Niners trounced as Magical Playoff run ends in Seattle

NFC Divisional Playoff - As if two meetings between two of the NFL's best teams wasn't enough, a third match-up would be slated between the No. 6 seeded San Francisco 49ers and the No. 1 seeded Seattle Seahawks, two hated rivals hailing from the NFC West. With just one win separating these two teams in the regular season standings with a Week 18 regular season-finale being the deciding factor in who would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, "what could've been" would be the theme for the San Francisco 49ers had they won that week 18 match-up against Seattle and had they had a healthy roster that was without not only three of their best players and emotional leaders, but three of the best players in the entire league in Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and George Kittle. But after reigning victorious the week prior on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, the many holes left by those injured 49ers would prove to be too large and would take their toll against a stout Seahawks team that was out for blood from the first play on, while boasting the league's best defense.

Despite having won four straight games over the Seahawks at Lumen Field entering Saturday, the most in team history, the 49ers' lone playoff game in Seattle, however, ended in defeat with the infamous Richard Sherman-Michael Crabtree beef during the 2013 NFC Championship. While things between these two teams aren't quite as heated as they once were, there would be no love lost as both sides had their fair share of trash talk before game day. Unfortunately, the back-and-forth banter would end up being more eventful than the game itself considering how one-sided things became in the opening moments. From the opening-kickoff, the rout was on. With San Francisco winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, Seattle would make that a regrettable decision by pouncing on their opponent with a 95-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown by Rashid Shaheed. Shaheed, a trade deadline acquisition from the Saints known for his speed, entered Saturday's game as the only player in the NFL with a kickoff and a punt return for a touchdown this season. He would add a third which would give his team an early 7-0 advantage, sucking the air right out of the San Francisco sideline. 

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold who would make his second career playoff start, entered the day questionable to play after getting hurt during practice in the days leading up to Saturday with an oblique injury that Darnold admitted he had never dealt with before. But after Seattle jumped out to an early lead without having to take a single snap on offense thanks to the team's red-hot start on special-teams, coupled with a dominant performance from the team's defense, Darnold was able to take a backseat and play things safe, allowing his running back Kenneth Walker III to do most of the dirty work. Staring down an early 7-0 hole, Brock Purdy and the 49er offense would make it past midfield on their opening-drive, but a failed 4th and 1 attempt would leave them empty handed with a turnover on downs. After initially appearing to have converted a first down with a completed pass, the officials blew the play dead and awarded Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald with a very late timeout call that left everyone on the field and watching from home confused. Most notably was coach Shanahan who was absolutely livid with the officials. The referees wouldn't be the only ones getting an earful from the 49ers' head coach, however, as second-year cornerback Renardo Green was also seen being chewed out and temporarily benched for something that upset his coach. 

With San Francisco hoping for a more successful drive on their second possession, things again would go south as backup tight-end Jake Tonges who was the hero in the Week 1 win over Seattle, hauled in an 11-yard reception for a first down before fumbling the ball away and giving the Niners their second turnover in as many possessions. Unlike the turnover on downs which only led to a Jason Myers field goal, the Seattle offense was able to capitalize with a touchdown following the fumble as Darnold connected with his favorite target and number one receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba inside the end zone. By the end of the first quarter the 49ers were already down 17-0 and in need of a jolt quick. San Francisco's offense would finally begin to string together a few successful drives before the half but were unable to make it to the end zone and were forced to settle for field goals as kicker Eddy Pineiro converted on kicks of 40 and 56 yards to help his team chip away, now trailing 17-6. With the Niners getting the ball to open the second half, forcing a Seattle punt like they did on their previous possession would be a huge win to keep the game within striking distance. Sadly, that would not be the case as the Seahawks were able to run the ball right through the San Francisco defense, eventually scoring on a 7-yard touchdown from Walker III. 

The drive would come at a cost, however, as Seattle's dynamic-duo of Walker III and Zach Charbonnet took a hit when Charbonnet left the game with what coach Macdonald would later confirm to be a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee. Taking over possession to open the second half, the 49ers would have a tall task ahead having to claw back from being down 24-6 and having been manhandled thus far in all three facets of the game. Things would only continue to sour as San Francisco's first four possessions of the second half would all end in turnovers -- fumble, interception and two on downs. With a chance to get their All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner back the following week for the NFC Championship game, the 49ers who were playing inspired football in hopes of a return for their emotional leader and defensive captain, would unfortunately witness that magical ride come to an end. After a Jason Myers field goal, Kenneth Walker III would put the finishing touches on a dominant night by completing the hat-trick with his second and third rushing touchdowns of the evening as Seattle stormed their way to a one-sided 41-6 victory. In what would go down as the most lopsided loss for the 49ers in the Shanahan era, the Seahawks matched their largest playoff win in franchise history while advancing to the franchise's fifth conference championship and first since 2014. 

Sam Darnold recorded his first career playoff win by throwing for 124 yards and a touchdown against his former team, while Brock Purdy threw for 140 yards and an interception. Seattle's Cooper Kupp led all receivers with 60 yards on 5 receptions, besting both Jake Tonges and Christian McCaffrey who each had 5 receptions for 59 and 39 yards receiving, respectively. 

Looking ahead -  With San Francisco's remarkable Cinderella season now over, it's still a remarkable feat given the 49ers were able to advance this far and win as many games as they did in spite of all the challenges they endured and all the injuries they sustained. To be without their number one receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the entire season, have their two best defensive players go down for the season by Week 6, to missing their starting quarterback for eight weeks, to losing their future Hall of Fame tight-end and emotional leader in the first half of a playoff game that they would go on to win in, it would be quite difficult to deem this season a failure given all the pieces they were deprived of and lost along the way. Coach Shanahan should be the runaway favorite to win the Coach of the Year Award for those very reasons. 49ers left-tackle Trent Williams described it perfectly when explaining during the team's postgame interview that they were, "playing with house money" when describing the many obstacles they overcame in the face of adversity. With a franchise QB now locked in under contract for years to come and some promising young talent that should only grow and get better with the experience they gained this season, the future remains bright for this 49ers group. 

What they will now need to focus on is improving the roster to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, two teams they share a division with that will now compete in the conference championship for a shot at a Super Bowl title. While the 49ers claimed early season wins over both teams this year, they went on to drop the rematch to each team and clearly have areas in which they need to improve on if they want to catch up and eventually surpass their division foes. For coach Kyle Shanahan who has enjoyed success against the competition in the NFC West for most of his tenure, appears to have a new thorn in his side as the Macdonald-led Seattle defense has now kept Shanahan's offense to under 7-points twice this year, something that had only been done one other team entering this season. The team will also be back to the drawing board and in search of yet another defensive coordinator as Robert Saleh is expected to take the head coaching job of the Tennessee Titans, leaving San Francisco searching for their fifth defensive coordinator in the Shanahan-John Lynch era. Early candidates to potentially land the vacant DC role include Brian Flores, Raheem Morris, Jim Schwartz, KJ Wright, and current 49ers assistant head coach Gus Bradley. 

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49ers Stymied in Season Finale Loss to Seattle, Will Face Eagles in Wild Card Round

Week 18 - After treating us to one of the most entertaining games of the NFL season a week ago when the (12-4) San Francisco 49ers went blow for blow against the Chicago Bears in a back-and-forth melee that included 80 total points scored and came down to the final play of the game, the regular season-finale against the rival (13-3) Seattle Seahawks would be rather uneventful in comparison. With the NFC Western Division title on the line as well as the NFC's No. 1 seed, the 49ers entered Saturday's game liking their chance of securing the division crown and home field advantage throughout the playoffs after having beaten Seattle on the road back in Week 1. However, the 49ers team that took the field on Saturday night would be a far cry from their Week 1 selves given the laundry list of injuries they've sustained since their season-opening win over the Seahawks. And by the time things officially got underway, San Francisco looked outmatched from start to finish, despite both teams entering the meeting riding six-game winning streaks. 

Winning the coin-toss and electing to defer would be about the extent of any winning Kyle Shanahan's team did on Saturday night as they were outclassed in all facets of the game. Sam Darnold and the Seattle offense came out guns blazing with a 13-play drive that ate up 7-minutes and 37-seconds of game time before being stood up inside the red zone at the 4-yard line. With only one play going for double-digit yards on the opening-drive for the Seahawks, the 49ers were able to force an incomplete pass on 4th and 4, resulting in the turnover on downs. The bend but don't break mentality would fire up the 49er sideline as well as the 49er Faithful in attendance, but it would be one of the few positives on the night for Robert Saleh's defense which struggled virtually all game long. The 7:37 time of possession on Seattle's opening-drive would mark their longest without scoring any points since 2018. Taking over on offense pinned back near their own goal line, the 49ers were held to a quick three and out punt which allowed for superb field position on Seattle's ensuing possession that was aided another 15-yards following a face mask penalty against the Niners on the return. 

Taking advantage of the short field, Seattle needed only three plays to find the end zone as running back Zach Charbonnet broke for a 27-yard rushing touchdown on 3rd and 2. With nothing to show for on San Francisco's first offensive possession, drive No. 2 failed to provide better results as Brock Purdy and company was held to their second three and out punt in as many possessions. After punting the ball only twice in the entire month of December, the 49er offense would match that total by the end of the first quarter on Saturday, ending San Francisco's team record of 27 straight quarters with a score. Despite no success whatsoever through the first quarter, Kyle Shanahan's team still found themselves in a prime position after Seattle marched 58-yards on their next possession but failed to connect on Josh Myers' 47-yard field goal that sailed wide-right. After going the whole first quarter without a single first down, the 49er offense was finally able to move the chains to start the second, but things would again spiral quickly as a call to go for it on 4th and 1 near mid-field ended in an incomplete pass from Purdy who again faced pressure and had to hurry his pass. Seattle's kicker would redeem himself on the Seahawks' next drive with a 45-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 ballgame. 

San Francisco would get on the scoreboard before the end of the first half with a 48-yard field goal from kicker Eddy Pineiro. Trailing by just a touchdown, the 49ers would get the ball to open the second half and appeared to be on track to score again, but Seattle's third sack of the night would ultimately lead to another punt as the absence of San Francisco's Pro Bowl left-tackle Trent Williams who sat out of Saturday's game while battling a hamstring injury began to come into focus. After being torched for a season-high 115 rushing yards allowed in the first half, the 49er defense held Seattle in check for the most part in the third quarter before an absolute meltdown on 3rd and 17. Perhaps no two plays would haunt the 49er defense greater than two of the first three plays on Seattle's next drive when Seahawks QB Sam Darnold was stepped on by his own teammate, resulting in a fumble that Niners defender Yetur Gross-Matos failed to come up with, eventually resulting in a 7-yard loss. After an incomplete pass, Seattle handed the ball to running back Kenneth Walker III who rushed 19-yards to pick up the first down, erasing the dreadful 3rd and 17 and prolonging the drive instead of punting the ball over to San Francisco in a one-score game. 

To make matters worse, Seattle would continue to march on the drive before having to settle for another Josh Myers field goal to take a 13-3 lead. Trailing by two-scores again, Purdy and the 49er offense began the fourth quarter by moving the ball with their most successful drive yet, marching 65-yards to give the offense their first trip to the red zone all night. But the 6-yard line would be as far as they'd make it as Purdy would have his pass tipped at the line of scrimmage, resulting in a wobbly ball in and out of the hands of Christian McCaffrey and into the arms of a Seattle defender who just so happened to be in the right place at the right time before stepping out of bounds. The turnover would prove to be crucial as any momentum the Niners thought they had captured went right out the window. Another long drive orchestrated by the Seahawks offense would chew up over 8-minutes of game time as precious time ticked away for a 49ers team hoping to stage a late comeback. Marching 94-yards the other way, Seattle kicker Josh Myers would miss his second field goal of the night when his 26-yard attempt hit the right upright to reinstill hope into the 49ers once again. Unfortunately, that hope would evaporate rather quickly as a quick turnover on downs ended any chance of a last-ditch effort from San Francisco. Making matters worse, Purdy reportedly suffered a "stinger" on the 49ers' final offensive play of the game after taking a hit to his left shoulder while being sandwiched between two Seattle defenders. 

Aside from Seattle's run game which tallied 180 total yards on the ground, neither team lit up the stat sheet on offense. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 97 yards while Zach Charbonnet added 74 yards and a touchdown, besting San Francisco's 53 total rushing yards. Christian McCaffrey who entered the week with a league-best 108 missed tackles wasn't able to break many tackles on Saturday while dealing with a back ailment and rushed for just 23 yards on 8 carries and another 34 yards receiving on 6 receptions, falling short of his second career 1,000-1,000 season for rushing and passing yards. Jauan Jennings led the 49ers with a team-high 35 yards on 4 receptions, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished with a game-high 84 yards receiving on 6 receptions. Sam Darnold threw for 198 yards compared to just 127 from Brock Purdy. But perhaps the most glaring stat of all came in the time of possession battle which Seattle dominated by producing long drives: 37:48 to just 22:12. 

Wild Card Preview: Following the loss to Seattle, the 49ers not only missed out on securing the NFC's No. 1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but they'll now face the daunting task of having to win all of their games on the road if they want to partake in Super Bowl LX being played in their own house of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. San Francisco's loss coupled with a win from the L.A. Rams meant the 49ers will enter the playoffs as the NFC's No. 6 seed and will face off against the No. 3 seed and defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round. With the 49ers opening up as 3.5 point underdogs against an Eagles team that went 11-6 in the regular season, Kyle Shanahan's team will hope to capture the same magic during a 42-19 win at Philly the last time these two teams met on December 2, 2023. San Francisco won handedly and was able to avenge their 31-7 loss in the NFC Championship the year prior after Brock Purdy was injured on the 49ers' first drive of the game. 

Philly's Lincoln Financial Field has become known for being one of the tougher venues to win in on the road during the playoffs, and no bad blood will be lost come gameday. Already facing a thin roster at the linebacker position, Robert Saleh's defense just got lot thinner after an MRI revealed on Monday that second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune will miss the playoffs after suffering a torn groin in Saturday's loss to Seattle. Already without All Pro linebacker Fred Warner who is hoping to make a return in the NFC title game if the 49ers can survive and advance that far, Dee Winters is currently listed as questionable after having to leave Saturday's game early with an ankle injury. The recently signed Eric Kendricks is expected to start and fill in in Bethune's absence. While Philly still boasts one of the best defenses in the NFC, their offense has struggled in the second half of the season despite plenty of weapons for quarterback Jalen Hurts to choose from. If the 49ers can muster up anything close to the type of offense they showcased in the two weeks prior to the season-finale, they should be able to stand a chance in pulling off the upset. And although Philly's offense has been stagnant for much of the second half, San Francisco's defense will need a much better outing than the one they had against Seattle. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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49ers Still unable to Solve Vikings on Road

Week 2 - Following a dominant Week 1 Win at home on Monday Night Football over the New York Jets, Kyle Shanahan's (1-0) San Francisco 49ers would hit the road for the first time this season where the (1-0) Minnesota Vikings would play host in their home-opener. Another dominant win for San Francisco was already highly unlikely given the Niners' recent misfortunes on the road against the Vikings where they've lost seven straight entering Sunday, but even more so considering Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium has been a house of horrors for the 49ers since its inception in 2016. However, the Niners' struggles in the land of ten thousand lakes actually predates the Vikings' new digs, dating back to 1992 which was Joe Montana's last season as a member of the 49ers. 

Keeping up with their historically poor luck in Minnesota, the 49ers fell into a 10-0 hole in the first half. After both teams opened the game by exchanging punts, the Niners' second drive on offense was stalled and resulted in another punt. However, this time punter Mitch Wishnowsky would have his punt blocked, giving the Vikings stellar field position. Although the San Francisco defense would hold the Minnesota offense to only a field goal, the Vikings would take an early lead they would not relinquish. San Francisco would reach the doorstep of the end zone on their ensuing possession, but were stopped at the 2-yard line after a 4th and goal attempt went awry following an incomplete pass from quarterback Brock Purdy to receiver Jauan Jennings. Matters would only get worse as the 49er defense had the Vikings pinned back near the goal line inside their own 5, but Minnesota QB Sam Darnold would connect on a 97-yard score to All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson. The touchdown pass would be the longest ever against the 49ers in their storied history, topping a 96-yarder from Tobin Rote to Billy Grimes of the Green Bay Packers back on Dec. 10, 1950. 

Trailing 10-0, the double-digit deficit nearly increased as the Vikings were threatening before an incredible interception by All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. The takeaway would finally wake up the 49er offense after a pair of big plays by receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Jordan Mason helped setup a 7-yard touchdown grab by tight-end George Kittle. With a last-second field goal as time expired to end the second quarter, the Vikings went into the locker room with a 13-7 halftime lead. Both teams would come out sluggish to open the second half, highlighted by three straight punts before a Brock Purdy interception on a bobbled pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The Vikings would capitalize one play later with a touchdown pass from Darnold to a wide-open Jalen Nailor. The game would continue to get ugly for San Francisco as Purdy fumbled the ball on their very next possession after losing grip of the ball on a pass attempt. Warner would bail his team out for a second time by coming up with a heads-up tackle near the goal-line to force a fumble on Vikings running back Aaron Jones, recovered in the end zone by the 49er defense. 

Brock Purdy and company would cash in on the takeaway yet again, this time by orchestrating their best drive of the day, capped off with a 10-yard touchdown run by Mason who also topped 100-yards rushing on the day. Inching closer but still trailing 20-14, the 49ers were in need of a stop on defense but succumbed to another Vikings field goal. The Niners would get a late field goal of their own to pull within one score but were unable to recover the onside-kick attempt as both time and their luck expired. With the loss, 49ers QB Brock Purdy in now 0-2 in his career against Minnesota, and 14-0 against all other NFC opponents. Improving to 2-0 on the year, Minnesota is off to their best start to a season since 2016, evening the all-time series with San Francisco in head-to-head matchups: 25-wins, 25 losses, and 1 tie. 

Although Minnesota was without receiver Jordan Addison who had his best game against the Niners a season ago during his rookie campaign while hauling in 7 receptions for 123 yards and 2 TDs in a Week 7 Monday Night win, they had no answer for Justin Jefferson who sat out in last season's match-up between the two teams with an injury. Jefferson finished a game-high 133 receiving yards and a touchdown on just 4 catches, fueled by the big 97-yarder. Deebo Samuel finished with 110 yards receiving and led both teams with 8 receptions. Niners quarterback Brock Purdy had a good game statistically with 319 yards passing and a touchdown, but his two turnovers proved to be costly in a close game. Vikings starter and former 49er Sam Darnold also had an impressive performance by throwing for 268 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Despite the loss, 49ers tight-end George Kittle joined Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce with the third most yards ever by a tight-end in their first 100 games. 

Noteworthy: Mitch Wishnowsky's first quarter blocked punt was already the third blocked punt on the season, after only 6 blocked punts in the entire NFL last season.

Week 3 Preview: The 49ers will hope to have much better luck on the road in Week 3 when they depart a stadium (Minnesota) they've never won in, for a stadium where they've never lost a regular season meeting -- L.A.'s SoFi Stadium. Coined the nickname "Levi's South" due to the large amount of 49er fans that flood the stadium anytime these two teams meet, Brock Purdy and company will look to get back in the win column in their first division matchup of the season when they take on the rival (0-2) Los Angeles Rams. Expected to be near the top of the division standings along with the 49ers, the slow 0-2 start for the Rams is among some of the biggest surprises thru the first two weeks of the 2024-25 NFL season. However, it doesn't help that the Rams are without two of their biggest playmakers on offense in receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Without the superstar tandem to throw to, QB Matthew Stafford will have to make do with his other targets. 

Unfortunately, the 49ers are also banged up and will be without a number of weapons of their own on offense, including running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles), receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) and tight-end George Kittle (hamstring). Pro Bowl defensive-end Nick Bosa is also nursing an injury (rib) that has kept him limited in practice, but he's expected to be ready in time for gameday. Will the Rams drop to 0-3 on the season, or will both teams walk away from this one with a 1-2 record on the season? 

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Rams Prevail over Niners in Battle of the Benches

Week 18 - Other than a minor tune-up heading into the NFL playoffs, Sunday's game between the (12-4) San Francisco 49ers and (9-7) Los Angeles Rams served little significance with both teams having already clinched playoff spots. But for L.A. who was vying for better playoff seeding with a win and a few rookie records for one of their star receivers, the Rams had a little more to play for in Sunday's regular-season finale. In a rivalry that dates back to 1950, coach Kyle Shanahan and the Niners have had the number of their southern California counterparts, having won nine straight regular-season meetings over the Rams. While that streak was bound to end sooner or later, it probably ended a little sooner than it would have had both teams gone with their starters. Instead, the Rams would prevail in the battle of the backups, logging their first regular-season win over San Francisco in 5 1/2 years. 

With both teams electing to sit their starting quarterbacks among a lengthy list of other notable players, the game would be a match-up between two backup QB's who were thought to be franchise-altering players, now looking to show their worth after being drafted near the top of their respective draft boards in San Francisco's Sam Darnold and L.A.'s Carson Wentz. Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick for the New York Jets in 2018 who had 55 career starts under his belt, would make his first in a 49ers uniform on Sunday. Meanwhile, Wentz who was passed on with the No. 1 overall pick by the Rams in the 2016 NFL Draft before sliding to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 2 pick, would also make his first start of the season in his first game action since Week 17 of the 2022 regular-season. Entering Sunday with a career record of 3-0 against SF, Wentz would snap the Niners' streak of 12 consecutive wins against NFC West opponents, while also improving his own streak against them. 

Darnold and the Niners offense would get off to a strong start on the game's opening-drive as the former USC Trojan went 5-for-5 on passes for 49-yards, before running back Elijah Mitchell rushed up the middle for a 1-yard score to give San Francisco an early 7-0 advantage. For the 49ers, the opening-drive touchdown would be their 10th of the season, the most in the NFL. Los Angeles rookie receiver Puka Nacua who has dazzled in his first year as a pro and has been a pleasant surprise during his first campaign in the Rams offense, would have a chance to break not one but two rookie receiving records for the most receptions and the most receiving yards in a rookie season. Needing one play less than the Niners' 14-play, 75-yard opening-drive, the Rams offense answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive of their own, capped off by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Wentz to Nacua. Orchestrating the longest drive of the first half, Darnold and the 49er offense would answer by retaking the lead on a 20-play, 82-yard drive that lasted just shy of 10-minutes, as the running back tandem of Mitchell and Jordan Mason got the Niners to the doorstep before Darnold was able to charge ahead for his 14th career rushing touchdown. 

Following up what was the longest drive of the first half, Wentz and the Rams would have the shortest drive as the L.A. QB would be intercepted on the first play of their ensuing possession when receiver Tutu Atwell had a pass skip off of his hands and into the air, allowing for a diving grab by a 49er making his season-debut as Tayler Hawkins made the play just days after being elevated from the team's practice squad. However, the turnover would not prove to be costly by the Rams as the 49ers attempted to add to their lead with a Jake Moody field goal before the rookie kicker missed from 38-yards out by doinking the ball off the right upright for his first missed kick of the season inside 40-yards. The 49ers would manage to add to their lead just before halftime as Darnold connected with receiver Chris Conley on the longest play of the game with a 48-yard pass, setting up a 5-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Ronnie Bell just a few plays later. With another miss from Jake Moody, this time on an extra-point for the first time this season, the 49ers took a 20-7 lead at the break. 

Sean McVay's Rams opened the second half with an impressive 20-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 10-minutes and 15-seconds and ended in the end zone with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Wentz to receiver Tyler Johnson for his first score of the season. Like Moody, Rams kicker Brett Maher would also miss on the extra-point attempt, keeping it an 8-point game. After a promising first half on offense, Darnold and the 49ers were shutout in the second half while compiling a measly 26 yards of total offense and were held to just two first downs. San Francisco's 20-13 lead lasted until the 5-minute mark when L.A. benefited from a 48-yard pass-interference penalty. After a few short runs, Wentz took it in himself by plowing forward from 12-yards out for his 11th career rushing touchdown. With momentum suddenly on their side, the Rams would go for the two-point conversion and cashing in on a successful pass from Wentz to Tutu Atwell to take their first lead of the day. 

San Francisco would have one last chance to pull off a comeback following both teams exchanging punts. Taking over possession with no timeouts remaining and just under a minute to go, Darnold connected on an 18-yard pass to Chris Conley for a first down that put them near midfield. Only needing to get into field goal range to give kicker Jake Moody a shot at redemption with a walk-off field goal, Darnold stepped up in the pocket and looked to have a sprinting Jordan Mason all alone for a big gain, but the Niners QB was caught from behind, jarring the ball loose as the Rams came up with the fumble recovery to seal the 21-20 victory for L.A. In the loss, Darnold threw for 189 yards and 1 touchdown and rushed for another score on 7 carries for 19 yards, but was haunted by the game-ending fumble. Wentz also did damage with his legs, leading all rushers with 56 yards and a touchdown on a game-high 17 carries, while throwing for 163 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception in the win. 

Playoff Preview: While the No. 1 seeded 49ers sit back and enjoy their extended rest with the first-round Bye, San Francisco whom owns homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, will await the outcomes of the NFC's Wild Card Round before playing host to the lowest-seeded winner. This weekend's match-ups include: Green Bay @ Dallas, Los Angeles @ Detroit, and Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay. When 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy retakes the field in the NFC's Divisional Round, he'll try to improve the record of starting QB's that have sat out of the final regular season game since 2005 as rested QB's own a record of 10-16 for a winning percentage of .385 in their first playoff game. In comparison, QB's that played in the regular season finale own a record of 112-84 in their first playoff game during that span, a winning percentage of .571. Looking to throw that nonsense out the same window that he has used to throw out all the criticisms he's received this season for being a "game manager", a "system QB" and for being a long shot to even be considered in the NFL's MVP race, Brock Purdy was named to the Pro Bowl earlier in the week, becoming the first 49ers QB selected since Jeff Garcia in 2002. Purdy also surpassed Garcia's franchise-record for the most passing yards in a season by a Niners QB just a week earlier. 

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Niners, Purdy Struggle in Christmas Bout vs Ravens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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