| 2010 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | John York |
| Head coach | Mike Singletary (fired December 26, 5–10 record) Jim Tomsula (interim, 1–0 record) |
| Offensive coordinator | Jimmy Raye |
| Defensive coordinator | Greg Manusky |
| Home stadium | Candlestick Park |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 3rdNFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | LBPatrick Willis(1st team) |
| Pro Bowlers | |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The2010 season was theSan Francisco 49ers' 61st in theNational Football League (NFL), their 65th overall and their third and final under head coachMike Singletary. The 49ers were looking to build upon their 8–8 season in2009 and were expected by many to win theNFC West for the first time since2002;[1] however, they lost each of their first five games and ended up with a 6–10 record as they failed to reach the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. The 49ers originally retainedJimmy Raye as theoffensive coordinator, marking the first time sinceGreg Knapp in2003 that the 49ers had the same offensive coordinator for more than one season; however, after their third loss to start the season, the 49ers fired Raye and promoted quarterbacks coachMike Johnson to offensive coordinator.[2] Ultimately, head coach Singletary was himself fired before the last game of the season. He was replaced by defensive line coachJim Tomsula for the final game of the regular season.
The first major coaching change in the offseason was the firing of Al Everest as special teams coordinator. The 49ers interviewed several candidates and by mid-January settled on Kurt Schottenheimer as special-teams coordinator.[3] One week later, another assistant coaching change was made when incumbent offensive line coach Chris Foerster was permitted to accept an offer to coach the same position with newWashington Redskins head coachMike Shanahan. To replace Foerster, the 49ers immediately hired outgoing Seahawks offensive line coachMike Solari, who had previously been an assistant line coach with the 49ers.[4]
| Position | Player | Status* | 2009 Team | 2010 Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | Shane Andrus | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| G | David Baas | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| WR | Arnaz Battle | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| CB | Dre' Bly | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Detroit Lions |
| LB | Ahmad Brooks | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| QB | David Carr | UFA | New York Giants | San Francisco 49ers |
| RB | Thomas Clayton | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | New England Patriots |
| NT | Aubrayo Franklin | Franchise | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| CB | Walt Harris | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Baltimore Ravens |
| DB | Marcus Hudson | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | Carolina Panthers |
| CB | William James | UFA | Detroit Lions | San Francisco 49ers |
| OT | Tony Pashos | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Cleveland Browns |
| CB | Karl Paymah | UFA | Minnesota Vikings | San Francisco 49ers |
| SS | Mark Roman | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | TBD |
| K | Ricky Schmitt | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | Tennessee Titans |
| OT | Barry Sims | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| LB | Jeff Ulbrich | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Retired (Now Coach) |
| RB | Brian Westbrook | UFA | Philadelphia Eagles | San Francisco 49ers |
| WR | Brandon Jones | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks |
*RFA:Restricted free agent,UFA:Unrestricted free agent,ERFA:Exclusive rights free agent,Franchise:Franchise tag
| Trading team | 49ers Receive | 49ers Give |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 2011 7th-round draft pick | QBShaun Hill |
| Miami Dolphins | WRTed Ginn Jr. | 2010 5th-round draft pick |
| Denver Broncos | 2010 1st-round draft pick (11) | 2010 1st-round draft pick (13) 2010 4th-round draft pick (113) |
| San Diego Chargers | 2010 3rd-round draft pick (91) 2010 6th-round draft pick (197) | 2010 3rd-round draft pick (79) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2011 6th-round draft pick | DEKentwan Balmer |
After finishing the 2009 season with a record of 8–8, the 49ers held the 13th overall pick in the2010 NFL draft. They also obtained the 17th overall pick as a result of a trade in the2009 NFL draft that gave their second and fourth round picks in 2009 to theCarolina Panthers for the Panthers' first round pick in 2010. The 49ers traded their fifth round pick in 2010 to Miami forwide receiverTed Ginn Jr. In the first round of the 2010 draft the 49ers moved up two picks by trading their #13 pick and 4th Round pick to theDenver Broncos to move up to pick #11, with which they selectedoffensive tackleAnthony Davis fromRutgers. Six picks later, the 49ers again chose to solidify their offensive line by selecting top-ratedguardMike Iupati out ofIdaho.
| Draft order | Player name | Position | Height | Weight | College | Contract | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Choice | Overall | |||||||
| 1 | 11 | 11 | Anthony Davis | T | 6 ft 5 in | 323 lb | Rutgers | FromDenver Broncos | |
| 13 | 13 | Traded to theDenver Broncos | |||||||
| 17 | 17 | Mike Iupati | G | 6 ft 5 in | 331 lb | Idaho | FromCarolina Panthers | ||
| 2 | 17 | 49 | Taylor Mays | S | 6 ft 3 in | 230 lb | USC | ||
| 3 | 15 | 79 | Traded to theSan Diego Chargers | ||||||
| 27 | 91 | NaVorro Bowman | LB | 6 ft 0 in | 242 lb | Penn State | fromSan Diego Chargers | ||
| 4 | 15 | 113 | Traded to theDenver Broncos | ||||||
| 5 | 14 | 145 | Traded to theMiami Dolphins | ||||||
| 6 | 4 | 173 | Anthony Dixon | RB | 6 ft 1 in | 233 lb | Mississippi State | FromSan Diego Chargers | |
| 13 | 182 | Nate Byham | TE | 6 ft 4 in | 268 lb | Pittsburgh | |||
| 37 | 206 | Kyle Williams | WR | 5 ft 10 in | 188 lb | Arizona State | Compensatory pick | ||
| 7 | 17 | 224 | Phillip Adams | CB | 5 ft 10 in | 192 lb | South Carolina State | ||
| 2010 San Francisco 49ers staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL) | Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST) | Reserve lists
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 15 | atIndianapolis Colts | W 37–17 | 1–0 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | Minnesota Vikings | W 15–10 | 2–0 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 3 | August 28 | atOakland Raiders | W 28–24 | 3–0 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | San Diego Chargers | W 17–14 | 4–0 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (4)Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 310 | 407 | W1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 289 | 328 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 4–8 | 305 | 346 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 289 | 434 | L1 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
atQwest Field,Seattle, Washington
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers began their season atQwest Field for an NFC West match against theSeattle Seahawks. In the first quarter, the Niners had the early lead when kickerJoe Nedney made a 23-yard field goal, which was extended in the second quarter when Nedney made another 23-yard field goal. Then, San Francisco failed to maintain it and then fell behind when Seahawks quarterbackMatt Hasselbeck got a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by him making a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverDeon Butler. In the third quarter, the 49ers struggled further when quarterbackAlex Smith threw an interception to cornerbackMarcus Trufant, which was returned 32 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by Hasselbeck's 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverDeion Branch. In the fourth quarter, the Niners continued to struggle when kickerOlindo Mare made a 35-yard field goal.
With the loss, the 49ers began their season at 0–1.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 9 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 25 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
atCandlestick Park,San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Seahawks, the 49ers played their Week 2 home opener against the defending Super Bowl championNew Orleans Saints on Monday night.
San Francisco trailed early in the first quarter as centerDavid Baas' high snap deep within Niner territory resulted in a safety. The Saints would add onto their lead as quarterbackDrew Brees completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to running backReggie Bush. The 49ers would respond in the second quarter with quarterbackAlex Smith finding running backFrank Gore on a 12-yard touchdown pass.
The Niners would take the lead in the third quarter as rookie running backAnthony Dixon got a 2-yard touchdown run, but New Orleans would answer with Brees' 3-yard touchdown pass to tight endDavid Thomas. In the fourth quarter, the Saints would add onto their lead as kickerGarrett Hartley got a 46-yard and a 19-yard field goal. San Francisco would tie the game with Gore's 7-yard touchdown run, followed by Smith's 2-point conversion pass to tight endVernon Davis. However, New Orleans would get the last laugh as Hartley made the game-winning 37-yard field goal.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 0–2.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
atArrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Looking for their first win, the 49ers flew toArrowhead Stadium for an interconference duel with the Chiefs. Prior to the game, tight endVernon Davis guaranteed victory.[7] In the 2nd quarter, the 49ers trailed early as QBMatt Cassel completed a 31-yard TD pass to WRDexter McCluster. The 49ers replied with kickerJoe Nedney hitting a 51-yard field goal. The 49ers fell further behind when Chiefs' kickerRyan Succop hit a 32-yard field goal and then in the third quarter when Cassel found WRDwayne Bowe and TETony Moeaki on 45 and 18-yard TD passes, respectively. RBThomas Jones followed these scores with a 3-yard TD run. The 49ers narrowed the score when QBAlex Smith made a 12-yard TD pass to WRJosh Morgan.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 0–3.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Still looking for a win the 49ers flew toGeorgia Dome for an NFC duel with the Falcons. In the first quarter the 49ers took the early lead with QBAlex Smith making a 12-yard TD pass to TEVernon Davis. Then safetyTaylor Mays recovered a blocked punt in the endzone for a touchdown. Then the Falcons rallied with QBMatt Ryan completing an 8-yard TD pass to WRHarry Douglas. Then the Falcons took the lead with three field goals from kickerMatt Bryant. He made a 37-yard field goal near the end of the 2nd quarter, a 31-yard field goad in the 3rd. Late in the 4th quarter, CBNate Clements intercepted Matt Ryan's pass which should have sealed the game for the 49ers who were then up 14 – 13. However, instead of going down, Clements continued down the left sideline attempting to score. He would return the interception 39 yards before Falcons WRRoddy White was able to strip the ball from him and the Falcons recovered the fumble.[8] After regaining possession, the Falcons drove down the field again and this time was able to win the game on a 43-yard field goal by Matt Bryant, giving the 49ers another loss.
With the close loss, the 49ers fell to 0–4.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
atCandlestick Park,San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to get their first win of the season, the 49ers went home for a Week 5 Sunday night duel with thePhiladelphia Eagles. The Niners delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter as quarterbackAlex Smith hooked up with wide receiverMichael Crabtree on a 7-yard touchdown pass, but the Eagles would answer with quarterbackKevin Kolb completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight endBrent Celek. Philadelphia took the lead in the second quarter as kickerDavid Akers made a 33-yard field goal, followed by running backLeSean McCoy's 29-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, San Francisco closed out the half with kickerJoe Nedney booting a 50-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, the Eagles would add onto their lead in the fourth quarter as safetyQuintin Mikell returned a fumble 52 yards for a touchdown. The Niners began to rally as Smith found tight endVernon Davis on a 7-yard touchdown pass, yet Philadelphia answered with a 45-yard field goal from Akers. San Francisco tried to rally as Smith found running backFrank Gore on a 1-yard touchdown pass, but Philadelphia's defense would hold on for the win.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to their first 0–5 start since 1979.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
atCandlestick Park,San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Oakland Raiders | San Francisco 49ers | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 10 | 17 |
| Third down efficiency | 5/15 | 7/17 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Total yards | 179 | 349 |
| Passing yards | 69 | 191 |
| Passing – completions/attempts | 8/21 | 16/33 |
| Rushing yards | 110 | 158 |
| Rushing attempts | 30 | 31 |
| Yards per rush | 3.7 | 5.1 |
| Penalties–yards | 8–60 | 11–143 |
| Sacks against–yards | 1–7 | 0–0 |
| Fumbles–lost | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| Interceptions thrown | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:39 | 33:21 |
| 49ers Passing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT* | Yds | TD | INT | |
| Alex Smith | 16/33 | 196 | 2 | 0 |
| 49ers Rushing | ||||
| Cara | Yds | TD | LGb | |
| Frank Gore | 25 | 149 | 0 | 64 |
| Anthony Dixon | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Alex Smith | 4 | −2 | 0 | 1 |
| 49ers Receiving | ||||
| Recc | Yds | TD | LGb | |
| Michael Crabtree | 4 | 57 | 1 | 32 |
| Josh Morgan | 3 | 49 | 0 | 35 |
| Vernon Davis | 4 | 35 | 1 | 17 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 2 | 23 | 0 | 19 |
| Brian Westbrook | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Nate Byham | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Dominique Zeigler | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 49ers Defense | ||||
| Tak/Ast/Tott | Sck | Int | Ffg | |
| Takeo Spikes | 6/1/7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Smith | 4/1/5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nate Clements | 3/0/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Patrick Willis | 3/3/6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aubrayo Franklin | 3/0/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ricky Jean-Francois | 2/1/3 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Taylor Mays | 2/0/2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetric Evans | 2/0/0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Parys Haralson | 1/0/1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manny Lawson | 1/0/1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Raiders Passing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT* | Yds | TD | INT | |
| Jason Campbell | 8/21 | 83 | 0 | 2 |
| Raiders Rushing | ||||
| Cara | Yds | TD | LGb | |
| Michael Bush | 20 | 47 | 0 | 5 |
| Louis Murphy | 1 | 43 | 0 | 43 |
| Jason Campbell | 7 | 21 | 0 | 9 |
| Marcel Reece | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rock Cartwright | 1 | −3 | 0 | −3 |
| Raiders Receiving | ||||
| Recc | Yds | TD | LGb | |
| Zach Miller | 2 | 48 | 0 | 26 |
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | 3 | 19 | 0 | 8 |
| Michael Bush | 2 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| Louis Murphy | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Raiders Defense | ||||
| Tak/Ast/Tott | Int | Ffg | Sck | |
| Tyvon Branch | 7/2/9 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Huff | 6/1/7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Kelly | 5/1/6 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Shaughnessy | 4/0/4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford Routt | 4/0/4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamerion Wimbley | 3/0/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nnamdi Asomugha | 1/0/1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Mitchell | 1/2/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Scott | 1/2/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hiram Eugene | 1/0/1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
* Completions/Attemptsa Carriesb Long playc Receptionst Tacklesg Forced Fumble
Still looking for a win the 49ers played on home ground where they played their state rival, theOakland Raiders. In the first quarter, the 49ers trailed early as kickerSebastian Janikowski got a 27-yard field goal. Then he made a 24-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter. The 49ers replied with kickerJoe Nedney making a 25-yard field goal. They took the lead in the third quarter with QBAlex Smith making a 32-yard TD pass to WRMichael Crabtree. The Raiders cut the lead with Janikowski making a 40-yard field goal. The 49ers pulled away after Smith found TEVernon Davis on a 17-yard TD pass.
With the win, the 49ers improve to 1–5.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Panthers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 23 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their win over the Raiders the 49ers flew toBank of America Stadium for an NFC duel with the Panthers. In the first quarter the 49ers took the lead as QBAlex Smith got a 1-yard TD pass to TEVernon Davis. The lead was cut when kickerJohn Kasay nailed a 47-yard field goal. The 49ers scored with kickerJoe Nedney making a 24-yard field goal. The Panthers tied the game with QBMatt Moore completing an 18-yard TD pass to WRDavid Gettis. The 49ers fell behind in the third quarter with Kasay booting a 55-yard field goal. They eventually got the lead back in the fourth quarter with Nedney hitting a 38-yard field goal, and with DERay McDonald returning an interception 31 yards for a touchdown. However, the Panthers tied the game with Moore finding Gettis again on a 23-yard TD pass. Following an interception by 49ers backup quarterbackDavid Carr, Kasay successfully booted a 37-yard field goal to give the 49ers the loss.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 1–6.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 49ers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 24 |
atWembley Stadium,London, England
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers' 8th match was an Interconference duel with the Broncos atWembley Stadium. In the first quarter the 49ers took the lead as kickerJoe Nedney got a 34-yard field goal. They soon trailed in the third quarter when QBTim Tebow scrambled 1 yard for a touchdown; followed in the fourth quarter by kickerMatt Prater hitting a 32-yard field goal. They soon went on a scoring rally to take the lead with QBTroy Smith scrambling a yard for a touchdown, followed by his 28-yard TD pass to WRMichael Crabtree. Then RBFrank Gore got a 3-yard TD run to put the 49ers up 24–10. The lead was narrowed when QBKyle Orton made a 1-yard TD pass to WRBrandon Lloyd (with a failed PAT).
With the win, the 49ers went into their bye week at 2–6.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
atCandlestick Park,San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers' ninth game was rivalry match against the Rams at home. In the first quarter the 49ers trailed early with kickerJosh Brown making a 42-yard field goal. They took the lead with RBFrank Gore getting a 1-yard TD run. This was followed in the second quarter by kickerJoe Nedney nailing a 26-yard field goal. The Rams fought back with QBSam Bradford completing a 5-yard TD pass to WRDanny Amendola. Followed in the third quarter by RBSteven Jackson getting a 13-yard TD run. The 49ers got the lead back with Nedney getting a 47-yard field goal, followed by QBTroy Smith making a 16-yard TD pass to WRMichael Crabtree. The Rams tied the game with Brown making a 33-yard field goal. The decision was made at overtime when Nedney successfully made a 29-yard field goal to give the 49ers their third win of the season, bringing their record up to 3–6.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
atCandlestick Park,San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their win over the Rams the 49ers played on home ground for an NFC duel with the Buccaneers. In the second quarter the 49ers trailed after RBCadillac Williams made a 6-yard TD run. This was followed in the third quarter by QBJosh Freeman completing an 8-yard TD pass to WRMike Williams; and in the fourth quarter by Freeman throwing a 1-yard TD pass toDonald Penn.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 3–7. This marked the 49ers' first shutout loss at home since 1977, when they were defeated by theAtlanta Falcons 7–0.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to rebound from their shutout loss to the Buccaneers, the 49ers flew to theUniversity of Phoenix Stadium for a Week 12 NFC West duel with theArizona Cardinals on Monday night. San Francisco made the opening strike in the first quarter as quarterbackTroy Smith found wide receiverMichael Crabtree on a 38-yard touchdown pass. The Cardinals answered with kickerJay Feely getting a 31-yard field goal, yet the 49ers responded with a 1-yard touchdown run from rookie running backAnthony Dixon. San Francisco added onto their lead in the second quarter with an 8-yard touchdown pass from running backBrian Westbrook. Arizona would hang on with Feely's 39-yard field goal. Afterwards, the 49ers pulled away with a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter from kickerShane Andrus.
With the win, San Francisco improved to 4–7.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Packers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 34 |
atLambeau Field,Green Bay, Wisconsin
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their win over the Cardinals the 49ers flew toLambeau Field for an NFC duel with the Packers. The 49ers took the lead after kickerJeff Reed hit a 44 and a 26-yard field goal. The lead didn't last long after QBAaron Rodgers completed a 57-yard TD pass to WRGreg Jennings, followed by FBJohn Kuhn getting a 1-yard TD run. The 49ers cut the lead down with QBTroy Smith making a 66-yard TD pass to TEVernon Davis, but in the third quarter, the Packers replied with Rodgers getting a 61-yard TD pass to WRDonald Driver. The 49ers scored again with Reed nailing a 23-yard field goal. They struggled further after Rodgers found Jennings again on a 1-yard TD pass. Followed in the fourth quarter by kickerMason Crosby making a 43 and a 24-yard field goal.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 4–8.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| 49ers | 10 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 40 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Packers the 49ers played on home ground for an NFC West rivalry match against the Seahawks. The 49ers took the lead first with QBAlex Smith completing a 42-yard TD pass to TEVernon Davis, but the Seahawks replied with QBMatt Hasselbeck throwing an 11-yard TD pass to WRRuvell Martin. The 49ers made a large scoring rally to increase their lead when kickerJeff Reed hit a 33 and a 44-yard field goal, followed by Smith completing a 15 and a 62-yard TD pass toJosh Morgan andBrian Westbrook respectively. This was followed by Reed making a 22-yard field goal, and in the third quarter with FSDashon Goldson returning an interception 39 yards for a touchdown. After that, Reed nailed a 36-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 40–7. The lead was broken down with RBLeon Washington returning the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, followed in the 4th quarter by QBMatt Hasselbeck getting a 2-yard TD pass to WRDeon Butler.
With the win, the 49ers improved to 5–8.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their win over the Seahawks the 49ers played against the Chargers atQualcomm Stadium on Thursday Night. The 49ers fell behind 2 minutes into the game with QBPhilip Rivers throwing a 58-yard TD pass to WRVincent Jackson, followed in the second quarter by kickerNate Kaeding nailing a 25-yard field goal, then with Rivers finding Jackson on an 11-yard touchdown pass. In the third quarter the 49ers had a touchdown from the second-half kickoff return but was declined because of a face-masking penalty enforced on them. Following that, they struggled further with FBMike Tolbert getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Rivers connecting to Jackson on a 48-yard TD pass, then with Kaeding hitting a 39-yard field goal. The 49ers made their only score of the game with RBBrian Westbrook getting a 1-yard TD run. Justin Smith was ejected from the game after shoving a referee.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5–9.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Rams | 9 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 25 |
atEdward Jones Dome,St. Louis, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers' fifteenth game was an NFC West rivalry rematch against the Rams atEdward Jones Dome. The 49ers struggled in the first quarter whenSteven Jackson got a 1-yard TD run, followed by QBTroy Smith getting sacked in the endzone by DEJames Hall for a safety. They got back in the game afterTed Ginn Jr. returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown, but fell further behind after kickerJosh Brown nailed a 43-yard field goal. They took the lead with Smith completing a 60-yard TD pass to WRMichael Crabtree, but fell behind again as Brown got a 30-yard field goal, followed by QBSam Bradford throwing a 3-yard TD pass to WRLaurent Robinson. The 49ers tried to cut this lead with kickerJeff Reed making a 47-yard field goal, but the Rams pulled away with Brown hitting a 28-yard field goal.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5–10, eliminating them from post-season contention for the eighth consecutive season. As a result of this and a sideline argument during the game, Singletary was fired as head coach later that night.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 21 | 7 | 38 |
atCandlestick Park,San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers' final game was an NFC West rematch against the Cardinals. The 49ers took the lead as QBAlex Smith completed a 37-yard TD pass to WRTed Ginn Jr., followed in the 2nd quarter by kickerJeff Reed making a 39-yard field goal. The Cardinals narrowed the lead as QBJohn Skelton completed a 10-yard TD pass to WRLarry Fitzgerald, but the 49ers extended their lead after Smith completed a 59-yard TD pass to TEVernon Davis, followed by RBBrian Westbrook running 6 yards to the endzone for a touchdown twice in succession. This was followed by CBTarell Brown returning an interception 62 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, the 49ers finish with a 6–10 record.
