2021 San Francisco 49ers season
American football team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2021 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 72nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 76th overall and their fifth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. In honor of the 75th anniversary of the team's founding in 1946, the 49ers introduced a commemorative logo to be used during this season.[1]
| 2021 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
49ers 75th anniversary logo | |
| Owner | Jed York |
| General manager | John Lynch |
| Head coach | Kyle Shanahan |
| Offensive coordinator | Mike McDaniel |
| Defensive coordinator | DeMeco Ryans |
| Home stadium | Levi's Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–7 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC West |
| Playoffs | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Cowboys) 23–17 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Packers) 13–10 Lost NFC Championship (at Rams) 17–20 |
| All-Pros | 2
|
| Pro Bowlers | |
| Uniform | |
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They improved from their 6–10 record from the previous year and they returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. Despite starting 2–0, they would lose 4 consecutive games. After an embarrassing Week 9 loss to an injury depleted Arizona Cardinals,[2] the 49ers had a disappointing 3–5 record, but they would rebound and end the season winning 7 of their last 9 games, including a dramatic Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams in which the 49ers fought back from a 17–0 deficit to win 27–24 in overtime, thus allowing them to sneak into the playoffs.[3] During the season, the 49ers showcased a well rounded team, finishing top 10 in both total offense and total defense. The offense averaged 376 yards a game, good for 8th in the league, while averaging 25.1 points a game. The defense was even better, giving up just 310 yards a game, good for 3rd overall, averaging 21.5 points a game. This included the 6th best pass defense and 7th best rush defense. The defense also generated 48 sacks during the season, 5th best in the league.[4]
In the wild-card round, the 49ers upset the Dallas Cowboys 23–17.[5] They would then upset the #1 seeded Green Bay Packers 13–10 in the divisional round, thus advancing to the NFC Championship for the second time in three years.[6] However, they lost to their division rival and eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams 20–17.
Offseason
Roster changes
Free agency
The 49ers entered free agency with the following:[7]
| Position | Player | Free agency tag |
Date Signed | 2021 Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OT | Trent Williams | UFA | March 23, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed six-year contract[8] |
| CB | Richard Sherman | UFA | September 29, 2021 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Signed one-year contract[9] |
| DE | Solomon Thomas | UFA | March 19, 2021 | Las Vegas Raiders | Signed one-year contract[10] |
| FS | Jaquiski Tartt | UFA | March 22, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[11] |
| FB | Kyle Juszczyk | UFA | March 15, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed five-year contract[12] |
| RB | Tevin Coleman | UFA | March 25, 2021 | New York Jets | Signed one-year contract[13] |
| WR | Kendrick Bourne | UFA | March 19, 2021 | New England Patriots | Signed three-year contract[14] |
| CB | K'Waun Williams | UFA | March 26, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[15] |
| OT | Tom Compton | UFA | April 28, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[16] |
| DE | Ronald Blair | UFA | June 1, 2021 | New York Jets | Signed one-year contract[17] |
| C | Ben Garland | UFA | |||
| DE | Kerry Hyder | UFA | March 25, 2021 | Seattle Seahawks | Signed three-year contract[18] |
| DE | Ezekiel Ansah | UFA | |||
| RB | Jerick McKinnon | UFA | May 1, 2021 | Kansas City Chiefs | Signed one-year contract[19] |
| C | Tony Bergstrom | UFA | |||
| CB | Jason Verrett | UFA | April 1, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[20] |
| CB | Ahkello Witherspoon | UFA | March 19, 2021 | Seattle Seahawks | Signed one-year contract[21] |
| CB | Dontae Johnson | UFA | March 19, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[22] |
| C | Hroniss Grasu | UFA | |||
| DE | Dion Jordan | UFA | |||
| CB | Jamar Taylor | UFA | |||
| DE | Jordan Willis | UFA | March 23, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[23] |
| QB | C. J. Beathard | UFA | March 24, 2021 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Signed two-year contract[24] |
| LB | Joe Walker | UFA | May 19, 2021 | Washington Football Team | |
| QB | Nick Mullens | RFA | June 14, 2021 | Philadelphia Eagles | Signed one-year contract[25] |
| TE | Ross Dwelley | RFA | March 5, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[26] |
| LS | Taybor Pepper | RFA | February 4, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed two-year contract[27] |
| RB | Jeff Wilson | RFA | January 26, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[28] |
| QB | Josh Rosen | ERFA | February 8, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[29] |
| CB | Emmanuel Moseley | ERFA | March 15, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed two-year contract[30] |
| OT | Daniel Brunskill | ERFA | April 13, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[31][32] |
| CB | Ken Webster | ERFA | January 21, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[33] |
| WR | River Cracraft | ERFA | February 22, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[34] |
| WR | Trent Taylor | UFA | May 17, 2021 | Cincinnati Bengals | Signed one-year contract[35] |
| DT | D. J. Jones | UFA | March 22, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[36] |
| S | Marcell Harris | RFA | March 5, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[26] |
| RB | Austin Walter | ERFA | February 8, 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed one-year contract[29] |
RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent
| |||||
Signings
| Position | Player | 2020 Team | Date signed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | Mark Fields | October 13, 2020 | Claimed off waivers[37] | |
| CB | Briean Boddy-Calhoun | March 17, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[38] | |
| TE | Daniel Helm | |||
| C | Alex Mack | Atlanta Falcons | March 18, 2021 | Signed three-year contract[39] |
| LB | Samson Ebukam | Los Angeles Rams | March 18, 2021 | Signed two-year contract[40] |
| WR | Trent Sherfield | Arizona Cardinals | March 19, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[41] |
| S | Tavon Wilson | Indianapolis Colts | March 22, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[42] |
| DT | Zach Kerr | Carolina Panthers | March 23, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[43] |
| LB | Nathan Gerry | Philadelphia Eagles | March 29, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[44] |
| WR | Mohamed Sanu | Detroit Lions | March 30, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[45] |
| QB | Nate Sudfeld | Philadelphia Eagles | April 7, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[46] |
| RB | Wayne Gallman | New York Giants | April 21, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[47] |
| DT | Maurice Hurst Jr. | Las Vegas Raiders | April 23, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[48] |
| DE | Arden Key | |||
| WR | Marqise Lee | New England Patriots | May 17, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[49] |
| WR | Bennie Fowler | New Orleans Saints | May 21, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[50] |
| WR | Andy Jones | June 1, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[51] | |
| LB | James Burgess | Green Bay Packers | June 2, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[52] |
| TE | MyCole Pruitt | Tennessee Titans | June 2, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[53] |
| S | Tony Jefferson | June 7, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[54] | |
| OG | Senio Kelemete | Houston Texans | June 11, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[55] |
| WR | Nsimba Webster | Los Angeles Rams | June 21, 2021 | claimed off waivers[56] |
| DE | Eddie Yarbrough | Minnesota Vikings | July 27, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[57] |
| DE | Anthony Zettel | New Orleans Saints | ||
| TE | Jordan Matthews | July 31, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[58] | |
| TE | Joshua Perkins | August 4, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[59] | |
| CB | B. W. Webb | |||
| LB | Davin Bellamy | August 6, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[60] | |
| LB | Shilique Calhoun | New England Patriots | August 10, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[61] |
| CB | Alexander Myres | Detroit Lions | ||
| LB | Donald Payne | August 11, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[62] | |
| S | Ha Ha Clinton-Dix | August 12, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[63] | |
| DT | Eddie Vanderdoes | Houston Texans | ||
| LB | Mychal Kendricks | August 16, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[64] | |
| CB | Davontae Harris | Baltimore Ravens | August 17, 2021 | Claimed off waivers[65] |
| OT | Corbin Kaufusi | August 27, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[66] | |
| WR | River Cracraft | August 28, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[67] | |
| CB | Josh Norman | Buffalo Bills | September 6, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[68] |
| CB | Dre Kirkpatrick | Arizona Cardinals | September 14, 2021 | Signed one-year contract[69] |
| RB | Trenton Cannon | September 15, 2021 | Claimed off waivers[70] |
| Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2020 season. |
Departures
Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Trey Lance | QB | North Dakota State | From Houston via Miami |
| 2 | 48 | Aaron Banks | OG | Notre Dame | From Las Vegas |
| 3 | 88 | Trey Sermon | RB | Ohio State | From Los Angeles Rams |
| 102 | Ambry Thomas | CB | Michigan | 2020 Resolution JC-2A picks | |
| 5 | 155 | Jaylon Moore | OG | Western Michigan | |
| 172 | Deommodore Lenoir | CB | Oregon | From New Orleans | |
| 180 | Talanoa Hufanga | S | USC | Compensatory pick | |
| 6 | 194 | Elijah Mitchell | RB | Louisiana |
Notes
- San Francisco traded its first-round selection (12th overall), a 2022 first-round selection, a 2022 third-round selection and a 2023 first-round selection to Miami in exchange for a first-round selection (3rd overall).[79]
- San Francisco traded its second-round (43rd overall) and seventh-round (230th overall) selections to Vegas in exchange for a second-round (48th overall) and fourth (121st overall) selections.[80]
- San Francisco traded 2 fourth-round selections (117th and 121st overall) to Los Angeles in exchange for a third-round selection (88th overall).[81]
- San Francisco traded Kwon Alexander to New Orleans in exchange for a fifth-round conditional pick and LB Kiko Alonso.[82]
- San Francisco traded its third-round and 2020 fifth-round selections to Washington in exchange for offensive tackle Trent Williams.[83]
- San Francisco received third-round selections in 2021, 2022, and 2023, as compensation when defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was hired by the New York Jets as head coach[84] and vice president of player personnel Martin Mayhew was hired by the Washington Football Team as general manager.[85][86]
- San Francisco lost its 2021 seventh round selection, as Marquise Goodwin reverted from Philadelphia back to San Francisco.[87]
- San Francisco acquired a seventh round selection (No. 230) and defensive end Jordan Willis from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2022 sixth round selection.[88]
Undrafted free agents
| Position | Player | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OL | Alfredo Gutiérrez | Tecnológico de Monterrey | Waived on August 31[78] |
| LB | Justin Hilliard | Ohio State | Waived on August 31[78] |
| TE | Josh Pederson | Louisiana-Monroe | Waived on August 4[59] |
| LB | Elijah Sullivan | Kansas State | Waived on August 31[78] |
| WR | Austin Watkins | Alabama at Birmingham | Waived on August 17[76] |
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
Preseason
The 49ers' preseason schedule was announced on May 12.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 14 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 16–19 | 0–1 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | at Los Angeles Chargers | W 15–10 | 1–1 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 29 | Las Vegas Raiders | W 34–10 | 2–1 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
The 49ers' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 12 | at Detroit Lions | W 41–33 | 1–0 | Ford Field | Recap | |
| 2 | September 19 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 17–11 | 2–0 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap | |
| 3 | September 26 | Green Bay Packers | L 28–30 | 2–1 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 4 | October 3 | Seattle Seahawks | L 21–28 | 2–2 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 5 | October 10 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 10–17 | 2–3 | State Farm Stadium | Recap | |
| 6 | Bye | ||||||
| 7 | October 24 | Indianapolis Colts | L 18–30 | 2–4 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 8 | October 31 | at Chicago Bears | W 33–22 | 3–4 | Soldier Field | Recap | |
| 9 | November 7 | Arizona Cardinals | L 17–31 | 3–5 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 10 | November 15 | Los Angeles Rams | W 31–10 | 4–5 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 11 | November 21 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 30–10 | 5–5 | TIAA Bank Field | Recap | |
| 12 | November 28 | Minnesota Vikings | W 34–26 | 6–5 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 13 | December 5 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 23–30 | 6–6 | Lumen Field | Recap | |
| 14 | December 12 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 26–23 (OT) | 7–6 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap | |
| 15 | December 19 | Atlanta Falcons | W 31–13 | 8–6 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 16 | December 23 | at Tennessee Titans | L 17–20 | 8–7 | Nissan Stadium | Recap | |
| 17 | January 2, 2022 | Houston Texans | W 23–7 | 9–7 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 18 | January 9, 2022 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 27–24 (OT) | 10–7 | SoFi Stadium | Recap | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Game summaries
Week 1: at Detroit Lions
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 7 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 41 |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 7 | 16 | 33 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: September 12
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. PDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 59,374
- Referee: Brad Rogers
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
49ers hold on to go up 1-0 to kick off the 75th season.
Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Eagles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 75 °F (24 °C)
- Game attendance: 69,796
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Shannon Spake
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the Victory, The 49ers are 2-0 on the season
Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 30 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: September 26
- Game time: 5:20 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Scattered clouds, 69 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 69,853
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Packers narrowly escape the 49ers and deliver San Francisco its first loss on the season.
Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| 49ers | 7 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 21 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Hazy skies, 88 °F (31 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,912
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Shannon Spake
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Despite a late rally, the 49ers could not hold off the Seahawks at Levi's and drop to 2–2 on the season.
Week 5: at Arizona Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: October 10
- Game time: 1:25 p.m. MST & PDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 62,716
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In Trey Lance's first NFL start the 49ers lose a closer than expected game and fall to 2–3 on the season.
Week 7: vs. Indianapolis Colts
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
| 49ers | 12 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 18 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: October 24
- Game time: 5:20 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, rainy, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 56,576
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With their fourth loss in a row, the 49ers go down to 2–4.
Week 8: at Chicago Bears
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 3 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 33 |
| Bears | 3 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 22 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: October 31
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/10:00 a.m. PDT
- Game weather: Partly sunny, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 60,877
- Referee: Land Clark
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Despite struggling in the first half of the game falling behind 16–9, the 49ers would rally, outscoring the Bears 24–6 to pick up the win and improving them to 3–4.
Week 9: vs. Arizona Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 14 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Despite the Cardinals having an injury–depleted roster, the 49ers suffer an embarrassing loss to former 49ers QB Colt McCoy and fall to 3–5 on the season.
Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Rams
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 49ers | 14 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 5:15 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Overcast, 62 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 64,256
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers bounced back against their interstate rivals, defeating them for the 5th consecutive time and bringing their record up to 4–5 for the season.
Week 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 3 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: November 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST
- Game weather: Sunny, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 60,268
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Jen Hale
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
49ers got back to .500 by beating the Jags.
Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 26 |
| 49ers | 7 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 34 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: November 28
- Game time: 1:25 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Clear, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,493
- Referee: Brad Rogers
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, and Sara Walsh
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In a crucial game for seeding, the 49ers pulled off a late victory to take the tie breaker and went up to 6–5 on the season.
Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Seahawks | 7 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 30 |
at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
- Date: December 5
- Game time: 1:25 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Sunny, 41 °F (5 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,758
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Tiki Barber and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Seahawks snapped a 3 game win streak for the 49ers, as their record was evened out at 6–6. This marked the 49ers last loss in Seattle until 2025.
Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 3 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| Bengals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 23 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: December 12
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Sunny, 45 °F (7 °C)
- Game attendance: 50,481
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta and AJ Ross
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Late heroics and extra time was needed in this regular season classic, Aiyuk and the 49ers leaped to 7–6.
Week 15: vs. Atlanta Falcons
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| 49ers | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: December 19
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Clear, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,650
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers inspired 3rd Quarter put them over the Falcons and onto 8–6.
Week 16: at Tennessee Titans
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Titans | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: December 23
- Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST/5:20 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Clear, 54 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 69,361
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- TV announcers (NFLN): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Despite taking a 10–0 lead, the 49ers could not overcome the Titans, who outscored them 20–7 to drop them to 8–7, making their playoff chances looking slim.
Week 17: vs. Houston Texans
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 23 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: January 2
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Clear, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,612
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta and AJ Ross
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In Levi's Season Finale the 49ers got off to a slow start, but then they cruised to their 9th victory in Trey Lance's 2nd NFL start to secure their 2nd winning season in 3 years.
Week 18: at Los Angeles Rams
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Rams | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- Date: January 9
- Game time: 1:25 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 74,447
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In a game that looked like certain doom for the 49ers, the 49ers roared back to tie the game on a pass from Deebo Samuel to Jauan Jennings to tie the game up. In overtime, Robbie Gould put the 49ers ahead and Ambry Thomas officially punched the 49ers ticket to the playoffs when he picked off Matthew Stafford, the 49ers would finish the regular season at 10–7. This would be the Rams 7th consecutive defeat by the 49ers.
Standings
Division
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (4) Los Angeles Rams | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 3–3 | 8–4 | 460 | 372 | L1 |
| (5) Arizona Cardinals | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 449 | 366 | L1 |
| (6) San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 2–4 | 7–5 | 427 | 365 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 395 | 366 | W2 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division winners | |||||||||||
| 1[a] | Green Bay Packers | North | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .479 | .480 | L1 |
| 2[a] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .467 | .443 | W3 |
| 3[b] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 6–0 | 10–2 | .488 | .431 | W1 |
| 4[b] | Los Angeles Rams | West | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .483 | .409 | L1 |
| Wild cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .490 | .492 | L1 |
| 6 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .500 | .438 | W2 |
| 7[c] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .469 | .350 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 8[c] | New Orleans Saints | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .512 | .516 | W2 |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .507 | .434 | W1 |
| 10[d] | Washington Football Team | East | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .529 | .420 | W1 |
| 11[d][e] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .519 | .424 | W2 |
| 12[d][e] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .472 | .315 | L2 |
| 13 | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .524 | .373 | L1 |
| 14 | Carolina Panthers | South | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .509 | .412 | L7 |
| 15 | New York Giants | East | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .536 | .485 | L6 |
| 16 | Detroit Lions | North | 3 | 13 | 1 | .206 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .528 | .627 | W1 |
| Tiebreakers[f] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Postseason
Schedule
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 16 | at Dallas Cowboys (3) | W 23–17 | 1–0 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| Divisional | January 22 | at Green Bay Packers (1) | W 13–10 | 2–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 30 | at Los Angeles Rams (4) | L 17–20 | 2–1 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
Game summaries
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Dallas Cowboys
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 10 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Date: January 16, 2022
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST/1:30 p.m. PST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 93,470
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS/Nick):
- CBS: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson
- Nickelodeon: Noah Eagle, Nate Burleson, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, and Young Dylan
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In the first playoff meeting between these two teams since the 1994 NFC Championship, the 49ers upset the Cowboys 23–17. The 49ers' top-five defense shut down the NFL's highest scoring team (the Cowboys were averaging 31.1 points a game during the regular season) to just 17 points, well below the Cowboys' average. This included five sacks, holding the Cowboys to just 77 yards rushing, and one interception, which led to a 49ers touchdown on the next play. The 49ers dominated most of the game, leading 23–7 entering the fourth quarter, and retaining the lead despite a close comeback from the Cowboys. With the win, the 49ers improved their playoff record against the Cowboys to 3–5 all time and defeated the Cowboys for the first time since 2014.
NFC Divisional Playoffs: at (1) Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Packers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: January 22, 2022
- Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST/5:15 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 14 °F (−10 °C)
- Game attendance: 79,132
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers' Cinderella run continued as they traveled to Lambeau Field and pulled off the upset in a 13–10 win over the heavily favored Green Bay Packers.[citation needed] The game, which was affected by snowfall, was a defensive battle. The Packers started the game with a six-yard touchdown run by AJ Dillion to take a 7–0 lead. For the rest of the game, the 49ers defense only surrendered three more points, aided by five sacks, a fumble recovery, and only giving up 263 total yards of offense to the Packers. The 49ers special teams was pivotal, as they blocked a Packers field goal right before halftime, returned a blocked punt for a game-tying touchdown late in the game, and finally, converted a game-winning field goal by kicker Robbie Gould as time expired, the last of which advanced them to their second NFC Championship in the last three seasons and the 17th NFC Championship overall as a franchise. With the Tennessee Titans' loss earlier in the day to the Cincinnati Bengals, coincidentally also on a field goal as time expired, this was the first time since 2010 that both #1 seeded teams were eliminated in the same weekend. With the win, the 49ers improved to 4–0 in the playoffs against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The 49ers recorded five sacks for the second game in a row, which is the first time that has happened in consecutive playoff games since the 1984 season.[citation needed]
NFC Championship: at (4) Los Angeles Rams
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- Date: January 30
- Game time: 3:40 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 73,202
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, and Tom Rinaldi
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers flew to Los Angeles following their win over the Packers to play their division rival Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. During the regular season, the 49ers won both games against the Rams, and were looking to complete the season sweep with a win.
San Francisco won the coin toss and elected to defer. The two teams traded punts before Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford drove the offense to the 49ers' 3-yard line before throwing a drive-ending interception to Jimmie Ward. However, the 49ers were unable to muster any points off the pick, and were forced to punt. In the second quarter, the Rams struck first with Stafford completing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Cooper Kupp from 16 yards out to give the Rams a 7–0 lead. However, San Francisco struck right back with Jimmy Garoppolo hitting Deebo Samuel for a 44-yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7. On the Rams' next drive, the Rams drove to the 49ers' 38-yard line, but could only pick up 2 yards over the next three downs, and kicker Matt Gay's 54-yard field goal attempt sailed wide of the goalposts. With just under two minutes remaining in the first half, Garoppolo completed four straight passes to set up kicker Robbie Gould's 38-yard field goal at the end of the half to put San Francisco up 10–7.
In the second half, the two teams once again traded punts. On the 49ers' second drive of the half, short runs by Samuel and short passes by Garoppolo drove San Francisco down to the Rams' 16-yard line, where he hooked up with tight end George Kittle for a touchdown to make the score 17–7. On the Rams' ensuing drive, long passes by Stafford led to Kupp's second touchdown of the game from 11 yards out to cut the deficit to 17–14 with thirteen minutes left. On the 49ers' next two drives, they were forced to punt. The Rams capitalized, with Gay scoring two field goals from 40 and 30 yards out respectively to make the score 20–17 in favor of Los Angeles.
With just under two minutes remaining, the 49ers' offense trotted out on the field in an attempt to make a desperate last-minute drive to tie the game. After an incompletion on first down, Garoppolo completed a pass to Jauan Jennings, but was tackled immediately by the Rams' Travin Howard to bring up a 3rd-and-13 on the 49ers' 22-yard line. On the very next play, Garoppolo was washed out of the pocket by the Rams' defensive line. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald got a hand on Garoppolo, and in desperation, Garoppolo lobbed the ball up, where it was tipped by JaMycal Hasty before falling into the hands of Howard for a game and season-ending interception. Three kneeldowns by Stafford ended the game, and sent the Rams to their second Super Bowl in the last 4 years.
Statistics
Team
| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing offense | 4,221 | 248.3 | 12th |
| Rushing offense | 2,166 | 127.4 | 7th |
| Total offense | 6,387 | 375.7 | 7th |
| Passing defense | 3,510 | 206.5 | 6th |
| Rushing defense | 1,760 | 103.5 | 7th |
| Total defense | 5,270 | 310.0 | 3rd |
Individual
| Category | Player | Total yards | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | |||
| Passing | Jimmy Garoppolo | 3,810 | |
| Rushing | Elijah Mitchell | 963 | |
| Receiving | Deebo Samuel | 1,405 | |
| Defense | |||
| Tackles (Solo) | Fred Warner | 79 | |
| Sacks | Nick Bosa | 15.5 | |
| Interceptions | Jimmie Ward | 2 | |
Statistics correct as of the end of the 2021 NFL season[89][90]