49ers Lose to Bears in NFC Suckfest

Week 13 - In a match-up between the NFC's two worst teams -- the (2-9) Chicago Bears and the (1-11) San Francisco 49ers, the struggle would continue at damp and snowy Soldier Field. The poor conditions with slush-like snow falling from the sky helped make for an even uglier brand of football than we've grown accustomed to seeing from both teams this year. With the 49ers still seeking their first road win since a meeting with the Bears last December, neither team would complete a pass in the opening quarter as it was the ground game that both teams relied heavily on in the early going. That would be especially true for San Francisco as nearly every passing play was either incomplete or ended in a quarterback sack as QB Colin Kaepernick spent much of his time either on the turf or struggling to find the open man on Sunday. As if the elements weren't enough for the 49ers signal-caller to deal with, he had his former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on the opposing side, dialing up plays that proved to be a headache for Kaepernick and coach Chip Kelly's 49er offense.

With 23 run plays to 10 passing plays for San Francisco in the first half, we would get a steady diet of Carlos Hyde who tallied 92 rushing yards on the afternoon and helped the 49ers dominate in the time of possession department in the first half as they held the ball for 20 of the games first 30 minutes. Somewhat of a surprise considering San Francisco entered the game ranked last in the league in time of possession. Sadly, they would manage to score only six points in all that time as a pair of Phil Dawson field goals was all San Francisco had to show for despite the time advantage. With Chicago pinned back in their own end zone on fourth down, 49ers backup running back Shaun Draughn would get a hand on a Pat O'Donnell punt attempt which helped put the Niners in position to kick their first field goal. Draughn would come up big yet again on special-teams as he stripped Bears return man Deonte Thompson of the ball on the ensuing kick, thus setting up another 49er field goal to make it a 6-0 San Francisco lead.

With just under two minutes to go before halftime and Bears quarterback Matt Barkley still without a completion, the former USC Trojan would begin completing pass after pass as he stringed together four completions on the ensuing drive. Following a controversial pass interference call in the end zone which put the Bears in business at the 1-yard line, Barkley handed the ball off to his rookie running back Jordan Howard who did the rest by punching it in for the go-ahead touchdown. The go-ahead score would be the start of 26 unanswered-points scored by Chicago and the first of three rushing touchdowns on the afternoon by Howard. Adding to his busy afternoon, Howard finished with 117 yards rushing, becoming the ninth back to eclipse the 100-yard mark against the 49ers defense this year. Putting that dismal number into perspective, no other team has allowed more than four 100-yard rushers this season. Sadly, that wouldn't be the most woeful stat of the day for San Francisco as that dubious honor would belong to Colin Kaepernick who was replaced by Blaine Gabbert with 12:55 remaining in the fourth quarter after throwing for only 4 yards on 1-of-5 pass attempts.

Making matters worse for Kaepernick who has had somewhat of a roller coaster campaign in 2016, he would watch Gabbert log more passing yards on his first play of action (an 18-yard completion to Jeremy Kerley) than Kaepernick had in the entire three quarters he spent on the field. Gabbert would finish with 35 yards passing on 4 of 10 attempts before being taken down in his own end zone for a safety in the final minutes of San Francisco's 26-6 loss. After factoring in the six total sacks that the 49ers quarterbacks would suffer, San Francisco combined for a total of 6 net passing yards, the second lowest mark in franchise history. It would also be the fewest yards allowed by a Bears team since the 1985 Monsters of Midway Chicago Bears team that won the franchise's one and only Super Bowl. As for their offense, the 26-points scored by Chicago would be a season-high in what would end up being the first career win for Matt Barkley who finished the game with 192 yards passing on 11-of-18 attempts. The 49ers will now at least have a top-4 pick in next year's NFL Draft as their franchise-worst losing-skid has now reached 11 games. Meanwhile, Chicago improves to 3-9 on the year.

Week 14 Preview - With the 49ers returning home to face the 3-9 New York Jets who are coming off a 41-10 blowout loss at home to the Colts on Monday Night Football, San Francisco will find themselves in rare territory as odds makers have them favored by 3 points, something we've seen very little of this season. Currently suffering a four-game losing streak of their own, the Jets have been one of the most disappointing teams of the season and are likely to press the reset button at seasons end with speculation regarding the potential firing of head coach Todd Bowles. Like Chip Kelly, Bowles has had a quarterback carousel of his own to deal with with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith and now Bryce Petty who will make his second career start on Sunday. Petty, drafted last year out of Baylor, started in a Week 10 loss to the Rams in which he threw for 163 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. With Jets fans hoping they've got their quarterback for the future, a game against the lowly 49ers defense might not be a very good gauge to figure out if Petty is in fact the solution to their problem. As for their defense, New York's strong D-line might cause problems for San Francisco's run game, forcing them to rely through the air which isn't very promising considering their most recent performance. Thankfully, there won't be any snow or subzero temperatures to worry about in this one.

Noteworthy: 49ers Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Staley will miss his first game of the season on Sunday with a hamstring injury, snapping a streak of 92 consecutive games started. 


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49ers Fall to Patriots in Brady's Homecoming

Week 11 - With Tom Brady and the 7-2 New England Patriots in town to face the 1-8 San Francisco 49ers, many Pats fans would be on hand despite the poor weather to witness Brady's homecoming to the Bay Area. And in their first ever game at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium, New England would rebound from a disappointing loss to Seattle the week before. San Francisco wouldn't go without a fight, however, as they stuck around virtually all game long until the Patriots pulled away in the fourth quarter. Growing up just a stones throw from Santa Clara in nearby San Mateo and a big 49ers fan as a kid, Brady, the one who's often been compared to Joe Montana, his boyhood idol, felt right at home on Sunday afternoon.

Even without his Pro-Bowl tight-end Rob Gronkowski who sat out of Sunday's game with a lung injury, Brady managed to throw for 280 yards and four touchdowns on the afternoon in New England's 30-17 win, including the first touchdown reception of rookie receiver Malcolm Mitchell's career, a 56-yarder in the fourth quarter. As for 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick who logged another turnover-free performance by throwing for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns, it would be his offensive-line that let him down early on in this one. After being sacked twice on San Francisco's first drive on offense and five times in the first half alone, the 49ers missed out on an opportunity to take the lead early on. With New England on top following a touchdown from Brady to Julian Edelman on the Pats' first possession, Kaepernick led the Niners down the field where they would set up shop at the 3-yard line, but they would fail to sniff the end zone and were forced to settle for a Phil Dawson field goal. Because of a missed extra-point attempt by Pats kicker Stephen Gostkowski, New England's lead would be 6-3. The usually automatic Gostkowski wasn't the only one who struggled with the PAT on Sunday as it would be a forgetful day for kickers all around the league.

At the time of Gostkowski's missed PAT attempt, there had already been nine missed extra-points on the day and that number would continue to rise. By day's end, there would be a record 12 missed PAT attempts on Sunday, further proof that the rule change the NFL implemented a season ago which moved the extra-point from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line has made a huge difference. One kicker that wouldn't contribute to the dubious record and had himself a day worth remembering, however, was 49ers kicker Phil Dawson who put San Francisco on the board in the first quarter by drilling a 33-yard field goal. What may have seemed like any other field goal would be a special one for Dawson as it was the 400th made field goal his career, making him just the 10th kicker in NFL history to reach that mark. Also worth noting is that Dawson's career field goal percentage of 84.7 is the best among all kickers in the 400 FG club as the 41-year old has been successful on 14-of-15 field goal attempts this season.

Sadly, it would be one of the few highlights San Francisco would see on Sunday as New England continued to score touchdowns instead of field goals. The Patriots' second possession would end much like their first as Brady found another target who found the end zone, this time to running back James White who scored from 9-yards out. The 49ers would manage to make a game out of it before the half as Kaepernick connected with tight-end Vance McDonald for an 18-yard touchdown that made it a 13-10 game and pulled San Francisco within three. Both teams would exchange punts in a scoreless third quarter before New England found the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter, a 5-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola. After the big play by Mitchell a couple possessions later and a Gostkowski field goal, the 49ers would soon find themselves down 30-10 after trailing by a field goal for nearly 20 minutes. San Francisco would find the end zone once more before it was all said and done as a garbage time touchdown pass from Kaepernick to Shaun Draughn on a wheel route inched the 49ers closer, but a failed onside-kick attempt would seal it as New England pulled off the 30-17 victory.

It would be sweet redemption for the Patriots who both bounced back from their Sunday Night loss a week ago and redeemed themselves from a loss at the hands of Kaepernick  and the 49ers in their most recent match-up in 2012, a 41-34 San Francisco victory in Foxborough on Sunday Night Football. The win for New England also catapulted Tom Brady in a tie with Brett Favre for the second most wins all-time with 199, trailing only Peyton Manning who has 200. As for the home team, it would be the ninth straight loss for the 49ers who are still in search of their first victory since their 28-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Rams in the season-opener. The 49ers lackluster run defense also made its return, allowing Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount to rush for 124 yards on 19 carries, this after holding Cardinals running back David Johnson to only 55-yards a week ago.

Week 12 - Hoping to shake off their 9-game skid, the 49ers will take to the road where they'll face the red-hot Miami Dolphins (6-4), winners of five straight. While the 49ers have been on a free-fall since their blowout Week 1 victory, the Dolphins have done the exact opposite, and now sit two games above .500 and in the playoff hunt after a disappointing 1-4 start to the season. Coming off a hard-fought win on the road in Los Angeles which saw Miami QB Ryan Tannenhill and the Dolphins erase a 10-0 deficit into a 14-10 victory with a last-minute touchdown to get the win. With run defense being the glaring weakness of this year's 49ers team, they'll have to keep close tabs on Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi who logged consecutive games of 200-yards rushing this season and has been a huge reason his team is riding a 5-game win-streak. If they can do that and contain Miami's run game, I like San Francisco's chances of putting an end to both Miami's win-streak and the 49ers' skid. The 49ers will also be hitting the field vs Miami without Pro Bowl safety Eric Reid who's been ruled out with a season-ending injury as he suffered a torn biceps in the loss to New England.


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49ers Rally late but Fall short in Arizona

Week 10 - In Glendale, Arizona to face the (3-4-1) Cardinals, Chip Kelly's 49ers (1-7) were hoping to build off a nice game offensively against the Saints in Week 9 and escape the desert with their first win since Week 1. However, the third time would be a charm for Cards kicker Chandler Catanzaro who fell short on two other tries to kick a game-winning field goal this season, but came through when needed on Sunday vs the 49ers. After having the daylights beaten out of them last year in Arizona by a final score of 47-7, San Francisco kept things much closer this time around, but were unable to leave the desert with a victory as they fell short by a last second field goal as time expired. Coming off back-to-back hard fought games that resulted in a tie and a loss, the Cardinals who were returning from a BYE, got back on track in the win column with a close win over San Francisco that didn't come easy.

After falling into an early hole which saw Arizona take a 14-0 lead on a pair of touchdowns both thru the air and on the ground by running back David Johnson, the 49ers were able to rebound late following a shaky start as QB Colin Kaepernick and company failed to get a single first down in each of their first three offensive possessions. But a 17-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Jeremy Kerley in the far right corner of the end zone would put the Niners on the board in the second quarter. It would be sweet redemption for Kerley who fumbled a punt return on the possession prior which set up Johnson's second touchdown. Catanzaro and 49ers kicker Phil Dawson would then exchange field goals to make it a 20-10 game at the half. Fairing much better on defense in the second half, San Francisco was able to force three Carson Palmer turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble. From there the 49ers would cash in on two of those turnovers as an Eli Harold sack and forced fumble resulted in the second of Phil Dawson's long field goals on the afternoon and Gerald Hodges' interception led to a game-tying touchdown ran in by Kaepernick from 4-yards out.

With the game tied at 20-20 and Arizona taking over at their own 15 yard line with just under two minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, the Cardinals would need Carson Palmer and company to come alive for the first time since the first half as the 49ers defense had kept Arizona off the board in the second half. But a sprawling catch by Michael Floyd  for a 26-yard gain and a 14-yard reception by Larry Fitzgerald who each eclipsed the 100-yard mark and combined for 233-yards receiving, would help the Cardinals get into field goal range where Catanzaro split the uprights from 34-yards out to kick Arizona to a 23-20 victory as time expired. Kaepernick would log another solid performance and was able to rebound from arguably the worst game of his career when the 49ers last visited Arizona a year ago, but it wouldn't be enough. Finishing with 210 yards passing and two total touchdowns, Kaepernick tied Arizona's David Johnson for a game-high 55 yards rushing as Niner running backs Carlos Hyde and DuJuan Harris were virtually shutout and combined for 28-yards on the ground. As for Carson Palmer, the Cardinals QB would total 376 yards through the air and added a 16-yard rush in the second quarter, the longest rush of his 14-year career, out-running both 49er running backs.

After torching the 49ers defense for 157-yards in their Thursday Night meeting just over a month ago, Cardinals running back David Johnson was held to a fraction of that on Sunday as the San Francisco defense held Johnson to only 55-yards on 19 carries and saw their NFL-record of allowing a 100-yard rusher finally come to an end at seven games. However, he would add another 46-yards receiving to account for 101 total yards, registering yet another stellar performance against SF. After seeing his production in the passing game diminish with Kaepernick taking the QB reigns over Blaine Gabbert in Week 6, receiver Jeremy Kerley finally found the end zone and got things going with Kaepernick as his quarterback as he hauled in a team-high 7 receptions for 71-yards. Hopefully, just hopefully the 49ers can use this game to build off of as Kaepernick continues to slowly shake off the cobwebs and the defense can string together consecutive games where they aren't dismantled by the run.

Week 10 - As if wins haven't already been tough to come by for the (1-8) 49ers this year, they'll now have to face the daunting task of playing Tom Brady and the (7-2) New England Patriots who will be making their first trip to Levi's Stadium. For what it's worth, the 49ers defense won't have to worry about Pro-Bowl tight-end Rob Gronkowski as he's been ruled out of Sunday's game with a perforated lung injury suffered in Sunday night's loss at home to the Seahawks. But we can all expect Brady and company to play with a chip on their shoulder when they hit the field again as they plan to avenge their heart-breaking loss to Seattle which ended on a goal-line stand as the Pats were unable to score from the 1-yard line. With a 49ers win at New England the last time these two teams met, all we can do is hope San Francisco comes out to play and makes it a competitive game, unless Colin Kaepernick is able to turn back the clock and throw for four touchdowns again like he did in that memorable win at Foxborough back in 2012.


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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 bookend 2015 Season with a Win

Entering Sunday's 2015 regular season finale, a few things were on the line for the San Francisco 49ers and their long-time rivals the St. Louis Rams. A win for the 49ers would mean they would avoid their worst finish since 2005 when the franchise finished with a record of 4-12. As for the Rams who could be playing football in southern California as early as next season while relocating from St. Louis to Los Angeles, a win would make it four straight victories in what's been a disappointing year for Jeff Fisher and company.

After being blown out, 27-6 in the first meeting between bitter foes, the 49ers kept it close and took a 7-3 lead after QB Blaine Gabbert connected with Anquan Boldin who broke free of a tackle and trotted into the end zone on the first play of the second quarter. Getting his second start in as many weeks at running back for the Niners was DuJuan Harris who had himself an all around nice game. Harris broke off a big gain in the second quarter that went for 48-yards and set up the first of Phil Dawson's four field goals on the afternoon. Leading 10-3, the Rams would quickly respond with scores on each of their next three drives. A pair of Greg Zuerlein field goals and a Tre Mason touchdown run from 4-yards out would put St. Louis ahead. Gabbert had a pass batted in the air and intercepted for a 42-yard return which set up the Rams' lone touchdown just two plays later. Trailing 16-10 at halftime, the 49ers would keep the Rams scoreless in the second half. 

After inching closer with a field goal in the third, San Francisco tied it up with another in the fourth as the game was sent to overtime with both teams knotted up at 16. With San Francisco failing to score on the opening possession during overtime, St. Louis appeared to be on their way to a fourth consecutive victory as Zuerlein stepped up with a chance to win it with a 48-yard field goal. But after missing wide right from 52-yards earlier in the game, the day would go from bad to worse for Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein who had the potential game-winner blocked by second-year corner Dontae Johnson. The block would keep the Niners alive and give them one final chance to finish the season on top. With under five minutes to go, Gabbert completed a pass to receiver Quinton Patton who broke a tackle and nearly took it to the house before being stopped short of the end zone. The 33-yard reception would be all Phil Dawson needed in what could be his final game as a Niner, as he split the uprights one for the game-winning 23-yard field goal which led to hugs and high-fives all around. Gabbert threw for a career-high 354 yards and a touchdown, with 86 of those yards going to DuJuan Harris who led all receivers. The free-agent-to-be and journeyman who was signed to five different teams this season, rushed for a game-high 67 yards on 16 carries.

Unfortunately, one Niner would walk off the field a winner but would leave the stadium jobless. Despite the 19-16 overtime win, Niners head coach Jim Tomsula was relieved of his head coaching duties just hours after the game. In his only season at the helm, San Francisco finished 5-11 under the rookie head coach who spent a total of nine seasons with the organization, serving as the team's defensive-line coach. With the 49ers head coaching vacancy now the main focus of the offseason, who they nab next is anyone's guess at this point. But that hasn't stopped some of the early candidates from surfacing with such names as Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, Hue Jackson and Adam Gase leading the pack, as well as the recently fired Chip Kelly who on Sunday was bounced from Philly after three seasons. As for some positive news, linebacker NaVorro Bowman added another nine tackles on Sunday to add to his league-leading 154 tackles and was named to the Pro Bowl. It might not be the last we hear of Bowman's name this year, however, as he's a prime candidate to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award after missing the entire 2014 season following his major knee injury suffered in the NFC title game two seasons ago.

2016 Preview - With the 2015 regular season in the books, the regular season opponents for 2016 have been announced as the 49ers will host the following: Saints, Buccaneers, Patriots, Jets, Cowboys, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks. Meanwhile, they'll hit the road to face the following: Falcons, Panthers, Bills, Bears, Dolphins, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks. As for April's Draft, the 49ers sit in the top 10, owning the no. 7 pick.


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49ers Fail to cash-in vs Money Manziel, Browns

Week 14 - Entering Sunday's meeting in Cleveland between the (4-8) San Francisco 49ers and (2-10) Browns, the Niners found themselves in unfamiliar territory -- facing a team with a worse record than their own. Dealing with quarterback issues of their own, the Browns have had their guy all season long in second-year pro Johnny Manziel, but the team's unwillingness to commit to the former Heisman Trophy winner coupled with his poor decision making off the field, has left him on the sidelines more often than on the field. But with Manziel getting the call in this one after serving the last two games on the bench following his restriction set by coach Mike Pettine, the Browns' mobile QB was able to help snap Cleveland's 7-game losing streak. 

After their overtime victory over the Bears last week, the Niners came into this one looking rather surprised and played like a team that underestimated their opponent. Early on, however, the San Francisco defense would make their presence felt by blocking a 42-yard field goal attempt by kicker Travis Coons to keep the game scoreless. But the Niners' inability to get anything going on offense, aided the Browns who scored on their next possession. With only two rushing touchdowns all year for the Browns entering the game, the 49ers would see a steady diet of second-year running back Isiah Crowell who broke off a 50-yard run before doubling Cleveland's rushing touchdown total with his first of two TD's on the afternoon. San Francisco went into the half trailing 10-3, but could've easily been down by 17+ had it not been for a number of miscues by the Browns offense. Third-string running back Glenn Winston showed exactly why he's the Browns' third option at running back as he fumbled his only rush attempt on the afternoon. Manziel would endure a brain-cramp of his own after being flushed from the pocket and throwing an errant pass across his body to midfield which 49ers rookie safety Jaquiski Tartt snagged in midair for his first career interception. 

The Niners would open the second half just as sluggish as the first as the Cleveland defense which entered the game with only 8 sacks on the year, feasted on QB Blaine Gabbert who was sacked nine times in this game alone as the Browns took advantage of a weak 49er o-line and doubled their season sack total. Seeking their first December win since 2012, Manziel helped inch the Browns closer to a W after connecting with his tight-end Gary Barnidge for a 2-yard touchdown. The Browns weren't done there as Crowell added to an already stellar day with his second rush of 50-yards or more with a 54-yard dash en route to a season-high 145-yard performance, including a career-high 95-yards before contact. He would capitalize on the big gain five plays later with his second touchdown. With the game already out of reach, Gabbert and the 49er offense would finally put together a nice drive, marching 94-yards and scoring on a 6-yard touchdown pass in garbage time to receiver Jerome Simpson, his first of the season. Rather poor for a 49ers offense versus a Cleveland defense that has surrendered the third most passing touchdowns this season (25), behind only the Eagles and Saints. 

The only other scoring on the afternoon for the 49ers would come from kicker Phil Dawson whom the Browns payed a tribute to on the stadium scoreboard with a video, highlighting the 14 seasons he played in Cleveland. Manziel out-threw Gabbert in passing yards, 270 to 194 in the 24-10 win as the Browns recorded just their third victory of the season. 

Week 15 Preview - Falling to 4-9 on the year, the 49ers return home where they'll get set to host the 10-3 Cincinnati Bengals. Having been one of the best teams all season, the Bengals are now limping their way to the finish of the regular season with the recent injury to quarterback Andy Dalton who suffered a fractured thumb during the first quarter of Sunday's 33-20 loss to the rival Steelers. The Bengals are still a very dangerous team without Dalton with play-makers on both sides of the ball, but has to have Cincy fans trembling at the thought of making the playoffs without Dalton under center. Although backup QB AJ McCarron is up for the challenge, comparing his situation of stepping in for an injured star quarterback to the one that catapulted Patriots QB Tom Brady into the spotlight. McCarron, a first-year rookie drafted in the fifth round out of Alabama who won 3 National Championships in college with the Crimson Tide and will be making his first career start on Sunday, will look to keep pace in the race for the AFC's number one seed. Meanwhile, the 49ers who saw their own playoff hopes vanish, will try playing spoiler.

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49ers pull off Overtime Win in Big Easy

With the San Francisco 49ers on the road in Week 10 to face the Saints in New Orleans, also known as the "Big Easy" where winning has been anything but easy for visiting teams who had not beaten the Saints in their own home since the 2012 season, the 49ers would be up for the challenge. And with both clubs at 4-4 entering the meeting, a win was almost a must for either team's playoff aspirations as teams who improve to a 5-4 record have a far greater chance at making the playoffs at a 49% clip opposed to just 13% for teams at 4-5. Not to mention the NFC Western Division the 49ers play in which has become one of if not the strongest divisions in the league. Jumping out to an early 14-0 lead, it was San Francisco who appeared to be heading in the right direction with a win to put them back over the .500 mark.

The 49er defense set the tone early as Antoine Bethea intercepted Drew Brees on the game's opening-possession for his third pick of the season and second in as many games. It would be a much needed boost for the Niner offense who was given little field to work with, capitalizing with a Frank Gore touchdown three plays later. After logging their first rushing TD since Week 3, the 49ers wasted little time to add another as Carlos Hyde punched it in from nine yards out on San Francisco's following drive. But the Saints would march right back, answering with a touchdown and a field goal to inch New Orleans closer, 14-10. Niners QB Colin Kaepernick would then orchestrate an 80-yard scoring drive which was capped off with a 15-yard TD to the trusty Anquan Boldin who oddly enough dropped several balls on the afternoon. This one, however, would be hauled in, giving San Francisco a 21-10 lead where it would remain heading into the half.

But not before giving Jim Harbaugh and company a scare as Kaepernick was sacked and stripped of the ball, giving the Saints a chance to steal the momentum just before halftime. The Niner defense would have other plans though as Brees was picked off for a second time as he threw into triple coverage on a pass attempt to tight-end Jimmy Graham in the end zone. But Brees and Graham would get their revenge in the second half as the Saints dominated the third and fourth quarters with Brees connecting with Graham on a pair of touchdowns including a 2-yard score to give New Orleans their first lead of the game with under 2 minutes remaining in regulation. With the fate of their season hanging in the balance, three consecutive drops by Boldin and Crabtree would result in a dramatic fourth and long situation in the game's final minutes. With the game on the line, Kaepernick escaped the pocket to find a wide-open Crabtree for a 51-yard gain, setting up the game-tying field goal by Phil Dawson.

With a chance to win it in regulation, Jimmy Graham hauled in a would be game-winning touchdown reception with time expiring, but an offensive pass-interference which showed Graham push off a defender, nullified the score and sent the game into overtime. After exchanging punts to begin the extra quarter, Niners linebacker Ahmad Brooks would get some sweet, sweet revenge for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called against him in last season's meeting with the Saints when he sacked and stripped Brees of the ball. The controversial penalty which prevented San Francisco to seal the win would prove to be costly for the Niners as it gave New Orleans a second chance and eventually set up the game-winning scoring drive. Since then, no team has come close to defeating the Saints inside the Superdome. Time time around, Brooks would redeem himself with the sack and strip without being called for a penalty as the 49ers recovered the fumble. From there, coach Harbaugh wouldn't hesitate to hand it over to his kicker as Phil Dawson split the uprights from 35-yards out for the game-winning field goal to hand the 49ers the 27-24 win, snapping the Saints' home game winning-streak at 11.

The win helped put an end to San Francisco's two-game skid and put them back over the .500 mark at 5-4 as New Orleans remains in first place in the NFC South despite dropping to 4-5 on the year.

Week 11 Preview: After Sunday's win in New Orleans, it would be learned that 49ers 7-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis who hasn't played since Week 6 with a toe injury, would be ruled out for the remainder of the year while needing surgery. The news comes as a crushing blow given the team will be welcoming back Aldon Smith in Week 11 after serving a nine game suspension and can use all the help they can get with NaVorro Bowman still sidelined. Bowman who hasn't seen any on-field action since tearing ligaments in his knee during last year's NFC title game, is still experiencing pain in his knee and is know questioning whether or not he'll return at all this season. Hopefully the rookie linebacker Chris Borland who has done nothing but shined the last two weeks can keep it up heading into Week 11's meeting with Eli Manning and the New York Giants. Standing at 3-6 and tied for last place in the NFC East, the Giants have lost four straight. And with a Giants run defense ranked dead last in the NFL, the 49ers will look to take advantage by letting loose the running back tandem of Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde which set the tone early in the win at New Orleans. 

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49ers Kick their way to Victory vs Chiefs, 22-17

With the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the buzz heading into the game should have been about Chiefs QB Alex Smith going toe to toe versus his former team for the first time since they drafted him number one overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. Instead, the headlines were focused on Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh who according to reports is no longer wanted in the 49er locker room which resulted in 49ers CEO and team owner Jed York coming to the aid of his head coach via Twitter where he tweeted just hours before Sunday's game, "Jim is my coach. We are trying to win a SB, not a personality or popularity contest. Anymore questions?"

And for the second consecutive game, coach Harbaugh's players came to the rescue on the field. But before the game had ended and players met at midfield to shake hands and exchange pleasantries, the Niners were hoping to add Alex Smith's name to the long list of QB's taken first overall that have lost in their first game vs the team which drafted them. But early on, it was Smith who took it to his former team as he marched the Kansas City offense 81 yards down the field for a successful drive ending with a 2-yard touchdown pass to his tight-end Travis Kelce. The man who replaced Smith as the starting quarterback in San Francisco, Colin Kaepernick, would respond with a scoring drive of his own as veteran kicker Phil Dawson connected with his first of five field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards in what would be a busy day at the office. Kaepernick's lone touchdown pass on the day would come just before the end of the first half as he found Stevie Johnson in the end zone for the second consecutive week to put his team ahead heading into the locker room, 13-10. 

The Chiefs would storm back on offense, opening the second half the same way they did the first -- with a touchdown, this time of the rushing variety as rookie running back De'Anthony Thomas took his only rushing attempt of the ballgame 17-yards to the house for a touchdown. Then came a trio of big plays for the 49ers in the fourth quarter, the first of which coming on a gutsy fourth and 1 call as Harbaugh elected to go with the fake punt on a direct snap to safety Craig Dahl who rushed up the middle for the first down. Several plays later, receiver Brandon Lloyd would come up with yet another acrobatic catch as he leaped into the air and came down with the ball for a 29-yard gain. After regaining the lead with another field goal, the 49ers were in position to improve their lead on what would've been a 54-yard field goal attempt with just over 4 minutes remaining in the fourth, but K.C. would be called for a crucial 12 men on the field penalty which gave San Francisco an automatic first down. The Niners would end up getting a field goal out of it anyway, but the penalty extended the drive and allowed the 49ers to burn another two minutes off the clock.

With just over two minutes remaining and no timeouts left, the ball was in the hands of Alex Smith who had a chance to mimic Joe Montana's game-winning drive in 1994 to beat the 49ers in his second season with the Chiefs and his first meeting versus San Francisco. But that would be too good to be true as Smith instead overthrew a pass on second and 10 that Niners cornerback Perrish Cox picked off for his third interception of the season, tying him for the league lead. From there, all the 49ers had to do was kneel the ball as the clock hit double-zero with San Francisco prevailing, 22-17. Running back Frank Gore totaled over 100-yards in rushing for the second straight game and the Niner defense managed to keep the speedy Jamaal Charles to 84 total yards on the afternoon. Kaepernick logged a turnover-free ballgame by throwing for 201 yards and a touchdown compared to Smith's 158 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. And the San Francisco defense once again came through in the fourth quarter, shutting out the opposition. The win was also the first in five games for the Niners without their Pro Bowl tight-end Vernon Davis while under coach Harbaugh. 

Week 6 Preview: With back to back wins at home for the Niners, Colin Kaepernick and company will look to make it three straight as they hit the road to pay St. Louis a visit in an NFC Western Divisional showdown on Monday Night Football. With QB Sam Bradford out for the season for the (1-3) St. Louis Rams, the 49er defense will focus their attention on Austin Davis who rallied his team to three second half touchdowns in Week 5 @ Phillly and nearly pulled off a 27-point comeback before falling short, 34-28. As for San Francisco, coach Harbaugh and company will be keeping close tabs on TE Vernon Davis for a second consecutive week. One name that will without a doubt see action on Monday night is RB Frank Gore who has had some of his biggest games against the Rams including a 153-yard performance last season. Expect the 49ers to continue the trend in this one. 


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Kaepernick, 49ers Lambeau Leap their way past Green Bay, Prepare for Panthers.

Not even the frigid temperatures of Lambeau Field's frozen tundra could cool down Colin Kaepernick and the red-hot San Francisco 49ers. Winners of six straight, Jim Harbaugh's 49ers inched a bit closer to a third consecutive Conference Championship on Sunday after marching into Green Bay to face the NFC North's best in a rematch of last year's NFC Division round meeting. With temperatures in the single-digits (4 degrees) and wind chills that made it feel like -14 in the seventh coldest game in NFL history, very few gave San Francisco a chance heading into Sunday's game mainly due to the elements that awaited them. But little did they know the 49ers had a bad weather quarterback all along. With Packers head coach Mike McCarthy unable to solve the duel-threat Kaepernick in his first two tries, he had his fingers crossed hoping the third time would be a charm. Instead he would be left shaking his head once again.

Having established career-high's in both passing and rushing against the Green Bay Packers in his first two games facing them, Kaepernick continued his dominance against the team he grew up rooting for by beating them for the third time in as many tries. With the first two wins coming at home in Candlestick Park, the Wisconsin native completed the trifecta by beating the Packers on the road in the iconic Lambeau Field, the stadium he grew up hoping to one day call home. With a majority of the damage being done by foot in last year's NFC Division round triumph which saw Kaepernick rush for a QB record 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the 49ers QB switched things up in the season-opener this year by putting on an aerial assault and throwing for 412 yards and a trio of TD's. Kaepernick would do a little bit of both on Sunday, throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another 98 despite the freezing temperatures to once again overcome the Packers and send his team deeper into the playoffs. What may be most impressive is that he didn't need gloves or long sleeves to get the job done.

In a game that saw five lead changes, both teams would exchange punches in the fourth quarter before eventually being decided in the final seconds. San Francisco jumped out to an early lead and would be in control on both sides of the ball throughout the opening-quarter. After forcing a three and out on each of Green Bay's first three possessions to open the game, Kaepernick would orchestrate drives of 13 and 11 plays on offense while mostly feeding wide-out Michael Crabtree but would be held to a field goal both times. It wouldn't be until the start of the second quarter when Green Bay would finally get a whiff of their first first down of the game. With the 49er offense on the Green Bay 29 yard line and once again marching down the field with ease, Kaepernick would make one of his only mistakes on the day when he lofted a pass along the right sideline intended for Vernon Davis that was picked-off and brought back 17 yards by Tramon Williams. Like a flip of the switch, the turnover would breathe life into the Packers offense who up to that point had fewer yards than Williams gained on his interception return.

Suddenly Green Bay was able to move the ball on offense as quarterback Aaron Rodgers was finally able to connect for his first completion in the game. The drive that saw 14 plays would last over seven minutes before being capped off by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson, just out of the reach of San Francisco defender Tremaine Brock, giving Green Bay a 7-6 lead. The 49ers would waste little time before answering back with a score of their own, however, as Kaepernick found an opening for a 42 yard gain before being brought down. Two plays later, running back Frank Gore would put his team back on top with a 10 yard touchdown run up the gut. Trailing 13-7, the Packers would pull within three by adding a Mason Crosby field goal at the end of the half. With nothing to show for from either team in the third quarter, Green Bay would strike first in the second half as fullback John Kuhn plowed into the end zone from a yard out to give the Packers the 17-13 advantage.

But like Kuhn's failed Lambeau leap attempt, Green Bay's lead wouldn't hold for long. Colin Kaepernick would need only 4 plays and a minute 45 to recapture the lead as he found tight-end Vernon Davis for the first time all game with a 28 yard touchdown pass that split two Packer defenders. Green Bay would answer with another field goal to tie it but would make the mistake of leaving too much time on the clock for the 49ers. With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Kaepernick would demonstrate the patience of a veteran quarterback by making numerous plays in the clutch all while managing the clock, allowing second after precious second to tick away and giving only his team the chance of winning it in regulation. San Francisco would get a scare from their QB late in the game, however, when Kaepernick flung a pass intended for Boldin that was nearly intercepted with 4:14 left in the game. Though it wouldn't prove to be costly, it would be the final mistake of the game for Kaepernick who several plays later would make arguably the biggest play of the game.

Facing 3rd and 8 with 1:17 remaining, the 49ers were in need of another ten yards if they had plans of giving Phil Dawson a try at a go-ahead field goal attempt. Kaepernick faked a pass and broke free for an 11-yard pickup to get the first down. Frank Gore who finished the game with 66 yards rushing, would add another 12 yards on four straight carries to set up Dawson for the game-winning field goal. And from 33 yards out, Dawson would split the uprights and send his team on to the second round with the 23-20 win. Michael Crabtree would lead all receivers with 125 yards on 8 receptions in his best game back since severely tearing his Achilles tendon back in April. The 49er defense held Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers in check for the most part, holding him to just 177 yards passing and one touchdown on 17 of 26 pass attempts. Similar to Rodgers who grew up a die-hard 49ers fan and has said in the past that he gets an extra jolt when playing against his favorite childhood team who passed on him in the 2005 NFL Draft, it seems Kaepernick also gets a bit of added motivation when playing against the Packers. In his three career starts against Green Bay, Kaepernick has averaged 300.7 yards passing as well as 100.3 yards rushing while logging a passer rating of 101.2.

NFC Division Round Preview: With a date against the (12-4) Carolina Panthers scheduled in the NFC Divisional round, the 49ers will try to continue their recent dominance on the road where they've won four straight and seven in a row overall. But by no means will San Francisco have an easy task on Sunday when they take their league-best 7-2 road record with them to Carolina where they'll visit the Panthers who were 7-1 on the season at home. Sunday's meeting will also be a week 10 rematch that featured little offense and plenty of defense. In the first meeting, the 49ers were kept out of the end zone for only the second time all year and witnessed a 9-0 first half lead evaporate in what ended up being a 10-9 loss at home. After allowing 10-unanswered points, Colin Kaepernick tried leading his team down the field to win it late on a last ditch effort but would eventually be picked off by the swarming Carolina defense which sealed the victory against a shorthanded 49ers team who was missing three of its key cogs. 

Kaepernick would log a career-low 91 yards passing in that contest but was without both Michael Crabtree who was still recovering from a torn Achilles and Vernon Davis who left the game early with a concussion. Both of whom have been producing of late and plan to make all the difference the second time around. Also absent in the Week 10 meeting was Pro Bowl DE Aldon Smith who finished Sunday's win in Green Bay with 1.5 sacks. Although it's expected to be another hard fought game highlighted by defense, I think it's safe to say we'll be seeing more than just 19-points scored in this one. Look for both Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton to try and get things done with their feet the second time around as the big plays through the air will likely be at a minimum. Also worth noting is that their 1-point loss to Carolina in Week 10 was immediately following San Francisco's BYE week. We should be able to tell early in the game if the BYE served as a positive or a negative for a Panthers squad that has little to no playoff experience.


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Week 17: Dawson lifts 49ers into Playoffs to face Packers in icy Lambeau.

Heading into Sunday's game to face the Arizona Cardinals (10-5), the 49ers who had already clinched a playoff berth, had plans of leaving the desert with a win in hopes of improving their seeding. As for the Cardinals, Carson Palmer and company needed a win against their division-rivals and a loss from the Saints in order to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, they would get neither. Winners of three in a row and four of their last five, Arizona would run into a brick wall that is the San Francisco 49ers who have beaten the Cardinals in nine of their last 10 meetings. But after squandering a 17-point lead in the first quarter, it appeared San Francisco's reign over their division foe was in danger.

After opening the game with 17 unanswered-points in the opening period by way of a Phil Dawson field goal and a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers would find themselves struggling to score again until late in the fourth quarter. But in San Francisco's dominant first quarter, Arizona would get a heavy dose of former Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin early on. Boldin who starred in three Pro Bowls over seven seasons with the Cardinals where he set numerous records (most of which he still holds to this day) before being dealt to the Ravens in 2010, would remind Cardinal fans of his talent. In his first game in Arizona as a member of the opposing-team, Boldin hauled in nine passes for 149 yards, including 109 of them on six grabs in the first quarter alone. Boldin would also be the recipient of Kaepernick's first touchdown pass on the day, a 4-yard TD setup by NaVorro Bowman who during Arizona's second drive, jumped out in front of a pass intended for Larry Fitzgerald for his second interception in as many games.

Boldin would strike again on San Francisco's following drive, catching a pass and taking it 63-yards, setting up Kaepernick who found a wide-open Vernon Davis in the end zone. Trailing by double-digits, Arizona's frustration would build as their only promising drive in the first quarter ended with the first of two missed field goals on the day by Jay Feely who's first miss went wide right from 37-yards out. The Cardinals would eventually put some points up on the board before the half, however, as Carson Palmer connected with tight-end Jake Ballard from a yard out to make it a 17-7 game. Niners kicker Phil Dawson who had made a franchise record -- 27 consecutive field goals, had a chance to improve on that mark and add to his team's lead before the half. Instead, he missed a chip-shot from 27-yards out but would later redeem himself. Arizona would open the second half much like they did the first -- sloppy, as Cardinals running back Rashard Mendenhall fumbled the ball just four plays in, recovered by NaVorro Bowman who also forced the fumble and added a sack to his stellar day.

The Cardinals would eventually bounce back and tie the game as Feely split a pair of field goal tries in the fourth quarter followed by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to wide-out Andre Roberts who made a spectacular grab to make it 17-even. The 49ers would break that tie as Phil Dawson tied a personal-best with a 56-yard field goal to pull ahead with 1:50 remaining. Palmer would march his team all the way to the 25 yard line where Feely would once again tie the game at 20-20. With 34 seconds remaining and overtime on the horizon, the 49ers were in need of a hero if they planned on winning in regulation. In this case, they would get two. On the ensuing kick, LaMichael James ran the ball back 45 yards to set up the 49ers with great field position near midfield. After an 18-yard completion to Boldin, Kaepernick would connect with one of the most unlikeliest of heroes in Quinton Patton.

The rookie wide-out out of Louisiana Tech has had little to cheer about in 2013 having battled injury all season and had only one catch to his name coming into Sunday's game. But with 18 seconds on the clock, Patton would come up with the biggest play of the day as he made a leaping 22-yard grab along the sideline to put San Francisco in field goal range. Phil Dawson would do the rest as his 40-yard field goal split the uprights as time expired, sending the 49ers who improved to 11-4 on the year into the playoffs as a 5 seed with the 23-20 victory. With San Francisco's run game virtually nonexistent, the 49ers offense was forced to go through QB Colin Kaepernick who threw for 310 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21 of 34 pass attempts. Meanwhile, Carson Palmer threw for 407 yards to go along with 2 touchdown passes and an interception, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in a single season with three different teams (Bengals, Raiders and Cardinals).

Despite the loss, the Cardinals who fell to 10-6 on the year, have nothing to pout about under first-year head coach Bruce Arians who could very well hear his name be called for Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. In the NFL's most competitive division this year, Arians who with the help of a stout defense and an improvement at quarterback, turned the franchise from 5-11 just a year ago into a 10-win team in his first season at the helm. Only the third 10-win season for the Cardinals since the franchise relocated from St. Louis in 1988.  

Playoff Preview: Currently riding a six-game win-streak into the playoffs, the longest active streak of any team in the league, Jim Harbaugh's 49ers now focus their attention on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field where they'll get set to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday who sneaked into the playoffs at 8-7-1. Having won three straight against the reigning NFC North champs, including a 34-28 victory in the season-opener, Sunday's meeting will be a rematch of last year's NFC Division Round match up which San Francisco won by a final of 45-31. But neither of those games were played in the elements both teams will be forced to face on Sunday. With temperatures that will rival that of the 1967 Ice Bowl between the Cowboys and Packers at Lambeau (-13), the forecast for Sunday's game is expected to be below freezing with a high of -3 and a low of -19 at the time of kickoff. Not to mention wind chills close to -30 degrees. I'm no weather man but if those temperatures stick, Sunday's NFC Wild Card game will go down as the coldest playoff game in NFL history, surpassing the previous record of -13 in the aforementioned Ice Bowl. 

With freezing temperatures that could shrink the pigskin among other things, we could be in store for a very sloppy, low-scoring game. Then again we could also be in store for a high-scoring, back and forth melee highlighted by poor tackling depending on which way you look at it. How it plays out, we just don't know. One thing we do know, however, is that high emotions will be brewing. Colin Kaepernick who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up a fan of both the 49ers and Packers will once again face off against Aaron Rodgers who was born and raised in northern California where he grew up a die-hard Niners fan. And though we probably won't see another record-setting performance on the ground from Colin Kaepernick who torched the Packers defense for 181 rushing yards in last year's Division round match up, we might see somewhat of a revival from the read-option which hasn't been seen too often by the 49ers this year opposed to last season. As for San Francisco, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and company will have his their hands full with Aaron Rodgers who will be seeking revenge for his team's blowout loss in last year's playoffs. 


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Week 14: 49ers knock off rival Seahawks behind Gore's late run

If you're a football fan, chances are Sunday's meeting between the (8-4) San Francisco 49ers and (11-1) Seattle Seahawks was a game you've had circled on your calender for quite some time now. The same could be said for the players on both teams. Expected to be a hard fought, back and forth affair, this one would definitely live up to the hype. One thing that's certain about this rivalry over the years aside from the strong disliking for one another, is that the home team almost always comes out victorious. In fact, the home team has won 9 of the last 10 meetings this series with the only road victory coming in 2011 when the Alex Smith led 49ers won in Seattle. And with this being the last regular season game at Candlestick Park between both teams, the 49ers had plans to keep that trend alive on Sunday. With a bet in line the last time these two teams met that saw the losing quarterback shave his eyebrows, this meeting would be strictly business.

In Colin Kaepernick's first two career starts against Seattle, the 49ers were absolutely dismantled by a combined score of 71-16 as both games were played on the road with the help of the raucous 12th Man. But this one would give Kaepernick his first crack at seeking revenge at home. Needing a win to keep a stranglehold on a playoff spot in the NFC, Kaepernick and company knew it wouldn't be easy. After two Phil Dawson field goals put San Francisco up 6-0 in the first quarter, coach Harbaugh saw his team give up the lead just minutes later as Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch scored on an 11-yard touchdown run to put the Seahawks ahead. The go-ahead touchdown would spark a total of six lead-changes as each team answered one another on the scoreboard. Following another Dawson field goal, Seattle QB Russell Wilson would find a wide-open Luke Willson who's 39-yard touchdown reception put his team back on top. It would then be Kaepernick's turn to respond as he threw a strike to tight-end Vernon Davis who found the end zone for the 11th time this season with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter, making it a 16-14 ballgame at the half. 

Though it would be Kaepernick's only touchdown pass of the afternoon, it would be vital to the 49ers' confidence as his team took both a lead and the momentum with them into the locker room. The San Francisco defense which has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season, faced their most formidable foe on Sunday in Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. And with 50 yards rushing by halftime, that streak looked like it was coming to an end. But Vic Fangio's defense stepped up and made the needed adjustment by allowing Lynch to run for only 22 yards the rest of the way. Hoping to add to San Francisco's lead in the second half, Kaepernick and the 49er offense marched down the field and appeared to be heading in the right direction, but a pass down the sideline intended for Michael Crabtree would be picked off by Seattle who several drives later would retake the lead on a Steven Hauschka field goal. 

Running back Frank Gore who's been a ghost the last three weeks in the yards department, showed up on Sunday with 110 yards rushing including 51 of them on the biggest play of the game, trailing by a point with 4 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Running ahead of the pack after finding a hole, Gore made the heads up decision to put on the brakes and fall down around the 20 yard line, allowing the 49ers to eat away at the clock and give Seattle as little time to work with on offense. It would prove to be a good decision by the 4-time Pro Bowl back who eclipsed the century mark for the first time since a 101-yard performance against the Arizona Cardinals. Gore's run would be the heart and soul of an 11-play, 76-yard game winning drive against one of the best defenses in the league as 49ers kicker Phil Dawson split the uprights for the 20th consecutive time to put his team up 19-17 with 26 seconds left in regulation. With less than a minute to go and no timeouts remaining, Seattle was in need of a miracle. Corner back Eric Wright who earlier in the game departed briefly after sustaining a head injury, however, would have other plans as he saved the day with an interception on a last-ditch effort by Seahawks QB Russell Wilson with just 9 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

A win for Pete Carroll's Seahawks would've clinched the NFC West as well as a first-round BYE in the playoffs but the 49ers refused to watch their two year reign of the NFC West come to an end and witness their archrivals celebrate winning the division on their home turf. With the win, the 49ers snapped Seattle's 7-game winning streak by handing them only their second loss on the year and their fifth straight in San Francisco. The win also means the 49ers have swept their division rivals at home this season, beating the Rams, Cardinals and Seahawks in what will be the final season and the historic Candlestick Park. San Francisco hasn't lost at home to a division opponent since Seattle handed them a loss back in 2008. The win should bode well for the 49ers' confidence given another trip to the Super Bowl will likely have to go through Seattle, a team they now know they can beat. You want your team to play its best football in the month of December leading up to the stretch run just before the playoffs and Jim Harbaugh's 49ers are doing just that. After back to back losses to the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco has now won three straight and have a fairly favorable schedule ahead of them.  

Week 15 Preview: Standing even in the NFC Wild Card race at 9-4 with the Carolina Panthers, the 49ers head south to visit the (4-9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Like San Francisco, the Bucs are playing their best ball of the season having won 4 of their last 5 games after an 0-8 start. Expected by many to make a run for the playoffs in the NFC South coming into the season, Greg Schiano's Buccaneers now have their eyes set on a fresh start for next season but wouldn't mind playing the role of spoilers. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has seen his interception numbers decrease over the last several weeks after getting off to a sluggish start, but he'll be facing an interception happy defense in Tampa Bay on Sunday with a league leading 21 picks, including 4 in last week's win vs the Buffalo Bills. With both Darrelle Revis and former 49ers Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson on the opposite side of the ball, Kaepernick will have to be cautious when throwing the ball or he could be in for a long day. With that said, expect a hefty workload for running back Frank Gore who's 69 yards shy of the 1,000 yard mark. 


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