49ers Spearheaded by Chiefs in Blowout Loss at Home

Week 7 - Returning home to Levi's Stadium to face the (4-2) Kansas City Chiefs in what would be a rematch of Super Bowl 54, the (3-3) San Francisco 49ers would welcome arguably their toughest match-up on the schedule. But even before kickoff between two of the league's heavyweights, the 49ers stole the spotlight heading into another action-packed NFL Sunday when they made a blockbuster trade to acquire All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers less than three days earlier. However, their new offensive weapon wouldn't be the only player Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan would be excited to see on the field come Sunday, as the team also welcomed back a pair of key cogs in left-tackle Trent Williams and defensive-end Nick Bosa, both of whom missed time nursing ankle and groin injuries, respectively. 

With plenty of excitement in the air, the 49ers offense came out guns blazing, receiving the ball to start the game. After a first down pass to George Kittle who had his best game of the season (6 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown), coincidentally on National Tight-End's Day, the 49ers and their fans got their first look at their newest offensive weapon on the field. Roars from the 49er faithful serenaded McCaffrey who got back to back touches on the opening possession and had carries of 10 and 9 yards right off the bat. It didn't matter if McCaffrey touched the ball or simply checked into the game, the welcoming cheers could be heard consistently each and every time his cleats met the turf on the playing field. Though San Francisco's hot start would eventually fizzle out as they made it inside the red zone and ultimately had to settle for a Robbie Gould field goal, the 49er offense would be right back at it just a few plays later as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was picked off on his first pass of the afternoon. Young San Francisco standout safety Talanoa Hufanga who seems to come out with a game-changing play on almost a weekly basis, made his presence felt early as he forced the Mahomes interception. While it would be the second straight game with an opening-drive pick for Mahomes, it would be his lone mistake of the ballgame as he was virtually flawless for the rest of the contest. 

Turning the early miscue into points, San Francisco made quick work of the prime field position, scoring just four plays later as 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo rolled to his right and hit Ray-Ray McCloud who made a diving catch to haul in his first-career touchdown reception. While the early trip to the end zone would give the Niners a quick 10-0 advantage, it would also wake up a sleeping giant in the Kansas City offense. Answering back with a touchdown of their own, Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman got his team on the board with an 8-yard touchdown. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the Chiefs marched once more on offense with a Hardman again finding the end zone, this time from the ground after a 25-yard touchdown run. With the Chiefs taking a 14-13 lead, a strange and rather sloppy sequence of events would take place, starting with the 49ers who marched their way into field goal range. 

Looking to recapture the lead, a costly false-start penalty on the offense knocked Gould back 5-yards and out of field goal range as they were forced to settle for a punt. Back to receive the punt was Chiefs rookie Skyy Moore who muffed the catch, giving the ball right back to the San Francisco offense. Looking to capitalize on the second-chance opportunity and at least head into halftime with a lead, Garoppolo instead returned the favor and gave the ball right back three plays later as he felt the pressure of a sack and lobbed a ball up to a crowd of players as Kansas City's Joshua Williams came away with the jump-ball interception. Looking to add to their own lead before opening the second half with the ball, Mahomes and the Chiefs offense marched into the red zone until a low-block penalty set them back 15 yards. Those yards would prove to be crucial as Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's lone field goal attempt on the day sailed wide right from 39 yards out, keeping the score at 14-13 entering the half. 

With San Francisco boasting the league's number two scoring defense entering Sunday, the once formidable unit which has been banged up and riddled with injuries the last few weeks, looked like a shell of themselves in the second half. Opening the half with four consecutive touchdown-scoring drives, the Niners were unable to find an answer for Mahomes and company on defense. Kansas City would be in business to start the second half after a 48-yard kick return by Chiefs rookie Isiah Pacheco and a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty tacked on, added to San Francisco's frustration on special-teams. The Chiefs would find the end zone just three plays later. While the Niners would answer with another field goal, K.C. again fired back with another trip to the end zone. Keeping the game close to start the fourth quarter, Garoppolo and the 49er offense embarked on their best drive yet.

Orchestrating a 13-play, 81-yard drive, Jimmy G hit George Kittle in the end zone for a jump-ball touchdown reception to make it a 28-23 ballgame. Sadly, that would be as close as the Niners would get as the rest of the scoring would come from the Chiefs. After allowing two more touchdowns and a safety, San Francisco's offense went stagnant as their final two possessions ended in a fumble and an interception. With the ballgame getting out of hand for the 49ers on the scoreboard, coach Shanahan would call on rookie quarterback Brock Purdy who was this year's Mr. Irrelevant as the final pick in April's Draft. Two big back-breaking plays for the 49er defense would come on a pair of third and longs as they gave up 34-yards on a screen pass to running back Jerick McKinnon on 3rd and 20, and another 57-yards on a deep pass to receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on 3rd and 11. 

When it was all said and done, the 49ers fell to the Chiefs, 44-23, as San Francisco gave up their most points in a home game since a 45-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Candlestick Park on October 11, 2009. With a season-high 423 yards passing for Patrick Mahomes, the K.C. signal-caller also threw for 3 touchdowns and an interception on his way to logging his 56th career win, tying him for the most among quarterbacks in their first 70 starts since 1950. While receiver Mecole Hardman finished behind four other Chiefs in receiving yards on Sunday, he became the first receiver in the Super Bowl era with 2+ rushing touchdowns and 1+ receiving TD in a game. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo had his most passing yards of the season with 303 to go along with a pair of touchdowns, but he also had a lost fumble and an interception as the 49ers were out-sacked by Kansas City's defense on Sunday: 5 to 1. 

Week 8 Preview: Falling to 3-4 on the year following the lopsided loss, the 49ers find themselves trailing the Seattle Seahawks of all teams in the NFC West standings who are currently in first place at 4-3. A few things San Francisco has had working for them this season is their 2-0 mark against teams within the division, and another is their recent domination of the rival Los Angeles Rams. With seven straight regular season victories over L.A., the 49ers will try to make it eight straight against their rivals when they take a trip down south to SoFi Stadium in Week 8. Looking to avenge their 24-9 loss to the Niners at Levi's Stadium on Monday Night Football in Week 4, the Rams are coming off a BYE and have had plenty of time to prepare for the team that has had their number over the past 3+ seasons. Meanwhile, 49ers new running back Christian McCaffrey who saw limited action on Sunday due to his unfamiliarity with coach Shanahan's playbook, will have some time to get up to speed on the offense in preparation of facing the team that came close to acquiring him before he landed in SF. Other suitors who had reportedly shown interest in trading for CMC were the Broncos, Eagles and Bills. McCaffrey who tallied 38 rushing yards on 8 carries and 24 receiving yards on 2 receptions, should also get more plays on passing downs against the Rams as Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk will miss a week after suffering a broken finger on Sunday. 

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Overcome with Injuries, Banged up 49ers lose to Falcons

Week 6 - If there's been any theme for the (3-2) San Francisco 49ers so far this season, it's been the string of bad luck in the injury department and losing to teams a Super Bowl contending team has no business losing to. Both of which would continue on Sunday as the Niners visited Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face the (2-3) Atlanta Falcons. Banged up and bruised up and down the roster on both sides of the ball, the 49ers entered Sunday's game missing six of their 11 starters on defense, and have already added 10 players to the Injured Reserve list this season, with defensive-tackle Javon Kinlaw (right knee) and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (torn left ACL) being the latest to fall victim. With that many absences on the roster, the glaring holes would be too much for even the league's top defense to overcome as Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota had his way with the opposition from the onset. 

With Atlanta receiving the ball to start the game, Mariota and company moved the chains with ease on their game opening-drive, converting on three third downs before reaching the end zone to cap off a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown-scoring drive. Finding themselves trailing early, it would be the first touchdown allowed in the first half this season by the San Francisco defense who looked every bit as a team missing more than half of their starters on defense. Unfortunately, the offense would not look any better on their first possession which ended with a three and out punt. While the 49er defense would force punts on each of Atlanta's next two possessions, the offense shot themselves in the foot when a rush attempt on third and 1 from running back Jeff Wilson Jr. backfired as the ball carrier was striped of the ball, making for an easy scoop and score for the Falcons defense. 

In what would be a reunion game for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan who spent two seasons as Atlanta's offensive-coordinator and helped coach the Falcons high-octane offense to a Super Bowl appearance in 2016, things for his current offense couldn't have gotten off to a more lousy start on Sunday. The 14-0 hole in the opening quarter would be the largest deficit faced by San Francisco this season. But with a long ways to go before the end of regulation, the 49ers would have plenty of time to turn things around. And at the start of the second quarter, San Francisco's offense would do just that. With the busiest game of the season thus far for 49ers tight-end George Kittle, QB Jimmy Garoppolo connected with receiver Brandon Aiyuk for touchdown passes on back to back drives to tie the game at 14-all midway through the second quarter. But just when San Francisco appeared to swing all the momentum in their favor, Atlanta stormed back with a touchdown of their own as Mariota took it in himself for an easy score from 3-yards out. Looking to answer just before the half, Garoppolo launched a deep ball down the field to Deebo Samuel, but was picked off for an interception. 

Receiving the ball to start the second half, San Francisco again came out flat on offense to start the half and were held to a three and out punt. Meanwhile, Atlanta came out guns blazing on offense just like they did to start the game. Capping a 10-play, 65-yard drive was second-year tight-end Kyle Pitts who after missing the previous game with a hamstring injury, hauled in his first touchdown reception of the season to put his team ahead 28-14. Rearing its ugly head again would be the injury bug which bit San Francisco two more times as cornerback Charvarius Ward (groin) and right-tackle Mike McGlinchey (calf) each left the game in the first half and did not return. Asked to fill in for the injured McGlinchey was Jake Brendel who had a rough day at the office and was called for three of San Francisco's five penalties on the afternoon, including one on a 39-yard pass from Garoppolo to Aiyuk that was brought back due to a holding call. A pair of drops on deep balls to Ray-Ray McCloud and Charlie Woerner would sum up the day for San Francisco who had their chances but let them slip thru their hands in what would ultimately be a 28-14 loss. 

With only 50-yards of rushing to show for on the day for the 49ers, Atlanta on the other hand had their most productive rushing day yet this season, despite being without their starting running back Cordarrelle Patterson, tallying 168 yards on the ground with 59 of those yards coming from Caleb Huntley, 51 from Tyler Allgeier and another 50 from Mariota. While Mariota would only throw for 129 yards on the afternoon, he took what the defense gave him and showed his accuracy by connecting on 13 of 14 passes for a pair of touchdowns thru the air and another on the ground. Jimmy Garoppolo nearly threw for 300 yards passing before finishing with 296, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, with both George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk each hauling in eight receptions for 83 yards. 

Week 7 Preview: Returning home to Levi's Stadium to face the (4-2) Kansas City Chiefs in what will be a rematch of 2019's Super Bowl 54, the (3-3) San Francisco 49ers are hoping to get multiple key players back from injury in anticipation of the big game. With the loss on Sunday to Atlanta and wins within the division from both Seattle and Los Angeles, the 49ers are currently in a 3-way tie for first place, but do own the tie-breaker with a 2-0 record against NFC West foes. Looking to stay on track and remain atop the division, coach Shanahan is hoping for some good news on the injury front regarding left-tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and defensive-end Nick Bosa (groin), as well as Mike McGlinchey (calf), Charvarius Ward (groin) and Talanoa Hufanga (concussion) who left Sunday's game vs Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are coming off back to back hard fought games after a 1-point win over the rival Raiders on Monday Night Football and a last-minute loss at home on Sunday to the Buffalo Bills. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight-end Travis Kelce as dangerous as any at their respective positions, Week 7 will be no easy task for the 49ers who will need every bit of help they can get come kickoff. 

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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 Continue regular-season Domination of rival Rams

Week 4 - Returning home in hopes of shaking off the ugly loss in Week 3 to the Denver Broncos, the (1-2) San Francisco 49ers would have a chance to redeem themselves under the spotlight and on the national stage in a Monday night meeting with the division rival and defending Super Bowl champion (2-1) Los Angeles Rams. Vying for their seventh straight regular-season victory over the Rams, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would put his perfect 6-0 record against L.A. on the line, hoping to continue his success against the Niners' long-standing rival, while also rebounding from a tough outing the week before. After a dismal showing on offense a week earlier on the road in Denver, the 49ers offense found their rhythm right out of the gates on Monday night, scoring a touchdown with ease on their opening-drive. 

Marching 75-yards on 10-plays, Niners running back Jeff Wilson started things off by dashing to the end zone for a 32-yard score to give San Francisco a 7-3 advantage and a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the evening. Boasting one of the league's best defenses thru the first month of the NFL season, the 49ers struggled to slow the Rams down during their game-opening drive which lasted 16-plays, before eventually holding L.A. to a field goal. That bend but don't break mentality would hold true throughout the entirety of the game. Both teams would exchange a pair of punts before the Rams got on the scoreboard again with another Matt Gay field goal to make it a 7-6 game. Both times the Rams scored with a field goal, the Niners answered with a touchdown. Approaching midfield, the 49ers would turn a near-disaster into one of the top highlight plays of the season thus far as receiver Deebo Samuel logged the longest play of the season for San Francisco. 

On a pass from Garoppolo that was nearly intercepted, Deebo leaped into the air and came down with the reception before taking it 57-yards to the house, turning on the jets and breaking several tackles before finding the end zone. It would be Deebo's first receiving touchdown of the season and his sixth career touchdown against L.A. With San Francisco leading 14-6 at the half, both teams would exchange field goals before an interesting turn of events highlighted the fourth quarter. Leading by 8-points with under 9-minutes remaining in regulation, the 49ers would give kicker Robbie Gould a chance to make it a two-score game, but his 42-yard field goal try would soar wide left, giving the Rams new life and a chance to tie the game late. Just when L.A. appeared to be turning the tide and gaining some momentum, one of the youngest players on the 49ers' star-studded defense and one of their biggest standouts through the first three weeks of the season stepped up with yet another big play to seal the victory. 

Second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga who has already made a name for himself in the San Francisco secondary as a ballhawk and tackle machine, read a play perfectly when he jumped a screen and intercepted Matt Stafford's pass intended for receiver Cooper Kupp. Hufanga juggled the ball before making the catch and racing his way to the end zone untouched for the game-sealing pick-six. Oddly enough, the masterful play by Hufanga would give San Francisco their fourth pick-six against the Rams in as many years as they've returned one to the house in four consecutive seasons against L.A. dating back to the 2019 season. The interception would also put Stafford in dubious company as it marked his 28th career pick-six, tying him with Hall of Famer Joe Namath for the third-most since 1950. The game would also mark the second consecutive game in which he failed to throw a touchdown pass, the first time he's done so in consecutive weeks since Weeks 15 and 16 of the 2016 season. 

Adding insult to injury, the San Francisco defense would also force a late fumble on a quarterback sack by former Ram Samson Ebukam. Facing a banged up Rams offensive-line, San Francisco's defensive front had a field day with QB Matt Stafford, bringing him down for seven sacks on the evening, including two each from Nick Bosa and the aforementioned Ebukam. Meanwhile, the 49ers were able to keep Garoppolo on his feet all night long despite o-line issues of their own and being without All-Pro left-tackle Trent Williams who is expected to be out for 4 to 6 weeks while nursing a high-ankle sprain. Unfortunately, they would also lose Williams' replacement in Colton McKivitz who suffered an MCL sprain in this one, that will likely keep him out for up to two months. 

Unlike the NFC title game when the Rams rallied late from being down 10-points in the fourth quarter to top the Niners, L.A. had no answer late on Monday and has now been outscored 44-3 in the fourth quarter this season. Improving his perfect record to 7-0 in his regular-season career against the Rams, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo now trails only Tom Brady's flawless 9-0 mark against the Falcons and Patrick Mahomes unblemished 9-0 record against the Broncos for the best record for an active QB vs a single opponent. As for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, he now owns the longest active win streak vs a single head coach with 7-straight victories in the regular season over Rams head coach Sean McVay. Finishing with 239 yards passing and 1 touchdown for Jimmy G, 115 of those yards would come from Deebo Samuel who logged his 10th career game with over 100 yards receiving. Jeff Wilson led all rushers with 74 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while the San Francisco defense shutdown L.A.'s run game entirely as no Ram rushed for more than 27 yards. Matt Stafford threw for 254 yards and an interception, but had a hard time feeding anyone not named Cooper Kupp or Tyler Higbee as the two finished with 122 and 73 yards, respectively. 

Week 5 Preview: Hitting the road again for their first of two consecutive games against NFC South opponents, the 49ers will look to record their first winning-streak of the season when they pay a visit to Carolina to face the 1-3 Panthers. Under first-year quarterback Baker Mayfield, things have not been good for the Panthers who were greeted with boos from the home crowd and are coming off a 26-16 loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals. Having had success against stopping the run so far this season, the San Francisco defense will try to keep things rolling against the versatile Christian McCaffrey who is coming off his third straight game with over 100 total yards of offense. 

With all four NFC Western Division foes at 2-2 on the year, the 49ers are the only team in the division with both of their wins coming against NFC West foes. While winning within the division is always nice, logging that first win against a team outside the division will be a nice start for San Francisco who has a tough stretch of games down the line on their schedule, and Carolina is a team the 49ers should certainly take advantage of and beat. 

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Key Safety the Difference in 49ers Loss to Denver

Week 3 - In what was expected to be a game highlighted by stellar defense, it was the sluggish offense that stole the show for both the San Francisco 49ers (1-1) and Denver Broncos (1-1), and not in a good way. With both teams coming off their first wins of the season in Week 2, fans of both teams had hoped for another step in the right direction for the offense in Week 3, despite going up against a pair of good defenses. Unfortunately for all who sat thru the Sunday Night tilt, that was not the case as boo's were heard in Denver and were echoed from 49er fans on Twitter from fans frustrated with the offense of both teams. Even with quarterback Russell Wilson no longer in the NFC Western division where he tormented the 49ers for 10 long years with the rival Seahawks, San Francisco was not able to dodge the QB who has owned them throughout his entire career, boasting a 16-4 record against them. And while he was hardly a factor in this one, Wilson again reigned victorious over the Niners, this time with Denver.  

Coming out swinging was the 49er defense who forced a three and out punt on Denver's first possession, before the San Francisco offense followed suit with a 7-play, 75-yard touchdown-scoring drive on their second possession of the game. After a deep pass to receiver Brandon Aiyuk and a big run from running back Jeff Wilson, the 49ers smelled blood and capitalized with an early trip to the end zone as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found Aiyuk for the easy score from a few yards out. Other than a Brandon McManus field goal to start the second quarter for Denver, there wasn't much to highlight in the first half for either team as the punters were on full display for much of the evening. Both teams would combine for 10 punts in the first half alone, the most in the first half of any game this season thru the first three weeks. Even worse, the game would feature nine three and outs by the Denver offense, the most of Russell Wilson's career. 

Looking to come out swinging in the second half the same way they opened the first, the 49ers were able to accomplish that feat on defense, but the offense failed to deliver their end of the bargain as Garoppolo fumbled the snap at mid-field, turning the ball over and giving Denver their best field possession yet. Luckily for them, the Broncos offense would fail to do anything with it as the San Francisco defense again came thru when it was needed. In what quickly turned into a game of field position as both teams took turns pinning each other back deep in their own territory, the 49ers ultimately lost that battle as a crucial mistake took place that would prove to be the difference on the scoreboard. Pinned all the way back at their own 2 yard-line, Garoppolo took the snap and backpedaled into the end zone, feeling the pressure and eventually stepping out of bounds for what would end up being a safety to make it a 7-5 game. Eying their first lead of the game, Denver would march across midfield for a 53-yard field goal that was missed wide-right by McManus. 

Exchanging punts on the next two possessions, the 49ers would increase their lead with a Robbie Gould field goal from 51 yards out to bring the score to 10-5, San Francisco. After another pair of punts, Wilson and the Broncos would embark on their best drive yet and their only touchdown-scoring drive of the evening, marching 80-yards on 13-plays. Capping the drive and giving Denver their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter, running back Melvin Gordon III rushed forward from a yard out. The key play of the drive came on a crucial 3rd and 10, as Wilson connected with Kendall Hinton for 27-yards and a first down, only after the Broncos QB escaped the pocket and dodged a sack like he's done so often against San Francisco throughout his career. Failing to convert on the two-point conversion, the 49ers found themselves trailing, 11-10 with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. 

In need of a score any way they could get it, San Francisco's next two possessions would go up in flames in the worst way, starting off with an interception as Garoppolo threw into traffic attempting to force the ball to Deebo Samuel as the ball was deflected and landed in the lap of a defender. With just over two minutes remaining, the Niner offense would get another chance after the defense forced another Denver three and out, but a 12-yard sack would again pin the offense back near their own end zone before a dump off pass from Jimmy G to Jeff Wilson ended in disaster as the 49er running back was tackled from behind, fumbling the ball in the process. With Denver recovering the football, San Francisco's late-game heroics would fall short. Despite having held the lead for more than three quarters and edging Denver in total yards 267 to 261, the 49ers were doomed by two fumbles, an interception and a safety, and while the defense played great, they were unable to force any turnovers of their own. 

Under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Denver had a good game plan on defense in not letting two guys in particular beat them in Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. That strategy would pan out as Deebo was a non-factor on the ground after being held to only 6 rushing yards on 5 carries, and Kittle who torched the Broncos for a career-best 210 receiving yards the only other time he faced them back in 2018, setting a franchise record for the most receiving yards in a game by a 49ers tight-end, was held to 28 yards receiving on four receptions. Although Deebo did have a team-high 73 yards receiving on 5 receptions as the main target of Jimmy Garoppolo who threw for 211 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception on 18 of 29 passes. Russell Wilson was held to just 184 yards passing and finished the game touchdown-less in the win for Denver. 

Week 4 Preview: The 49ers (1-2) will return home for another primetime battle against a division foe as they welcome in the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams (2-1) for a Monday Night showdown. Having owned the Rams for the better part of 3 seasons now with six straight regular season wins over their division rival, the 49ers will look to avenge their loss in last year's NFC Championship when they blew a 10-point lead on the road in L.A. After dropping the season-opener on Thursday Night Football to the Buffalo Bills, the Rams have stringed together back to back wins against Atlanta and Arizona, and are the only team in the division at 2-1. In need of all the help they can get along the offensive-line as they go up against Aaron Donald and company, the 49ers will be without their All-Pro left-tackle Trent Williams who left Sunday Night's game in Denver during the second half. 

Expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with what head coach Kyle Shanahan described as a high-ankle sprain, the absence of Williams was immediately felt in the third quarter of Sunday's game as the flood gates opened and Garoppolo was constantly under pressure from the moment he left the game. Hopefully an extra day before their Week 4 bout will allow for some additional preparation heading into the big game. Also on the injury front, the team will be without linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for up to 8 weeks with an MCL sprain, similar to the one suffered by RB Elijah Mitchell back in Week 1. If not for bad luck, the 49ers would have no luck at all it seems as Shanahan and company can not catch a break when it comes to the injury bug as they've already lost several key players in a matter of weeks to open the 2022 season. 

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49ers Dominate Seattle in first Win of the Season

Week 2 - With the start of a new era in Seattle for the Seahawks as former quarterback Russell Wilson has moved on after being traded to the Denver Broncos, no team in the NFL is more relieved of Wilson departing the Emerald City than the San Francisco 49ers. In his 10 seasons in the NFC West, the Wilson-led Seahawks tormented the rival 49ers to the tune of 16-4 record since drafting Wilson in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Also relieved of Wilson's departure is Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan who has witnessed his team lose 8 of 10 meetings against the Seahawks with Wilson under center. With Wilson now gone and a new-look Seattle team to focus on, the 49ers welcomed in their division rival with payback on their minds for all the years Seattle had their number and their sights set on getting in the win column for the first time this season. 

After taking it to their former franchise quarterback a week ago on Monday Night Football, the Seahawks appeared to be in good hands with Geno Smith taking the reigns, but the suffocating San Francisco defense proved to be too much for Seattle's signal-caller on Sunday. Greeted by more inclement weather in their home-opener as rain fell for most of the afternoon, the conditions weren't nearly as bad as they were a week ago in Chicago when the 49ers were upset by an inferior Bears team, but they were again less than ideal for a team looking to put a stamp on the 2022 season. Getting back on track in every way imaginable were the 49ers who looked like their normal selves at Levi's Stadium on Sunday, pitching a shutout on defense and playing a much cleaner game after being ravaged by penalties in the season-opening loss. But before the final whistle would blow on Sunday, plenty of drama would transpire, most notably at the quarterback position. 

From the onset of the offseason to the final snap of the preseason, the 49ers' quarterback controversy between Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo would hit a fever pitch in the days leading up to the regular season when the team failed to deal Jimmy G and instead announced the his return as both sides agreed to restructure his contract and bring him back for the final year of his five-year deal signed back in 2018. Keeping Garoppolo around in the event of a monumental collapse under Lance or even worse a major injury, coach Shanahan would be forced to make the switch much sooner than anyone expected, including the pundits who've been calling for Lance's downfall from the moment he was named the team's starter during training camp. After getting off to a hot start on both sides of the ball as the Niners opened the game with a field goal and got a stop on defense, the San Francisco offense was knocking on the door again when the Niners' young QB would require medical attention. 

On a designed-run, Lance rushed up the middle for a 2-yard gain on 2nd and 8, when his right lower-leg was rolled up on underneath him. With Lance laying in pain, his teammates immediately called for help as the team's medical staff quickly rushed onto the field where they would provide assistance. With his leg in an air cast, Lance would be carted off the field as a somber mix of whistles and cheers serenaded the 22-year old quarterback who was carried thru the tunnel. Once play resumed, Garoppolo would take over under-center as the offense again settled for a Robbie Gould field goal. After forcing another Seattle punt, the 49ers would finally find the end zone when Garoppolo hit a wide-open Ross Dwelley along the left side-line for a 38-yard touchdown. Filling in at tight-end for the injured George Kittle who missed his second consecutive game to start the season due to a groin injury, Dwelley caught only one pass on Sunday, but made the most of his lone opportunity as the sounds of fog horns rang throughout the raucous Levi's Stadium crowd. 

The 49er defense would get in on the fun when they forced back to back interceptions, with the first on a deflected ball off the hands of Niners safety Talanoa Hufanga and into the bread basket of Tashaun Gipson. Hufanga was everywhere on Sunday and played like a man possessed, making play after play along the defense. They would follow up that takeaway with another when a bit of trickery backfired on the Seattle offense. Threatening to score their first touchdown of the afternoon, the first career pass attempt from running back DeeJay Dallas was one he would regret throwing as Chavarius Ward who was San Francisco's big free-agent grab during the offseason, came up with the big turnover. The 49ers would again fail to turn the turnover into points, but they would get the ball back right away when a pair of Seahawks ran into one another on the ensuing punt. Recovering the ball and capitalizing on superb field position, the 49ers would cash in at the goal-line with a run up the gut from fullback Kyle Juszczyk to give his team a 20-0 lead at the half. 

Coming out of the locker room at halftime with more of the same dominance on both sides of the ball, the 49ers forced a Seattle punt on their first possession of the half before setting up for a 20-yard field goal. What appeared to be a chip-shot for Gould, ended in a blocked field goal, generating the lone highlight of the day for Seattle as the ball was recovered and returned to the house for a special-teams touchdown. It would mark Seattle's first blocked field goal for a touchdown since December 23, 2012 vs SF, ending a span of 147 games without. While the touchdown appeared to give Seattle new life, especially after forcing a punt on San Francisco's following possession, the 49er defense continued to show no mercy against the Seahawks offense as they forced a pair of punts of their own before Jimmy Garoppolo and company embarked on a 16-play drive that chewed up over seven minutes of the fourth quarter. Making it all the way to the 1-yard line and facing fourth and goal, Jimmy G put an exclamation mark on the game as he plowed up the middle for the game-sealing touchdown before being helped to his feet and embraced in the end zone by his teammates. 

Treating the Niner Faithful to some home-cookin, San Francisco claimed their first win over Seattle since December 29, 2019 to snap a 4-game losing-streak, doing so in front of the home fans by a final score of 27-7. Filling in nicely for the injured Elijah Mitchell, backup running back Jeff Wilson carried the ball 18 times for 84 yards, with wide-back Deebo Samuel adding another 53 yards on the ground on four carries, plus another 44 yards on five receptions. Garoppolo connected on 13 of 21 pass attempts for 154 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Geno Smith threw for 197 yards and an interception for Seattle, with Tyler Lockett hauling in 107 of those yards receiving, and Rashaad Penny finished as the team's leading rusher with only 15 yards on six carries. With only two sacks recorded in the game, both would come from San Francisco's Nick Bosa to give him 3 QB sacks on the year. With wins on Sunday from the 49ers, Rams and Cardinals, all four teams in the NFC West sit at 1-1 thru the first two weeks. 

Week 3 Preview: Paying a visit to the Mile High City, the 49ers and Broncos will face off on Sunday Night Football against an old foe in Russell Wilson. One of the more impressive showings by the San Francisco defense in their dominant win over Seattle on Sunday was their ability to stop the run, which is something they will hope to carry into their meeting with the Broncos in Week 3, specifically against Wilson who has made a living out of hurting the 49er defense with his feet. In easily the biggest trade of the offseason, the acquisition of Russell Wilson which was followed by a hefty payday (5-years, $245 Million) has not yet panned out for Denver who after losing their season-opener to Seattle, needed some late-game heroics to sneak by the rebuilding Houston Texans, 16-9 at home. Not to mention first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett has looked every bit as a rookie head coach thru his first two games at the helm. With Denver off to a sluggish 0-for-6 start in red zone opportunities to start the season, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers are making the trip to Colorado just in time before the Broncos figure things out this year, if they figure things out at all. 

After losing Elijah Mitchell for up to eight weeks with an MCL sprain, the 49ers will be without another running back in rookie Tyrion Davis-Price who suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday that will cause him to miss at least a few weeks. The injury to two running backs in as many weeks is alarming given how many games are left, but also opens the door for fellow rookie running back Jordan Mason who was signed as an undrafted free-agent and Marlon Mack who was signed just last week to the practice squad after the injury to Mitchell. Also, it was reported on Monday that Trey Lance underwent successful surgery to repair two injuries to his right ankle and is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2023 season. The injury is unfortunate as it stunts the growth of a young player very much in need of all the reps he can get and further delays the development of the inexperienced Lance who will now have to wait quite some time before he's able to hit the gridiron again. 

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A Perfect Storm -- 49ers Drop Opener in slippery Chicago

Week 1 - Heading into the 2022 NFL season, plenty has been said about what teams are expected to be good this year in the NFC and what teams aren't. The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears would be on completely different spectrums in the expectations department with the Niners coming off a dropped interception away from making it to the Super Bowl last year and chosen by many to again compete for an NFC title, and the rebuilding Bears transitioning under a rookie head coach. But regardless of how much better one team's roster is over the other, the difference in talent can easily be made up if you add in some torrential downpours to even the playing field like the ones that shook the windy city and flooded Soldier Field. 

Even before the 49ers took the field in what resembled a marshland more than it did a football field, they were met with the unfortunate news that first-year starter Trey Lance would be playing QB without one of his key weapons in All-Pro tight-end George Kittle. Nursing a groin injury suffered in Monday's practice, Kittle was a game-time decision before being ruled out just before kickoff. Once the game started, things began to look up for San Francisco as the 49er defense forced a three and out on Chicago's opening-drive. The offense would start things off at midfield before marching into enemy territory and making it as far as the Bears' 12-yard line when disaster struck. Getting his first carry of the season after a big payday in the offseason, Deebo Samuel was stripped of the ball, fumbling away a chance at taking an early lead as the drive went up in flames. Helping the Niners get the ball back moments later would be second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga who had himself a day tallying a career-high 11 tackles and recorded his first career interception on Chicago's second possession. 

After both teams exchanged a pair of punts, the 49ers finally got on the board in the second quarter when Deebo made up for his early mistake by taking a handoff from 6 yards out into the end zone for a touchdown. It would be one of the game's few bright spots for San Francisco and the lone score of the first half as the score remained 7-0 at halftime. Chicago nearly got on the board just before the half when they setup for a field goal attempt before being penalized as kicker Cairo Santos used a towel to dry the field prior to the kick. In what will likely be one of the more bizarre penalties you'll see called this year, the 49ers caught a break for a brief moment as the penalty knocked the Bears out of field goal range. While the 49ers managed to dominate the box score in the first half, they could've easily been up by three scores if not for a QB-sack that knocked them out of field goal range and an overthrown pass on a deep ball to a wide-open Tyler Kroft for a would-be touchdown. Instead, the game would be a tale of two halves. 

After San Francisco took a 10-0 lead following the first possession of the second half, the Bears would steal all momentum and never look back as the 49ers began to shoot themselves in the foot with self-inflicted miscues and penalties that quickly began to mount. While the Niners didn't exactly have everything working for them in the first half, the handful of things that were, began to slow following their first possession of the third quarter. After tallying two quarterback sacks in the opening quarter, the 49er defense would not record another the rest of the way. Also, second-year running back Elijah Mitchell who led the team in rushing a season ago and was expected to be the team's bell cow this year, was forced to leave the game in the second quarter with an apparent knee injury and did not return for the second half. Also not returning in the second half was San Francisco's run game as they rushed for 115 yards in the first half, compared to just 61 in the second. Before departing Sunday's game, Mitchell who finished with 41 yards rushing on 6 carries, eclipsed the 1,000 career yards total to become the fastest player in franchise history to reach the century mark, needing only 12 games to do so. 

Appearing to have the Bears on the ropes with a would-be punt following a no-gain on a rushing attempt on third and 4, Chicago was gifted a first down on a 15-yard face-mask penalty on linebacker Dre Greenlaw who wasn't even needed on the play as Chicago's David Montgomery was gang-tackled. Three plays later, the 49er defense appeared to have Bears quarterback Justin Fields dead to rights in the backfield for a sack, but instead allowed him to escape and launch a deep ball down the sideline to a wide-open receiver in former 49er Dante Pettis who scored on a 51-yard touchdown. The Bears suddenly found themselves back in the game and trailing 10-7. This after San Francisco's defense held Fields to just 19 net passing yards in the first half, the fewest they've allowed since 2019, as well as a passer rating of 2.8 in the first half, the lowest registered by an opposing quarterback in a first half against the 49ers since 1973 when passer rating became an official statistic. 

Following a San Francisco punt, the Bears got the ball back and benefited from another pair of bad penalties on third down, including one on 3rd and 9 that prolonged the drive that eventually gave the Bears a lead they would not relinquish. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead, the 49ers allowed Chicago to score 19 unanswered-points on touchdowns scored on each of their first three possessions of the second half, the last of which setup by a Trey Lance interception. Any chance of a comeback would disappear for San Francisco as the penalties loomed costly and often, not to mention the field conditions which only grew worse the later the game went as visibility or lack thereof quickly became a factor. Playing catchup and needing to air out the ball, mother nature couldn't have cared less as back to back drives ending in a turnover on downs spelled doom for the Niners who fell, 19-10. 

While nobody on either sideline played great, San Francisco's miscues far outweighed those of Chicago's, most notably in the penalty department. Proving to be the more sloppy of the two teams, the 49ers were tagged with 12 penalties for a total of 99 yards, including three on third downs on consecutive drives that led to Chicago's first two touchdowns, compared to just 3 penalties for 24 yards on Chicago. Despite the final score, San Francisco had Chicago's number in numerous statistical categories that usually translate to wins, but not in this one. The 49ers ran 11 more plays on offense than the Bears, while gaining 127 more yards of offense and possessing the ball nearly 7 minutes longer. Hopefully Kyle Shanahan and company can steer clear of monsoon weather the rest of the way this season. 

Week 2 Preview - As much as everyone wants to blame the loss on the young quarterback who didn't receive any favors from his offensive-line on Sunday as Lance was constantly under pressure despite little to no blitzing from Chicago's defense, the Week 1 loss was not a fair assessment of Lance's quarterbacking abilities given the elements. Kicking off the home-opener and facing the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium, 49ers QB Trey Lance should have a much dryer field to play on and a second chance at making a first impression as the team's starting quarterback. Coming off a Week 1 victory at home over the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, the Seahawks were the only team in the NFC West to come out victorious thru the first week as the Niners, Rams and Cardinals all suffered losses. In an emotional rollercoaster that provided plenty of ups and downs and lots of drama late, Seattle outlasted their former quarterback Russell Wilson with a 17-16 win. Handing the Seahawks' all-time leader in wins and the greatest player in franchise history a Week 1 loss was Seattle QB Geno Smith who outplayed Wilson in many ways despite finishing with over 100 fewer yards, especially in the first half. 

Hoping to get George Kittle back in time for the first divisional game of the season, the 49ers will have to look elsewhere in the backfield as running back Elijah Mitchell will miss 8 weeks with an MCL sprain. While the first-year starter who was drafted in the sixth-round in last year's Draft out of Louisiana will not need surgery, Mitchell's absence will deal a huge blow to coach Shanahan's offense as big things were expected from team's leading rusher from a season ago. And just like last season with Raheem Mostert who was lost for the season in Detroit, also with a knee injury, the 49ers are forced to go in a different direction with their starting running back less than one full game in. Backup running back Jeff Wilson Jr. is expected to get the bulk of the team's carries, with rookies Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason fighting for seconds behind him. 

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Where the San Francisco Giants Stand at the All-Star Break

In what's been a roller coaster season filled with plenty of ups and downs, the San Francisco Giants ride into the MLB All-Star break with a record of 48-43 overall, with 7-wins in their last 9 games. And if not for a disaster by the bullpen on Thursday night, they would easily be coming off a four-game sweep of the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Instead, they took three of four from the Brew Crew with three big wins in three completely different ways. After dropping the opener on Thursday night by a final of 3-2, the Giants staved off another loss in game two by rallying from behind to complete one of the franchise's most wild comebacks in recent memory. 

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and facing arguably the most dominant closer in all of baseball since 2018 in All-Star Josh Hader, the Giants completed their most improbable comeback with three home runs in the inning, including a walk-off blast. Igniting the rally was a no-doubter from rookie catcher Joey Bart to lead off the frame. Darin Ruf then parked one in the bleachers with one out to bring the Giants within a run, before an Austin Slater single, Yermin Mercedes hit by pitch and Thiaro Estrada single helped load the bases for one Mike Yastrzemski who did the rest. Sending the first pitch he saw deep into the night and over the wall in centerfield, Yaz hit the Giants' first walk-off grand slam since Bobby Bonds in 1973, ending a drought by the Giants that had seen every other MLB team record a walk-off grand slam in the last 15 seasons. It also marked the first time in MLB history that a team hit three home runs in an inning including a walk-off grand slam. Game three against Milwaukee saw a pitchers-duel between starters Alex Cobb and Eric Lauer, with the Giants pulling off the 2-1 victory thanks to a bases-loaded balk in the 8th inning by Brewers reliever and former Giant Jandel Gustave. And in the finale, the Giants' bats woke up in a 9-5 win behind homers from LaMonte Wade Jr. and Brandon Belt, backing another stellar outing from starting pitcher and All-Star snub Logan Webb. 

Despite coming off one of their better series victories of the season, it wasn't long ago that Gabe Kapler and company were dropping game after game against inferior competition. On the cusp of being 10 games above .500 as recent as June 22 before a blown save by Jake McGee in Atlanta, the Giants have been nowhere near that mark ever since. Following their series against the defending World Series champion Braves, the Giants proceeded to drop two of three at home to the lowly Reds, split a short two-game set with the Detroit Tigers, and were swept at home by the White Sox who entered the series four games under .500. But the struggles didn't stop there as San Francisco took to the road and dropped two of three to the last-place Diamondbacks before needing a ninth inning rally to avoid being swept in the desert. The Giants then dropped the first two of four in San Diego before a pair of inspiring outings from starters Carlos Rodon and Alex Wood helped the Giants get some of their mojo back. Returning to Oracle Park, the Giants took two of three from Arizona before their strong showing against Milwaukee, which leads us to where we are now. 

Currently tied with the Philadelphia Phillies in the loss column for the third and final NL Wild Card spot, San Francisco is slated to open the second half of the season in L.A. for a three-game tilt with the archrival Dodgers whom they swept in San Francisco when they last battled in mid-June. Both teams have taken completely different turns since they last saw one another, as the Dodgers sit in first place in the NL West with an NL-best record of 60-30 and only seem to be getting stronger. Meanwhile the Giants hope to pick up after the All-Star break right where they left off while getting a few guys back along the way. With pitcher Jakob Junis activated just in time on Sunday to shake off some rust before the All-Star break after being out since June 10 with a hamstring injury, the Giants swingman pitcher who contributed both out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation before his stint on the IL, was arguably the club's best pitcher at the time he got hurt. The team also received third baseman Evan Longoria back from the IL after being out since July 6 with an oblique injury, giving the Giants much needed help in the infield at a critical time as shortstop Brandon Crawford hits the IL for the second time in less than two weeks with an injured knee. One player the Giants will not be seeing return from IL this season is starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani who recently announced the will miss the remainder of the 2022 season due to right ankle surgery. 

As for the MLB All-Star Game itself, Giants fans will be able to cheer on outfielder Joc Pederson (17 HR, 42 RBI) and pitcher Carlos Rodon (8-5, 131 K's, 2.66 ERA) as both players were named to their second Mid-Summer Classic. One guy who won't partake in this year's All-Star festivities is Giants ace Logan Webb (9-3, 2.83 ERA) who was snubbed after registering a 1.37 ERA over his last seven starts. Another Giant who has earned noteworthy recognition this season is outfielder Luis Gonzalez. In what's been another one of GM Farhan Zaidi's great finds is Gonzalez who was claimed off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox late last season. Capitalizing on an injury in the outfield to the recently traded Steven Duggar, Gonzo has been a nice add to the Giants this season and although he recently returned to the club after a stint on the Injured-List and has seen some struggles with a back injury, he was named the Rookie of the Month in the National League for the month of May. 

With ten fewer wins than they had at this point last year during their magical and historic run to a franchise-record 107 regular season wins, hopefully the All-Star break won't put a stop to their recent red-hot streak. Instead, hopefully this last string of success will kickstart a new streak for a Giants team likely to kick the tires on a few trades at the deadline if all continues to go well. 

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Lakers Make a Move: Vogel Out, Ham In

In between games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals where the Golden State Warriors are duking it out against the arch-rivals of the Los Angeles Lakers -- the Boston Celtics, the Lakers' search for a new head coach has come to an end with the hiring of Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham. Following a disappointing season in which the Lakers missed the playoffs and finished the regular season 4th in the Pacific Division with an overall record of 33-49, which followed a first round exit in the playoffs the year before, L.A. brass was forced to make a decision at the head coaching position and replace Frank Vogel in hopes of turning things around. Despite coaching the Lakers to an NBA title just two seasons ago, the last two years since hoisting the franchise's 17th NBA Championship, tied for the most all-time, have been rough to say the least under coach Vogel. With injuries plaguing the Lake Show in each of the last two seasons, notably to All-Star Anthony Davis, and a near no-show performance from Russell Westbrook who the Lakers traded for prior to the season, LeBron James and company failed to keep up in the standings with the youthful and more athletic teams of the Western Conference. 

Hoping to be the first step in righting the ship for the Lakers is the hiring of the 48-year old Ham who becomes the 28th head coach in franchise history. While Ham is known for being a players coach with the respect from those in and around the league, the Lakers have landed themselves a hard-nosed worker with a no-nonsense attitude who is going to challenge his guys to be better and give their all as explained by two players currently facing off in the NBA Finals in Golden State's Draymond Green and Boston's Al Horford. Both of whom know Ham quite well, having looked up to him as Ham and Green both hail from the same hometown of Saginaw, Michigan, or having played under him as Horford spent four seasons from 2013-16 with Ham in Atlanta where he served as an assistant head coach with the Hawks. Horford credits Ham for challenging him to be a better player on the defensive end earlier in his career with Atlanta. Ham also knows the Lakers quite well, having first got his feet wet coaching in the NBA alongside former Lakers head coach Mike Brown from 2011-13 as an assistant. Though Laker fans would prefer to forget, Ham also helped beat the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals as member of the Detroit Pistons.

As a player, Ham bounced around from 1996 to 2008, playing for the NBA's Nuggets, Pacers, Wizards, Bucks, Hawks and aforementioned Pistons, before eventually calling it a career after stints in the D-League, as well as a few seasons spent playing overseas in Spain and the Philippines. While Laker fans welcome the new hire as a step in the right direction, it's very clear that the team is still a ways away from returning to the championship-caliber team that won it all just two seasons ago. First there's the aging lineup led by LeBron with a superstar talent in Davis who can never seem to stay on the court and remain healthy, and then there's the absolute debacle that was Westbrook which will be at the top of the list among Ham's top priorities when it comes to implementing his system, unless of course they're able to work a trade to deal him out of Tiseltown. Ham leaves a Milwaukee Bucks team coached by Mike Budenholzer whom he also worked under in Atlanta under the same title as assistant head coach. The two have worked together since 2013 and were key in helping bring Milwaukee their first NBA title since 1971. 

Among the other interviewees for the Lakers' head coaching vacancy were former Blazers head coach Terry Stotts and current Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson who were said to have made the cut as the final three candidates before L.A. settled on Ham. While terms of the contract have not been disclosed, ESPN has reported that the two sides agreed to a four-year contract. Announcing the hire was L.A.'s general manager and Vice President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka who noted that the Lakers plan to hold an introductory press conference for Ham at 12pm on Monday June 6. 

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SF Giants add former All-Stars in preparation of 2022 Season

A day after team owners and the MLB Players Association ended a 99-day lockout by striking a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement and agreeing to have a baseball season after all this year, the San Francisco Giants made their first splash of the off-season with the signing of former White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon. Agreeing to a 2-year, $33 Million dollar deal, the former first round pick of the White Sox who was selected third overall out of North Carolina State in the 2014 MLB Draft, joins a Giants ballclub looking to repeat as division champions after pulling off a major upset by fending off the high-powered and hated rival L.A. Dodgers in 2021. The deal for Rodon comes after the 29-year old southpaw enjoyed his best season in the Majors yet, winning a team-high 13 games for the AL Central-winning South Siders which also included his first All-Star nod. 

Perhaps the highlight of Rodon's season last year and the pinnacle of his big league career thus far, the former top prospect twirled the 20th no-hitter in White Sox franchise history in an 8-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on April 14. Rodon continued that early season dominance the rest of the way in 2021, finishing the season atop the leaderboard in earned run average with a minimum of 20 starts, pitching to the tune of a 2.37 ERA in 132.2 innings pitched which ranked best in the majors among starters. Unfortunately, Rodon would fall short of the 162 innings pitched threshold, preventing him from being recognized as the league's ERA leader. Durability and consistency are the two biggest question marks and concerns Rodon entering his Giants tenure, having only registered one season of 160+ innings pitched and just a single double-digit winning season to his name as Tommy John surgery and shoulder fatigue has plagued Rodon throughout his career. However, Giants GM Farhan Zaidi and skipper Gabe Kapler are hoping his success last year is just the start of Rodon turning a corner and putting his injury history behind him with more progress to be had. 

Other signings this offseason have included the likes of pitchers Alex Cobb, Jakob Junis and Carlos Martinez, as well as the re-signing of pitchers Anthony DeSclafani (3-years, $36 Million) and Alex Wood (2-years, $25 Million) as well as team captain Brandon Belt at first base. Cobb, who was drafted by Tampa Bay back in 2006, registered several solid seasons for the Rays, recording a sub-3 ERA in back to back seasons in 2013 (11-wins, 3-losses, 2.76 ERA) and 2014 (10-9, 2.87). After a handful of rough seasons in Baltimore with the lowly Orioles, the 34-year old right-hander got back on track in 2021 with the L.A. Angels where he went 8-3 with an ERA of 3.76. The Giants are hoping Cobb can continue to climb back to his former self, signing him to a 2-year, $20 Million dollar contract back on November 30. Righty Jakob Junis, formerly of the Kansas City Royals, is a swingman-type pitcher who has pitched both in the starting rotation and as a reliver, and will likely hear Kapler call his name from the bullpen after inking a one-year deal. The Giants also announced the signing of former Tigers lefty Matt Boyd (1-year, $5.2 Million plus incentives) who will be sidelined until midseason with an elbow injury that required surgery last September. Boyd is a distant relative of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller and further adds to the team's pitching depth. 

One of the more interesting signings is that of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez. The former 2-time All-Star with the Redbirds saw a fall from grace after recording three consecutive stellar seasons as a starter from 2015 to 2017, before being thrusted into a role split between the starting rotation and as a reliver. Looking to rebound after back to back sub-par seasons out of the bullpen, Martinez lands with a Giants ballclub that has become a safe haven for second chances and a hotbed for players looking to make a rebound. In need of a bat to supply some thump in the outfield, the Giants kicked the tires on such big names as Nick Castellanos and potentially bringing back Kris Bryant, before ultimately deciding on a much cheaper approach by bringing in Joc Pederson. Agreeing to a 1-year, $6 Million dollar deal, the Palo Alto native returns home to the Bay Area where he hopes to visit McCovey Cove quite often with his bat as a left-handed power-hitter. Having played his first 6+ big league seasons in the division with the Dodgers before splitting 2021 with the Cubs and Braves, Pederson became just the ninth players in Major League history to win back to back World Series titles with different teams. Now he'll try to become the first to ever do so with three different ballclubs as he joins the hometown Giants who are coming off a 107-win season, their most in franchise history. 

Whether or not the Giants will have enough firepower to keep up with the Dodgers' ever-expanding cast of All-Stars which just added former MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman to the mix with a megadeal worth $162 Million over six-years, will be a tall task to say the least, but is a challenge Kapler and company will not shy away from. As for the notable departures, outfielder Alex Dickerson (Braves), infielder Donovan Solano (Reds) and outfielder/infielder Kris Bryant (Rockies) all inked deals to play elsewhere, as did reliever Reyes Moranta (Dodgers), while SP Johnny Cueto and RP Tony Watson remain free-agents. Meanwhile, the Giants prepare for life after former All-Star and MVP catcher Buster Posey who announced his retirement following the 2021 season. Opening Day is scheduled for April 7.

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