Tag: 49ers Rumors

49ers favored at home vs. Packers in crucial Sunday night showdown

The 49ers are giving three points since they’re the home team Sunday night against Green Bay.

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The 49ers hold a one-game lead over the Green Bay Packers heading into their Week 12 showdown on Sunday Night Football. Despite San Francisco’s struggles of late, they’re still favored by three points against the No. 2 seed Packers according to sports betting site BetMGM.

That three-point advantage is a product of the game taking place at Levi’s Stadium. The same contest at Green Bay likely has the Packers giving three points instead.  Levi’s Stadium hasn’t provided much of a home-field advantage since its doors opened in 2014, but the crowd was electric in the Week 10 overtime loss to Seattle, and throughout the team’s comeback win over the Cardinals in Week 11. There could be a distinct home-field advantage brewing in Santa Clara.

The 49ers and Packers are pretty evenly matched all things considered. The main difference in their respective resumés is that San Francisco managed to avoid a bad loss, while the Packers were steamrolled 26-11 by the Chargers in Week 10. Their other loss came at home against Philadelphia in Week 4.

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Perhaps the biggest advantage for either team is San Francisco’s rushing attack against a relatively porous Green Bay run defense. They’re allowing the 25th-most yards, and 26th-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL through 11 weeks. That bad run defense may be exactly what a struggling 49ers rushing attack needs to get back on track.

On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers is a great equalizer in essentially every game Green Bay plays. He’s one of the best quarterbacks to ever strap an NFL helmet on, and his ability to get the ball out quickly and manipulate the pocket with his feet could help mitigate some of San Francisco’s pass rush.

Barring something dramatic happening, it’s tough to see this line moving a lot in either direction. These are two very evenly matched teams that should play a close game Sunday night.

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49ers can’t pass Ravens in Week 12 power rankings

The 49ers remained behind the Ravens in the NFL Wire power rankings after a shaky win over the Cardinals.

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The 49ers remained behind the Baltimore Ravens for the second consecutive week in the NFL Wire power rankings.

It’s hard to find a lot of reasons based on week-to-week performance that San Francisco should eclipse Baltimore. The 49ers have started to stumble right as the Ravens are playing their best football. Baltimore on Sunday waxed the Texans 41-7 at home. Meanwhile, the 49ers struggled to knock off the Cardinals and needed to come back from a 16-0 first-half deficit to limp away with a 36-26 victory.

There’s a silver lining in the last two weeks for the 49ers. They’ve played objectively their worst football of the season, and they’re still 1-1 over those two games, and the loss came in the final seconds of overtime.

What’s important for San Francisco now is bouncing back and regaining the groove they found in a 51-13 win over the Panthers in Week 8. While their schedule down the stretch will likely prevent them from winning many games by 30-plus, that’s the level they’re going to have to play to keep stacking wins. They face the Packers at home, followed by the Ravens and Saints on the road. Green Bay is the No. 2 seed in the NFC. New Orleans is the No. 3 seed in the NFC, and Baltimore is the AFC’s No. 2 seed.

If San Francisco is going to reclaim the top spot in these power rankings, it’s going to mean holding on to the top spot in the NFC.

Some people have questioned the legitimacy of the 49ers’ 9-1 start. Now they have a schedule that’s going to allow them to silence that criticism and establish themselves as the team to beat in the postseason.

Kyle Shanahan: Ross Dwelley is 49ers best football player

Tight end Ross Dwelley received high praise from his head coach after his two-touchdown game and ever-changing role.

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Ross Dwelley has worn a ton of hats for the 49ers this season. Most recently he took on the role of the No. 1 tight end with George Kittle out. He turned his new job into a pair of touchdown catches and a crucial third-down grab to extend the game-winning drive in the 49ers’ 36-26 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

Prior to that, he served as the fullback while Kyle Juszczyk was hurt, and before that he was primarily a blocking tight end who was playing fewer than half the snaps each game.

His wide-ranging skill set and ever-changing job description earned him high praise from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan during his Monday press conference.

“I mean, we respect the heck out of him, I said he was the best football player on our team yesterday, so I don’t mind messing with his average,” Shanahan told reporters when asked about Dwelley’s 3.5 yards per catch vs. Arizona. “He also had a 14-yarder called back, so that’s where he got messed up, or it was 10 yards, I’m not sure, but it’s better to keep his average down just so we keep him humbled. We don’t want him to get carried away.”

Shanahan was speaking in jest about the second-year tight end, but what Dwelley’s been able to do this season as a former undrafted free agent from the University of San Diego is very impressive. He played a combined 194 snaps the first eight games combined.

With Kittle nursing ankle and knee injuries and out for Weeks 10 and 11, Dwelley saw his snap count increase to 145 in those games. He’s been a different kind of Swiss Army knife for the 49ers’ offense, and having players like him is invaluable in a scheme that thrives on deception.

It’s hard to quantify the ‘best football player’ on the 49ers, but Dwelley’s ability to adapt to different roles on the fly certainly earns him a spot in the conversation.

Why 49ers securing 1st winning season since 2013 matters

The 49ers have come a long way since their last winning season since 2013.

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It’s been a long time since the 49ers last had a winning season. Their 36-26 victory Sunday over the Cardinals put San Francisco at nine wins, and secured their first season above the .500 mark since 2013.

That 2013 campaign was their third consecutive winning season. They finished 12-4 and lost in the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers went 25-55 from 2014 to 2018, and their best record in that stretch was an 8-8 outing in 2014. In that time they’ve gone through four head coaches, two general managers and six starting quarterbacks.

Getting to nine wins is a significant hurdle for the 49ers to clear after two abysmal years to kick off head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure.

What’s been most impressive this year is how they’ve been able to overcome injuries. That’s due in part to work general manager John Lynch and the front office have done to generate enough depth that injuries become less of a roadblock, but still, San Francisco has found ways to win games this year that it repeatedly lost for five consecutive years.

The 49ers are a franchise with a rich enough championship pedigree that nine wins in a season can’t be celebrated. That’s especially true when considering a nine-win season after a 9-1 start would be massively disappointing. However, it’s worth recognizing considering the lows the franchise hit between 2013 and now.

San Francisco has a long way to go before it can start sniffing its sixth Lombardi Trophy, but getting to nine wins 11 weeks into the year and securing a season above .500 is a good start down that path.

Deebo Samuel quietly showing No. 1 WR traits

Deebo Samuel’s numbers aren’t eye popping, but he’s quickly becoming the 49ers’ top receiver.

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49ers rookie wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s traditional numbers aren’t eye-popping, but the second-round pick is quietly putting together a stellar first season.

Samuel, who the 49ers took No. 36 overall out of South Carolina, had another big game Sunday against the Cardinals. He caught eight balls for a career-best 134 yards. That put his season totals at 38 catches for 473 yards and one touchdown.

He’s tied for No. 53 in the league in receptions, No. 50 in yards, No. 61 in yards per reception, and he’s way down the ranks in touchdown catches.

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However, he leads all rookie receivers in receptions, and he’s No. 4 in yards despite San Francisco ranking 27th in pass attempts.

Where Samuel’s No. 1 receiver traits shine through are in his advanced numbers. He made the Pro Football Focus Week 11 Team of the Week with an 84.4 overall grade to lead the 49ers offense Sunday. He’s forced 12 missed tackles – tops in the NFL at his position, and he’s No. 1 with 7.2 yards per reception after the catch per PFF’s Jeff Deeney.

The ability to create yards after the catch is part of the reason Samuel was an attractive target for San Francisco in the second round. While Shanahan tends to create YAC with his scheme, Samuel has generated plenty of his own by forcing defenders to whiff in the open field. Tackling the 5-11, 215-pound Samuel looks a little bit like trying to wrestle a grizzly bear.

He also made this ridiculous catch Sunday:

A lot of Samuel’s YAC early in the season came on screens and quick throws, but now his game is expanding as he’s gotten more comfortable and the need for playmakers has expedited his increased role in the offense.

Jimmy Garoppolo is looking for the rookie more often than ever in the intermediate and deep areas of the passing game, and it’s producing results.

Samuel has shined in two games without tight end George Kittle and with Emmanuel Sanders nursing a rib injury. He’s posted 16 catches for 246 yards on 21 targets in those two contests, and became the first 49ers rookie since the AFL-NFL merger to have 100 receiving yards in back-to-back games per Josh Dubow of the AP.

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San Francisco has badly needed Samuel to step in and be effective right away, and the receiver has answered the bell with a rookie season that appears to be peaking at the right time. Even if Samuel doesn’t finish the year as the team’s top wide receiver, his trajectory and expanding skill set have him on track to get there soon.

49ers stay ahead in NFC playoff race

The 49ers got a huge win in their race for a first-round bye.

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The 49ers’ Week 11 showdown with the Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium was massive for the home team. Arizona entered at 3-6-1, firmly out of the NFC playoff race, but San Francisco desperately needed the win.

Had they lost, they would’ve dropped from the top seed in the NFC to the No. 5 seed, with the idle Seattle Seahawks leapfrogging them for the top spot in the NFC West. They pulled out a 36-26 win though, and kept themselves a full game ahead of the three teams immediately behind them in the playoff hunt.

Here’s what the NFC playoff picture looks like following Sunday’s action:

1. 49ers (9-1)
2. Packers (8-2)
3. Saints (8-2)
4. Cowboys (6-4)
5. Seahawks (8-2)
6. Vikings (8-3)

Barring a dramatic turn, these are likely the six teams that’ll be playing in December, but the order could change. Dallas is also just a game up on the 5-5 Eagles in the NFC East, so that No. 4 seed could get a shake up too.

What matters most for the 49ers though was their come-from-behind victory Sunday afternoon.  A loss would’ve put them in a very difficult spot at 8-2, with the No. 5 seed, and going into a stretch where they face the Packers, Ravens and Saints in consecutive weeks. Having the full game of cushion gives them an opportunity to create separation over these next three weeks. It also allows them to stumble against one of the top teams without completely sinking their season.

Sunday’s win wasn’t easy for San Francisco, but it was huge in their chase for a playoff spot and first-round bye.

49ers stats from 36-26 win over Cardinals

The 49ers stuffed the stat sheet Sunday against Arizona.

The 49ers stuffed the stat sheet on both sides of the ball in their 36-26 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

It’s impossible to gain the complete context of a game through just the stats, but San Francisco’s numbers do provide some insight into how Sunday’s game went. Here are their offensive and defensive numbers from Week 11:

Passing

Jimmy Garoppolo: 34-of-45, 424 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 115.4 rating

Garoppolo was terrific Sunday save a pair of red zone interceptions that nearly led to the 49ers’ demise. He’s doing a nice job getting the ball out quickly, and he’s doing better about finding his check downs when there’s nothing open down the field. If he eliminates the inevitable two or three bad mistakes each game, he has a chance to be elite.

Rushing

Tevin Coleman: 12 carries, 14 yards
Raheem Mostert: 6 carries, 13 yards
Jimmy Garoppolo: 1 carry, 7 yards

Arizona sold out to stop the run both times they played San Francisco. That becomes easier with George Kittle out of the game, but the lack of productivity from this group is reaching a concerning level. Getting a healthy Matt Breida should help some, but San Francisco can’t survive on 19 carries for 34 yards moving forward.

Receiving

Deebo Samuel: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 134 yards
Kyle Juszczyk: 7 targets, 7 receptions, 63 yards
Richie James Jr.: 1 target, 1 reception, 57 yards
Tevin Coleman: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 48 yards
Emmanuel Sanders: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 33 yards
Kendrick Bourne: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 31 yards, TD
Jeff Wilson Jr.: 1 target, 1 reception, 25 yards, TD
Raheem Mostert: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
Ross Dwelley: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 14 yards, 2 TDs
Marquise Goodwin: 2 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards

Samuel was the hero with his career-best performance while George Kittle was sidelined and Sanders was hobbled by a rib injury. Wilson’s catch came on his lone offensive snap of the game, and Dwelley came through with a pair of touchdowns in the starting tight end spot for Kittle. It’s not the most high-profile group of pass catchers, but the 49ers found a way to get big-time production behind Samuel and Juszczyk, who quietly had a terrific day.

Defense

Fred Warner: 12 tackles, TFL
Dre Greenlaw: 10 tackles, TFL
Jimmie Ward: 6 tackles, 1.0 sacks, PBU
K’Waun Williams: 4 tackles
Emmanuel Moseley: 4 tackles, PBU
Jaquiski Tartt: 3 tackles, FR
Richard Sherman, 3 tackles, PBU
Nick Bosa: 3 tackles, TFL, QBH
Dee Ford: 2 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 2 TFL, QBH
DeForest Buckner: 2 tackles, 1.0 sacks, TFL, QBH
Jullian Taylor: 2 tackles, 2 TFL
DJ Reed Jr.: 2 tackles, FF, FR, TD
Arik Armstead: 2 tackles, 1.0 sacks, TFL, QBH
Damontre’ Moore: 2 tackles, FF
Elijah Lee: 2 tackles, TFL
Solomon Thomas: 1 tackle

The 49ers’ defense struggled in the early going against Arizona and spotted the Cardinals 16 points. They only surrendered 10 points in the second half though and found a groove against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense. There weren’t any huge defensive plays that stand out, but the play of the game on that side of the ball might have been Arik Armstead’s sack on third down with 3:05 left and the Cardinals up by 3 points. It got the ball back to the 49ers offense and set them up for the game-winning touchdown. Armstead now leads the team with 8.0 sacks. Ford left the game in the second quarter with a hamstring injury after sacking Murray. Greenlaw was productive again in place of Kwon Alexander.

Jeff Wilson Jr. the most unlikely hero in 49ers’ win vs. Cardinals

Jeff Wilson Jr.’s game-winning touchdown catch against the Cardinals came out of nowhere.

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The game-winning score for the 49ers on Sunday vs. the Cardinals came from perhaps the most unlikely source on the team.

Jimmy Garoppolo dropped back facing heavy pressure on a first-and-10 from Arizona’s 25. San Francisco was already in field goal range with 38 seconds left and trailing 26-23, but a touchdown would give them a lead and a stranglehold on Sunday’s game.

He quickly unloaded a floating pass over the middle that running back Jeff Wilson Jr. snagged after getting open out of the backfield. The Cardinals were in a Cover-0, which left the middle of the field open and Wilson cruised in for a game-winning score.

It’d be hard to fault the Cardinals if they didn’t have eyes on Wilson. He was the No. 3 running back Sunday, hadn’t played a snap, and was only active because of an injury to Matt Breida.

The 25-yard touchdown was Wilson’s first touch, and only his second catch of the year. He also had a two-yard reception against Arizona in Week 9. It was also Wilson’s first-career touchdown catch. He had 12 catches for 98 yards in six games at the end of last season.

Not only was Wilson inactive last week vs. the Seahawks, but he didn’t even make the initial 53-man roster. A crowded backfield with Breida, Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert pushed Wilson to the outside of the roster bubble. He landed on the 49ers’ practice squad after clearing waivers, then got promoted after Coleman sprained his ankle in the first game of the year.

Wilson’s filled out a very specific niche for San Francisco. He has 25 carries for 78 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in seven games as the team’s short-yardage back. His role has diminished as the backfield’s gotten healthy, but Breida aggravated an ankle injury Monday night and needed to sit out Sunday to rest it.

Wilson wasn’t the only unlikely hero for the 49ers. Tight end Ross Dwelley caught two touchdown passes, and made a vital third-down conversion on the game-winning drive to set up Wilson’s touchdown. Those were Dwelley’s first-career touchdowns in his 21st game. His role was expanded with George Kittle sidelined with knee and ankle injuries.

Getting production from the back end of the roster has been key to the 49ers’ ability to overcome injuries, and it helped them pull out a nail-biter Sunday vs. Arizona.

6 takeaways from 49ers’ wild victory over Cardinals in Week 11

We took away quite a bit from the 49ers’ wild Week 11 win over the Cardinals.

There was no lack of excitement Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers emerged with a 36-26 victory over the Arizona Cardinals to move to 9-1 on the season.

Here’s what we took away from a wacky Week 11 contest:

49ers alone in first

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Sunday was a crucial game for San Francisco despite the fact Arizona isn’t in the playoff hunt. A loss would’ve moved Seattle into first in the NFC West and pushed San Francisco to the No. 5 seed in the NFC. A win keeps the 49ers a full game up on Seattle, New Orleans and Green Bay going into a six-game stretch where they play each of those teams once. The 49ers can’t be comfortable, but they’re in a much better spot now than they would’ve been had they lost.

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Jimmy Garoppolo hits Jeff Wilson with game-winning touchdown

Jimmy Garoppolo found Jeff Wilson Jr. for a game-winning touchdown vs. the Cardinals on Sunday.

There would be no overtime for the 49ers this week. With under a minute to go and the ball on the Cardinals’ 25-yard line, Jimmy Garoppolo hit running back Jeff Wilson Jr. with a quick slant. The running back did the rest.

This score put San Francisco up 30-26, then they tacked on a fumble recovery for a touchdown on the final play of the game for a 36-26 final.