jr. and the Falcons offense would give it one final shot at a last-ditch comeback with under 2:30 remaining in regulation, but another turnover on downs would seal the Niners' 20-10 victory. McCaffrey would lead both teams in rushing (129) and receiving (72), helping San Francisco put up their highest total in rush yards (174) since 2024 Week 8 vs the Dallas Cowboys. With the win, quarterback Mac Jones earned an extra $400K in incentives by winning four games as the 49ers' starting QB, improving his record to 4-1 as the team's starter. Jones would have his most pedestrian game yet on the season by throwing for only 152 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception, but still found a way to help his team get the win. Jones' counterpart Michael Penix Jr. threw for 241 yards and 1 touchdown but did suffer the big fumble before the half. Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson was held to just 40-yards on the ground on 14 carries, but did have a strong night receiving with 52 yards and a touchdown on 6 receptions. Niners kicker Eddy Pineiro logged another strong outing in the win by going 2-for-2 on field goals from 55 and 43 yards, setting a San Francisco franchise record for consecutive field goals made to start a season with 17. 

Week 8 Preview: The (5-2) 49ers will head back on the road to pay a visit to the Lone Star State where they will face off against the (2-4) Houston Texans and head coach DeMeco Ryans who served two seasons under Kyle Shanahan as defensive coordinator of the 49ers from 2021-22. Coming off a 27-19 loss on the road to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, the Texans offense had a lackluster night both on the ground with only 56 rushing yards to show for and thru the air from quarterback C.J. Stroud who took a beating and was pressured virtually all game long. Robert Saleh's 49er defense will look to replicate that same success Seattle had against this Houston group. Stroud might also be without his top target in receiver Nico Collins who had to exit Monday's game after his head hit the turf on a play that has left him in the league's concussion protocol. Putting pressure on the Niners to keep up their winning ways are the division rival Rams and Seahawks who share a three-way tie with San Francisco for the top spot in the NFC West at 5-2 on the year. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

Another Game Another Key Injury, 49ers Lose Warner before Falling to Bucs

Week 6 - The 2025 NFL season has been a rough one for teams around the league regarding injuries as some of the game's brightest players have fallen to the injury bug in the early going. But no team in all of football has had it worse than the (4-1) San Francisco 49ers in terms of both the amount of players they've lost to injury (27) and the star power of those losses as head coach Kyle Shanahan could virtually assemble a Pro Bowl team with the laundry list of injuries his team has already suffered only five games into the season. On Sunday while taking on the (4-1) Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, the 49ers who are already without former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, lost yet another one of their defensive captains and vocal leaders and suffered without a doubt their biggest blow possible when 4-time First-Team All-Pro and 4-time Pro Bowl linebacker Fred Warner needed to be carted off the field in the game's opening quarter after being rolled up on by a teammate making a tackle. Warner entered Sunday's game needing only five tackles to surpass Hall of Famer Patrick Willis for the 49ers' franchise record and tallied only one before suffering the injury at the 7:48 mark of the first quarter. 

The magnitude of both the player and injury was quite evident as players from both teams gathered near midfield to take a knee and hold a prayer for Warner as he was attended to by medical personnel before being carted to the locker room with what was later diagnosed as a broken and dislocated ankle. It would also come as a shock given how durable Warner has been over the years having missed only 1 game out of 122 career contests. He will now miss the rest of the season with 11 games remaining. Unfortunately, even after the brutal injury, the show would have to go on as there were still more than three and a half quarters to be played. Touted as being a heavyweight matchup for the NFC's top-seed, Sunday's meeting between the 49ers and Bucs would mark the first time in NFL history that two teams would meet six weeks into the season with all of their games decided by 5-points or less. Ironically, the two teams who have only known one-score games this season would ultimately take part in a game that was decided by double-digits. 

San Francisco's defense which hadn't allowed any first quarter points all season, got off to another promising start to begin the game as quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers were held to a punt on the game's opening-drive. After a pair of runs on first and second down on the 49ers' ensuing possession, QB Mac Jones had his first pass attempt of the afternoon intercepted on a play that saw the quarterback and receiver clearly on the wrong page. A week after a career-night for 49ers receiver Kendrick Bourne, the QB-receiver duo was out of sync which allowed the Bucs to setup shop at the San Francisco 12 where they would score two plays later with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by running back Rachaad White, ending the Niner defense's scoreless first quarter streak. Jones and Bourne would redeem themselves on San Francisco's next drive as the two connected on the very next play with a 41-yard pass that helped the 49ers get on the board with a 52-yard Eddy Pineiro field goal. After exchanging punts, Jones and Bourne were back at it to open the second quarter, this time connecting on a 56-yard reception. Still seeking their first rushing touchdown of the year, Christian McCaffrey finally broke through on third down with a 1-yard score to give San Francisco a 10-7 lead. 

The 49ers' lead would be short-lived as the Bucs took advantage of Warner not being on the field and began to pick apart the 49er secondary, scoring touchdowns on three of their next four full possessions after the heart-wrenching injury took place. One of the league's leading MVP-candidates in the early going, Baker Mayfield led his team on back-to-back touchdown-scoring drives to end the first half as San Francisco was only able to answer with field goals, leading to a 20-16 halftime lead for Tampa Bay. The Niners nearly suffered another freak injury before halftime when kicker Eddy Pineiro had his foot stepped on by a teammate just after drilling the field goal that sent the team into the half. Despite trailing at the half, it would be only the second career game with 200 passing yards thru the first two quarters for 49ers QB Mac Jones. Sunday would also mark the first time in his career that he would log back-to-back 300 yard passing games as Jones threw for a season-high 347 when it was all said and done. Adding a fourth field goal by Pineiro to open the second half, Tampa Bay again did them one better by finding the end zone. One of the bigger plays that likely did the 49ers in was a pivotal 3rd and 14 that saw Mayfield avoid being sacked by two defenders before breaking another tackle and eventually lunging forward for the first down on a back-breaking 15-yard run. Instead of setting up a punt, the Bucs converted for a new set of downs and scored two plays later on a 45-yard bomb to Tez Johnson. 

After a failed two-point conversion and a missed field goal on Tampa Bay's ensuing possession, the 49ers still had a chance trailing by 8-points with just under 9-minutes to go. But with a second Mac Jones interception on the day and a turnover on downs on San Francisco's final two possessions, the 49ers would fall 30 to 19, allowing their highest point total of the season. Unable to force any turnovers of their own on defense, the 49ers' drought of consecutive games without an interception has now reached 13 games, the longest such streak in NFL history. In a game that was full of lots of negatives, the 49ers did have a few positives on Sunday including the first career sack of rookie first round pick Mykel Williams and the return of second-year safety Malik Mustapha who made his season debut after recovering from an ACL injury suffered at the end of last season. Entering the game with a career record of 0-4 against the 49ers, Baker Mayfield finally got off the schneid with the win on Sunday, improving his MVP campaign by throwing for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win and sacked only once, despite losing his top target Emeka Egbuka to a hamstring injury in the first half. Elsewhere, the 49ers' offensive-line which has been problematic this season, would let quarterback Mac Jones down on Sunday as he was sacked six times on the afternoon, tying a career-high. 

49ers receiver Kendrick Bourne had another stellar day at the office Sunday, tallying a career-high 142 receiving yards for the second consecutive week, giving him back-to-back games of 100+ yards after only one such game in his previous 114 career games. Meanwhile, Bourne's teammate and fellow receiver Jauan Jennings had another rough day at the office after missing action in Week 5 due to an injury, catching only one pass for 7 yards. Jennings was called for several penalties on Sunday and even got into a shouting match on the sideline with coach Shanahan. Jennings revealed in the locker room after the game that he played through five broken ribs which would explain his poor performance. But the biggest elephant in the room after the game were the worries that surrounded Fred Warner. Team reporters described the somber 49ers locker room after the game as the most depressing they've ever felt it outside of the Super Bowl loss in overtime two seasons ago. And understandably so, the loss of Warner is sure to change the way John Lynch will approach the NFL trade deadline as they will likely need too much to now fill the voids of both Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The truth is there is no replacing the type of player or leader that Fred Warner is and there isn't a Fred Warner-type player out there on the market. Baker Mayfield also opened up his postgame presser by sending thoughts and prayers to Warner. 

Week 7 Preview: The (4-2) 49ers will return home to Levi's Stadium in Week 7 where they will play host to the (3-2) Atlanta Falcons for a Sunday Night showdown. With head coach Kyle Shanahan having to now plan for life without the league's best linebacker with Fred Warner out, some good news should be on the horizon as the team is expected to get both George Kittle (hamstring) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) back in the lineup this week on offense. Quarterback Brock Purdy could also be eying a return soon as he recovers from a toe injury that has kept him out of all but two games this season. The 49ers will have their hands full come Sunday with Falcons running back Bijan Robinson who trained with fellow running back Christian McCaffrey in the offseason. Robinson is coming off a spectacular game in which he logged 238 scrimmage yards, the most ever in a single game in Falcons franchise history after 170 rushing yards and another 68 yards receiving. Atlanta is equally as daunting on the defensive side of things as their defense has allowed the fewest total yards per game and passing yards per game in the NFL this season.

With coach Shanahan yet to announce a starter at quarterback, regardless of who is under-center on Sunday, the 49er offensive-line will have to do a much better job of keeping their QB on their feet as Mac Jones was sacked too many times last week and will face another tough bunch to face this week coming off a four-sack night against Buffalo's Josh Allen. The Falcons are riding high with a two-game win streak after pulling off the Monday Night upset over the Bills on Monday night, 24-14.  

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

Turnovers too much to Overcome for 49ers in 1st Loss of the Season

Week 4 - Looking to keep their undefeated streak alive, the (3-0) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the (2-1) Jacksonville Jaguars. But before the two teams would even have a chance to step onto the gridiron to face one another, fireworks would fly in the days leading up to the matchup when Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh mentioned during his Thursday presser with the media that his players and staff would have to be extra careful with their signs and communication on gameday when explaining that Jags first-year head coach Liam Coen's staff has an elite system of legally stealing signs that dates back to his time in Los Angeles with the Rams where he spent four seasons on their coaching staff. While Coen kept things light and deflected to address Saleh's comments during the week, they were sure to be a hot topic when both teams met at midfield after the game which led to both Coen and Saleh having to be separated by players and staff following a war of words. 

With injuries plaguing the 49ers each and every week in the early part of the season thus far, second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall who has been a godsend through the first three weeks and practically the only healthy receiver remaining on the team, ironically appeared on the team's injury report as somewhat of a surprise on Wednesday with knee soreness. Like teammate and fellow wide-receiver Jauan Jennings who has been dealing with ankle and shoulder injuries of his own, the two wide-outs would be game-time decisions for Sunday. Meanwhile, quarterback Brody Purdy who had missed the last two games while dealing with toe and shoulder injuries, was given clearance to return to action for Sunday's game, albeit while having to wear extra toe protection. But by the time the game started, it was evident that the Niners signal-caller would have to shake off the cobwebs as many of his passes were off-target or often time had too much air on them which led to overthrows or worse -- interceptions. Purdy's problems weren't the only thing holding the Niners back on Sunday, but they certainly led the charge, especially in the first half. 

The 49ers would open the scoring on Sunday with a field goal on their opening-drive after making a trip inside the red zone but failed to strike pay dirt. After forcing Jacksonville to punt after what appeared to be a successful opening-drive by the Jags, the 49ers suffered their first of several miscues on the afternoon when tight-end and former-Jaguar Luke Farrell fumbled on the first play of the second quarter during a first down reception that would've set the Niners up near mid-field. Quick to turn the turnover into points, Jags running back Travis Etienne wasted no time by taking the handoff on the first play of the ensuing drive 48-yards to the house to give his team a 7-3 lead. Looking to answer, Purdy connected with Pearsall on a highlight-worthy reception for 31-yards just a few plays later, only to have his next pass intercepted on a ball that was just out of the reach of a streaking Christian McCaffrey, tipped into the air and into the hands of a Jaguars defender. With a 19-play, 107-yard drive that spanned more than 8-minutes, Jacksonville was able to take a 14-3 lead after quarterback Trevor Lawrence found tight-end Hunter Long in the end zone for the touchdown. 

Taking over with just under 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the second half, the 49ers who were in need of any points they could get before halftime, marched their way inside the red zone before stalling out at the 5-yard line. Able to add to another Eddy Pineiro field goal, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers appeared to be heading into the half trailing by only one score. Instead, San Francisco's special-teams which has been a nightmare for the past few seasons, reared its ugly head once again on the ensuing kickoff as Jacksonville returned the kick 66-yards to put his team within striking distance with 0:32 remaining. By adding a field goal of their own, the Jaguars were virtually able to steal back those three points and put a dent in any momentum San Francisco had planned on carrying with them into the half. Opening the second half trailing 17-6, the 49ers were finally able to find the elusive touchdown-scoring drive that eluded them in the first half. After forcing a three and out on the Jags' opening-drive to begin quarter No. 3, a big play to backup tight-end Jake Tonges helped setup an 8-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to McCaffrey on a shovel pass. With a successful two-point conversion to Jauan Jennings, the Niners would pull within a field goal, but they would suffer a price as Jennings took a shot to the ribs that would limit him for the remainder of the contest. 

With as good as San Francisco's defense has been through the first three weeks of the season, Robert Saleh's unit has been unable to force an interception up to this point. Even worse, the Niners' interception drought spans to their last ten games. Meanwhile, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence had thrown at least one interception in six straight games entering Sunday, both of which are the longest active streaks in the NFL. The 49ers thought they had their first pick on the year during Jacksonville's ensuing possession when rookie cornerback Upton Stout jumped in front of a pass intended for Jags rookie receiver Travis Hunter, but a dubious pass interference call wiped away any hopes of a turnover. With the drive eventually ending in a punt, the 49ers would get the ball back with a chance to take the lead, but Brock Purdy had his pass tipped and intercepted on the first play of the drive. By adding a field goal, the Jaguars were able to score their 17th point off of San Francisco turnovers. 

The 49ers nearly got off the schneid by forcing their first turnover of the afternoon when All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner punched the ball loose while making a tackle for his 17th career forced fumble, but the Niners were unable to recover the football. Nonetheless, Warner's forced fumble would put him in sole possession for the most in franchise history, breaking a tie with newly inducted Hall of Famer Patrick Willis. With the 49er defense playing much better in the second half, allowing only 3-points, perhaps the biggest back-breaker of them all would come on an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jacksonville's Parker Washington. With a turnover on downs on the other end to open the fourth quarter, things were not looking good for the 49ers who were now trailing 26-14. But even then, San Francisco would fight back and put themselves in a position to potentially steal another win. With another big reception from Christian McCaffrey, Jake Tonges was able to score just a few plays later, taking a screen pass 21-yards for the touchdown. Narrowing the gap to make it a 26-21 ballgame, the 49ers appeared to be in business when Jags kicker Cam Little missed a field goal attempt from 47 yards out. But just when the Niners began to march following a quick 13-yard gain on first down, Purdy was stripped of the ball from none other than former 49er Arik Armstead, sealing the win and spoiling things for the team that drafted him 17th overall where he spent the first nine years of his career. 

Having lost 15 of their last 19 games on the west coast entering Sunday, the Jags were able to improve to 3-1 on the year for the first time since 2018, thanks in large part to their ability to force takeaways. By winning the turnover battle 4-0 against San Francisco, the Jacksonville defense logged 3+ takeaways in four straight games for the first time in franchise history. With only nine takeaways all of last season, the fewest in the NFL, the Jags have already surpassed that mark in only four games with 13, the most in the league. On the other hand, San Francisco committed four turnovers for the first time since December 25, 2023 versus the Baltimore Ravens. Playing in their first game without defensive star Nick Bosa, the effect of not having their best pass rusher was blatantly clear after Sunday as the 49ers failed to log a single sack or single QB hit in a game for the first time since September 20, 2015 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. San Francisco's defensive-line saw their QB pressure totals take a major dip on Sunday, dropping from 22 each of the last two weeks to just 5. Their previous season-low was 10 in Week 1 against Seattle. 

As bad as San Francisco's special-teams has been over the last few years, Sunday saw a low even for them as they allowed their first punt return for a touchdown since Dec. 3, 2017 versus the Chicago Bears. 49ers QB Brock Purdy threw for 309 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the loss, compared to only 174 yards passing and 1 touchdown from Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence. Jags running back Travis Etienne rushed for a game-high 124 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Christian McCaffrey hauled in six receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown to lead all receivers and added another 49 yards on the ground to give him 141 yards of total offense. Unfortunately, Sunday would mark the first time in 47-years the 49ers would fail to log a single rushing touchdown thru the first four weeks of a season and the last remaining team in the league to find the end zone on the ground this season. 

Week 5 Preview: Sitting in a 3-way tie for 1st place in the NFC West following their Week 4 loss, the (3-1) 49ers will have a chance to improve to 3-0 in the division when they get set to face the last remaining rival and their longest standing rival in the (3-1) Los Angeles Rams. With a banged up roster and a short week ahead of the Thursday Night meeting at LoFi Stadium aka Levi's South, the 49ers will have their hands full and will likely summon Mac Jones back into the starting quarterback role once again to make his third start of the season with Brock Purdy experiencing more toe soreness following Sunday's game. Purdy joins receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall as well as linebacker Dee Winters who were all dinged up on Sunday and are all listed as questionable for the quick turnaround of Thursday's game. Regardless of health, the 49ers will need to do a much better job in the turnover department as the four turnovers suffered in the loss to the Jags were far too many for any team to overcome, especially one with a myriad of injuries. With Jennings and Pearsall out, former Ram Demarcus Robinson will likely see a heavy workload in his first game against the team he spent the last two seasons with. A revenge game for Robinson would do wonders for a receiving corps that has been descimated by injuries. Robinson is also looking to make his first stamp with his new team after having served a 3-game suspension to start the season stemming from a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. 

The Rams enjoyed success against the Niners last season with wins in both meetings including a late-game comeback in L.A. in Week 3 which kickstarted a series of games in which the 49ers struggled to hold leads late. Ironically enough, special-teams also proved to be a major factor and a key reason the 49ers were able to allow L.A. to sneak back in and win that game, just like it did on Sunday against the Jags. The only loss suffered by the Rams so far this season came at the hands of the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles who blocked and returned a go-ahead field goal in the final seconds of their Week 3 meeting.  

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers March to 2-0 with Win over Saints

Week 2 - After riding high following their Week 1 road victory over the rival Seattle Seahawks, the (1-0) San Francisco 49ers looked to keep things rolling in Week 2 as the road trip continued to the Big Easy where coach Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would take on the (0-1) New Orleans Saints. Eying a 2-0 start to the season for a fourth time under coach Shanahan, the 49ers hope their hot start would be a good omen as the team has reached the NFC Championship in each of the previous three instances. But if they wanted to improve to 2-0, they'd have to do so without two of their most important pieces on offense. The celebration of their Week 1 win would be short-lived as the team learned in the days following that they would be without All-Pro tight-end George Kittle who was placed on the team's Injured Reserve list, putting him on the shelf for at least the next four games due to a hamstring injury. The news on Kittle was to be expected considering he watched from the sideline for the second half of the game against Seattle in street clothes. What did catch the 49ers by surprise, however, was the unexpected injury designation placed on quarterback Brock Purdy who appeared unbothered in the team's Week 1 comeback victory. Instead, Purdy would be ruled out of Sunday's game against the Saints with toe and shoulder injuries. Listed as week-to-week, Purdy is expected to miss anywhere from 1 to 5 weeks, with team officials hoping he'll return sooner rather than later.  

Taking over in Purdy's absence would be quarterback Mac Jones who signed a two-year, $7 Million contract with San Francisco as a free-agent during the offseason. A member of the 2021 NFL Draft class and selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots, Jones was one of several quarterbacks coach Shanahan and general manager John Lynch had considered drafting with the 3rd overall pick before ultimately deciding to take quarterback Trey Lance. Jones went on to have a Pro Bowl season in his rookie year with the Patriots, before being traded to Jacksonville three years later where he spent last season as a backup behind QB Trevor Lawrence. With a career record of 20-29 as a starter entering Sunday, Jones would get some support from none other than Brock Purdy pregame as the 49ers franchise quarterback was shown hyping up his fellow QB during warmups as Jones loosened up before making his first start in a Niners uniform. Jones would be one of many new faces getting their first bit of action on Sunday with the 49ers. With receiver Jauan Jennings banged up in Week 1 with a shoulder injury and listed as questionable, the 49ers didn't take any chances, signing free-agent receiver and former 49er Kendrick Bourne who had been released two weeks earlier by the Patriots. And last but not least would be at the kicker position. 

After a rollercoaster Week 1 with kicker Jake Moody which included a missed field goal from 27-yards out and another field goal attempt that was blocked, Shanahan and company decided that they had seen enough and were ready to move on from Moody, releasing him and electing to sign kicker Eddy Pineiro. Both Jones and Pineiro would get off to rocky starts in their 49ers debut, before both eventually settled in and managed to have big days for their new club. Opening Sunday's game on defense, the 49ers got off to a sluggish start as San Francisco's secondary was beat on multiple plays but managed to escape the drive unscathed due to several drops by Saints receivers and a missed 48-yard field goal attempt from New Orleans kicker Blake Grupe. Taking over on offense, Mac Jones threw incomplete passes on each of San Francisco's first three downs, resulting in a quick 49ers three and out. Jones would rebound one possession later, helping lead the team to the end zone with a 16-play, 65-yard touchdown-scoring drive. Striking pay dirt would be tight-end Luke Farrell who scored his first career touchdown reception from 11-yards out, putting the Niners ahead, 6-0 following a missed point-after by Pineiro. 

Pineiro would have a chance to redeem himself on San Francisco's next drive, splitting the uprights from 44-yards out for a field goal that gave the 49ers a 9-0 lead. The Saints would put together a strong drive before the end of the first half as quarterback Spencer Rattler who entered Sunday's game with a career record of 0-7, showed flashes, including on an 18-yard jump-ball reception by tight-end Juwan Johnson who had dropped two passes earlier in the game before making up for them with the touchdown grab. But instead of taking a 9-7 lead into the half, Mac Jones led the team on a perfectly executed 2-minute drill, completing 7 of 9 pass attempts for 77-yards, the last of which on a third down pass in the end zone to running back Christian McCaffrey for the 7-yard score. With the successful point-after by Pineiro, the 49ers went into the half leading 16-7. Beginning the second half with possession of the ball, San Francisco began to march on offense once again, making it across mid-field before Jones was sacked from behind which led to a fumble recovered by the defense. The Saints would turn the turnover into points as Rattler found a receiver in the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the afternoon. 

Looking to keep the Saints at bay, the 49ers added to their lead with a made field goal on their next drive. With their lead now 19-14, San Francisco's defensive captain Fred Warner came up with a huge stop right when the Saints offense began to have success as the All-Pro linebacker made a heads up play to punch the ball loose to force and recover the fumble following an errant pass reception by New Orleans' Alvin Kamara who was holding the ball up on his shoulder which made for an easy target. Another well-orchestrated drive by the 49ers was capped off by a 42-yard strike to Jauan Jennings on 3rd and 11, resulting in the catch and run touchdown to give San Francisco a two-score lead. With the Saints refusing to go down without a fight, Rattler led the Saints on another scoring-drive to pull his team within striking distance, marching 61-yards on 17-plays for his third touchdown pass of the game, setting a new career-high. Attempting to put the game on ice needing one final successful drive on offense, Jones and company came up short on each of their last two possessions, the last of which ending on an incomplete pass that was just missed by Jauan Jennings. 

With San Francisco forced to punt, it would be up to the defense for a second consecutive week to shut the door and seal the win for the Niners. Meanwhile, Rattler who was still in search of his first career win as a starter, the second-year QB would connect on each of his first six pass attempts for short gains during the Saints' final drive before an incomplete pass would bring up a pivotal 4th and 1. Having closed things out by getting to the quarterback and forcing a fumble on their final play in Week 1, it was the defensive-line that came thru in the clutch yet again. With Nick Bosa the hero against Seattle, it was his fellow defensive-end and newcomer Bryce Huff who would make the game-winning play versus the Saints by getting to the quarterback and knocking the ball loose. Although New Orleans did recover the fumble, the ball went backwards to result in an 8-yard loss and a turnover on downs as San Francisco hung on for the 26-21 win. Prior to Sunday's win, the 49ers had boasted a record of 0-4 in games Brock Purdy missed or left with an injury. The team was able to bring that dubious streak to an end thanks to a strong outing from the defense and a valiant effort from Mac Jones. 

Jones tied a career-high with 3 touchdown passes and threw for 279 yards. Perhaps what was most impressive in the win for the 49ers QB were his numbers on third down: 7 for 12, 121 passing yards, 3 TD's, 0 interceptions and a passer rating of 132.3. Jauan Jennings led all receivers with 89 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. Running back Christian McCaffrey had another busy day at the office and etched another milestone by becoming just the third RB in NFL history to reach 50+ rushing touchdowns and 30+ receiving touchdowns, a feat matched by only Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore. CMC finished with 55 rushing yards and 52 receiving yards to go along with his receiving TD. Spencer Rattler had a strong outing in the loss for the Saints, throwing for 207 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 picks, while running back Alvin Kamara ran for 99 yards on 21 carries, and caught another 6 receptions for 21 yards receiving. Unfortunately for New Orleans, the duo would not be able to prevent the Saints from falling to 0-2 for the first time since 2017. 

Week 3 Preview: With the 49ers knotted up atop the NFC Western Division standings alongside the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams who each sit at 2-0, San Francisco will have a chance to separate themselves a bit in Week 3 when they play host to the Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. While the team is sure to be fired up when they kick-off their home-opener, a win over Arizona would give the Niners two wins over division opponents, while everyone else in the division is still seeking their first division win of the season. With a narrow win at home against the (0-2) Carolina Panthers in Week 2, Arizona has won each of their games this season in similar fashion as the 49ers, having come thru with big defensive stops in the final moments to stave off any late comebacks. San Francisco will also hope to breathe easier in the final minutes of a game in Week 3, but nothing can be so certain when these two division foes meet. The 49ers will also have revenge on their mind as the Cardinals handed Kyle Shanahan and company losses in both meetings a season ago. Two members of the 49ers who might not be able to join their team in Week 3 are fullback Kyle Juszczyk who left Week 2's game with a concussion and guard Ben Bartch who suffered a foot injury and was seen postgame wearing a boot. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest

49ers get Back on Track with Big Win over Pats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Complete Sweep of rival Seahawks

Week 14 - A week after showing that they can beat just about anybody after handing the Philadelphia Eagles a 23-point beatdown in Philly, the (9-3) San Francisco 49ers turned their attention to the rival (6-6) Seahawks whom they've beaten in four straight meetings dating back to last season and as recent as Thanksgiving night. Returning home to Levi's Stadium, Brock Purdy and the 49ers would look to make it five straight wins over the Seahawks on Sunday, who've been on a bit of a tailspin having lost three straight games and could ill-afford another loss within the division as their chances of making the playoffs continue to plummet. Hoping for a saving grace, backup quarterback Drew Lock would make his first start in a Seahawks uniform in place of Geno Smith who was ruled out with a groin injury just hours before kickoff. 

Seeing his first NFL action since 2021 while a member of the Denver Broncos, Lock would keep Seattle in the game virtually all afternoon long before succumbing late to the stout Niner defense that tagged him for two interceptions and brought him down for four sacks on the day. While the defense of San Francisco came thru late in the game to shutout the Seattle offense in the fourth quarter, it was the offense that stole the show in the first quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey charged for a 72-yard run that immediately put the San Francisco offense on the door step before Jordan Mason walked in a touchdown from 3-yards out one play later. Taking a much different approach, Seattle would answer back on their ensuing drive with a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 31-yard touchdown pass to receiver D.K. Metcalf as Lock threaded the needle with a pass that zipped by the outstretched arms of San Francisco's Ambry Thomas. With two receptions for 52-yards on Seattle's opening-drive, Metcalf would be held catch-less the rest of the way despite the Niners' top cornerback Charvarius Ward being sidelined with a groin injury just a few plays into the game. 

After their blazing start on their first drive, the 49er offense began to lull as they were held to back to back three and out punts before finally showing life again. But just when the offense was starting to march, a bit of miscommunication by Purdy and receiver Brandon Aiyuk began to transpire as the two were not on the same page which led to an interception on a tipped-pass. Trailing 10-7, San Francisco got a big play from their most versatile weapon on offense in receiver Deebo Samuel who hauled in a 54-yard reception over the top for the go-ahead touchdown. With a 14-10 lead at the half, the 49ers added another Deebo Samuel touchdown to the scoreboard, this time on a 1-yard carry. Refusing to go down quietly, Seattle answered with a touchdown of their own after a pair of big plays through the air by running back Kenneth Walker III and tight-end Noah Fant who marched 53-yards on two plays before Lock hit his other tight-end Colby Parkinson for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the same exact play Brock Purdy and the 49ers successfully ran against the Seahawks in Seattle a season ago. 

With the game much closer than 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would've liked, San Francisco opened the fourth quarter with another quick score that put the game out of reach for good. Needing only three plays, Purdy got his own tight-end involved with a 44-yard touchdown grab that gave the 49ers a 28-16 lead. Rookie cornerback Ji'Ayir Brown would record his second career interception on Seattle's ensuing drive, but just when it appeared that the 49ers would turn the turnover into points, Brandon Aiyuk was stripped from behind after collecting 30-yards on a play that would've put his team in the red zone. It would be no harm, no foul for the Niners as Seattle was held to a punt. Putting the finishing touches on the afternoon would be All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who came down with the Niners' second interception of the contest on a Drew Lock heave on 4th and 13 that led to a little fisticuffs between Warner and Seattle's D.K. Metcalf who was shutout in the second half. Metcalf and 49ers corner Deommodore Lenoir were both ejected for for unsportsmanlike conduct.  

49ers QB Brock Purdy would record a career-high in passing yards in the win with 368 to go along with his 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 145 yards on 16 carries, while Deebo Samuel (7 receptions, 149 receiving yards and 2 total touchdowns) and Brandon Aiyuk who surpassed the 1,000 receiving yards mark for the season (6 receptions, 126 receiving yards) led all players through the air. As for San Francisco's defense which has generated 29 sacks in their last 5 games played (1st in the NFL), which is seven more than the next-closest team, defensive-end Nick Bosa was the cause of 1.5 of those four sacks on Sunday which moved him to 3rd all-time in 49ers franchise history with 52.5 career sacks. While Drew Lock threw for a respectable 269 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in a losing effort, and showed that he can be a capable backup when needed, even against the formidable 49er defense, it wasn't enough to prevent San Francisco from pulling off a season sweep of the Seahawks for a second straight season. 

Week 15 Preview: With their fifth straight win coupled with a loss from the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, the (10-3) 49ers became the first team in the NFL this season to clinch a playoff berth with four games remaining on the regular season schedule. Next on their list will be the (3-10) Arizona Cardinals whom the 49ers defeated at home back on October 1, but are coming off the Bye Week and an impressive 24-10 road win before that over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tempers flared at the end of the game the last time these two teams met between 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga and Cards running back James Connor, as both players needed to be separated following San Francisco's 35-16 win. With quarterback Kyler Murray back under center, the 49ers will face Murray for the first time this season and for the first time since Week 5 of the 2021 regular season as he's dealt with multiple injuries including a torn ACL during Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season. In the running for the 1st overall pick, only the (1-12) Carolina Panthers have a worse record than Arizona, with the New England Patriots also sitting at 3-10 on the year. As for San Francisco, the 49ers will need to keep their foot on the gas if they want to maintain the NFC's No. 1 overall seed as they can control their own destiny and currently hold a tie-breaker over the Eagles & Cowboys who both also sit at 10-3 on the season, but both have a division loss under their belt. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

Purdy Perfect in Niners' Win over Bucs

Week 11 - Looking to build on their dominant victory against one of the league's top defenses in Jacksonville a week ago, the (6-3) San Francisco 49ers returned home to play in front of the Faithful of Levi's Stadium, welcoming in the visiting (4-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The meeting between the two teams would be especially important for Niners quarterback Brock Purdy who would face off against the Bucs for the first time since making his first career NFL start against them just under a year ago in Week 14 of last season, taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo and helping defeat a Tom-Brady led Bucs team by a final score of 35-7 and putting the rest of the league on notice that he was far more than just the latest "Mr. Irrelevant." In just his 18th career start at QB, Purdy would not only have the best outing of his professional career yet, but one of the best by a 49er quarterback in the history of the franchise in terms of passer rating. 

A week after putting up a career-best passer rating of 148.9, Purdy 1-up'd himself on Sunday with a perfect passer rating of 158.3, becoming only the second QB in 49ers franchise history to reach the feat and the first since Joe Montana in 1989. Equally as impressive, Purdy's 157.3 passer rating combined over his last two starts is the highest by any NFL QB over a 2-start span since QB stats were first tracked in 1950. But as perfect as Purdy's box score might appear, the 49er offense was far from on their opening-drive. After a 24-yard connection from Purdy to tight-end George Kittle on the game's second play from scrimmage, the San Francisco offense fizzled out and were forced to punt. Luckily, the 49er defense would also have themselves a strong afternoon, forcing a few turnovers and answering the call late when the team needed them to deliver, beginning with a three and out punt on Tampa's opening-possession. Following San Francisco's one and only punt of the first half, Purdy led the offense on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that spanned 7-minutes and 11-seconds of game clock and ended with a 3-yard passing touchdown to running back Christian McCaffrey. 

A week after being held out of the end zone for the first time in over a calendar year and tying an NFL-record for the most consecutive games with a touchdown scored with 17, McCaffrey didn't waste much time to score in this one, in hopes of starting a new streak. The next big play would come from the defense and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who was celebrating his 27th birthday on Sunday. As captain on defense, Warner treated himself to a little birthday gift, sharing a sack with teammate Nick Bosa and forcing and recovering a fumble that stalled what appeared to be a promising drive by quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense. Turning the turnover into points, the 49ers added a Jake Moody field goal to take a 10-0 lead. Tampa Bay would find the end zone on their next drive, however, biting into San Francisco's lead with a 1-yard touchdown grab from receiver Mike Evans. Answering with their second field goal in as many drives, Moody would help the 49ers take a 13-7 lead into the half. 

A week ago against the Jags, the 49ers put their foot down on their first possession out of the locker room, starting the second half with a big play to impose their dominance thanks to a 66-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Kittle for what was the longest play of Purdy's career. After a stop on defense to force a punt, Purdy set a new mark for both the longest pass of his career and the longest touchdown pass in the NFL this season as the 49ers QB found receiver Brandon Aiyuk on a 77-yard strike just three plays into the second half. The fun wouldn't stop there, however, as Purdy found the end zone for a third time just one possession later, connecting with Kittle who came down with the ball to put his team up big: 27-7. Tampa Bay would score early to start the fourth quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Rachaad White and made things interesting by forcing a pair of punts and a turnover on downs on San Francisco's next three possessions. But when the 49er defense was most needed, they answered the call on three straight Tampa Bay drives which ended in a pair of turnover on downs and an interception. 

After losing safety Talanoa Hufanga to injury in the second half with what 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan feared might be an ACL tear, rookie Ji'Ayir Brown came into the game and stepped up despite being picked on right away. With the Bucs threatening inside the red zone, Brown came up with a clutch diving interception on a tipped pass in the end zone that added to the Niners' league-leading interception total (14), and should've iced the win for San Francisco. Instead, the Bucs would get another chance after the 49ers failed to bleed clock and convert on a 4th and 1 attempt that turned the ball over on downs and allowed at least another last-ditch effort by Baker Mayfield and company, which was also stopped. Throwing for 333 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 of 25 pass attempts, Purdy shined in the 27-14 win, with receiver Brandon Aiyuk leading all receivers with 156 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 receptions. Tight-end George Kittle also logged another solid performance, recording a game-high 8 catches for 89-yards and a touchdown, while Christian McCaffrey eclipsed the century mark in scrimmage yards once again, tallying 78-yards rushing and another 25 in receiving to go along with his receiving touchdown. The 49er defense got to Baker Mayfield four times for a sack and held him to 246 yards and 1 touchdown, while forcing him to fumble once and throw an interception on 29 of 45 pass attempts. 

Week 12 Preview: It'll be a quick turnaround for the (7-3) 49ers who will be right back to work in Week 12 on Thursday Night as they pay a visit to Seattle on Thanksgiving to face the (6-4) division rival Seahawks for the first time this season. After defeating Seattle in all three meetings a season ago, including a playoff win in the NFC Wild Card round, the Seahawks will have payback on their minds come Thursday, as the 49ers now find themselves a game ahead of Seattle for first place in the NFC West. Coming off a surprise 17-16 loss on the road against the division rival Rams, Seattle has now dropped both games against the Rams this season, the latest on a last-second missed field goal attempt by kicker Jason Myers. It's always a duel when these two teams meet to battle, and even though it'll be Thanksgiving, expect no sharing at the dinner table between these two squads come kickoff. 

One player who will not be on the field to help the 49ers vie for a third straight win will be All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga whom San Francisco confirmed will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL suffered in the third quarter of Sunday's game. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest