Niners, Purdy Struggle in Christmas Bout vs Ravens

Week 16 - In a match-up between the top two teams in their respective conferences at 11-3 on the season, the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens met on Christmas evening for a heavyweight showdown on Monday Night Football, showcasing the NFC's best ranked offense versus the AFC's best ranked defense. After the Christmas feast concluded and all gifts were opened, all eyes were set on the star-studded meeting that also featured a trio of MVP candidates in San Francisco's Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. While McCaffrey had another solid performance and continued to make his case for an award that has been none too kind for any position outside of quarterback, one QB improved his candidacy in the NFL's MVP race while the other witnessed his stock take a hit. With both teams struggling early on while on offense, it was the defense that took centerstage through the game's opening quarter. 

After the 49er defense forced a three and out punt on Baltimore's opening-drive, the offense got rolling with a big play on third down as QB Brock Purdy hit tight-end George Kittle for a 58-yard gain. Able to cross midfield and threatening to score, the 49ers found themselves in the red zone before disaster struck when Purdy thought he had a wide-open Deebo Samuel in the end zone before Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton flashed in front of the intended target to make the interception. Dealing a blow to the momentum the 49ers appeared to capture out of the gates, the interception marked the first of Purdy's career on an opening-drive. Unfortunately, it would be the first of many miscues on the night by the 49ers' signal-caller who followed up one of the best games of his young career with what was undoubtedly his worst. Despite the early mistake, the San Francisco defense would pick up their QB by forcing the first 49ers safety in 88-games on the other end when Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambled and drifted too far into the end zone before being brought down for a sack with a little help from an official who lost his footing and got in the way of the Ravens QB. Receiving the ball following the safety, the 49ers were able to add a field goal to take a 5-0 lead.

The Ravens answered by getting on the scoreboard via a Justin Tucker field goal on their ensuing possession, igniting a flame within the Baltimore offense that went on to score on seven consecutive drives, the most consecutive scoring drives against a 49ers team since 2005. San Francisco had appeared to be headed for a score of their own before Purdy had a pass batted into the air by one defender and into the lap of another. It would mark the first game of Purdy's career with multiple interceptions in the first half. Sadly, for him the nightmare and interception woes were only just beginning. Turning the turnover into points as Baltimore running back Gus Edwards ran in a touchdown from a yard out at the other end, Purdy was again intercepted on San Francisco's next possession as a pass intended for George Kittle was again batted into the air, allowing for an easy interception by Kyle Hamilton who came down with his second pick in as many quarters. This time holding Baltimore to just a field goal, the 49er offense was finally able to stop the bleeding with a touchdown of their own for the first time of the evening. After nearly taking a 39-yard carry to the house, Niners running back Christian McCaffrey punched it in one play later for the 9-yard touchdown to make it a 1-point game at 13-12. 

Adding to their lead just before halftime, the 49ers were unable to contain Lamar Jackson who helped arguably the greatest field goal kicker of all-time with a 30-yard run to setup another Baltimore field goal. Though the 49ers had the Ravens right where they wanted them, opening the second half with possession of the ball and trailing by only 4-points, the offense was unable to do anything on their first four possessions of the second half. Following San Francisco's three and out punt to begin the third quarter, the Ravens struck fast with a 39-yard gain on a pass from Jackson to Edwards who finished the drive two plays later with a 1-yard score. Purdy who had never thrown more than two interceptions in a game in his professional career, would throw his fourth pick of the night just one play later. Making quick work of the turnover, Jackson would find rookie receiver Zay Flowers in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. Adding another field goal one possession later, the Ravens' lead ballooned to 30-12 as San Francisco suddenly found themselves staring down their largest deficit of the season (18-points). 

Purdy and the Niner offense would finally string together their first successful drive of the second half as receiver Brandon Aiyuk hauled in a pair of big receptions for 22 and 33 yards to move the chains. However, Purdy would have to leave the game after taking a hit from Baltimore's Jadeveon Clowney on a sack that left the Niners QB with the same stinger he felt a week ago against the Cardinals. Checking into the game to replace Purdy was backup QB Sam Darnold who connected with three different receivers on a trio of short passes before throwing a strike to rookie receiver Ronnie Bell who came down with the touchdown. Inching closer and making it a two-score game with 6:23 remaining in regulation, the 49ers were able to force the much-needed punt and began to march down the field before things stalled out inside the red zone. After marching to the 1-yard line and on the doorstep of scoring, an 11-yard sack and a false start penalty suddenly found the 49ers at the 17-yard line. It was there that the 49ers would throw their fifth and final interception on the night as Darnold chucked a pass into traffic inside the end zone as the Ravens came away with the football as well as the 33-19 victory. 

Electing to sit his starting quarterback for the remainder of the night despite Purdy's willingness to reenter the game, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan witnessed his team struggle to the tune of a season-high 5 turnovers which led to 17-points off turnovers for the opposition which was clearly the difference. In the loss, Purdy finished with a game-high 255 passing yards, 0 touchdowns and 4 interceptions and a dismal 42.6 QB rating, a far cry from his NFL leading 119.0 rating that he entered the game with. On a Christmas night that he would much rather forget, Purdy is the first 49er quarterback with a 4 interception game since Colin Kaepernick in 2015. Tight-end George Kittle led all receivers with a game-high 126 yards receiving on a team-high 7 receptions. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey added yet another game with over 100 scrimmage yards, rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries to go along with 6 receptions for 28 receiving yards, his 8th straight game with 100+ scrimmage yards which set a new team record and his 12th such game this season, the most in a season in 49ers franchise history, surpassing Roger Craig's 11 games in 1985 and 1988. 

For the Ravens, QB Lamar Jackson tossed for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while adding another 45 yards rushing to lead his team on 7 carries. With the win, Baltimore recorded their first 5 game winning-streak since 2021, while also snapping San Francisco's 6-game winning-streak on the other end. Leading the league in sacks, Baltimore was able to record 4 sacks compared to San Francisco's 2, recording all four when they needed them most in the fourth quarter. The 49ers' turnover woes coupled with their inability to get the Ravens off the field as they forced a punt on Baltimore's opening-drive but not another until the 10:30 mark of the 4th quarter, did them in as they were unable to dig themselves out of a three-score hole. In what was touted as a potential Super Bowl preview, the Niners hope to see Baltimore down the road again with a different outcome in mind and a chance to redeem themselves in what would also be a rematch from Super Bowl XLVII when then Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers were edged by brother and current Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh and the Ravens, 34-31. 

Week 17 Preview: Now at 11-4 on the season and tied with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFC, the 49ers still own the top seed and currently hold a tie-breaker over both clubs. Looking to maintain that top spot, San Francisco will look to bounce back in their final road game of the regular season when they make a stop in our nation's capital to take on the (4-11) Washington Commanders. Losers of six straight, the Commanders are jockeying for position near the top of the 2024 Draft board, and currently sit in the No. 3 spot if the season were to end today. However, despite their poor record and ongoing losing-streak, Washington has lost back-to-back games by one-score and have shown some improvement on offense with backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett under-center, having come off the bench in each of the last two games and nearly leading the Commanders to a comeback victory a week ago against the Jets, erasing a 27-7 halftime deficit and tying the game before eventually falling 30-27 on a last-second field goal. Brissett will get start on Sunday per Washington head coach Ron Rivera, taking over for the struggling Sam Howell. Former Commander and current 49er Chase Young will get a crack at his old team after being traded from Washington to San Francisco during the October 31 trade deadline. For the 49ers who can lock up the NFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round Bye by winning out the final two games of the regular season, the team is primed for a win to get back on track as QB Brock Purdy looks to redeem himself against the NFL's worst defense in hopes of salvaging his dwindling MVP chances. 

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Ravens Edge 49ers with last-second Field Goal

Week 13 - Entering Week 13's heavyweight match-up between the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers and the 9-2 Baltimore Ravens, the narrative all week long was how badly Ravens QB and MVP-candidate Lamar Jackson was going to roll over one of the best defenses in the league. Coming off a 45-6 shellacking of the L.A. Rams a week earlier and riding the NFL's longest active winning streak at seven games, Jackson and the league's best offense did anything but against a stout 49er squad as the two teams went toe to toe and delivered in a potential Super Bowl preview that came down to the final seconds. Playing in less than ideal conditions as the rain wouldn't let up until late in the second half, the damp field conditions and inclement weather played a slight factor but would not take away from what would ultimately be a classic up to this point of the 2019 NFL season and a game most football fans are hoping to see again on a neutral field in Miami come February.

Opening the game on offense, the 49ers would waste little time to score, electing to gamble on an early fourth down attempt that would pay off as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo heaved the ball 33-yards to rookie receiver Deebo Samuel who freed himself from two Baltimore defenders and found the end zone. The early gamble on fourth down would spark a theme all game long by both teams due to the poor conditions as the Ravens suddenly found themselves in unfamiliar territory, failing to score first for the first time in a game since October 13. The early score by San Francisco would also mark the first opening-drive touchdown allowed in 17 games by the Baltimore defense, snapping the longest active streak in the league. Having handled some of the league's best teams with double-digit victories over the Patriots, Texans and Seahawks, the 49ers let it be known from the onset that they wouldn't go down without a fight. With only two punts in the last three games for the Baltimore offense, things would continue to go in the 49ers' favor early on as the defense forced the Ravens to punt on their first drive. But a costly mistake on a fumble by Garoppolo, would result in the Ravens' first touchdown as Lamar Jackson capitalized on the early miscue just two plays later with a 20-yard touchdown pass to his tight-end -- Mark Andrews.

With the game tied at 7, Jackson would begin to go to work with his legs, helping march the offense into the red zone before taking it in himself for a 1-yard touchdown, giving his team their first lead of the day and setting the pace for another 100-yard rushing performance. The touchdown run by Jackson would be the 49th touchdown scored by the Baltimore offense this season, setting a franchise record for the most TD's in a single season. Looking to add to that mark with their 50th, the 49er defense would make sure the milestone wouldn't come on their watch as the Ravens were held out of the end zone the rest of the way. Trailing for the first time of the afternoon, the Niners would answer with a big score of their own from one of the most unlikeliest of heroes in third-string running back Raheem Mostert. With Matt Breida heading into Sunday morning as a game-time decision, team staff decided to scratch Breida from Sunday's game in hopes of having him at full strength and ready for Week 14 with another week's rest. In place of Breida, Mostert would not disappoint as he darted down the sideline for a game-tying 40-yard touchdown that would ignite a career day for a guy that until Sunday had been better known for being a standout player on special-teams.

With a second consecutive 13-play drive ending in only a field goal for Baltimore, the 49ers had a chance to either tie the game or take the lead heading into the half. But poor clock management by coach Kyle Shanahan and improper usage of his timeouts would cost his team valuable yards as they took their time before the half. Showing no signs of urgency, the 49er offense which took over with just under two minutes remaining, lollygagged after making it across midfield, letting precious time tick away while all three timeouts still remained as late as the 30-second mark. Making their way to the Baltimore 33-yard line, kicker Robbie Gould who missed the last three games with a quad injury, would be asked to attempt a 51-yard field goal in the rain. Instead of using those timeouts to try and gain more yards to make things easier for his rusty kicker, Shanahan, with a timeout remaining in his pocket, would watch Gould's kick sail offline and fall well short of the goalposts as his team entered the half trailing, 17-14. The miss by Gould would be his 8th of the season, setting a career-high for misses in a single season.

Having reached the end zone in each of their last four games to open the second half, the Ravens offense appeared to be heading in that direction once again until a promising drive came to a screeching halt thanks to another one of San Francisco's unsung heroes. Threatening to score with the ball at the San Francisco 33 yard-line and facing a 3rd and 1, Jackson faked a handoff and bootlegged to his left for a 14-yard gain before having the ball stripped by backup safety Marcell Harris. Entering the game just four plays earlier following an injury to Jaquiski Tartt, Harris' spectacular play would mark the first lost fumble on the year by Jackson and would give his team another opportunity to tie or take a lead. Orchestrating the longest drive of the game by either team as the 49er offense ran 14-plays that ate up 8:26 of game clock, San Francisco would make it to the red zone before settling for a field goal to tie the game at 17-all. After exchanging punts to take things into the fourth quarter, both teams would embark on six-play drives that would end on a turnover on downs. However, only San Francisco's choice of play-call would result in criticism when Shanahan raised eyebrows after dialing up a passing play on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 35 at a time when Mostert was chewing up chunks of yardage each and every time he carried the ball.

Given a chance to milk the clock and put his team into position to win the game while keeping the ball out of the oppositions hands, the league's front-runner for MVP would do just that, spearheading a 12-play drive that included eight rushing plays, three of which by Jackson himself. And with 0:03 seconds remaining on the clock, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker who entered the game with the NFL's longest active streak of 37 consecutive made field goals in the 4th quarter, split the uprights once more as his 49-yard field goal try was never in doubt and gave his team the 20-17 walk-off victory. As his Baltimore teammates rushed the field to congratulate the Pro Bowl kicker and celebrate their franchise record-tying 8th straight win, San Francisco fell on the road for the first time this season. Falling to 10-2 on the year and having now lost two games this season by a combined six-points, the Niners once again showed why they belong in the conversation among the top teams in the league. And if the 3-point loss isn't enough to back that claim, perhaps the defense's ability to hold the league's best offense to their fewest point total and second fewest yards will do it for them.

Held to only 105 yards passing, it was Jackson's rushing ability that made him most dangerous on Sunday as he finished with a team-high 101 rushing yards on 16 carries, while scoring a touchdown both on the ground and thru the air. Garoppolo threw for 165 yards and one touchdown on 15 of 21 pass attempts, but it was backup running back Raheem Mostert who stole the show for the 49er offense, enjoying a career-high 146 yards rushing on 19 carries.

Week 14 Preview - Adding insult to injury, the Niners (10-2) would once again fail to receive any favors from the rest of the league as Minnesota, winners of 6 of their last 7 games, failed to continue their hot streak on the road against Seattle who managed to leapfrog ahead of the Niners for sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Even worse, San Francisco fell from the NFC's no. 1 seed to the no. 5 seed. But like the saying goes: If you want things done right, do them yourself. Kyle Shanahan's 49ers will be able to do just that this week when they pay a visit to New Orleans to take on Drew Brees and the Saints (10-2) in the Big Easy. With another heavyweight match-up in line for San Francisco, the two teams will clash with the chance to separate themselves from one another as the 2019 season enters its homestretch. Coming off a Thanksgiving win on the road and avenging their Week 10 loss against the division-rival Falcons, the Saints who have already clinched the NFC South division and a playoff berth, are looking to finish strong and maintain the top seed in the conference. As for the 49ers who will be happy that they won't have another rushing quarterback to face this week, will still need to bring their A-game against a Hall of Fame-bound quarterback that can still make you pay thru the air. And with one of the best play-making receivers in the business in Michael Thomas, San Francisco's banged up secondary will surely be tested in a game with playoff implications.


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49ers make Grated Cheese out of Packers in Sunday Night Beatdown

Week 12 - All season long, the San Francisco 49ers who are sitting atop the NFC standings at 9-wins and 1-loss, have been beaten like a pinata by the mainstream media for having an "easy schedule" and having not played anyone of note. But a Sunday night meeting against the 8-2 Green Bay Packers would provide Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team with yet another chance to silence the critics and put those claims to rest. With the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints both breathing down the Niners' neck in the race for the NFC's top seed, San Francisco would not receive any favors on Sunday in their hopes for home field advantage as both teams were in close games but walked away with wins as their opponents shot themselves in the foot, leaving the 49ers to fend for themselves if they wanted to maintain the NFC's no. 1 spot.

And though the game between the Packers and 49ers would go on to register the highest average total television audience delivery for a Week 12 Sunday Night Football game since 2015 (Denver vs New England), the game would turn into a one-sided affair that got ugly from the onset. Having gone four straight games without committing a turnover, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers would be in for a rude awakening as the stout San Francisco defense put an end to that mark rather quickly. On Green Bay's opening-drive, the 49ers would force a strip-sack fumble on Rodgers, snapping a streak of 39 consecutive drives without a turnover, the longest active streak in the NFL. Needing only one play to capitalize on the Packers' rare turnover would be running back Tevin Coleman who turned it into an early touchdown by reaching over the goal-line. Forcing and recovering the fumble would be the tandem of linebacker Fred Warner and defensive-end Nick Bosa who would each have a monster game for a 49er defense that shined in their only Sunday Night game of the year and one that had to be flexed into the Sunday Night slot.

Trailing 10-0, Packers first-year head coach Matt LaFleur who served alongside Kyle Shanahan during stints with the Texans, Redskins and Falcons, would elect to gamble early on in the second quarter with a 4th & 1 attempt that the 49er defense stuffed. Following a second Chase McLaughlin field goal, rookie receiver Deebo Samuel hauled in one of his two receptions on the evening and took it 42-yards to the house. Forcing their fifth three and out of the half on defense, the Niners, needing only 24-seconds, would have even more opportunity to widen their lead as QB Jimmy Garoppolo hooked up with tight-end George Kittle for a 22-yard completion that allowed them to settle for yet another field goal. By halftime, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had only accumulated 60-yards of total offense and were held scoreless while staring at a 23-point deficit. And though they would open the second half with a touchdown on their first possession of the third quarter after a 13-play drive that chewed up over eight and a half minutes, the Niners would answer back in a fraction of the time with a two-play, touchdown-scoring drive that needed only 57-seconds. After getting on the board with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to receiver Davante Adams, the Packer defense gave it right back as Garoppolo found a wide-open Kittle who in his first game back after missing the last two weeks with broken bones in his ankle, caught the ball and ran 61-yards for the score.

It would be a welcoming sight for Niner players and fans alike who had feared the injury to Kittle was much more serious than the team initially led on as he finished his first game back with a game-high 129 yards on 6 receptions. LaFleur would pull the plug in the 4th quarter after electing to sit his starting quarterback who finished the game with a season-low in virtually every statistical category on offense. Trailing 30-8 and in full-on desperation mode, the Packers would again go for it on 4th down, but were left disappointed as they turned the ball over on downs. Niners running back Raheem Mostert would cap off the scoring with a 15-yard score up the middle as San Francisco increased their lead to 37-8, a score they would go on to win by in route to their first 10-1 record since 1997. Holding their opponent to 8 points or fewer for the fourth time this season, the 49er defense proved to be a thorn in the side of Rodgers who grew up a Niner fan and attended nearby Cal Berkeley. Finishing with only 104 yards passing on 20 of 33 attempts, the San Francisco defense would limit Rodgers to the fewest passing yards of his career in a game in which he completed 20+ passes, as the Packers' future Hall of Fame quarterback failed to complete a single pass beyond 10-yards. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo finished with a clean 253 yards passing on 14 of 20 attempts, 2 TD's and 0 turnovers.

Both teams struggled mightily on third down and entered the fourth quarter without a single third down conversion. It wasn't until San Francisco's final drive where they converted their first third down conversion when they converted on three in a row. Green Bay on the other hand entered the fourth quarter 0-for-10 on third down with Rodgers under center and converted their one and only third down conversion on their final drive of the game with backup Tim Boyle at quarterback. With the 29-point win, the 49ers have now outscored opponents by 169 points this season, their largest point differential through 11 games since 1948 (+210). However, it came with a loss as defensive-end Demontre' Moore was lost for the season after suffering a fractured forearm in the win and will be placed on injured-reserve. The loss of Moore who was signed just two weeks earlier, is unfortunate news for a defensive-line that was without Dee Ford on Sunday with an injured hamstring and has already lost Ronald Blair for the season.

Week 13 Preview - After holding Green Bay to under 200 yards in total offense (198), San Francisco currently leads the league in total defense (248.0 opponent yards per game), something they have not done since 1997. That's a number they hope to duplicate in Week 12 as they prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens (9-2) and their MVP candidate at quarterback in Lamar Jackson. Coming off a dominant Monday Night win on the road in L.A. against the Rams, Jackson became the youngest player in NFL history with multiple 5-passing TD games in a season and the first player with 5 TD's in his Monday Night Football debut as Baltimore handed the Rams their largest defeat in the history of the L.A. Coliseum: 45-6. San Francisco will look to slow Jackson who has the Ravens atop the AFC North and riding a 7-game winning-streak. Despite being tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the league, odds-makers don't like the 49ers' chances in Baltimore as they open up as 6-point underdogs and are the first 10-1 team in over a decade to enter Week 13 as an underdog. With how dominant the 49ers have been on defense this year, the lone weakness I've seen has been against the running quarterback (Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray), and Lamar Jackson is that to a tee. If they can contain Jackson and prevent him from beating them with his legs, I like their chances of pulling off the upset and putting an end to Baltimore's streak. Also, with having to face the gauntlet of Green Bay, Baltimore and New Orleans in consecutive weeks, the 49ers will become the first team to play three straight games vs opponents with .800+ win percentage 10+ games into a season in the Super Bowl era.


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