49ers Pound Panthers in Blowout Win

Week 5 - Looking to put together their first winning-streak of the season, the (2-2) San Francisco 49ers would take a trip to Charlotte to take on the (1-3) Carolina Panthers. During the week leading up to gameday, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo revealed that Carolina was among the top two teams on his list of possible landing destinations. Instead, the Panthers made a deal to acquire QB Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns and Garoppolo restructured his contract to stay in San Francisco days before the start of the preseason. Coincidentally, Jimmy G would have his best game yet in 2022 and Mayfield his worst. 

With 30+ friends and family members in attendance, Sunday's game would serve as a homecoming for 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel. And although Deebo would eventually give his many supporters something to cheer about, it was Samuel's teammate George Kittle who Garoppolo would go to early and often to start the game. Having gotten off to a slow start thus far through two games after missing the first two weeks of the season with a groin injury, the 49ers tight-end had his most productive game of the season. Hauling in the first two passes of the afternoon from Garoppolo and four of the first six, a steady diet of Kittle helped move the San Francisco offense up and down the field in the opening quarter. Two plays after a 20-yard reception from Kittle, 49ers running back Jeff Wilson Jr. broke up the middle for a 41-yard gain, setting up a 9-yard touchdown reception by Tevin Coleman who had himself a nice return to the franchise after signing with the team's practice squad less than three weeks earlier. In his second stint with the team after being released by the Jets during the preseason, Coleman scored twice on the afternoon, both on the ground and through the air. 

Jimmy G would look Kittle's way two more times during their second offensive possession, but the drive would be cut short as Kittle was tackled from behind and striped of the ball near midfield, fumbling for only the second time in his career. Luckily, the turnover would not haunt the Niners as Carolina had demons of their own as Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro's field goal attempt from 41-yards out soared wide left. The missed field goal would snap a streak of 27 consecutive made field goals for Pineiro who was perfect on the day otherwise. The Panthers kicker would redeem himself on Carolina's following possession by making a 43-yarder, but not before the 49ers got a field goal of their own as Robbie Gould split the uprights from 49-yards out. Gould would have an interesting day at the office as he had a field goal blocked two possessions later from 43-yards out, and also had to make a pair of plays on special-teams as he made a tackle on consecutive kickoffs, injuring himself in the process. Gould would have to leave the game in the third quarter with a knee contusion in what would be a rough second half for the Niners in the injury department. 

Already playing this week without Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw along the defensive-line as both players were ruled out before kickoff, Gould, Jimmie Ward, Nick Bosa and Emmanuel Moseley would all be lost to injury on Sunday. With Bosa leaving the game due to a tight groin, it would be another tough break for safety Jimmie Ward who was activated from the team's injured-reserve list after missing the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. There's bad luck and then there's whatever Ward has as his season-debut would be cut short as he suffered a broken hand on the opening-kickoff. But the worst injury of all would be that of cornerback Emmanuel Moseley who suffered a left knee injury that immediately had head coach Kyle Shanahan and his medical staff fearing the worst with a possible torn ACL. Before Moseley needed assistance to be helped off the field, he came up with the best play of the day on defense when he intercepted a Baker Mayfield pass and returned it to the end zone for a 41-yard pick-six. It would be a day of high's and low's for Moseley who grew up in nearby Greensboro, North Carolina, and like Deebo, had plenty of supporters rooting him on from the stands. Moseley's interception would give the 49er defense back to back weeks with a pick-six for the first time since 2000, and their eighth pick-six since 2019, tying them for the most in the NFL during that span. 

Carolina would open the second half with their one and only touchdown-scoring drive of the game when their star running back Christian McCaffrey took a handoff on 4th and 1 the distance for a 19-yard score before failing on the two-point conversion. The 49er offense would answer that touchdown with one of their own as a big 32-yard catch and run from receiver Jauan Jennings helped setup a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel. Sandwiched between two more Carolina field goals, Jeff Wilson Jr. would add to his busy day with a rushing touchdown from the 1-yard line. Having filled in quite nicely for the injured Elijah Mitchell, Wilson Jr. finished with 120 rushing yards on 17 carries. San Francisco would add one last touchdown late, capitalizing on a turnover on downs from the Panthers inside their own 10. Putting the icing on the cake would be Tevin Coleman who added to his receiving touchdown earlier in the game with a rushing touchdown from the 5. The injury to Gould would thwart punter Mitch Wishnowsky into kicking duties as he made 1 of 2 PAT's on the afternoon, while sharing a laugh with his teammates. Garoppolo would finish with 253 yards passing and 2 touchdowns in comparison to Mayfield's 215 yards passing and 1 interception. 

Coach Shanahan's Niners would be the only team in the division that reigned victorious on Sunday, as the rest of the NFC West fell to 2-3 on the season, meaning the 49ers stand alone in first place at 3-2. And helping San Francisco achieve that feat was the defense which stepped up big once again with a six sack performance after tallying 7 sacks the previous week versus the Rams. The 49er offense was also able to match that intensity by producing drives of all types to keep the opposition on their heels. Developments would rock both teams on Monday as Carolina fired head coach Matt Rhule following the team's disappointing 1-4 start and team doctors confirmed that 49ers corner Emmanuel Moseley did in fact suffer a torn ACL that will require season-ending surgery. While Moseley's absence in the defense will be detrimental to what's been a stout secondary, the door for his replacement opens wide with eyes on rookie Samuel Womack III, second-year corner Ambry Thomas, veteran Dontae Johnson and the often injured Jason Verrett who will make his season-debut soon from IR. 

Week 6 Preview: Staying out east in preparation of their Week 6 visit to Georgia to face the (2-3) Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers will setup shop at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia as part of their home away from home practice site, instead of flying across the country to the team's practice facility in the Bay Area. With a 21-15 loss on Sunday to the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Marcus Mariota and the Falcons are just one win better than the Panthers in the standings and if not for a bogus roughing the passer call on a third down sack of Tom Brady during the 4th quarter, the Falcons could very well be coming off a win. Instead, they're coming off a defeat and are likely to be without their top two offensive weapons in tight-end Kyle Pitts and receiver turned running back Cordarrelle Patterson as they nurse a hamstring and knee injury, respectively. For this very reason, the 49ers might be able to get by for a week without defensive star Nick Bosa if Shanahan and company choose to give him a week off to aid his groin injury. Meanwhile, the team will hold a tryout for kickers in the event that Robbie Gould has to miss any time. 

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49ers to Host NFC Championship after Handling Vikings

NFC Divisional - Hosting their first ever playoff game in the six-year history of Levi's Stadium, the NFC's no. 1 seeded San Francisco 49ers put on a show and pulled off the win in dominant fashion in their first home playoff game since 2012. Facing off against the No. 6 seeded Minnesota Vikings who were coming off an upset win on the road against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, the dominant 49er defense proved to be too much for Minnesota's offense on Saturday. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was held in check virtually all afternoon long by a well rested San Francisco defense that received a week off thanks to the first-round BYE that saw the return of several key players. Having not won consecutive playoff games since 1987 when a No. 5 seeded Vikings team knocked off the No. 1 seeded 49ers on their way to an NFC Championship appearance, Kyle Shanahan made sure his team would not suffer a similar fate or be the ones that Minnesota ended that skid against.

Coming into the game, all the talk revolved around whether or not 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo could be trusted in what would be his first career start in the playoffs. As if Cousins who was coming off his first win in the postseason in two career starts, had some over the top advantage over his counterpart. And after a three and out forced by the San Francisco defense, Garoppolo would waste little time to prove that his postseason experience or lack thereof would be a non-factor as he completed 5-of-6 passes while hitting four different receivers during their opening-drive that ended in a touchdown pass to his favorite red zone target in Kendrick Boune. The Vikings would answer quickly with a touchdown of their own when 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon who has struggled mightily in the second half of the season, continued to have issues in coverage as he was beaten badly on two plays and penalized for pass-interference on another. But none worse than the 41-yard touchdown he surrendered on a pass to Stefon Diggs as Witherspoon fell to the ground, allowing his man to walk into the end zone for the easy score. With the game tied at 7-7 and Witherspoon clearly a liability in coverage, Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh made the decision to bench Witherspoon the rest of the game in favor of his backup Emmanuel Moseley.

Both teams would exchange punts before San Francisco made a second trip to the end zone on a touchdown by running back Tevin Coleman. Setup by a pair of big plays by Deebo Samuel, Coleman sprung forward for the go-ahead touchdown. Looking to add to their lead following another Vikings three and out, Garoppolo's lone mistake on the afternoon would come in the form of an interception as he was picked off by Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks. Taking over in the red zone, Cousins and company would again fail to get much of anything going and were forced to settle for a field goal. Hanging onto a 14-10 lead at the half, the 49ers would turn things up on defense and pitch a shutout in the second half. Opening the third quarter with the first of two Robbie Gould field goals on the afternoon, San Francisco's Richard Sherman would come up with his third career postseason interception on third and long when he stepped in front of a Kirk Cousins pass intended for Vikings receiver Adam Thielen. Hoping to shake off his first career playoff interception, Cousins would fail to find an answer for San Francisco's defense the rest of the way as three of their next four possessions would end in three and out punts and the other two ending on turnover on downs.

Dialing up eight consecutive run plays on offense following the Sherman interception, Tevin Coleman would find the end zone again to become the first 49er with two rushing touchdowns in a playoff game since Frank Gore in 2013. With one last field goal at the start of the fourth quarter to increase their lead to 17-points, the 49er defense would do the rest as a sack party would ensue. Niner defensive-end Dee Ford who might've benefited most from the BYE week and returned to the field after missing five of the last six games due to a hamstring injury, was one of five players to record a sack, with rookie sensation Nick Bosa leading the way with two quarterback sacks on the day. Having already been named to the Pro Bowl and the odds on favorite to win this year's Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, Bosa becomes the first 49ers rookie to tally two sacks in a playoff game since Dana Stubblefield in 1993. Helping his team set a franchise playoff-best with only 147 total yards allowed, the 49er defense smothered their way to a 27-10 victory and held Vikings running back Dalvin Cook to only 18 yards rushing on nine carries. Meanwhile, Niners running back Tevin Coleman rushed for 105 yards on 22 attempts. Completing 21 of 29 pass attempts, Cousins threw for 172 yards compared to Garoppolo's 131, but threw the ball ten more times and needed ten more completions than his counterpart. While it was a rather pedestrian performance in the passing game for Garoppolo, the dominant defense and efficient rushing attack was plentiful to secure the win over Minnesota which gave the 49ers five wins in six playoff meetings against the Vikings, all of which in the Divisional-round which sets a record for the most wins vs a team in one playoff round.

NFC Championship Preview - The San Francisco 49ers will be making their first trip to the NFC Championship since 2013 when the team made it to three consecutive NFC title games under head coach Jim Harbaugh and their first time hosting since 2012. Standing in between the 49ers and a trip to Miami is Aaron Rodgers and the No.2 seed Green Bay Packers. After serving up a 37-8 beating on Sunday Night Football back in Week 12 which saw one of the worst games statistically of Rodgers' career, Shanahan and the 49ers know that what happened in the Week 12 blowout victory means little to nothing heading into this one, with the exception of what they know they need to do in order to punch their ticket to Super Bowl XLIV. Having grown up a huge 49er fan in nearby Chico, California, the future Hall of Fame quarterback Rodgers is not to be taken lightly and has his sights on revenge for both the earlier meeting this season and the two Divisional-round losses the 49ers have served him in the past. Since their Week 12 loss to San Francisco, the Packers, who like the Niners finished the regular season 13-3, have not lost a game. One way the 49er defense can change that is by duplicating what they did in the previous match-up when they held Rodgers in check on third down (0-for-10) and prevented him from completing a single pass beyond 10-yards. Despite escaping with a few close wins, Green Bay has been rolling ever since their last trip to Levi's and will be seeking, "redemption" as Packers head coach Matt LaFleur described it during his post-game speech in the team locker room following their close 28-23 win at Lambeau over the Seattle Seahawks.

Spread - According to Las Vegas sportsbooks and odds makers, San Francisco opens as 7-point favorites with the over/under at 45.


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49ers Explode for 51-points in Win over Panthers

Week 8 - All the talk about the 49ers having a cake walk through the first seven weeks of the season would be put to rest on Sunday as 6-0 San Francisco played host to the 4-2 Carolina Panthers. Winners of four straight, Ron Rivera's Panthers team entered their meeting against the Niners with plenty of confidence and plans to pull off an upset while coming off a BYE. But despite Carolina being the ones well rested with over a week to prepare, it was the 49ers who came out swinging, showing fresh legs on both fronts and displaying pure domination from start to finish while donning their throwback uniforms. If there was any doubt that the 49er offense was beginning to sputter after putting up only 9-points in the rainy, swamp-like conditions of Washington's FedEx Field a week ago, Kyle Shanahan's squad put to rest any and all worries of a repeat performance on Sunday from the outset.

With San Francisco opening the game on offense, Jimmy Garoppolo and company would take us for a ride as the 49ers jumped ahead early on and never looked back. Capping an 11-play, 75-yard opening drive would be the newest member of the 49ers who was acquired just days earlier via trade. Adding a new target for Garoppolo to throw to, Emmanuel Sanders who was sent from the Denver Broncos during the week in exchange for a pair of draft picks, wasted little time to introduce himself to the 49er faithful on Sunday, scoring the first of seven touchdowns for a busy San Francisco offense. Sanders would catch only four passes for 25-yards on Sunday, including the 4-yard touchdown grab that made it 7-0. Equally as engaged was the 49er defense who also had a busy afternoon, forcing a three-and-out on Carolina's first offensive possession. However, an interception on the Niners' very next play would be one of the very few mistakes committed in what was otherwise a relatively clean day of football for coach Shanahan's team. Holding the Panthers to only a field goal, Garoppolo would shake off the turnover on the ensuing possession by marching his team down the field and allowing Tevin Coleman to do the rest.

Kick-starting an eventful afternoon on the ground, Coleman would scamper 19-yards for his first of four touchdowns on the day. Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen who has filled in rather nicely for the injured Cam Newton, entered the contest with a 5-0 record and an unblemished touchdown to interception ratio of 9-0, becoming the first QB to win his first five career starts with 0 interceptions since 1950. But in spite of his hot start, the San Francisco defense would not be impressed as Allen was picked off three times in this one when it was all said and done. Second-year cornerback Emmanuel Moseley would ignite the turnover frenzy by handing Kyle Allen his first career interception while also logging his own as the backup to starting corner Ahkello Witherspoon has dazzled since being called upon. Needing only three plays to capitalize on the Carolina miscue, Garoppolo would find Coleman on a scree-pass which he would take 10 yards to pay dirt. Coleman would make it a trio before the half with his biggest play yet, a 48-yard dash to the end zone which put his team ahead, 27-0 at the half. By halftime, the 49ers offense had out-gained that of Carolina's, 254 yards to 76.

The Panthers would begin to show a sliver of life in the second half, when Garoppolo was sacked in the end zone for a safety, and eventually led to good field position as Carolina began their next drive at midfield. Stud running back Christian McCaffrey who was held to only 21 yards thru the first two quarters, got going in the second half and ripped off his biggest play of the afternoon on a hand-off that he took 40-yards to the end zone for a touchdown before adding a successful 2-point conversion. McCaffrey's score would be the first rushing touchdown allowed to an opposing running back by the 49er defense this season. Ending the Panthers' sudden second half scoring run at 10 unanswered-points, another 75-yard scoring-drive was executed by the 49ers when Deebo Samuel finished off the possession with a 20-yard touchdown run that left the ballhandler untouched and the Carolina defense fooled. Intercepting Allen on back to back possessions would be Richard Sherman and Nick Bosa who would both get in on the fun. While Sherman's pick would setup the fourth and final touchdown of the day for running back Tevin Coleman, Bosa's interception which only led to a field goal, would be all the talk as it served as the cherry on top of what would end up being a monstrous day for the rookie.

While the 49er defense would log a season-high six quarterback sacks in the first half alone before finishing the game with seven, three of those would come from rookie Nick Bosa whom some are saying needs to be taken serious for not just Defensive Rookie of the Year, but also Defensive Player of the Year following his overly productive day on Sunday. Bosa, the 2nd overall pick in this year's Draft who turned just 22-years old four days earlier, became the first player in 49ers franchise history to record three sacks and an interception in a single game since 1982 and the youngest to record three sacks, a feat that had only been done by four other 49er players. Sandwiched between a pair of turnover on downs forced by the Niner defense, a 41-yard rushing touchdown by Raheem Mostert would cap the onslaught as the 49ers ran up the scoreboard by putting a 50-burger on the Carolina defense. Running away with the 51-13 victory, the 51-point outburst is the highest point total scored under coach Shanahan, surpassing the previous mark of 44-points scored on December 24, 2017 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the most by a 49ers team since 1993 when Steve Young was under center.

Improving to 7-0 for only the second time in franchise history and first since 1990, it would be another game that Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo didn't stack the stat sheet in, nor was it one where he needed to as Tevin Coleman supplied plenty of offense on his own while logging his first 100 yard performance of the season with a total of 105 yards rushing. Not to mention another stout showing by the defense which continues to obliterate their franchise-low mark of only seven takeaways from a season ago which also set an NFL record for the fewest in a single season. Completing 18 of 22 passes, Garoppolo tallied 175 yards thru the air along with two touchdowns and an interception as George Kittle hauled in a game-high six passes for 86-yards receiving to lead both teams. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey finished with 155 yards from scrimmage (117 yards rushing) and was the lone bright spot for the Carolina offense as Kyle Allen was held to only 158 yards passing and threw three interceptions while completing 19 of 37 pass attempts.

Week 9 Preview - Joining the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs as the only two teams in NFL history to begin a season 7-0 after winning only four or fewer games the previous year, the 49ers will look to make it 8-0 when they pay a visit to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1) on a short week. Despite both teams struggling the past several seasons, the rivalry between the two NFC West foes has been one-sided the last few years as the Cardinals have won their last 8 meetings against the 49ers. With the Cards coming off a 31-9 loss on the road to the New Orleans Saints after winning their previous three, the 49ers will get their first look at this year's No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray in a match-up that will pin him up against Nick Bosa, the No. 2 overall pick. Back to back games without a touchdown pass, the 49er defense will look to make it three straight touchdown-less games for the former Heisman Trophy winner who despite his recent scoring drought, still owns a 7 touchdown to 4 interception ratio on the year and has not committed a turnover in four straight contests. With injuries suffered to running backs David Johnson (ankle) and Chase Edmonds (hamstring), the Cardinals will feature a new weapon in their depleted backfield when they take the field on Thursday as the team announced on Monday that they had acquired Kenyan Drake from the Miami Dolphins via trade.


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Niners Dispatch rival Rams in L.A.

Week 6 - Entering their Week 6 meeting against the division rival (3-2) Los Angeles Rams at the L.A. Coliseum, the (4-0) San Francisco 49ers were given little chance on Sunday by pundits around the league who blamed San Francisco's hot start on an easy schedule through their first four weeks of play, and that Kyle Shanahan's team would finally be exposed against opposing head coach Sean McVay and the defending NFC Champion Rams. And while things looked rough at the start of the game for the Niners, there would be a turning of the tables as it was San Francisco who did the exposing in a visiting stadium that felt a lot more like a home atmosphere as the Coliseum was drenched in red and gold-clad fans that kept the, "let's go Niners" chant reverberating through the stadium virtually all afternoon long. With both teams facing off with winning records for the first time since December 9, 2001, each club would have their eyes set on a streak as the Niners looked to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1990, while the Rams were trying to avoid their first three-game losing skid of the McVay era which began in 2017.

Opening the game on offense, the Niners were forced to punt after a three and out ended with a sack from Pro Bowl defensive-tackle Aaron Donald who has single-handedly been a thorn in the side of the 49ers over the years. And with a makeshift offensive-line tasked to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on his feet in the absence of two offensive-tackles in Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, the Rams defense would be held to only two sacks on the afternoon, both by Donald. L.A.'s offense would be equally as impressive on their first possession as McVay dialed up a touchdown-scoring drive that needed only seven plays, all of which via the rush. With the early score marking the first rushing touchdown allowed by San Francisco's defense this season, it was almost as if McVay and the Rams were trying to prove a point and beat them at their own game considering it's been the Niners' ground attack that has ran up and down the field against the opposition, having averaged a league-leading 200 yards rushing per game this season. In fact, their 800 rushing yards in the first four games this season is the most by San Francisco through the first four weeks since 1959.

Looking to answer, Jimmy G and the Niners would do just that as running back Tevin Coleman stiff-armed a defender before finding the end zone for a touchdown. For the Niners, it would seem as though the early struggles on both sides of the football would serve as a wake up call as Kyle Shanahan's team made the adjustments and returned to form the rest of the way. And while both teams would shut out the other for the remainder of the first half following the early touchdowns, the Niners' scoring drought was more of their own doing as they began shooting themselves in the foot, whereas the Rams were just unable to find an answer for San Francisco's smothering defense. After marching down the field and reaching the red zone for the second consecutive drive, thanks to a big play made by tight-end George Kittle who broke several tackles before finally being brought down, the Niners decided to pass the ball from the 1-yard line which resulted in a head-scratching interception by Garoppolo, followed by a missed field goal two drives later. An impressive goal-line stand by the 49er defense that held the Rams offense out of the end zone on back to back plays from the 1-yard line, helped keep the game tied at 7 entering the half.

Beginning the second half on defense, the 49ers would capitalize on an early miscue by the Rams as rookie running back Darrell Henderson fumbled a pitch from Jared Goff on the very first play of the third quarter. It would be the beginning of a nightmarish third quarter for L.A.'s offense as they were held to -19 yards for the quarter and netted a combined 0 total yards over their next six drives after being stood up at the goal-line to end the first half. Taking over in the red zone, San Francisco would claim their first lead as Garoppolo plowed into the end zone via the QB sneak which he would follow with an emphatic spike of the ball. With a chance to pull even further ahead on their next possession, Garoppolo would overthrow a wide-open Tevin Coleman in the end zone as they were forced to settle for a field goal. Increasing their lead to 20-7 with Robbie Gould's second field goal of the afternoon one drive later, the 49er defense would withstand anything McVay's offense would throw at them, forcing three turnover on downs in the fourth quarter. After coming out swinging on offense with a touchdown on their opening drive, the Rams would be held scoreless on their final ten possessions and for the remainder of the game as Jared Goff was stymied and held without a touchdown for the first time this season in what would be the worst start of his career. Finishing with only 78 yards passing from Goff, the fewest for any Rams QB who played a full game since T.J. Rubley in Week 15 of the 1993 season, the 7-points scored were also the fewest scored by a McVay coached team.

Garoppolo again didn't stack the stat sheet, passing for 243 yards on 24 of 33 attempts, nor did he have to as the defense carried the load. Garoppolo's favorite target -- George Kittle, finished with a game-high 103 yards receiving on 8 receptions. And on the day the great Jerry Rice celebrated his 57th birthday, Kittle became the first 49er to haul in 50+ receiving yards in 10 straight games since the aforementioned Rice. After becoming the first team since the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs to start a season 4-0 after winning four or fewer games the year prior, the 49ers have already surpassed their win total from a season ago by improving to 5-0 following Sunday's win. Now 11-2 in his career at the helm of the 49ers, Jimmy G who owns the best winning percentage of any QB in that span with a minimum of 10 starts, will look to add to that record with a favorable match-up next.

Week 7 Preview - Continuing on the road, the 49ers will pay a visit to the nation's capital to face the (1-5) Washington Redskins. Coming off their first win of the season, a 17-16 road win against the lowly Miami Dolphins, the 'Skins will be underdogs in their own home. That's right, the (5-0) San Francisco 49ers will be double-digit favorites on the road for the first time since 2013 as some sports books even opened up with the Niners being 10-point favorites against a team that is a week removed from firing head coach Jay Gruden after starting the season 0-5. Led by interim head coach Bill Callahan, quarterback Chase Keenum and rookie receiver Terry McLaurin who has impressed in the early stage of the season, will look to pull off the upset and string together their first winning streak of 2019. As for the Niners, I'd expect to see the offense regain its mojo and continue their success on the ground after putting up only 99 yards in the win against the Rams compared to the 200 rushing yards per game they had averaged.


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49ers Thrive in Monday Night Pummeling of Browns

Week 5 - Coming off an early BYE in Week 4, the (3-0) San Francisco 49ers entered their Week 5 Monday Night meeting with the (2-2) Cleveland Browns with plans of putting a statement on their hot start. Despite beginning the season 3-0 for the first time since 1998, many pundits around the league have questioned the legitimacy of San Francisco's early streak because of who they've gone up against. But if opening the year with back to back road wins or shaking off five turnovers in a game and still finding a way to win isn't enough, perhaps nothing is. Regardless, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team would prepare for the task at hand and welcome the challenge of facing a Browns team that entered the season with expectations of competing in the AFC and was coming off their best game yet after an impressive road win over the division rival Baltimore Ravens.

Behind quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Browns would look to remain perfect on the road and keep pace with the aforementioned Ravens for the top spot in the AFC North. Seeking their first 3-0 start on the road since 1999 and their first record over .500 since 2014, the Niners would have none of that as they were chasing a mark of their own in trying to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 1990. Winning the coin toss and electing to receive, the Cleveland offense showed a bit of trickery early on as receiver Odell Beckham Jr. took a handoff and passed the ball down the field to Jarvis Landry for a 20-yard gain. Appearing to catch the Niner defense off-guard, it would be one of the very few big plays for the Browns offense that then went cold and was forced to punt. With San Francisco fourth in the league in total offense and second in scoring offense, they would waste little time to flex their muscles on offense. From the first play on, the Niners would set the tone of the game as running back Matt Breida made a house call for 83-yards on his first carry, setting a career-long and making it to the end zone untouched. According to Next Gen Stats, Breida clocked in at a speed of 22.3 mph on his highlight run, the fastest speed of any player in the last two seasons and living up to his nickname of, "Breida the cheetah".

Coming up with a huge play on offense, the 49er defense would take their turn on the very first play of Cleveland's next drive as Mayfield was hurried into throwing an errant pass that was intercepted by Richard Sherman. Getting his first taste of Monday Night Football action, the game would serve as the coming out party for rookie Nick Bosa who was a constant force for a San Francisco defense that tallied four sacks on the night, but finished with a hell of a lot more QB pressures as the Browns signal caller was erratic and under duress early and often. Unable to capitalize on the stellar field position following the interception, the 49ers would make sure it wouldn't happen in consecutive possessions as a series of passes by Jimmy Garoppolo helped the offense march to the red zone before he found Matt Breida in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown reception. Giving the offense even more chances, the 49ers defensive-line would again cause Mayfield to scratch his head as the duo of DeForest Buckner and Nick Bosa teamed up to force and recover a fumble that again put the Niners in prime scoring position. Calling on the trusty Robbie Gould for his first field goal attempt on the night, it would be the start of his worst game in a Niner uniform as Gould couldn't connect on the field goal from 47-yards out.

With a field goal of their own on the ensuing possession, Cleveland would finally get on the board. Beginning to finally show life on offense, Mayfield and the Browns would hit a brick wall when making a trip into the red zone as a short pass at the goal line was tipped into the air by the intended receiver Antonio Callaway, allowing cornerback K'Waun Williams to come up with the easy interception and returning it to midfield. Cashing in on the interception, running back Tevin Coleman who in his first game back following an ankle injury suffered in Week 1, would score his first touchdown as a member of the Niners as he followed his blockers and struck pay dirt with a 19-yard run. After a Cleveland three and out, San Francisco would try to get another three points just before the half, but Robbie Gould would miss his second field goal in as many tries, this time from 52-yards out as the score remained 21-3 heading into the half.

As has been the case in all four games this season, averaging 175 rushing yards per game, it would be a busy yet productive day for the 49ers ground attack as they headed into the locker room at the half with 185 yards rushing, five yards more than the Browns would tally all game long in total offense (180). Picking up right where they left off to open the second half, Garoppolo and the Niner offense would put together their best drive yet as tight-end George Kittle hauled in a 22-yard touchdown reception to cap a nine-play, 90-yard drive that made it a 28-3 ballgame. As if the Browns' turnover-laden first half wasn't bad enough, San Francisco's defense held Cleveland to only one first down in the second half as Mayfield was eventually benched for backup Garrett Gilbert late in the fourth quarter. After having a field goal blocked from 32-yards out, Robbie Gould would miss three field goals in a game for the first time in his career. But thanks to a late miscue by the Browns special-teams, Gould would get one last chance to redeem himself.

With Odell Beckham Jr. having made a reputation of having some of his best performances on Monday Night Football (57 receptions, 916 yards, 8 TD in 9 career games), the Pro Bowl wide-out was virtually M.I.A. in this one and actually did his team more harm than good as he fumbled a punt return that setup a late 49er field goal. OBJ's best friend and former college teammate Jarvis Landry who was coming off his best game as a Brown with eight receptions for 167 yards a week ago, finished with a game-high 75-yards receiving on four receptions, but even he would be unable to find the end zone as Baker Mayfield was held touchdown-less for the first time in his career, ending a streak of 17 consecutive games with a touchdown pass to start a career, the second longest streak of its kind since 1950, behind only Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (23 starts). One stat Mayfield would rather forget is the amount of interceptions he's thrown since the start of last season as his 21 picks are the most in the league since that span. Adding insult to injury, the San Francisco defense held Mayfield to only 100 yards passing on 8 of 22 pass attempts, a pedestrian performance for a QB and offense that many thought was turning the corner following their rough start that preceded the win in Week 4.

The former Heisman Trophy winner and walk-on at the University of Oklahoma was chased down all night long by 49ers rookie Nick Bosa who greeted Mayfield rather rudely with a celebration that stemmed from the time both players spent in college as Mayfield famously staked the OU flag at midfield following a win on the road for the Sooners over Bosa's Ohio State Buckeyes. Bosa made sure to get back at Mayfield as he followed up his second of two sacks on the night with a similar gesture that mocked Mayfield's flag celebration. Earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance, Bosa finished the game with a forced fumble and fumble recovery to go along with his pair of quarterback sacks and five QB hits. As for the offense, the San Francisco rushing attack tallied 275 yards behind the tandem of Matt Breida (114 yards, 11 carries) and Tevin Coleman (97 yards, 16 carries). Because of their dominant ground game, the 49ers would wind up not needing a big game thru the air as Jimmy Garoppolo finished with 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 of 29 pass attempts. One of only two unbeaten teams in the NFL alongside the (5-0) New England Patriots, the 49ers are the NFC's last unbeaten team for the first time since 1984 when they went 6-0 to start the year.

Week 6 Preview - Looking ahead to Week 6, the 49ers will travel to Southern California to face their first division opponent of the season in the (3-2) Los Angeles Rams. Coming off a 30-29 loss on the road to the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams hope to right the ship and put an end to their 2-game skid. But with an upset loss in the their last home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Rams are very beatable, but will definitely be on their A-game on Sunday as they try to avoid their first three-game losing streak under head coach Sean McVay. If not for a missed 44-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter by Greg Zuerlein, it would be the Rams who would be breathing on the necks of the 49ers in the NFC Western Division standings at 4-1 instead of Seattle. The 49ers defense will look to contain Jared Goff the same way they did Baker Mayfield, as the former no. 1 overall pick out of Cal is coming off a game in which he threw 395 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Looking to put their dominant run game to the test against a defense that boasts last year's Defensive Player of the Year in Aaron Donald, the 49ers will have to try their luck without right-tackle Mike McGlinchey who will undergo knee surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks as well as Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk who was carted off the field on Monday night and was diagnosed with an MCL sprain that will also keep him sidelined for 4-6 weeks. A threat in the passing game, Juszczyk has been a key cog in the Niners rushing success for his stout blocking ability and the same could be said for McGlinchey, the second-year man out of Notre Dame. Averaging a league-best 200 rushing yards per game, we'll see how the team can adjust without two of their best.


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49ers Look to Rebound following Draft, Free Agency

San Francisco 49er fans are excited for the 2019 NFL season, and rightfully so after the deals their team dished out in free-agency and the picks they made in this year's Draft. The glaring weakness the Niners faced entering the offseason was at defensive-end as San Francisco's defense saw very little production overall in 2018, most notably at the edge position. Aside from a few bright spots in defensive stalwart DeForest Buckner, newcomer Richard Sherman and rookie linebacker Fred Warner, there wasn't a whole lot to cheer for on a lackluster 49er defense during last year's 4-12 campaign. And after a season in which their team finished in the bottom third of the league in generated sacks (37), general manager John Lynch & head coach Kyle Shanahan who are entering their third year at the helm of the franchise, made pass rush their biggest point of emphasis during the offseason.

Following a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire Pro Bowl defensive-end Dee Ford who led the league with 8 forced fumble sacks, three more than San Francisco's entire defensive unit last season, and 13 total sacks, the 49er brain trust knew they weren't finished bolstering the position, especially when Ohio State's Nick Bosa was still on the board at pick No. 2. Regarded as the best overall player entering the draft, Bosa was passed on by division rivals Arizona who possessed the first overall pick and chose to go in a different direction by selecting a quarterback. The decision to select Bosa was an easy one for the 49er front-office as he was the guy they had coveted all along, but were afraid wouldn't be available beyond pick No. 1. It just so happened that Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury's love for Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray worked out perfectly for San Francisco and allowed Bosa to fall into their lap. Having missed nearly all of his Junior year while battling injury and undergoing core muscle surgery, the Niners will depend on Bosa to stay healthy in order for their new-look defense to produce to its full potential. If the Niners can steer clear of the injury bug in 2019, their first two picks of this year's draft should make as big an immediate impact as any in the league.

Another department of need entering the offseason was at the receiver position and the 49ers made sure to add to their receiving corps with back to back picks in the second and third rounds during day 2 of the NFL Draft, selecting Deebo Samuel, second round, 36th overall out of South Carolina and Jalen Hurd, third round, 67th overall out of Baylor. Samuel, who's known for his play-making ability both in and out of the slot as well as returning kicks, was one of the top receivers in the draft after tallying an 11-touchdown, 62-reception season last year for the Gamecocks and made an instant fan out of coach Shanahan during the Senior Bowl which was partly coached by the 49ers staff. The two became quite familiar with one another and look to build on that relationship in the pros. But like most players the 49ers have acquired since the end of last season, Samuel has also had his fair share of injuries in the past, which seemed to be a theme for many of their additions this offseason. And while Samuel doesn't resemble the big bodied receiver that the Niners have been seeking for quite some time now, their third round selection certainly fits the bill. Hurd, a former running back at the University of Tennessee, stands at 6-foot-5 with 226 pounds and is an interesting specimen who provides plenty of versatility, but will likely be a project for Shanahan considering his raw talent. Either way, I don't think there's a receiver that Shanahan has drafted in his three years with the team that he hasn't liked in the NFL.

One of the more questionable picks in the draft, was who the Niners took in the 4th round, 110th overall. Needing a punter with Bradley Pinion now a member of the Buccaneers, Lynch & Shanahan got themselves a good one in Utah's Mitch Wishnowsky, but seemed to have reached for him considering the round they took him in. Recipient of the Ray Guy Award during his sophomore year in 2016, an award given to the best punter in college, the Aussie native will try to make pundits forget about his draft position and duplicate the success the 49ers had on special-teams when Andy Lee was punching his ticket to the Pro Bowl every other year. Hoping to strike gold at the linebacker position like they did with Warner in last year's draft, San Francisco selected Dre Greenlaw 148th overall out of Arkansas in the 5th round. With a trio of picks in round 6, Kaden Smith (176th), tight-end out of Stanford, Justin Skule (183rd), offensive-tackle out of Vanderbilt, and Tim Harris (198th), cornerback from Virginia, rounded out the 49ers' 2019 Draft class. Considering how needy San Francisco was for a defensive back, holding off until their final pick in the draft to select one came as a surprise to many.

Like Bosa and Samuel, Hurd, Greenlaw and Harris have all had a history of injuries during their collegiate careers, but the fun doesn't stop there. Free-agent acquisitions Kwon Alexander, a linebacker formerly with Tampa Bay and Jason Verrett a former Charger, are both coming off of season-ending injuries. Alexander who agreed to a hefty four-year, $54 Million deal, suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 with the Bucs last year and Verrett who signed a one-year contract for a modest $3.6 Million, was plagued with a torn Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp last year to go along with the myriad of other injuries he's had since entering the league as a 1st round pick in 2014. With both players having made the Pro Bowl -- Alexander in 2017 and Verrett in 2015, staying on the field would pay dividends for their new team, but will be a huge challenge, especially for Verrett who missed 43 of the last 48 games while a member of the Chargers with just about every injury under the sun. However, the signing remains a low-risk, high-reward deal for San Francisco hence the one year offer and figures of the contract.

Another piece the 49ers added this offseason via free-agency and a guy who was drafted by coach Shanahan during his time in Atlanta, is former Falcons running back Tevin Coleman who agreed to a 2-year deal worth $10 Million. Formerly one half of the 1-2 punch the Falcons featured at running back alongside Devonta Freeman, Coleman brings his familiarity with Shanahan's system to the Bay Area and also adds depth to the position that also includes running backs Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson and the return of Jerick McKinnon who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Wide receiver Jordan Matthews was also signed to strengthen the wide-out position and looks to find the spark he had during his first two seasons in Philadelphia when he tallied a combined 16 touchdowns and was on the doorstep of the 1,000 yards receiving plateau in his sophomore season when he fell just three yards shy. While the Niners decided to bring back a pair of former first round picks in free safety Jimmie Ward and defensive end Arik Armstead, some weren't as lucky as the team would bid farewells to OT Garry Gilliam, DE Cassius Marsh and LB Brock Coyle who were all released.

Having missed the playoffs for the past five seasons, 2019 will be a season in which the Niners will need to see major improvements on the field and in the win column before the seats of Shanahan & Lynch potentially begin to heat up, whether fair or not. A victim of overseeing a depleted roster due to countless injuries a season ago, coach Shanahan will be depending on a much healthier roster this upcoming season, most importantly at the quarterback position. And if QB Jimmy Garoppolo can make a full recovery and bounce back like all signs appear to indicate, then year three should be Shanahan's best yet at the helm of the 49ers. Though the hole at quarterback was a major concern a season ago with Jimmy G. out, it wasn't the only one as the woeful defense forced only seven takeaways in 2018, the fewest by a team in NFL history by a total, four fewer than the previous mark of 11 by the 1982 Baltimore Colts. San Francisco's new-look defense plans to throw that dubious record book out the window as they now feature one of the better pass rushing attacks in the league on paper with the additions of Bosa and Ford. The tandem should be a day and night difference from what they had a season ago alongside Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner.

With 49ers rookie mini-camp underway this week, full team training camp is slated to begin on July 25 for both rookies and veterans alike and will showcase plenty for us to keep an eye on as competitions are formed, guys get cut and roster spots are earned. The 49ers open the 2019 NFL regular season on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.


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