Week 12 - Even before their meeting against the (3-7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers found themselves in a bit of a quandary as news broke just hours before kickoff that linebacker Reuben Foster had been arrested by Tampa police on domestic violence charges at the team's hotel. Following his third run in with the law in less than a year, the team decided to cut ties with their first round pick from a season ago after giving the troubled 24-year old one last chance to keep his nose clean as he failed to follow those guidelines. But despite the gaping hole the Niners now face at the linebacker position which has been without Brock Coyle since the early part of the season due to head and back injuries, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team still had a game to play on Sunday.
Coming off the Week 11 BYE, the 49ers would take on a Buccaneers offense that ranks tops in the league despite a QB carousel that would land former first overall pick Jameis Winston back at the helm for Tampa Bay. But as good as the Bucs' offense has been this season, their defense came into the game having allowed a league-worst 33-points per game on average, something Nick Mullens and the 49ers offense would hope to exploit. With both teams exchanging punts to open the game, Winston and the Bucs would be first to strike as a 42-yard gain on a deep pass to receiver Mike Evans would set things up for a 6-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Brate. The 49ers would come close to tying things up in the second quarter as Mullens connected with rookie receiver Dante Pettis who scored his first touchdown since Week 1 and second overall, but Robbie Gould would miss the point-after, making it a 7-6 Tampa lead. It would be a busy day for Pettis who's been plagued with injuries this season and entered the game with only seven receptions on the year, as he compiled more than half that in this game alone. A pair of Cairo Santo field goals before the half would allow the Bucs to take a 13-6 lead through the first two quarters.
Looking to answer on their opening possession of the second half, the 49er offense would march all the way to the 1-yard line, but were stopped on both 2nd and 3rd downs before a false start penalty on 4th down stalled any chance to go for it at the goal-line as the offense was forced to settle for a field goal. San Francisco's inability to capitalize in the red zone would sting the team even more considering Winston would lead the Bucs offense on back-to-back touchdown-scoring drives heading into the fourth quarter. In need of a few quick scores to answer, Mullens was picked off on each of San Francisco's final two drives, ending any chance of pulling off the miracle comeback. For Tampa Bay, their performance on defense would be their best of the season as the pair of interceptions were only their second and third of the season which also ended a streak of seven consecutive games without allowing a single takeaway. The Bucs D which held Kyle Shanahan's offense to their fewest point total in a game this season, also did a good job at disrupting the quarterback as they kept Mullens in check by forcing a total of four sacks and prevented the 49ers quarterback from getting into any type of rhythm in the passing game. The constant pressure was something Mullens saw very little of through his first two starts considering his offensive-line didn't allow a single sack in those first two games.
The only positive takeaway on the day for the 49ers, would be that of running back Matt Breida who rushed 14 times for 106-yards in the loss, his second consecutive game with over 100 yards rushing and the team's 9th game with over 100+ yards on the ground, the most in the NFL. As for Breida's counterpart, Bucs running back Peyton Barber who was coming off a career-high 106 yards rushing in Week 11, was held to only 47 yards on 18 carries. As good as San Francisco's defense was against Barber, they were unable to say the same for quarterback Jamis Winston as the former No. 1 overall pick threw for 312 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including 116 yards to Mike Evans who eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving on the season and was a constant problem against a banged up Niners secondary. Nick Mullens had easily his worst start of his career as he finished with 221 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 2 picks while completing only 18-of-32 pass attempts. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 2-9 on the year and stand alongside the division rival Cardinals as the only 2-win teams in the NFC. Of course Arizona's only two wins on the season came at the hands of San Francisco.
Week 13 Preview - The 49ers' schedule won't get any easier in their next match-up as they take a trip up north to renew rivalries with the (6-5) Seahawks in Seattle where the Niners haven't won since 2011. Coming off a pair of 3-point wins against the Packers and Panthers, Seattle will look to continue their hopes of making the playoffs as they currently stand in the hunt for an NFC Wild Card spot. Going three straight games without throwing a single interception, the always dangerous Russell Wilson will try to maintain their recent dominance over the 49ers against an old friend as former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman will look to exact revenge as he prepares to oppose his former team for the first time since being released in the offseason. With two of their five losses suffered at home this year where Pete Carroll's Seahawks have been virtually untouchable in years passed, the Niners will need a near perfect game from their offense if they plan to end their streak of six straight losses in Seattle's Century Link Field.
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Week 10 - Following their blowout win over the Bay Area rival Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night, Nick Mullens was the talk of the town among Niner fans. After becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for three touchdowns in his Niner debut, Mullens had a chance to send his team into the Week 11 BYE on a two-game winning-streak as the lowly (1-7) New York Giants came into town for a Monday Night meeting. But those aspirations would fall short as the San Francisco defense collapsed yet again in the fourth quarter. Like they've done so often this season, Kyle Shanahan's 49er team has continued to find new ways to lose games late as they've proven time and time again that they're virtually incapable of holding onto a lead and closing out a game. Aside from the 31-point beat down put on the putrid Raiders, even the Week 2 win against Detroit didn't come easy as the Niners escaped a late comeback attempt by the skin of their teeth as a 17-point fourth quarter lead quickly evaporated to a 3-point win. And then there's their attempts to hang on late against teams like the Cardinals and Packers which ended in defeat. Throw in a struggling 1-win New York Giants team and what do you get? Deja vu.
Forcing a three and out on New York's opening-drive, San Francisco would take advantage of their good field position by setting up their kicker Robbie Gould who would connect on a 53-yard field goal, his eighth straight from beyond 50-yards. Their second possession, however, wouldn't quite go as planned as the turnover bug reared its ugly head after failing to show up a week ago. Nick Mullens would suffer his first career interception as a deflected pass intended for Kendrick Bourne ended up in the hands of a defender. A costly mistake that Eli Manning would make sure to capitalize on as he found a wide-open Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone on third & goal to give New York the lead and their first touchdown in the first half of a game in three contests. Putting the mistake behind him, Mullens would be quick to answer as he drove his team down the field before handing things off to running back Matt Breida who would cap things off with a touchdown. It would be the start of a busy night for Breida who would eclipse the century mark in the rushing department. After both teams exchanged punts, the Giants would tie things up at 10 in what would appear to be a tie at the half, but Mullens would have none of that as a trio of passes to George Kittle and Marquise Goodwin allowed Gould to strike again and give his team a 13-10 lead at halftime.
San Francisco would open the second half the same way they would finish the first, only this time the clock wouldn't be a factor as they were able to cap their 11-play drive with a touchdown. Mullens' lone touchdown pass of the night would be an 11-yarder to Matt Breida who became the first 49ers running back to score a touchdown both on the ground and thru the air in the same game since Frank Gore in Week 2 of the 2010 season. The score would give the Niners a 20-10 lead, but it would be short lived as Manning and Beckham Jr. began to pick on the poor San Francisco secondary. After a 30-yard connection from Manning to OBJ put the G-Men in enemy territory, the Giants QB tried finding his superstar receiver in the end zone on back to back plays, the second of which they would succeed on as 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon didn't stand a chance and surrendered the easy score to pull New York within a field goal. The Giants would get that field goal to tie things up on their following possession.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Mullens would be tagged with his second career interception, but didn't receive any favors from Marquise Goodwin who stopped mid-route before stutter-stepping and continuing to run, but by then Mullens had already committed to the pass which Goodwin was unable to corral, resulting in a tip-drill that the Giants would come away with at midfield. And though the Giants were unable to turn the turnover into points, it would be a sign of bad things to come. The Niners would regain the lead thanks to Gould's third made field goal of the evening, but the offense's inability to strike pay dirt would prove to be costly as it gave the opposition a chance to steal a victory. And with just under three minutes remaining in regulation, that's exactly what would happen as the lackluster 49ers secondary made the aging Eli Manning look more like his brother Peyton Manning in crunch time. A pair of big play passes to Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley, coupled with a crucial pass interference call on 2nd & 20 by Ahkello Witherpoon, would set things up for a dramatic finish as Manning hooked up with receiver Sterling Shepard for the game-winning touchdown. The 9-play, 75-yard drive would be the 36th game-winning drive of Manning's career and just the latest dagger to pierce the hearts of Niner fans who watched their team fall at home, 27-23.
With the win, the Giants snapped their five-game losing streak and improved to 2-7 on the season, meanwhile, the 49ers fell to 2-8 and will have to dwell on being letdown for an extra week as they go into the BYE. Manning who finished with 188 yards passing and 3 touchdowns, moved into a tie with the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger for 7th place on the NFL's all-time passing touchdowns list with 350 TD's. As for his counterpart, Mullens tallied 250 passing yards and 1 touchdown in the loss. Matt Breida rushed 17 times for a game-high 101-yards and scored both touchdowns for the Niners, out-rushing Barkley who was held to 67-yards on 20 carries, but netted another 33-yards in receiving to give him 100 total yards on the night, his 8th game of 100+ scrimmage yards in 9 career games. Pounding the rock to his tight-end, Mullens and George Kittle connected 9 times for 83-yards, giving the 49ers standout tight-end 775 receiving yards on the season. Most impressive regarding the second-year tight-end's stout 2018 season has been his ability to eat up yardage after the catch as his 16.9 YAC leads all tight-ends, and his 535 total YAC is over 150-yards higher than the next closest player at that position (Travis Kelce -- 362 YAC). Not to mention he's accumulated 31% of the team's receiving yardage this season, the highest in the league.
Week 12 Preview - After the much needed BYE in Week 11, San Francisco's season will continue in Week 12 when they pay a visit to Tampa Bay to take on the (3-6) Buccaneers who will get their crack at the Giants in Week 11. Coming off a 500-yard performance on offense against the Redskins in which Tampa Bay only scratched 3-points across the board at home, the Niners will also look to hand the Bucs a loss while allowing far less yardage. One way to prevent that will be getting to the quarterback, something the Niners were able to do very little of in the loss to the Giants as they recorded only one sack compared to the Giants' zero. As it stands before the Bucs and Giants meet, Tampa is currently riding a 3-game skid, this after opening the season with a surprising win on the road over the Saints in Week 1. Since then, it's been a roller coaster for head coach Dirk Koetter and his last place Bucs team as they've bounced back and forth at the quarterback position between Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
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Week 9 - Returning home to host the Oakland Raiders (1-6) with bragging rights on the line in what's likely to be the last installment of the Battle of the Bay before the silver and black pack their bags and relocate to Las Vegas in 2020, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers (1-7) liked their chances of pulling out the rare win and ending their six-game losing-skid on Thursday night. But a game-time decision at the quarterback position would force coach Shanahan to start his third-string quarterback who had never stepped onto an NFL field outside of the preseason. With C.J. Beathard nursing an injured wrist, waiting in the wings would be Nick Mullens who would get the starting nod to make his NFL debut about an hour before kickoff. With little known about Mullens and very few giving him a chance coming into the game, the undrafted QB in his second-year out of Southern Mississippi would be the talk of the town by games end.
Following an opening-drive field goal by the Raiders, Mullens would answer back with a perfect drive on San Francisco's first possession by going 3-for-3 thru the air and capping things off with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon who had returned to action after missing last week's game with a knee injury. In his second year with the team, the touchdown reception would be Garcon's first in a Niners uniform after being dangled on the trading block before the NFL trade deadline just two days earlier. But things wouldn't end there for Mullens who's spectacular night would just be getting started as he orchestrated yet another impressive drive on San Francisco's second possession. Facing third & goal from the 4-yard line, Mullens remained calm before throwing a strike to Kendrick Bourne in the end zone. The 49ers nearly struck for a third touchdown just before the half, but a drop by rookie receiver Richie James Jr. who hauled in a 53-yard reception just three-plays earlier, forced them to settle for a field goal. By halftime, Mullens had already hit eight different receivers in the passing game and the Niners had jumped out to a 17-3 lead.
Having made a bad habit out of blowing second half leads in games this season against the Chargers, Packers and Cardinals, Mullens and company would refuse to take their foot off the gas pedal in this one as they showed no mercy on each of their first two possessions of the third quarter. George Kittle who's been one of if not the best tight-end in the league this year, flexed his muscles yet again by hauling in four catches for 108-yards on Thursday, none bigger than the one-handed grab he snagged and took 71-yards before being brought down. Mullens would reward him for his efforts just two-plays later with an easy touchdown. The Niners' scoring barrage would get its biggest touchdown of the night one-drive later as running back Raheem Mostert used a down-field block from 2018 first-round pick Mike McGlinchey to his advantage for a 52-yard touchdown, putting a dagger in the heart of a Raiders run defense that ranks last in the league and was coming off a BYE. Mostert would lead all rushers with 86-yards on just 7 carries, but would unfortunately suffer a gruesome arm injury that would end his season. All the Raiders would have to show for in the second half was a missed field goal attempt that would clink off the right upright as the Niners stormed away with a 34-3 victory.
With the win, San Francisco snaps its six-game losing-streak and improves to 2-7 on the year. Meanwhile, the team across the bay who in their first season (again) under head coach Jon Gruden, falls to 1-7 on the season, their third worst start in franchise history thru their first 8 games. Raiders quarterback David Carr who was sacked a total of seven times on Thursday, was held to only 171-yards passing on 16-of-21 attempts. As for Nick Mullens, the Southern Mississippi kid who wears his No. 4 jersey in honor of fellow Southern Miss. alum Brett Favre and who's school records he broke for both career passing yards and career passing touchdowns, the new kid on the block threw for 262-yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-22 pass attempts. Mullens would one-up his idol once more by logging a 151.9 passer rating in his first career start compared to the 144.6 rating put up in Favre's debut. Mullens' passer rating would be the highest in an NFL debut since 1990 with a minimum of 20 pass attempts and would earn him a phone call from the man himself as Favre called and congratulated Mullens following the game for his performance and first career victory.
Week 10 Preview - Playing host to the lowly New York Giants (1-7) on Monday Night Football before heading into their Week 11 BYE, the 49ers could very well be riding a two-game winning-streak when we see them again in Week 12. The lone team the Niners were able to beat a season ago with somebody not named Garoppolo under center, San Francisco will likely make it back-to-back victories against the G-Men. However, the Giants will be coming off a BYE and are likely to unleash rookie sensation Saquon Barkley who will have fresh legs and will look to make the Niners' win-streak a short-lived one. And again we might not know until kickoff who coach Shanahan elects to go with at the QB position as he refused to commit to Mullens even after he became the first Niners QB to throw for 250+ yards with at least 3 TD's and no interceptions since Colin Kaepernick did it in Week 6 of 2014. Not to mention Beathard's only career victory came against these Giants a year ago. While I'd like to think Mullens earned the right to start for a second consecutive game, I expect the Niners to pull off their second straight win regardless of who's at the helm come Monday.
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Week 8 - With the San Francisco 49ers hitting the road to visit the division rival Arizona Cardinals in the desert, the contest between the two 1-6 teams would be as winnable a game the Niners would see away from home this season. But having lost eleven straight games in the month of October and riding a seven-game losing-streak to the Redbirds, nothing would be easy, nor guaranteed for Kyle Shanahan's group. Looking to avenge a Week 5 loss at home in which the 49ers obliterated the Cardinals in almost every major statistical category and yet still suffered defeat, San Francisco would need to play a much cleaner game as the turnover department was the lone outlier in that contest, 5-0 in favor of Arizona.
Not only would the 49ers manage their first turnover-free game of the season, but they would also force a pair of turnovers to go along with a safety. By halftime, the 49ers took a 5-3 lead into the locker room in what resembled more of a baseball score, highlighted by a pair of field goals and a safety cashed in by the San Francisco defense. Collecting only their second interception of the season, Niners defensive back Jaquiski Tartt jumped in front of a pass intended for Arizona's Christian Kirk to come up with the rare pick that put his team in field goal range. After throwing for a career-high 349 yards in the earlier meeting between these two teams, quarterback C.J. Beathard had a more modest performance thru the air in the rematch, throwing for only 190 yards on Sunday. Receiver Marquise Goodwin would provide the only fireworks for the San Francisco offense as he caught a pass and turned on the afterburners to blow by Patrick Peterson for a 55-yard touchdown. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the 49ers took a 15-3 lead into the fourth quarter and appeared to be on their way to a second win of the season. But rookie quarterback Josh Rosen and long-time Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald would have other plans.
Having been a thorn in the side of the 49ers since being drafted in 2004, Fitzgerald has had plenty of memorable games throughout his illustrious career which will ultimately send him to Canton, Ohio one day. Sunday was another one of those games as the Cardinals lifer who tallied 102 yards on 8 receptions, caught a pass for the 219th straight game to inch his team closer in the early part of the fourth quarter as he hauled in a 13-yard score that landed him seventh on the NFL's all-time touchdowns list. Now trailing 15-10, the work of Rosen & Fitzgerald would be far from over, but would hit a bit of a speed-bump on their next possession as Cardinals tight-end Jermaine Gresham fumbled the ball after crossing midfield. The turnover would give the 49ers a golden opportunity to potentially score and put the game out of reach for good, but instead had virtually no effect as San Francisco suffered a costly sack that would put the ball back in Rosen's hands with just over two minutes remaining. After watching Aaron Rodgers work his magic just two weeks earlier to help Green Bay pull off the comeback victory that would hand the Niners a crushing loss, Rosen would pull a similar stunt.
Streaking past a defender in the back of the end zone, Rosen found a wide-open Christian Kirk for the go-ahead touchdown. Electing to go for the two-point conversion to make it a 3-point lead, Rosen and Fitzgerald would hookup once more to make it an 18-15 Arizona advantage with only 39 seconds remaining in regulation. With the tables suddenly turned and what was once a 12-point lead now squandered, Beathard and company would need to pull off some late-game heroics of their own to avoid another heartbreaking loss. After making it across midfield with one timeout and seven seconds remaining, the Niners were in need of a quick pass and a gain of 8-yards or so to give their kicker a shot at tying it. Unfortunately, things would end before Gould would be given that opportunity as an errant snap sailed over the head of Beathard, icing the game and handing San Francisco their 12th straight loss in the month of October, their eighth consecutive loss against Arizona and their sixth straight loss overall. Rosen who's only two career victories have come against San Francisco, became the first rookie QB to overcome a 12+ point deficit in the fourth quarter by throwing multiple TD passes since Andrew Luck in 2012. He would finish the game with 252 yards to go along with his pair of touchdowns and one interception.
Neither team's rushing attack would prove to be much of a factor on Sunday as Cardinals running back David Johnson rushed for a game-high 59 yards on 16 carries and remains without a single 100-yard rushing performance this season, failing to rush for more than 71 yards in a game all year. San Francisco's Matt Breida also logged 16 carries but only managed 42 yards on the ground in what was a game-time decision for the 49er running back. Kendrick Bourne would lead all 49ers receivers with 7 receptions for 71 yards. While Richard Sherman would collect his first quarterback sack since 2012 in what was a three sack performance by San Francisco's defense, the 49ers offensive-line allowed four sacks on Sunday which now ties them with the Cleveland Browns for allowing the most sacks this season with 31.
Week 9 Preview - The 49ers (1-7) will have to put their latest loss behind them quickly as they get set to host their Bay Area rival on Thursday Night Football when the 1-6 Raiders make the short trip from Oakland to Levi's Stadium. Coming off a 42-28 loss at home to the Colts in which the Raiders also blew a late lead by allowing 21 unanswered-points in the fourth quarter, the two struggling franchises will square off in what will likely be the last Battle of the Bay before the Raiders relocate to Las Vegas after next season. Playing without their first-string running back in Marshawn Lynch who is dealing with a groin injury that could keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season, what better way to bid their cross-bay rival a final farewell than to hand them their fourth straight loss of the season and seventh overall. With San Francisco having the third easiest strength of schedule the rest of the season, their best chance at stringing a winning streak together will be these next two weeks before heading into the Week 11 BYE. Whether those games will be played with C.J. Beathard under center for the 49ers or Nick Mullens is anyone's guess at this point as Shanahan might be considering a change at the QB position.
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Week 7 - Entering Week 7 against the unbeaten Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers would have to steer clear of the turnovers that have cost them time and time again this season if they wanted to put a dent in L.A.'s unblemished record. Instead, those costly mistakes would not shy away from rearing their ugly head as the division rival Rams made quick work of their struggling foe. Not only did the Niners commit a total of six turnovers in all, but L.A. made sure to capitalize on them when given the chance, scoring 24-points off of San Francisco turnovers. As if the NFC's highest-scoring offense needed help scoring points. That alone would be enough to seal the fate of the 49ers who have now lost 13 straight games in the month of October, the longest active streak in the NFL during that month.
One of the major issues for San Francisco coming into the game has been ball security, having already suffered 15 fumbles this season and wasting no time to add to that number on their first drive on Sunday. After forcing a three and out on the Rams' opening-possession, the 49er offense would make it to midfield before the flurry of turnovers began as quarterback C.J. Beathard was hit from behind by a Rams defender who jarred the ball loose and caused the fumble. And though L.A. would only get a field goal out of it, they would be given a second chance to strike paydirt just two possessions later as running back Matt Breida was stripped of the ball by Aaron Donald on the first play of the drive. For Donald, the forced fumble would be the start of a busy day for the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year as he finished the game with a career-high four sacks on the afternoon and single-handedly out-sacked the 49er defense who only logged two sacks as a unit. The second forced fumble of the opening quarter by the Rams would also jump start a trio of touchdowns scored by running back Todd Gurley who coming off his first career 200 rushing yard performance a week ago against the Broncos, would fail to hit the century mark against the Niners but found other ways to be effective.
Things would go from bad to worse for San Francisco as the struggles on offense made their way to the special-teams as punter Bradley Pinion had a punt blocked into the end zone that the Niners were fortunate enough to only suffer a safety from as the ball rolled out of bounds. Greg Zuerlein's second field goal of the day coupled with a touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Brandin Cooks after a Beathard interception, ran the score to 22-0 before the Niners finally got on the board. Prior to scoring their one and only touchdown in the last few seconds of the first half, San Francisco's first five possessions on Sunday would look like this -- fumble, punt, fumble, safety and interception. A head coach's nightmare, especially when facing a division rival and the last undefeated team in the league. Tight-end George Kittle would be one of the lone bright spots on the day for the Niners as he finished the game with five catches for a game-high 98 yards and a 9-yard touchdown that helped stop the bleeding and make it a 22-7 game at the half. Though it would only be a two-score game at halftime which meant Kyle Shanahan's team was still very much in it, Sean McVay's Rams knew they were in a good position to keep their winning-streak alive as they're a perfect 13-0 dating back to last season when scoring 15+ points in the first half.
Things would be just as ugly to start the second half for the 49ers as a three and out and interception stung the offense that managed only a field goal in the third quarter before being blanked in the fourth. For Robbie Gould, the 51-yard field goal would be his seventh straight made field goal of 50 yards or more. Todd Gurley's third and final touchdown, this time on a pass from Goff, ran the score to a final of 39-10. With the win, the Rams improve to 7-0 for the first time since 1985. As for Gurley who rushed for 63-yards on 15 carries, last year's Offensive Player of the Year and rushing touchdowns leader became just the third player in NFL history with at least 14 touchdowns in his team's first seven games of a season, joining Priest Holmes and Jim Brown. For Goff, a Bay Area product out of Cal, the Rams QB logged a clean performance by completing 18 of 24 passes for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the team he grew up rooting for. Beathard on the other hand threw for 170 yards and a touchdown to go along with a pair of picks on 15 of 27 passing.
While San Francisco has had no problem with committing the turnover, their inability to force the turnover has been well documented as the 49ers who were without their shutdown corner in Richard Sherman (calf), had a pair of would-be interceptions negated on drops. The first of which by safety Jaquiski Tartt who failed to come up with a gimme interception that went thru his hands and another by safety Adrian Colbert who had an interception ripped out of his hands by teammate Ahkello Witherspoon. Making matters worse, Colbert would be injured on the play and placed on IR with a high ankle sprain, adding to the laundry list of injuries the 49ers have already suffered this season. And then there's the lack of pressure put on the opposing quarterback as the 49ers logged only two sacks on Sunday compared to L.A.'s seven. All of which adding to the frustration that has been the 49ers' 2018 season and one of the many reasons this team is now 1-6 on the year.
Week 8 Preview - Hitting the road to take on the division rival (1-6) Cardinals in the desert, the 49ers will look to avenge their Week 5 loss at home and end their seven game losing-streak against Arizona who's only win of the season came at the hands of the 49ers. Coming off a 45-10 shellacking at home against the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, Josh Rosen and the Cardinals will be well rested when they play host to a 49ers team that has now lost five straight. Arizona's rookie QB who threw three picks in the loss to Denver, will look to make it a perfect 2-0 against a San Francisco team that is very much in need of a bounce-back win. Though they're unlikely to turn things around and compete for a playoff spot this season given the way their has season started, the 49ers are in an ideal position to get a winning-streak going as they'll be facing teams with a combined record of 3-wins and 17-losses these next three weeks (Cardinals, Raiders and Giants). If Kyle Shanahan's team can duplicate the performance they had against Arizona in Week 5, minus the costly turnovers -- three fumbles and two interceptions, they should be able to revisit the win column for the first time since Week 2 and end their woes against the redbirds.
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Week 6 - C.J. Beathard and the 1-4 San Francisco 49ers on the road taking on Aaron Rodgers and the 2-2-1 Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for a Monday Night showdown, sounds like a blowout, right? Instead, the Niners surprised virtually everyone by putting up a fight from start to finish and nearly pulling off the upset as Rodgers and the Pack were pushed to the brink. So much so that it would take a last-minute drive and some late-game heroics by a banged-up Rodgers who in a last-ditch effort would setup his friend and long-time teammate Mason Crosby for a game-winning field goal as time expired. An entertaining game from the opening drive, the ending albeit fitting, was almost something you'd expect to see in a script from Hollywood given the circumstances that took place just a week earlier for Crosby who redeemed himself in the biggest way possible.
A Monday night win at Lambeau would've been a huge step forward for Kyle Shanahan's Niners team who's still seeking their first win of the season since losing starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 3. Not to mention it would've continued San Francisco's streak of nine consecutive victories on Monday Night Football, the third longest streak in NFL history. But claiming Monday night win number ten was expected to be no easy task heading into the game as the Packers have not lost a home game with Rodgers under center in nine straight. Not to mention Rodgers has also been one known to bring his A-game on Monday Night as he entered the meeting against the team he grew up rooting for, owning a record of 5-1 in six career appearances on Monday Night. However, one thing we've grown to expect from a Kyle Shanahan coached team, is that he'll have his players ready to compete regardless of who they're playing or who's at quarterback. That much was very evident in this one against arguably the greatest quarterback in the league.
Like they've done in each of the past two weeks, the Niners once again came out swinging on offense to open the game. An impressive seven-play opening-drive touchdown would kick things off for the Niners as running back Matt Breida who entering the Monday Night affair as a game-time decision, began the scoring barrage that would take place in the first quarter. But the same issues that plagued San Francisco the week before in the home loss to Arizona, would once again appear on Green Bay's ensuing drive. It would almost seem like deja vu as the opposition answered with a big gain of their own just one play later. Similar to Josh Rosen's 75-yard bomb on the Cardinals' first play from scrimmage a week ago that answered an opening-drive touchdown by the Niners, the San Francisco defense once again fell victim to the big play as Rodgers connected with rookie receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 60-yard gain that would setup a Packers touchdown just three plays later. Then the nightmare that has been San Francisco's ball-handling or lack thereof this season, made its usual appearance. Rookie return man D.J. Reed who has already lost a fumble this season on kick returns, coughed up yet another one on the ensuing kick to give Green Bay the ball in scoring position. And though the Packers would be held to a field goal, it would only add to the laundry-list of fumbles San Francisco has already suffered this season. Unfortunately, the ball control woes wouldn't end there.
Before you knew it, the Niners and Packers went blow for blow and combined to score a total of 31-points in the first quarter alone, the second highest point total through an opening quarter in Monday Night Football history. After both teams exchanged touchdowns, a 9-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams and a 67-yard bomb from Beathard to Marquise Goodwin who returned to the field after missing the last game and being forced to watch most of this season from the sidelines while battling injuries, the Niners would gift the opposition with yet another generous fumble. One play into their next possession, a 21-yard reception from Beathard to Kyle Juszczyk would go up in flames as the Niners fullback fumbled the ball. The Packers would once again be held to a field goal following the turnover, but it would improve Green Bay's lead to six. But Beathard's second touchdown pass of the half to Goodwin, a 30-yard score coupled with a Robbie Gould field goal, gave San Francisco a 24-20 lead at the half. Holding a four-point lead heading into the third quarter, the Niners still had a long ways to go if they planned on logging their second win of the season, but had shown up to that point that they could pull this thing off if they played clean football the rest of the way.
Following a trio of field goals, San Francisco carried a 30-23 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining in regulation. Rodgers would have his team knocking on the door on their first possession of the fourth quarter before Packers head coach Mike McCarthy elected to go for it in the red zone on a 4th & 3 attempt as the Niner defense staved off Green Bay's chance to tie it, forcing a turnover on downs. Looking for another score to put the game out of reach or at the very least milk as much time as possible, Shanahan's offense suffered back to back three and outs and managed to only wipe off 3 minutes and 19 seconds from the clock on two possessions. As for Rodgers, the third time would be a charm as he began carving the Niners secondary like an expert surgeon. A 38-yard pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams would ignite the comeback as the two connected again just three plays later for the game-tying touchdown. Taking over at the two-minute warning, the 49ers were in perfect position to march down the field and at the very least setup Gould for a game-winning field goal once Richie James Jr. returned the ensuing kick to the 32 yard-line and was awarded an extra 15-yards at the Packers were hit with a late-hit. Several plays later, San Francisco found themselves facing a pivotal 3rd & 3, and instead of going for the short gain, Beathard went for the long-ball, taking a shot at the end zone to Goodwin. Only this time Beathard would be picked off as Packers cornerback Kevin King came up with the game-changing interception.
Taking over at their own 10-yard line with 1:07 remaining and no timeouts left, Rodgers went to work and reminded us all of his greatness. But not before catching a break on a key penalty that saved the day. Facing 3rd & 15 and pinned inside their own 20-yard line, Rodgers was sacked by DeForest Buckner for a 4-yard loss, but an illegal-contact call against Richard Sherman would give Green Bay new life with an automatic first down. Using his feet, Rodgers scampered for a 21-yard gain before utilizing the sidelines and connecting on passes of 8, 19 and 19 yards to setup Mason Crosby for the chance to send his team home with a win and redeem himself from missing four field goals and an extra-point that cost his team a win in Detroit the week prior. But thanks to his old buddy Rodgers, the 34-year old kicker who in his 11th season with the Packers, would be asked to make a 27-yard chip-shot to send his team home. And with time expiring, he would do just that as Green Bay pulled off the 33-30 win. Rodgers finished with 425 yards passing compared to Beathard's 245 as both QB's each logged a pair of touchdown passes through the air. Both Devante Adams who caught 10 passes for 132 yards and Marquise Goodwin who tallied 4 receptions for 126 yards, scored the only two touchdown passes thrown by their respective QB's. Meanwhile, Raheem Mostert led all rushers with 81-yards on 12 carries, followed by another solid performance by a less than healthy Matt Breida who ran for 61-yards on 14 carries.
Week 7 Preview - For San Francisco and coach Kyle Shanahan, the loss is a tough one to swallow as they've come so close to victory yet again, only to fall in such heart-breaking fashion. But things won't be getting any easier in Week 7 as the Niners return home to face the last remaining unbeaten team in the league in the 6-0 Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco will once again be tabbed as underdogs as they get set to renew rivalries with their division foe while on short rest. If facing the best team in the NFC isn't frightening enough, the Niners will be given the daunting task of having to stop last year's reigning Offensive Player of the Year in Rams running back Todd Gurley who's coming off his first career 200 yard performance on the ground. The match-up against Gurley will be a true test for a Niner defense that has been surprisingly tough against the rush up to this point this season. Rams quarterback Jared Goff will also be a tough assignment as the Bay Area native and Cal alum has been playing great this season under second-year head coach Sean McVay, but is looking to rebound from a so-so performance in Week 6 against Denver. The folks at NBC aren't expecting the Niners to put up much of a fight as the game was flexed from the station's Sunday Night Football slot now that Jimmy Garoppolo won't be under center for San Francisco. Hopefully that'll be added bulletin board material for Shanahan to help rally his team in hopes of pulling off the upset.
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Week 5 - Returning home to host the 0-4 Arizona Cardinals, the 1-3 San Francisco 49ers had a much different outcome in mind than the one that played out at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. If you looked up the offensive stats by both teams in the final box score, you'd be hard pressed to believe that it was the visiting Cardinals who walked away with the 28-18 victory. For a pair of NFC West rivals struggling for two different reasons -- the Cardinals who are rebuilding under first-year head coach Steve Wilks and the 49ers who were expected to take a huge step forward in their rebuild this season and perhaps even compete for a playoff spot before they were hit hard with injuries, Sunday's meeting would see more of the same from the two lowly franchises. Whether it was the 447 yards of total offense by the 49ers compared to Arizona's 220 or San Francisco's 33 first downs which more than tripled the Cardinals' 10, the 49ers dominated their opponent in almost every aspect of the game. Not to mention the 40:12 time of possession San Francisco owned in comparison to Arizona's 19:48. And then there's the 92 offensive plays that San Francisco ran which set a franchise record and dwarfed Arizona's 49 plays on offense. But the one area that Arizona managed to stay clean in where the 49ers continued to shoot themselves in the foot, was the turnover department as San Francisco turned the ball over five times and failed to force a single turnover on defense.
Entering Sunday's game last in offense, rookie quarterback Josh Rosen who in his second career start, would try to put an end to that dubious mark on Arizona's first play on offense. After the Niners opened the game with an impressive eight-play drive that was capped off by a Brett Favre shovel-pass from C.J. Beathard to Matt Breida, Rosen would need only one play to answer and put his team on the board. A 75-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Christian Kirk would even things up at six before former Niner kicker Phil Dawson gave his team a 7-6 lead as Robbie Gould failed to get a kick off on San Francisco's point-after attempt due to a poor snap and hold. Then began the miscues as San Francisco's next drive would last only two plays before a pass bounced thru the hands of receiver Pierre Garcon and into the paws of Cardinals defender Tre Boston. Things would only get worse as the Niners' fourth possession ended in a fumble after the Niners were beyond midfield and in enemy territory. Running back Matt Breida who had rushed for 56 yards on 8 carries in the first quarter, would leave the game with an ankle injury, making way for special-teams specialist and fourth-string running back Raheem Mostert who fumbled on his first carry of the day. Taking over in the red zone, Rosen would hand it off to David Johnson who scored on a 2-yard rush.
With already eight starters missing at least one half in the last two weeks, Breida would be the latest name added to the list as he would be ruled out for the rest of the game, taking away yet another weapon from Kyle Shanahan's offense that was already without receiver Dante Pettis and Marquise Goodwin on Sunday. Pierre Garcon would also go down with an injury, albeit briefly as he left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury before later returning after being checked by the medical staff. San Francisco's first drive of the second half would also end negatively as the 49ers were once again in enemy territory before Beathard was stripped from behind by Arizona's Chandler Jones who had a monstrous game on defense. Looking to redeem themselves one possession later, Robbie Gould's franchise record of consecutive made field goals would come to an end at 33 as he missed a 45-yard try at the start of the fourth quarter. Seeking the end zone for the first time since their touchdown-scoring opening-possession, the 49ers would get all the way to the 1-yard line before needing four plays to finally score on 4th down as Beathard connected with Trent Taylor alongside the front pylon for a touchdown. But a failed 2-point conversion attempt to tie the game, would give Arizona a 14-12 lead with under seven minutes remaining.
After forcing a three and out, another strip-sack of Beathard would doom San Francisco's hopes of taking a lead, only this time the fumble would be recovered and taken to the house by Arizona's Josh Bynes. A second interception by Beathard on their following possession would setup David Johnson's second rushing touchdown of the day. Beathard would inch his team closer with a garbage-time touchdown by running it in himself, but by then the self-inflicted miscues were already too much to overcome as San Francisco fell by a final of 28-18 to give the Cardinals their first win of the season and the first victory in the careers of head coach Steve Wilks and quarterback Josh Rosen. Coming off a career-high 298 yards passing in the Week 4 loss to the Chargers, QB C.J. Beathard surpassed that mark on Sunday by throwing for 349 yards in the loss as the 49ers have now dropped seven straight at the hands of the Cardinals, Arizona's longest active winning streak against an opponent. San Francisco's 92 plays on offense is tied for the third most plays run in a loss since 1990. If there's any silver lining from this game, it would be that the defense bounced back with a solid performance, holding the opposition to only 56 yards rushing and benefiting from the return of cornerback Richard Sherman logged another stellar outing despite playing at less than 100%.
Week 6 Preview - The 49ers will have an extra day off before they hit the field again when they make the trip to Lambeau to face the (2-2-1) Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. Coming off a 31-23 road loss to the division rival Lions in which Aaron Rodgers tallied 442 yards passing, the Pack will look to keep pace in the NFC North with the first place Chicago Bears. Like the Niners, the Packers dominated their opponent in total yards in Week 5, logging 521 yards of total offense to Detroit's 264. Also like San Francisco, the missed kicks and turnovers were what proved to be the difference as kicker Mason Crosby missed 4 of 5 field goal attempts and an extra-point, and a trio of fumbles including two by Rodgers dug too big a hole for Green Bay to climb out of. With a game-time temperature expected to be in the 40's, the 49ers will endure their first game in chilly weather this season, but nothing close to the frigid temperatures we've seen in San Francisco's recent trips to the frozen tundra. Off to their worst start to a season through the first five games since 2012 when Green Bay began 2-3, Kyle Shanahan will try rallying his guys to their first road win of the season and second victory overall. Hopefully this time around he'll have the duo of Goodwin and Pettis healthy and on the field. One guy he won't have available in time for Monday's game is Breida who will be sidelined for at least a week with a mid-ankle sprain.
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Week 4 - Road games in the month of September have been none too kind to the San Francisco 49ers. In fact, their last road win in the month of September came back in Week 1 of the 2014 season when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys on September 7, 2014. Since then, the Niners have dropped eight straight games away from home in September. And playing without their starting quarterback for the first time this season, those September woes were likely to continue against a Chargers team expected by many to compete for a Super Bowl this season. A pair of 1-2 teams chasing the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the league, leading their respective divisions -- Rams and Chiefs, the 49ers and Chargers were both eyeing their second win of the season when the two faced off at L.A.'s intimate StubHub Center. Playing in their second season since relocating to the Los Angeles area, the Chargers would elect to wear their road white uniforms on Sunday, allowing San Francisco to wear their home reds. It would be a fitting choice considering 75% of the 30,000 fans in attendance would be supporting the road team as the stands were full of red clad 49er fans, myself included.
Us Niner fans would have plenty to cheer for in the early going as the 49ers came out firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball to open the game. Winning the coin toss and electing to receive, Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense would put together a trio of drives they'd much rather forget. Facing third and long on their opening possession, Rivers would be picked off by safety Antone Exum who turned his first career interception into a pick-six touchdown to give San Francisco an early lead. After a punt on their next possession, the Chargers would once again come up empty as kicker Caleb Sturgis missed a 54-yard field goal in what would end up being an up and down ballgame for the L.A. kicker who was signed during the off-season. Taking over near midfield, 49ers QB C.J. Beathard would piece together what would ultimately end up being a respectable game serving as San Francisco's backup quarterback in the absence of starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Showing poise and quickness in his release, Beathard connected in the end zone with receiver Kendrick Bourne to give the Niners an early 14-0 lead. After watching the 49ers score a touchdown on offense, the Chargers were finally able to log one of their own as a wide-open Antonio Gates hauled in a pass from Rivers to put a dent into the deficit, but Sturgis would miss his first of two extra-points on the afternoon.
Looking to add to their lead, Beathard and company would produce a drive of 21-plays, the most by a 49ers team since 1993. Eating up 10 minutes and 44 seconds, kicker Robbie Gould would cap the long drive with his 32nd consecutive made field goal to add to his franchise record. Trailing 17-6 with 5:02 remaining in the half, Rivers would answer the call and rally his team to pull even just in time before the half. After striking for a 22-yard touchdown thru the air to running back Austin Ekeler and succeeding on the 2-point attempt, the 49ers appeared to be headed to the locker room with at least a 3-point lead before the Chargers turned a 56-yard punt return into a field goal to tie things up at 17-all heading into the half. The second half would see the tables turn as it was the 49ers who opened the third quarter ice-cold, virtually identical to how the Chargers opened the first. After a punt on a three and out to begin the half by San Francisco, Rivers would continue to pour it on as he threw his third and final touchdown pass on the afternoon, a 6-yard score to running back Melvin Gordon.
And just when the 49ers were on track to stop the bleeding, making it to the red zone and facing a first and goal at the Chargers 8-yard line, the self-inflicted miscues would once again begin to show their face as a pass to Garrett Celek bounced off his chest and into the hands of a Chargers defender who nearly took it the distance. An 86-yard return by Trevor Williams would set up another field goal by Sturgis, adding to the Chargers' onslaught of 20 unanswered-points and five consecutive scoring-drives. San Francisco had a chance to come up with a huge turnover of their own as a rare fumble by Melvin Gordon who hasn't lost a fumble in 28 games, was recovered by a pair of Niner defenders who collided and stepped out of bounds, ruling the ball dead and allowing the Chargers to continue the drive. Two possessions later, the 49ers would finally put an end to their second half skid when Beathard connected with his former college teammate George Kittle for an 82-yard touchdown, the longest by the 49ers this season and second longest of Beathard's career by one yard.
After forcing L.A. to punt on their ensuing possession, the 49ers had plans to retake the lead, but not before enduring a scary moment as a scrambling C.J. Beathard absorbed a shot to the chest that left the Niners QB rolling around in pain before being attended to by the medical staff. The big hit would result in third-string quarterback Nick Mullens to begin to warm up, but it turned out Beathard just had the air knocked out of him, as he returned on San Francisco's next possession. San Francisco would get a field goal out of it, jumping out to a 27-26 lead with under 13 minutes remaining in regulation. But the lead wouldn't last long as L.A. would retake the lead with a field goal of their own on their ensuing possession. But a pair of exchanged punts would put the ball in Beathard's hands late with a chance to lead his team to victory. Taking over at the 7 yard-line with 3:49 left in the 4th quarter, the Niners would see their comeback hopes come crashing down when a pair of rookies came up huge for the Chargers. 2018 first round pick Derwin James applied pressure with a hit on Beathard as he was releasing the ball, resulting in an interception that landed in the lap of Isaac Rochell with 2:31 remaining. Taking over in the red zone, the Chargers would milk the clock from there, sealing the 29-27 victory and give San Francisco their ninth consecutive road loss in the month of September.
Beathard would finish with a game-high 298 passing yards, a pair of touchdowns and a pair of unfortunate interceptions, both of which were far from his fault. As for Philip Rivers who shook off his shaky start to finish with 250 yards passing, three touchdowns and an interception, the 36-year old veteran moved to 8th place on the NFL's all-time passing yards list by leaping Hall of Famer John Elway. 49ers running back Matt Breida who entered the game tied for the league lead in rushing yards, finished with only 39 yards on the ground on nine carries, while adding another 32 yards on three receptions. Meanwhile, Chargers running back Melvin Gordon eclipsed the century mark with 104 rushing yards, benefiting from another lackluster performance by a 49er defense that came into the game having missed more tackles than any team in the league as Gordon broke off several big plays on the day after multiple blown tackles. Tight-end George Kittle finished with a game-high 125 receiving yards and is one of only three tight-ends to lead his team in both receptions and receiving yards this season. Pierre Garcon who caught four balls on Sunday for 52 yards, tallied his 131st consecutive game with a reception, the third longest active streak in the NFL behind only Larry Fitzgerald and Brandon Marshall.
Week 5 Preview - The 49ers will look to benefit from some home cooking when they return to Levi's Stadium for the first time since their Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions. Hosting the win-less (0-4) Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco hopes to get back into the win column as they face a division opponent for the first time this season and welcome a Cardinals team with a new head coach and a new rookie quarterback under center in Josh Rosen after the benching of Sam Bradford in Week 3. Making only his second career start following a last second loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Rosen will be called upon to breath life into the Cardinals offense as they've scored a league-low 37-points in four games after tallying a combined 6-points though the first two weeks. The 49ers defense, however, hoping to have Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman back in the lineup after watching Week 4 from the sideline with a calf injury, would prefer an easier outing on Sunday as they've already seen their fair share of talented quarterbacks through the first four weeks of the season. In comparison, the 49ers offense has scored 100 points so far this season and owns a point differential of -18, far from ideal, but nowhere close to Arizona's horrific -57 point differential which ranks worst in the NFL.
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Week 3 - For Niner fans, Sunday's game would seem like a bad dream. One you would wake up from the next day and hope wasn't real. Instead, the San Francisco fan base, collectively holding their breath since the 5:44 mark in the 4th quarter in hopes that it was only a strain their new franchise quarterback suffered and not a tear, would face the tough reality that they'd be without their QB for the rest of the season when that unfortunate news was confirmed on Monday. Trailing 38-24 and chipping away at what was once a 28-point deficit, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo was hard at work trying to get his team back into the game when the injury occurred. Facing pressure on a 3rd and goal and maneuvering out of the pocket to avoid a sack, Garoppolo broke free for positive yardage, but instead of stepping out of bounds to avoid any contact, decided to make a cut and stay in bounds while fighting for extra yardage before being met by a big hit put on by Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson. His decision, while respectable considering the urge to fight for every yard possible, is one Niner fans and the coaching staff alike would've preferred he never made. Slow to get up, Garoppolo sat out the next play and appeared to be shaken up by the helmet to helmet contact. However, replay would show Garoppolo's knee buckle on the cut that kept him in bounds. A replay that would haunt the coaching staff and deprive Niner fans of what could've been as their season is virtually all but lost just three weeks in.
Before kickoff, the Niners were riding high coming off their first win of the season, but knew they'd have a tough challenge ahead, facing Patrick Mahomes and the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) in their home-opener. The Chiefs would open as 6.5 point favorites and for good reason considering their blazing start and the fact that the 49ers hadn't won a game at Arrowhead since 1982 entering the game. And with the Chiefs scoring touchdowns on each of their first five possessions on Sunday for the first time in franchise history, including their third straight week with a touchdown on their opening-possession, the game appeared to be over by halftime. With 10 touchdown passes in his first two games, Patrick Mahomes who celebrated his 23rd birthday earlier in the week, continued to shine by adding another trio of touchdowns through the air on Sunday in the first half alone to set an NFL record with 13 touchdown passes through the first three weeks, breaking the previous mark held by Peyton Manning (12). Throw in a pair of easy first half touchdown runs by running back Kareem Hunt and Kansas City had built a 35 to 7 lead before a Robbie Gould field goal made it 35-10 at the half. San Francisco's lone trip to the end zone in the first half would come on a wide-open pass that fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in from Garoppolo and took 35-yards for the easy score.
Though it's been Kansas City's offense that has stolen all of the headlines through the first two weeks, their defense on the other hand has allowed over a thousand yards of offense and an average of 32 points per game to the opposition. Something Kyle Shanahan and company would take note of and try to expose at halftime. After forcing Kansas City's first punt of the ballgame in the third quarter, San Francisco opened the second half similar to how the Chiefs did the first, as Jimmy G and the Niners manufactured touchdown scoring drives in each of their first two possessions in the third quarter to make it 35-24 game. An 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver Marquise Goodwin who returned to the field after sitting out in Week 2 with a quad injury, and a 3-yard touchdown run by Alfred Morris gave the Niners new life as they found themselves right back in it with just under 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter. San Francisco appeared to be destined for the end zone for a third consecutive drive before Garoppolo suffered the injury and needed to be carted off the field, igniting the uncertainty regarding his status that would follow into Monday afternoon.
Backup C.J. Beathard came in to takeover for the injured Garoppolo under center and on his first play, linked up in the end zone with tight-end George Kittle for a touchdown on fourth down. However, a heinous offensive pass-interference call in the end zone against fullback Kyle Juszczyk wiped the touchdown off the board as coach Kyle Shanahan elected to go for the field goal with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. It would be their last possession of the game as Andy Reid's Chiefs become only the third team in NFL history to score 38-points or more in the first three games to start a season, before milking the clock to seal the 38-27 win. But that was the least of Shanahan's problems as he and his staff feared for the worst and faced the potential of a bigger loss. If the injury to Garoppolo didn't make you sick, the poor tackling and plethora of penalties committed by the Niners should've done the trick as San Francisco was flagged 14 times for 147 yards in penalties compared to K.C.'s six flags for 48 yards.
Before the injury, Garoppolo tossed for 251 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 of 30 pass attempts and received some much needed help in the ground game as running back Matt Breida ran for 90-yards on Sunday to go along with another 27 yards receiving. Through the first three weeks, Breida remains the league's leading rusher with 274 yards rushing and has been a nice jolt alongside Alfred Morris after the team learned just days before the season that they'd be without running back Jerrick McKinnon for the year. With both McKinnon and now Garoppolo lost for 2018, what started off as a promising season for the 49ers is now a season fans would prefer to hit the reset button on. Rubbing salt into the wound that has been San Francisco's 2018 season thus far, Garoppolo was also joined by cornerback Richard Sherman who needed to be helped off the field and taken to the locker room at the half as he suffered a strained calf that will cause him to miss the next 2-3 weeks. Sherman's absence is one the Niner defense can ill-afford given he's been one of the very few bright spots that has shined in what's been a putrid showing by the defense.
Week 4 Preview - Heading back to sunny California, the 49ers will take a trip down south to face the (1-2) Los Angeles Chargers in regular season match for the first time since their relocation from San Diego two years ago. Coming off a 35-23 defeat at the hands of the L.A. Rams in which the Chargers allowed their cross-town counterparts to rack up over 500-yards of total offense, it's unlikely the Niners will come anywhere close to that mark with Beathard under center, but they'll most certainly try. From facing one talented quarterback to another, the Niners will look to contain Philip Rivers and his big-body targets as Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Mike Williams, Antonio Gates, Virgil Green and even running back Melvin Gordon all measure in at 6-foot 1-inch or taller, a tall order for the Niners' mediocre secondary. Meanwhile, Beathard will look to rekindle his chemistry with tight-end George Kittle whom he connected with plenty of times in their rookie season last year and even before that at the University of Iowa. If the Niners defense can finally muster up a strong outing and the duo of Alfred Morris and Matt Breida can find some holes with the Chargers missing their best player on defense in Joey Bosa who's been nursing a foot injury, San Francisco might have a chance at evening their record on the road.
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Week 2 - Making the playoffs after falling to 0-2 to start a season in the NFL is no easy task. In fact, of the 92 teams that have opened a season 0-2 all-time, only 10 have went on to make the postseason which translates to a 12% success rate. And with both the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions falling in Week 1, both teams would much rather escape Week 2 with a victory and not have to test that statistic. After shooting themselves in the foot on multiple occasions and blowing several opportunities that resulted in a Week 1 loss against the Minnesota Vikings, the 49ers knew they'd have to tidy things up and play a much cleaner game if they wanted to get into the win column in Week 2, despite facing an opponent not nearly on the level of Minnesota. And hosting an 0-1 Lions team still searching for its identity under first-year head coach Matt Patricia whom 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo knows quite well dating back to the time they shared in New England where Patricia served as defensive coordinator, the 49ers would do just that. It wouldn't be easy, however, as the game quickly turned from being a blowout to a nail-biter that came down to the final drive.
Coming off a 48-17 shellacking on Monday Night against the visiting New York Jets which saw Pro Bowl quarterback Matthew Stafford throw four interceptions, the Lions appeared to be destined for a similar fate in Week 2 when they found themselves down by 17-points with under eleven and a half minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. But those interceptions which doomed Detroit in Week 1, never showed their face on Sunday as this time around it was Stafford's play-making ability that kept the Lions in the game, nearly pulling off the comeback. For San Francisco, their ground attack was on point virtually all afternoon long and wasted no time to get going as 49ers running back Matt Breida began what would ultimately be a career day for the second-year back with a 28-yard run on the offense's first play from scrimmage. But like they did so often in the season-opening loss, the Niners would once again sputter after marching into the red zone thanks to back-to-back sacks. Instead of opening the game with a touchdown, San Francisco would settle for a field goal. After taking an early lead, the 49ers would watch Detroit answer with a touchdown as a mental error in coverage by cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon allowed Lions receiver Kenny Golladay to catch a wide-open pass and take it to the 5-yard line before spinning his way into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Unfortunately for Detroit, it would be the only time the 49ers would trail as they would answer right back to recapture a lead they would never relinquish.
Orchestrating a 13-play drive that continued into the 2nd quarter, Garoppolo would not be denied on San Francisco's second trip inside the red zone, capping things off with a short 4-yard pass to a wide-open Kendrick Bourne who hauled in his first career touchdown reception, making it a 10-7 ballgame. With both QB's logging a much cleaner game in the turnover department on Sunday than in their season-opener's when they combined for seven total interceptions, Stafford's only blemish against the Niners would come in the second quarter when he was sacked and stripped of the ball by linebacker Elijah Lee who filling in for the injured Brock Coyle (concussion), would make his presence felt. But again, the Niners would only get a field goal out of it as Robbie Gould converted on his 28th consecutive made field goal, setting a new franchise record which he would later add to. Getting the ball back with less than a minute remaining before the half, Detroit would look to put any points they could onto the board as Matt Prater inched the Lions closer to make it a 13-10 San Francisco lead at halftime.
Opening the second half with some fireworks, rookie return man D.J. Reed would take the opening kickoff of the second half some 101-yards to the house before being called for a face masking penalty. Despite the call, the 49ers would setup shop within striking distance at the 26-yard line in enemy territory. Four plays later, Garoppolo would connect for his second touchdown pass of the day, throwing a dart to tight-end Garrett Celek for the 11-yard score. A few drives later, the 49ers would unleash Matt Breida who carried the ball 11 times on Sunday, but none bigger than the career-long 67-yard rushing touchdown that would also set a career-high in rushing yards as he tallied 138 to go along with 21 yards receiving. What won't show up on the box score is the superb blocking by Niners receiver Pierre Garcon that allowed Breida to reach the end zone on the big gain. He would also collect a team-high 4 receptions for 57-yards receiving. Robbie Gould's third and final made field goal on the day would make it a 30-13 lead that appeared to be out reach for Detroit given how the first three quarters went. But not so fast as the 17-point deficit instead appeared to be the fuel Matthew Stafford and company would need in order to get going.
Entering the 2018 season as the only quarterback in NFL history to record seven consecutive seasons of 4,000+ passing yards before reaching the age of 30, Stafford looked the part in the fourth quarter like he's done so often throughout his career. And with 30 career game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime under his belt, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2009 would try to make it 31 as the Niners were forced to fend off a late surge by the Lions QB. And a 67-yard reception to receiver Golden Tate would be the first big play to help ignite Detroit's attempt at a comeback as Stafford threw a touchdown pass just two plays later. For a moment it appeared Stafford would get some much needed help from the Lions special-teams. After forcing a three and out on San Francisco's ensuing possession, Lions punt-returner Jamal Agnew returned a punt 73-yards for a touchdown before receiving the bad news of an illegal block in the back penalty that nullified the big play. Stafford would once again have to do things the hard way as he marched his team down the field before tossing a touchdown pass to tight-end Michael Roberts inside the end zone. What was once a 17-point deficit at the start of the 4th quarter was now 3-point game with less than 3:30 remaining in regulation.
As if things couldn't get anymore dramatic, the Niners who were in need of a big drive to either score or chew up as much time as possible, caught a huge break when what appeared to be a pick-six thrown by Garoppolo, was called back on a defensive-holding call away from the ball. Levi's Stadium would collectively share a sigh of relief, but still weren't off the hook as the 49ers offense was able to erase two minutes and some change from the clock before a sack on Garoppolo forced San Francisco to punt, giving Detroit one final chance. Pinned back at their own 16-yard line and out of timeouts, Stafford and co. would have 1 minute and 8 seconds to either tie and send things into overtime or win the ballgame. And while the Lions would make it interesting, San Francisco's defense would bend but not break as back-to-back incompletions on 3rd and 4th down spelled doom for Detroit as they turned the ball over on downs, sealing the Niners' 30-27 victory. Garoppolo logged a clean 206 yards passing and 2 touchdowns on 18 for 26 pass attempts, meanwhile, Stafford completed 34 of 53 attempts for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns in the loss.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan congratulated his team on the win in the locker room after the game and admitted that wins in NFL are hard to come by, but shouldn't be nearly as hard as his team made it seem on Sunday, hinting that they got too comfortable and took their foot off the pedal. Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman took some of that blame and pinned it on the players on defense for nearly allowing Detroit to complete the comeback while also praising the great game called by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Playing with a banged up Mike Person at guard and without Joshua Garnett (foot) at the same position, the 49ers offensive-line allowed Detroit to get to San Francisco's expensive quarterback for a total of six sacks on Sunday, despite the Lions being without their best pass rusher in Ziggy Ansah who was inactive with a shoulder injury. Protecting the quarterback will most certainly be a point of emphasis in Week 3 if the 49ers hope to stand any chance in going toe to toe with their next opponent who looks as good as anybody thru the first two weeks of the season.
Week 3 Preview - The 49ers will hit the road in Week 3 and will look to build upon their first win of the season as they head to Arrowhead to take on the 2-0 Kansas City Chiefs. Among the biggest surprises in the early going of the 2018 NFL season is the red-hot start by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes who in his first-year at the helm, has dazzled at the QB position having tossing an NFL-record 10 touchdown passes through the first two games to start a season. And with such targets as Travis Kelce, Tyreke Hill and Sammy Watkins among others to choose from, there's no telling if and when Mahomes will show any signs of slowing. If an MVP Award was given to a player in the first two weeks of the season, it's likely Mahomes would be the recipient of that award. But the Niner defense won't shy away from the challenge as they look to crash the party and hand K.C. their first loss of the season in their home-opener. One player who will be added to that defense and will be making his season-debut is second-year linebacker Reuben Foster who will see his first action of the season after serving a two-game suspension which was handed down after a troublesome off-season that many thought was likely the end of his career in a Niner uniform. The 49er offense will also hope to welcome back one of their own as receiver Marquise Goodwin is currently ruled as questionable as he missed half of Week 1 and all of Week 2 with an injured quad. If he's able to play, Garoppolo will look to utilize his speed like K.C. does with the many deep threats they posses.
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