49ers Close Curtain on Steelers in Season-Opener

Week 1 - Opening the season on the road in the Steel City, the San Francisco 49ers entered Sunday as 2-point favorites. With Super Bowl aspirations and high expectations following a disappointing finish to their 2022 campaign a season ago which came to a screeching halt due to injuries, the lone question mark regarding Kyle Shanahan's 2023-24 49ers remains at the quarterback position. With second-year man Brock Purdy needing off-season surgery to repair a torn UCL in his throwing arm in last January's NFC title game against the Eagles, the newly appointed captain of the offense looked a lot like his normal self in Sunday's opener. In a matchup between the first quarterback taken in last year's Draft in Kenny Pickett and the last QB and player taken in Mr. Irrelevant -- Brock Purdy, the two players looked like polar opposites out on the field by games end. 

Like San Francisco, the Steelers also entered the regular-season opener with high hopes after a bigger than normal fuss was made following noticeable strides shown by Pickett and the Pittsburgh offense in the preseason which saw them score on every drive led by the starters. However, Tomlin's team would learn rather quickly that the preseason and regular season are two totally different things as San Francisco had their way and dominated from the onset on both sides of the ball. After forcing a three and out on defense to start the game, the 49er offense came out guns blazing on a nine-play, 54-yard scoring-drive that ended with Purdy finding Brandon Aiyuk wide-open in the end zone after putting his defender Patrick Peterson on skates with a juke move. Drive number two would end even worse for the Steelers as Pickett had a deep pass intercepted by San Francisco's Charvarius Ward. The 49ers would only get three points out of it, but the 41-yard field goal would do wonders for the confidence of rookie kicker Jake Moody who had a less than ideal preseason with multiple missed field goals and even an injury, after the 49ers made him the highest drafted kicker since Roberto Aguayo in 2016, selecting him in the third round of April's Draft. 

With Brandon Aiyuk quickly becoming a favorite target of Purdy's, the two connected again just one drive later for another touchdown, this time from 19-yards out. With San Francisco jumping out to a 20-0 lead in the first half following another Jake Moody field goal, Pittsburgh struggled to get much of anything going early on as they were held to five consecutive three and outs to open the game on offense. The Steelers would finally get their first 1st down of the game at the 1:16 mark of the second quarter, and at one point were outgained 199 yards of offense to just 1. Closing the first half strong, Pittsburgh would follow up their first forced punt of the game with a touchdown just before the half to make it a 20-7 affair heading into halftime. But with San Francisco opening the second half in possession of the ball, any momentum Pittsburgh thought they had would be short-lived. Just two plays into the second half, San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey broke for a 65-yard touchdown to give his team a 27-7 lead. McCaffrey would have both his longest rush and his biggest day on the ground as a member of the Niners on Sunday, finishing with 152 yards rushing, his most since 2019. It would also mark McCaffrey's 10th straight game with a touchdown (including the postseason). 

The lone silver lining all afternoon for the Steelers came from 2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt who leads the league with 79.5 sacks since making his NFL debut in 2017, and was a force to be reckoned with again on Sunday, finishing with three sacks and two forced fumbles on the afternoon. However, he would be matched by an unlikely candidate in second-year defensive-end Drake Jackson who finished his rookie campaign with the Niners a season ago with 3 total sacks, matching that total in Sunday's game alone. After turning another Kenny Pickett interception into a third Jake Moody field goal, the 49ers took a commanding 30-7 lead that would hold up and serve as the worst home loss for Pittsburgh in the Mike Tomlin era which began in 2007. With the loss, Tomlin's record dropped to 10-6-1 in regular-season openers, while Kyle Shanahan's improved to 3-4. In the win, Brock Purdy threw for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 of 29 attempts, becoming the first QB in NFL history to win each of his first six career regular-season starts and throw 2+ TD passes in each start, 129 of those yards and both touchdowns going to receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers absolutely dominated the time of possession battle: 37:23 to 22:37, and held the Steelers to just 41 yards rushing, compared to 188 total rushing yards by San Francisco, fueled by McCaffrey's best rushing output in four years. Kerry Hyder Jr. and Javon Hargrave each added a QB-sack to give the busy 49er defense five total sacks on the day.

Week 2 Preview: The (1-0) 49ers will continue their season on the road in Week 2 when they travel west and pay a visit to Levi's South to take on the division rival (1-0) Rams at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Coming off an upset win on the road to NFC West foe Seattle where Sean McVay's Rams handled the Seahawks in all facets, most notably outgaining them in total yards: 426 to 180 and nearly doubling their time of possession output: 39:23 to 20:37. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford also looked like his former self by throwing for 334 yards on offense, something he was unable to accomplish a season ago before needing to be shutdown by Week 12 with a spinal cord injury. Despite being without their All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp, the Rams had two receivers finish with a career-high 119 receiving yards on Sunday as Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua had big games thru the air. The 49ers will try to put a stop to their long-time rivals' hot-start in hopes of improving to 2-0 for sole possession of first place before their home-opener at Levi's Stadium. 

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49ers Shake off 5 Turnovers to Stun Steelers

Week 3 - Coming off back to back road wins to open a season for the first time since 1989, the (2-0) San Francisco 49ers would look to do one better by improving to 3-0 for the first time since 1998. And though they would eventually get the job done and add another tally in the win column, it wouldn't come easy nor would it be pretty as the 49er offense would have its fair share of miscues and would have to be bailed out by the defense. On a day the Niners held a halftime presentation to honor Terrell Owens aka T.O. into their Hall of Fame, the 49ers offense committed a number of t.o.'s of their own as they were beaten badly in the turnover department on Sunday. Kicking off their home-opener and hosting the visiting (0-2) Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco would need to pull out all the stops in order to reign victorious in a game that would see them commit a total of five turnovers, including four in the first half alone after only two in the first two weeks combined.

Things would get off to a rocky start early on for the home team as San Francisco watched their first drive of the game go up in flames just three plays in as running back Matt Breida bobbled a pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo that wound up in the hands of Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt. They would nearly suffer another turnover during their second possession on a fumbled pitch to Raheem Mostert as the backup running back prematurely turned his head before having full possession of the ball, as the 8-play drive ended with a punt. But the Niners wouldn't be so lucky on their following drive which ended with another interception as the newly acquired Minkah Fitzpatrick made his presence felt in his Steelers debut, intercepting a tipped pass that was hurried when Garoppolo felt the pressure of a near sack. Just when things began to look up for the Niner offense, the team was doomed by consecutive fumbles inside the red zone as Mostert coughed up the ball at the Pittsburgh 15-yard line after being tackled, and Garoppolo fumbled at the Pittsburgh 7-yard line following a bad snap. Despite the four turnovers suffered in the first half, the 49ers were very fortunate to find themselves trailing by only three-points as the Steelers took a 6-3 lead into the half.

After being held scoreless in a quarter for the first time this season, the Niner offense would begin to finally show life in the third quarter. Making his first career start in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger who was lost for the year with a shoulder injury in Week 2, quarterback Mason Rudolph failed to show the same poise he exhibited in the near comeback against Seattle just a week prior. And on Pittsburgh's opening possession to start the second half, the Niner defense finally got the best of him as he was intercepted on an errant pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster. Coming up with the interception was K'Waun Williams who helped the 49ers generate their first trip to the end zone thanks to the first of two rushing touchdowns by the third-string running back Jeff Wilson Jr., giving San Francisco a 10-6 lead, their first of the day. Following San Francisco's first three-and-out of the season midway thru the third quarter, Rudolph and JuJu would redeem themselves when the two connected on a 76-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh back on top. 49ers rookie receiver Deebo Samuel who caught his first career touchdown a week ago, would also get to redeem himself after dropping a pass that would've put his team in prime field position one drive earlier. After hauling in a 20-yard reception that put San Francisco in enemy territory, Jimmy G. and company marched their way into the red zone before handing the ball off to Wilson Jr. who did the rest.

While it was the stout defense that kept them in the game for most of the afternoon, the Niner secondary was dealt a blow at the start of the fourth quarter. Checking into the game and seeing his first live NFL action since September 2017 was former Pro Bowl cornerback Jason Verrett. Making his 49er debut after Ahkello Witherspoon suffered a leg injury that required him to be carted off the field, the rust was very apparent for Verrett who was called for an obvious pass interference penalty on the second play he saw, before getting beat for a 39-yard touchdown pass to Steelers rookie Diontae Johson one play later. Looking to answer with a touchdown of their own and trailing 20-17 with under seven minutes remaining in regulation, the 49ers committed their fifth and final turnover. Facing third and goal with Garoppolo in shotgun formation, the ball was snapped at the worst time possible as the ball ricocheted off receiver Richie James Jr. who was in motion, resulting in an easy recovery by Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt. However, the Niners would catch a break and would force a fumble of their own just three plays later when running back James Conner coughed up the ball that gave San Francisco new life as the duo of former Oregon Ducks Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner teamed up to force and recover the loose ball.

Working their way up with short passes and runs before knocking on the door of the end zone, Garoppolo would find Dante Pettis who finished with a quiet 20 yards receiving on four receptions, but none greater than the one that put his team ahead, 24-20 with 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. With a pair of Steelers defenders draped all over him, Pettis was able to haul in the five yard touchdown catch, celebrating with an emphatic spike of the ball as Garoppolo threaded the needle. With one last chance, Mason and the Steelers would have to make a last-ditch effort to reach the win column for the first time this season, but those dreams would come crashing down as Pittsburgh failed to move the chains and turned the ball over on downs with an incompletion on fourth down. Prior to the 49ers shaking off the five turnovers and sealing the 24-20 victory, teams that had started a game with an 0-4 turnover ratio had owned a record of 0-28-1 since the start of 2016. The win for San Francisco would also be their first in a game in which they committed 5+ turnovers since November 8, 1998 vs Carolina.

Completing 22 of 32 pass attempts, Jimmy Garoppolo finished with 277 yards and a touchdown to go along with his pair of interceptions, however, I'd argue that the first of which was more on the receiver than it was the QB. Nonetheless, Jimmy G stepped up when he needed to and made a number of big plays when it appeared that the offense had all but lied down following the countless amount of turnovers. George Kittle hauled in a game-high six catches to lead the team with 57 receiving yards and fullback Kyle Juszczyk who had his most productive game of the young season wasn't far behind with 51 yards receiving on three receptions. Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida each ran of 79 and 68 yards respectively, but it was the goal-line guru Jeff Wilson Jr. who capitalized at the goal-line as he became the first player in team history with 2+ rushing touchdowns in his first two games played since 1956 (Hugh McElhenny).

Week 4 Bye & Week 5 Preview - Heading into the Bye Week undefeated at 3-0, the 49ers will take advantage of the early season rest before preparing for a Monday Night showdown against their next opponent in Baker Mayfield and the (1-2) Cleveland Browns. Facing an elite group of receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, the 49ers will be without one of their starting corners in Ahkello Witherspoon who was diagnosed with a right foot sprain that will keep him sidelined for at least a month. And hopefully with the extra preparation, Jason Verrett can get his feet under him and shake off the cobwebs before making his first start in over two years. Having held their opponent to under 100 yards rushing for the second straight week, the 49ers will look to make it three straight weeks when they go up against Nick Chubb who fell just 4-yards shy of the century mark in Week 3 against the Rams. The 49ers will also like their chances with their own rushing attack as San Francisco ranks 2nd in the league in rushing as well as 4th in yards allowed thru the first three weeks of the NFL season. Finally, two Niners that should be rejoining the team for the Week 5 meeting vs Cleveland are running back Tevin Coleman (ankle) who's been out since Week 1 and rookie receiver Jalen Hurd (back) who is expected to make his season-debut.


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49ers Tame Bengals in 41-17 Route

Week 2 - Coming off their first road win since December 31, 2017, the (1-0) San Francisco 49ers would look to go 2-0 on the road to open a season for the first time since 1989 when they went on to win their fourth of five Super Bowls. And facing an (0-1) Cincinnati Bengals team that had nearly pulled off a Week 1 upset over the Seahawks in Seattle behind 418 passing yards by Cincy QB Andy Dalton -- the 5th-most passing yards in a single game in Bengals franchise history, the 49ers would be up for the challenge after spending the week practicing in nearby Youngstown, Ohio, hometown of the York & DeBartolo families. Playing in the second hottest home game in Bengals history, it would be the first meeting between the two teams in four years. And after winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, the 49ers offense would open the game nearly as hot as the Cincinnati temperature.

Following a three-and-out forced by the San Francisco defense, Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49er offense would need only four plays to find the end zone as the speedy Marquise Goodwin hauled in a 38-yard touchdown reception from Garoppolo who found his wide-open receiver for the easy score. It would be the start of a busy day for Garoppolo who matched a career-high with three touchdown passes on the afternoon. But the Bengals would stick around for at least the early part of the first quarter as Cincy tied the game on their ensuing possession as Bengals QB Andy Dalton connected with receiver Tyler Boyd for a 47-yard reception on their first play of the drive which eventually setup a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Tyler Eifert. Having to make due without their starting running back in Tevin Coleman, the 49ers ground attack would do just fine as the trio of Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. combined to feast for 238 of San Francisco's 259 yards rushing, while adding another 84 yards receiving. Equally as effective when passing, Mostert helped the Niners regain the lead on their second possession when coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a screen play that ended with the third-string running back reaching the end zone on a 39-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Though there weren't many mistakes in the game by the 49ers, especially in comparison to their Week 1 performance in Tampa Bay, Garoppolo did make one mental error when he threw a pass that he probably shouldn't have while facing a 2nd and 20 deep at his own 15-yard line. Surrounded by six Bengals defenders, Richie James Jr. found himself in no man's land as the pass was intercepted and returned near midfield. Luckily, the mishap wouldn't cost his team as Cincinnati kicker Randy Bullock failed to convert on a 52-yard field goal try. Taking over with good field position, the 49ers would capitalize with another touchdown, this time of the running variety as Jeff Wilson Jr. who was promoted from the practice squad and added to the 49ers roster just a day earlier, struck pay dirt for his first of two rushing touchdowns on the day. Both teams would exchange field goals before the half as a Cincinnati drive near midfield went up in flames when Niners linebacker Kwon Alexander picked off a pass from a running Dalton who was flushed from the pocket before unloading the errant throw. By halftime, the 49ers offense had already accumulated 291 yards of offense, 58-yards more than the Cincinnati defense had allowed in total during their Week 1 loss at Seattle.

Opening the second half much like they did the first, Garoppolo would connect on a 39-yard pass to rookie receiver Deebo Samuel on the first play of the half. Six plays later, Jimmy G would award the rookie with the first touchdown reception of his career as Samuel hauled in a 2-yard score to put his team on top, 31-10. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the last of the 49ers touchdown-scoring barrage would come on Wilson Jr.'s second rushing touchdown, this time from 4-yards out. Kicker Robbie Gould who had missed only one field goal in all of last season and had already matched that total after a miss a week ago against the Buccaneers, missed another on Sunday as his kick from only 39-yards out went wide right. A garbage-time touchdown with less than a minute remaining would allow Andy Dalton to eclipse the 300-yards passing plateau as receiver John Ross hauled in a 66-yard score. And though Ross and Tyler Boyd would both compile over a hundred yards receiving -- Ross 112 yards on 4 receptions and Boyd with a game-high 122 yards on 10 receptions, it wouldn't be enough as the Bengals were shellacked by a final score of 41-17.

While the 49ers ran amok with 259 of their 572 yards coming on the ground, the San Francisco defense held Cincy's ground attack to only 25 yards rushing on 19 attempts. Meanwhile, Matt Breida needed only ten carries to eclipse the century mark before finishing with 121-yards rushing on 12 attempts as Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. added 83 and 34 yards respectively. Leading the Niners in both receptions and receiving yards was Deebo Samuel who made five catches for 87-yards to along with his first career touchdown. Another noteworthy feat was that of third-year 49ers tight-end George Kittle who hauled in three receptions for 54-yards to reach 2,000 career receiving yards and needing only 33 career games to get there, tied for the third-fastest tight-end to reach that feat. With 31-points scored in their first game and another 41 in their second, the 49ers have now scored 30+ points in Weeks 1 & 2 for the first time since 1998, the last of Hall of Famer Steve Young's seven consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. It would also mark the first time since 2013 that the 49ers would score 40+ points on the road. Completing 17 of 25 passes for 297 yards, Jimmy G helped the 49ers tally 569 total yards of offense, the fifth most in team history since 1960, compared to only 316 total yards by Cincinnati.

But perhaps the most impressive stat of all is that the 49ers offensive-line didn't allow a single sack in the game compared to the four that the San Francisco defense tallied on Sunday. Sadly, that offensive-line would be dealt a huge blow in the third quarter when six-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Staley was lost late in the third quarter after suffering a broken left fibula that is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks. With the "next man up" mentality the 49ers played with last season given the plethora of injuries they suffered, rookie Justin Skule who was selected as a 6th round pick, will likely get the start in Staley's absence.

Week 3 Preview - Off to their first 2-0 start since 2012 when the Jim Harbaugh-led 49ers made it to their last Super Bowl appearance, San Francisco will kickoff their home-opener by hosting the (0-2) Pittsburgh Steelers. Following an embarrassing Week 1 performance against the reigning Super Bowl champion Patriots, the Steelers were stunned at home by Seattle after losing QB Ben Roethlisberger to a shoulder injury. And with Big Ben needing surgery that'll rule him out for the season, the Steelers will get a look at potentially their next franchise quarterback in Mason Rudolph. And though Rudolph will be making his first career start, the Niners can't exactly write off their opponent just yet, regardless of his inexperience at the NFL level as the second-year man out of Oklahoma State looked cool, calm and collected when coming into the game and taking over for the injured Big Ben. In fact, the Steeler offense actually began to show some life when Rudolph took over as he finished with 112 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the 28-26 loss to the Seahawks. Pittsburgh did however dodge a bullet with running back James Conner who also left Sunday's game with a knee injury, but should be able to suit up for Sunday's game in Santa Clara. Excited to take the field in front of the 49er Faithful, the 49ers will look to improve to 3-0 on the year as Jimmy Garoppolo takes the field at Levi's Stadium for the first time in over a year when the 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions in Week 2 of last season.


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Niners fall victim to the long ball in 43-18 romp by Steelers

Week 2 - Entering Sunday's Week 2 match-up between the (1-0) San Francisco 49ers and (0-1) Pittsburgh Steelers, the Niners held a two game edge over Pittsburgh, having won 11 of 20 meetings between the two teams all-time. But San Francisco would dig themselves too big a hole to climb out of early on as the Steelers utilized something Minnesota didn't in Week 1 -- the deep pass. QB Ben Roethlisberger shredded the San Francisco secondary on numerous occasions, including pickups of 28 and 41 yards to convert on third down on each of Pittsburgh's first two drives, the second ending with a touchdown as Big Ben found Heath Miller in the end zone.

The only answer San Francisco was able to put up in the first half was a Phil Dawson field goal, only to watch the Steelers QB connect for a big gain once again with receiver Antonio Brown who hauled in a 59-yard strike, setting up an easy touchdown run by running back DeAngelo Williams. A week after holding one of the game's very best in Adrian Peterson to a measly 31 yards rushing and zero touchdowns, Pittsburgh's DeAngelo Williams humbled San Francisco's run defense by finding the end zone three times which tied a Steelers franchise record coupled with 77 yards. Heading into the game, the 49ers had initially thought they had caught a break with Steelers All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell serving the final game of a 2-game suspension, but it didn't matter who Roethlisberger handed the ball off to on Sunday as they were bound to score. As for the 49ers who ran their way to victory in Week 1 with the help of Carlos Hyde's monster performance, the San Francisco bell cow who celebrated his 24th Birthday on Sunday, only mustered 43 yards on 13 attempts while leaving the game in the third quarter after being checked by team officials for head and leg injuries.

Facing a 29-3 deficit at the half, the blowout score coupled with Hyde's injuries forced the 49er offense to take a much different approach thru the air as they played catch up. Niner QB Colin Kaepernick logged career-high's in pass attempts (46) and completions (33) while throwing for 335 yards and 2 touchdowns. Though Kaepernick had himself a nice game overall aside from a lost fumble, his performance was overshadowed by the offensive-line's inability to buy him time as Kap was brought down for a sack 5 times and was constantly hurried. The 49er offense had two would-be touchdowns wiped off the board when Bruce Miller dropped a pass in the end zone on fourth down and Kaepernick came up short on a play that was reversed after initially being ruled a touchdown. The replay showed the knee of a diving Kaepernick touch the ground before he broke the plane of the end zone as the Steelers took over on downs from the 1-yard line and let the clock die down. Not even defensive coordinator Eric Mangini's familiarity with the Steelers could prepare his defense for the aerial assault Pittsburgh put on thru the air as Roethlisberger bombarded the Niner D time and time again as 195 of Big Ben's passing yards were caught by Antonio Brown who also hauled in 1 of 3 touchdown passes.

The Niner defense couldn't do much to stop Pittsburgh's pass game from close range either as Big Ben and company converted on both of their 2-point conversion attempts. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin might be the league's newest trendsetter with the 2-point conversion being strongly considered more often than years past with the league recently implementing a new rule which moved the traditional extra point back to the 15-yard line which has already ed to more missed PAT's this season thru the first two weeks than all of last season. The lone highlight for the 49ers in Week 2 came on a 75-yard catch and run touchdown pass from Kaepernick to his new receiver Torrey Smith who tallied 120 yards on 9 receptions and has been known to torch the Steelers throughout his career while playing in Baltimore. Still, it wouldn't be enough as the Steelers stormed their way to an easy 43-18 victory to claim their first win of the year and handing San Francisco their first loss.

Week 3 Preview - Week 3 will see the 49ers travel to the desert to take on division rival Arizona as the Cardinals remain the only undefeated team in the NFC West at 2-0. After lighting up the scoreboard in Chicago with a 48-23 win over the Bears, the 49er defense will once again have their hands full thru the air versus a Carson Palmer led Arizona team that is averaging a league-best 39.5 points per game through the first 2 weeks. The meeting will be 49ers first-year head coach Jim Tomsula's first taste at a division opponent as the two teams split the division series a year ago with both teams winning at home. A win for San Francisco would do wonders for the team's confidence considering they'll be given the daunting task of playing host to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. 


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Tebow Works His Magic to Close Curtain on Steelers

Since inheriting the reigns at the quarterback position for a Denver Broncos team that's been absent from the Playoffs since 2005, Tim Tebow has played the role of a miracle worker by breathing life back into the franchise. Following their dismal 1-4 start which resulted in Kyle Orton losing his job to Tim Tebow in week 6 before later being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, the unconventional wiz kid would lead the team on a journey which saw the former Heisman Trophy winner pull out victory after victory in storybook fashion by winning 7 of his first 8 games. Unfortunately for Tebow and the Mile High faithful, the magic show would eventually come to a screeching halt.

Losers of their last three games heading into the Playoffs, the Broncos limped into the Postseason and were once again underdogs, this time to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers who featured a depleted roster, most notably a hobbled Ben Roethlisberger. Coming into the game, Denver was the subject of a possible quarterback change with speculation swirling around head coach John Fox and the rumor of him potentially going with backup QB Brady Quinn who hasn't played a down all season long. Those rumors would be just that come game day however, as coach Fox stuck with Tebow which would prove to be his best decision at helm since deciding to promote Tebow to the starting role back in October. Having been criticized all season long for his mediocre passing accuracy despite remodeling the team from pretender to contender, Tebow would log his best game at the NFL level yet, once again proving the doubters and naysayers wrong.

Entering Sunday's match up, the Steelers had not allowed an opposing quarterback to throw for 300 yards all season long. That mark would soon be vanished as Tebow torched the NFL's number one ranked defense for 316 passing yards as well as another 50 yards rushing. At the end of the first quarter, Tebow and the Broncos faced a 6-0 deficit before Tebow threw the first of his two touchdown passes to take the lead, connecting with wide receiver Eddie Royal from 30 yards out for the go-ahead touchdown. Denver would tack on 13 more points before the end of the half to make it 20 to 6, Broncos. Denver's 20 unanswered points would be highlighted by two Matt Prater field goals and an 8-yard rushing touchdown by Tim Tebow.

But just when you began to rule them out, Big Ben and the Steelers fought back to overcome a 14-point deficit and send the game into overtime where football fans would get to see their first glimpse of the newly changed overtime rules. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh who lost the coin toss, those rules wouldn't work in their favor as the Wild Card thriller came to an early end just one play into overtime when Tebow connected with WR Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown on a play-action slant route to win it in stunning fashion by a final score of 29-23, sending both the Broncos faithful and the Twitter feed into a frenzy. The game-winning touchdown pass from Tebow to Thomas netted 80-yards, making it not only the longest play in overtime history, but also the shortest overtime in NFL history at just 11 seconds. Broncos wide-out Demaryius Thomas who hauled in 204 of Tebow's 316 passing yards proved to be a match up nightmare for Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor who was exposed, getting burned time and time again before eating a stiff-arm by Thomas on the final play of the game.

Though Sunday's game with the reigning AFC Champions wasn't exactly a walk in the park, Denver's next opponent won't be any easier as Tim Tebow and company get set to fly out to Foxborough where they'll be facing Tom Brady and the number one seeded New England Patriots who several weeks ago in mid-December handed the Broncos a 23-41 loss in their own venue. Broncos head coach Jim Fox will hope to re-write the script in the rematch to once again overcome the odds. Coincidentally, the Patriots just hired former Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels to the staff to serve as an offensive assistant. Adding to the already intriguing storyline will be that McDaniels is gearing up to go up against Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas, both of whom he drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft when at the helm in Denver.

One thing that's certain is that Tebow has shined brightest when all eyes are on him. And whether or not his team gets eliminated this coming weekend, his success this year should do wonders for his confidence and an even stronger Tim Tebow should be expected next season. Be sure to catch the action on Saturday @ 5 p.m. on CBS and see if Tim Tebow can pull the upset and add another chapter to his remarkable run.


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49ers close the Steel Curtain on Pittsburgh with a lights out performance

This past Monday would feature one of the more bizarre incidents in recent memory on ESPN's Monday Night Football between the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers. Coming into the game the 49ers had a simple recipe to success which consisted of converting on third downs, capitalizing in the red zone with touchdowns instead of field goals and getting to the hobbled Ben Roethlisberger who Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin decided to go with despite nursing an injury in hopes of gaining sole possession of the no.1 seed in the AFC. That move proved to be costly however, as the Pro-Bowl quarterback looked a lot more like uncle Ben from Spiderman than he did Big Ben Roethlisberger thanks in large part to a high-ankle sprain coupled with a stingy 49ers defense which ranks first in the league.

But before the Steelers encountered a power outage on offense, the game would be hit with a 20 minute delay after a transformer blew up, leaving the sellout crowd of 69,732 at San Francisco's Candlestick Park waiting in the dark. Though both incidents are totally different, the power outage showed shades of the '89 earthquake that shook the bay area and interrupted the World Series that was held in the same venue between the Giants and A's. The delay alone should have been a bad omen for Big Ben to sit out as he threw his first of three interceptions on the night during Pittsburgh's opening-drive. The Steelers offense appeared to be on their way to an early lead before Roethlisberger threw in traffic and payed the price with Carlos Rogers coming up with his sixth interception of the season. Alex Smith and the 49er offense then took over and began marching down field with ease before making another dreaded trip to the red zone which once again resulted in a David Akers field goal after Smith blew a golden opportunity to connect with a wide-open Kyle Williams in the endzone.

Looking no better than he did on Pittsburgh's first drive, Roethlisberger would be intercepted for a second time after overthrowing Steelers tight-end Heath Miller as Dashon Goldson came up with the takeaway. The 49ers would take over on offense with David Akers once again adding to his case for MVP candidacy, splitting the uprights from 38 yards out to make it 6-0, San Francisco. The made field goal gave Akers the 49ers franchise scoring-record, surpassing the mark previously held by Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (138 points in 1987). Early in the second quarter with Pittsburgh set to take over following a commercial break, the game would be delayed with a second power outage, this time lasting a shorter span of 15 minutes, but a nuisance nonetheless. After the half, the Steelers were finally able to put some points on the board with kicker Shaun Suisham connecting with a career-long 51 yard field goal to cut deficit in half.

In need of a score, the 49ers responded by making their first trip to the endzone with a well designed boot play as Alex Smith found a wide-open Vernon Davis for the touchdown. Trailing 13-3, Roethlisberger would then meet 49ers rookie Aldon Smith whom he became quite familiar with as the night wore on. The defensive-end who was chosen out of Missouri with the 49ers first round pick this year finished the game with 2.5 sacks before setting a franchise record for the most sacks in a single-season by a 49ers rookie with his 13th of the year. Among those sacks was a forced fumble as he and Ray McDonald teamed up to jar the ball loose with Justin Smith recovering. San Francisco would capitalize on the Pittsburgh turnover with a would be field goal, but an illegal leap by Laurence Timmons who was called for a running start in an attempt to block the kick, resulting in a 49ers first down. The call would haunt the Steelers as Frank Gore ran the ball in on the very next play to put the game out of reach, 20-3.

Despite being down by more than two scores in the fourth quarter against the league's best defense, Roethlisberger still wanted to play and coach Tomlin didn't seem to disagree with his decision. Choosing to keep him in the game, Tomlin would witness his quarterback throw his third pick on the night as Terrell Brown put an end to any sort of late-game heroics by the Steelers hobbled QB who couldn't wait to leave the bay area.

Noteworthy: With the win, the 49ers were able to keep pace with the 11-3 New Orleans Saints for the no. 2 seed in the NFC with San Francisco currently in control of the tie-breaker. The league's best defense improved their streak of not allowing a 100 yard rusher to 36 games as well as becoming the first team in NFL history to hold an opponent without a rushing touchdown through the first 14 games. 49ers QB Alex Smith played mistake-free football and threw for 187 yards and 1 touchdown on 18-for-31 passing. RB Frank Gore finished with a game-high 65 yards on the ground to go with his touchdown. TE Vernon Davis compiled 72 yards and a touchdown reception on 6 receptions.

Preview & Prediction: Week 15 will see the 49ers take a trip up north to face a rejuvenated Seattle Seahawks team which currently stands at 7-7 after falling in an early hole to begin the season. Known for having one of the loudest stadiums in the country and one of the best home field advantages in all of football, Pete Carroll's Seattle squad will look to make the road for their division rivals a little bit harder as well as try for their fourth consecutive win. One area to keep an eye on will be Marshawn Lynch who could very well put an end to the magnificent run the 49ers defense has had this season by threatening to be the first to not only score a rushing touchdown, but also rush for over 100 yards. If they can contain him, look for the 49ers to come out on top by a final score of 20-13. Find out on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.


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49ers Break Down in the Desert, Get set for Monday Night Showdown

Coming off a blowout victory at home against the St. Louis Rams to clinch the NFC Western Division for the first time in nine years, the 49ers made a trip to the desert to face a hot Arizona Cardinals team that's won 4 of their last 5 games entering Sunday's match. Hoping to not only put an end to Arizona's streak, but also add to theirs as well as maintain sole possession of the number two seed in the conference with the New Orleans Saints only a game behind, the San Francisco offense would need to improve in an area they struggled at last week in spite of their lopsided victory -- converting in the red zone. Those woes would continue, however, as the 49ers had a number of chances to put the game away in the early going, but failed to do so.

Blown opportunities would lead to San Francisco's demise as the 49er offense made three trips to red zone in the first half with only nine points to show for. Needing a touchdown, the 49ers appeared to have finally solved their problem in the second quarter with a fake 50 yard field goal as holder Andy Lee lobbed a pass to a wide open Jonathan Goodwin who made his way into the end zone. Referee's blew the play dead, however, after Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt attempted to challenge the previous play before San Francisco hiked the ball. Television replays showed that the ball was hiked before the sound of the whistle, but upon checking the replay system, the umpiring crew would experience technical difficulties which resulted in the play to be repeated, nullifying the score. Making matters worse, David Akers would eventually miss the field goal as his attempt went wide right. The miss was also Akers' first of the season beyond 50 yards.

What should've been a 13-0 lead for the 49ers would soon be a 7-6 lead for Arizona as John Skelton who came in for the injured Kevin Kolb who left in the first quarter with a concussion, found WR Early Doucet with a pass up the middle for a 60 yard touchdown on the very next play. San Francisco would answer back on the following drive with another field goal to retake the lead before a Dashon Goldson interception on the ensuing drive setup David Akers for his fourth field goal of the first half, as he split the uprights from 22 yards out to give the 49ers a 12-7 lead heading into the half. With adjustments to be made on offense still seeking their first trip to the end zone, the 49ers would waste little time in the second half as Frank Gore who would later eclipse the 1,000 yard mark for the fifth time in his career, capitalized on San Francisco's good field position with a 37-yard touchdown run to give his team a 19-7 lead.

That would be all the scoring the 49ers would do and with one of the premiere defenses in the league, that should been enough. Unfortunately it wasn't, as Skelton and company turned it up on offense, erasing a 12-point deficit with a pair of touchdown passes to Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Roberts. Arizona's defense then put together a few solid drives of their own to contain Alex Smith and complete the upset (if you wanna call it that), handing the 49ers their third loss of the season with a 21-19 win.

Upcoming: For the first time this season, the San Francisco 49ers will be featured on ESPN's Monday Night Football this week against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that similar to San Francisco is jockeying for a top seed in their conference. With the 49ers now a half a game behind New Orleans for the no. 2 seed, Monday's game in San Francisco could very well be a must win granted the Saints' final two games of the season are at home against relatively easy opponents, meanwhile the 49ers still have to make a trip to Seattle to face one of the more tougher teams at home. Making things a bit easier for the 49ers on offense will be the absence of Steelers linebacker James Harrison who was suspended after his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy on December 8. Normally a hit of this magnitude would result in a fine, but given the repeat offender that Harrison is the Commissioner's office issued a 1-game suspension.

Preview & Prediction: The 49ers might also benefit from the absence of Pittsburgh's QB Ben Roethlisberger who's been listed as day-to-day after suffering a sprained ankle in the Thursday night win against Cleveland. Roethlisberger's been limited in practice and will be a game time decision according to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. If Tomlin does decide to sit his star quarterback in hopes of him recovering fully in time for their week 16 meeting against the visiting St. Louis Rams, expect to see the 49ers dominant defense feast off of the veteran backup QB Charlie Batch and win by a score of 23-13. If Roethlisberger is healthy enough to play, however, the game could go either way and should be a close one.

Super Bowl XLV Ends In Cheesy Fashion

Packers top Steelers, 31-25 - For some 16 odd years, the tiny town of Green Bay, Wisconsin was better known for worshiping the great one they call Brett Favre. However, that is no longer the case now that there's a new sheriff in town. Although he's got quite a ways to go if he plans to break the many franchise and NFL records No. 4 has set during his lengthy career that appears to be over now, one significant area Aaron Rodgers was able to duplicate his mentor in, is the trophy case. In only his third year at the helm, Rodgers brought home the Lombardi Trophy in half the time it took Favre (six seasons). At the young age of 27, and a team full of talent returning next season, there's no telling how many rings Rodgers will end up with. Though the Packers reached the Mount Everest of Football greatness for a record 15th time counting 13 League Championships prior to the Super Bowl era, their fourth Super Bowl was anything but given to them. Before the parade began, a hard fought battle took place.

The Run Down - With Green Bay winning the coin toss, selecting to defer and get the ball at the half, Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers' boys stopped the Steelers' opening drive on offense on a three and out, before Rodgers took the field to draw first blood. The 2009 Pro Bowl QB began his productive day with a 29-yard touchdown pass to WR Jordy Nelson. Less than a minute later, Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger would be pressured, releasing an errant pass that was picked off by safety Nick Collins and returned 37-yards for a touchdown. With a 14 point deficit digging an early hole for Mike Tomlin and company, Pittsburgh was able to respond with a field-goal to start the second quarter.

With two highly regarded defenses on the field, the hard hits were bound to come. One hit that stood out, came at the expense of Steelers wide-out Emanuel Sanders who was carted off the field after being slammed knee first into the turf. One drive later, Packers veteran receiver Donald Driver who was drafted by the team in 1999, was brought down awkwardly and was seen limping off the field heading to the locker room. Safety Sam Shields who came up big for Green Bay in the win against the Bears in the NFC title game, left with an arm injury. The casualties didn't stop there, as a huge blow would be felt throughout the Packer defense one play later, when cornerback Charles Woodson aggravated his collarbone, forcing him to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines.

After a stop on defense, Roethlisberger was back at it, marching his team down field before a dangerous pass in between two Packer defenders was intercepted by CB Jarrett Bush. Taking over at midfield, Rodgers took little to no time to make Big Ben and co. pay for their mistakes, as he connected in the end-zone with his favorite target -- WR Greg Jennings. Having been out played for almost two full quarters, Roethlisberger managed to find Hines Ward 8-yards out for a touchdown, making it 21-10 heading into the half, and shifting the momentum to Pittsburgh's side. With the injuries of key players for both teams beginning to stockpile, how the second half played out was anybodies guess.

In spite of having to kick off to start the third quarter, the Steelers struck first in the second half thanks to a Rashard Mendenhall TD run 8-yards out, inching the steel curtain closer to a 21-17 score. Minutes later with a chance to make it a one point game, the Steeler offense slowly began to solve the Packer defense that appeared to be more visible in the second half, but was held near midfield and was forced to kick a field-goal that was missed 52 yards out by kicker Shaun Sweisham. With everything but the score working in Pittsburgh's favor, a huge shift of momentum would be felt when Packers linebacker Clay Mathews forced a fumble on Mendenhall, recovered by Green Bay. The Packers would eventually capitalize a few plays later, as Jennings found an opening in the right corner of the end-zone, making it 28-17.

Roethlisberger countered with a touchdown pass of his own, capped off by a successful 2-point conversion, throwing ahead of the speedy Mike Wallace, bringing them within a FG. With a chance to put the game away for good, Rodgers began marching down field, but was unable to put Dick Lebeau's defense out of its misery, and was held in the red-zone. With a decision to go for it or not, Mike McCarthy was forced to bring in the field-goal unit, as Mason Crosby split the uprights 23-yards out to make it a 6-point game. With two Super Bowl victories already under his belt, the game was anything but over for Roethlisberger, who was given the opportunity to lead his team on a game-winning drive, as the two-minute warning approached. With the fate of a record seventh Super Bowl title lying in the hands of their Pro Bowl Quarterback, a comeback would've made for a storybook ending. But that didn't happen.

With just under two minutes remaining and 87 yards to go, Roethlisberger's chance of staging a comeback similar to the one he led Pittsburgh on two seasons ago against the Cardinals, ended after he failed to get his team past midfield and turning the ball over on downs. With Aaron Rodgers kneeling the ball as the final seconds ticked off the clock, Big Ben had his first taste of Super Bowl defeat, while Green Bay's QB had his first taste of triumph as the Packers captured their fourth Super Bowl title. Rodgers who threw a number of window tight passes, displayed superb accuracy which resulted in 304 yards and 3 touchdowns on 24-of-39 passing earning him MVP honors, something not even Rodgers' mentor Brett Favre was able to accomplish in his celebrated career.

Noteworthy: With his outstanding performance and helping Green Bay top Pittsburgh 31-25, Rodgers became only the 3rd QB in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards with at least 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, joining the elite class of Steve Young and Joe Montana. Both of whom he grew up idolizing as a child and fan of the San Francisco 49ers.

Terrible Towels vs. Cheeseheads

The Table Is Set - A week from today, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers will face one another on the NFL's biggest stage, as both teams prepare to take the field for Super Bowl XLV. Not only will the match-up feature two of the games elite quarterbacks as Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers oppose each other, but it will also showcase two of the more dominant defenses in the league. Though both teams and their respective leader have reached the title game behind completely different storylines, one thing they can relate to is the impressive obstacles they've had to overcome to get this far. While the Packers have won all three of their Postseason games on the road against higher seeded opponents (Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago), the Steelers won at home defeating two of the games premier defensive oriented teams, Baltimore and the Jets who similar to Green Bay, were also road warriors this postseason, beating both the Colts and Patriots away from home.

If Pittsburgh plans to distance themselves farther from the field by hoisting a record seventh Lombardi Trophy, they'll have to do so without their rookie Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey. Though he hasn't officially been ruled out by team trainers who've described his status as day-to-day with a high ankle sprain, fellow teammate Chris Kemoeatu is already saying how much the talented young center will be missed, as his Steelers get set for their third Super Bowl appearance in six years. Pouncey, a first round pick out of Florida, suffered an injured ankle in the AFC Championship game during Pittsburgh's opening drive that lasted nine minutes long and resulted in a touchdown.

Filling the void of Pouncey at the center position will be Doug Legursky who was called upon in Sunday's 24-19 victory over the Jets. Despite a number of bad snaps including one in the end-zone that resulted in a safety, Legursky has two weeks to practice and make both himself and Big Ben comfortable. However, the latest speculation surrounding Pouncey has the Pro Bowler as a game time decision. Personally, I think Mike Tomlin and company is trying to throw the green and gold off a bit, by getting them to prepare for the less experienced Legursky and make them think Pouncey will not play. There's no doubting he's injured, but do you honestly think he's going to miss the biggest game of his life? I don't.

Unlike years past, this Super Bowl could hugely impact the legacy of the winning quarterback. For Ben Roethlisberger, another Super Bowl triumph can put him in the elite category with New England's Tom Brady as the only active QB's to win three Super Bowl's. For Rodgers on the other hand, a Championship ring in only his third season at the helm would match the Super Bowl success long time Packers QB Brett Fave was able to accomplish in his 16 seasons with Green Bay, capturing his lone title in 1996. If playing the past two seasons with the rival Minnesota Vikings hasn't made Packer fans forget about Favre, perhaps a Rodgers led Super Bowl victory might be the perfect antidote to do the job.

Prediction - Playing away from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field will be nothing new for the Pack, as they've played and won all three games this postseason on the road as mentioned. As for Pittsburgh, playing outside of Heinz Field might make them a little homesick. But if I'm going to bring that point up, I might as well bring up the point that Pittsburgh has the experience of being in this situation before, which means the location will have little to no effect on the outcome. Prior to the start of this season, I predicted a Ravens-Packers Super Bowl. Given my AFC pick has been bounced out of the Playoffs, I'm sticking with my NFC pick, Green Bay over Pittsburgh, 24-20. With that said, GO PACK GO!

Big Ben Dodges A Bullet x Holmes Sent Packin

As we learned in one of my older posts -- Big Ben's Big Mistake, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was in a world of trouble with the law. But as it turns out, the 28-year old quarterback will not be charged after all, for his alleged sexual assault case which took place in Milledgesville, Georgia just over a month ago. Although Roethlisberger will not be facing jail time like many including myself think he deserves considering he's been ducking and dodging a handful of off-the-field incidents since being drafted by the Steelers in '04, the results of whether or not NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will discipline Big Ben are not yet known. With those results pending, former QB and Steeler great Terry Bradshaw spoke out, calling the relationship between the two "No good." Bradshaw also went on to say, "Ben doesn't like me and I'm learning not to like him, but he needs to realize who he is."

As if the Big Ben incident isn't a big enough distraction to the organization, other off-the-field issues will be sure to plague the team as WR Santonio Holmes is being sued by woman in Florida who says she was attacked by Homes in an Orlando night club on March 7th. The Superbowl hero who caught the game winnings touchdown just 2 years ago not only has a civil lawsuit filed against him, but he also has a suspension waiting for him once the 2010-2011 NFL season begins. Holmes will be suspended for the teams first 4-games without pay by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Well aware of the issue, the New York Jets decided to take a chance and have agreed to a trade sending the former Superbowl MVP to the Big Apple in exchange for a 5th round pick in this year's Draft.

Holmes, the recipient of the game winning touchdown pass in Superbowl XLIII has his own wide-stretched resume of off-the-field issues, having been arrested twice, once for disorderly conduct and domestic violence in 2006 and again in 2008 for possession of marijuana. Not to mention his most recent altercation where he threw a glass at a woman in an Orlando nightclub. By trading him, the team has proved to be fed up with his problems and are letting it be known that they now have a zero tolerance policy for such incidents. But could it also serve as a sign and a warning for Big Ben? After mutually agreeing with the Steelers that Roethlisberger's presence would be too much of a distraction when reports of his most recent legal issues first hit the airwaves, Ben reported to the team's training facility today for his first offseason workout with teammates.

It seems as if a spell has been cast upon the Pittsburgh Steelers and their players who can't seem to avoid running into trouble during the offseason. Last October, Pittsburgh's tight-end Matt Spaeth was being sited by police outside of a bar for urinating in public, when Steelers kicker Jeff Reed interfered and attempted to fight the officers. After resisting arrest, Reed was slapped with 40 hours of community service for disorderly conduct and public intoxication. All charges were dropped however, on the same day it was learned that Roethlisberger wouldn't be charged with sexual assault. So hats off to not one, but two of the Steelers franchise players for not only getting into trouble, but for getting away with it. It just goes to show what kind of winners there really is in Pittsburgh. When Roethlisberger isn't out on the field throwing passes, he's riding his crotch rocket and lurking for his next victim. And when Holmes isn't out catching balls, he's out throwing bottles at woman and taking naked pictures of himself in the shower. *Tisk Tisk*

Year in Review x 2009

In the year 2009, the world of sports kept our minds off of our countries economic struggles, as we seen three of the biggest and most well known franchises in American sports finish on top to win tittles. The first of the familiar three were the Pittsburgh Steelers who became the first franchise in NFL history to win 6 Superbowl's, surpassing the 5 held by both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. The Steelers finished the decade winning two Superbowl rings, matching them with the New England Patriots for most in the last 10 years.


The Los Angeles Lakers were next in line after defeating the Orlando Magic to capture their 15th NBA world tittle. After raising the pennant in Staples Center, the Lakers find themselves only behind the rival Boston Celtics for most NBA championships of all-time. The Celtics have a total of 17 NBA tittles. L.A. finished with four rings within the decade and made it to the NBA Finals a total of six times within that span.


Last and certainly not least, the New York Yankees recaptured the top of the baseball pinnacle by outlasting the Philadelphia Phillies for their record 27th world tittle and second within the decade.


Aside from the rise of each team's championship quests, a familiar sports figure not only known throughout the United States, but throughout the entire globe rather had his downfall. Shortly after being named the year's biggest athlete, Tiger Woods fell from golfing world. Not from the rankings, but from popularity and sponsors, after it was announced that Tiger had not one, but twelve secret affairs with other women while cheating on his wife. The wackiest part of all, was his wife's attempt to bash in Tiger's back window and possibly his head after crashing his car into a fire hydrant and a tree the day after Thanksgiving. Woods was released from the hospital days later with minor lacerations on his face and ear. Although the story is just as annoying as it is interesting, it edges out another major sports story -- Andre Agassi's admitted use of methamphetamine and tanking matches. All leading to a dark cloud over one of Tennis's most well known figures. Cheers to a great 2009 and an even better 2010!