While the San Francisco 49ers were missing in action in Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft without a single pick in Rounds 2 or 3, the team more than made up for that quiet Friday with a busy Day 3 on Saturday. Just before the Cincinnati Bengals kicked things off with the first selection of the 3rd Round and 65th pick overall, 49ers general manager John Lynch made a splash by trading for disgruntled Washington Redskins left-tackle Trent Williams. The 31-year old Williams who did not play in 2019 after he and his agent demanded a trade following a series of trust issues with the team's medical staff that stemmed from a cancerous tumor that Williams had surgically removed in April of last year. After initially being told by team doctors back in 2013 that the diagnosis was nothing to worry about, Williams refused to play for the club that was unable to work a deal with another team. That was until this morning when John Lynch came calling.
A 7-time Pro Bowler who lands in San Francisco with one-year and $12.5 Million dollars remaining on his contract, Williams is quite familiar with Kyle Shanahan's offense as the current 49ers head coach was with Washington in 2010 as the team's offensive coordinator when the Redskins selected Williams out of Oklahoma with the 4th overall pick. Known for his outstanding footwork and athletic ability, Williams nearly landed with the Minnesota Vikings who were reportedly in deep talks with Washington before things fell through which ultimately allowed for San Francisco to come into the picture and nab him. Aside from his stellar and consistent play while protecting the quarterback, Williams is also most famous for an altercation that took place between him and a player he'll now share a locker room with. Williams was hit with an $8,000 fine after taking a swipe at former Seattle Seahawk and soon to be fellow teammate Richard Sherman following the Redskins' loss to Seattle in the 2012 NFC Wild Card game. The two took to Twitter and had a good laugh about the incident shortly after 49ers owner Jed York welcomed Williams to the team which prompted Sherman to ask for a rematch.
The acquisition of Williams which was already a major addition to the team, grew exponentially in significance just moments later as it was learned that long-time 49er and 6-time Pro Bowl left-tackle Joe Staley was retiring from the game of football at the age of 35 due to health concerns. A former first round pick of the 49ers in 2007, Staley played all 13 NFL seasons in San Francisco after they made him the 28th overall pick out of Central Michigan. Named to the NFL's 2010 All-Decade Team just a week earlier, Staley was a 3-time All-Pro with the Niners while playing 192 games that spanned over seven different head coaches. Following the disappoint loss in Super Bowl 54 in which the 49ers let a 10-point, fourth quarter lead slip through their hands, Staley was without question the one player who took the upsetting loss the hardest, at least in the public eye. It won't be long before Staley's No. 74 is retired by the team and hung up in the rafters of Levi's Stadium for all to see. Since 2011, Staley has been the highest-rated left-tackle in all of football with a grade of 93.8. But not far behind him was Trent Williams at No. 4 with a 92.5 grade. As saddened as the team and fans will be with Staley now on his way out, Williams will be plugged into that void immediately with fresh legs under him following the time off.
In the trade for Williams, the 49ers sent their 5th round pick (156th overall) and a 2021 3rd round pick to Washington. It would end up being the first of three trades executed by John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan as they also sent running back Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins for a 5th round pick and managed to jettison the contract of Marquise Goodwin by shipping him and a 6th round pick (210) to Philadelphia for their 6th round pick (190). Both Breida and Goodwin were expected to be big contributors to the 49er offense in 2019, but injuries would limit both players on the field last season. While Breida was often hurt and had both Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman to split running back duties with, Goodwin was frequently sidelined for both personal reasons and injury problems. After a strong 2017 campaign in which he was on the doorstep of 1,000 yards receiving before falling just shy with 962, the former Olympic speedster was given a new expensive three-year deal that he continuously failed to live up to.
Rounding out their busy Day 3 of the Draft, the 49ers made 5th, 6th and 7th round selections with picks No. 153, 190 and 217 to select West Virginia offensive-tackle Colton McKivitz, Georgia tight-end Charlie Woerner and Tennessee wide-receiver Jauan Jennings, respectively. With McKivitz and Jennings brought in to provide depth and possibly compete for a starting job, Woerner who was the No. 1 rated run-blocking tight-end in the entire draft class, will likely find himself in a nice run-blocking role for Kyle Shanahan's offense, following the departures of tight-ends Garrett Celek and Levine Toilolo. Similar to San Francisco's 25th overall selection Brandon Aiyuk who Shanahan acquired for his YAC (yards after catch) ability, Jennings brings a similar skill-set, having averaged 14.7 YAC for the Vols in 2019, while also adding some physicality and strength as his 30 forced missed tackles were the most among all NCAA wide-receivers last season.
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Week 17 - Entering Week 10 of the 2019 NFL season a perfect 8-0, the San Francisco 49ers welcomed into town their division foe and arch nemesis Seattle Seahawks who spoiled the party and handed Kyle Shanahan's team their first loss of the season in an overtime thriller. With Seattle getting the better of San Francisco over the last few years, the (12-3) 49ers would get a chance to exact revenge over Pete Carroll's (11-4) Seahawks team with a win that would clinch a first-round BYE and number one seed in the NFC. But as the Niners know as well as anybody, Seattle isn't exactly the easiest place to come out victorious unless you're the home team of course. In what would be an NFC West Championship between two bitter rivals, the game that was flexed into Sunday Night Football, would be a fitting end to what's been one of the most heated rivalries of the last 10 years between the 49ers and Seahawks, putting a bow on the last game of the decade in the NFL's 100th season.
Having not won in Seattle since 2011, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team would still enter the game as 3-point favorites before kickoff. Through the first half, the 49ers looked like shoo-ins to finally get off the schneid up north as San Francisco dominated through the first two quarters on both sides of the ball. Coming off NFC Special-Teams Player of the Week honors for his game-winning heroics against the Rams the previous week, 49ers kicker Robbie Gould would kick things off with a 47-yard field goal on the team's first offensive possession to put San Francisco ahead early on. No receiver on Sunday night would have a bigger game than 49ers rookie Deebo Samuel who scored the lone touchdown of the first half not through the air, but on the ground. Faking a handoff to the running back, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tossed the ball in the backfield to Samuel who spun his way down the sideline and into the end zone for the 30-yard touchdown. Leading 10-0 at the start of the second quarter, the 49ers would again add to their lead with a second Robbie Gould field goal. Seattle's best-looking drive of the half would go up in flames when a 4th & 1 attempt was stuffed at the line by Niners rookie sensation Nick Bosa, causing the turnover on downs with less than a minute remaining. Having only allowed 3-points in the final two minutes of the first half all season long, the stout 49er defense once again held their ground before heading to the locker room.
After a quiet first half on offense much like in their first meeting against the Niners on Monday night, the Seahawks opened the second half on another level, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives of the second half. Unfortunately for them, San Francisco would answer two of those scores with a pair of touchdowns of their own. Following Seattle's first TD -- a 14-yard strike from QB Russell Wilson to receiver Tyler Lockett, 49ers running back Raheem Mostert responded with a score from 2-yards out. Orchestrating the longest drive of the game for either team, Wilson and the Seattle offense chewed up 8-minutes and 30-seconds while marching 75-yards over a 14-play drive that ended with a leaping touchdown at the goal-line from running back Marshawn Lynch. Playing his first down of NFL football in 441 days, Lynch would suit up in a Seattle uniform for the first time since the 2015 season after spending his previous two seasons with the Raiders before taking a break all of last year. With 5:51 remaining in the 4th quarter, the 49ers would take a 26-14 lead after Mostert's second rushing touchdown in as many drives. Hoping it would be the dagger, the game would be far from over as Russell Wilson continued to show why he's among the top candidates for league MVP.
In what would be a forgetful night in coverage for 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, the former third round pick in his third NFL season, was beat constantly in the secondary and allowed both of Seattle's touchdowns thru the air. The second of which, a 14-yard pass to rookie D.K. Metcalf, brought the Seahawks within five points with less than 4 minutes to play. And with San Francisco forced to punt following a three and out, Seattle would get one final chance and would have just under two and a half minutes to pull off the comeback. For San Francisco, the defense which has been among the league's best but has also had its fair share of close calls, would once again be called upon to win them the game. With the division on the line, the two teams would be locked in for one of the more wild final minutes to an NFL game this season. Marching down to the 12 yard-line, the Seattle offense would face a 4th and 10 that they would convert on a clutch reception by rookie receiver John Ursua who's one and only grab of the night gained his team the much needed first down. Out of timeouts and with the clock running, Wilson and company were in panic mode when one of their own linemen was slow to get back to the line to hike and spike the ball to stop the clock.
With the ball at the 1-yard line, the table was set for a story line fit for a Hollywood script when Marshawn Lynch grabbed his helmet and hurried to the line to set up for what figured to be a game-winning touchdown. But the storybook ending never materialized as "Beast Mode" was held in check and making matters worse, the Seahawks failed to snap the ball in time and were flagged for a delay of game penalty. Incomplete passes on the next two downs would set up a do or die 4th and goal from the 5 yard-line. Dropping back to pass, Wilson would fire a strike to tight-end Jacob Hollister who was stopped at the goal-line by 49ers rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw who kept the receiver out of the end zone for the game-winning tackle. After losing a game to the Atlanta Falcons just two weeks earlier in the same exact fashion, the 49er defense flipped the script and held their ground as the team stormed the field and celebrated the goal-line stand that clinched them both a division championship and a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1997 as San Francisco prevailed, 26-21. It would be a long time coming for the duo of coach Shanahan and general manager John Lynch who were each brought in on six-year contracts at the same time three seasons ago and promised to right the ship and get this proud organization back to their glory days.
When his career is all said and done, San Francisco's George Kittle will have set the bar pretty high for future 49er tight-ends. Kittle who missed the first meeting between the two teams, made his presence felt early and often in the rematch as he made several key blocks in the run game and hauled in 7 receptions for 86 yards to put him over the 1,000 yard mark for the season. Just a year after becoming the first 49ers tight-end in franchise history to record 1,000 yards receiving during his record-setting season of 1,377 yards, the most ever by a tight-end in NFL history, Kittle becomes the first 49er to do it in back-to-back seasons. But it was receiver Deebo Samuel who stole the show for the San Francisco offense as he caught five passes for 102 yards, while also carrying the ball twice for 33 yards and a touchdown. Raheem Mostert led all Niners with 57 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, giving him six consecutive games with a rushing TD which ties him for the most in 49er history in a single season. With Seattle's Russell Wilson entering Sunday night with a perfect 8-0 record in his career at home against the Niners, San Francisco finally ended their skid when they needed it most, all thanks to the stellar play by their own QB. Finishing 18 for 22 and throwing for 285 yards in his first ever visit to Seattle, Jimmy Garoppolo once again proved unfazed by the hostile environment on his way to an impressive passer rating of 118.8. And in his first full year at the helm of the Niners, Jimmy G finishes with 3,978 passing yards, the 4th most in franchise history, while joining Hall of Famers Steve Young and Joe Montana as the only 49er QB's to win 13 games and have a 100+ passer rating in a single season.
With the NFC's No. 1 seed clinched, the importance of a first-round BYE cannot be overstated as 26 of 34 teams to make the Super Bowl had a BYE, including teams in the last six Super Bowl's. And in the team's playoff history, San Francisco is 20-9 all-time when hosting a playoff game compared to just 5-10 when playing on the road. Having now played in five straight games decided by one-score, these quasi playoff games, though tiresome, could certainly pay dividends down the stretch for an otherwise inexperienced roster heading into the playoffs as Kyle Shanahan's team looks to take a week off and recover for the first time since their Week 4 BYE, while awaiting their next foe in the NFC as the Eagles host the Seahawks and the Saints host the Vikings.
Honorable mention - During the first meeting between these two teams, 49ers tackle Joe Staley was making a return after coming off a six-game absence following a broken leg suffered in Week 2. In what would go down as one of the worst games of his career as he was constantly beat by Seattle defensive-end Jadeveon Clowney who feasted on the 49ers o-line and had a monster night, Staley had a chance to get even with Clowney in the rematch. Not allowing a single sack all night, Staley would do just that, redeeming himself with arguably his best performance of the season and keeping Clowney at bey as he was virtually a non-factor, finishing the game with only one tackle. Like many of his 49er teammates, Staley is beginning to play his best ball at the best possible time as the playoffs are officially underway.
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Week 2 - Coming off their first road win since December 31, 2017, the (1-0) San Francisco 49ers would look to go 2-0 on the road to open a season for the first time since 1989 when they went on to win their fourth of five Super Bowls. And facing an (0-1) Cincinnati Bengals team that had nearly pulled off a Week 1 upset over the Seahawks in Seattle behind 418 passing yards by Cincy QB Andy Dalton -- the 5th-most passing yards in a single game in Bengals franchise history, the 49ers would be up for the challenge after spending the week practicing in nearby Youngstown, Ohio, hometown of the York & DeBartolo families. Playing in the second hottest home game in Bengals history, it would be the first meeting between the two teams in four years. And after winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, the 49ers offense would open the game nearly as hot as the Cincinnati temperature.
Following a three-and-out forced by the San Francisco defense, Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49er offense would need only four plays to find the end zone as the speedy Marquise Goodwin hauled in a 38-yard touchdown reception from Garoppolo who found his wide-open receiver for the easy score. It would be the start of a busy day for Garoppolo who matched a career-high with three touchdown passes on the afternoon. But the Bengals would stick around for at least the early part of the first quarter as Cincy tied the game on their ensuing possession as Bengals QB Andy Dalton connected with receiver Tyler Boyd for a 47-yard reception on their first play of the drive which eventually setup a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Tyler Eifert. Having to make due without their starting running back in Tevin Coleman, the 49ers ground attack would do just fine as the trio of Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. combined to feast for 238 of San Francisco's 259 yards rushing, while adding another 84 yards receiving. Equally as effective when passing, Mostert helped the Niners regain the lead on their second possession when coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a screen play that ended with the third-string running back reaching the end zone on a 39-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
Though there weren't many mistakes in the game by the 49ers, especially in comparison to their Week 1 performance in Tampa Bay, Garoppolo did make one mental error when he threw a pass that he probably shouldn't have while facing a 2nd and 20 deep at his own 15-yard line. Surrounded by six Bengals defenders, Richie James Jr. found himself in no man's land as the pass was intercepted and returned near midfield. Luckily, the mishap wouldn't cost his team as Cincinnati kicker Randy Bullock failed to convert on a 52-yard field goal try. Taking over with good field position, the 49ers would capitalize with another touchdown, this time of the running variety as Jeff Wilson Jr. who was promoted from the practice squad and added to the 49ers roster just a day earlier, struck pay dirt for his first of two rushing touchdowns on the day. Both teams would exchange field goals before the half as a Cincinnati drive near midfield went up in flames when Niners linebacker Kwon Alexander picked off a pass from a running Dalton who was flushed from the pocket before unloading the errant throw. By halftime, the 49ers offense had already accumulated 291 yards of offense, 58-yards more than the Cincinnati defense had allowed in total during their Week 1 loss at Seattle.
Opening the second half much like they did the first, Garoppolo would connect on a 39-yard pass to rookie receiver Deebo Samuel on the first play of the half. Six plays later, Jimmy G would award the rookie with the first touchdown reception of his career as Samuel hauled in a 2-yard score to put his team on top, 31-10. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the last of the 49ers touchdown-scoring barrage would come on Wilson Jr.'s second rushing touchdown, this time from 4-yards out. Kicker Robbie Gould who had missed only one field goal in all of last season and had already matched that total after a miss a week ago against the Buccaneers, missed another on Sunday as his kick from only 39-yards out went wide right. A garbage-time touchdown with less than a minute remaining would allow Andy Dalton to eclipse the 300-yards passing plateau as receiver John Ross hauled in a 66-yard score. And though Ross and Tyler Boyd would both compile over a hundred yards receiving -- Ross 112 yards on 4 receptions and Boyd with a game-high 122 yards on 10 receptions, it wouldn't be enough as the Bengals were shellacked by a final score of 41-17.
While the 49ers ran amok with 259 of their 572 yards coming on the ground, the San Francisco defense held Cincy's ground attack to only 25 yards rushing on 19 attempts. Meanwhile, Matt Breida needed only ten carries to eclipse the century mark before finishing with 121-yards rushing on 12 attempts as Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. added 83 and 34 yards respectively. Leading the Niners in both receptions and receiving yards was Deebo Samuel who made five catches for 87-yards to along with his first career touchdown. Another noteworthy feat was that of third-year 49ers tight-end George Kittle who hauled in three receptions for 54-yards to reach 2,000 career receiving yards and needing only 33 career games to get there, tied for the third-fastest tight-end to reach that feat. With 31-points scored in their first game and another 41 in their second, the 49ers have now scored 30+ points in Weeks 1 & 2 for the first time since 1998, the last of Hall of Famer Steve Young's seven consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. It would also mark the first time since 2013 that the 49ers would score 40+ points on the road. Completing 17 of 25 passes for 297 yards, Jimmy G helped the 49ers tally 569 total yards of offense, the fifth most in team history since 1960, compared to only 316 total yards by Cincinnati.
But perhaps the most impressive stat of all is that the 49ers offensive-line didn't allow a single sack in the game compared to the four that the San Francisco defense tallied on Sunday. Sadly, that offensive-line would be dealt a huge blow in the third quarter when six-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Staley was lost late in the third quarter after suffering a broken left fibula that is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks. With the "next man up" mentality the 49ers played with last season given the plethora of injuries they suffered, rookie Justin Skule who was selected as a 6th round pick, will likely get the start in Staley's absence.
Week 3 Preview - Off to their first 2-0 start since 2012 when the Jim Harbaugh-led 49ers made it to their last Super Bowl appearance, San Francisco will kickoff their home-opener by hosting the (0-2) Pittsburgh Steelers. Following an embarrassing Week 1 performance against the reigning Super Bowl champion Patriots, the Steelers were stunned at home by Seattle after losing QB Ben Roethlisberger to a shoulder injury. And with Big Ben needing surgery that'll rule him out for the season, the Steelers will get a look at potentially their next franchise quarterback in Mason Rudolph. And though Rudolph will be making his first career start, the Niners can't exactly write off their opponent just yet, regardless of his inexperience at the NFL level as the second-year man out of Oklahoma State looked cool, calm and collected when coming into the game and taking over for the injured Big Ben. In fact, the Steeler offense actually began to show some life when Rudolph took over as he finished with 112 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the 28-26 loss to the Seahawks. Pittsburgh did however dodge a bullet with running back James Conner who also left Sunday's game with a knee injury, but should be able to suit up for Sunday's game in Santa Clara. Excited to take the field in front of the 49er Faithful, the 49ers will look to improve to 3-0 on the year as Jimmy Garoppolo takes the field at Levi's Stadium for the first time in over a year when the 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions in Week 2 of last season.
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