49ers Fall to Cards in Season-Finale

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

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

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

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

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

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

Right to Bear Arms - Niners Pummel Chicago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

Niners Frostbitten by Bills in snowy Buffalo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

Niners Rope Cowboys, Head into the Bye with Win

Week 8 - Hoping to head into the Bye week on a high note with a win to even their record and keep pace with a neck and neck NFC Western Division, the (3-4) San Francisco 49ers would host an up and down (3-3) Dallas Cowboys team that entered Sunday undefeated on the road with a perfect record of 3-0 away from home. Looking to spoil that unblemished road record for the Cowboys, the 49ers would try to get back on track at Levi's Stadium where they've split the first four games in their home stadium, dropping each of the last two after starting off 2-0. With Dallas coming off their own Bye week, it would mark the second consecutive week that the 49ers would have the misfortune of facing a team well rested with a week off following their meeting with the Chiefs. And just like their game against Kansas City, it would be the 49ers who would strike first. 

After forcing a punt on Dallas' opening-possession, the 49ers would cross midfield on a deep pass on third and long from quarterback Brock Purdy to receiver Deebo Samuel for 47-yards. With Deebo missing several practices during the week after being treated for pneumonia which required a few nights stay at a nearby hospital, his playing status entering the weekend remained in question before he was finally able to return to the practice field on Friday. Making plays almost instantly, coach Kyle Shanahan and company were more than happy to have their guy back after having to leave only four plays into the game a week earlier. Unfortunately, a holding penalty a few plays later would derail San Francisco's plans of reaching the end zone as they were held to a field goal. Splitting the uprights from 50-yards out, kicker Anders Carlson put the Niners on top early as the 49ers remained the only team in the NFL with 3+ kickers to make a field goal this season. On Dallas' ensuing possession, quarterback Dak Prescott would attempt a deep pass of his own but was picked off by San Francisco safety Ji'Ayir Brown. 

With the Niners unable to do anything with the early turnover, the Cowboys got things going on their next possession, converting on several third and longs before running back Ezekiel Elliott punched into the end zone from a yard out to give Dallas a 7-3 lead. The 49ers answered almost instantly with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Deebo, but another costly offensive holding call spoiled the scoring play for San Francisco. The two would try to reconnect a few plays later on a fourth and 3 attempt, but an errant pass by Purdy behind his receiver would result in a turnover on downs near midfield. Both teams would add field goals before exchanging punts as the first half came to a close with Dallas clinging onto a 10-6 halftime lead. In need of a jolt to start the second half, whatever was said in the locker room during halftime not only resonated but also woke up a sleeping giant within the team as the 49ers came out guns blazing to open the third quarter. Scoring touchdowns on three consecutive scoring drives to open the half, the 49ers offense pulled off a 21-skunk with a pair of rushing touchdowns by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo and quarterback Brock Purdy, as well as a receiving touchdown from tight-end George Kittle. 

Guerendo would see his busiest day as a pro yet, toting the ball for 14 carries after running back Jordan Mason reinjured his shoulder that began to hinder him in Week 6 vs Seattle. The rookie would answer the call with 85 rushing yards and a 4-yard touchdown, the first of his career. Guerendo would eclipse the 100-yard mark by adding another 17-yards receiving on 3 receptions. Kittle would put his own stamp on the game like only he can, as the founding father of National Tight-End Day, a makeshift holiday created by the 49ers tight-end to be celebrated on the final Sunday of every October, Kittle reached several milestones while hauling in a 2-yard touchdown grab. With the reception, Kittle moved to third place on the 49ers' all-time receiving list by passing Dwight Clark. With 6,777 receiving yards throughout his career, Kittle trails only Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens on that list, two Hall of Famers. Kittle also reached his 500th career reception, becoming only the fifth player in franchise history to reach that feat and moving closer to Clark's 506 mark and Roger Craig's 508, as only Owens (592) and Rice (1,281) have more in a 49ers uniform. Purdy would cap off the busy third quarter by plowing forward for a 2-yard score near the goal line. Not only would the 49ers outscore Dallas in the third quarter by a score of 21-0, they would put up more points scored in the quarter than the Cowboys had yards (16). 

Even with a dominant third quarter that allowed the 49ers to take a 27-10 lead entering the fourth, the 49ers almost let another double-digit lead in a game slip away. They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but it has for the 49ers and it nearly struck the same place for a third time this season. The Cowboys would suddenly find themselves back in a game they had no business being in when trailing by 17-points with just over 8-minutes remaining in regulation. Leaving the most dangerous weapon on the Cowboys' roster wide-open, Dak found receiver Ceedee Lamb all alone for an easy score to make it a 10-point game. Though the 49ers would add a 41-yard field goal by Carlson on their ensuing drive, Dak would find Lamb again wide-open for a touchdown when a pair of 49er defenders collided in the secondary with 3:36 left to play. What was once a 17-point lead just moments earlier, quickly evaporated into a 30-24 nail-biter which got even scarier when the 49ers were forced to punt after Purdy was brought down for a sack and was only able to shed 27-seconds off the clock throughout the possession. Taking over with 3:05 remaining, the Cowboys' attempt to pull off the comeback would fall short when Dak Prescott failed to complete a pass and turned the ball over on downs as the San Francisco defense stood tall and held down the fort when they needed it the most. 

Guerendo would put the final nail in the coffin with a 14-yard run that the rookie could've taken to the house before sliding just shy of the goal line to allow for the clock to run out. Converting the game-sealing first down on a 3rd and 2 attempt with 1:16 remaining, the 49ers were able to celebrate their fourth consecutive win over Dallas, handing them their first road loss of the season. Niners QB Brock Purdy finished the game 260 yards passing and a touchdown, while also rushing for another 56 yards and a rushing touchdown. Purdy's 56 yards on the ground would match the total amount of rushing yards by the Cowboys' running back tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook who were held in check virtually all game long. Dak Prescott threw for 243, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the loss for Dallas. Prescott's favorite receiver CeeDee Lamb would have his best game of the season, hauling in a game-high 13 receptions and leading both teams with 146 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. As for George Kittle, the 49ers tight-end just knows how to turn it up a notch on National Tight-End Day as he caught 6 passes for 128-yards and a touchdown to lead his team. Kittle averages nearly 30 yards more per game on the unofficial holiday and would be nominated for the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week for his performance in the win. On top of that, tight-ends throughout the league were able to collectively team up for 177 receptions on Sunday, the most in a single day in NFL history. 

Week 10 Preview - Coming out of the Week 9 Bye week, the 49ers will return on the road with a pit stop in Tampa Bay, Florida to face the (4-5) Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is coming off an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Despite being without several playmakers including wide-receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bucs had the Chiefs on the brink of defeat and nearly handed K.C. their first loss of the season before falling, 30-24. Quarterback Baker Mayfield orchestrated a game-tying touchdown-drive with 30-seconds remaining in the fourth quarter before succumbing to Patrick Mahomes and company after Tampa lost the coin toss to head into overtime and never got a chance to possess the ball. 

The 49ers will look to keep pace in the NFC Western Division as they currently sit in a second-place tie with the (4-4) L.A. Rams, trailing the (5-4) Arizona Cardinals for first place. A win in Week 10 would be a good start to do just that, and they are expected to get a few reinforcements on the offensive side of the ball. Returning to practice on Monday for the Niners was running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles), receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) and kicker Jake Moody (ankle). The trio are aiming to return to action on Sunday with McCaffrey vying to make his long-awaited season debut. 49ers GM John Lynch also made a few moves near the November 5 trade deadline, acquiring defensive tackle Khalil Davis via trade from the Houston Texans for a 2026 7th round pick. The addition of Davis will add depth to a defensive line that can use all the help they can get after losing Javon Hargrave to injury earlier in the season. San Francisco also brought back veteran safety Tashaun Gipson to the practice squad on Tuesday, just hours after being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Gipson played the last two seasons in SF before signing with the Jags in the offseason. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Run Wild in Seattle, Take 1st Place out West

Week 6 - With a gut-punch loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5 in which the (2-3) San Francisco 49ers blew a double-digit lead in the second half for the second time this season, coach Kyle Shanahan's team had little time to sulk in the loss with the quick turnaround before their next game. Hitting the road for a visit to the pacific northwest, the 49ers would renew rivalries with the first place (3-2) Seattle Seahawks. Seeking their first division win of the season after an 0-2 start against the NFC West, coach Shanahan and the 49ers avoided another scare on Thursday Night Football when their commanding 23-3 lead quickly evaporated after yet another special-teams blunder on a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown that breathed new life into the Seattle offense after much of Lumen Field went quiet following San Francisco's hot start. 

In what would be an all-time great uniform match-up as both teams donned their classic uniforms from the 1980's and 90's, San Francisco came into the game riding a 5-game winning streak over Seattle (including playoffs), having outscored them by 76-points in that span. At the helm of those victories would be 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who entered the meeting with a perfect record of 5-0 against Seattle and an average margin of victory of 12.5 points in those games. Looking to shake off the stench of his costly two interception performance just four days earlier and an abysmal 1-for-6 in red zone trips, the 49er offense would have plenty of opportunities to flip the script in the red zone in this one. But after starting the night 0-for-2 and having to settle for a pair of field goals, it looked like more of the same for San Francisco. The second half, however, would bring much better results as they closed out the game with three consecutive successful red zone trips to finish 3-for-5 on the night. 

Celebrating his 34th birthday on Thursday, Seahawks QB Geno Smith would not get any freebies from the San Francisco defense and instead was greeted rather rudely as he was intercepted on Seattle's opening-drive. Several plays after a 30-yard pass to receiver D.K. Metcalf helped convert on a third and long, Smith was picked off by San Francisco's rookie safety Malik Mustapha who came up with his first career interception. Playing without their top cornerback in Charvarius Ward who was ruled out just moments before kickoff with a knee injury, the 49er secondary received major contributions from Mustapha and fellow rookie Renardo Green who also recorded his first career interception. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir also had himself a night by containing Metcalf to just 48 yards receiving on the night on 3 receptions. Following Smith's first interception, the 49ers got on the board with a made field goal from the newest member of the Niners -- kicker Mathew Wright who was signed one day earlier to fill in for the injured Jake Moody. Wright would have an impressive night before suffering an injury of his own late in the second half. 

After exchanging punts, the 49ers offense struck paydirt with a big play on a 76-yard touchdown pass to receiver Deebo Samuel who was off to the races and has made a career out of torturing the Seahawks defense. Leading 10-0, the 49ers would be gifted another field goal after a fumble on the ensuing kickoff by Seattle's Laviska Shenault. Shenault would redeem himself later on with a play that nearly turned the tide for the Seahawks. With San Francisco ahead 16-0, Seattle would scratch the scoreboard with a Jason Myers field goal as time expired to end the first half, but not before a strong defensive stand by the 49er defense that kept Smith and company out of the end zone despite having three tries from the 2-yard line. Opening the second half with the ball, the 49ers finally got over the hump in the red zone after a 10-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to tight-end George Kittle who celebrated his 31st birthday just one day earlier. With San Francisco leading 23-3, it appeared the route was on, but that was until a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown by Shenault on the ensuing kickoff. 

The kick return touchdown would give the Seahawks a much-needed spark as the Seattle crowd had grown silent after falling behind by 20-points just moments earlier. That spark would translate onto the field as the Seahawks defense forced a 49er punt before finding the end zone with a 94-yard touchdown drive capped off by running back Kenneth Walker III who scored from 1-yard out. With San Francisco's lead cut to just 6-points, Seattle had not one but two chances to take a lead of their own before succumbing to a punt and an interception. Purdy would turn the latter into another score as he connected for his third touchdown pass of the evening and his second to George Kittle. Doing everything they could to stay alive, Smith rallied the Seahawks to a late touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Lockett on 4th and goal to make it a 5-point game before another 49ers rookie helped seal the deal. Helping takeover for the injured Jordan Mason who left late in the first half with an upper body injury, was rookie running back Isaac Guerendo who broke for a 76-yard run on the very first play of the next drive. With just over a minute and a half remaining in regulation and all three timeouts for Seattle, Guerendo had the wherewithal and selflessness to go down just shy of the end zone at the 5-yard line to allow San Francisco to milk more clock. They would score just two plays later on a touchdown by fullback Kyle Juszczyk to put the game out of reach with a 36-24 final. 

Leading the league in passing entering Thursday, Geno Smith had another 312 yards passing in the loss but threw for only 1 touchdown and was intercepted twice. Averaging 40 passes per game coming in, Smith threw another 52 passes on Thursday. Making things difficult for the birthday boy was San Francisco's Nick Bosa who generated 14 pressures against the Seahawks, tied for the most pressures by a pass rusher in a game over the last four seasons. Bosa was also the last to do it when he tallied 14 pressures in Week 4 of the 2022 season against the Rams. He now has 7 games with 10+ pressures since entering the NFL in 2019. Meanwhile, no other player has more than 4 such games over that span. Winning the turnover battle has been key in San Francisco's recent success over Seattle, having a 10 to 3 advantage in that department entering the meeting, which continued again on Thursday as the Niners forced 3 turnovers to Seattle's 0. 49ers QB Brock Purdy who threw for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win, improved his record to 6-0 against the rival Seahawks, helping the 49ers secure what is now the longest win streak versus Seattle in team history. 

Continuing his impressive stretch since taking over the starting quarterback job nearly two full seasons ago, Brock Purdy tied former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson's record for the most games with a passer rating of 120.0 or higher in their first three seasons. He'll have plenty of time to break that record as there's still more than half a season to go. Purdy also logged his 8th career game with 3 passing TD and 0 interceptions, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2022. Buffalo's Josh Allen and Detroit's Jared Goff are the next closest, each with six. Running back Jordan Mason who left the game in the second quarter due to injury, increased his league-leading rushing total with 73 yards on 9 carries, giving him 609 rushing yards in total, the most in 49ers franchise history thru six games, matching Charlie Garner's mark from the 2000 season. Rookie Isaac Guerendo added 99 yards on 10 carries as San Francisco outgained Seattle on the ground: 228 to 52, even without All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. Deebo Samuel led all receivers with 102 yards on just 3 receptions, including 1 for a house-call touchdown. With another stellar performance on Thursday, Deebo has now racked up 878 yards and 8 touchdowns in 8 career games versus Seattle in his career. The 49ers also entered into the record books on Thursday by becoming the only team in NFL history with a 75+ yard reception and a 75+ yard rush by two different players in the same game (Deebo & Guerendo). 

Week 7 Preview: Hoping to string together their first winning streak of the season, the (3-3) 49ers will return home to face the (5-0) Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the Chiefs will be well rested and likely well prepared while coming off a Bye week. Adding insult to injury, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid owns a record of 21-4 all-time off the Bye. With a few extra days off of their own before gameday, coach Kyle Shanahan is hoping running back Jordan Mason and kicker Matthew Wright can join them in time for kickoff as both players dodged a bullet with their injury prognosis. Tests on Friday revealed a sprained AC joint suffered by Mason who is considered day-to-day, meanwhile, Wright suffered a slight dislocation in his shoulder, but an MRI returned negative and should allow him to play next week with the extra rest. Finally, the 49ers received some good news regarding rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who will have his practice window open on Monday following a shooting incident which took place just days before the start of the regular season. 

Thanks to an Arizona Cardinals' loss on the road to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, dropping them to a 2-4 record on the year, the 49ers remained at the top of the NFC West standings and in first place with the win over Seattle. They'll need to bring their A-game against an undefeated Chiefs team that is vying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. While the 49ers would love to crash that party, they'll maintain their focus on handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season for now when the two teams meet on Sunday afternoon for what will be slated as FOX's Game of the Week. While K.C. remains unbeaten, they haven't exactly wowed anybody this season, but have simply gotten the job done by doing things the right way. Sunday in Santa Clara will be their biggest test yet on the road, and the same could be said for the 49ers who outside of Minnesota, the only other unbeaten in the league, the Niners have yet to face anybody of note since their Week 1 Monday Night meeting against the Jets. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest