Skid continues for Niners who drop third straight

Week 8 - After never enduring a single loss during the regular season a year ago after taking over the reigns of the Niners' starting quarterback position in Week 14, Brock Purdy entered Sunday's Week 8 tilt versus a rejuvenated Cincinnati Bengals team that had won back to back games after getting off to a slow 2-3 start. With their own week 9 bye on the horizon, the sluggish 49ers who are limping to the break, faced a team coming off the bye week for a second consecutive week. With an extra week to prepare for their opponent, Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense looked the part and came out guns blazing, leaving much to desire from the San Francisco defense that hasn't looked like their normal self in each of the last two weeks after dominating their opponents through the first five weeks of the season. Despite their recent struggles and two-game skid, Brock Purdy who was cleared to play on Saturday after being in the league's concussion protocol as recent as Wednesday, still entered Sunday's game with a perfect record of 8-0 at home in his career. His perfect track record at home would be in jeopardy on Sunday, as was San Francisco's 11-game home winning streak which dates back to their last loss at home over a year ago on October 23, 2022 versus Kansas City. 

Winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, the Cincinnati defense sniffed out a rush attempt by the 49ers fullback on 3rd and 1, forcing a three and out punt on San Francisco's opening-drive. Equally as impressive was the Bengals offense which marched 80-yards on 12-plays before finding the end zone for an early lead, marking their third consecutive game with an opening-drive touchdown for the first time since 2016. Answering quickly with a score of their own, Purdy connected on a 31-yard pass to receiver Brandon Aiyuk before running back Christian McCaffrey tied the game at 7-all with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. With his 17th consecutive game with a touchdown (including playoffs), McCaffrey tied Baltimore Colts Hall of Famer Lenny Moore for the longest touchdown streak in NFL history. Cincy's Joe Burrow would tally an impressive streak of his own by opening the game with a career-best 18 consecutive completions, including a pass on the final play of the 1st quarter for a 2-yard touchdown to rookie receiver Andrei Iosivas. The Bengals would look to add a field goal to their lead one possession later, but kicker Evan McPherson missed wide-right from 50-yards out, keeping it a one-score game. 

On the other end, the 49ers inched closer with a field goal from Jake Moody on San Francisco's ensuing possession. The 49er defense would get an even bigger break during Cincinnati's next drive which spanned 10-plays for 71-yards and appeared destined for the end zone before going up in flames on a fumble inside the 5-yard line by tight-end Irv Smith as Clelin Ferrell forced the turnover. San Francisco would try to get within field goal range before the half, but with 31-seconds on the clock and no timeouts to work with, they would run out of time to try to clock the ball in hopes of giving their kicker a chance. The Bengals would add a field goal to open the second half thanks to the legs of quarterback Joe Burrow who finished Sunday's game with more rushing yards against San Francisco (43) than he had in the team's first six games this season combined, showing that his once injured calf is doing just fine. Purdy would also have a strong day on the ground, finishing with a career-high 57 rushing yards on 6 carries, besting McCaffrey by 3-yards. After a 12-yard run got the 49ers inside the red zone, San Francisco looked like they were going to tie the game before a nonchalant pass intended for backup running back Elijah Mitchell was picked off. 

Unable to do anything with the turnover, the Bengals were held to a punt. San Francisco would not be so fortunate on their next possession, however, as Purdy was intercepted again on his very next pass attempt, giving him two interceptions in as many passes and his first career game at home with multiple interceptions. Burrow and company would capitalize, needing only one play as the Bengals signal-caller hit Ja'Marr Chase for a 17-yard touchdown reception. Purdy and the Niners would answer with a touchdown of their own as Christian McCaffrey added a 4-yard receiving touchdown to his productive day, giving him 14 career games with a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game, 2nd all-time to Marshall Faulk's record of 15 such games. Trailing by a touchdown and in need of stop, the 49er defense was unable to contain Bengals running back Joe Mixon who added a devastating 9-yard touchdown run to put the 49ers out of their misery. One final last-ditch effort by Purdy would go sideways when he was sacked and stripped of the ball to put the final nail in the coffin as the Niners fell 31-17 for their third straight loss. 

Joe Burrow who entered Sunday 3-0 against the NFC West this season, completed the sweep of the division by throwing for 283 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brock Purdy tallied 365 yards and 1 touchdown, but his fumble and two interceptions would prove to be costly. Christian McCaffrey added a pair of touchdowns to give him 22 scrimmage TD's since joining San Francisco via trade last season, and had over 100 total yards (54 rushing, 64 receiving), while tight-end George Kittle and receiver Brandon Aiyuk both eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards with 149 and 109, respectively. Ja'Marr Chase of the Bengals led all receivers with 10 receptions and finished with an even 100 yards receiving and 1 TD. 

Week 10 Preview: When the (5-3) 49ers return from the BYE Week, they'll be headed to Duval County to face the (6-2) Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Winners of five straight games, the Jags and Niners are two teams that appear to be going in completely opposite directions as Jacksonville got off to a slow start but has been on a tear as of late, whereas San Francisco seemed unbeatable out of the gates and now resembles a reeling team in desperate need of righting the course. The bye comes at a pivotal time for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers who since losing receiver and Swiss Army knife Deebo Samuel to injury in Week 6, have been playing like a team with an identity crisis as they seem lost and unable to find their rhythm without one of their key cogs. Although rough at times, the defense has also taken a step back from their dominant start to the season, but hopes to get back on track with a little help thanks to a big move made by GM John Lynch who had already made a move a few weeks earlier with the addition of Randy Gregory. 

Just before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, the 49ers went out and made a splash by acquiring defensive-end Chase Young from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a third-round pick. Young, at 24 years old, is a former Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winner and former teammate of Nick Bosa as the tandem spent two seasons together at Ohio State where they tallied a combined total of 33 sacks as teammates from 2017-18. Both players were drafted with the No. 2 overall pick one year apart by their respective teams and will now reunite in hopes of helping provide a boost to San Francisco's pass rush. Young is slated to be a free-agent at the conclusion of the 2023 season after the Commanders declined to pick up his fifth-year option during the offseason due to his injury history. After his Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2020 which also included a trip to the Pro Bowl, an ACL tear limited Young to only 3 games last season. However, Young has enjoyed a bounce back season up to this point and joins SF with 5 sacks thru 7 games this season after leading Washington in the category. 

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49ers Upended by Vikes in Monday Night Upset

Week 7 - The lingering taste of defeat for the first time this season would last an extra day longer for the (5-1) San Francisco 49ers who after suffering a loss against the Browns in Cleveland, had to wait until Monday Night Football to clear their pallet in hopes of redeeming themselves as they paid a visit to Minnesota to face the (2-4) Vikings. While the 49ers offense can be described as a cocktail made up of all of the finest top-shelf ingredients when healthy, receiver Deebo Samuel could be thought of as the straw that stirs the drink. That straw would be missing as Kyle Shanahan's offense would be without Samuel who is currently sidelined for at least three weeks with a hairline fracture in his shoulder. Appearing lost at times on offense in last week's loss to the Browns after Samuel left the game following the team's opening-drive, the 49ers went on to put up their fewest amount of total yards under coach Shanahan with just 215. The 49er offense would struggle again under the bright lights of Monday Night Football without one of their biggest playmakers. Seeking their first win in Minnesota since 1992, San Francisco's dominant defense was anything but on Monday night. 

Things looked promising to start the game for the Niners before enduring a series of mistakes that would prove to be costly. Vikings running back Alexander Mattison ripped off a 19-yard carry on Minnesota's first play from scrimmage for his longest rush of the season. But two plays later, the 49ers would have the opposition right where they wanted them as cornerback Charvarius Ward came up with an interception after winning a fight for the ball from Vikings rookie receiver Jordan Addison. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy would come out guns blazing for the San Francisco offense, distributing the ball to a variety of targets by tossing completions of 10, 11 and 9 yards to George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, respectively, before the struggles ensued. Niners running back Christian McCaffrey who was questionable to appear in Monday's game not only got the start, but scored two touchdowns. Before finding the end zone later on, McCaffrey would cough up a fumble that cost his team valuable points inside the red zone. Capitalizing on the turnover, the Vikings would march 89-yards down the field to score the game's first points with a touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins. 

With Cousins the subject of trade rumors, the Vikings signal-caller would increase his stock drastically despite entering the game with an all-time record of 2-10 on Monday Night Football. In spite of his poor numbers in primetime throughout his career, Cousins would register one of his best games yet considering his opponent. Even without his best target in wideout Justin Jefferson who is on Injured Reserve due to a hamstring injury, Cousins shined against one of his biggest fans and former offensive coordinators in 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan as the two spent two seasons in Washington together during their time with the Redskins. Sparking his stellar performance was the early touchdown to Addison who would go on to have a career night of his own. The touchdown would mark the first 1st quarter touchdown of the season by the Minnesota offense as well as the first 1st quarter touchdown surrendered by the 49er defense all season. San Francisco would find themselves in rare territory, marking the first time this season that the opposition scored first in a game against them. 

Looking to answer, the 49er offense got within field goal range on their ensuing possession, but rookie kicker Jake Moody who missed two field goals in last week's loss including a potential game-winner in the final seconds, missed another field goal in the first quarter from 40-yards out. With Minnesota adding a field goal of their own one possession later to take a 10-0 lead, San Francisco appeared to be headed into the locker room at the half with some momentum following a 3-yard rushing touchdown from McCaffrey with just over a minute remaining before halftime. Instead, Cousins and the Vikings offense dealt a blow to any sort of momentum shift in favor of the 49ers as the Minnesota QB connected on another touchdown to the aforementioned Addison. Redeeming himself from having the ball pried away from his hands on the Vikings' first possession, Addison was able to fight off Ward and outwrestle him for the ball before springing loose for the 60-yard score with just seconds to spare before the half. 

Instead of receiving the ball at the half and trailing by only a field goal, Brock Purdy and the 49er offense suddenly found themselves in a 9-point hole that would only get worse before it got better. After opening the second half with a punt on offense by the 49ers, the Vikings would add another field goal to increase their lead to 19-7, San Francisco's largest deficit of the season. Making quick work of their next possession, however, Purdy and company needed only three plays from scrimmage to strike back with McCaffrey finding the end zone for his second time of the night. After a rushing touchdown earlier in the first half, McCaffrey added a 35-yard receiving touchdown to make it a one-score game. It would also be McCaffrey's 16th consecutive game with a scrimmage touchdown (including playoffs), setting a new NFL record. With the Vikings adding another field goal to their lead before the end of the third quarter, the 49ers entered the fourth trailing, 22-14. In need of all the points they could get, San Francisco added a field goal from Moody who redeemed himself a bit with a booming 55-yarder to inch his team closer. 

In desperate need of a stop on defense, San Francisco forced the first Vikings punt of the game in the fourth quarter. A week after giving his team a chance to kick a walk-off field goal before things went south, Purdy was given another chance pull off a comeback victory in the fourth quarter. Things were looking up as the Niners made their way to midfield, but that's as far as they would get on the drive as an errant pass sailed on Juaun Jennings for an interception. After a missed field goal attempt by Vikings kicker Greg Joseph kept it a 22-17 lead, Purdy would get one final chance with 1:11 remaining in regulation. After making it into enemy territory with a pair of strikes to receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, Purdy overthrew a ball to McCloud that was also intercepted, sealing the upset win for Minnesota and giving Purdy his first career multi-interception game. While the 49er offense was far from great, the loss was attributed to the San Francisco defense's inability to get off the field on third downs as they were carved alive by Cousins virtually all night long on third down and were unsuccessful in getting to the quarterback, failing to log a single sack. 

Cousins completed 35 of 45 passes and threw for 378 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the win. Meanwhile, his counterpart Brock Purdy threw for 272 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, completing 21 of 30 pass attempts. Vikings rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison logged a career-high 123 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns to lead all players. 

Week 8 Preview: Suddenly the bye week can't some soon enough for the (5-2) 49ers who appear to be limping their way to finish line. Having lost two straight after a 5-0 start to the season, Brock Purdy and company will look to get back in the win column as they return home to face Joe Burrow and the (3-3) Cincinnati Bengals. Coming off a bye of their own, the Bengals who have won two straight after a disappointing 1-3 start, will look to add to San Francisco's misery as they've had a full week to prepare for them. With a lingering calf injury to blame for Burrow's slow start, the former Heisman Trophy winner has looked a little better as the season's progressed, but he's still been a far cry from the Burrow we've grown accustomed to seeing playing at a Pro Bowl level. The San Francisco defense will look to get back on track with a bounce back performance in front of the Faithful at Levi's Stadium. As for the offense, they might be without Brock Purdy who's been in the league's concussion protocol that has limited his practice time all week. If he doesn't progress, expect to see backup Sam Darnold under center for the first time as the 49ers starter. 

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49ers Fall to Browns on Missed Field Goal

Week 6 - A week after facing the NFL's top-scoring defense and hanging 42-points on them in route to a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys, the (5-0) San Francisco 49ers took to the road to face the (2-2) Cleveland Browns who own the league's No. 1 defense in terms of yardage. What was expected to be an all out brawl between two of football's best defenses, started with a bit of fisticuffs even before kickoff as players from both teams nearly came to blows and needed to be separated at midfield. But by the time the game had started, it would be the officiating crew that both teams would've preferred getting their hands on as the two teams combined for 25 penalties and over 200 penalty yards, the most in the NFL this season in both categories. While the refs made a number of bad calls for both teams all afternoon long, none would be worse or come at a more pivotal time than a phantom "unnecessary roughness" call that happened late in the fourth quarter, helping fuel an upset victory for the home team. 

For whatever reason, the San Francisco 49ers have had a rough time when playing on the road in Cleveland, somewhere they haven't won since 1984. Albeit they rarely play there, the Niners entered Sunday's game 0-3 in their last three visits to Cleveland. And while those struggles would continue again on Sunday, not before the Niners got off to a blazing start on offense, needing only 6-plays to capitalize on the game's opening-drive with a touchdown from one of San Francisco's usual suspects. Benefitting from two big penalties by the Cleveland defense who clearly had it in mind to rough up Niners running back Christian McCaffrey with an unnecessary roughness call for a late hit out of bounds and a face mask call two plays apart, McCaffrey made them pay by taking a Brock Purdy shovel pass 13-yards to the end zone. It would be McCaffrey's 15th straight game with a touchdown (including postseason), tying him for the second-longest streak in league history. But as good as the Niners looked on offense on their opening-drive, they would struggle to produce another drive like it the rest of the way. 

With Browns first-string quarterback Deshaun Watson scratched for a second consecutive game due to a shoulder injury, Cleveland would call on PJ Walker, making him their third starting QB in their last three games. Making things difficult for Walker on his first drive would be the Niner defense who got off to an impressive start of their own as linebacker Fred Warner made a nice play to jump the route and come up with an interception he nearly took to the house. Unfortunately, Brock Purdy and the offense would go backwards as they lost yards on back to back plays and were forced to settle for a field goal try that rookie kicker Jake Moody missed on from 54-yards out. Moody's miss would spark what would ultimately be a bizarre day for both team's kickers as Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins missed a 47-yarder on Cleveland's ensuing possession. Moody would redeem himself two possessions later by knocking down a 25-yard attempt to give the Niners a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, but the Browns would bite into that lead to make it a one-score game before the half. Receiver Amari Cooper would be quite the security blanket for Browns quarterback PJ Walker who caught only four passes on the day, but tallied 108 yards receiving, including 58 on a reception that helped setup Cleveland's lone touchdown of the afternoon: a 16-yard scamper from running back Kareem Hunt. 

The Niners who had managed to stay healthy for the most part and avoid the injury bug thru the first 5 weeks of the season, would not be able to say the same on Sunday as a number of key players would be lost on offense, including a trio of Pro Bowlers in receiver Deebo Samuel, running back Christian McCaffrey and left-tackle Trent Williams. Though Williams (ankle) would eventually reenter the game, Samuel (shoulder) would not see the field after the opening-drive and McCaffrey (oblique) would be ruled out in the second half. Missing two of their best weapons, the holes created by their absence were very visible down the stretch as Purdy and the San Francisco offense struggled for the first time this season. While the emergence of Purdy has been a saving grace for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, last year's Mr. Irrelevant finally had the type of game that we all knew was bound to take place, only it would take him 12 regular season games to have it. The 49ers QB was off the mark virtually all afternoon long for the first time in his career, missing on passes we've grown accustomed to him making and even showing signs of panic when he was hurried in the pocket. Purdy would throw his first interception of 2023 and his 72 yards in the first half would be his fewest in a first half this season.

Even then, Purdy would be given a chance to silence the critics late in the fourth quarter as the Niners would find themselves trailing in the second half for the first time this season after a pair of third quarter field goals by Cleveland. It would be rare territory for San Francisco who entered Sunday's game having trailed at any point of a game for only 1-minute and 45-seconds this season. They would see that mark climb to 7-minutes and 1-second in Sunday's game alone. The 49ers would recapture the lead in the fourth quarter after the defense came up with a second interception thanks to cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, setting up backup running back Jordan Mason who scored one play later with an 8-yard rushing touchdown. Cleveland would answer with field goals on consecutive drives, the second of which would come with some help of the officials. After benefiting from an incomplete pass that should've been a PJ Walker fumble late in the second quarter, the Niners would be hosed again by more poor officiating. 

Facing a huge 3rd down and 10, Walker rifled an incomplete pass to his receiver Elijah Moore who was hit by 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson. Although Gipson made a clean hit by definition and did not make contact with the head or neck area of the receiver, he was penalized for, "unnecessary roughness," giving Cleveland a key first down and new life instead of what would've been a 4th and 10 pinned back at their own 26 yard line. The Browns would be held to a field goal, but the damage would be done as Cleveland retook a 19-17 lead with under two-minutes remaining. Purdy and the 49er offense would convert three first downs on their next drive and march 45-yards in a minute and a half, setting up Jake Moody for a potential game-winning field goal. With his family in attendance, Moody would have plenty of distance on the kick, but failed to split the uprights as he missed wide-right to secure Cleveland's upset victory and hand the 49ers their first loss of the season. It would mark San Francisco's first loss in their last 16 regular season games, snapping the longest winning streak in team history. With only 215 yards of total offense for the Niners, it would be their lowest amount under coach Shanahan who took the head coaching job in 2017, and has struggled in his nine career matchups against Browns defensive-coordinator Jim Schwartz' defense, who is now 8-1 lifetime when opposing Shanahan's offense. 

Week 7 Preview: Continuing their latest road trip, the (5-1) 49ers will pay a visit to Minnesota on Monday Night Football to face the (2-4) Vikings who are coming off a 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears. With Vikes quarterback Kirk Cousins the topic of trade talks, the QB once sought after by coach Shanahan, will be without his favorite target and arguably the best receiver in football as Justin Jefferson is on the Injured Reserve list with a hamstring injury. Cousins proved he can still lead a team to victory without his young receiver, but he'll be facing a more daunting task on Monday Night against an angry 49er defense that is looking to avenge their first loss of the season. With Deebo Samuel (shoulder) and Trent Williams (ankle) both listed as day to day, the extent of Christian McCaffrey's injury is still unknown, which might mean backups Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell carry the load for San Francisco's rushing attack in Week 7. I'd expect a bounce back performance from 49ers tight-end George Kittle who after his three touchdown performance against Dallas a week earlier, finished with only one reception for 1-yard on Sunday. 

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49ers Rope Cowboys for 32-point Beatdown

Week 5 - What was supposed to be a heavyweight slugfest between the hosting (4-0) San Francisco 49ers and the visiting (3-1) Dallas Cowboys, was anything but as the game quickly turned into a one-sided beatdown in favor of the home team. From the opening kickoff, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys looked completely outmatched as the Niners showcased a number of weapons on both sides of the ball and proved just how lethal they can be when fully healthy and clicking on all cylinders. A week after riding their Pro-Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey to a four touchdown performance against Arizona which earned him FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week honors for Week 4, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan went to his bag of tricks and dialed things up for a member of the 49er offense who had been quiet on the season prior to Sunday. A day before his 30th birthday, tight-end George Kittle had a night to remember by logging his first career 3 touchdown performance. 

Before the blowout ensued, the matchup had everything a football fan could want from a statistical standpoint as Dallas entered the game touting the best scoring defense in the league allowing just 10.3 points per game compared to San Francisco's 14.5 which ranked 2nd. Two of the best offenses would also be represented as the Niners entered the game ranked 3rd with 31.3 points per game, versus Dallas' 31.0 points per game which ranks 4th. In fact, it would be just the 4th game in NFL history between teams averaging 30+ points per game and fewer than 15 points per game allowed. With 19-wins apiece in the all-time series matchup, plenty would be at stake for these two teams who have met in the playoffs in back to back years, stoking the flames and writing a new chapter in what was once the best rivalry in all of football. And while the rivalry isn't as heated as it once was, things appear to be headed in that direction once again. 

Putting his 9-0 career regular season record on the line would be 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who entered Sunday night's game with a league-best QB Rating of 115.1. Leading the NFL with 24-points scored on opening-drives through the first four weeks, the San Francisco offense continued their torrid pace and added to that mark with an opening-drive touchdown from Purdy to Kittle as the two connected on a 19-yard dart that found the 49ers tight-end all alone in the end zone. After both teams each exchanged a pair of punts, the Niners appeared to be in business when a heads up play was made by 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner who punched the ball free from Cowboys running back Tony Pollard. On the doorstep of another touchdown, McCaffrey would take a handoff to the 2-yard line before being stripped of the ball on his way down as he landed on a defender who jarred the ball loose and recovered the fumble near the goal-line. Unable to do anything with the turnover, Prescott and company were stopped in their tracks thanks to another highlight play from Fred Warner who came up with the sack on third down to force a punt. Needing only one play to do what they failed to do one possession earlier, Purdy executed on a flea-flicker to find Kittle streaking to the end zone again for another score. 

Trailing 14-0, Dallas would finally put together a successful drive of their own after failing to convert a first down on their first four drives for the first time in a game since November 30, 2017 vs Washington. Highlighting a 13-play, 78-yard drive was Prescott who aired the ball out to KaVontae Turpin who found the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown. Looking to add to their lead and make it a two-score game heading into the half, the 49ers would string together a 12-play, 60-yard drive of their own, capitalizing on a 1-yard touchdown by Christian McCaffrey. With his parents in attendance watching from a suite, McCaffrey made history by tying an NFL record since the Super Bowl era, held by Cowboys great Emmitt Smith with 14 consecutive games with a touchdown. Trailing 21-7 at the half, Dallas opened the third quarter with the football and in dire need of a score. After failing to register a first down on 6 of 7 drives in the first half, the Cowboys offense appeared to be headed for a much better half as they added a field goal, but it would be the closest they'd get as San Francisco found the end zone on each of their next three possessions, while also intercepting Prescott on each of Dallas' next three ensuing drives. 

The first of three straight 49er touchdowns would go to George Kittle who made the most of all three of his receptions, finding the end zone for a third time on the night to tie Vernon Davis for the most touchdowns in a game by a 49ers tight-end. Completing the trifecta and celebrating his 30th birthday a day early, Kittle would endure somewhat of a renaissance as he failed to find the end zone in each of the team's first four games this season. The next 49ers touchdown would come from their Pro-Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk who hauled in the easy 1-yard score. Putting a nightcap on their busy night of scoring would be backup running back Jordan Mason who scored for the first time this season and for only the second time of his career. The second-year back darted thru a gaping hole and thrusted his way to the end zone for a 26-yard score, putting the game out of reach as the Niners took a commanding 42-10 lead in the fourth quarter. Coming up with the trio of Prescott interceptions would be Tashaun Gipson, Fred Warner, and Oren Burks. As for Warner, the 49ers' All-Pro linebacker became the first 49ers player to record a sack, interception and forced fumble in a game since NaVorro Bowman in 2013. 

The 32-point loss would be the Cowboys' worst loss versus the 49ers in the history of the rivalry, which led Prescott to admit after the game, "this might be the most humbling game I've ever been a part of". Making matters worse, San Francisco outgained Dallas in total yards, 421 to 197 and also dominated in the time of possession battle: 37 minutes to Dallas' 23. The Dallas QB would throw for 153 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions in the loss. As for his counterpart, Niners QB Brock Purdy is now a perfect 10-0 in his career during the regular season. Last year's Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy now holds the 4th longest win-streak to start a career at quarterback and has to at least be among the top candidates for early MVP consideration. Finishing with 252 yards passing and a career-high 4 touchdown passes, Purdy continued to shine on Sunday against what was the league's Number 1 defense entering the game. The game got so out of hand at one point that 49er fans began chanting, "We want Trey" in reference to quarterback and former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance who the Niners traded to the Cowboys just days before the start of the season. Although Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy would empty out his bench, he would elect to go with backup QB Cooper Rush instead. Purdy and Lance were seen at midfield during warmups and shared a moment together before both teams suited up for battle. 

Week 6 Preview: The (5-0) 49ers will look to continue to roll as they hit the road to face the (2-2) Cleveland Browns in Week 6. Coming off a BYE, the Browns were held to just a field goal at home the week prior versus rival Baltimore. Struggling to find consistency in the offense, the Browns will need to make a laundry list of adjustments if they plan on turning things around against a stingy San Francisco team. Hitting the field without their Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb who suffered a serious knee injury in Week 2, backup running back Jerome Ford and quarterback Deshaun Watson will hope to catch the 49ers off guard and hand them a loss. Watson who missed Cleveland's last game as a surprise scratch with a shoulder injury, might be sidelined again if he isn't cleared in time for kickoff. As for the Niners, don't chalk this one up as a cake walk as San Francisco has had a rough go throughout their history when playing in Cleveland. While these two teams don't play each other very often, the 49ers have not won at Cleveland since 1984, having lost in each of their last three visits. 

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49ers Continue to Roll, Upend rival Cardinals

Week 4 - Looking to continue their red-hot start and keep their undefeated streak alive, the (3-0) San Francisco 49ers welcomed in the division rival (1-2) Arizona Cardinals who were coming off their first win of the season after an upset win over the Dallas Cowboys. A week after earning his first career win as a starter against a formidable Dallas defense, Arizona quarterback Joshua Dobbs would face another tough task in the daunting 49er defense. And although Dobbs would hold his own and finish with a solid outing overall, it wouldn't be enough as Niners QB Brock Purdy had a near perfect afternoon of his own, completing all but one pass in a game where San Francisco's playmakers on offense proved to be too much for a rebuilding Cardinals team. 

Having won 13 consecutive regular season games entering Sunday's match-up between NFC Western Division foes, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers got things rolling right out of the gates on both sides of the ball. After the San Francisco defense forced a three and out punt on the Cardinals' opening-drive, the offense sparked a 10-play, 55-yard touchdown-scoring drive thanks to their star running back. As good as Purdy was on Sunday, his performance would be overshadowed by one of his key weapons on offense and early MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey who became the first player in 49ers franchise history to score a touchdown in 13 consecutive games, breaking a record held by the great Jerry Rice. Even after surpassing the mark of an all-time great, McCaffrey's busy day would be far from over as the game would soon turn into the Christian McCaffrey Show for much of the afternoon. With Arizona having not allowed an opening-drive score thru the first three weeks of the season, they would witness that streak come to an end as McCaffrey scored on San Francisco's first three possessions to start the game. With two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air, McCaffrey would have his fourth career 3-touchdown performance (first since 2019) and first in a 49ers uniform. 

Trailing at the half for the first time this season, down 21-10, the Cardinals did manage to make things interesting with a trip to the end zone on their first possession of the second half, pulling within 5-points after a failed two-point try. Pinned back at their own goal-line, Arizona marched down the field for their first 99-yard touchdown-scoring drive since December 11, 2016 against the Dolphins in Miami. As for the Niner defense, it would be their first touchdown drive of 99-yards allowed since September 15, 2002 versus the Denver Broncos. Looking to answer, San Francisco did just that, starting off the fourth quarter with another McCaffrey touchdown, his fourth of the game, allowing the 49ers to add to their lead before pulling away at the end. Before giving way and letting someone else have some fun by finding the end zone for San Francisco, McCaffrey added another rushing touchdown to become the first 49er all-time to score the team's first four touchdowns of a game, while also tying three others for the second most touchdowns scored in a single game by a 49er. Brock Purdy would cap the afternoon by scoring on a 1-yard run up the middle, following a deep pass to one of his favorite targets of the game in receiver Brandon Aiyuk. 

After sitting out of last week's game against the New York Giants, Aiyuk returned in a big way on Sunday by hauling in six receptions for a career-high 148 yards receiving. Registering a perfect 10 for 10 on passes in the first half, Purdy finished 20 for 21 with 283 yards, 1 passing touchdown, 1 rushing touchdown and a QB Rating of 134.6. At one point, Purdy had completed his first 18 consecutive pass attempts, tying the longest streak by a 49ers QB since Steve Young in 1996. As for the man of the hour, running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 106 yards and 3 touchdowns on 20 carries, adding another 71 yards in receiving to go with 1 receiving touchdown on 7 receptions, becoming the first player in franchise history with 100+ scrimmage yards and 1+ TD in each of the first 4 games of a season. CMC would also join some elite company by becoming one of only six players to rack up 115+ scrimmage yards & 1 TD in each of the first 4 games of a season since 1950; DeMarco Murray (2014), Emmitt Smith (1995), Billy Sims (1981), O.J. Simpson (1975), and Jim Brown (1958) the others. 

Improving to 4-0 on the season, San Francisco has now scored 30+ points in each of their first four games this season for the first time in 49ers franchise history and the first team to do so since the 2021 Arizona Cardinals. Even after the final whistle blew, the fireworks didn't stop when the game came to an end as tempers flared between Talanoa Hufanga of the 49ers and the Cardinals' James Conner. The game was well over and the television feed had already switched over to coverage of the lopsided Dallas-New England game, but the cameras were still rolling when the two were caught in a verbal exchange between the two players before an altercation. Donning his helmet and taking a swipe at the Hufanga was Conner who took exception and appeared to put his hand in the Niners safeties' mouth. The two had to be separated as tight-end George Kittle came to his teammate's aid to defuse the situation. It'll be interested to see how things play out the next time these two teams meet at Arizona in Week 15. 

Week 5 Preview: Slated for a heavyweight match-up on Sunday Night Football, the (4-0) San Francisco 49ers will play host to the (3-1) Dallas Cowboys in a rematch of last year's NFC Divisional Round Playoffs. Having eliminated Dallas from the postseason in consecutive seasons, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will take the field with revenge on their minds as San Francisco eyes a bit of history, having won 14 consecutive regular season games, just 1 shy of tying a franchise record in 1989-90. Aside from their upset loss in Week 3 to the Cardinals, the Cowboys have been one of the more dominant teams in the league thus far and are coming off a blowout win over the New England Patriots, handing Bill Belichick the biggest loss of his coaching career: 38-3. Entering Week 5 as one of only two teams with a better +point margin than the Niners' +67, Dallas comes in ranked second behind the Dolphins with a +83 point margin. One of only two remaining unbeatens in the league (Philadelphia the other), the 49ers will look to continue that mark with a win on Sunday to closeout their current three-game homestand. 

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Niners Stifle Giants in Thursday Night Win

Week 3 - Entering the (2-0) San Francisco 49ers' home-opener on Thursday Night Football against the (1-1) New York Giants and in front of the Faithful at Levi's Stadium for the first time this season, the all-time head-to-head series between the two franchises stood at an even 17-17 in regular season meetings and 4-4 during the playoffs. Looking to tilt the series in their favor with a win to stay atop the NFC, the 49ers would also seek their first 3-0 start since 2019 when they got off to an 8-0 start on their way to a Super Bowl. Looking to also keep his perfect regular season record of 7-0 in tact would be Niners quarterback Brock Purdy who would be playing without one of his top targets in wide-receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The Giants would be without a playmaker of their own in running back Saquon Barkley who leading up to game day appeared to be in line to make a miracle recovery from an ankle sprain in time for kickoff, before New York head coach Brian Daboll elected to sit his healing star. Despite the absence of Aiyuk who took home NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 1 and is nursing a shoulder injury, Brock Purdy would make due with another pair of playmakers in Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, on his way to throwing for a career-high in passing yards. Helping step in for Aiyuk would be a rookie who would make his first career reception a memorable one. 

After both teams exchanged field goals to open the game, followed by a punt from both sides, the 49ers, donning their throwback uniforms, found the end zone first when Purdy connected with rookie receiver Ronnie Bell who's first career reception came in the end zone for a touchdown. Making his NFL-debut, the rookie out of Michigan displayed great awareness by sticking the landing and keeping both feet in bounds for the go-ahead score. One possession later, the San Francisco offense would be right back at it again, striking pay dirt on a 4-yard run up the gut from running back Christian McCaffrey who found the end zone for a 12th consecutive game (including playoffs). Coming off their first comeback win of 20-points or more since 1949 a week ago against Arizona, the Giants would not go down without a fight and stuck around for much of the game after a field goal just before the half made it a 17-6 game in favor of San Francisco. Making things even closer, New York struck first in the second half when a former Niner found the end zone. Filling in for the injured Saquon Barkley at running back was Matt Breida who spent his first three NFL seasons in a 49ers uniform and led the team in rushing in 2018. Throwing it back to his days at Levi's Stadium, Breida scored on an 8-yard carry to bring his team within 5-points after a failed 2-point conversion attempt. Unfortunately for Big Blue, it would be their one and only trip to the end zone on the night. 

Adding another pair of Jake Moody field goals to take a 23-12 lead, the 49ers added the final nail in the coffin when Brock Purdy launched a 27-yard strike into the end zone to Deebo Samuel. Any hopes of a second consecutive comeback attempt by Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was thwarted when a tipped pass ended up in the hands of San Francisco's Talanoa Hufanga for an interception and the game's only turnover. Pulling out the 30-12 victory and helping the 49ers improve to 3-0 on the year, QB Brock Purdy logged a much cleaner outing on Thursday Night Football after missing on a number of deep balls with a chance to put the game out of reach just a week earlier in L.A.. Logging a career-high 310 passing yards and 2 touchdowns through the air, Purdy found favorites in Deebo Samuel who caught 6 balls for 129 yards receiving and a touchdown, and tight-end George Kittle who hauled in a game-high 7 receptions for 90 yards. Meanwhile, the 49er defense held Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to only 137 yards thru the air and kept the New York offense as a whole to just 150 yards in total, compared to San Francisco's 441 yards of total offense. 

Week 4 Preview: The (3-0) San Francisco 49ers will continue their three-game homestand in Week 4 when they welcome in the division rival (1-2) Arizona Cardinals who despite their record, have been scrappy thus far having lost two games by a combined 7-points and are coming off one of the bigger upsets of the season thru the first three weeks over the Dallas Cowboys. What the Niners can ill-afford to do with their next opponent is overlook them as what might've been the case for the Cowboys who came into Arizona hot before being embarrassed in front of a pro-Dallas crowd despite being on the road. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan knows better than to underestimate a division foe who they'll see twice this season, but Cardinals QB Joshua Dobbs who was acquired via trade just a month earlier, has the team playing inspiring football under first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon. Many believed that Arizona would be in full-blown tank mode in favor of Heisman-winning quarterback and consensus first overall pick Caleb Williams out of USC, however, these pesky Cardinals look very much alive so far and look like they could be last season's Detroit Lions in the sense that they surprised everyone by coming out of nowhere and quickly put the league on notice. 

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49ers Continue Dominance over Rival Rams

Week 2 - In what's known as one of the longest standing rivalries out west in the NFL, things have been rather one-sided over the last 4+ years now between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, with the exception of their lone playoff meeting in January of 2022. With the 49ers having beaten up on their rivals from southern California in eight straight regular-season games entering Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan's Niners team looked to make it nine straight wins over the Rams and a dozen consecutive regular season wins overall. Making only his 7th career start, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy would face off against the Rams for the first time in his young NFL journey. Opposite of Purdy would be former No.1 overall pick and future Hall of Fame quarterback Matthew Stafford, marking the first time in NFL history a QB drafted 1st overall faced a QB drafted last. 

Coming off the worst-ever record in NFL history by a defending Super Bowl champion a season ago (5-12), Sean McVay's Rams have already looked better this season after pulling off a Week 1 upset win on the road in Seattle, despite being without one of their best players in receiver Cooper Kupp. With Stafford back under center after missing the team's final seven games with a spinal injury last season, L.A. would put up quite the fight against the Niners on Sunday and even provide a scare for much of the game. With a majority of the crowd at SoFi Stadium draped in 49er red as fans turned the venue into Levi's Stadium South like they so often do, the San Francisco offense got off to a quick start after receiving the opening kickoff. 49ers wide-receiver Brandon Aiyuk who received NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 1 for his two touchdown, 129 yard performance, appeared to be in line for another big day after catching a pair of passes for 25 yards on the opening-drive, but he would need medical attention just a few plays in after a neck injury. Aiyuk would eventually reenter the game, but was visibly bothered throughout the rest of the contest. Capping a 13-play, 75-yard drive would be 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey who put an exclamation mark on the initial drive with a 14 yard touchdown to give San Francisco an early 7-0 lead. 

With the Rams offense entering the game having scored on five consecutive drives to finish out Week 1, they were right back at it on Sunday, scoring on all three of their first half possessions. After tying the game at 10-all, the Rams even took a 17-10 lead late in the second quarter following a pair of touchdowns from running back Kyren Williams who got the start in place of last week's starter Cam Akers and made the most of it. Just hours before kickoff, Akers; the subject of trade rumors, was ruled out as a healthy scratch. The Rams' rushing attack would do just fine without him. Refusing to head into the locker room at the half trailing, Brock Purdy and company needed only four plays to make it into the red zone. Setting up shop at the 1-yard line, time quickly became a factor for the 49ers who were knocking on the door of a game-tying touchdown, but had only 1-second remaining on the clock. Instead of electing to go for the much safer chip-shot field goal, coach Shanahan dialed up a Brock Purdy QB-sneak which proved successful and paid dividends, tying the game at 17-all at the half. 

With both teams exchanging punts to open the second half, the 49ers struck first on defense by forcing the game's first turnover when Niners newcomer Isaiah Oliver tallied his first interception in a 49ers uniform, corralling a pass that was thrown behind the receiver and tipped into the air. The 49ers would turn the turnover into points as rookie kicker Jake Moody split the uprights with a booming 57-yard field goal to retake the lead. One possession later, San Francisco would add to their lead after Purdy connected thru the air on a 31-yard deep ball to receiver Jauaun Jennings to open the fourth quarter. The big gain would setup Deebo Samuel who would make his presence felt several plays later, breaking a pair of tackles before rumbling into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. Trailing by two scores, the Rams would inch closer with a Brett Maher field goal and had a chance to tie things up after forcing a three and out punt, but a second Matt Stafford interception would deal a blow to their comeback attempt. Jumping out in front of a Stafford pass intended for Van Jefferson, was San Francisco cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. Cashing the turnover in for another Jake Moody field goal, the 10-point lead and dwindling game clock would be too much to overcome for the Stafford and the Rams.

Held to a turnover on downs to start their last-ditch effort at a comeback attempt, the Rams eventually got the ball back and scored on a last-second field goal as time expired, making it a 30-23 win for the 49ers and ruining quite a few bets in the process with San Francisco failing to cover the -8 1/2 point spread. For the Niners, the win marked their 9th straight regular season victory over the Rams and their 12th consecutive regular season win overall, the second longest streak in franchise history. It would also be the fifth straight game with at least 30 points scored for SF. Leading the way on the ground was another impressive showing by 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey who led all rushers with 116 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, highlighted by a big 51-yard rush on the final play of the first quarter. L.A.'s rookie receiver Puka Nacua who was quite the story after an impressive stat line in Week 1, continued his torid pace with another 15 receptions for 147 receiving yards in the loss, becoming the first player in NFL history with 10+ catches & 100+ receiving yards in each of his first 2 career games. Also making franchise history for the 49ers was tight-end George Kittle who recorded career reception No. 400, becoming the fastest 49er to reach the feat and needing only 84 career games to do so, one game fewer than two franchise greats in Jerry Rice and Roger Craig, both of whom needed 85 games. 

Brock Purdy threw for 206 yards in the win and avoided making any costly turnovers, but he missed on several deep balls to wide-open receivers that would've put the game out of reach for the Niners. While there's no reason to panic just yet given Purdy has been solid overall and is only two games removed from major elbow surgery, you'd like to see him make those plays as they could be the type of plays that can make a difference in a close game. Meanwhile, Matt Stafford threw for 307 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions in the loss. 

Week 3 Preview: (2-0) San Francisco will make their home debut on Thursday Night Football when they welcome Daniel Jones and the (1-1) New York Giants into Levi's Stadium in Week 3. Avoiding disaster of falling to 0-2 on the season, the Giants erased a 20-0 first half deficit in Arizona to knock off the Cardinals by a field goal, 31-28. Scoring 24 unanswered-points to close out the win, the Giants did receive some unfortunate news regarding star running back Saquon Barkley who needed to be helped off the field in the second half with an injury. Described as an ankle sprain, early indications had Barkley listed as week to week, but now it appears he's listed as questionable for game day and will be a game-time decision. With the quick Thursday night turnaround, I would bank on the Giants taking a much safer approach and sitting Barkley in favor of backup running back Matt Breida who will get a crack at his former team. On the 49ers front, receiver Brandon Aiyuk will also sit out of Thursday's game due to his shoulder injury. Still seeking his first QB sack of the season, I’m expecting a big game for Niners defensive-end and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. Prediction: Bosa will record 2.5 sacks along the way to helping the 49ers improve to 3-0. 

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49ers Close Curtain on Steelers in Season-Opener

Week 1 - Opening the season on the road in the Steel City, the San Francisco 49ers entered Sunday as 2-point favorites. With Super Bowl aspirations and high expectations following a disappointing finish to their 2022 campaign a season ago which came to a screeching halt due to injuries, the lone question mark regarding Kyle Shanahan's 2023-24 49ers remains at the quarterback position. With second-year man Brock Purdy needing off-season surgery to repair a torn UCL in his throwing arm in last January's NFC title game against the Eagles, the newly appointed captain of the offense looked a lot like his normal self in Sunday's opener. In a matchup between the first quarterback taken in last year's Draft in Kenny Pickett and the last QB and player taken in Mr. Irrelevant -- Brock Purdy, the two players looked like polar opposites out on the field by games end. 

Like San Francisco, the Steelers also entered the regular-season opener with high hopes after a bigger than normal fuss was made following noticeable strides shown by Pickett and the Pittsburgh offense in the preseason which saw them score on every drive led by the starters. However, Tomlin's team would learn rather quickly that the preseason and regular season are two totally different things as San Francisco had their way and dominated from the onset on both sides of the ball. After forcing a three and out on defense to start the game, the 49er offense came out guns blazing on a nine-play, 54-yard scoring-drive that ended with Purdy finding Brandon Aiyuk wide-open in the end zone after putting his defender Patrick Peterson on skates with a juke move. Drive number two would end even worse for the Steelers as Pickett had a deep pass intercepted by San Francisco's Charvarius Ward. The 49ers would only get three points out of it, but the 41-yard field goal would do wonders for the confidence of rookie kicker Jake Moody who had a less than ideal preseason with multiple missed field goals and even an injury, after the 49ers made him the highest drafted kicker since Roberto Aguayo in 2016, selecting him in the third round of April's Draft. 

With Brandon Aiyuk quickly becoming a favorite target of Purdy's, the two connected again just one drive later for another touchdown, this time from 19-yards out. With San Francisco jumping out to a 20-0 lead in the first half following another Jake Moody field goal, Pittsburgh struggled to get much of anything going early on as they were held to five consecutive three and outs to open the game on offense. The Steelers would finally get their first 1st down of the game at the 1:16 mark of the second quarter, and at one point were outgained 199 yards of offense to just 1. Closing the first half strong, Pittsburgh would follow up their first forced punt of the game with a touchdown just before the half to make it a 20-7 affair heading into halftime. But with San Francisco opening the second half in possession of the ball, any momentum Pittsburgh thought they had would be short-lived. Just two plays into the second half, San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey broke for a 65-yard touchdown to give his team a 27-7 lead. McCaffrey would have both his longest rush and his biggest day on the ground as a member of the Niners on Sunday, finishing with 152 yards rushing, his most since 2019. It would also mark McCaffrey's 10th straight game with a touchdown (including the postseason). 

The lone silver lining all afternoon for the Steelers came from 2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt who leads the league with 79.5 sacks since making his NFL debut in 2017, and was a force to be reckoned with again on Sunday, finishing with three sacks and two forced fumbles on the afternoon. However, he would be matched by an unlikely candidate in second-year defensive-end Drake Jackson who finished his rookie campaign with the Niners a season ago with 3 total sacks, matching that total in Sunday's game alone. After turning another Kenny Pickett interception into a third Jake Moody field goal, the 49ers took a commanding 30-7 lead that would hold up and serve as the worst home loss for Pittsburgh in the Mike Tomlin era which began in 2007. With the loss, Tomlin's record dropped to 10-6-1 in regular-season openers, while Kyle Shanahan's improved to 3-4. In the win, Brock Purdy threw for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 of 29 attempts, becoming the first QB in NFL history to win each of his first six career regular-season starts and throw 2+ TD passes in each start, 129 of those yards and both touchdowns going to receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers absolutely dominated the time of possession battle: 37:23 to 22:37, and held the Steelers to just 41 yards rushing, compared to 188 total rushing yards by San Francisco, fueled by McCaffrey's best rushing output in four years. Kerry Hyder Jr. and Javon Hargrave each added a QB-sack to give the busy 49er defense five total sacks on the day.

Week 2 Preview: The (1-0) 49ers will continue their season on the road in Week 2 when they travel west and pay a visit to Levi's South to take on the division rival (1-0) Rams at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Coming off an upset win on the road to NFC West foe Seattle where Sean McVay's Rams handled the Seahawks in all facets, most notably outgaining them in total yards: 426 to 180 and nearly doubling their time of possession output: 39:23 to 20:37. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford also looked like his former self by throwing for 334 yards on offense, something he was unable to accomplish a season ago before needing to be shutdown by Week 12 with a spinal cord injury. Despite being without their All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp, the Rams had two receivers finish with a career-high 119 receiving yards on Sunday as Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua had big games thru the air. The 49ers will try to put a stop to their long-time rivals' hot-start in hopes of improving to 2-0 for sole possession of first place before their home-opener at Levi's Stadium. 

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Giants Limp into All-Star Break with Up and Down First Half

Having reached the MLB's All-Star break, fans of the San Francisco Giants have seen a little bit of everything from their team in baseball's unofficial first half of the season. Currently sitting in a good spot at 49-41 on the year, 2.5 games out of first place in the National League West behind the rival Dodgers and Diamondbacks who are separated by mere percentage points, the Giants are hoping to benefit from a much needed break after leaking oil down the stretch, while trying to lick their wounds following a number of key injuries. With Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Conforto, Mitch Haniger, Thairo Estrada and Anthony DeSclafani, among others all having served time on the dreaded Injured List, the snake-bitten Giants have had to find contributions from a plethora of other players, including some rookies who have made the most of their time in the Majors and appear here to stay. 

Catcher Patrick Bailey, infielder Casey Schmitt, outfielder Luis Matos, and pitchers Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn all got the call to the Big Leagues to make their debuts in the first half, with Bailey and Schmitt producing right out of the gates for the Giants. While Schmitt has come down to earth a bit after a blazing hot start at the plate, Bailey on the other hand has relished in his role behind home, throwing guys out on the base paths at an alarming rate (38%) and also producing with his bat (.293 avg, 5 HR's and 26 RBIs in 40 games). Not long after Bailey made his MLB debut in May, San Francisco became one of the hottest teams in the league after stringing together their first 10-game winning-streak since 2004. Amid that winning streak, the Giants saw a few firsts, including their first time sweeping three straight series on the road since 1952, and just their fifth undefeated road trip of 6 or more games in franchise history. One of those sweeps came at Dodger Stadium which saw San Francisco clean house with their first 3-game sweep in L.A. since 2012, and a whopping 29 runs scored in the series, an SF-record for a 3-game series at Dodger Stadium. The second game of the series also saw the Giants pull off a 15-0 drubbing of the Dodgers, the team's worst home shutout loss since 1898. 

Having played as well as 11 games above .500 back on June 24 to pull within 1.5 games behind first place Arizona, the Giants have since hit a bit of a speedbump towards the end on their way to the All-Star break, dropping 7 of their last 11 games. Luckily, they managed to avoid hitting complete rock bottom by taking the final two of three games from the lowly Colorado Rockies in their last series before the All-Star festivities. In their last game, a 1-0 win at home, Giants ace Logan Webb twirled his first career complete-game shutout. Striking out the side in the ninth inning to end the game in dominant fashion, Webb tallied 10 K's and walked none as he hit a Major League-leading 126 innings pitched on the season. After a rocky start to the season, the 26-year old Webb has again begun to resemble the ace that Giants brass envision him being for years to come after signing a 5-year, $90 Million extension back in April. But as good as Webb has been over the last few weeks, dropping his ERA back down to 3.14, he did not make the National League All-Star team. However, a few fellow members of his pitching staff did. 

Representing for the Giants in Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game was fellow starting pitcher Alex Cobb (6-2 record, 2.91 ERA) and closer Camilo Doval (2.63 ERA) who is tied for the league lead with 26 saves. The pair helped contribute to the NL's first victory since 2012, each pitching a shutout inning, with Doval earning the win. Coincidentally, former Giants ace Matt Cain also earned the win in 2012 when the Senior Circuit last defeated the American League. 

Kicking off an 11-game, four-city road trip out of the All-Star break to begin the unofficial second half of the season, the Giants will try to get back to resembling the red-hot team that blazed through most of June as one of the best teams in baseball, before a daunting challenge in August when Gabe Kapler's squad faces five first place teams, including the D-Backs, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds. By then we should get a better gauge on what this Giants team, which is currently sitting in the third and final NL Wild Card spot, really has in them when they hit the dog days of summer. With injuries and inconsistencies hindering the Giants' starting pitching rotation outside of Webb and Cobb, look for them to possibly add a starting pitcher or two before the August 1 trade deadline as the team ramps up for a playoff push. 

MLB Draft - While teams begin lining up their chips for current Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani who may or may not be on the trading block but is a forgone conclusion to sign the most lucrative contract of all-time this offseason, other teams are hoping to find the next Ohtani in the MLB Draft. A year after selecting two-way talent Reggie Crawford out of UConn with the 30th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2022 MLB Draft, the Giants followed suit by taking another two-way player with the 16th overall pick in the first round of last week's Draft, this time from the High School ranks. Earning high praise for having one of the most solid draft classes overall, the Giants opted to select Virginia prep Bryce Eldridge who at 6ft, 7in. has dazzled both as a pitcher and at first base on his way to be named the 2022-23 Gatorade Virginia Baseball Player of the Year. Among others, the Giants also selected High School shortstop Walker Martin No. 52 overall who was also named 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year in Colorado, left-handed pitcher Joe Whitman taken at No. 69 overall out of Kent State, and Tennessee shortstop Maui Ahuna taken No. 117 overall. With Eldridge, Martin, Whitman and Ahuna all ranked in the Top 50 of MLB Pipeline's Draft rankings, San Francisco is the only team to make out with four players on the list. 

Noteworthy - Shortstop Brandon Crawford moved into 13th place on the Giants all-time franchise RBI list, surpassing future Hall of Fame catcher and former teammate Buster Posey with 730 RBI. 

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More Injury Woes at QB Doom Niners' Super Bowl hopes

Playoffs - Entering Sunday's NFC Championship between the No. 2 seed San Francisco 49ers and No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles, many football fans were hoping to see similar fireworks to the 42-41 shootout that took place back in November of 2019 when both team's quarterbacks last faced one another at the collegiate level. Brock Purdy's Iowa State Cyclones nearly upset Jalen Hurts and the heavily-favored Oklahoma Sooners in a wild game that came down to the final play and featured 11 total touchdowns between the two QB's. Fast forward to Championship Sunday, those hopes would come to a screeching halt rather early as we were deprived of what could've been and were left with something that hardly resembled a playoff football game. 

What was expected to be a brawl between two heavyweights that rank at or near the top in almost every major offensive and defensive statistical category, quickly turned into a handicap match just one drive in for the visiting 49ers. Despite entering Sunday's game with a franchise record 12-game winning-streak, many touted San Francisco would have a long day ahead of them, most notably at quarterback with rookie Brock Purdy given the Eagles' stout defense coupled with the hostile environment that is Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, but nothing could've prepared them for the piss-poor luck they would endure at the QB position yet again during Sunday's game. In fact, it would be the exact opposite for Purdy who had his day cut short due to injury. In a classic case of, "anything that can go wrong will go wrong," San Francisco began their day on defense where their defensive captain in 2022 Pro-Bowl and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner would leave the field with an injury on the third play from scrimmage. Though Warner would eventually reenter the game a few plays later, his brief exit would be a bad omen for things to come for San Francisco. Facing a 4th and 3 near midfield, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni would show his aggressiveness by dialing up a deep pass along the sideline to receiver DeVonta Smith. 

The play would fetch 29-yards on a catch that wasn't, as replays on TV showed the ball come loose and hit the ground upon further review. But with Philly rushing to hike the ball and insufficient evidence at the time for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to risk losing a timeout with an early challenge in the game's opening minutes with only seconds to react, the Eagles successfully got away with one and capitalized just two plays later with a 6-yard rushing touchdown from running back Miles Sanders. Looking to answer with their first possession on offense, the 49ers began moving the ball and converted on a pair of first downs before disaster struck. Facing a 2nd and 6 on San Francisco's sixth play from scrimmage, QB Brock Purdy took a hit to his throwing arm that jarred the ball loose up into the air and nearly intercepted. What was initially ruled an incompletion would wind up being a fumble as Sirianni threw his challenge flag and was awarded the ball on what would be Purdy's first career fumble. But even worse than the turnover and adding insult to injury, Purdy would exit the game with an elbow injury and would have to be attended to by the team's medical staff. Already down to their third-string quarterback, the 49ers' unbelievable luck would turn from bad to worse as they were forced to call upon their fourth-string QB in journeyman Josh Johnson. 

With both teams exchanging punts for the greater part of the first quarter, San Francisco would finally find an answer thanks to a 23-yard touchdown run from Christian McCaffrey who bounced free from one tackle and broke another on his way to the end zone in the second quarter. It would mark the 9th straight game with a touchdown for McCaffrey, the longest streak by a 49er since Terrell Owens in 1998. After benefiting from the phantom catch on their first drive, Philadelphia's ensuing possession would be fueled by a barrage of 49er penalties (four in total) that ended with another touchdown from Miles Sanders who found the end zone for a second time. With the 49ers now trailing 14-7, any hopes of taking some momentum into the locker room at the half went out the window on San Francisco's following possession. With under two-minutes to go and San Francisco set to receive the second half kick-off, the Niners were in prime position to tie the game or at least put a dent in Philadelphia's lead. Instead, Johnson fumbled the snap and was unable to recover the ball, giving Philadelphia a golden opportunity to add to their lead before halftime.  

They often say teams in the NFL will only go as far as their quarterback will take them. San Francisco had rewrote that mantra a few times this season after injuries to both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, but with Brock Purdy falling to injury on San Francisco's first drive, the team's luck would finally run out and they would hit a brick wall. Having played for 13 different NFL franchises throughout his professional career, Johnson looked every bit like a quarterback who has had trouble sticking around with one team. Despite lacking that big play ability, all his coach and teammates had asked of Johnson was to keep his team in the game by avoiding the costly mistakes. Something he would fail to do. Unlike the Purdy fumble, the Eagles would cash in on Johnson's gaffe with a third rushing touchdown, this time from running back Boston Scott. Trailing 21-7 to start the second half, the injury bug would strike the 49ers quarterback position yet again as Johnson would also be forced to leave the game due to injury after sustaining a concussion on San Francisco's first possession of the third quarter. 

With Purdy checking back into the game, coach Shanahan had kicked the tires on appointing emergency quarterback duties to running back Christian McCaffrey who was seen shuffling through helmets with the team's equipment staff, before Shanahan elected to summon his starter again. Clearly in pain and limited in what he could do with the football, Purdy toughed it out to finish the ballgame, attempting only two passes the rest of the way, both on short screen-passes that traveled no more than 3-yards each. With the Philadelphia defense stacking the box to stop the run on virtually every down, it was like shooting fish in a barrel against a 49er offense that would be a shell of its former self, relegated to one-dimension and handcuffed for the remainder of the game with no other healthy quarterback options on the active roster. While the Eagles added another touchdown and a field goal, San Francisco's last two possessions ended in a turnover on downs and a Deebo Samuel fumble. Having lost the turnover battle and a pair of quarterbacks to boot, penalties would also add to the team's agony and dig an even bigger hole than they would be able to crawl out of as San Francisco was called for 11 penalties on the afternoon to Philly's 4. Despite falling by a final score of 31-7, San Francisco's defense held the Eagles' No. 1 ranked offense in Yards Per Game to just 269 total yards. 

If you ever wondered what a team that has their soul ripped out in the opening minutes looked like, look no further than San Francisco's first offensive possession when Purdy went down with the injury. Purdy finished with 23 yards passing and 4 for 4 on completions, meanwhile Johnson threw for 74 yards on 7 of 13 passes. Running back Christian McCaffrey would be the lone bright spot for the Niners by tallying 106 yards of total offense and a touchdown in the loss. Eagles QB and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts did not impress by any means, throwing for a modest 121 yards on 15 of 25 attempts, while adding another 39 yards and a rushing touchdown on 11 carries, but managed to play a turnover-free game. On a relatively quiet day for the Eagle offense, no member of the team collected more than 36 yards receiving. For San Francisco who finished with a record of 15-5, the season comes to a bitter end as Kyle Shanahan's 49ers have now lost in back to back NFC Championships and will head into the offseason with even more questions at the quarterback position. With plenty of unknowns surrounding Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy who confirmed on Monday that he had suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow that will require him to recover for at least the next six months and possibly longer with a decision yet to be made on undergoing surgery, it's shaping up to be a long off-season for the 49er Faithful. Not to mention the void that will need to be filled at defensive-coordinator with DeMeco Ryans a shoo-in to land the Houston Texans head coaching gig. 

Super Bowl LVII: Clinching their fourth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history and first since winning it all in 2017, Philadelphia will head to the desert to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona, seeking just their second Super Bowl trophy. As for K.C. who will be making their third Super Bowl appearance in four years, the team will be vying for a third Super Bowl trophy and second under head coach Andy Reid who will be facing his former team. 

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