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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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. 

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49ers Win Thursday Night Thriller over Rams behind Pair of Defensive Rookies

Week 5 - After dropping both games to the rival (3-1) Los Angeles Rams a season ago, the (3-1) San Francisco 49ers were dubbed the little brother to their southern California counterparts by L.A. running back Kyren Williams. Referencing a changing of the guard after the Niners had enjoyed a dominant run in recent years over the Rams in their historic rivalry with nine straight regular season wins dating back to 2019, the Rams had suddenly found themselves winners of three straight head-to-head meetings for the first time since 1999 to 2001. With a myriad of injuries up and down the roster for the Niners and only four days removed from their first loss of the season in Week 4, San Francisco made the trip to L.A. and opened up as 8.5 point underdogs. While not exactly a surprise to some given the Rams' hot start and San Francisco's ever expanding injury list, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed to his team before kickoff that the game's high spread had pissed him off as echoed at the podium in quarterback Mac Jones' postgame presser. Not to mention homefield advantage was hardly a factor as the 49er faithful would paint the town red once again as L.A.'s SoFi Stadium, appropriately nicknamed Levi's South, resembled a 49ers home game as red and gold was adorned throughout. 

Making the start at QB for a third time this season after a brief return from Brock Purdy who would miss his third game in four weeks due to a toe injury, backup Mac Jones filled in quite nicely once again despite having his thinnest options at wide receiver yet. With a banged up receiving corps that was missing Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) who were just the latest additions to the injury list, as well as Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Jacob Cowing (hamstring), Jordan Wakins (calf) and All-Pro tight-end George Kittle (hamstring), the 49ers would look to Kendrick Bourne who had only joined the team three weeks ago via free-agency and Demarcus Robinson who barely made his season debut with the team a week ago after serving a 3-game suspension to start the season. While Robinson didn't quite have the revenge game many including myself thought he would against his former team of the past two years, Bourne on the other hand turned back the clock and registered a career night with 10 receptions and 142 receiving yards. With San Francisco being the only team in the NFL ranked in the top 5 in total offense and total defense this season, they would flex both of those muscles in the first half on Thursday. 

Coming out guns blazing on both sides of the ball to open the game, the 49ers were absolutely dominant in the opening quarter, highlighted by an opening-drive touchdown that spanned 87-yards over 12-plays, capped off by a touchdown pass from Jones to backup tight-end Jake Tonges who again answered the call while filling in for the injured Kittle. After forcing a punt on L.A.'s first possession of the game, Kyle Shanahan's offense embarked on an even longer drive of 76-yards on 19-plays, eating up over 8-minutes in time of possession. Again, ending the drive with a touchdown, Jones threw a dart to running back Christian McCaffrey who scored from a yard out to give his team a 14-0 lead. Just when the Rams began to finally show some life on offense, the 49ers pounced on a fumbled pitch from L.A.'s quarterback Matt Stafford. The Rams would finally find the end zone before the half with a touchdown reception from Kyren Williams, but San Francisco would manage to add to their lead before halftime with an Eddy Pineiro field goal, making it 17-7 at the half. 

Opening the second half with the ball, the Rams would have an early opportunity to put a dent into San Francisco's lead, but their kicking woes would once again haunt them. Prior to Thursday night, the only loss suffered by the Rams this season came at the hands of the kicking team as kicker Joshua Karty had his potential game-winning field goal attempt blocked and returned by the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles in Week 3. Against the Niners, Karty would have another forgetful game as his 53-yard field goal attempt was missed wide right. Making matters worse, the Niners were able to add another Eddy Pineiro field goal on the other end to make it a 20-7 game. While San Francisco would continue to dominant in the time of possession battle, their inability to score a touchdown from the 1-yard line would allow the Rams to stick around. With touchdowns on each of their next two possessions, Matt Stafford and the Rams would do just that as Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams each hauled in touchdown receptions to help pull L.A. even. What was once a 20-7 game with 6:36 remaining in the third quarter, quickly turned into a 20-20 tie with a pending extra-point that would give the Rams a 21-20 lead. However, the Rams would be snakebitten again by kicker Joshua Kurty who this time had his PAT blocked by Jordan Elliott of the 49ers. 

With both teams exchanging punts after failing to move the chains, San Francisco took over from their own 2-yard line before moving the ball up the field and making it across midfield. But it was there where their drive would begin to stall as they were forced to settle for yet another field goal attempt. With his deepest attempt yet in a 49ers uniform, kicker Eddy Pineiro would nail the 59-yard field goal attempt, setting a new career-long and giving San Francisco a 23-20 lead with 2:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. It would also mark the second longest made field goal in 49ers franchise history (David Akers, 63-yards). After logging his 50th career game-winning drive a week earlier against the Colts, Rams QB Matt Stafford would have a chance to add another to his resume as L.A. took over and quickly began to march down the field. Already thin on the defensive-line, defensive tackle Kalia Davis (broken hand) and defensive-end Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) would have to leave Thursday's game with injuries. But that wouldn't stop another name on the defensive-line from stepping up big and making a game-saving play as rookie Alfred Collins turned in his best game yet at the pro level. With the Rams making it all the way to the 1-yard line, running back Kyren Williams would be met near the goal line by Collins who was able to punch the ball loose and recover his own forced fumble. 

While the Niners would take over pinned back at their own goal line with only 1:05 remaining in regulation, they would fail to convert a game-sealing first down and instead had to punt the ball back to the Rams who were able to successfully preserve clock by using all three of their timeouts. Taking over at midfield, the Rams were able to move the ball another 20 yards to setup Karty who was able to redeem himself a bit with a 48-yard field goal that would tie the score at 23-23 and send the game into overtime. With the Rams winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, the 49ers were given another gift from Karty who's kickoff fell short of the landing zone which resulted in a penalty and San Francisco taking over at the 40-yard line. Able to move the ball another 46 yards on strikes from Mac Jones, the 49ers eventually settled for a 41-yard field goal from Pineiro that skipped off the inner-post before splitting the uprights. Just enough to give the 49er fans in attendance and watching from home a mild heart-attack. With the Rams taking over possession with a chance to sneak away with a win, Stafford launched a deep pass on 2nd and 1 to a wide-open Tutu Atwell for a 38-yard gain that put the Rams in the red zone. But after failing to convert the first down on the next three plays, Rams head coach Sean McVay opted to go for it on a crucial 4th and 1 attempt from the San Francisco 11-yard line where running back Kyren Williams would be met just shy of the 1st down marker by a gang of 49er defenders including rookie safety Marquis Sigle who came up with the game-winning stop, sending the 49er sideline and the SoFi Stadium crowd into a frenzy. 

Pulling off the upset to improve to 4-1 on the season, San Francisco improved to 3-0 in the division after a dreadful 1-5 record against division foes a year ago and snapped their three-game skid to the Rams. With all five games this season decided by one score, Thursday marked the first game without a turnovers this season for San Francisco. And while they came up with two fumbles in the win, the defense is still in search of their first interception of the season. 49ers quarterback Mac Jones threw for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns, becoming just the 4th QB since 1950 to record a 3-0 record and pass for 800+ yards and 6+ touchdowns in his first three starts with a team (Matt Stafford 2021, Patrick Mahomes 2017-18, and Kurt Warner 1999). With his league-best third game this season with 275+ passing yards and a 65+ completion percentage, Jones also became just the 4th 49ers QB since 1950 to win his first 3 starts in franchise history (Y.A. Tittle, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy). Elsewhere, running back Christian McCaffrey was unable to record a rushing touchdown yet again, but made his presence felt in other ways by registering another 139 yards from scrimmage, giving him 100+ scrimmage yards in each game this season. CMC becomes just the 6th player in NFL history to reach 11,000+ scrimmage yards and 80+ total touchdowns in their first 100 games. All other players to reach that feat before him are either Hall of Famers or are guaranteed to one day reach that honor (Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith, Ladanian Tomlinson, and Adrian Peterson). Matt Stafford of the Rams also had a stellar outing in the loss, passing for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns. Receiver Puka Nacua logged another 10 catches for 85-yards and a touchdown, becoming the first player in NFL history with 50+ receptions in the first five games to a season. 

Week 6 Preview: The (4-1) 49ers will hit the road in Week 6 where they are undefeated up to this point with a record of 3-0 away from Levi's Stadium and will pay a visit to Tampa Bay to face off against Baker Mayfield and the (4-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Leaders of the NFC South, Mayfield has the Bucs looking to run the table once again in the division. Coming off an impressive road victory over the Seahawks in Seattle, Mayfield has gotten the Bucs off to a tremendous start so far with the help of his newest toy and early Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Emeka Egbuka. The two have connected inside the end zone on five occasions already and will be one of the key storylines the 49er defense will have to keep close tabs on come Sunday. With San Francisco still yet to give up any points in the first quarter of a game this season, they'll try to keep that trend alive against this high-powered Bucs offense. While the 49ers have won all of their games by close margins with wins of 4, 5, 1 and 3 points, the Bucs actually have them beat as they're the first team in NFL history to win four games by 3 or fewer points in the first five games of a season. Of those four wins, three of them have come on the road.

And like San Francisco, Tampa Bay is winning games without some of their best players as receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, running back Bucky Irving and tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke have all missed time this season. After losses from both Philadelphia and Seattle on Sunday, the 49ers currently sit atop the NFC standings with a record of 4-1 and the only team in the conference with more than one division win under their belt. With a thrilling 23-20 win over Tampa Bay at home a season ago, there will likely be more fireworks when these two teams meet as both clubs try to stake their claim atop the NFC standings.

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49ers let Win slip away Late vs rival Rams

Week 3 - Hoping a return to sunny California would bring better fortune to the (1-1) San Francisco 49ers on the road in Week 3, all signs pointed towards a win against the rival (0-2) Los Angeles Rams who were banged up and without two of their biggest stars on offense in receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. However, the 49ers offense would be without a trio of their own stars with Christian McCaffrey (Achillies), Deebo Samuel (calf) and George Kittle (hamstring) all sidelined due to injury. While McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve due to Achilles tendinitis and is now expected to miss a couple months, both Samuel and Kittle were ruled out in the days leading up to gameday. With a slow start to the season after a big payday following his holdout during training camp, Sunday's game would be the perfect opportunity for a breakout performance for receiver Brandon Aiyuk who had yet to top 50 yards receiving in either of San Francisco's first two games. Instead, it would be receiver Jauan Jennings who would step up in the shadows of his teammates, answering the call with a game for the record books. 

Becoming only the second 49er in franchise history behind the great Jerry Rice to have 10+ receptions and 3 receiving touchdowns in a single game in team history, Jennings got the Niner offense going early and often while connecting with his quarterback Brock Purdy who entered Sunday's game leading the league in passing yards (550). However, a career day from Jauan Jennings would not be enough to prevent a 4th quarter collapse from the 49ers and a late game comeback by the Rams. By looking at just the box score, you would be hard pressed to believe Kyle Shanahan's 49ers did not walk away with a win on Sunday, which marked only the second time since 2017 that the Rams won a game where they were outgained by at least 100 total yards. San Francisco also finished with six more first downs, 129 more yards, ran 10 more plays and possessed the ball for nearly 7 more minutes than L.A. on Sunday. All of which made Week 3's loss to the Rams that much more gut-wrenching. 

San Francisco jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with trips to the end zone on each of their first two drives, highlighted by touchdowns from Purdy to Jennings from 13 and 4 yards out. Meanwhile, Rams QB Matthew Stafford would not have his first completed pass until the 8:26 mark of the second quarter. The Rams would finally show signs of life after a successful fake punt attempt midway thru the second quarter, which ultimately led to a 16-play, 98-yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Stafford to running back Kyren Williams who tied Marshall Faulk's mark of six straight games with a TD, the longest streak by a Rams player since 2000. Also tying him with Detroit's David Montgomery for the longest active streak in the NFL. Looking to add to their lead just before halftime, the 49ers made it across midfield, but that's where Brock Purdy would be sacked and striped of the ball as the Rams recovered the fumble and kept it a 14-7 game. 

Opening the second half by holding the Rams to a punt, the 49er offense opened the third quarter just like they did the first, guns blazing as Purdy found Jennings for a third and final touchdown on a 31-yard deep ball. But the Rams would answer with a touchdown of their own, taking advantage of the first of several costly second half penalties by the San Francisco defense. Facing a 1st and 15, Stafford took a shot downfield where 49ers cornerback Isaac Yiadom was called for defensive pass-interference. Kyren Williams would strike paydirt several plays later for his second touchdown on the afternoon. Both teams would exchange field goals to start the fourth quarter, but the Niners would miss a golden opportunity to put the game away when kicker Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal attempt that kept it one-score game with under 3-minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. 

The missed field goal would ignite a series of things to go wrong for San Francisco, starting with a 50-yard completion given up by 49ers All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward who was beaten by Rams receiver Tutu Atwell on the first play of the Rams' ensuing drive. Setting up shop inside the 5-yard line, Kyren Williams found the end zone for a third time just two plays later to tie the game at 24. Still the 49ers would have a chance to put themselves in winning position and appeared to do just that, but on a day San Francisco had accumulated a total of seven dropped passes, the biggest and most costly one of all came on a dropped pass on a very catchable deep ball to receiver Ronnie Bell which spelled doom as San Francisco punted the ball away two plays later. On that punt, another thing that couldn't go wrong did go wrong when the Rams returned the punt 38-yards to midfield with just under a minute remaining in regulation. Already in prime field position, another costly defensive pass interference penalty awarded the Rams 25 yards which put them in field goal range. Two plays later, rookie kicker Joshua Karty put the Rams ahead for the first time all day with a 37-yard field goal to win the game, 27-24. 

While the come-from-behind win would mark the biggest comeback win (14-points) by the Rams under head coach Sean McVay who was hired in 2017, it would be the 36th comeback win in the career of QB Matt Stafford, tying him with Drew Brees for the fifth most all-time, five more than the next closest active player -- Russell Wilson (31). As for his counterpart Brock Purdy, the 49ers QB played his tail off despite being without several of his big name playmakers and made a bit of history with his performance on Sunday. Purdy became only the third QB in 49ers franchise history to complete 70+% of his passes and throw 3 touchdowns in a loss, joining the elite company of Joe Montana in 1985 versus the Rams and Steve Young in 1992 against the Bills. While it doesn't all fall on him, Pudy who previously suffered only one loss during the regular season to an NFC foe prior to the start of this season, has now lost back-to-back games within his conference. Sunday's loss for Purdy also marks his first loss to a division opponent as he entered Sunday's game a perfect 7-0 versus NFC West opponents. 

Week 4 Preview: Returning home to Levi's Stadium for the first time since their season-opening win against the Jets on Monday Night Football, the (1-2) 49ers will hope to get back on track in Week 4 when they welcome in the (1-2) New England Patriots. Unfortunately, when Sunday comes, they'll be taking the field without defensive-tackle Javon Hargrave who they'll miss for the rest of the season after he suffered a partially torn triceps in the loss to the Rams, a game in which he recorded his first sack of the year. While these two teams rarely face each other, the 49ers are seeking their first win at home over New England since 1995, having lost the last two times these two teams met in San Francisco. 

After opening the season 1-0 following a surprise road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots just like San Francisco have dropped each of their last two games and are coming off a 24-3 loss at the hands of the rival Jets. Behind veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett who was brought in to serve as a transitional piece before handing the reigns over to rookie QB Drake Maye who the Pats selected with the third overall pick in April's Draft, New England's offense ranks at the very bottom in both touchdowns (3) and average yards per game (246.3). The 49er defense will look to keep those numbers low on Sunday after giving up more touchdowns than they would've liked in each of the last two weeks. Entering their Week 4 meeting, the 49ers have 3 players that rank in the top 3 in their respective stat categories thru the first three weeks: Brock Purdy 2nd in passing yards, Jordan Mason 2nd in rushing yards and Jauan Jennings 3rd in receiving yards.

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Seventh Time a Charm for Rams who Knock off 49ers in Bid to Super Bowl

NFC Championship - Facing off on Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line would be two NFC West foes and longtime rivals in the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Also going toe to toe would be two longtime friends and former colleagues in Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, a pair of head coaches who have both helped turn around their franchises and each with a Super Bowl appearance under their belt. Unfortunately, as much as one would like to see the other succeed, only one would move on to the big game, while the other would be sent home to witness the Super Bowl from afar. With one team's dreams of making it to Super Bowl Sunday coming true, the other would see their hopes slip away. And for the 49er Faithful, the hopes and dreams of their team hoisting that elusive sixth Super Bowl title remained just that -- elusive. 

Heading into the matchup, many believed the winner of the game would be determined by which quarterback would commit the fewest amount of mistakes. And for nearly four full quarters, that QB appeared to be San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo. That was until the 49ers' final drive of the game when disaster struck. But long before an all around collapse by San Francisco and Jimmy G's costly mistake, coach Shanahan appeared to have the upper hand yet again against his old buddy McVay. Having swept the Rams in the regular season for the third consecutive season and seeking their seventh straight victory over L.A., the 49ers were able to keep the Rams' high-powered offense off the scoreboard in the first quarter as the two teams headed into the second quarter scoreless. After both teams exchanged three and out punts to open the game, the Rams marched their way to the red zone before an interception from quarterback Matt Stafford inside the 5-yardline. Getting a hand on a pass intended for L.A.'s Cooper Kupp was San Francisco's K'Waun Williams who's battled ball fell right into the lap of teammate Jimmie Ward who hauled in his third interception of the season, all against Stafford. 

Though they would miss the opportunity on their first trip to the red zone, Stafford would capitalize on their second chance, finding Kupp all alone in the end zone for the easy touchdown to cap off a 97-yard drive, their longest of the season. Answering with a touchdown of their own, the 49ers setup shop within striking distance after a big play along the sideline from Garoppolo to Brandon Aiyuk. Several plays later, the Niners' biggest play-maker this season would show up once again when Deebo Samuel caught a screen-pass and took it 44-yards to the house for the score. When the Rams failed to convert on a go-ahead 54-yard field goal from kicker Matt Gay on their ensuing possession, the 49ers' Robbie Gould showed his counterpart just how its done as the Niners got him within range to bang thru a 38-yarder to give San Francisco a 10-7 lead at the half. Gould would extend his perfect mark in the postseason with another field goal to make him 21-for-21, the most makes without a miss in the Super Bowl era. After the 49ers punted away their first possession of the second half, the Rams turned the ball over on downs when a QB sneak attempt from a yard out went awry. Taking advantage of the stop, the 49ers would add to their lead when Garoppolo hit tight-end George Kittle in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown, the first of Kittle's career in the postseason. 

Entering the fourth quarter trailing by 10, the Rams would answer with a touchdown of their own when Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp in the end zone for a second time. Bringing his team within a field goal, Kupp who won the triple-crown this year among NFL wide-outs, became the first receiver in league history to have three games of 100+ receiving yards against a single opponent in a single season as the 49ers' secondary continued to struggle and failed to find an answer for the 2022 All-Pro. And just when the Rams began to finally show a late surge of offense, San Francisco suddenly couldn't find any of their own as the offense punted on each of their first two possessions of the fourth quarter, and both times, the Rams would add a field goal. But before the field goal that ultimately tied the game at 17-all, the biggest play of the game for San Francisco would be the one that never happened when safety Jaquiski Tartt failed to come up with a gimme interception that would've came up clutch and put San Francisco in prime position to add to their lead late with under 10 minutes remaining. Reminding us all why he's a defensive-back and not a receiver, Tartt fell to the ground in disbelief when he bobbled what should've been an easy pick.

Instead of adding to their lead, the 49ers quickly found themselves trailing by a field goal with just under two minutes remaining after a second field goal from Matt Gay. In desperate need of a score to either tie the game or take the lead, things began to sputter and the offensive-line started shuffling at the worse possible time. Facing a 3rd and 13, pressure would be applied to Garoppolo from Aaron Donald who had been quiet up to that point, forcing the Niners signal-caller to get off an errant shovel pass that tipped off the hands of his target in JaMycal Hasty and into the hands of a Rams defender to seal the game, 20-17, Rams. Sadly for the 49ers, a 10-point fourth quarter lead and a stadium invasion as red-clad Niner fans took over L.A.'s SoFi Stadium yet again, proved to not be enough when it was all said and done. 

In what's likely to be the final game of QB Jimmy Garoppolo's career in San Francisco, the Niners signal-caller finished with 232 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. As for his counterpart, Matthew Stafford threw for 337 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Neither team would do a whole lot on the ground, making way for big games through the air from San Francisco's Deebo Samuel and the Rams' tandem of Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. Finishing with 4 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown, Deebo also added another 26 yards on 7 carries to give him 2,061 scrimmage yards on the year, the most by a WR in a single season in 49ers history (including playoffs), surpassing Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's mark of 2,006 scrimmage yards in 1995. As for L.A.'s dynamic duo, Kupp finished with 11 receptions for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, becoming only the third Ram ever to haul in 2+ touchdowns in a playoff game. Meanwhile, Beckham had his most productive outing since Week 6 of 2019, catching nine balls for 113 yards to snap a drought of 33 straight games without 100+ receiving yards. 

Another noteworthy performance was that of San Francisco's Nick Bosa. Only three years into his young career and two trips to the playoffs, Bosa tallied another 1.5 sacks on Sunday, passing Hall of Famer Charles Haley (7.5) for the most postseason sacks by a 49ers player since sacks became an official stat in 1982. After missing virtually all of last season after blowing out his knee, Bosa has 0.5+ sacks in each of his six career playoff games, the second longest streak since sacks became official. With a record of 15-6 when leading by 10+ points at any point in the game since 2020 (including playoffs), San Francisco's six losses are the most losses by any team in the NFL in that span. As for the Rams who are 2-23 when trailing by 10+ points in the second half under coach McVay, at least his team knows how to pick them as both wins have come in the NFC Championship game. Adding salt to the wound for Niner fans everywhere, the Rams overcame a fourth quarter deficit of 10+ points to win a game for the first time since Week 1 of the 2013 season (vs Arizona), this after 49 straight losses in such situations. 

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49ers Fight off Late Rally to Squeak by Lions

Week 2 - Making the playoffs after falling to 0-2 to start a season in the NFL is no easy task. In fact, of the 92 teams that have opened a season 0-2 all-time, only 10 have went on to make the postseason which translates to a 12% success rate. And with both the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions falling in Week 1, both teams would much rather escape Week 2 with a victory and not have to test that statistic. After shooting themselves in the foot on multiple occasions and blowing several opportunities that resulted in a Week 1 loss against the Minnesota Vikings, the 49ers knew they'd have to tidy things up and play a much cleaner game if they wanted to get into the win column in Week 2, despite facing an opponent not nearly on the level of Minnesota. And hosting an 0-1 Lions team still searching for its identity under first-year head coach Matt Patricia whom 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo knows quite well dating back to the time they shared in New England where Patricia served as defensive coordinator, the 49ers would do just that. It wouldn't be easy, however, as the game quickly turned from being a blowout to a nail-biter that came down to the final drive.

Coming off a 48-17 shellacking on Monday Night against the visiting New York Jets which saw Pro Bowl quarterback Matthew Stafford throw four interceptions, the Lions appeared to be destined for a similar fate in Week 2 when they found themselves down by 17-points with under eleven and a half minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. But those interceptions which doomed Detroit in Week 1, never showed their face on Sunday as this time around it was Stafford's play-making ability that kept the Lions in the game, nearly pulling off the comeback. For San Francisco, their ground attack was on point virtually all afternoon long and wasted no time to get going as 49ers running back Matt Breida began what would ultimately be a career day for the second-year back with a 28-yard run on the offense's first play from scrimmage. But like they did so often in the season-opening loss, the Niners would once again sputter after marching into the red zone thanks to back-to-back sacks. Instead of opening the game with a touchdown, San Francisco would settle for a field goal. After taking an early lead, the 49ers would watch Detroit answer with a touchdown as a mental error in coverage by cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon allowed Lions receiver Kenny Golladay to catch a wide-open pass and take it to the 5-yard line before spinning his way into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Unfortunately for Detroit, it would be the only time the 49ers would trail as they would answer right back to recapture a lead they would never relinquish.

Orchestrating a 13-play drive that continued into the 2nd quarter, Garoppolo would not be denied on San Francisco's second trip inside the red zone, capping things off with a short 4-yard pass to a wide-open Kendrick Bourne who hauled in his first career touchdown reception, making it a 10-7 ballgame. With both QB's logging a much cleaner game in the turnover department on Sunday than in their season-opener's when they combined for seven total interceptions, Stafford's only blemish against the Niners would come in the second quarter when he was sacked and stripped of the ball by linebacker Elijah Lee who filling in for the injured Brock Coyle (concussion), would make his presence felt. But again, the Niners would only get a field goal out of it as Robbie Gould converted on his 28th consecutive made field goal, setting a new franchise record which he would later add to. Getting the ball back with less than a minute remaining before the half, Detroit would look to put any points they could onto the board as Matt Prater inched the Lions closer to make it a 13-10 San Francisco lead at halftime.

Opening the second half with some fireworks, rookie return man D.J. Reed would take the opening kickoff of the second half some 101-yards to the house before being called for a face masking penalty. Despite the call, the 49ers would setup shop within striking distance at the 26-yard line in enemy territory. Four plays later, Garoppolo would connect for his second touchdown pass of the day, throwing a dart to tight-end Garrett Celek for the 11-yard score. A few drives later, the 49ers would unleash Matt Breida who carried the ball 11 times on Sunday, but none bigger than the career-long 67-yard rushing touchdown that would also set a career-high in rushing yards as he tallied 138 to go along with 21 yards receiving. What won't show up on the box score is the superb blocking by Niners receiver Pierre Garcon that allowed Breida to reach the end zone on the big gain. He would also collect a team-high 4 receptions for 57-yards receiving. Robbie Gould's third and final made field goal on the day would make it a 30-13 lead that appeared to be out reach for Detroit given how the first three quarters went. But not so fast as the 17-point deficit instead appeared to be the fuel Matthew Stafford and company would need in order to get going.

Entering the 2018 season as the only quarterback in NFL history to record seven consecutive seasons of 4,000+ passing yards before reaching the age of 30, Stafford looked the part in the fourth quarter like he's done so often throughout his career. And with 30 career game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime under his belt, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2009 would try to make it 31 as the Niners were forced to fend off a late surge by the Lions QB. And a 67-yard reception to receiver Golden Tate would be the first big play to help ignite Detroit's attempt at a comeback as Stafford threw a touchdown pass just two plays later. For a moment it appeared Stafford would get some much needed help from the Lions special-teams. After forcing a three and out on San Francisco's ensuing possession, Lions punt-returner Jamal Agnew returned a punt 73-yards for a touchdown before receiving the bad news of an illegal block in the back penalty that nullified the big play. Stafford would once again have to do things the hard way as he marched his team down the field before tossing a touchdown pass to tight-end Michael Roberts inside the end zone. What was once a 17-point deficit at the start of the 4th quarter was now 3-point game with less than 3:30 remaining in regulation.

As if things couldn't get anymore dramatic, the Niners who were in need of a big drive to either score or chew up as much time as possible, caught a huge break when what appeared to be a pick-six thrown by Garoppolo, was called back on a defensive-holding call away from the ball. Levi's Stadium would collectively share a sigh of relief, but still weren't off the hook as the 49ers offense was able to erase two minutes and some change from the clock before a sack on Garoppolo forced San Francisco to punt, giving Detroit one final chance. Pinned back at their own 16-yard line and out of timeouts, Stafford and co. would have 1 minute and 8 seconds to either tie and send things into overtime or win the ballgame. And while the Lions would make it interesting, San Francisco's defense would bend but not break as back-to-back incompletions on 3rd and 4th down spelled doom for Detroit as they turned the ball over on downs, sealing the Niners' 30-27 victory. Garoppolo logged a clean 206 yards passing and 2 touchdowns on 18 for 26 pass attempts, meanwhile, Stafford completed 34 of 53 attempts for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns in the loss.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan congratulated his team on the win in the locker room after the game and admitted that wins in NFL are hard to come by, but shouldn't be nearly as hard as his team made it seem on Sunday, hinting that they got too comfortable and took their foot off the pedal. Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman took some of that blame and pinned it on the players on defense for nearly allowing Detroit to complete the comeback while also praising the great game called by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Playing with a banged up Mike Person at guard and without Joshua Garnett (foot) at the same position, the 49ers offensive-line allowed Detroit to get to San Francisco's expensive quarterback for a total of six sacks on Sunday, despite the Lions being without their best pass rusher in Ziggy Ansah who was inactive with a shoulder injury. Protecting the quarterback will most certainly be a point of emphasis in Week 3 if the 49ers hope to stand any chance in going toe to toe with their next opponent who looks as good as anybody thru the first two weeks of the season.

Week 3 Preview - The 49ers will hit the road in Week 3 and will look to build upon their first win of the season as they head to Arrowhead to take on the 2-0 Kansas City Chiefs. Among the biggest surprises in the early going of the 2018 NFL season is the red-hot start by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes who in his first-year at the helm, has dazzled at the QB position having tossing an NFL-record 10 touchdown passes through the first two games to start a season. And with such targets as Travis Kelce, Tyreke Hill and Sammy Watkins among others to choose from, there's no telling if and when Mahomes will show any signs of slowing. If an MVP Award was given to a player in the first two weeks of the season, it's likely Mahomes would be the recipient of that award. But the Niner defense won't shy away from the challenge as they look to crash the party and hand K.C. their first loss of the season in their home-opener. One player who will be added to that defense and will be making his season-debut is second-year linebacker Reuben Foster who will see his first action of the season after serving a two-game suspension which was handed down after a troublesome off-season that many thought was likely the end of his career in a Niner uniform. The 49er offense will also hope to welcome back one of their own as receiver Marquise Goodwin is currently ruled as questionable as he missed half of Week 1 and all of Week 2 with an injured quad. If he's able to play, Garoppolo will look to utilize his speed like K.C. does with the many deep threats they posses.


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Week 2: Harbaugh's 49ers shake Schwartz' Lions

Coming into week two's meeting between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions, the storyline wasn't about the two 1-0 teams going against one another, but rather the coaches who stirred up quite the controversy the last time they met with what became known as "Handshake Gate." Both coaches made sure they got their handshake out of the way earlier this time around as they exchanged pregame pleasantries. But unlike their 2011 meeting which took place in Detroit exactly 11 months to the day, the 2012 rematch wouldn't be as close of a game as the final score indicated. 

For the second time in as many games, 49ers QB Alex Smith finished behind the opposition in total passing yards (226), but once again managed to play mistake-free football while throwing two touchdowns compared to Matt Stafford's one, a late 9-yard pass to tight-end Brandon Pettigrew with under 1:30 remaining. Stafford also threw an interception where as Smith completed 20 of his 31 throws and extended his streak of 216 passes without an interception, a franchise-record he holds over two of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game -- Steve Young & Joe Montana. Stafford nearly made history of his own if it wasn't for the stingy 49ers defense who put a leash on the Detroit QB, holding him to only 230 yards passing on 19-of-32 attempts and preventing him from becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 350 yards or more in five straight games. 

Alex Smith threw a pair of touchdowns to tight-end Vernon Davis, including the first TD on the 49ers opening-drive to give San Francisco an early 7-0 lead. The Lions clawed back with back-to-back field goals  from kicker Jason Hanson to make it a one point game before running back Frank Gore scampered into the end zone from 1-yard out, capitalizing on a roughing the kicker penalty by Detroit on a David Akers field goal attempt. The mistake would prove to be costly as the Lions wouldn't get any closer on the scoreboard. Field goals exchanged by both Hanson and Akers would highlight the first four possessions of the second half until a bloody Alex Smith found Davis again who slammed on the breaks and tricked his man and the Lions secondary into running left when a herd of Detroit defenders appeared to have him trapped down the right sideline. A gash above the nose of Smith caused on a play the 49ers QB found ground on and ran for a first down before sliding and being hit in the head would cause blood to trickle down his face. But that didn't seem to mind him as the touchdown gave San Francisco a 27-12 lead. Stafford would answer with a touchdown pass of his own, but it would be too late as his team fell, 27-19 in the 49ers home opener.

With the win, San Francisco ran their home winning streak against the Lions to 12 games, including the 9th consecutive meeting. What would go unknown in the box score however, was the pair of clutch receptions wide-receiver Michael Crabtree made on two key third downs to keep not one, but two San Francisco scoring drives alive. His 6 receptions led the team and trailed only Vernon Davis (73) in receiving yards with 67. Frank Gore carried the ball 17 times for 89-yards and the 49ers D contained Detroit's prolific wide-out Calvin Johnson to 94-yards on 8 catches while keeping him out of the end zone. The 49ers came a game shy of tying the New England Patriots mark of seven consecutive games without a turnover when backup running back Kendall Hunter fumbled a kick return in the first quarter, ending a streak of 26 straight quarters without turning the ball over. The lost fumble was also the first of Hunter's career. 

Week 3 Preview & Prediction: Week 3 will see the 49ers hit the road once again to take on the 1-1 Minnesota Vikings who are coming off a 3-point loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Granted Minnesota's defense has allowed 32 touchdowns in their last 13 games through the air, Alex Smith may be in store for a heyday on offense. But the 49ers run defense who hasn't gave up much of anything through the first two weeks will face arguably their toughest match-up all season long in Adrian Peterson. Their last trip to the Metrodome didn't end too well as the 49ers fell victim to some late-game heroics by Brett Favre who found Sidney Rice in the end zone to steal the lead and game from San Francisco. Sunday's game will also feature the return of Randy Moss in Minnesota where he broke quite a few records during his prime. With emotions running high, I expect him and the 49ers to come out on top, 31-13. 

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