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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Seventh Time a Charm for Rams who Knock off 49ers in Bid to Super Bowl

NFC Championship - Facing off on Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line would be two NFC West foes and longtime rivals in the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Also going toe to toe would be two longtime friends and former colleagues in Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, a pair of head coaches who have both helped turn around their franchises and each with a Super Bowl appearance under their belt. Unfortunately, as much as one would like to see the other succeed, only one would move on to the big game, while the other would be sent home to witness the Super Bowl from afar. With one team's dreams of making it to Super Bowl Sunday coming true, the other would see their hopes slip away. And for the 49er Faithful, the hopes and dreams of their team hoisting that elusive sixth Super Bowl title remained just that -- elusive. 

Heading into the matchup, many believed the winner of the game would be determined by which quarterback would commit the fewest amount of mistakes. And for nearly four full quarters, that QB appeared to be San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo. That was until the 49ers' final drive of the game when disaster struck. But long before an all around collapse by San Francisco and Jimmy G's costly mistake, coach Shanahan appeared to have the upper hand yet again against his old buddy McVay. Having swept the Rams in the regular season for the third consecutive season and seeking their seventh straight victory over L.A., the 49ers were able to keep the Rams' high-powered offense off the scoreboard in the first quarter as the two teams headed into the second quarter scoreless. After both teams exchanged three and out punts to open the game, the Rams marched their way to the red zone before an interception from quarterback Matt Stafford inside the 5-yardline. Getting a hand on a pass intended for L.A.'s Cooper Kupp was San Francisco's K'Waun Williams who's battled ball fell right into the lap of teammate Jimmie Ward who hauled in his third interception of the season, all against Stafford. 

Though they would miss the opportunity on their first trip to the red zone, Stafford would capitalize on their second chance, finding Kupp all alone in the end zone for the easy touchdown to cap off a 97-yard drive, their longest of the season. Answering with a touchdown of their own, the 49ers setup shop within striking distance after a big play along the sideline from Garoppolo to Brandon Aiyuk. Several plays later, the Niners' biggest play-maker this season would show up once again when Deebo Samuel caught a screen-pass and took it 44-yards to the house for the score. When the Rams failed to convert on a go-ahead 54-yard field goal from kicker Matt Gay on their ensuing possession, the 49ers' Robbie Gould showed his counterpart just how its done as the Niners got him within range to bang thru a 38-yarder to give San Francisco a 10-7 lead at the half. Gould would extend his perfect mark in the postseason with another field goal to make him 21-for-21, the most makes without a miss in the Super Bowl era. After the 49ers punted away their first possession of the second half, the Rams turned the ball over on downs when a QB sneak attempt from a yard out went awry. Taking advantage of the stop, the 49ers would add to their lead when Garoppolo hit tight-end George Kittle in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown, the first of Kittle's career in the postseason. 

Entering the fourth quarter trailing by 10, the Rams would answer with a touchdown of their own when Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp in the end zone for a second time. Bringing his team within a field goal, Kupp who won the triple-crown this year among NFL wide-outs, became the first receiver in league history to have three games of 100+ receiving yards against a single opponent in a single season as the 49ers' secondary continued to struggle and failed to find an answer for the 2022 All-Pro. And just when the Rams began to finally show a late surge of offense, San Francisco suddenly couldn't find any of their own as the offense punted on each of their first two possessions of the fourth quarter, and both times, the Rams would add a field goal. But before the field goal that ultimately tied the game at 17-all, the biggest play of the game for San Francisco would be the one that never happened when safety Jaquiski Tartt failed to come up with a gimme interception that would've came up clutch and put San Francisco in prime position to add to their lead late with under 10 minutes remaining. Reminding us all why he's a defensive-back and not a receiver, Tartt fell to the ground in disbelief when he bobbled what should've been an easy pick.

Instead of adding to their lead, the 49ers quickly found themselves trailing by a field goal with just under two minutes remaining after a second field goal from Matt Gay. In desperate need of a score to either tie the game or take the lead, things began to sputter and the offensive-line started shuffling at the worse possible time. Facing a 3rd and 13, pressure would be applied to Garoppolo from Aaron Donald who had been quiet up to that point, forcing the Niners signal-caller to get off an errant shovel pass that tipped off the hands of his target in JaMycal Hasty and into the hands of a Rams defender to seal the game, 20-17, Rams. Sadly for the 49ers, a 10-point fourth quarter lead and a stadium invasion as red-clad Niner fans took over L.A.'s SoFi Stadium yet again, proved to not be enough when it was all said and done. 

In what's likely to be the final game of QB Jimmy Garoppolo's career in San Francisco, the Niners signal-caller finished with 232 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. As for his counterpart, Matthew Stafford threw for 337 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Neither team would do a whole lot on the ground, making way for big games through the air from San Francisco's Deebo Samuel and the Rams' tandem of Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. Finishing with 4 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown, Deebo also added another 26 yards on 7 carries to give him 2,061 scrimmage yards on the year, the most by a WR in a single season in 49ers history (including playoffs), surpassing Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's mark of 2,006 scrimmage yards in 1995. As for L.A.'s dynamic duo, Kupp finished with 11 receptions for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, becoming only the third Ram ever to haul in 2+ touchdowns in a playoff game. Meanwhile, Beckham had his most productive outing since Week 6 of 2019, catching nine balls for 113 yards to snap a drought of 33 straight games without 100+ receiving yards. 

Another noteworthy performance was that of San Francisco's Nick Bosa. Only three years into his young career and two trips to the playoffs, Bosa tallied another 1.5 sacks on Sunday, passing Hall of Famer Charles Haley (7.5) for the most postseason sacks by a 49ers player since sacks became an official stat in 1982. After missing virtually all of last season after blowing out his knee, Bosa has 0.5+ sacks in each of his six career playoff games, the second longest streak since sacks became official. With a record of 15-6 when leading by 10+ points at any point in the game since 2020 (including playoffs), San Francisco's six losses are the most losses by any team in the NFL in that span. As for the Rams who are 2-23 when trailing by 10+ points in the second half under coach McVay, at least his team knows how to pick them as both wins have come in the NFC Championship game. Adding salt to the wound for Niner fans everywhere, the Rams overcame a fourth quarter deficit of 10+ points to win a game for the first time since Week 1 of the 2013 season (vs Arizona), this after 49 straight losses in such situations. 

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Good as Gould, Niners knock off top-seeded Packers at Lambeau

NFC Divisional Round - Entering the playoffs as the one team nobody wanted to face in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers, winners of 8 of their last 10 games, proved it with their win against Dallas a week ago and then once again on Saturday when taking on the top-seeded Green Bay Packers at the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Playing a game in below freezing degree weather for the first time since the 2013 Wild Card round, which also featured the 49ers and Packers at Lambeau and ended in similar fashion, San Francisco would need to do something that no team had done this season by defeating Green Bay at home. With a perfect record of 8-0 at home this season, who better to reverse the curse than the Niners who have continued to be a thorn in the side of Aaron Rodgers throughout his postseason career (0-3 vs SF). However, Saturday's meeting at Lambeau would take on a completely different tone to start the game than any of the previous playoff bouts between Rodgers and the Niners, as well as the game that took place just a week earlier for the 49ers in Dallas. 

After a blazing start on both sides of the ball against the Cowboys, the 49ers were upended right out of the gates as Green Bay received the opening kickoff and did just about anything they wanted to on their way to marching down the field for an easy score. With no answer for Pro Bowl wide-receiver Devante Adams in their Week 3 meeting earlier this season, Rodgers continued to find his favorite target wide-open on Green Bay's opening-drive as the two caused fits for the San Francisco secondary by connecting on three plays for 35 yards. From there, Packers running back A.J. Dillon would do the rest as Green Bay scored with ease. As for the 49ers offense, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who had never played in a game throughout his career with the weather below 40 degrees, the Niners signal-caller certainly looked the part for much of the first half. With the temperature as low as 13 degrees at kickoff and a wind chill of 2 degrees, things would only get colder as the game wore on and the snowfall picked up. Putting things nicely, San Francisco's offense would get off to a sluggish start by going three and out on four straight drives to open a game for the first time since 2009. 

By the end of the first quarter, the Niners would have a whopping -7 yards of total offense to their name as dropped balls haunted San Francisco early and often. The -7 yards through the first quarter would be the 2nd fewest in a playoff game in the last 30 seasons and San Francisco's fewest to start a game since at least 2000 (including playoffs). Luckily for them, the defense would manage to contain Rodgers and co. the rest of the way, outside of a few big plays. Catching a break on defense, the 49ers were able to put a stop to Green Bay's second offensive possession when All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner forced a fumble on Packers tight-end Mercedes Lewis, but were unable to do anything with it. San Francisco's offense would finally show signs of life on their final possession of the first half when they marched inside the 10 yard-line, but a penalty and an errant pass would sour their hopes of scoring any points before the half. Rookie running back Elijah Mitchell appeared to rush the 49ers on the door step inside the Green Bay 5 yard-line, but the play would bring them back to the 19 yard-line after a holding call on left-tackle Trent Williams. One play later, Garoppolo would escape a pair of sacks, only to be intercepted on a pass intended for George Kittle. 

Hoping to at least head into the locker room at the half trailing 7-0, the 49ers nearly saw their deficit double when Packers running back Aaron Jones leaked out from behind the San Francisco secondary when safety Jimmie Ward was caught snoozing. The result of the play would be a 75-yard reception from Jones, before safety Jaquaski Tartt came through in the clutch by not giving up on the play and tracking down the Packers running back who appeared to be off to the races. After getting a big sack from Nick Bosa for a 5-yard loss, the Packers would setup for a Mason Crosby field goal from 39 yards out. Making up for his mistake just three plays earlier, Ward would find an opening and get a hand up to block the field goal attempt to keep it a one-score game. San Francisco would use the little momentum gathered from the big stop on special-teams by fueling their first scoring-drive of the game as Deebo Samuel ignited a spark with a 45-yard kick return to open the second half. The 49ers seemed destined to find the end zone at last, but a penalty for face-masking by the ball carrier Elijah Mitchell would pin the offense back another 15-yards. An additional infraction on the very next play for illegal-formation would force the 49ers to settle for a field goal which made it a 7-3 ballgame. 

After a successful field goal from Crosby to open the fourth quarter for Green Bay, San Francisco's offense would make another trip inside the red zone before a gamble by coach Shanahan on a 4th and 1 from the 19 yard-line. Dialing up a run play to Mitchell, the 49ers run game was stuffed as they turned the ball over on downs. But just like the two turnovers prior, the ensuing offense would fail to do anything of note. Following an 11-yard sack by Niners defensive-tackle Arik Armstead who brought down Rodgers for his second time of the night, the Packers were pinned back deep near their own end zone for a punt when San Francisco's special-teams came through once again. Getting a hand on the punt by Corey Bojorquez was defensive-end Jordan Willis who came up with the huge block that sent everyone in a frenzy, unsure of where the ball would land. After it was all said and done, Niners rookie safety Talanoa Hufanga recovered the ball cleanly and walked it into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. The blocked punt touchdown would be the first of its kind in 49ers franchise history in the playoffs and the first career touchdown for Hufanga. In front of a stunned Lambeau Field, the 49ers who had crept back into a game they showed little life in thru much of the first three and a half quarters, suddenly found themselves in prime position to steal another playoff victory from the grasps of Aaron Rodgers, all while riding multiple big plays on special-teams which had been their Achilles heel virtually all season long. Instead, that weakness was now winning them a must-win game. 

After forcing a three and out punt on Green Bay's following drive, Jimmy Garoppolo would get yet another chance to silence the critics as the offense began to march. No one play would be bigger than the one from the Green Bay 38 yard-line as the Niners faced a 3rd and 7. Handing the ball off to Deebo Samuel, San Francisco's secret weapon dashed for a 9-yard gain to pick up the monumental first down, setting up some late-game heroics from veteran kicker Robbie Gould. Stepping up to attempt the biggest kick of his career with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line, Gould would split the uprights from 45-yards out to complete the walk-off victory for the 49ers. Sending his team to the next round, the kick would be Gould's 20th made field goal in as many tries in the postseason, the most makes without a miss in the Super Bowl era. With the win, San Francisco improved to 7-5 all-time in the playoffs vs #1 seeds and are 1 of 5 franchises with a winning record in such games. Becoming the first team since the 1988 Buffalo Bills to block a field goal and a punt in the same playoff game, coach Shanahan's Niners became just the fourth team since 2000 to win a playoff game without an offensive touchdown. 

While neither team's quarterback wowed us with their statistics on Saturday (Garoppolo: 11 of 19 for 131 yards passing and 1 interception, Rodgers: 20 of 29 for 225 yards), the game did a lot for the overall postseason record of both QB's. What's likely to be the end of the road for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, the future Hall of Fame QB and favorite to take home the MVP Award this season for a second consecutive season, has now fallen to 0-4 vs the 49ers in the playoffs, the worst record by any QB vs a single team in the playoffs since 1950. The loss also drops Rodgers to a mediocre 11-10 in his career as a starter in the playoffs and 7-9 since his lone Super Bowl win back in 2010. Though he did manage to surpass his mentor Brett Favre (5,855) for the 4th-most postseason passing yards in NFL history. Entering the game needing 1 passing touchdown to surpass 49ers great Joe Montana for 2nd-most playoff passing TD's in NFL history, Rodgers who was sacked five times by the 49ers defense, was held touchdown-less for the first time in a playoff game since the 2010 NFC Championship win vs the rival Chicago Bears. Unfortunately for him, his Packers have now lost 7 playoff games at home over the last 20 seasons which are the most in the NFL in that span. 

As for his counterpart, Garoppolo now owns a career record of 21-6 (.778) as a starter on the road, 2nd-highest win percentage in the NFL since the 1970 merger, including playoffs with a minimum of 25 starts. Garoppolo is also 4-1 in his career as a starter in the playoffs, the highest postseason win percentage as a starting QB in 49ers history. Following Saturday's game, California teams are now 3-12 when playing in Green Bay during the months of December and January since 1950, including playoffs. The team that has won all three times? -- the 49ers. 

49ers-Rams Preview: The stage is now set for the NFC Championship as the 49ers will travel to southern California to face the Los Angeles Rams for a third time this season in a battle between division rivals. While the Niners swept the season series against the Rams this season and are riding a six-game winning streak against their fellow NFC West counterparts, beating anybody three times in a season doesn't happen often and certainly doesn't come easy. After taking out the rival Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round, the Rams knocked off Tom Brady and the defending champion Buccaneers in Tampa, but not before another blown lead and some late drama. If the last match-up between these two teams which took place just three weeks ago is any indication of how things will play out in the NFC title game, San Francisco should feel right at home as their fans showed up in droves for the regular season-finale. However, the Rams are trying to put a stop to that and avoid a repeat of another red and gold invasion as they've teamed up with NFL partners Ticket Master to cancel fans outside of the greater Los Angeles area from purchasing tickets to the big game. Scared, much? With a ticket to the Super Bowl on the line in the same stadium that they'll be in this weekend, Shanahan and the 49ers will look to make it a seventh consecutive victory over Sean McVay and the Rams. 

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49ers Beat Cowboys in Wild Playoff Win

Super Wild Card Weekend - A day after the 26th anniversary of the San Francisco 49ers beating the Dallas Cowboys in the 1995 NFC Championship that punched the Niners' ticket to Super Bowl 29, the two teams would renew their rivalries in the playoffs on Sunday, marking the first time since 1998 that both teams made the playoffs in the same season. In the first playoff meeting between these two storied franchises since three straight bouts in the NFC Championship from 1992-94, Sunday's game would be another classic in the long standing rivalry. In fact, the last four times the 49ers and Cowboys met in the playoffs, the winner went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and win the Super Bowl (1981, 1992, 1993, 1994). 

Entering the game facing a Dallas Cowboys (12-5) team that made history by becoming just the third team since 1960 to lead the NFL in total offense, scoring offense and takeaways, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers (10-7) squad knew their first round opponent would not be a walk in the park. However, through much of the game and most of the first half, San Francisco would have their way with Dallas on both sides of the ball. Receiving the opening-kickoff and starting the game on offense, the 49ers' success since the second half of the season would roll right into their first possession of the ball game as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo helped orchestrate a touchdown-scoring drive right out of the gates. Taking a stranglehold from the first play on, the 49ers found the end zone with a 4-yard rushing touchdown from rookie running back Elijah Mitchell. Equally as impressive would be San Francisco's defense, starting the game with a QB sack on 3rd and long to force a Dallas punt. Adding a pair of Robbie Gould field goals on each of their next two possessions, the 49ers would quickly jump out to a 13-0 advantage. 

Dallas' high-powered offense was held off the scoreboard and out of the end zone for the entire first quarter, a trend Cowboys fans have grown accustomed to considering the dubious streak has now reached seven straight home playoff games in which the Cowboys have failed to score a 1st quarter touchdown. You'd have trace back to the 1996 Wild Card game to find the last touchdown scored by a Cowboy in the first quarter -- a 2-yard TD run by Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman. However, it wouldn't be long before Dallas' league-best offense eventually found the end zone as Dak Prescott hit Amari Cooper in the end zone for a 20-yard score. Adding another field goal to give the Niner offense four straight scoring-drives to start the game, San Francisco went into their locker room at the half boasting a 16-7 lead. While confident with a double-digit lead at the half, the 49ers knew first-hand that they could not take their foot off the pedal after being in a similar predicament themselves a week ago when the roles were reversed and the Niners found themselves in a 17-0 hole to the division rival Rams. 

With both teams exchanging punts to open the second half, the 49er defense would force the game's first turnover when a Dak Prescott pass was intercepted by K'Waun Williams who had missed the season-finale against the Rams after being placed in Covid protocols. Returning to the field in a big way, the San Francisco offense knew just what to do with the takeaway. Following the turnover, receiver Deebo Samuel went up to coach Shanahan and demanded the ball on the very next play. The first time All-Pro wide-out would get his wish and the ball, taking it 26-yards to the house for a touchdown to put his team ahead, 23-7. Looking to put the rare Prescott interception behind them and his first since Week 14, it wouldn't be until the fourth quarter when Dallas would finally piece together some success. After adding a Greg Zuerlein field goal to make it a 23-10 ballgame thanks to a successful fake-punt attempt, the Cowboys would find themselves a golden opportunity after an errant pass from Garoppolo was picked off on San Francisco's ensuing possession. Capitalizing on the turnover just like the Niners did, Dak and company would make it a six-point game as the Cowboys signal-caller ran it in himself for a 5-yard score. 

Leading 23-17, the 49ers suddenly found themselves in a vulnerable position after suffering a trio of injuries on defense as Jordan Willis (ankle) and Pro Bowlers Nick Bosa (concussion) and Fred Warner (ankle) were all forced to leave the game with injuries. After San Francisco failed to make it a two-score game, the 49er defense would be asked to step up and deliver a much needed stop. Facing a 4th and 11 near midfield, the Niners D would answer the call by forcing a turnover on downs. In need of a big first down, the 49ers thought they had the game won on a handoff to Deebo Samuel as the referees called on the chain gang and gave him a first down that would've sealed the win. However, further review would show Deebo just shy of the first down marker, bringing up 4th and inches. Dialing up a QB-sneak, Garoppolo appeared to gain the first down, but not before a false start penalty on Trent Williams. Punting the ball back to Dallas, the Cowboys would get one final shot with 40-seconds remaining and no timeouts left. Prescott and company would move the chains on back to back completions of 20 and 10 yards, before a 9 yard pass got them to the 50 yard-line. But it would be there where the Cowboys turned into their own worst enemy and the drama intensified as Prescott ran up the middle for a 17-yard gain. Unbeknownst to them, the Dallas o-line ran to the line of scrimmage at the San Francisco 24 yard-line and attempted to spike the ball with 1-second remaining, but failed to allow the official to set the ball before hiking it as the game-clock hit double-zero.  

Escaping Dallas by the skin of their teeth and avoiding heartbreak, the 49ers punched their ticket to the next round with the 23-17 victory. Leading the way on offense, San Francisco's ground attack which ranks 7th-best in the league, rushed for 169 yards compared to Dallas' 77. While Elijah Mitchell rushed for a game-high 96 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, Deebo Samuel was not far behind. Deebo who became the first 49ers wide-receiver to score a rushing touchdown in a playoff game since at least 1950, continued his historic season by rushing for 72 yards, the most rush yards by a WR in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era, while adding a rushing touchdown of his own. Samuel would also add another 38 yards on 3 receptions to put him over the century mark in total yards. The 49ers offensive-line welcomed back All-Pro Trent Williams from his elbow injury after missing Week 18, and were able to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (16 of 25 pass attempts, 172 yards, 1 interception) on his feet all afternoon long by registering a clean game with zero sacks allowed. In comparison, the San Francisco defense pressured Dallas QB Dak Prescott (23 of 43, 254 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) into five sacks on the day. 

After leading the league in penalties and ranking No. 2 in penalty yards during the regular season, the Cowboys did not do themselves any favors on Sunday, committing a total of 14 infractions which tied them for the second-most penalties all-time in a playoff game and the most ever in a playoff loss. All of which helped contribute to Dallas' loss which now means the Cowboys have not made it to the NFC Championship since their last Super Bowl-winning season in 1995, setting a dubious record of 11 straight playoff appearances without reaching the Conference Championship. Having feasted on inferior opponents all season long within their own division (6-0 vs NFC East, 6-5 vs the rest of the league), the Cowboys proved once again under head coach Mike McCarthy that they were unable to answer the call against a battle-tested 49ers team that has been playing their best ball since getting off to a 3-5 start to the season. 

Niners-Packers Preview: Advancing to the next round, the 49ers will head to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field where they'll face off against the No. 1 seeded Green Bay Packers. Entering the showdown with the reigning MVP in Aaron Rodgers who could very well earn his second straight MVP Award and his fourth overall this season, the 49ers have a chance to avenge their first loss of the season -- a 30-28 last-second defeat at Levi's Stadium back in Week 3. Winners in 8 of their last 10 games following Sunday's playoff win over Dallas, the 49ers will look to deny the Northern California native Aaron Rodgers for a fourth time in the playoffs. Opposite of Rodgers who will be facing the team he grew up rooting for, will be Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo who is listed to have a "slightly" sprained right shoulder, but is expected to play in time for Saturday's game. San Francisco defensive-end Nick Bosa will also be worth keeping an eye on as he sits in concussion protocol after leaving Sunday's game late in the second quarter. As for their former All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, what was originally feared to be a knee injury, turned out to be an ankle injury that shouldn't keep the durable defensive leader out of next week's game. 

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