Tag: San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel runs for one of his three touchdowns in his team’s 42-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday DEC 3, 2023. (San Francisco 49ers)

by Marko Ukalovic

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The San Francisco 49ers scored touchdowns on six straight possessions in a 42-19 blowout victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

San Francisco has won four games in a row as they have their sights on the number one seed in the NFC. Philadelphia lost for just the second time this season.

It didn’t look like it was going to be a cakewalk by San Francisco (9-3) after the opening 15 minutes. The Eagles defense held the 49ers potent offense to -6 yards in total offense.

Philadelphia (10-2) had two red zone possessions in the first quarter but San Francisco’s stout defense bent but didn’t break as they held the Eagles to two Jake Elliot field goals, a 26 and 39 yarder.

Once the second quarter got underway, so did the 49ers offense. Quarterback Brock Purdy led an 11 play 85-yard drive that accumulated with a Brandon Aiuyk two-yard touchdown reception with 7:10 left in the second quarter.

The 49ers went up 14-6 with 38 second remaining in the first half. Christian McCaffery’s two-yard rushing touchdown, his 12th of the season, finished off a 10 play 90-yard drive.

San Francisco kept the momentum on its side as it scored its on third straight offensive drive to start the second half. Deebo Samuel started his big day with an end around for a 12-yard rushing touchdown, his fourth of the season.

Dre Greenlaw ejected from the game with 9:19 remaining in the third quarter after body slamming Davonta Smith to the ground after a 13-yard reception. Greenlaw made contact with the Eagles head of security, who was also ejected from the game.

Philadelphia made it a one score game when quarterback Jalen Hurts scored with a “tush push” from the one-yard line with 6:51 remaining in the third quarter. That would be as close as it would get for the home team.

San Francisco once again answered on its next drive. Purdy connected with Samuel on a short pass up the middle. Samuel broke a tackle and raced down the field for a 48-yard touchdown reception, with 43 of them after the catch, for his second touchdown of the game.

The 49ers put the game away when Jauan Jennings broke a tackle on an out route for an 18-yard touchdown reception for a 35-13 lead with 10:50 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Hurts left the game at the end of the third quarter for a concussion protocol. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota took over for four plays on the Eagles first drive in the fourth quarter. Hurts came back to throw a two-yard touchdown reception to Smith.

The 49ers put the finishing touch on their impressive victory when Samuel took a wide receiver screen and ran it 46 yards for his second receiving touchdown and third overall of the game. Samuel finished with four catches for 116 yards and chipped in 22 yards on the ground on three carries.

Purdy was 19 of 27 for 314 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished with a QB rating of 148.8. McCaffery led all rushers with 93 yards on 17 carries to go along with his touchdown. Tight end George Kittle contributed four catches for 68 yards.

Hurts went 26 of 45 for 298 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also led the Eagles in rushing with 20 yards on six carries. A.J Brown led Philadelphia in receiving with eight catches for 114 yards. Smith chipped in nine catches for 96 yards.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco finished 8-for-11 on third down conversion. Philadelphia was 8-for-15.

The 49ers improved to 22-14-1 all-time against the Eagles, including 12-6-1 on the road.  

San Francisco has won 4 of the previous 6 regular season matchups against Philadelphia.  

The Niners improved to 2-2 against the Eagles and 8-7 against the NFC East, including 3-0 in 2023 under head coach Kyle Shanahan.  

UP NEXT: San Francisco returns home for an NFC West battle with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday 12/10 at 1:05pm at Levi’s Stadium.

San Francisco 49ers players gathered on the field to eat celebratory turkey after their 31-13 over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday NOV 23, 2023. (Kym Fortino-49ers)

by Marko Ukalovic

Seahawk and touchdowns were served on Thanksgiving in the Pacific Northwest.

In front of a national audience, the San Francisco 49ers were in a festival mood after dominating the Seattle Seahawks in a 31-13 blowout win on Thanksgiving evening at Lumen Field.

San Francisco opened up a two-game lead on their NFC West division rival with its third win in a row. They jumped up to second in the NFC with the Detroit Lions loss to the Green Bay Packers earlier on in the day. Seattle’s hopes of winning the division were shot down with its second loss in a row and three out of its last four games.

It was a steady serving of Christian McCaffery for the 49ers. The all-pro running back rushed for 114 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. McCaffery also had five catches for 25 yards.

San Francisco (8-3) scored on its opening drive. McCaffery had the big play with a run of 27 yards. Deebo Samuel finished off the nine play 75-yard drive with a two-yard end around rushing touchdown as Seattle won the coin toss but elected to receive the second half kickoff.

McCaffery scored his first touchdown early in the second quarter when he powered his way through for a one-yard touchdown. Then he scored his second touchdown with 5:11 remaining in the second quarter when he scampered in from eight yards out after breaking a couple of tackles to complete an eight play 58-yard drive to give the 49ers a 21-3 lead.

McCaffery has 11 rushing touchdowns on the season and is tied for the league lead with former 49ers running back Raheem Mostert. His 939 rushing yards currently leads the NFL.

“I think anytime you’re behind this offensive line you have to have a lot of trust and patience,” said McCaffery on his second rushing touchdown. “They did such a great job all day. The tight ends blocked well. Juice (Kyle Juszczyk) always blocks well. I mean these guys work so hard in the run game. So, you just got to trust it and stay on your landmarks. You never know when the hole can open (up)”.

San Francisco took advantage of a special team’s turnover late in the first half. DeeJay Dallas muffed a punt when he took his off the ball. The ball was recovered by Ronnie Bell at the Seattle 22-yard line. The 49ers converted the gift into three points with a Jake Moody 32-yard field goal for a comfortable 24-3 lead at halftime.

“We needed to start faster. We gotta play complimentary football that’s just how it is. You can’t spot them 24 points in the first half. At the end of the day, we gotta be better,” Seattle safety Quandre Diggs said.

Seattle (6-5) changed the momentum of them game to start the second half when Jordyn Brooks intercepted Brock Purdy and returned it 12-yards for a pick six.

After a three and out by the Seahawk defense, Geno Smith marched Seattle down the field on a 14 play 78-yard drive. However, the 49ers defense held its ground as the drive stalled out at their 23-yard line. The home team settled for a Jason Meyers 30-yard field goal.

San Francisco’s defense shutout Seattle in the fourth quarter as they front line put pressure on Smith and sacked him twice. They also made back-to-back short yardage stands when Seattle run the ball unsuccessfully on 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 as Seattle turned the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter.

“The way the defense played tonight was unbelievable. They kept them out of the endzone the whole game and had six sacks. I thought the way our corners played on the outside was a real impressive game, really excited to watch it,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Nick Bosa had two sacks and Javon Hargrave had 1.5 sacks as the front four dominated the trenches in the second half. Ambry Thomas chipped in with an interception and Charvarius Ward had an impressive game pass defending the deep ball against DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Purdy iced the game for San Francisco when he connected with Brandon Aiuyk for a 28-yard touchdown reception with 7:51 remaining in the game.

Purdy finished 21 of 30 for 209 yards to go with his one touchdown and interception. Samuel led all receivers with seven catches in 79 yards. Elijah Mitchell chipped in with 39 yards on seven carries.

It was a long night for Smith, who was dealing with an elbow injury he suffered this past Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, as he was 18 of 27 for 180 yards with one interception and was sacked a total of six times. Zach Charbonnet, who was the lead back in place of injured Kenneth Walker III, led the Seahawks in rushing with 47 yards on 14 carries. Jaxon Smith-Njigba chipped in with two catches for 41 yards.

Numerous 49er players enjoyed turkey on the field during the postgame interview on NBC. It has become tradition for the members of the winning team to celebrate a win with food.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco finished 5-for-11 on third down conversions. Seattle was 3-for-11.

UP NEXT: San Francisco take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday 12/3 at 1:25pm at Lincoln Financial Field.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy attempts a pass play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday NOV 19, 2023. (San Francisco 49ers)

by Marko Ukalovic

It’s been 34 years since a San Francisco 49ers quarterback has had a perfect QB rating.

Brock Purdy matched a couple of quarterback legends in a 27-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium.

San Francisco has won two games in a row after dropping its past three and are in sole position of first place in the NFC West after the Los Angeles Rams upset victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Tampa Bay has lost five of its last six games.

Purdy recorded a QB rating of 158.3 for the first time in his NFL career. A feat that hasn’t been done in San Francisco since both Joe Montana and Steve Young did it during the 1989 season.

San Francisco scored on its second possession when Purdy led the team on a 12 play 80-yard drive against Tampa Bay’s defense that forced a punt on the 49ers first possession. Purdy connected with running back Christian McCaffery on a four-yard touchdown reception.

“I kind of hope the critics keep coming cause it pisses him off,” said McCaffery on Purdy’s detractors. “He plays really well.”

After a Jake Moody 37-yard field goal, the Buccaneers marched down the field on a 10 play 75-yard drive for it first touchdown. Baker Mayfield threw a one-yard touchdown reception to Mike Evans who tight-roped the back of the endzone.

The 49ers received a 28-yard field goal from Moody with :16 left in the second quarter to close out the first half on a positive note.

Purdy and the offense opened up the game on its first possession of the second half as they went 98 yards in just three plays for its next touchdown. Purdy threw a deep pass to the left to Brandon Aiyuk who raced into the endzone for a 76-yard touchdown reception.

The 76-yard touchdown reception is the longest in the NFL this season. Purdy has the two longest touchdown receptions in the league this season. Last week’s 66-yarder to Geroge Kittle was the longest till Aiyuk’s catch.

The 49ers offense kept the pedal to the metal when Purdy threw for his third touchdown of the game when he found Kittle in the back of the endzone all alone for a three-yard touchdown reception with 1:42 left in the third quarter for a 20-point lead.

Rachaad White rushed for a one-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give Tampa Bay hope, but San Francisco’s defense shut down Mayfield and company the rest of game with two turnovers on downs and one interception.

Ji’Ayir Brown intercepted Mayfield in the endzone with 3:38 remaining in the game to seal the deal for San Francisco. It was the first interception in the red zone by Mayfield in four years.

Fred Warner, who celebrated his 27th birthday, was the defensive player of the game with 12 total tackles, a forced fumble and half a sack. Nick Bosa led the 49ers in quarterback hits with three. Chase Young had a sack in back-to-back games since being acquired at the trade deadline by San Francisco.

Purdy finished his career day going 21 of 25 for 333 yards with no interceptions or sacks to go along with his three touchdowns and perfect QB rating. Aiyuk led all receivers with five catches for 156 yards. Kittle, overshadowed by Aiyuk, had eight catches for 89 yards. Deebo Samuel chipped in with three catches, including a 40-yarder, for 63 yards.

“Brock (Purdy) is solid, a really good quarterback, anything he can do. I don’t know if he can run a 4.3 (40-yard dash), do a lot of Wildcat stuff. But everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s done at a really high level,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

McCaffery, who started a new touchdown game streak, led all rushers with 78 yards on 21 carries. He also tallied five catches for 25 yards for another game with 100 plus all-purpose yards.

Mayfield was 29 of 45 for 246 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked four times. White led the Bucs in rushing with 30 yards on nine carries. Cade Otton led Tampa Bay in receiving with four catches for 49 yards. Evans chipped in five catches for 43 yards.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco finished 4-for-10 on third down conversions. Tampa Bay went 7-for-14.

49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga suffered a knee injury during the game and did not return.

UP NEXT: San Francisco travels to the Pacific Northwest for a Thanksgiving (11/23) showdown with the Seattle Seahawks at 5:20pm at Lumen Field.

The San Francisco 49ers defense celebrates one of their four takeaways over the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank ST on Sunday NOV 12, 2023. (San Francisco 49ers).

by Marko Ukalovic

It was an emphatic way to snap a three-game losing streak.

The San Francisco 49ers destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 34-3 blowout victory on Sunday afternoon at EverBank Stadium.

San Francisco snapped its longest losing streak of the season with the win. Jacksonville fell back down to earth as it had its four-game winning streak also came to end.

The 49ers set the tone from the get-go as they forced back-to-back three and outs the ended with sacking quarterback Trevor Lawrence twice. The ferocious defense held Jaguars to 11 yards in first quarter.

Brock Purdy threw 13-yard touchdown reception after scrambling out to his left and threw the ball over a sea of traffic in the endzone to Brandon Aiyuk to complete a four play 57-yard drive in just 2:05 on San Francisco’s opening drive.

Newly acquired defensive end Chase Young sacked and stripped Lawerence of the ball early in the second quarter. Nick Bosa, who was also in on the play, recovered the ball. San Francisco traded for Young at the deadline for a compensatory third-round pick to the Washington Commanders.

San Francisco opened the second half when Purdy connected with tight end George Kittle 66-yard touchdown reception. Kittle beat Devin Lloyd on a in route. It was the longest touchdown of Purdy’s career.

The 49ers defense made Lawrence’s life hell in the second half as the shutdown the Jaguars offense. Talanoa Hufanga intercepted Lawrence on a 3rd and 1 on Jacksonville’s first possession of the first half.

Ambry Thomas stripped Christian Krik at the 6-yard line, picked up the ball and ran down the right sideline for what appeared to be a 92-yard touchdown return. But there was an illegal substitution called on San Francisco when players ran onto the field during the play.

San Francisco’s defense finished with five sacks and four takeaways, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries after being humbled the past three games during the losing streak.

Deebo Samuel, back from his injury he suffered on October 15th against the Cleveland Browns, put the game away late in the third quarter when he ran an end around for 23 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the season.

Purdy found a wide-open Kyle Juszczyk for 22-yard touchdown reception with 12:40 left in the fourth quarter for his third touchdown of the game. The second-year quarterback out of Iowa St. finished 19 of 26 for 296 yards to go along with his three scores and no interceptions.

The only drama late in the game was if running back Christian McCaffery would break the all-time record for consecutive games with a touchdown. It didn’t happen as his last attempt was an incomplete pass on 4th and Goal with 2:56 left in the fourth quarter. McCaffery rushed for 95 yards on 16 carried and had six receptions for 47 yards.

Kittle led all receivers with three catches for 116 yards. Aiyuk chipped in three catches for 55 yards. Samuel had four catches for 30 yards.

Lawrence was 17 of 29 for 185 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Kirk led the Jaguars in receiving with six catches for 104 yards. Travis Etienne Jr chipped in with 35 yards on nine carries.

GAME NOTES: Both teams were 4-for-12 on third down conversions.

UP NEXT: San Francisco returns home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday 11/19 at 1:05pm at Levi’s Stadium.