49ers March to 2-0 with Win over Saints

Week 2 - After riding high following their Week 1 road victory over the rival Seattle Seahawks, the (1-0) San Francisco 49ers looked to keep things rolling in Week 2 as the road trip continued to the Big Easy where coach Kyle Shanahan's 49ers would take on the (0-1) New Orleans Saints. Eying a 2-0 start to the season for a fourth time under coach Shanahan, the 49ers hope their hot start would be a good omen as the team has reached the NFC Championship in each of the previous three instances. But if they wanted to improve to 2-0, they'd have to do so without two of their most important pieces on offense. The celebration of their Week 1 win would be short-lived as the team learned in the days following that they would be without All-Pro tight-end George Kittle who was placed on the team's Injured Reserve list, putting him on the shelf for at least the next four games due to a hamstring injury. The news on Kittle was to be expected considering he watched from the sideline for the second half of the game against Seattle in street clothes. What did catch the 49ers by surprise, however, was the unexpected injury designation placed on quarterback Brock Purdy who appeared unbothered in the team's Week 1 comeback victory. Instead, Purdy would be ruled out of Sunday's game against the Saints with toe and shoulder injuries. Listed as week-to-week, Purdy is expected to miss anywhere from 1 to 5 weeks, with team officials hoping he'll return sooner rather than later.  

Taking over in Purdy's absence would be quarterback Mac Jones who signed a two-year, $7 Million contract with San Francisco as a free-agent during the offseason. A member of the 2021 NFL Draft class and selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots, Jones was one of several quarterbacks coach Shanahan and general manager John Lynch had considered drafting with the 3rd overall pick before ultimately deciding to take quarterback Trey Lance. Jones went on to have a Pro Bowl season in his rookie year with the Patriots, before being traded to Jacksonville three years later where he spent last season as a backup behind QB Trevor Lawrence. With a career record of 20-29 as a starter entering Sunday, Jones would get some support from none other than Brock Purdy pregame as the 49ers franchise quarterback was shown hyping up his fellow QB during warmups as Jones loosened up before making his first start in a Niners uniform. Jones would be one of many new faces getting their first bit of action on Sunday with the 49ers. With receiver Jauan Jennings banged up in Week 1 with a shoulder injury and listed as questionable, the 49ers didn't take any chances, signing free-agent receiver and former 49er Kendrick Bourne who had been released two weeks earlier by the Patriots. And last but not least would be at the kicker position. 

After a rollercoaster Week 1 with kicker Jake Moody which included a missed field goal from 27-yards out and another field goal attempt that was blocked, Shanahan and company decided that they had seen enough and were ready to move on from Moody, releasing him and electing to sign kicker Eddy Pineiro. Both Jones and Pineiro would get off to rocky starts in their 49ers debut, before both eventually settled in and managed to have big days for their new club. Opening Sunday's game on defense, the 49ers got off to a sluggish start as San Francisco's secondary was beat on multiple plays but managed to escape the drive unscathed due to several drops by Saints receivers and a missed 48-yard field goal attempt from New Orleans kicker Blake Grupe. Taking over on offense, Mac Jones threw incomplete passes on each of San Francisco's first three downs, resulting in a quick 49ers three and out. Jones would rebound one possession later, helping lead the team to the end zone with a 16-play, 65-yard touchdown-scoring drive. Striking pay dirt would be tight-end Luke Farrell who scored his first career touchdown reception from 11-yards out, putting the Niners ahead, 6-0 following a missed point-after by Pineiro. 

Pineiro would have a chance to redeem himself on San Francisco's next drive, splitting the uprights from 44-yards out for a field goal that gave the 49ers a 9-0 lead. The Saints would put together a strong drive before the end of the first half as quarterback Spencer Rattler who entered Sunday's game with a career record of 0-7, showed flashes, including on an 18-yard jump-ball reception by tight-end Juwan Johnson who had dropped two passes earlier in the game before making up for them with the touchdown grab. But instead of taking a 9-7 lead into the half, Mac Jones led the team on a perfectly executed 2-minute drill, completing 7 of 9 pass attempts for 77-yards, the last of which on a third down pass in the end zone to running back Christian McCaffrey for the 7-yard score. With the successful point-after by Pineiro, the 49ers went into the half leading 16-7. Beginning the second half with possession of the ball, San Francisco began to march on offense once again, making it across mid-field before Jones was sacked from behind which led to a fumble recovered by the defense. The Saints would turn the turnover into points as Rattler found a receiver in the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the afternoon. 

Looking to keep the Saints at bay, the 49ers added to their lead with a made field goal on their next drive. With their lead now 19-14, San Francisco's defensive captain Fred Warner came up with a huge stop right when the Saints offense began to have success as the All-Pro linebacker made a heads up play to punch the ball loose to force and recover the fumble following an errant pass reception by New Orleans' Alvin Kamara who was holding the ball up on his shoulder which made for an easy target. Another well-orchestrated drive by the 49ers was capped off by a 42-yard strike to Jauan Jennings on 3rd and 11, resulting in the catch and run touchdown to give San Francisco a two-score lead. With the Saints refusing to go down without a fight, Rattler led the Saints on another scoring-drive to pull his team within striking distance, marching 61-yards on 17-plays for his third touchdown pass of the game, setting a new career-high. Attempting to put the game on ice needing one final successful drive on offense, Jones and company came up short on each of their last two possessions, the last of which ending on an incomplete pass that was just missed by Jauan Jennings. 

With San Francisco forced to punt, it would be up to the defense for a second consecutive week to shut the door and seal the win for the Niners. Meanwhile, Rattler who was still in search of his first career win as a starter, the second-year QB would connect on each of his first six pass attempts for short gains during the Saints' final drive before an incomplete pass would bring up a pivotal 4th and 1. Having closed things out by getting to the quarterback and forcing a fumble on their final play in Week 1, it was the defensive-line that came thru in the clutch yet again. With Nick Bosa the hero against Seattle, it was his fellow defensive-end and newcomer Bryce Huff who would make the game-winning play versus the Saints by getting to the quarterback and knocking the ball loose. Although New Orleans did recover the fumble, the ball went backwards to result in an 8-yard loss and a turnover on downs as San Francisco hung on for the 26-21 win. Prior to Sunday's win, the 49ers had boasted a record of 0-4 in games Brock Purdy missed or left with an injury. The team was able to bring that dubious streak to an end thanks to a strong outing from the defense and a valiant effort from Mac Jones. 

Jones tied a career-high with 3 touchdown passes and threw for 279 yards. Perhaps what was most impressive in the win for the 49ers QB were his numbers on third down: 7 for 12, 121 passing yards, 3 TD's, 0 interceptions and a passer rating of 132.3. Jauan Jennings led all receivers with 89 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. Running back Christian McCaffrey had another busy day at the office and etched another milestone by becoming just the third RB in NFL history to reach 50+ rushing touchdowns and 30+ receiving touchdowns, a feat matched by only Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore. CMC finished with 55 rushing yards and 52 receiving yards to go along with his receiving TD. Spencer Rattler had a strong outing in the loss for the Saints, throwing for 207 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 picks, while running back Alvin Kamara ran for 99 yards on 21 carries, and caught another 6 receptions for 21 yards receiving. Unfortunately for New Orleans, the duo would not be able to prevent the Saints from falling to 0-2 for the first time since 2017. 

Week 3 Preview: With the 49ers knotted up atop the NFC Western Division standings alongside the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams who each sit at 2-0, San Francisco will have a chance to separate themselves a bit in Week 3 when they play host to the Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. While the team is sure to be fired up when they kick-off their home-opener, a win over Arizona would give the Niners two wins over division opponents, while everyone else in the division is still seeking their first division win of the season. With a narrow win at home against the (0-2) Carolina Panthers in Week 2, Arizona has won each of their games this season in similar fashion as the 49ers, having come thru with big defensive stops in the final moments to stave off any late comebacks. San Francisco will also hope to breathe easier in the final minutes of a game in Week 3, but nothing can be so certain when these two division foes meet. The 49ers will also have revenge on their mind as the Cardinals handed Kyle Shanahan and company losses in both meetings a season ago. Two members of the 49ers who might not be able to join their team in Week 3 are fullback Kyle Juszczyk who left Week 2's game with a concussion and guard Ben Bartch who suffered a foot injury and was seen postgame wearing a boot. 

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A Tale of Two Jakes - 49ers Win a Wild One in Seattle

Week 1 - With the San Francisco 49ers kicking off their 2025-26 regular season on the road against the rival Seattle Seahawks, head coach Kyle Shanahan's team would have a chance to make an early statement within the NFC Western Division with a win on Sunday. With three straight wins at Seattle's Lumen Field for the 49ers, including a Thursday Night win last season during Week 6, San Francisco would look to continue their success in the same building that was once a house of horrors for this 49ers franchise. Under quarterback Brock Purdy, however, San Francisco has enjoyed a turn of the tide as he entered Sunday boasting a perfect 3-0 record in the Emerald City. But with a revamped defense and plenty of new faces on offense, Purdy and company would look to keep that trend going against his QB counterpart and former teammate Sam Darnold. 

Making his Seahawks debut and facing his former team after a resurgent year as the man at the helm of the Minnesota Vikings, which of course followed up his bounce back season as a backup to Purdy in 2023, Darnold gives plenty of credit to coach Shanahan for helping him turn things around after a tumultuous start to his career with the Jets and Panthers. After handing San Francisco a loss a season ago during the team's Week 2 visit to Minneapolis, Purdy and Shanahan would love to return the favor to start off their 2025 campaign by handing Darnold an L in his first game with Seattle. While Darnold was certainly Seattle's biggest offseason acquisition, perhaps the biggest acquisition during the offseason for the 49ers came in the form of a coach with the return of former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh who found his way back as the team's defensive play-caller. After four solid seasons at the helm of the Niners defense from 2017-2020, Saleh made the jump to head coach for the New York Jets for three-plus seasons before being fired mid-season after a 2-3 start. But one team's trash is another team's treasure and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan couldn't be any happier as the re-hired Saleh was right back to his old self, dialing up magic as the San Francisco defense turned up the heat in the season-opener and ultimately kept the 49ers in it after a shaky start on offense. Although the 49ers did score on their opening-drive to jump out to a quick 7-0 lead behind their new $265 Million dollar man Brock Purdy under-center, the rest of the day was rather forgetful on offense until their final drive. 

One of the biggest question marks entering the season for the 49ers was the health of All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey who missed 12 games a season ago but had shown signs during training camp that he was back to his old self and as healthy as he's been in over a year. But on Thursday, CMC was pulled from practice and added to the team's injury report with a calf issue. With uncertainty hanging over McCaffrey's head in the days leading up to the season-opener, San Francisco's do-it-all playmaker was right back out there on Sunday helping lead the way on offense. After the 49er defense forced a punt on Seattle's opening-drive, Purdy hit McCaffrey for a 3-yard gain on the team's first play from scrimmage. From there they would be off to the races as they embarked on a 17-play, 85-yard drive that ended in Purdy finding tight-end George Kittle for a 5-yard touchdown. Making an impact early on and primed for a big day, Kittle would unfortunately leave the game in the first half with a hamstring injury and would have to watch the rest of the game from the sideline. 

After witnessing a successful drive by San Francisco, the Seattle offense would follow suit and orchestrate their best drive of the day with a 13-play, 51-yard touchdown-scoring drive spearheaded by backup running back Zach Charbonnet who scored from a yard out. From there, the game would turn ugly as defense began to steal the show for both teams, leading to a combined four consecutive punts. Marching down the field just before halftime, San Francisco appeared as if they would be heading into the locker room at the half with a 3-point lead when kicker Jake Moody setup for a 27-yard field goal attempt with a minute remaining. But after struggling mightily a season ago, Moody's demons appeared once again as he missed the short field goal attempt by hitting the left upright. Coach Shanahan was visibly upset on the team's sideline and his frustration would only grow as Seattle was able to march into field goal range in the final minute of the first half to setup kicker Josh Myers for a 48-yard field goal to turn the tables and pull off the 6-point swing as it was Seattle who instead took a 10-7 lead into the half. 

Despite opening the second half with possession of the ball, things were already less than ideal for the San Francisco offense which would be without George Kittle for the remainder of the game. But things would take another turn for the worse after the team began to march across midfield when Purdy was intercepted on a pass intended for receiver Jauan Jennings. After being stopped in their tracks, San Francisco's next possession which saw them convert four first downs ended with another head-scratching moment on special-teams, this time as Jake Moody's 36-yard field goal was blocked. Luckily, San Francisco's defense would force a turnover of their own when Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was stripped of the ball from behind on the first play of the fourth quarter from Sam Okuayinonu, recovered by rookie starting safety Marques Sigle. The 49ers would convert the turnover into points as they tied the game at 10 behind Jake Moody's 32-yard field goal. After forcing a Seattle three-and-out on their ensuing possession, things were looking up for San Francisco before Purdy was picked off for a second time as he tried forcing a pass to second-year man Ricky Pearsall. The turnover would allow Seattle to jump back ahead with another Josh Myers field goal. 

Trailing 13-10 with just over 3-minutes remaining, Niners QB Brock Purdy would remind us all of his magical prowess as he launched a 45-yard pass on the second play of the drive down the left sideline to Pearsall to put his team within striking distance. With things slowing down a bit on the next few plays, Purdy was flushed out of the pocket and forced to make a running pass to one of the most unlikeliest of heroes in third-string tight-end Jake Tonges who had to pry the ball away from a defender before coming down with the go-ahead 4-yard score in the game's final minutes. With the 49ers leading 17-13 and 1:44 remaining in regulation, the game was all but over as Seattle looked to pull off some magic of their own with 1-timeout remaining. And after a 40-yard reception from Darnold to Smith-Njigba helped Seattle setup shop inside the red zone, it looked as if the Seahawks were going to deal the latest heartbreaking-loss to coach Shanahan and the 49ers. Luckily for them, San Francisco defensive-end Nick Bosa would have other plans as he picked the perfect time to come up with the team's one and only sack on the day with a strip-sack, forcing and pouncing on the loose ball to seal the 17-13 win for the 49ers in the opener. 

Helping San Francisco start the season 1-0, quarterback Brock Purdy who had perfect bookend touchdown drives to start and finish the game, helped lead the game-winning drive by going 6-for-6 for 67 yards and a touchdown before ultimately finishing with 277 yards passing, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on the day. Elsewhere, running back Christian McCaffrey who was active for the frist time since December 1, 2024, registered 142 total yards on 9 receptions and 22 carries, marking his 31st career game with 50+ rush yards and 50+ receiving yards, second most since 1950 (Marshall Faulk: 41). But the biggest storyline of all is that of San Francisco's third-string tight-end Jake Tonges who's career numbers before Sunday were as follows: 20 games, 34 offensive snaps played, 10 routes run, and 1 target for 0 catches. Helping fill-in for the injured George Kittle, Tonges finished Sunday's game with 31 offensive snaps played, 15 routes run, 3 targets and 3 catches for 15 yards including the game-winning touchdown. Purdy's game-winning touchdown to Tonges had a completion probability of 14.7%, the most improbable completion of the week entering the Sunday Night game. At the time of Purdy's pass, the Niners QB was traveling 15.98 mph, while Tonges had 0.4 yards of separation when the ball arrived. 

The 49ers have now won 5 of their last 6 matchups against Seattle, all with Brock Purdy as the starting QB, with four straight victories at Seattle's Lumen Field, their longest road winning-streak against Seattle in franchise history. The two teams will not meet again until Week 18. 

Week 2 Preview: The (1-0) 49ers will continue their 2025-26 season on the road in Week 2 when they pay a visit to the Big Easy to take on the (0-1) New Orleans Saints. With the Saints falling in Week 1 by a final score of 20-13 to the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers will look to become the second NFC Western team in as many weeks to leave New Orleans with a win. Hopefully they'll receive some good news in time for that meeting on the injury front as both George Kittle (hamstring) and Jauan Jennings (shoulder) are scheduled to undergo MRI's on Monday after both left Sunday's game with injuries. Having to play Week 2 without both players would be a big blog considering the team is already thin at the receiver position with Brandon Aiyuk, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins all on the shelf with injuries, and while newcomer Demarcus Robinson serves a 3-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy in the offseason. Whether or not Kittle or Jennings make it back in time for Week 2 action, expect another big game from receiver Ricky Pearsall who hauled in 4 catches for 108 yards in Week 1 for the Niners. 

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49ers Defense pitches Shutout vs Saints

Week 12 - Known to have one of the more talented offenses and one of the best offensive play-callers in all of football, the offense of the (6-4) San Francisco 49ers would take a backseat on Sunday as their game versus the (4-7) New Orleans Saints was all about the defense. Entering Sunday's game boasting the NFL's best defense and ranking No. 1 in both yards and points allowed, San Francisco's stout defensive attack did not disappoint in their return to Levi's Stadium. With shutouts on defense in the second half of their last three games, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans' bunch turned things up a notch by pitching a shutout for the entire game as the defense stood on their head in a 13-0 win for the 49ers. 

With an NFL-leading 19 turnovers on offense prior to Sunday's game, the Saints kicked things off with more of the same right out of the gates when their first offensive possession went up in flames after San Francisco's Fred Warner forced a fumble on New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara. The 49ers would take advantage of the stellar field position by getting on the scoreboard, but were only able to walk away with a field goal. As good as San Francisco's defense was on Sunday, the Saints defense also held their own by making things hard for a star-studded 49er offense virtually all afternoon long. Knocking on the door of their first touchdown of the game, Jimmy Garoppolo and company were denied on each of their first two trips to the red zone, including a goal-line stand on a quarterback scramble that kept a lunging Jimmy G just short of the end zone. However, the 49ers would redeem themselves on their next possession as Garoppolo's pass found the arms of receiver Jauan Jennings who showed great concentration on a tip-drill in the back of the end zone. The right place at the right time situation would give San Francisco a 10-0 lead just before the half with 0:19 remaining. 

Receiving the ball to open the second half, the 49ers would catch a break when a Jimmy Garoppolo interception was called back on an illegal-contact penalty against the New Orleans defense. While the offense didn't register another visit to the end zone like they had hoped, they did get another field goal on a 46-yarder from Robbie Gould to increase the lead to 13-0. San Francisco's second half shutout-streak nearly came to an end on the Saints' next possession, but that was until a 48-yard field goal attempt by Wil Lutz sailed wide left. The Saints would also threaten on each of their next two possessions by making it to the red zone, but that's where the vaunted San Francisco defense turned up the heat and stepped up their game. With the ball at the San Francisco 6 yard-line, Saints quarterback Andy Dalton checked down a pass to Kamara who made it to the 1 before being met by 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw who fought off the Saints' Pro-Bowl running back just enough to allow Talanoa Hufanga to break up the play and force a fumble as he shot thru like a missile, knocking the ball loose with his helmet. Squirting the ball up into the air, the 49er defense was able to recover and prevent the Saints' hope for a score. 

One possession later and the Saints were right back at it, knocking on the door of a potential touchdown. Making it to the 4 yard-line with a first down, the San Francisco defense held their ground on four consecutive downs by forcing three straight incomplete passes before a Nick Bosa sack, the Niners' lone sack on the afternoon, sealed the win and forced the turnover on downs inside the red zone. The 49ers were able to ice the game with a series of first downs which allowed them to cruise to a 13-0 victory and complete the shutout. With four straight second half shutouts (all wins), the 49ers have now shutout their opponents in six straight quarters and have not allowed a team to score in the second half since Kansas City's 30-point outburst in the second half of San Francisco's last defeat over a month ago back on October 23. Perhaps even more impressive is the scoreless streak that San Francisco put an end to as the Saints were held scoreless for the first time in 333 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Sunday's defeat for the Saints would be their first without scoring since Week 17 of the 2001 season which also happened to come against the 49ers. In fact, the last four times the Saints have been shutout has come at the hands of the 49ers: Week 9 1997, Week 6 1998, Week 17 2001 and Sunday. 

Nobody on either team finished with impressive numbers on offense as both quarterbacks had pedestrian games with Garoppolo throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown and Dalton passing for 204 yards. Neither team had a running back rush for more than 35 yards and San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk finished with a game-high 65 yards receiving on 5 receptions. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would receive some unfortunate news following the win regarding running back Elijah Mitchell who left Sunday's game with a knee injury in the second half and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks. Mitchell who led all 49er running backs with 35 yards on 7 carries, missed seven of the team's first eight games this year after suffering a sprained MCL in the season-opener at Chicago. After Christian McCaffrey, the void at running back will likely be filled by a combination of rookies Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price or a promotion from the practice squad for veteran Tevin Coleman. With the win on Sunday, the 49ers improved to 7-4 on the year and moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC West as the Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals all suffered losses in Week 12.

Week 13 Preview: Continuing their three-game homestand, the 49ers will turn to a more formidable opponent in the (8-3) Miami Dolphins. Tied atop the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills for first place, the Dolphins will pay a visit to Levi's Stadium with a familiar play-caller leading the way in rookie head coach Mike McDaniel who spent the last five seasons in San Francisco under coach Shanahan, including last year as the team's offensive coordinator. McDaniel has struck lightning in a bottle in his first season at the helm in Miami, coaching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins' high-octane offense to five straight wins after coming off a 30-15 victory at home over the Houston Texans. Having scored 30-points in four consecutive games and having held opponents to 17-points or fewer in three of their last five, Miami will certainly put San Francisco's defense to the test. 

In what is becoming a highly anticipated match-up, both teams have added some fuel to the fire after current Dolphin and former 49ers running back Raheem Mostert had some choice words in a recent interview, criticizing his former team for not having his best interest in mind and attempted to rush him back from injury after sustaining a knee injury in the season-opener. The injury would put an end to Mostert's season and ultimately his career with the Niners. Fellow running back Jeff Wilson who is now Mostert's teammate in South Beach, will also get a crack at his former team after being traded from San Francisco on November 1 following the 49ers' acquisition of Christian McCaffrey. Deebo Samuel has since replied to Mostert's comments via Twitter, tweeting, "Raheem be real with yourself." Safe to say, it should be a fun one on Sunday. 

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49ers Pummel Cardinals in Mexico for 1st Place

Week 11 - Hitting the road and traveling south of the border to face the division rival (4-6) Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City, the (5-4) San Francisco 49ers made themselves at home in an away game that felt a lot like their own stadium in front of the nearly 80,000 fans in attendance who cheered and roared for a 49ers team that dominated for a majority of the contest. In what was the first NFL game played in Mexico since 2019 and the first for the 49ers since 2005 when they played these Cardinals in the first ever regular season game hosted by the country, San Francisco got solid performances from nearly all of their star players on both sides of the ball. While coach Kyle Shanahan's team would eventually run away with the blowout victory, things got off to a quiet start for the 49er offense before they flipped the switch and could not be stopped. 

With an altitude of 7,280 feet at Mexico's famed Estadio Azteca venue which dwarves that of the Broncos' 5,280ft. Mile High Stadium in Denver, coach Shanahan had his Niners team practice in the week leading up to the game in the high altitude in Colorado Springs. Meanwhile, the Cardinals took a different approach by holding practices while wearing altitude training masks, designed to replicate the extreme conditions caused by the thin air in Mexico City. Whether effected or not by those conditions right out the gates, both teams were also met with rainfall which led to punts by both teams to start the game on four of the first five possessions. Before having their doors blown off, the Cardinals struck first to open the scoring with a field goal on their second possession. In at quarterback for a second consecutive week in place of the injured Kyler Murray who is nursing a hamstring, was Colt McCoy who entered Monday's game with a record of 3-1 with Arizona, including a win against San Francisco a season ago. 

With the first quarter coming to a close, the 49ers opened quarter No. 2 with back to back touchdown-scoring drives. Three consecutive plays of 20, 19 and 20 yards by running back Christian McCaffrey (twice) and receiver Deebo Samuel got the 49ers into the red zone where quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would finish things off by finding wide-out Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. After an interception that tipped off the hands of Cardinals running back James Conner and into the arms of a sliding Jimmie Ward on Arizona's ensuing possession, the 49ers again found themselves in business, taking over near midfield. Three plays later, Garoppolo lobbed a pass to his tight-end George Kittle who broke free from a pair of Cardinal defenders and was able to trot into the end zone for the easy score. Redeeming himself for the dropped pass that led to the interception, Conner helped the Cardinals answer right back one possession later with their lone touchdown of the evening with a 2-yard carry that ended in pay dirt. Adding a Robbie Gould field goal just before the half, San Francisco carried a 17-10 lead into halftime. 

Receiving the ball to open the second half, the San Francisco offense continued to score for a fourth consecutive drive thanks to a rushing touchdown from Deebo Samuel who found the end zone after a 39-yard run, the longest rushing touchdown of his career. Following a turnover on downs by the Arizona offense and punts by both teams, Garoppolo again took to the air and found Brandon Aiyuk for a second touchdown reception. Capitalizing on yet another turnover on downs by the Cardinals, Garoppolo and company made quick work of their great field position from the 50, as George Kittle caught a pass and added to his impressive YAC ability by marching 32-yards for the dagger touchdown. For good measure facing Cardinals third-string QB Trace McSorley, the 49er defense ended a late threat by the Arizona offense when rookie cornerback Sammy Womack logged his first career interception with a pick inside the end zone, sealing the dominant 38-10 win. Outscoring their opponent 21-0 in the second half, the San Francisco defense recorded their third consecutive second half shutout and have now combined to outscore opponents 54-0 in the second half of their last three games. 

With the win, the 49ers improved to 6-4 on the season and sit atop the NFC West in first place. Continuing their NFC West dominance, San Francisco improved to a perfect 4-0 record versus division foes this season and have won all four games by double-digits, owning a point differential of +80 after combining to outscore the Rams, Cardinals and Seahawks: 120-40 this season. QB Jimmy Garoppolo tied a career-high with 4 touchdown passes with his first 4 TD performance since Week 14 of the 2019 season. Along with his 4 TD's, Garoppolo completed 20 of 29 pass attempts for 228 yards and was kept on his feet all night long as his offensive-line did not allow a single sack. Running backs Elijah Mitchell (9 carries, 59 yards) and Christian McCaffrey (7 carries, 39 yards) shared ball carrying duties, but it was thru the air where the San Francisco offense did most of their damage. George Kittle finished with four receptions for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns, and McCaffrey added another 67 yards on 7 receptions to go over the century mark for total yards in the game. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk caught only two passes on the night but made them count as they both ended in touchdowns. 

Week 12 Preview: Returning home for the start of a three-game homestand, the 49ers will look to get some home cooking as they welcome in the (4-7) New Orleans Saints on a short week. Coming off a 27-20 win at home over the L.A. Rams, the Saints have proven to be a scrappy bunch in a lot of their games this season, but will head into Levi's Stadium to face a 49ers squad that appears to have found their rhythm, as they are finally turning the corner in the injury department and have now stringed together three wins in a row. Led by quarterback Andy Dalton, the Saints will not only look to spoil San Francisco's win-streak, but also their second half shutout streak on defense which has now hit three consecutive games. 

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Mistakes cost 49ers in Loss to Saints

Week 10 - In what was thought to be one of the more intriguing games this season after the absolute barnburner that took place in New Orleans just a year ago, this year's version of the 49ers (4-5) versus Saints (6-2) would be a far cry from the epic 48-46 win that the 49ers were able to escape the Superdome with a season ago. Given the laundry list of injuries the Niners have suffered in 2020, Kyle Shanahan's team would need to play a near perfect game in order to leave the Big Easy with an upset victory over Drew Brees and the Saints, and through the first quarter, San Francisco would manage to do just that. Unfortunately for them, they would be far from perfect during the other three quarters of play on Sunday. 

Putting together an impressive touchdown-scoring drive that spanned 13-plays to open the game, the 49ers took an early 7-0 lead on a short 4-yard pass from backup quarterback Nick Mullens to rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk. In what would be a forgetful game all around in the special-teams department for both teams, the Saints were first to make a gaffe when their defense forced San Francisco to punt on a three-and-out, only to witness return man Deonte Harris muff a fair-catch attempt that gave the 49ers the ball back and another opportunity to score. Cashing in on the Saints' miscue, the 49ers were able to get a field goal out of it to take a 10-0 lead. But Harris would redeem himself on the very next kick which he turned into a 75-yard return to setup the Saints with their first field goal to help put New Orleans on the board. San Francisco's woes on special-teams would then take effect as Ken Webster was unable to get out of the way after an aborted fair-catch call by Trent Taylor as the ball was recovered by the Saints. The head-scratching miscue would allow New Orleans to have another crack at tying the game. 

While the Niners' muffed punt didn't necessarily play a role in turning the tide, there would be a huge momentum shift on the same drive when San Francisco was penalized for a bogus "roughing the passer" call at the 8:42 mark in the second quarter that had everyone up in arms, including injured 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman who was following the game on Twitter and took to his social media account to express just how atrocious the call was. The would-be sack by Niners defensive-end Kentavius Street went from being a Saints 3rd and 18 deep in their own territory, to an automatic first down that breathed new life into the New Orleans offense and ultimately led to them capitalizing with a game-tying touchdown just three plays later. Hoping not to let the game slip away from their grasp, the 49ers turned the ball over on downs near midfield following a failed 4th and 1 attempt that allowed the Saints to take their first lead of the ballgame as Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara added to his busy day with his second of three touchdowns on the afternoon. Erasing a 10-point first quarter deficit, New Orleans suddenly found themselves heading into the locker room at the half with a 17-10 advantage and a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. 

For San Francisco, it would certainly be a game of missed opportunities as their first possession of the second half ended in an interception that halted what was shaping out to be a successful drive. Instead, the Saints continued to add to their lead despite QB Drew Brees sitting out the entire second half with what x-rays would later reveal to be five fractured ribs and a collapsed long suffered on the negated sack by Kentavius Street. A second muffed punt by San Francisco would help put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter as the Saints rode their Pro Bowl running back to victory as he found the end zone for a third time. With New Orleans pouring in 27 unanswered-points, the 49ers finally stopped the bleeding when Robbie Gould converted on a 40-yard field goal attempt to make it 27-13. In need of some late-game heroics, San Francisco forced a fumble after stripping backup QB Taysom Hill of the ball, but a Nick Mullens interception on a jump-ball in the end zone would seal the victory for the Saints and wipe out any chances of the Niners pulling off the come-from-behind miracle. 

Having terrible luck all season long in keeping healthy running backs on the field, the 49ers lost another one on Sunday as JaMycal Hasty suffered a broken collarbone. While there was no one player that jumped out via the run game, it was the catching ability by Saints running back Alvin Kamara that led the way for New Orleans as he caught 7 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown, compared to his 8 carries for 15 yards, though he did make them count with another two touchdowns on the ground. San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk logged another solid performance by hauling in 7 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. Nick Mullens led all quarterbacks with 247 yards, but threw only one touchdown to his two interceptions. Before departing at the end of the first half, Drew Brees threw for 76 yards and a touchdown on 8 of 13 pass attempts. In spite of the win, the Saints had put up only 237 yards of offense, their lowest total in a win since Week 11 of the 1998 season. Also worth noting is the first career sack for 49ers rookie and first round pick -- Javon Kinlaw who finished the game with 1.5 sacks.

Week 11 - Receiving a much needed BYE Week in Week 11, the 49ers can only hope having a week away from the playing field will finally mean a week without any additional injuries suffered to the roster. However, they'll be keeping a close eye on defensive-end Arik Armstead who was placed on the team's Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday. When the team returns from the BYE, they'll head to southern California to take on the (6-3) Los Angeles Rams. Having already beaten the Rams this season in their Week 6 meeting, L.A. will have a chance to avenge the loss when they play host to San Francisco in their new multi-billion dollar facility -- SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. 

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Packers Beat 49ers' B-Team on Thursday Night

Week 9 - Meeting for the first time since a blowout victory in the NFC Championship that punched a ticket to the Super Bowl for the San Francisco 49ers (4-4), the Green Bay Packers (5-2) would stroll into the Bay Area seeking revenge after being embarrassed not once, but twice a season ago. But any hopes of a slugfest would be shutdown rather quickly for one team. Having been ravaged by injuries all season long, a new enemy would emerge and make its presence felt on the 49ers roster, or at least the threat of it. Entering Thursday night's game with 13 players on Injured Reserve -- tied for the most in the NFL, the Niners would be dealt yet another blow after receiver Kendrick Bourne tested positive for COVID-19. With teammates Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams all considered, "high-risk close contacts," all four players would be ruled out of Thursday's game on Wednesday. But after a pair of subsequent negative Covid tests submitted by Bourne, including one several hours before kickoff, the initial positive test would be deemed a false positive. Unfortunately for the home team, the damage was already done as those players would still be placed on the NFL's Reserve/COVID-19 list and ruled out by the league, leaving 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan with even less to work with against one of the top teams in the NFC. To say the 49ers would be undermanned in their Thursday night affair would be an understatement. But as the saying goes: the show must go on. 

In what would be the 70th match-up all-time between the two historic franchises, backup QB Nick Mullens would make his third start of the season in place of the ailing Jimmy Garoppolo who re-injured his high-ankle sprain in last week's loss to Seattle. Even with the countless holes on offense, the 49ers would still have a sliver of hope before kickoff as Mullens' only other start on Thursday Night Football came during Week 9 of the 2018 season when he made his NFL debut and threw a career-high three touchdown passes in a blowout win against the Raiders. The main difference in this one, however, would be a guy named Aaron Rodgers. After being stymied and constantly pressured by the 49er defense in both games last season, the ghostly defense of San Francisco's past would like nothing like the team Rodgers faced on Thursday and he admitted it in his postgame interview. But that wouldn't stop him from turning up the heat and taking advantage of the situation. While the game would remain competitive until the final minutes of the second quarter, Green Bay took an early 7-0 lead after their first possession and never looked back. 

Needing only six plays to march 75-yards, Rodgers struck first by connecting with his Pro-Bowl receiver Davante Adams for a 36-yard touchdown. It would be the start of a big night from both players as they each registered impressive numbers in the box score. Biting into Green Bay's lead with a Robbie Gould field goal on San Francisco's second possession to make it a 7-3 ballgame, it would be the closest the Niners would get after kickoff. San Francisco nearly tied the game on a touchdown reception by the recently promoted River Cracraft who came down with a catch in the end zone from 4-yards out that was initially ruled a touchdown, but was eventually overturned after review showed he failed to maintain complete control of the ball when falling to the ground, forcing Shanahan to settle for a field goal. The absence of Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams would be felt virtually all night long on the 49ers offensive-line as Justin Skule had a tough time trying to fill in for the sidelined Williams, but especially on a pair of plays that resulted in a Nick Mullens interception in the second quarter and on a sack-fumble in the third, both of which leading to scoring drives for the Packers. By halftime, Rodgers had tossed a trio of touchdown passes as Green Bay took a 21-3 lead into the locker room. 

With the Green Bay lead increasing to 34-3 at one point, the 49ers were able to fend off a complete massacre on the scoreboard as they pieced together a pair of touchdown scoring drives in the fourth quarter to make it a 34-17 final score. The first of which would come on a 41-yard touchdown pass to receiver Richie James Jr. who served as one of the lone bright spots on what was a dismal night for San Francisco after hauling in career-highs with nine receptions for 184-yards and a touchdown. Running back Jerick McKinnon would supply the only other score as he struck pay dirt from a yard out in the game's final seconds. Both Rodgers and Adams would tally impressive numbers for Green Bay's offense as the Packers QB threw for 305 yards, four touchdowns and no picks, one of those touchdowns and 173 yards going to Adams who hauled in a game-high 10 receptions. In comparison, Nick Mullens threw for 291 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Turning back the clock, the 34-points scored by the Packers were the most they put up on the road against San Francisco since December 13, 1959. 

Week 10 Preview - The 49ers' schedule will not get any easier in Week 10 when they make a trip to the Big Easy to face Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints (6-2) who are coming off an impressive blowout win against Tom Brady and the Bucs, 38-3. Following one of the best regular season games of the year a season ago when the 49ers left the bayou with a thrilling 48-46 victory that went back and forth in Week 14, it's unlikely we'll see anything remotely close to that shootout with all of San Francisco's missing pieces. With 13 players on IR, 45 different starters and 71 players used -- all the most in the NFL this year, coach Shanahan will do his best to try and piece together a team that can hopefully compete much better than they did against Green Bay. The Niners might also see the recently traded Kwon Alexander on opposite ends next week as he recovers from a high ankle sprain that has caused him to miss an extensive period of time. Another familiar face on opposite ends and one that helped play a key role in San Francisco's wild win against the Saints last season, is receiver Emmanuel Sanders who missed the last two weeks after being placed on the NFL's Reserve/Covid list. Two players the Niners are hopeful of getting back to assist their offense and their chances of pulling off the upset against the Saints are running back Raheem Mostert and receiver Deebo Samuel as the two have been dealing with ankle and hamstring injuries, respectively. 

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Niners solve 'Who Dat?' riddle with Epic Win

Week 14 - Continuing their quest thru the gauntlet of the toughest three-game stretch in NFL history, the (10-2) San Francisco 49ers headed into the Big Easy to take on the (10-2) New Orleans Saints in a back and forth melee that would be anything but easy. The first meeting between two teams with identical 10-2 records since 2007, the game was expected to be a tough, grind it out battle featuring two of the league's top defenses, but would quickly materialize into a shootout between quarterbacks as Jimmy Garoppolo and Drew Brees came out guns blazing and went blow for blow in a heavyweight match-up with the NFC's No. 1 seed on the line. It would also be a duel of the minds as offensive guru's Kyle Shanahan and Sean Payton squared off in a game that once things were underway, were destined to come down to the wire and likely be decided by whoever had the ball last.

With coach Shanahan keeping his 49er team on the east coast following Week 13 in Baltimore and spending the week in Florida in preparation of their second straight 10 a.m. eastern start on the road, San Francisco seemed ill-prepared for Brees' quick passes as he broke down the defense with precision before finding his tight-end Jared Cook for a 38-yard touchdown reception. Not to be outdone, Jimmy G connected on passes of 19, 31 and 25 yards to Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel, respectively, before hooking up in the end zone with Kendrick Bourne. While it would be the first of many touchdowns scored on the day, San Francisco's game-tying touchdown would be the first opening-drive TD allowed by the Saints defense all year. Drive No. 2 for New Orleans would look a lot similar to their first as Brees again found Cook for the score. Hurt on the play, Cook would have to leave the game after sustaining a concussion, but not before his controversial touchdown as replay showed the ball come loose as Cook went to the ground while in the end zone. With the call standing and 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon penalized for unnecessary roughness, Payton would decide to go for the two-point conversion but was unsuccessful.

After a 49ers three and out and one of only four punts in the game combined, the Saints continued to take advantage of their stellar field position with a drive that ended in another Drew Brees touchdown pass, this time to Josh Hill. Trailing 20-7 at the start of the 2nd quarter in a game where most teams would roll over, Jimmy G and company refused to give in as they needed only one play to answer with a touchdown of their own when Garoppolo threw a bomb to Emmanuel Sanders who returned to his feet after falling and sprinted for a career-long 75-yard score. But while the 49er offense had little trouble scoring, the defense continued to struggle finding an answer for the Saints offense which showed no signs of slowing. Just when San Francisco appeared to finally stand their ground by keeping New Orleans out of the end zone as a 1st and goal from the 4 eventually turned into a 4th and goal from the 1, Payton kept the offense on the field and allowed for Brees to handle the scoring himself as the future Hall of Fame quarterback kept the ball and leaped over the goal-line. With the score 27-14 and the defense in need of a breather after the tiring 7-minute and 14-second drive by New Orleans, it wasn't long before the San Francisco defense was right back out there as the 49er offense again answered with a quick response. Gaining 40-yards in two plays, Shanahan went to his bag of tricks to dial up a play that started with a handoff from Garoppolo to Samuel and ended with a lateral to Sanders who fired a strike down the field to a wide-open Raheem Mostert for the touchdown. Having already caught a touchdown earlier, Sanders became the first 49er in franchise history to record a receiving touchdown and a passing touchdown in the same game.

Still seeking their first stop on defense, the 49ers would get just that as a nice play by rookie defensive-end Nick Bosa stopped the Saints in their tracks on a 3rd and 1 attempt that led to a 6-yard loss and resulted in a three and out. With a chance to steal the momentum heading into the half, San Francisco would take their first lead of the game as a nine-play drive ended with a 10-yard run up the gut by Mostert, entering halftime with a 28-27 advantage. With eight touchdowns in ten drives and both teams combining for 55 first half points, the most points scored in an opening half this season, Garoppolo entered the locker room nearly perfect with 206 yards and a pair of TD passes on 11 of 12 completions. But their first drive of the second half would result in their one and only turnover when a pass intended for Sanders was tipped and intercepted. Holding New Orleans to a field goal after the turnover, the 49ers would force a takeaway of their own when Saints running back Alvin Kamara was stripped by D.J. Jones on only the second lost fumble by the Saints this season. Looking to cash-in on the rare mishap and within striking distance, Garoppolo needed only two plays to capitalize as George Kittle caught a pass and sprawled over the pylon for the 5-yard score.

With the score 35-33 SF after a Saints field goal, Payton would try to get cute on a fake-punt on 4th and 18, but a heads-up play in coverage by the 49ers special-teams led to an incompletion and the turnover on downs. Beginning the frenzied fourth quarter with a 14-play touchdown-scoring drive, Garoppolo capped things off with his second connection in the end zone with receiver Kendrick Bourne. Taking their largest lead of the game at 42-33, the 9-minutes remaining in regulation would seem to last an eternity as the game was still far from over. A pair of big plays by Saints receiver Michael Thomas would have his team right back in the thick of things as he followed up a 49-yard reception two plays later with a 21-yard touchdown. With the first field goal on the day for 49ers kicker Robbie Gould making it a 45-40 lead with just under 2:30 remaining, Drew Brees would lead his team down the field with the game on the line once again. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon had a chance to seal the win for the Niners when Saints receiver Michael Thomas slipped, but the ball went thru the hands of Witherspoon and wound up being an incomplete pass. Given a second chance, Brees would take advantage of the opportunity two plays later, connecting with Tre'Quan Smith for the go-ahead touchdown. With 53 career game-winning drives under his belt in the 4th quarter or overtime for Brees, it appeared that we had witnessed No. 54, but Jimmy G would have other plans as another 2-point conversion attempt by the Saints went awry.

With 53-seconds remaining and all three timeouts to work with, George Kittle would take us and a trio of Saints defenders along for a ride. Facing 4th and 2 at the San Francisco 33 yard-line, Kittle would grab a pass from Garoppolo and take it 39-yards as he stiff-armed a defender and had another draped all over him before a third Saint joined in to help take down the Pro Bowl tight-end who also benefited from a pivotal face-mask penalty that tacked on the extra yardage. In what many are calling the play of the year or at the very least the play of the 49ers' season, Kittle helped setup what would ultimately be the game-winning field goal by kicker Robbie Gould who connected on the 30-yarder as time expired. Giving Drew Brees and the Saints a taste of their own medicine, Jimmy G and the 49ers came back from the 20-7 deficit and completed the comeback with Gould's 16th career game-winning field goal marking the first 48-46 final score in NFL history.

Despite trailing 20-7 at one point, San Francisco's never say die mentality and sheer will allowed them to rally in what could very well go down as a season-defining moment for this 49er team that managed to still find a way to win. With both Brees and Garoppolo finishing with 349 yards passing, Jimmy G joins Steve Young and Jeff Garcia as the only 49er QB's with at least three games of 4 passing TD's in a single season after rallying his team to victory with his sixth career game-winning drive. Meanwhile, the Saints' 46-points are their most points scored in a loss in franchise history. 49ers running back Raheem Mostert and Saints running back Latavius Murray each finished with 69 yards rushing, and Emmanuel Sanders led all receivers with 157 receiving yards. However, it wasn't all roses and butterflies following the Niners' victory as the team learned that they'd be without center Weston Richburg for the season after he suffered a torn patellar tendon. Corner Richard Sherman and defensive-end Dee Ford would also leave Sunday's game after suffering hamstring injuries that will likely cause them to miss multiple weeks.

Week 15 Preview - The 49ers will be happy to return home to the state of California and their home field of Levi's Stadium when they host Matt Ryan and the (4-9) Atlanta Falcons. Facing his former team in head coach Dan Quinn and the Falcons, 49ers signal-caller Kyle Shanahan will try putting a stop to what was once among the most dangerous offenses in the league when he was still with them calling the plays led by Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. In what's been a down season for Atlanta, the Falcons are coming off a 40-20 drubbing of division rival Carolina where Matt Ryan became the second fastest QB in NFL history to reach the 50,000 yard mark (186 games). And though Atlanta isn't quite the same team they once were since Shanahan's departure, they'll still need to be taken serious as the 49ers can ill-afford losing to a inferior team if they want to maintain the NFC's No. 1 spot since jumping from the No. 5 seed following their win on Sunday @ New Orleans and a loss by Seattle to the Rams. 


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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 Fall to Saints in First Half Shootout

Week 9 - What do you get when the two worst defenses in the league face one another? How about the highest-scoring first half of the 2016 NFL season. Coming off a BYE in Week 8, the 49ers returned to action in Week 9 with a meeting with Drew Brees and the visiting (3-4) New Orleans Saints. In a match up of two struggling defenses which have given up an average of 30 points per game, it would be no wonder that the score would be 31-20 at the half. And with first half leads in five of their six losses this season entering Sunday's game, Chip Kelly's 49ers would get off to a similar start in this one.

After celebrating his 29th birthday over the weekend, Colin Kaepernick would throw for close to 400 yards on the afternoon as he tallied 398 on Sunday, more than his first two starts combined this season. A 31-yard gain on a short hitch to receiver Quinton Patton would help set up his big day and put the 49ers in position to take an early lead as they would have to settle for a 49-yard field goal from kicker Phil Dawson. But the Saints would follow that up with four consecutive scoring drives of their own to take the lead as Tim Hightower started things off with a 4-yard touchdown run. With turnovers costing San Francisco on several opportunities, the first would be an interception by Kaepernick as the Saints quickly turned their 4-point lead into an 11-point lead with a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Michael Thomas. In an early hole at the start of the second quarter, coach Kelly would decide to go for it on a 4th and 1 call which would prove to be costly as the 49ers came up short on the attempt. Once again the Saints would turn San Francisco's turnover into points as Mark Ingram capitalized a 76-yard drive with a 5-yard receiving touchdown.

But this time, the 49ers would answer with a big play of their own. In only his second start with the 49ers, DuJuan Harris would have himself a nice day while filling in for the injured Carlos Hyde. Though he would only compile 59 yards on the ground, Harris would tally 83 yards thru the air on five receptions, including a 47-yard catch and go touchdown that made it a 21-10 game. Unfortunately, the Saints would waste no time to answer right back as Ingram ran for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the ensuing drive, making it the second-longest touchdown run in Saints franchise history. After being benched last week in favor of Tim Hightower, Ingram made quite the impression for getting his starting job back by rushing for 158 yards on Sunday. Ingram's big day would also mark the seventh straight game in which the 49ers have allowed an opposing player to rush for 100 yards for the first time in NFL history. After a 48-yard field goal by Dawson, the 49ers would strike with their biggest play of the afternoon as Kaepernick found a wide-open Vance McDonald who raced to the end zone untouched for a 65-yard touchdown to pull within 8-points. However, it would be the closest the 49ers would get as Brees was able to march the Saints down the field with less than a minute to go to add a field goal to their lead, making it a 31-20 ball game at the half.

After a nice kick return to open the second half by Jacorey Shepherd, the 49ers appeared to be in business and on their way to making it a 4-point game as Kaepernick and company marched their way into enemy territory and set up shop inside the New Orleans 8-yard line. But a 7-yard run to the 1-yard line would end in disaster as second-year running back Mike Davis fumbled at the goal-line, recovered by the Saints. Though the Saints would fail to cash the mistake into points and were forced to punt, the 49ers would only be able to score a field goal on their next possession. It would also be their last scoring opportunity on the afternoon as the Saints added another 10-points in the fourth quarter to pull away with the 41-23 victory.

Despite the loss, Colin Kaepernick threw for the second-highest passing total of his career with 398 yards and became the 15th player in 49ers franchise history to rush for over 2,000 career yards after adding anther 28 yards on the ground on Sunday. Quinton Patton would haul in 106 of those yards on 6 receptions as the 49ers fell to 1-7 on the season. As for the Saints who improved to 4-4 on the year and have bounced back after an 0-3 start, quarterback Drew Brees who threw for 323 yards and a trio of touchdowns is on the doorstep of becoming only the third QB in NFL history to reach the 450 touchdown mark as he currently sits at 449 career touchdown passes. With the Saints still very much alive in the NFC South and in contention for the division, they trail only the Atlanta Falcons who sit at 6-3 on the year. 

Week 10 Preview - On the road in Week 10, the 49ers will make a stop in the desert as they visit the (3-4-1) Arizona Cardinals. In what's been a disappointing season for the Cardinals -- last year's NFC Western division champions, Bruce Arians has seen his guys play some ugly football as of late and is hoping they can return to form after coming off a BYE in Week 9. With a 30-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers in their last outing and a 6-6 tie at home to division rival Seattle in the game before that, Arizona has the perfect match-up in place to take out some anger and get their fourth win of the season. Though I don't expect a repeat of last year's visit to Glendale -- a 47-7 shellacking of the 49ers, I do expect another Cardinals victory. With a 33-21 win at San Francisco earlier this year back in Week 5 on Thursday Night Football, the teams exchanged blows in the first half in what was a relatively close game until late when the Cards pulled away, Arizona will have their starting quarterback around this time as QB Carson Palmer was sidelined with a concussion in their last meeting. And with Carlos Hyde questionable to play on Sunday, the 49ers might have to rely on another big game from DeJuan Harris in hopes of pulling off the upset.


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Niners let another 14-point lead Slip Away vs Bucs

Week 7 - Entering their Week 7 meeting with the (2-3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 49ers were hoping to put an end to their five game losing streak and head into the BYE week on a positive note. But another fast start on offense would be all Chip Kelly's 49ers would have to show for as they scored 14 of their 17 points in the opening quarter and squandered a 14-point lead once again. Since the injury to Pro Bowl linebacker NaVorro Bowman three weeks ago, opposing running backs have eaten the 49ers defense alive and that trend continued on Sunday.

Before the Buccaneers outgained San Francisco in total offensive yards -- 513 to 273, the 49ers jumped out to an early lead thanks to arguably their best looking offensive possession of the season as Colin Kaepernick and company marched down the field and capitalized their six-play opening-drive with a Mike Davis touchdown. Making his first career start in place of the injured Carlos Hyde (shoulder), it would be the first touchdown of Davis' career as the second-year back rushed seven times for 21 yards before sharing rushing duties with DuJuan Harris (11 carries, 39 yards) who was promoted from the practice squad. The 49ers would get off to an equally hot start on defense as they stuffed Tampa Bay on a gutsy 4th and 1 call near midfield on the Bucs first possession, turning the ball over on downs. Two drives later they would force an interception as a Jameis Winston pass intended for Mike Evans was tipped by Tremaine Brock and picked by linebacker Gerald Hodges who returned the ball 21-yards thanks to a crucial block by Jimmie Ward on Evans. One play later the 49ers would strike for their second touchdown of the quarter as Kaepernick found Shaun Draughn in the end zone to put his team ahead, 14-0.

But as soon as the first quarter ended, so did the fun for the 49ers as Tampa Bay scored 27 unanswered-points including 17 in the second quarter on a pair of Winston touchdown passes to Evans and Russell Shepard. After adding another 110 yards on the ground from running back Jacquizz Rodgers in the first half alone, the putrid 49ers defense allowed the Bucs to tally over 300 yards of offense in the first half for only the second time in the last 25 years. In fact, Tampa Bay's first half yards (310) were more than what the 49ers would gain in the entire game. Hoping to begin the second half much better than they finished the first, San Francisco would hand the ball right back to the opposition after forcing a three and out only to fumble the ensuing punt. Having scored only 10 points in the third quarter of games this season, their third quarter woes would continue when Jeremy Kerley was ran into by his own teammate after calling for a fair catch. Unaware of his surroundings, rookie receiver Aaron Burbridge made the dubious mistake that would cause the fumble and allow the Bucs to add a field goal to their lead. Making matters worse, the 49ers would fumble on their following drive as well when Kaepernick was blindsided from behind as he was sacked and stripped of the ball. Winston's third and final touchdown pass on the afternoon would make it 27-14.

With very little hope of pulling off the comeback, San Francisco's lone scoring drive of the second half would come in the form of a Phil Dawson field goal that brought them within 10-points with just over 8 minutes remaining. But a 44-yard touchdown run by Peyton Barber would put the game well out of reach as the Bucs completed the 34-17 victory to win their second straight. As for the 49ers, the loss would be their sixth consecutive, their longest such streak since 2008. What's most frustrating is a team that was once known for their defensive run stopping ability suddenly can't stop a nosebleed as they've now allowed a 100-yard rusher for six straight games. Also, the 562 rushing yards allowed over the last two games is the most the 49ers have ever allowed in a two game span in franchise history, breaking the previous mark of 552 set in October of 1956. With the injured Bowman and the recently released Ian Williams who's been dealing with an injury of his own two key cogs in stopping the run over the past few seasons who are no longer around, the 49ers aren't going to be winning another game anytime soon if they can't stop the run.

Then again, that's just one of the many lingering issues this franchise currently faces as they've now fallen to 1-6 on the year and have put their name in the hat for most likely picking in the top 3 for next year's NFL Draft. Another is the quarterback position as Colin Kaepernick failed to wow us with another mediocre performance in which he threw for only 143 yards, ran for another 84 and completed less than half of his passes (16 for 34) while throwing one touchdown and one interception. With a deep threat in receiver Torrey Smith that is virtually wasting away in the 49ers offense, teams have already begun inquiring for the former Super Bowl champion with Chip Kelly's former team the Philadelphia Eagles among those most interested in Smith's services. Don't be surprised if he's dealt before the 49ers take the field again.

Week 9 Preview: With a BYE in Week 8, the 49ers will have plenty of time to clear their head and work out some of the kinks in preparation of their next opponent -- the New Orleans Saints (2-4) who will travel to Santa Clara. With another stellar start to the season from QB Drew Brees, the Saints defense has struggled much like that of the 49ers this year, giving up an average of 403.8 yards per game, just a few ticks under the 407.6 SF has allowed. And while they're allowing more points per game than the Niners, the Saints offense is averaging 130 yards more per game than San Francisco (421.7 vs 290.0). So unless 49ers defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil turns things around fast, the 49er defense could be in for another long week when Drew Brees and co. are in town.


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