49ers Outlast Bears in Sunday Night Rumble

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest

Purdy Leads 49ers in Monday Night Shootout over Colts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers Pummel Titans, Inch Closer to Playoff Berth

Week 15 - With the (9-4) San Francisco 49ers entering the homestretch of their regular season schedule, a late Bye might be the perfect remedy for Kyle Shanahan's club that has continued to win games despite having suffered a laundry list of injuries at virtually every position imaginable. After moving up in the standings last week while enjoying the Bye week, the 49ers would have a chance to increase their playoff odds which already stood at 90% and add to their resume with a favorable matchup in front of them on Sunday in the form of the (2-11) Tennessee Titans. Having won five of their last six games coming off the Bye under coach Shanahan, the team would look to continue that trend on Sunday while also seeking their fourth consecutive win of the season. Facing the No. 1 overall pick in April's Draft in QB Cam Ward, coming off his second career win a week ago against the Cardinals, Sunday's game would feature a match-up between the first pick of the draft versus the last pick as the 49ers selected Brock Purdy 262nd overall in 2022 to be that year's Mr. Irrelevant. 

Before kickoff on Sunday, it was reported that 49ers defensive-tackle Jordan Elliott was injured during pregame warmups, tweaking his knee. Another Niner that appeared banged up on San Francisco's first offensive drive was receiver Ricky Pearsall who has already battled a myriad of injuries and was tackled awkwardly on a hip-drop tackle as he winced in pain and limped to the sideline but would eventually return to the field. After missing the previous two weeks with a hamstring injury, Niners kicker Eddy Pineiro also returned to the field on Sunday and continued his solid campaign with the team. Following a three and out punt on Tennessee's opening-drive, Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense kicked things off with an impressive 12-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a touchdown grab from receiver Jauan Jennings on third and goal. The drive would mark the 25th 10+ play scoring drive of the season for San Francisco, the most in the NFL. In what would be a busy day for the offense, the early touchdown would spark a streak of five consecutive scoring-drives for Purdy and company, marking their longest streak in a single game since November 21, 2021. 

Equally as successful on their second drive, Purdy connected on big passing plays to Demarcus Robinson and George Kittle before handing the ball off to running back Christian McCaffrey who found the end zone from a yard out to extend the lead. Tennessee would add a first quarter field goal as well as a touchdown pass from Ward to make things interesting at 14-10, but that's as close as things would get as Pineiro connected on his first of three field goals on the afternoon. With a missed field goal attempt on the other end by Titans kicker Joey Slye to end the first half, the 49ers clung onto a 17-10 lead heading into the locker room at the half. Receiving the second half kickoff and staying hot on offense, the 49ers added another pair of touchdowns on each of their first two second half possessions with touchdown passes to Jennings and Kittle to take a commanding 31-10 lead. Putting a temporary stop to the 49ers' scoring barrage, Purdy was striped of the ball by Tennessee Pro-Bowl defensive-tackle Jeffery Simmons for a fumble. 

The very next play of the Titans' ensuing-drive, Ward would connect on a 43-yard bomb to receiver Van Jefferson who came down with the ball at the 1-yard line. The Titans would award Simmons' big play two plays earlier on the defensive side by bringing him in on offense and tossing him a 1-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone from Cam Ward, his second career TD reception.  Sandwiched between a pair of Eddy Pineiro field goals in the fourth quarter, the Titans would add a final touchdown on a 6-yard rush from running back Tony Pollard who had a nice game statistically with 104 yards on 14 carries. With a final score of 37-24, the 49ers won their fourth straight game to improve to 10-4 on the season, marking the 5th 10-win season under coach Shanahan, and perhaps his most impressive given the many injuries sustained and the magnitude of players lost this year. Thanks to the successful day on offense coupled with the lone turnover on the strip-sack fumble, the 49ers went the entire game without having to punt. It would mark their first game without a punt since September 27, 2020. 

Brock Purdy finished with a solid performance, throwing for 295 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also adding 44 yards on the ground including a 26-yard scamper, the longest rush of his career and the longest by a 49er this season. Etching his name into the record books, Purdy logged his seventh career game with a passer rating of 140-plus, which ties him with Hall of Famer Kurt Warner for the most such games by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history. Purdy's counterpart Cam Ward finished with 170 yards passing and 2 TD's in the loss, showing flashes of why Tennessee made him the first overall pick in April's Draft. Running back Christian McCaffrey added 73-yards and a touchdown on the ground and receiver Ricky Pearsall shook off an early injury to finish with a game-high 96-yards receiving on 6 receptions. 

Week 16 Preview: With a tough stretch ahead in the final three regular season games of the season for the (10-4) 49ers, first on tap will be a road game in Indianapolis to face the (8-6) Colts on Monday Night Football. Losers of four straight and 5 of their last 6 games, it wasn't that long ago that the Colts were touted as being the class of the AFC and one of the top teams in the league after getting off to a 7-1 start to the season before the injury bug set in. After what appeared to be a resurgent year for quarterback Daniel Jones who was a cast off with the New York Giants, a ruptured Achilles tendon in Jones' right leg would force the team to turn to the 44-year old former Colt Philip Rivers who returned to the team after spending the last four years retired. In his first NFL action since January 9, 2021, Rivers nearly finished off a storybook return for the ages with a road win over a high-powered Seahawks team before being outdone by a game-winning field goal in the final moments. After converting on a go-ahead 60-yard field goal with 52-seconds left, it looked as if Rivers would come out triumphant in his return after 1,800 days off, but that was before Seattle kicked a late field goal of their own from 56-yards out with 18-seconds remaining. 

Had the Colts hung on for the win, the 49ers would've benefitted in the playoff standings by leaping Seattle. Now, they'll have a chance to get the job done themselves with wins in their final three games of the regular season, including a season-finale match-up at home against Seattle. San Francisco can clinch a playoff berth with a win in Indy or a Lions loss vs the Steelers, or in the more unlikely scenario of a tie from both the 49ers and Lions. Like the Niners, the Colts have had a fair amount of injuries and will likely be without several key players on defense including cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward as well as former first-round pick of the 49ers -- defensive-end DeForest Buckner. Being without three of their top defensive players, things should be a little easier for Brock Purdy and company to navigate the ball on offense come Monday. Having lost their last five games versus the Colts, the 49ers will try to leave Indy with their first win over the franchise since 2001. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

49ers End Drought in Cleveland with Win over Browns

Week 13 - Hitting the road for one final game before entering the Bye week, the (8-4) San Francisco 49ers would head into the dog pound to face the (3-8) Browns in Cleveland where the Niners have been unable to escape with a win since 1984, having lost in each of their last four tries. With a win on Sunday, the 49ers would be guaranteed to clinch their fifth winning season under head coach Kyle Shanahan. But with poor weather conditions expected in the forecast, defensive stalwart Myles Garrett and a stout Browns defense wouldn't be the only thing 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and company would have to worry about out onto the field. However, the snowy and rainy conditions that effected much of the area in the days leading up to gameday would clear for the most part in time for kickoff with the exception of the cold wind. Regardless, coach Shanahan would take no chances with mother nature as he won the coin-toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff to start Sunday's game, a rare occurrence for San Francisco. 

Looking to shake off a rough performance in his last outing when he threw three first half interceptions in an ugly win at home over the Carolina Panthers, Purdy would complete a 23-yard pass on the game's first play from scrimmage before the 49er offense struggled to gain more than a yard over their next three plays and were forced to punt. Cleveland quarterback Shedeur Sanders who became the first Browns QB to win his first career start since 1995 a week earlier, saw a similar fate on his team's opening-drive by converting a quick first down before things went awry and ended with the punting unit. And on that punt, return man Skyy Moore would come up with another huge play on special-teams by logging a 66-yard return, the longest punt return of his career to set things up for the 49er offense inside the red zone. Dialing up a heavy dose of plays for running back Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco would strike first with a 1-yard touchdown on third and goal. The Browns offense would begin to march on their ensuing possession by making it to the San Francisco 20 yard-line, but that's as far as they'd go as a 4th and 1 attempt was stuffed by the 49er defense to force a turnover on downs. 

With a series of punts from both sides, the Browns would get on the scoreboard before the end of the half after relying heavily on their rushing attack from rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. Following nine consecutive run plays to begin the drive, Sanders connected thru the air with his tight-end and fellow rookie Harold Fannin for a 34-yard touchdown. After a 49ers penalty for too many men on the field during the extra-point attempt, the Browns would try their luck at the two-point conversion and succeeded with a 1-yard rush from Judkins to give Cleveland a 8-7 advantage with 39-seconds remaining before halftime. 39-seconds would be all the San Francisco offense would need, however, as Purdy and company moved the ball 58-yards on three plays with passes to receivers Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and George Kittle, respectively. The last of which a 33-yard reception that setup kicker Matt Gay for a 25-yard field goal that clanked the left upright before making it thru as San Francisco jumped back ahead, 10-8 at the half. 

After punts from both teams to open the second half, the 49ers pounced on the first of two Cleveland fumbles on the day when a fumbled snap on 4th and 1 allowed for a short field for the San Francisco offense. With little success from McCaffrey from inside the Cleveland 5 yard-line, Purdy executed a perfect read-option and ran it in for the touchdown on third and goal for his first rushing touchdown of the season. With nothing to show for on their next possession, the 49ers would punt before coming up with another big play on special-teams by pouncing on and recovering a muffed fair-catch attempt that resulted in a fumble. Turning another turnover into points, the 49ers cashed in on a third and goal with a strike into the end zone from Purdy to Jauan Jennings to take a 23-8 lead. Sandwiched between a pair of turnover on downs forced by San Francisco's defense, Matt Gay would add his second field goal of the afternoon to give the Niners a commanding 26-8 lead that they would hang onto for the win. Shanahan and Purdy became the first 49ers head coach-QB duo to pull off a win in Cleveland since a pair of Hall of Famers -- Bill Walsh and Joe Montana did it in 1984 with a 41-7 drubbing of the Browns. 

On a day that was far from great for the offense, the 49ers won on Sunday by playing the field position game and took advantage of the opportunities they were given with short fields to work with. They also received big time contributions from their defense and special-teams units. Tallying three sacks on the afternoon, all from newcomers Clelin Ferrell (2) and Keion White (1), Robert Saleh's defense has turned in impressive performances in back-to-back games, allowing a combined 17-points over their last two games. Brock Purdy threw for 168 yards and a touchdown in the win, besting Cleveland's Shedeur Sanders who threw for 149 yards a touchdown in the loss. Running back Christian McCaffrey had another busy day at the office on Sunday but produced minimal results, totaling 20 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown, as well as 4 receptions for 21 yards. With 849 rushing yards and 806 receiving yards on the season, McCaffrey joins Marshall Faulk as the only players in NFL history with at least 800-800 in three seasons. His counterpart Quinshon Judkins was one of the lone bright spots for a lackluster Browns team, rushing for 91 yards on 23 carries while adding another 18 yards on three receptions to put him over 100 total yards on the day. Niners tight-end George Kittle led all receivers with a game-high 67 receiving yards on 4 receptions. 

Week 15 Preview: With San Francisco improving to 9-4 on the season following their win over Cleveland, coach Shanahan and the 49ers will head home for their Week 14 Bye before returning to Levi's Stadium in Week 15 where they will host the (1-11) Tennessee Titans and the No. 1 overall pick in last April's Draft QB Cam Ward. With their lone win of the season coming on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, 22-21 in Week 5, the Titans are in the driver's seat to draft first overall for the second consecutive season. Having fired their head coach Brian Callahan only six weeks into the season after a 1-5 start in back-to-back years, the team is currently led by interim coach Mike McCoy. 

It's not often a team wins during their Bye week, but the 49ers were guaranteed to do just that as San Francisco moved into the No. 6 seed in the NFC Playoff picture following the Chicago Bears' loss to the Green Bay Packers. Following the Bye week, coach Shanahan has to be feeling good as his team's playoff chances have increased to 90% following the results of other games around the league in Week 14. The Bye will also help refuel a banged up 49ers team during a pivotal time with the playoffs on the horizon. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

McCaffrey, Brown Lead Way for 49ers' Sloppy Win over Panthers

Week 12 - Playing at home in front of the Levi's Stadium faithful for a brief 1-game stay before hitting the road again, the (7-4) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the upstart (6-5) Carolina Panthers under the bright lights of Monday Night Football. With two quarterbacks coming off big games the previous week for their respective teams, Monday night's game would be the complete opposite of that as San Francisco's Brock Purdy and Carolina's Bryce Young struggled mightily and threw for a combined five interceptions on the night. A week removed from logging a mistake-free ballgame against his hometown Arizona Cardinals in which Purdy threw for an even 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first game back after missing six weeks, he would have his worst outing of the season by throwing three interceptions, all in the first half and on three straight possessions which led to some unhappy fans that let their feelings be heard in the form of boo's. Luckily, Purdy wasn't the only signal-caller on the night that struggled to get much of anything going thru the air. Young who had a career game a week earlier by throwing for a Panthers franchise record 448 yards passing to go with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, had plenty of opportunities to put his team in a position to win or at the very least put up more points with some help from his defense. 

It wasn't all bad QB play, however, as things actually got off to a great for the 49er offense that began the game in possession of the ball and embarked on their longest opening-drive of the season. Controlling the ball for 8-minutes and 43-seconds and running 15-plays, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a career-high nine touches on the opening-drive for running back and former first round pick of the Panthers Christian McCaffrey. Facing his former team for the first time since being traded to San Francisco in 2022, it would be a busy night for McCaffrey who helped the 49ers march their way into the red zone where Purdy found receiver Jauan Jennings who broke a pair of tackles before making it into the end zone for the early score. Looking equally as impressive on defense, the 49ers forced a three-and-out punt on Carolina's first possession. Unfortunately, they would give the ball away just one play later on Purdy's first of three interceptions. Taking over with prime field position, the Panthers made it to the 1-yard line where they would setup shop on first and goal. Electing to pass, Young was picked off in the end zone by 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown who read the play perfectly on his way to having a career night. 

Putting together what appeared to be another promising drive, Purdy and the offense marched to the Carolina 28-yard line before he launched a deep ball into the end zone for Ricky Pearsall that was intercepted for a touchback. The 49er defense would hold the Panthers to another three and out but they would not be so lucky a third time around when Purdy became the first quarterback this season to throw three interceptions in the first half of a game. Again, on a pass intended for Pearsall, Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn jumped in front of the receiver for his second interception of the night. The third time would be a charm for the Panthers who finally turned a turnover into points as kicker Ryan Fitzgerald got Carolina on the board with a field goal. Brock Purdy would shake off the rust with a much cleaner performance the rest of the way by avoiding any more turnovers, although he escaped throwing another interception or two as he and his receivers continued to miscommunicate on several plays through either poor timing or incorrect routes throughout the night. 

Kicker Matt Gay who was signed on Thursday after being cut by the Washington Commanders last Monday, made an impressive first impression with the 49ers by going 2-for-2 in field goals, including one before the half to give San Francisco a 10-3 halftime lead. Opening the second half with another stellar drive, McCaffrey capped things off with a 12-yard receiving touchdown to make it a 17-3 ballgame. Facing a 14-point hole in the final moments in the third quarter, the Panthers put together their most successful drive of the night, scoring on a 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan. But an unsuccessful two-point conversion would keep it an 8-point game. After answering with their second field goal of the night, the 49ers would increase to 11. Looking to inch closer midway thru the fourth quarter, Bryce Young would be intercepted for a second time, again by San Francisco's Ji'Ayir Brown who would play his way to NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. 

In a last-ditch effort to pull off the comeback, the Panthers would miss on a 57-yard field goal attempt from Fitzgerald which allowed the Niners to run the clock and secure the 20-9 victory and their 54th win on Monday Night Football in franchise history, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most all-time. Had the Panthers won on Monday, they would've moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Instead, they drop to 6-6 and fall into second place behind the (6-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the 49ers keep pace in the crowded and mighty NFC Western Division by improving to 8-4 on the year. Leading the way for the 49ers once more would be Christian McCaffrey who logged his 38th career game with 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards, 2nd most all-time behind only Marshall Faulk's 41, after finishing with 89 and 53, respectively. CMC also became the third running back in NFL history to have 50+ receiving yards in at least 50 career games, joining Larry Centers (55) and Faulk (50). Tight-end George Kittle would lead all receivers with 6 receptions for 78 of Brock Purdy's 193 yards. 

What got almost as much attention as the win itself was what happened after the game ended when a scuffle broke out between Jauan Jennings and Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig. The two had to be separated when both teams met near midfield to exchange pleasantries as Jennings was seen throwing a punch at Moehrig after the game following a low blow Jennings took from Moehrig earlier in the game. Jennings would be commended by coach Shanahan for waiting until after the game to express his frustration opposed to during the game and costing his team a penalty or possible ejection. Moehrig attempted to defend his actions in a postgame interview by explaining Jennings was talking trash, but he would ultimately be fined and suspended one game by the commissioner's office for his actions. 

Week 13 Preview: Hitting the road to take on the (3-8) Cleveland Browns, the (8-4) 49ers are coming off back-to-back wins for the first time since starting the season 3-0. They'll try to make it three straight wins when they face off against rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders who is coming off his first career win on the road over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first career start. Seeking their first win in Cleveland since 1984, the 49ers will try to make Sanders' first start in front of the home crowd a rough homecoming. With San Francisco currently holding a Wild Card position as the No. 7 seed in the NFC standings, their playoff aspirations can increase drastically with another win on Sunday. With arguably the best defensive player in the league in Myles Garrett looking to make things miserable for Brock Purdy, the 49ers will need to be much sharper on offense if they plan to end their drought in "The Land." With weather conditions expected to be poor come kickoff time with wind and rain in the forecast, we may be in store for another heavy dose of run plays from running backs Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest 

Niners drop Rematch vs Rams behind Struggling Defense

Week 10 - One of the biggest upsets in the NFL this season took place during Week 5 when the (6-3) San Francisco 49ers paid a visit to SoFi Stadium aka Levi's South to take on the (6-2) Los Angeles Rams. Despite being 8.5-point underdogs and missing several key players on both sides of the football in that game, the Niners managed to pull off the 26-23 win in what ended up being an overtime thriller. Fast forward to Sunday where the two rivals would face off again in the rematch in Santa Clara, the 49ers would put their perfect 3-0 record against the division to the test against a Rams team that hasn't lost since their Week 5 bout when these two teams last met. Winners of three straight games, the Rams have been riding hot behind quarterback and MVP-canidate Matthew Stafford who at the age of 37 is playing arguably his best football yet in his 17th professional season. After dealing with back problems that kept him on shelf for much of training camp and into the preseason, there was no telling whether Stafford would be ready by the time the regular season started. Now 10 weeks into the season, there's no telling when the Rams' QB will call it quits given his recent resurgence as he entered Sunday's game with 13 TD passes in his last three games, the most in Rams franchise history over a three-game span. 

While the Niners jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter of their Week 5 meeting, it was the Rams who looked sharp to start this one by jumping ahead 21-0 after scoring touchdowns on each of their first three possessions. Kickstarting the barrage on offense was Rams running back Kyren Williams who shouldered much of the blame for L.A.'s Week 5 loss after fumbling near the goal line, scoring his first of two touchdowns on the afternoon and giving the Rams their third consecutive game with an opening-drive touchdown. After a three and out punt by the Niners on their first possession of game, Stafford connected with receiver Puka Nacua who broke several tackles before finding the end zone to take an early 14-0 lead. San Francisco began to march on offense during their ensuing possession which made it to the Rams' 26-yard line before receiver Jauan Jennings fumbled the ball after converting the first down. The turnover would be a momentum killer for the 49ers as the Rams took advantage by adding another touchdown as Stafford found tight-end Davis Allen in the back of the end zone to make it 21-0. The touchdown pass would also be the 400th TD pass of Stafford's career, making him the 9th QB in NFL history to reach that mark. 

After what appeared to be another successful drive on offense for San Francisco, quickly went up in flames again as the Niners made their first trip into the red zone before coming up short on a 4th and 1 that resulted in a turnover on downs. Luckily, the 49ers defense would finally force a Rams punt, allowing Kyle Shanahan's team to finally get something going before the end of the first half. With Mac Jones making his sixth consecutive start at QB and his 8th start in 10 games for the 49ers this season while filling in for the injured Brock Purdy, the trusty backup helped his team finally get on the board with a touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings who was able to shake off a rough first quarter that included a dropped pass, a penalty and a fumble. Grabbing his third touchdown of the season and second in as many games, Jennings would remain the only 49ers wide-receiver with a touchdown reception so far this season. 

Trailing 21-7 to open the second half, the 49ers got off to a much better start in the third quarter as backup running back Brian Robinson continued to be a nice change of pace from Christian McCaffrey who was held in check virtually all game long on the ground. Plowing over a Rams defender, Robinson found the end zone for a second consecutive week to make it a one-score game and inch the 49ers closer, 21-14. But answering back to kill the momentum again would be Stafford and company as the Rams scored a touchdown of their own on a 2-yard touchdown reception from Davante Adams. The two teams would again answer one another with touchdowns to open the fourth quarter with Mac Jones connecting with tight-end Luke Farrell and Kyren Williams finding the end zone again on the ground for L.A.. Jones' only blemish on the afternoon would come on San Francisco's ensuing possession as a pass intended for McCaffrey was tipped and intercepted, allowing for more points off turnovers as Stafford hit tight-end Colby Parkinson for his first touchdown grab of the season. With his fourth touchdown pass of the day, Stafford would become the sixth player all-time with 4+ TD passes in three straight games in a single season and the first player in NFL history with 4+ TDs and 0 interceptions in three straight games. 

Mac Jones and the Niners would answer with a touchdown of their own, albeit in garbage time as George Kittle got in on the fun, further adding to what was already a busy afternoon for tight-ends, making a grab near the sideline and lunging into the pylon for the score. Failing to convert on the two-point conversion, the 49ers would ultimately fall in this one, 42-26. While the offense woke up a bit in the second half, the defense was unable to force any turnovers and other than one sack, was unable to force much pressure which allowed Stafford to do just about anything he wanted through the air as San Francisco's defense allowed their highest point total of the season (42). The Rams also managed to play penalty-free football for an entire game, a feat that has only been accomplished in the NFL 40 other times since the year 2000. In comparison, the 49ers were called for 7 penalties for 45 yards and perhaps none bigger than a head-scratching, "illegal motion" penalty on Kittle that wiped out a 4th down conversion just one play prior to the Jones interception during the fourth quarter. 

Both quarterbacks would put up impressive numbers as Mac Jones threw for 319 yards on 33 of 39 pass attempts, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception for a 115.7 passer rating in the loss, while Matt Stafford completed 24 of 36 passes, tallying 280 yards, 4 TDs and 0 interceptions for a 127.1 passer rating in the win. George Kittle logged his best game of the season with a game-high 9 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown to lead both teams in receiving. Kyren Williams of the Rams racked up 73 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, more than San Francisco's tandem of McCaffrey and Robinson combined (71). Despite the loss, there is a silver lining for the 49ers who for the first time this season have no new injuries to report following a game. 

Week 11 Preview: Looking to get back into the win column and keep pace in the race for the NFC Western Division, the (6-4) 49ers will turn their attention to another division rival when they visit the desert to take on the (3-6) Arizona Cardinals. With a 16-15 walk-off win against the Cardinals in Week 3 at Levi's, both teams will look very different when they toe-off for the rematch. Notably for the Cardinals who underwent a change at the quarterback position, Jacoby Brissett will be under center on Sunday instead of Kyler Murray who was placed on Injured Reserve with a mid-food sprain. Coming off a 44-22 drubbing against the Seattle Seahawks, the Cardinals found themselves in a 38-7 hole in the first half that they were unable to climb out of. With a win over Arizona on Sunday the 49ers would complete a season sweep of the Cardinals, something they'd like to achieve after being swept at the hands of Arizona a season ago. Sunday's game will also kickoff a four-game stretch of winnable games for the Niners against struggling opponents -- Cardinals, Panthers, Browns and Titans. Expected to be favorites in each, the window is open for San Francisco to add to their win total and make a push for a playoff spot before a tough stretch to closeout the season. 

Follow me on Twitter/X: @FraserKnowsBest

Niners Rout Giants with Win in the Big Apple

Week 9 - Traveling out east to take on the (2-6) New York Giants, the (5-3) San Francisco 49ers would attempt to get back on track in the win column following a loss last week to the Texans and with a pair of division games on the horizon. But in order to make that happen, Kyle Shanahan's team would have to be much better on defense than they were a week ago after failing to log a single sack against the quarterback and were unable to force a punt until the midway point of the fourth quarter. As for the offense, a mediocre Giants run defense would open the door for a big day by the Niners rushing attack as both Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr. looked to bounce back in a big way after being virtually shut down in Houston a week earlier. 

Making his seventh start of the season in place of a recovering Brock Purdy (toe), 49ers quarterback Mac Jones would come out on fire by completing 14-of-14 pass attempts in the first half. After the Giants began the game with a touchdown on their opening-drive, Jones helped the Niners answer with a 5-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey. Following a three-and-out punt on the Giants' next possession, Jones again led the 49ers to pay dirt, finding receiver Jauan Jennings in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. Jennings, the subject of possible trade rumors just days ahead of the November 4 trade deadline, hauled in his second touchdown reception of the season and his first since Week 2. It would also mark just the second touchdown reception by a 49ers wide receiver this season, compared to the seven TD's caught by tight-ends and the five by running backs. San Francisco would add an Eddy Pineiro field goal to make it 17-7 at the two-minute warning and had plans on adding more before an interesting series of events for both teams. 

After forcing the Giants to punt and using timeouts to preserve the clock, the 49ers would get the ball back with 49-seconds remaining in the first half. But on the first play of their ensuing possession, Mac Jones would be hit from behind, jarring the ball loose and leading to a fumble. Taking over possession in prime field position, New York was unable to move the ball and settled for a 45-yard field goal attempt by kicker Graham Gano who entered Sunday's game a perfect 8-for-8 on the season, before missing wide left to end the first half. Getting the ball back to open the second half, the 49ers would add another Pineiro field goal to give them 20 unanswered-points and a 20-7 lead. While the Giants would eventually stop the bleeding with a field goal to make it a 10-point deficit, the two teams would exchange touchdowns throughout the fourth quarter. Kickstarting the flurry of a combined four consecutive touchdown-scoring drives would be 49ers backup running back Brian Robinson Jr. who only had five carries on the afternoon but made them count, finishing with 53 yards total, including an 18-yard touchdown run that saw him steamroll a Giants defender on his way to reaching the end zone for his first touchdown as a member of the 49ers.  

Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart who was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for October, responded by carrying the ball into the end zone himself for a 6-yard score. The touchdown for Dart would be a special one as he joined former NFL QB Tim Tebow as the only other quarterback in NFL history to record at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in four straight games, and the first rookie to ever accomplish the feat. Also making history on Sunday would be Christian McCaffrey. With a receiving touchdown earlier in the game, CMC added a 3-yard rushing touchdown, marking his 16th career game with a rushing and receiving touchdown, the most all-time, passing Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. Dart and the Giants would score one final touchdown in garbage time as receiver Gunner Olszewski came up with just his second career receiving touchdown and first reception since 2023, a 24-yard score to make it a 34-24 game. With the Giants unable to recover the onside-kick, the 49ers converted a game-sealing first down to close out the win, handing New York a third straight loss. 

Quarterback Mac Jones finished with another strong outing by throwing for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns to go along with a passer rating of 135.2. Meanwhile, Jaxson Dart threw for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns for a passer rating of 107.01, while also rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown to lead all Giants on the ground. McCaffrey again led the offense for San Francisco, rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown and adding another 67 yards and a score through the air. McCaffrey has now amassed over 500 rushing and 500 receiving yards for the season, becoming just the second player in the past 10 years to do that within the first nine games of a season, joining Saquon Barkley (2018). He also becomes just the second 49er to do it, joining Roger Craig in 1985. Unfortunately, the Niners were unable to avoid making it out of Sunday's game without an injury as rookie first-round pick Mykel Williams went down in the final minutes of regulation with a knee injury. Although he was able to walk to the sideline under his own power, he was later seen walking to the locker room in frustration as team officials fear he might've suffered a season-ending ACL injury. 

Week 10 Preview: Returning home to Levi's Stadium, the (6-3) 49ers will play host to the rival (6-2) Los Angeles Rams. Winners of three straight games since their upset loss at home to the Niners on Thursday Night Football, the Rams will face a very different 49ers team in the rematch as San Francisco will be without several key players that helped them pull off the upset in overtime, most notably linebacker and leader Fred Warner who helped make some key plays in that win. Having already matched their season total in wins from a season ago with their sixth win on Sunday, the Niners will look to add to that mark while eying a season sweep of the Rams much like they accomplished against San Francisco last year. But with Rams QB Matthew Stafford having appeared to turn back the clock so far this season with what could be an MVP season, the Rams will not be going down without a fight when these two teams meet in the rematch. With the 49ers yet to have their Bye week, they currently trail both the Rams and Seahawks in the division at 6-2 on the year. 

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 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