Injury-riddled Niners ground Jets in blowout Win

Week 2 - Even before Sunday's game between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, things have been grim for the defending NFC Champs who have had to deal with multiple key injuries in the first weeks of the 2020-21 NFL season. But nothing would have prepared them for what they would endure in Week 2. In a battle between two teams coming off Week 1 losses and seeking their first win of the season, the 49ers were once again quick to jump out to an early lead on Sunday when running back Raheem Mostert turned the first snap of the ball game into an 80-yard touchdown. It would be one of the few moments enjoyed by the team collectively as the Niners' luck quickly turned once again. After losing their superstar tight-end George Kittle in the first half in Week 1 to a sprained knee that also kept him out of this one, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers endured a myriad of injuries in the first half on Sunday. Perhaps none greater than the injury suffered by second-year defensive-end and last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year: Nick Bosa. During a 13-play drive that ate up 6-minutes and 43-seconds and ended in a Jets field goal, Bosa went down with an apparent left knee injury that required him to be carted off the field. Two plays later, fellow d-lineman and former first-round pick Solomon Thomas would also need to be carted off the field with a similar knee injury. MRI results would confirm what the team had feared for both players -- a torn ACL. Adding insult to injury to a banged up 49er defense that had already ruled out both Dee Ford (neck) and Richard Sherman (calf) in the days leading up to Sunday's game. 

Things on the offensive side wouldn't be a whole lot better as both Jimmy Garoppolo and Raheem Mostert went to the locker room before halftime with ankle and knee injuries respectively. Making matters worse, neither player would return in the second half. While it wasn't apparent when Mostert had suffered his injury, the injury to Garoppolo occurred during San Francisco's second possession of the game on a low-hit sack that brought Jimmy G to his knees. While he would play through it for the remainder of the half after team trainers wrapped extra tape around his ankle, Garoppolo took multiple hits and was shown limping around in obvious discomfort. Even then, he managed to find tight-end Jordan Reed for a pair of passing touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the second quarter. It would be a memorable day for Reed who filling in for injured Kittle, had went a total of 673 days in between touchdowns since his last score on November 2018 with the Washington Redskins. 

Opening the second half with backup QB Nick Mullens under center, the 49ers quickly found themselves in a 3rd and 31 situation before Jerick McKinnon exploded for a 55-yard run that got the 49ers into enemy territory and allowed them to kick a 46-yard Robbie Gould field goal. San Francisco's second drive on offense with Mullens at the quarterback position wouldn't be as lucky as he was intercepted on a tipped-pass intended for McKinnon, which the Jets would turn into another field goal. Any chances the Jets had of pulling off a late comeback were put to bed when McKinnon made a house-call from 16-yards out to give his team a 31-6 lead in the 4th quarter. New York would get a garbage-time touchdown late in the 4th quarter when QB Sam Darnold escaped pressure before finding receiver Braxton Berrios for a 30-yard score to make it a 31-13 final. 

While the 49ers' first win of the season would come at a great cost after losing multiple players to injury, the team saw a much different story play out on third down than the one that left them with a loss in Week 1. Kyle Shanahan's offense converted on 53% of third downs on Sunday, compared to just 18% a week ago. As expected with their starting running back Le'Veon Bell sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Jets went with a steady diet of Frank Gore in the run game as the long-time 49er and the franchise's all-time leader in rushing, carried the ball 21 times for 63-yards on Sunday against his former team. In comparison, San Francisco got 92-yards rushing on 8 carries from Mostert before his injury and another 77-yards on 3 carries from McKinnon in an all-around efficient performance for the 49ers run game. While Sam Darnold passed for 179-yards and a touchdown on 21-of-32 pass attempts, Garoppolo threw for 131-yards and two TD's on 14-of-16 passing before missing the entire second half. Mullens finished the game completing 8-of-11 passes for 71-yards and a pick. 49ers rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk made his NFL-debut and finished with two receptions for 21-yards, but it was Jordan Reed who stole the show in the 49ers receiving game with 7 catches for 50-yards and 2 TD's, his first multi-TD game since Week 7 of the 2017 season. 

Week 3 - Several 49er players took to Twitter after the game to express their distaste for the newly installed artificial-turf at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium following the numerous injuries suffered in Sunday's win. Whether those complaints fall on deaf ears or not, it's virtually impossible that anything will be done before kickoff in Week 3 as the Niners will return to that very field when they face the New York Giants (0-2). Coming off a loss in Chicago to the Bears, the Giants clawed their way back from a 17-0 halftime deficit before running out of time and falling in regulation, 17-13. Similar to the Niners, the Giants also had a rough day in the injury department on Sunday as they lost their superstar running back Saquon Barkley for the year with a torn ACL, the same injury suffered by Bosa and Thomas. Both teams will be thin at running back when they meet next week, as the 49ers found out on Monday that they'll be without both Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman in Week 3 with knee injuries. Before having to leave Sunday's game, Mostert set another record with his speed. A week after clocking in at a speed of 22.73 mph, the fastest speed by a ball carrier since 2018, Mostert did himself one better by setting another record and reaching 23.1 mph on his game-opening touchdown run, the fastest since 2016. Shanahan and company hope Mostert is just one of the many players they're able to replace as they'll have no other choice than to live by the, "next man up" mantra for at least the next week. As for Jimmy G, it appears the team dodged a bullet and will make a game-time decision on whether backup QB Nick Mullens will need to start in his place or not. 

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49ers Blow 5 leads, Falter to Cards in Overtime

Week 4 - In the desert to take on the (1-2) Arizona Cardinals, the (0-3) San Francisco 49ers looked to pull off the upset and claim their first victory of 2017 against a scuffling Arizona team that has had its fair share of injuries just three weeks into the season. The game between the two struggling offenses would turn into a battle of field goals and would feature a combined nine made field goals for the first time in an NFL game since September 26, 2011 between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. Five of those field goals would translate to five different leads for the 49ers before this one was all settled in overtime by one of the game's greats as rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan was once again left searching for his first career win at the helm.

From Arizona's first offensive possession, a long day on defense appeared to be in store for the 49ers who were bailed out by an interception in the end zone after quarterback Carson Palmer led the Cardinals all the way to the 4-yard line. A pass intended for tight-end Jermaine Gresham was tipped by San Francisco corner Rashard Robinson before a diving grab by linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong completed the turnover to give the 49ers the ball. And while they would also fail to score on their initial possession, their second drive would end with the first of many Robbie Gould field goal's on the afternoon. Gould would be matched by the ageless wonder and former 49ers kicker Phil Dawson who countered with four field goals of his own including two in the first half, the second of which set up by another former 49er in Antoine Bethea who intercepted San Francisco QB Brian Hoyer on a hurried pass.

Both teams would have touchdowns taken off the board in the game, Arizona's on a controversial review call and San Francisco's on a penalty, just one of many committed by the 49ers who were flagged a total of 13 times. Getting the ball to open the second half, the 49ers appeared to have finally struck pay dirt with an 11-yard touchdown from Hoyer to rookie running back Matt Breida before it was called back on an offensive pass-interference call against receiver Trent Taylor who has had his fair share of run ins with the officials already this year. The 49ers would  have to settle for yet another field goal before both teams sent it into overtime with the score tied at 12. Winning the coin toss and electing to receive in overtime, the 49ers offense would eat up a over seven and a half minutes of the ten minute extra period but were once again only able to walk away with a field goal after being stood up at the 5-yard line. From there, Palmer would go to work. Needing only six plays and less than a minute and a half to march his team to the red zone, Palmer would hoist up a prayer answered by the Cardinals Future Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald who hauled in the walk-off touchdown to give Arizona the 18-15 victory. Close but no cigar as they say as it would be the fourth loss in as many weeks for San Francisco who have now lost their last three games by a combined 8 points.

Having made a career out of torturing San Francisco defenses throughout his 14-year career, all with the Cardinals, it would be a quiet day for Fitzgerald up until his heroic catch in overtime as he caught just four passes for 32 yards including the 19-yarder to win it. The game-winning touchdown pass and only touchdown of the game for either team would be the 290th touchdown pass of Palmer's career, tying him with Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas for 13th all-time. The 37-year old Palmer who threw for 357 yards in the contest to log his third consecutive 300-yard performance, can pass another pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks in the coming weeks as he currently stands one TD behind Warren Moon and ten behind John Elway. As good as Palmer was down the stretch, the San Francisco defense didn't make it easy on the former Heisman Trophy winner who's been hit the most times in the league this season at the quarterback position and was taken down for a total of six sacks. Among those sacks were a couple of milestones by a pair of defensive-ends in Elvis Dumervil and Solomon Thomas. Dumervil, a 5-time Pro Bowler with Denver and Baltimore collected career sacks No. 100 and 101 on Sunday while rookie Solomon Thomas added his first.

49ers running back Carlos Hyde who shook off a hip injury and was a game-time decision, tallied 68 rushing yards and another 27 yards on five receptions from QB Brian Hoyer who finished with 234 yards through the air. With Sunday's loss being the third game in four weeks without a touchdown for San Francisco, fans are wondering if it's time to kick the tires on rookie QB C.J. Beathard. And though head coach Kyle Shanahan has admitted that Hoyer needs to step up and perform better, he explained in his press conference that he's not ready to pull the plug on his starting quarterback just yet. One area Hoyer will need to improve in going forward if he wants to keep his job, is third down efficiency as San Francisco's woes continued on third down to the tune of 5 for 19 (19%) on Sunday.

Week 5 Preview - Continuing their three game road trip, the 49ers will make a pit stop in Indy in Week 5 to take on the (1-3) Indianapolis Colts. Though they haven't had many breaks go their way through the first few weeks, Shanahan and company will be relieved knowing that the Colts will be without quarterback Andrew Luck who has yet to play this season while nursing a shoulder injury. Instead, the Colts QB position will be manned by Jacoby Brissett. Accompanying him in the backfield will be a familiar face as the 49ers will be reunited with running back Frank Gore, San Francisco's all-time leading rusher as the two square off for the first time since his departure in 2015 from the team that drafted him in 2005. Heading into the game, the Colts are an early 1 1/2 point favorite, but if the Niners like their chances in any game in the coming weeks, it's gotta be this one.


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49ers open 2017 NFL Draft with a Bang!

Round 1 - Under a new regime, the San Francisco 49ers made quite the impression in Round 1 of the 2017 NFL Draft. And in their first draft together at the helm of the 49ers, head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch had an unforgettable first day of the draft which included the Niners selecting two solid players on defense as well as stockpiling a few more picks along the way. With Myles Garrett going 1st overall to the Cleveland Browns as we all expected, there San Francisco was at pick No. 2 where they were ready to select Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas if unable to trade back. And then came calling the Chicago Bears who would treat us to our first "wow moment" of the Draft by working out a trade that allowed them to select UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky. One pick later, the 49ers would find their man in Thomas.

The move would prove to be a sign of despair for Chicago as Trubisky might have been on San Francisco's radar, but not at pick No. 2 which means the Bears were either smoke-screened into thinking Trubisky would be taken by San Francisco or that someone else might swoop in via trade to select him. Either way, the move would help Lynch and company make out like bandits as they received the No. 3 pick as well as Chicago's 3rd (67th overall) and 4th round picks (111th overall) this year and a 3rd rounder next year in exchange, all while selecting Thomas who they intended to take all along. But Lynch's brilliance and busy night wouldn't end there as he was able to flip one of the picks received from the Bears to move back into the first round. With rival Seattle on the clock at pick No. 31, San Francisco sent their 2nd round pick (34th overall) and the 4th rounder received from Chicago to the Seahawks, which the Niners would then use to select Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster.

Prior to the draft, the Niners had Garrett ranked as the no. 1 player in the draft, Thomas ranked no. 2 and Foster no. 3, meaning they managed to land two of their top three ranked players in the entire draft. This order was confirmed by Lynch during the 49ers' press conference following Round 1 of the draft, so to land Foster at pick 31 is a complete steal in the eyes of Lynch & Shanahan. After drafting a defensive lineman with their top pick in each of the past two seasons despite being under two different head coaches and a different GM, Lynch who also went to school at Stanford, made it a third straight year with the selection of Thomas. Oddly enough, their alma isn't the only thing the two have shared as they even had two classes together a few years ago when Lynch returned to Palo Alto to finish his degree. The two would grow quite the relationship over the years with Thomas even asking Lynch for advice before the biggest game of his career in December's Sun Bowl, not knowing he would later be drafted by his fellow classmate to work alongside him within the same organization. Another positive for Thomas would be the 22 mile trip from Stanford's campus to his new digs in Santa Clara as he's just a stones throw away from Levi's Stadium which will make the adjustment to the NFL life that much easier.

After soaring up the rankings on draft boards thanks to his dominant Sun Bowl performance which led to game MVP honors against Trubisky's North Carolina Tarheels no less and a glaring need on the defensive front for the Niners, it was an obvious decision for San Francisco to take Thomas despite the many different directions they could've gone. Thomas who has been looked upon as virtually being another Myles Garrett, can help stop the run as well as pressure the quarterback. Both are areas the 49ers struggled at a season ago when they allowed the most yards in franchise history and ranked last in the league in yards allowed and rushing yards allowed just a season ago, while also ranking near the bottom of the list in generating pressure on the quarterback.

As for Reuben Foster who I'm personally delighted to see in a Niners uniform, it was rather shocking to see him fall so deep into the first round the way he did. While there's been character concerns regarding Foster heading into the draft spanning from a diluted urine sample and an argument with a hospital worker which led to him being sent home at the scouting combine, there's no denying his passion for the game and the talent he possesses. It wasn't long ago that most draft experts had Foster projected to go in the top-five, but a shoulder injury that Foster claims to be "90% healed" could've also been just as much to blame for his draft stock taking a plunge. Niners fans can't help but be excited to now have Foster on the team especially after what San Francisco went through last season following the injury to NaVorro Bowman which made it very clear just how valuable the linebacker position is and how thin they were at said position. The same could be said about the defense in general as it's no secret how many lingering holes this team had on the defensive side which already looks much improved after only one day of the draft. With Rounds 2 through 7 still yet to come and the Niners owning picks in every round but the 2nd and a total of  11 picks, more selections on defense will be added with the addition of Thomas and Foster who already figure to help bolster a defense that couldn't stop a nosebleed a season ago.

Stay tuned for more coverage as the Draft continues.


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