2006 San Francisco 49ers season
Encyclopedia
The 2006
San Francisco 49ers
season began with the team trying to improve on their 4-12 record in 2005
. Despite having improved from their previous two disastrous seasons and were in the top 10 best offense in the league in 2006 ,they missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year, continuing their playoff drought. The 49ers celebrated their 60th anniversary during the 2006 season, because, although it was their 61st season, the 2006 calendar year marked the 60th anniversary of the franchise's founding in 1946.
. On January 17, 2006, the 49ers hired Norv Turner
as McCarthy's replacement. Whereas McCarthy based the majority of his offense on Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense, Turner has been known to use a power running scheme and vertical passing game more often than the West Coast scheme. Turner came to the 49ers after two unsuccessful seasons as the head coach of the 49ers' crossbay rivals, the Oakland Raiders
.
The 49ers gained the 6th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
after winning a coin toss with the Oakland Raiders
at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. The 49ers used their first pick on Maryland Tight End Vernon Davis
. They then used their next pick (acquired from the Denver Broncos
via the Washington Redskins
) on North Carolina St. Defensive End Manny Lawson
. The rest of their picks were Wisconsin Wide Receiver Brandon Williams, Penn St. RB Michael Robinson, Tennessee DE Parys Haralson
, Central Missouri St. Wide Receiver Delanie Walker
, North Carolina St. Safety Marcus Hudson
, Louisiana St. DE Melvin Oliver
, and Arkansas Safety Vickiel Vaughn
.
The 49ers had two major free agent acquisitions in the off season. Larry Allen
, a perennial Pro Bowl
left guard from the Dallas Cowboys
, and Antonio Bryant
, a talented but oft-troubled wide receiver from the Cleveland Browns
. The 49ers also traded Kevan Barlow
to the New York Jets
for what is believed to be a 2007 4th round draft pick.
, Glendale, Arizona
Sunday,September 10, 2006
The 49ers opened the regular season against the Arizona Cardinals
on September 10. Despite losing 34-27, many positives can be taken out of the game. RB Frank Gore
rushed for 88 yards and caught 6 receptions for over 80 yards with two touchdowns. Rookie tight end Vernon Davis
and second year quarterback Alex Smith
hooked up for a touchdown pass with Smith equaling his touchdown total of the entire 2005 season and passing for an encouraging 288 yards with 23 completions out of 40 attempts. The 49ers had several chances to win it, however, many controversial non-calls were made by the officials, including a blatant pass interference in the end zone, which would have tied the game with just a little over 2 minutes to go. The 49ers would start their 60th season 0-1
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Vernon Davis
31 yard pass from Alex Smith
(Joe Nedney
kick)
AZ- Troy Walters
2 yard pass from Kurt Warner
(Neil Rackers
kick)
AZ- Edgerrin James
1 yard rush (Neil Rackers kick)
AZ- Anquan Boldin
6 yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick)
2nd Quarter
SF- Frank Gore
4 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
AZ- Neil Rackers 36 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Frank Gore 2 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
AZ- Adam Bergen
7 yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 22 yard field goal
AZ- Neil Rackers 30 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 44 yard field goal
, San Francisco, California
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The 49ers played their second game of the season against the St. Louis Rams
on September 17 in a Week 2 home-opener. After a loss to the Arizona Cardinals
the previous week, the 49ers redeemed themselves with a win at home. Second year quarterback Alex Smith threw for 233 yards with 11 completions and one touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant
. Bryant had four receptions with 131 yards. Running back Frank Gore ran for a (at the time) career-best 127 yards with a touchdown, despite Jonas Jennings
and Larry Allen
being sidelined with injuries. San Francisco won 20-13 and evened out their record at 1-1
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 32 yard field goal
2nd quarter
STL- Jeff Wilkins
49 yard field goal
STL- Torry Holt
3 yard pass from Marc Bulger
(Jeff Wilkins kick)
3rd Quarter
SF- Frank Gore 32 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Antonio Bryant
72 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
STL- Jeff Wilkins 40 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 20 yard field goal
, San Francisco, California
Sunday, September 24, 2006
The 49ers stayed at home for a Week 3 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles
. From the get-go, the Niners trailed as QB Donovan McNabb
managed to complete two TD passes to RB Brian Westbrook
(a 4-yard pass) and WR L.J. Smith
(a 1-yard pass) in the first quarter. In the second quarter, San Francisco would get on the board with Kicker Joe Nedney
completing a 48-yard field goal, but Philadelphia would strike hard, as RB Brian Westbrook
ran 71 yards for a touchdown and Kicker David Akers
completed a 21-yard field goal. In the third quarter, both sides managed to get themselves a touchdown. Eagles DT Mike Patterson returned a 49ers fumble 98 yards for a touchdown, while the Niners' rookie RB Michael Robinson got a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, San Francisco tried to come back with Robinson getting another 1-yard TD run. However, the Eagles got an 8-yard TD run by Westbrook. The Niners would get one more score, as QB Alex Smith
completed a TE Eric Johnson, but that would as far as they would get, as the 49ers fell to 1-2 on the year.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
PHI- Brian Westbrook
4 yard pass from Donovan McNabb
(David Akers
kick)
PHI- L.J. Smith
1 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick)
2nd quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 48 yard field goal
PHI- Brian Westbrook 71 yard rush (David Akers kick)
PHI- David Akers 21 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
PHI- Mike Patterson 98 yard fumble return (David Akers kick)
SF- Michael Robinson 1 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Michael Robinson 1 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
PHI- Brian Westbrook 8 yard rush (David Akers kick)
SF- Eric Johnson 15 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
, Kansas City, Missouri
Sunday, October 1, 2006
After losing at home to the Eagles, the 49ers flew to Arrowhead Stadium
for a Week 4 match-up with the Kansas City Chiefs
. Unfortunately, this match-up was one-sided from beginning to end, with the Chiefs' offense being in top form, the Niners get crushed by KC's defense, and the usual loudness of the stadium (via the Chiefs fans) also probably affected the team's ability to execute. The 49ers tried their best, but in the end, QB Damon Huard
and the Kansas City Chiefs were the better team in the fight. 49ers would drop their record to 1-3
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
KC- Dante Hall
13 yard pass from Damon Huard
(Lawrence Tynes
kick)
KC- Lawrence Tynes 22 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
KC- Larry Johnson 1 yard rush (Lawrence Tynes kick)
KC- Eddie Kennison
34 yard pass from Damon Huard (Lawrence Tynes kick)
3rd Quarter
KC- Lawrence Tynes 49 yard field goal
4th Quarter
KC- Larry Johnson 2 yard rush (Lawrence Tynes kick)
KC- Dante Hall 60 yard punt return (Lawrence Tynes kick)
, San Francisco, California
Sunday, October 8, 2006
Hoping to rebound from their loss in Kansas City, the 49ers went home for Week 5 as they played a Bay Area battle with the Oakland Raiders
. The Niners drew first blood with QB Alex Smith
throwing a 4-yard TD pass to WR Arnaz Battle
, yet the Raiders would respond with kicker Sebastian Janikowski
getting a 33-yard field goal for the first quarter. In the second quarter, things started to look grim, as Oakland took the lead with Janikowski kicking a 36-yard field goal, while QB Andrew Walter
threw a 22-yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss
. In the third quarter, the 49ers would rebound, as Smith hooked up with Battle again for a 6-yard TD pass. Later, Alex would throw a 33-yard TD pass to RB Maurice Hicks
, giving San Francisco the lead. In the fourth quarter, the 49ers continued to roll, as kicker Joe Nedney
kicked a 19-yard field goal, while rookie DE Melvin Oliver
returned a fumble 12 yards for a touchdown. The Niners would allow one last touchdown from the Raiders, in the form of QB Marques Tuiasosopo
completing an 8-yard pass to TE Courtney Anderson
, but Nedney would help the Niners get win #2 with a 39-yard field goal. This beating of their Cross-bay rivals would bring the 49ers to a 2-3 record
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Arnaz Battle
4 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
OAK- Sebastian Janikowski
33 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
OAK- Sebastian Janikowski 36 yard field goal
OAK- Randy Moss
22 yard pass from Andrew Walter
(Sebastian Janikowski kick)
3rd Quarter
SF- Arnaz Battle 6 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Maurice Hicks
33 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 19 yard field goal
SF- Melvin Oliver
12 yard fumble return (Joe Nedney kick)
OAK- Courtney Anderson
8 yard pass from Marques Tuiasosopo
(Sebastian Janikowski kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 39 yard field goal
, San Francisco, California
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Nothing RB LaDainian Tomlinson
does on the ground really impresses the San Diego Chargers
at this point. For that, the star running back must take to the air. Tomlinson seemed to be trying to jump out of Candlestick Park while hurdling the goal line on one of his four touchdown runs—and his elevation was the Chargers' inspiration. Tomlinson set a franchise record while seemingly spending most of the afternoon in the end zone, and QB Philip Rivers
passed for a career-high 334 yards and two more scores in San Diego's 48-19 victory over San Francisco. Tomlinson got his third score 33 seconds before halftime, capping San Diego's 35-point first half and essentially finishing off the 49ers (2-4) with an astonishingly high leap over the goal-line pile. WR Bryan Gilmore
and FB Moran Norris
caught scoring passes as the Chargers gave up more points in the first half alone than they allowed in any of their first four games. But San Diego shut out San Francisco in the second half, with QB Alex Smith
finishing 20 of 31 for 214 yards. San Francisco's offense has been better than expected heading to the club's bye week, but the defense has been just as bad as feared. Two weeks after giving up 41 points to the Chiefs, the 49ers seemed lost from the moment top CB Walt Harris was ruled out with a hamstring injury. This crushing blow put the 49ers record at 2-4.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SD- Antonio Gates
57 yard pass from Philip Rivers
(Nate Kaeding
kick)
SF- Bryan Gilmore
15 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SD- LaDainian Tomlinson
5 yard rush (Nate Kaeding kick)
2nd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 42 yard field goal
SD- Vincent Jackson
33 yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick)
SD- LaDainian Tomlinson 1 yard rush (Nate Kaeding kick)
SF- Moran Norris
2 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Safety
SD- LaDainian Tomlinson 1 yard rush (Nate Kaeding kick)
3rd Quarter
SD- Nate Kaeding 24 yard field goal
4th Quarter
SD- Nate Kaeding 44 yard field goal
SD- LaDainian Tomlinson 5 yard rush (Nate Kaeding kick)
, Chicago, Illinois
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Wearing bright orange uniforms and showing their speed on defense and special teams, the Chicago Bears
overwhelmed the 49ers who were coming off their Bye Week. They jumped to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and 41-0 halftime cushion before coasting to a 41-10 victory. Brian Urlacher
's one-handed interception was headed to the highlight reel as soon as he tumbled to the ground after somehow batting the ball to himself. Urlacher's stellar play symbolized what kind of afternoon it was for the refreshed and still unbeaten Chicago Bears
-- and how frustrating the day was for the San Francisco 49ers
. San Francisco entered giving up 32 points a game, but the defense wasn't to fault early on because turnovers allowed the Bears to work from short fields. Drives started at the 15, 41 and 13, and they turned all three into touchdowns to take the big opening-quarter lead. The 49ers coughed up the ball a fourth time late in the half when WR Antonio Bryant
caught a pass and fumbled, with CB Ricky Manning Jr. recovering. San Francisco averted a shutout in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard field goal by K Joe Nedney
and a 16-yard TD pass from Smith to WR Antonio Bryant
. QB Alex Smith
finished 16 of 26 for 146 yards. RB Frank Gore
rushed for 111 yards on 12 carries, thanks to a 53-yard run. The 49ers now stand at 2-5.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
CHI- Robbie Gould
43 yard field goal
CHI- Thomas Jones 7 yard rush (Robbie Gould kick)
CHI- Muhsin Muhammad
5 yard pass from Rex Grossman
(Robbie Gould kick)
CHI- Cedric Benson
1 yard rush (Robbie Gould kick)
2nd Quarter
CHI- Desmond Clark
1 yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick)
CHI- Robbie Gould 36 yard field goal
CHI- Desmond Clark
27 yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 23 yard field goal
SF- Antonio Bryant 16 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
, San Francisco, California
Sunday, November 5, 2006
With just 238 total yards and a host of dropped passes and mistakes, the Minnesota Vikings
showed every negative effect of its injury problems and a short week of preparation after Monday night's loss to New England. But count QB Brad Johnson
among those shocked by the 49ers sudden defensive acumen. San Francisco managed just 133 total yards with its own miserable offense, but got cohesive play from the same unit that gave up 41 points by halftime last week at Chicago. The Niners simplified their game plan and hung on, stopping Minnesota's final drive with 1:04 left. QB Alex Smith
passed for just 105 yards and RB Frank Gore
rushed for only 41 as San Francisco hung on for its eighth straight home victory since 1988 over the Vikings, now 4-4, who'll be shaking their heads all the way back to the Twin Cities after failing to mount any significant offensive attack. QB Brad Johnson
passed for 136 yards but made three turnovers for the Vikings, whose final drive ended when WR Troy Williamson
dropped an on-target pass on third down before S Mark Roman
and CB Shawntae Spencer
prevented WR Bethel Johnson
from catching a desperate pass at the goal line. K Joe Nedney
left Monster Park
Sunday with a game ball after accounting for all of the 49ers scoring efforts. Nedney hit from 25, 30 and 51 yards out. The 51-yarder he had to kick twice after a game clock debacle. The 49ers, now 3-5, had just enough offense to back a shocking performance by their previously pourous defense (which had allowed 150 points in its last four games), led by new starting LB and NFC Defensive Player of the Week Brandon Moore, who finished with 14 tackles and 1 sack. With the win, the 49ers advanced to 3-5.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
MIN- Ryan Longwell
21 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 25 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 30 yard field goal
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 51 yard field goal
, Detroit, Michigan
Sunday,November 12, 2006
San Francisco kept Detroit in the game with missed opportunities, then made just enough plays for a rare two-game winning streak and its first road win. RB Frank Gore
set a franchise record with 148 yards rushing in the first half and scored on a 61-yard run before leaving with a concussion. San Francisco led 13-3 at halftime after scoring on three of its first four drives, wishing it had a bigger lead after out gaining Detroit 247-102 yards and recovering a fumble without giving up a turnover. The 49ers had chances to go ahead big in the third quarter because Detroit had two turnovers on its first three plays, but they came away with only a field goal and a 13-point lead. Gore then caught a 7-yard pass, wobbled off the field and didn't return. QB Alex Smith
's fumble midway through the third quarter set up a score that helped the Lions get back in the game. The 49ers drove down the field to set up K Joe Nedney
's fourth field goal, a key score because it made Detroit go for a TD instead of kicking a tying field goal late in the game. S Keith Lewis
intercepted QB Jon Kitna
's pass at the 49ers' 2 with 2½ minutes left and San Francisco now 4-5 picked up the one first down it needed to seal the game, winning consecutive games for the second time since 2003. RB Frank Gore
finished with career-high 159 yards rushing and San Francisco's QB Alex Smith
was 14 of 20 for 136 yards with a fumble. WR Arnaz Battle
caught six passes for 55 yards, and converted a third-and-4 on the final drive to allow the 49ers to run out the clock. The 49ers' defense again came up huge, allowing only 273 total offensive yards and forcing 4 turnovers. LB Brandon Moore was yet again the story, leading the team with 9 tackles, 2 sacks and forcing 2 turnovers. With the win, the 49ers advanced to 4-5.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Frank Gore 61 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 28 yard field goal
2nd quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 23 yard field goal
DET- Jason Hanson
25 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 23 yard field goal
DET- Daniel Campbell
8 yard pass from Jon Kitna
(Jason Hanson kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 47 yard field goal
DET- Jason Hanson 33 yard field goal
, San Francisco, California
Sunday, November 19, 2006
In their first match up of the season versus division-leading rival Seattle Seahawks
, the 49ers jumped to a 20-0 lead at halftime thanks to the combined efforts of running back Frank Gore and the defense. This was the first game back from injury for Seattle running back Shaun Alexander
, and he was held to just 37 rush yards. On the other side of the ball, Frank Gore ran for a career-high 212 yards on his way to topping the 1,000-yard mark for the season. The Seahawks offense turned the ball over five times during the game, including three interceptions thrown by quarterback Seneca Wallace
, two of which were picked off by San Francisco cornerback
Walt Harris. Alex Smith, 49ers quarterback, threw one touchdown pass and also rushed for a one-yard touchdown, the first rushing touchdown of his career. The win elevated the 49ers to a .500 record, and put them just one game out of first place in their division, behind the 6-4 Seahawks.
On the final play of the game, a pass to Seattle's fullback Mack Strong, the Seahawks attempted to continue the play which was similar to The Play
which made the Cal-Stanford rivalry famous. However 49ers Rookie Marcus Hudson recovered the lateral attempt and the game was over. In a reference to The Play
, radio announcers on 107.7 The Bone declared "The band is NOT on the field"
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 39 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
SF- Arnaz Battle 9 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Alex Smith 1 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 18 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SEA- Deion Branch
38 yard pass from Seneca Wallace
(Josh Brown kick)
4th Quarter
SEA- Darrell Jackson
41 yard pass from Seneca Wallace (Josh Brown kick)
, St. Louis, Missouri
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Riding high from their home upset over the Seahawks, the 49ers flew to the Edward Jones Dome
for an NFC West rematch with their historic rival, the St. Louis Rams
. After a scoreless first quarter, the Niners trailed early. In the second quarter, the Rams struck first with kicker Jeff Wilkins
getting a 24-yard field goal, while RB Steven Jackson
got a 36-yard TD run. San Francisco would get on the board with RB Frank Gore
getting a 12-yard TD run, yet Wilkins gave St. Louis a 51-yard field goal as time ran out on the half. In the third quarter, the 49ers took the lead as QB Alex Smith
completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Eric Johnson for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, kicker Joe Nedney
gave the Niners a six-point lead with a 24-yard field goal. However, the Rams would get the win with QB Marc Bulger
completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Kevin Curtis
. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5-6.
Scoring Summary
2nd Quarter
STL- Jeff Wilkins 24 yard field goal
STL- Steven Jackson
36 yard rush (Jeff Wilkins kick)
SF- Frank Gore 12 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
STL- Jeff Wilkins 51 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Eric Johnson 1 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 24 yard field goal
STL- Kevin Curtis
5 yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick)
, New Orleans, Louisiana
Sunday, December 3, 2006
Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Rams, the 49ers flew to the Louisiana Superdome
for a Week 13 fight with the New Orleans Saints
. In the first quarter, the Niners took an early lead with kicker Joe Nedney
nailing a 29-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the 49ers lost their lead with RB Reggie Bush
's 1-yard and 8-yard TD runs. In the third quarter, San Francisco came close with QB Alex Smith
's 48-yard TD pass to WR Antonio Bryant
, yet New Orleans gained some distance with kicker John Carney's 19-yard field goal and QB Drew Brees
' 5-yard TD pass to Bush. In the fourth quarter, the Saints wrapped things up with Bush's 10-yard run and Carney's 33-yard field goal. With their second-straight loss, the 49ers fell to 5-7.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 29 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
NO- Reggie Bush
1 yard rush (John Carney kick)
NO- Reggie Bush 8 yard rush (John Carney kick)
3rd Quarter
SF- Antonio Bryant 48 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
NO- John Carney 19 yard field goal
NO- Reggie Bush 5 yard pass from Drew Brees
(John Carney kick)
4th Quarter
NO- Reggie Bush 10 yard rush (John Carney kick)
NO- John Carney 33 yard field goal
, San Francisco, California
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Trying to end their two-game skid, the 49ers went home for a Week 14 fight with the Green Bay Packers
. In the first quarter, the Niners got an early lead with kicker Joe Nedney
nailing a 24-yard field goal, yet the Packers gained the lead with QB Brett Favre
's 36-yard TD pass to WR Ruvell Martin
. In the second quarter, San Francisco's troubles grew as Packers kicker Dave Rayner
nailed a 23-yard field goal, while RB Ahman Green
got a 1-yard TD run. The Niners would respond with Nedney kicking a 36-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the 49ers had RB Frank Gore
get a 1-yard TD run, yet Green Bay responded with Favre completing a 68-yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver
. In the fourth quarter, the Packers wrapped things up with Rayner kicking a 44-yard and a 21-yard field goal. The Niners would get a touchdown, as QB Alex Smith
completed a 52-yard TD pass to rookie TE Vernon Davis
, yet a botched snap foiled the following PAT. With their third-straight loss, the 49ers fell to 5-8.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 24 yard field goal
GB- Ruvell Martin
36 yard pass from Brett Favre
(Dave Rayner
kick)
2nd Quarter
GB- Dave Rayner 23 yard field goal
GB- Ahman Green
1 yard rush (Dave Rayner kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 36 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 36 yard field goal
GB- Donald Driver
68 yard pass from Brett Favre (Dave Rayner kick)
4th Quarter
GB- Dave Rayner 44 yard field goal
GB- Dave Rayner 21 yard field goal
SF- Vernon Davis 52 yard pass from Alex Smith
, Seattle, Washington
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Trying to end a three-game skid, the 49ers flew to Qwest Field
for an NFC West rematch with the Seattle Seahawks
on Thursday night. In the first quarter, the Niners started off bumpy as Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander
got a 3-yard TD run for Seattle's early strike and the only score of the period. In the second quarter, San Francisco would get a field goal before halftime as kicker Joe Nedney
nailed one from 39 yards out. After a scorless third quarter, the Niners were in full force as QB Alex Smith
completed an 8-yard TD pass to rookie TE Vernon Davis
. Afterwards, Smith would complete a 20-yard TD pass to RB Frank Gore
. Then, the 49ers wrapped the game up with Smith getting a very easy 18-yard QB sneak for a touchdown. Seattle would get one more score as QB Matt Hasselbeck
completed a 22-yard TD pass to TE Jerramy Stevens
. Fortunately, the Niners would get the win and the season sweep over the Seahawks. With the win, the 49ers improved to 6-8
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SEA- Shaun Alexander
3 yard rush (Josh Brown kick)
2nd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 39 yard field goal
4th Quarter
SF- Vernon Davis 8 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Frank Gore 20 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Alex Smith 18 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
SEA- Jerramy Stevens
22 yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck
(Josh Brown kick)
, San Francisco, California
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Following their road win over the Seahawks,and hoping to clinch a playoff spot,the 49ers went home for an NFC West rematch with the Arizona Cardinals
. In the first quarter, the Niners struck first with kicker Joe Nedney
getting a 49-yard field goal, yet the Cardinals took the lead with kicker Neil Rackers
getting a 25-yard field goal, along with RB Marcel Shipp
's 5-yard TD run. In the second quarter, things continued to get worse for the 49ers as QB Matt Leinart
completed a 6-yard to WR Larry Fitzgerald
, along with Rackers nailing a 39-yard field goal. The Niners would be able get a field goal before halftime as Nedney kicked from 32 yards out. In the third quarter, San Francisco started to come back as RB Frank Gore
got a 2-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Arizona increased its lead as Rackers was awarded a missed 37-yard field goal and was successful in kicking a 32-yard field goal. Even though Gore managed to get a 1-yard TD run, the Niners fell short of a comeback. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 6-9, securing them their fourth consecutive losing season.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 49 yard field goal
AZ- Neil Rackers 25 yard field goal
AZ- Marcel Shipp
5 yard rush (Neil Rackers kick)
2nd Quarter
AZ- Larry Fitzgerald
6 yard pass from Matt Leinart
(Neil Rackers kick)
AZ- Neil Rackers 39 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 32 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Frank Gore 2 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
AZ- Neil Rackers 37 yard field goal
AZ- Neil Rackers 32 yard field goal
SF- Frank Gore 1 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
, Denver, Colorado
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Trying to end their season on a positive note, the 49ers flew to Invesco Field at Mile High
to take on the playoff hopeful Denver Broncos
. In the first quarter, the Broncos struck first with kicker Jason Elam
getting a 22-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, Denver continued its dominance with Elam kicking a 21-yard field goal, while CB Champ Bailey
returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown. The Niners would get a field goal before halftime as kicker Joe Nedney
got one from 46 yards out. In the third quarter, San Francisco took the lead as QB Alex Smith
completed a 32-yard TD pass to RB Moran Norris
, while CB Walt Harris returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos would sneak close with Elam kicking a 22-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Nedney gave the Niners a little cushion with a 29-yard and a 46-yard field goal. However, Denver managed to tie the game with QB Jay Cutler
completing a 9-yard TD pass to TE Tony Scheffler
. The game would go to overtime, where both sides fought hard and fierce as the period wore on. San Francisco eventually prevailed with two minutes remaining as Nedney helped knock the Broncos out of the playoff picture with a game-winning 36-yard field goal. With the win, the 49ers ended their season at 7-9.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
DEN- Jason Elam
22 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
DEN- Jason Elam 21 yard field goal
DEN- Champ Bailey
70 yard interception return (Jason Elam kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 46 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Moran Norris 32 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Walt Harris 28 yard interception return (Joe Nedney kick)
DEN- Jason Elam 22 yard field goal
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 29 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 46 yard field goal
DEN- Tony Scheffler
9 yard pass from Jay Cutler (Jason Elam kick)
Overtime
SF- Joe Nedney 36 yard field goal
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
season began with the team trying to improve on their 4-12 record in 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
. Despite having improved from their previous two disastrous seasons and were in the top 10 best offense in the league in 2006 ,they missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year, continuing their playoff drought. The 49ers celebrated their 60th anniversary during the 2006 season, because, although it was their 61st season, the 2006 calendar year marked the 60th anniversary of the franchise's founding in 1946.
Off season
Soon after the end of the 2005 season, Mike McCarthy, the 49ers' offensive coordinator of one year, left for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. On January 17, 2006, the 49ers hired Norv Turner
Norv Turner
Norval Eugene Turner is the head coach for the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He also has served as head coach of the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders, and as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers...
as McCarthy's replacement. Whereas McCarthy based the majority of his offense on Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense, Turner has been known to use a power running scheme and vertical passing game more often than the West Coast scheme. Turner came to the 49ers after two unsuccessful seasons as the head coach of the 49ers' crossbay rivals, the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The 49ers gained the 6th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
after winning a coin toss with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. The 49ers used their first pick on Maryland Tight End Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
. They then used their next pick (acquired from the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
via the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
) on North Carolina St. Defensive End Manny Lawson
Manny Lawson
-San Francisco 49ers:The San Francisco 49ers selected Lawson in the 2006 NFL Draft with the intention that he could bring pressure off the edges as the 49ers defense transitioned from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4. Although Lawson played defensive end in college, the 49ers felt that he had the athletic...
. The rest of their picks were Wisconsin Wide Receiver Brandon Williams, Penn St. RB Michael Robinson, Tennessee DE Parys Haralson
Parys Haralson
Parys Sharron Haralson is a linebacker in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers. He was drafted by the 49ers in the 5th round in the 2006 NFL Draft. He went to Tennessee where he played defensive end.-Early years:Haralson attended Madison Central High School in Madison, Mississippi...
, Central Missouri St. Wide Receiver Delanie Walker
Delanie Walker
Delanie Walker is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He has also played in the positions of fullback and wide receiver. He was drafted by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Missouri...
, North Carolina St. Safety Marcus Hudson
Marcus Hudson
Marcus Hudson is a free agent defensive back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State....
, Louisiana St. DE Melvin Oliver
Melvin Oliver
Melvin Deontae Oliver is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State.-External links:**...
, and Arkansas Safety Vickiel Vaughn
Vickiel Vaughn
Vickiel Vaughn is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arkansas...
.
The 49ers had two major free agent acquisitions in the off season. Larry Allen
Larry Allen
Larry Christopher Allen, Sr. is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
, a perennial Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
left guard from the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, and Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, a talented but oft-troubled wide receiver from the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The 49ers also traded Kevan Barlow
Kevan Barlow
Kevan C. Barlow is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for what is believed to be a 2007 4th round draft pick.
Preseason
| Week | Date | Time | Opponent | Result | Game site | TV | NFL Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 11, 2006 | 7 p.m. | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 28 - 14 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | NFL Network | Recap |
| 2 | August 16, 2008 | 6 p.m. | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 34 - 6 | Candlestick Park | NFL Network | Recap |
| 3 | August 21, 2008 | 5 p.m. | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 37 - 30 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
NFL Network | Recap |
| 4 | August 29, 2008 | 7 p.m. | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17-20 | Candlestick Park | NFL Network | Recap |
Week 1: at Arizona Cardinals
at University of Phoenix StadiumUniversity of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
, Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
Sunday,September 10, 2006
The 49ers opened the regular season against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on September 10. Despite losing 34-27, many positives can be taken out of the game. RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
rushed for 88 yards and caught 6 receptions for over 80 yards with two touchdowns. Rookie tight end Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
and second year quarterback Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
hooked up for a touchdown pass with Smith equaling his touchdown total of the entire 2005 season and passing for an encouraging 288 yards with 23 completions out of 40 attempts. The 49ers had several chances to win it, however, many controversial non-calls were made by the officials, including a blatant pass interference in the end zone, which would have tied the game with just a little over 2 minutes to go. The 49ers would start their 60th season 0-1
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
31 yard pass from Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
(Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
kick)
AZ- Troy Walters
Troy Walters
Troy McHenry Walters is a retired American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Stanford University by the Minnesota Vikings. He has also played for the...
2 yard pass from Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
(Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
kick)
AZ- Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
1 yard rush (Neil Rackers kick)
AZ- Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin
-Arizona Cardinals:As a rookie Boldin set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game , tied Billy Sims for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game , and holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career...
6 yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick)
2nd Quarter
SF- Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
4 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
AZ- Neil Rackers 36 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Frank Gore 2 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
AZ- Adam Bergen
Adam Bergen
Adam Bergen is an American football tight end for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
7 yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 22 yard field goal
AZ- Neil Rackers 30 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 44 yard field goal
Week 2: vs. St. Louis Rams
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The 49ers played their second game of the season against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
on September 17 in a Week 2 home-opener. After a loss to the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
the previous week, the 49ers redeemed themselves with a win at home. Second year quarterback Alex Smith threw for 233 yards with 11 completions and one touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Bryant had four receptions with 131 yards. Running back Frank Gore ran for a (at the time) career-best 127 yards with a touchdown, despite Jonas Jennings
Jonas Jennings
Jonas D. Jennings is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
and Larry Allen
Larry Allen
Larry Christopher Allen, Sr. is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
being sidelined with injuries. San Francisco won 20-13 and evened out their record at 1-1
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 32 yard field goal
2nd quarter
STL- Jeff Wilkins
Jeff Wilkins
For the American basketball player, see Jeff Wilkins .Jeffrey Allen Wilkins nicknamed "Money" is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St Louis Rams. He played college football at Youngstown State University...
49 yard field goal
STL- Torry Holt
Torry Holt
After injuring his knee at the Senior Bowl, Holt, at 192 pounds, ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the 1999 NFL Combine-St. Louis Rams:...
3 yard pass from Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
(Jeff Wilkins kick)
3rd Quarter
SF- Frank Gore 32 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
72 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
STL- Jeff Wilkins 40 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 20 yard field goal
Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Sunday, September 24, 2006
The 49ers stayed at home for a Week 3 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. From the get-go, the Niners trailed as QB Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
managed to complete two TD passes to RB Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
(a 4-yard pass) and WR L.J. Smith
L.J. Smith
John Smith III , commonly known as L.J., which stands for "Little John", is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
(a 1-yard pass) in the first quarter. In the second quarter, San Francisco would get on the board with Kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
completing a 48-yard field goal, but Philadelphia would strike hard, as RB Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
ran 71 yards for a touchdown and Kicker David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
completed a 21-yard field goal. In the third quarter, both sides managed to get themselves a touchdown. Eagles DT Mike Patterson returned a 49ers fumble 98 yards for a touchdown, while the Niners' rookie RB Michael Robinson got a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, San Francisco tried to come back with Robinson getting another 1-yard TD run. However, the Eagles got an 8-yard TD run by Westbrook. The Niners would get one more score, as QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
completed a TE Eric Johnson, but that would as far as they would get, as the 49ers fell to 1-2 on the year.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
PHI- Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
4 yard pass from Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
(David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
kick)
PHI- L.J. Smith
L.J. Smith
John Smith III , commonly known as L.J., which stands for "Little John", is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
1 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick)
2nd quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 48 yard field goal
PHI- Brian Westbrook 71 yard rush (David Akers kick)
PHI- David Akers 21 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
PHI- Mike Patterson 98 yard fumble return (David Akers kick)
SF- Michael Robinson 1 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Michael Robinson 1 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
PHI- Brian Westbrook 8 yard rush (David Akers kick)
SF- Eric Johnson 15 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs
at Arrowhead StadiumArrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
Sunday, October 1, 2006
After losing at home to the Eagles, the 49ers flew to Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
for a Week 4 match-up with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Unfortunately, this match-up was one-sided from beginning to end, with the Chiefs' offense being in top form, the Niners get crushed by KC's defense, and the usual loudness of the stadium (via the Chiefs fans) also probably affected the team's ability to execute. The 49ers tried their best, but in the end, QB Damon Huard
Damon Huard
Damon Paul Huard is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Washington....
and the Kansas City Chiefs were the better team in the fight. 49ers would drop their record to 1-3
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
KC- Dante Hall
Dante Hall
Damieon Dante Hall is a former American football Return specialist, and wide receiver in the National Football League. He is considered one of the greatest return specialists in NFL History...
13 yard pass from Damon Huard
Damon Huard
Damon Paul Huard is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Washington....
(Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence James Henry Tynes is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001.-Early years:...
kick)
KC- Lawrence Tynes 22 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
KC- Larry Johnson 1 yard rush (Lawrence Tynes kick)
KC- Eddie Kennison
Eddie Kennison
Edward Joseph "Eddie" Kennison, III is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams 18th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
34 yard pass from Damon Huard (Lawrence Tynes kick)
3rd Quarter
KC- Lawrence Tynes 49 yard field goal
4th Quarter
KC- Larry Johnson 2 yard rush (Lawrence Tynes kick)
KC- Dante Hall 60 yard punt return (Lawrence Tynes kick)
Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Sunday, October 8, 2006
Hoping to rebound from their loss in Kansas City, the 49ers went home for Week 5 as they played a Bay Area battle with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Niners drew first blood with QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
throwing a 4-yard TD pass to WR Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Jerome Battle is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, yet the Raiders would respond with kicker Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
getting a 33-yard field goal for the first quarter. In the second quarter, things started to look grim, as Oakland took the lead with Janikowski kicking a 36-yard field goal, while QB Andrew Walter
Andrew Walter
Andrew Scott Walter is a former American football quarterback in National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft after playing college football at Arizona State....
threw a 22-yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. In the third quarter, the 49ers would rebound, as Smith hooked up with Battle again for a 6-yard TD pass. Later, Alex would throw a 33-yard TD pass to RB Maurice Hicks
Maurice Hicks
Maurice Hicks is an American football running back for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was originally signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
, giving San Francisco the lead. In the fourth quarter, the 49ers continued to roll, as kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
kicked a 19-yard field goal, while rookie DE Melvin Oliver
Melvin Oliver
Melvin Deontae Oliver is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State.-External links:**...
returned a fumble 12 yards for a touchdown. The Niners would allow one last touchdown from the Raiders, in the form of QB Marques Tuiasosopo
Marques Tuiasosopo
Marques Tavita Tuiasosopo is a former American football quarterback who is currently a strength coach for the University of Washington football team. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders...
completing an 8-yard pass to TE Courtney Anderson
Courtney Anderson
Courtney Jerome Anderson is a former American football tight end. Born in Greenville, Texas, Anderson attended high school in Richmond, California and played college football at Contra Costa College and San Jose State University. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the seventh round of the...
, but Nedney would help the Niners get win #2 with a 39-yard field goal. This beating of their Cross-bay rivals would bring the 49ers to a 2-3 record
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Jerome Battle is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
4 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
OAK- Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
33 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
OAK- Sebastian Janikowski 36 yard field goal
OAK- Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
22 yard pass from Andrew Walter
Andrew Walter
Andrew Scott Walter is a former American football quarterback in National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft after playing college football at Arizona State....
(Sebastian Janikowski kick)
3rd Quarter
SF- Arnaz Battle 6 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Maurice Hicks
Maurice Hicks
Maurice Hicks is an American football running back for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was originally signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
33 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 19 yard field goal
SF- Melvin Oliver
Melvin Oliver
Melvin Deontae Oliver is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State.-External links:**...
12 yard fumble return (Joe Nedney kick)
OAK- Courtney Anderson
Courtney Anderson
Courtney Jerome Anderson is a former American football tight end. Born in Greenville, Texas, Anderson attended high school in Richmond, California and played college football at Contra Costa College and San Jose State University. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the seventh round of the...
8 yard pass from Marques Tuiasosopo
Marques Tuiasosopo
Marques Tavita Tuiasosopo is a former American football quarterback who is currently a strength coach for the University of Washington football team. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders...
(Sebastian Janikowski kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 39 yard field goal
Week 6: vs. San Diego Chargers
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Nothing RB LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
does on the ground really impresses the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at this point. For that, the star running back must take to the air. Tomlinson seemed to be trying to jump out of Candlestick Park while hurdling the goal line on one of his four touchdown runs—and his elevation was the Chargers' inspiration. Tomlinson set a franchise record while seemingly spending most of the afternoon in the end zone, and QB Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
passed for a career-high 334 yards and two more scores in San Diego's 48-19 victory over San Francisco. Tomlinson got his third score 33 seconds before halftime, capping San Diego's 35-point first half and essentially finishing off the 49ers (2-4) with an astonishingly high leap over the goal-line pile. WR Bryan Gilmore
Bryan Gilmore
Bryan Gilmore is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
and FB Moran Norris
Moran Norris
Torrance Moran Norris ; born June 16, 1978) is an American football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
caught scoring passes as the Chargers gave up more points in the first half alone than they allowed in any of their first four games. But San Diego shut out San Francisco in the second half, with QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
finishing 20 of 31 for 214 yards. San Francisco's offense has been better than expected heading to the club's bye week, but the defense has been just as bad as feared. Two weeks after giving up 41 points to the Chiefs, the 49ers seemed lost from the moment top CB Walt Harris was ruled out with a hamstring injury. This crushing blow put the 49ers record at 2-4.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SD- Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates is an American football tight end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 after playing college basketball at Kent State University...
57 yard pass from Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
(Nate Kaeding
Nate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
kick)
SF- Bryan Gilmore
Bryan Gilmore
Bryan Gilmore is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
15 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SD- LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
5 yard rush (Nate Kaeding kick)
2nd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 42 yard field goal
SD- Vincent Jackson
Vincent Jackson
Vincent Jackson , nicknamed "Action Jackson", is an American football wide receiver who currently plays in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers....
33 yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick)
SD- LaDainian Tomlinson 1 yard rush (Nate Kaeding kick)
SF- Moran Norris
Moran Norris
Torrance Moran Norris ; born June 16, 1978) is an American football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
2 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Safety
SD- LaDainian Tomlinson 1 yard rush (Nate Kaeding kick)
3rd Quarter
SD- Nate Kaeding 24 yard field goal
4th Quarter
SD- Nate Kaeding 44 yard field goal
SD- LaDainian Tomlinson 5 yard rush (Nate Kaeding kick)
Week 8: at Chicago Bears
at Soldier FieldSoldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, Chicago, Illinois
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Wearing bright orange uniforms and showing their speed on defense and special teams, the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
overwhelmed the 49ers who were coming off their Bye Week. They jumped to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and 41-0 halftime cushion before coasting to a 41-10 victory. Brian Urlacher
Brian Urlacher
Brian Keith Urlacher is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He attended the University of New Mexico, where he was one of the school's most decorated athletes. In addition to setting multiple university records, Urlacher earned consideration for the...
's one-handed interception was headed to the highlight reel as soon as he tumbled to the ground after somehow batting the ball to himself. Urlacher's stellar play symbolized what kind of afternoon it was for the refreshed and still unbeaten Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
-- and how frustrating the day was for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. San Francisco entered giving up 32 points a game, but the defense wasn't to fault early on because turnovers allowed the Bears to work from short fields. Drives started at the 15, 41 and 13, and they turned all three into touchdowns to take the big opening-quarter lead. The 49ers coughed up the ball a fourth time late in the half when WR Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
caught a pass and fumbled, with CB Ricky Manning Jr. recovering. San Francisco averted a shutout in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard field goal by K Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
and a 16-yard TD pass from Smith to WR Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
finished 16 of 26 for 146 yards. RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
rushed for 111 yards on 12 carries, thanks to a 53-yard run. The 49ers now stand at 2-5.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
CHI- Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
43 yard field goal
CHI- Thomas Jones 7 yard rush (Robbie Gould kick)
CHI- Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II is a retired American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
5 yard pass from Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
(Robbie Gould kick)
CHI- Cedric Benson
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
1 yard rush (Robbie Gould kick)
2nd Quarter
CHI- Desmond Clark
Desmond Clark
Desmond Darice Clark is an American football Tight End who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Forest...
1 yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick)
CHI- Robbie Gould 36 yard field goal
CHI- Desmond Clark
Desmond Clark
Desmond Darice Clark is an American football Tight End who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Forest...
27 yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 23 yard field goal
SF- Antonio Bryant 16 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Sunday, November 5, 2006
With just 238 total yards and a host of dropped passes and mistakes, the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
showed every negative effect of its injury problems and a short week of preparation after Monday night's loss to New England. But count QB Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
among those shocked by the 49ers sudden defensive acumen. San Francisco managed just 133 total yards with its own miserable offense, but got cohesive play from the same unit that gave up 41 points by halftime last week at Chicago. The Niners simplified their game plan and hung on, stopping Minnesota's final drive with 1:04 left. QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
passed for just 105 yards and RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
rushed for only 41 as San Francisco hung on for its eighth straight home victory since 1988 over the Vikings, now 4-4, who'll be shaking their heads all the way back to the Twin Cities after failing to mount any significant offensive attack. QB Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
passed for 136 yards but made three turnovers for the Vikings, whose final drive ended when WR Troy Williamson
Troy Williamson
-Minnesota Vikings:The Vikings needed a receiver with deep speed after trading Randy Moss to Oakland, drafting Williamson with the 7th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft...
dropped an on-target pass on third down before S Mark Roman
Mark Roman
Mark Emery Roman is an American Football defensive back who is currently a free agent. While playing at LSU he was the freshman SEC Defensive player of the year. He was drafted out of LSU in the 2000 NFL Draft in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals...
and CB Shawntae Spencer
Shawntae Spencer
Shawntae Spencer is a cornerback in the NFL. He went to University of Pittsburgh. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2nd round in 2004 NFL Draft. In 2005, he had 83 tackles and 4 interceptions.Shawntae Spencer, who was finally healthy in 2010 started opposite Nate Clements...
prevented WR Bethel Johnson
Bethel Johnson
Bethel Johnson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M....
from catching a desperate pass at the goal line. K Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
left Monster Park
Monster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
Sunday with a game ball after accounting for all of the 49ers scoring efforts. Nedney hit from 25, 30 and 51 yards out. The 51-yarder he had to kick twice after a game clock debacle. The 49ers, now 3-5, had just enough offense to back a shocking performance by their previously pourous defense (which had allowed 150 points in its last four games), led by new starting LB and NFC Defensive Player of the Week Brandon Moore, who finished with 14 tackles and 1 sack. With the win, the 49ers advanced to 3-5.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
MIN- Ryan Longwell
Ryan Longwell
Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
21 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 25 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 30 yard field goal
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 51 yard field goal
Week 10: at Detroit Lions
at Ford FieldFord Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
, Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Sunday,November 12, 2006
San Francisco kept Detroit in the game with missed opportunities, then made just enough plays for a rare two-game winning streak and its first road win. RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
set a franchise record with 148 yards rushing in the first half and scored on a 61-yard run before leaving with a concussion. San Francisco led 13-3 at halftime after scoring on three of its first four drives, wishing it had a bigger lead after out gaining Detroit 247-102 yards and recovering a fumble without giving up a turnover. The 49ers had chances to go ahead big in the third quarter because Detroit had two turnovers on its first three plays, but they came away with only a field goal and a 13-point lead. Gore then caught a 7-yard pass, wobbled off the field and didn't return. QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
's fumble midway through the third quarter set up a score that helped the Lions get back in the game. The 49ers drove down the field to set up K Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
's fourth field goal, a key score because it made Detroit go for a TD instead of kicking a tying field goal late in the game. S Keith Lewis
Keith Lewis
Keith D'Andre Lewis is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round in 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon....
intercepted QB Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
's pass at the 49ers' 2 with 2½ minutes left and San Francisco now 4-5 picked up the one first down it needed to seal the game, winning consecutive games for the second time since 2003. RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
finished with career-high 159 yards rushing and San Francisco's QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
was 14 of 20 for 136 yards with a fumble. WR Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Jerome Battle is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
caught six passes for 55 yards, and converted a third-and-4 on the final drive to allow the 49ers to run out the clock. The 49ers' defense again came up huge, allowing only 273 total offensive yards and forcing 4 turnovers. LB Brandon Moore was yet again the story, leading the team with 9 tackles, 2 sacks and forcing 2 turnovers. With the win, the 49ers advanced to 4-5.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Frank Gore 61 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 28 yard field goal
2nd quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 23 yard field goal
DET- Jason Hanson
Jason Hanson
Jason Douglas Hanson is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft...
25 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 23 yard field goal
DET- Daniel Campbell
Daniel Campbell
Daniel Campbell or Dan Campbell may refer to:* Daniel Campbell , Scottish merchant and politician* Daniel Campbell , politician in Electoral district of Richmond , Australia...
8 yard pass from Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
(Jason Hanson kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 47 yard field goal
DET- Jason Hanson 33 yard field goal
Week 11: vs. Seattle Seahawks
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Sunday, November 19, 2006
In their first match up of the season versus division-leading rival Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, the 49ers jumped to a 20-0 lead at halftime thanks to the combined efforts of running back Frank Gore and the defense. This was the first game back from injury for Seattle running back Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
, and he was held to just 37 rush yards. On the other side of the ball, Frank Gore ran for a career-high 212 yards on his way to topping the 1,000-yard mark for the season. The Seahawks offense turned the ball over five times during the game, including three interceptions thrown by quarterback Seneca Wallace
Seneca Wallace
Seneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, two of which were picked off by San Francisco cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Walt Harris. Alex Smith, 49ers quarterback, threw one touchdown pass and also rushed for a one-yard touchdown, the first rushing touchdown of his career. The win elevated the 49ers to a .500 record, and put them just one game out of first place in their division, behind the 6-4 Seahawks.
On the final play of the game, a pass to Seattle's fullback Mack Strong, the Seahawks attempted to continue the play which was similar to The Play
The Play
The Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the and the Stanford University Cardinal on Saturday, November 20, 1982...
which made the Cal-Stanford rivalry famous. However 49ers Rookie Marcus Hudson recovered the lateral attempt and the game was over. In a reference to The Play
The Play
The Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the and the Stanford University Cardinal on Saturday, November 20, 1982...
, radio announcers on 107.7 The Bone declared "The band is NOT on the field"
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 39 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
SF- Arnaz Battle 9 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Alex Smith 1 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 18 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SEA- Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
38 yard pass from Seneca Wallace
Seneca Wallace
Seneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
(Josh Brown kick)
4th Quarter
SEA- Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
41 yard pass from Seneca Wallace (Josh Brown kick)
Week 12: at St. Louis Rams
at the Edward Jones DomeEdward Jones Dome
The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was...
, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Riding high from their home upset over the Seahawks, the 49ers flew to the Edward Jones Dome
Edward Jones Dome
The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was...
for an NFC West rematch with their historic rival, the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. After a scoreless first quarter, the Niners trailed early. In the second quarter, the Rams struck first with kicker Jeff Wilkins
Jeff Wilkins
For the American basketball player, see Jeff Wilkins .Jeffrey Allen Wilkins nicknamed "Money" is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St Louis Rams. He played college football at Youngstown State University...
getting a 24-yard field goal, while RB Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson
Steven Rashad Jackson is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Rams 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State University....
got a 36-yard TD run. San Francisco would get on the board with RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
getting a 12-yard TD run, yet Wilkins gave St. Louis a 51-yard field goal as time ran out on the half. In the third quarter, the 49ers took the lead as QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Eric Johnson for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
gave the Niners a six-point lead with a 24-yard field goal. However, the Rams would get the win with QB Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5-6.
Scoring Summary
2nd Quarter
STL- Jeff Wilkins 24 yard field goal
STL- Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson
Steven Rashad Jackson is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Rams 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State University....
36 yard rush (Jeff Wilkins kick)
SF- Frank Gore 12 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
STL- Jeff Wilkins 51 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Eric Johnson 1 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 24 yard field goal
STL- Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
5 yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick)
Week 13: at New Orleans Saints
at the Louisiana SuperdomeLouisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
Sunday, December 3, 2006
Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Rams, the 49ers flew to the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
for a Week 13 fight with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. In the first quarter, the Niners took an early lead with kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
nailing a 29-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the 49ers lost their lead with RB Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
's 1-yard and 8-yard TD runs. In the third quarter, San Francisco came close with QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
's 48-yard TD pass to WR Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant
Antonio Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, yet New Orleans gained some distance with kicker John Carney's 19-yard field goal and QB Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
' 5-yard TD pass to Bush. In the fourth quarter, the Saints wrapped things up with Bush's 10-yard run and Carney's 33-yard field goal. With their second-straight loss, the 49ers fell to 5-7.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 29 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
NO- Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
1 yard rush (John Carney kick)
NO- Reggie Bush 8 yard rush (John Carney kick)
3rd Quarter
SF- Antonio Bryant 48 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
NO- John Carney 19 yard field goal
NO- Reggie Bush 5 yard pass from Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
(John Carney kick)
4th Quarter
NO- Reggie Bush 10 yard rush (John Carney kick)
NO- John Carney 33 yard field goal
Week 14: vs. Green Bay Packers
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Trying to end their two-game skid, the 49ers went home for a Week 14 fight with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. In the first quarter, the Niners got an early lead with kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
nailing a 24-yard field goal, yet the Packers gained the lead with QB Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
's 36-yard TD pass to WR Ruvell Martin
Ruvell Martin
Ruvell Martin is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers in 2004. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State....
. In the second quarter, San Francisco's troubles grew as Packers kicker Dave Rayner
Dave Rayner
David Michael "Dave" Rayner is an American football placekicker who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
nailed a 23-yard field goal, while RB Ahman Green
Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green is a retired American football running back. He is the all-time leading rusher for the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
got a 1-yard TD run. The Niners would respond with Nedney kicking a 36-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the 49ers had RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
get a 1-yard TD run, yet Green Bay responded with Favre completing a 68-yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver
Donald Driver
Donald Jerome Driver is an American football wide receiver and children's author. He plays for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
. In the fourth quarter, the Packers wrapped things up with Rayner kicking a 44-yard and a 21-yard field goal. The Niners would get a touchdown, as QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
completed a 52-yard TD pass to rookie TE Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
, yet a botched snap foiled the following PAT. With their third-straight loss, the 49ers fell to 5-8.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 24 yard field goal
GB- Ruvell Martin
Ruvell Martin
Ruvell Martin is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers in 2004. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State....
36 yard pass from Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
(Dave Rayner
Dave Rayner
David Michael "Dave" Rayner is an American football placekicker who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
kick)
2nd Quarter
GB- Dave Rayner 23 yard field goal
GB- Ahman Green
Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green is a retired American football running back. He is the all-time leading rusher for the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
1 yard rush (Dave Rayner kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 36 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 36 yard field goal
GB- Donald Driver
Donald Driver
Donald Jerome Driver is an American football wide receiver and children's author. He plays for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
68 yard pass from Brett Favre (Dave Rayner kick)
4th Quarter
GB- Dave Rayner 44 yard field goal
GB- Dave Rayner 21 yard field goal
SF- Vernon Davis 52 yard pass from Alex Smith
Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks
at Qwest FieldQwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
, Seattle, Washington
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Trying to end a three-game skid, the 49ers flew to Qwest Field
Qwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
for an NFC West rematch with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
on Thursday night. In the first quarter, the Niners started off bumpy as Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
got a 3-yard TD run for Seattle's early strike and the only score of the period. In the second quarter, San Francisco would get a field goal before halftime as kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
nailed one from 39 yards out. After a scorless third quarter, the Niners were in full force as QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
completed an 8-yard TD pass to rookie TE Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
. Afterwards, Smith would complete a 20-yard TD pass to RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
. Then, the 49ers wrapped the game up with Smith getting a very easy 18-yard QB sneak for a touchdown. Seattle would get one more score as QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
completed a 22-yard TD pass to TE Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
. Fortunately, the Niners would get the win and the season sweep over the Seahawks. With the win, the 49ers improved to 6-8
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SEA- Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
3 yard rush (Josh Brown kick)
2nd Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 39 yard field goal
4th Quarter
SF- Vernon Davis 8 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Frank Gore 20 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Alex Smith 18 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
SEA- Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
22 yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
(Josh Brown kick)
Week 16: vs. Arizona Cardinals
at Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Following their road win over the Seahawks,and hoping to clinch a playoff spot,the 49ers went home for an NFC West rematch with the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the first quarter, the Niners struck first with kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
getting a 49-yard field goal, yet the Cardinals took the lead with kicker Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
getting a 25-yard field goal, along with RB Marcel Shipp
Marcel Shipp
Marcel Cornelius Shipp is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played in the NFL from 2001-2008 for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2001, and played with them...
's 5-yard TD run. In the second quarter, things continued to get worse for the 49ers as QB Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
completed a 6-yard to WR Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
, along with Rackers nailing a 39-yard field goal. The Niners would be able get a field goal before halftime as Nedney kicked from 32 yards out. In the third quarter, San Francisco started to come back as RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
got a 2-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Arizona increased its lead as Rackers was awarded a missed 37-yard field goal and was successful in kicking a 32-yard field goal. Even though Gore managed to get a 1-yard TD run, the Niners fell short of a comeback. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 6-9, securing them their fourth consecutive losing season.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 49 yard field goal
AZ- Neil Rackers 25 yard field goal
AZ- Marcel Shipp
Marcel Shipp
Marcel Cornelius Shipp is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played in the NFL from 2001-2008 for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2001, and played with them...
5 yard rush (Neil Rackers kick)
2nd Quarter
AZ- Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
6 yard pass from Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
(Neil Rackers kick)
AZ- Neil Rackers 39 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 32 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Frank Gore 2 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
4th Quarter
AZ- Neil Rackers 37 yard field goal
AZ- Neil Rackers 32 yard field goal
SF- Frank Gore 1 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)
Week 17: at Denver Broncos
at Invesco Field at Mile HighINVESCO Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001...
, Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Trying to end their season on a positive note, the 49ers flew to Invesco Field at Mile High
INVESCO Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001...
to take on the playoff hopeful Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the first quarter, the Broncos struck first with kicker Jason Elam
Jason Elam
Jason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
getting a 22-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, Denver continued its dominance with Elam kicking a 21-yard field goal, while CB Champ Bailey
Champ Bailey
Roland "Champ" Bailey is an American football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Bailey was drafted in the 1st round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Georgia.Bailey is 8th among Broncos in all-time...
returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown. The Niners would get a field goal before halftime as kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
got one from 46 yards out. In the third quarter, San Francisco took the lead as QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
completed a 32-yard TD pass to RB Moran Norris
Moran Norris
Torrance Moran Norris ; born June 16, 1978) is an American football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
, while CB Walt Harris returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos would sneak close with Elam kicking a 22-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Nedney gave the Niners a little cushion with a 29-yard and a 46-yard field goal. However, Denver managed to tie the game with QB Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
completing a 9-yard TD pass to TE Tony Scheffler
Tony Scheffler
-Denver Broncos:Scheffler was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After seeing limited playing time early in the season, Scheffler saw increased playing time and production after Jay Cutler was inserted as the Broncos starting quarterback on December 3, 2006,...
. The game would go to overtime, where both sides fought hard and fierce as the period wore on. San Francisco eventually prevailed with two minutes remaining as Nedney helped knock the Broncos out of the playoff picture with a game-winning 36-yard field goal. With the win, the 49ers ended their season at 7-9.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
DEN- Jason Elam
Jason Elam
Jason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
22 yard field goal
2nd Quarter
DEN- Jason Elam 21 yard field goal
DEN- Champ Bailey
Champ Bailey
Roland "Champ" Bailey is an American football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Bailey was drafted in the 1st round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Georgia.Bailey is 8th among Broncos in all-time...
70 yard interception return (Jason Elam kick)
SF- Joe Nedney 46 yard field goal
3rd Quarter
SF- Moran Norris 32 yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick)
SF- Walt Harris 28 yard interception return (Joe Nedney kick)
DEN- Jason Elam 22 yard field goal
4th Quarter
SF- Joe Nedney 29 yard field goal
SF- Joe Nedney 46 yard field goal
DEN- Tony Scheffler
Tony Scheffler
-Denver Broncos:Scheffler was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After seeing limited playing time early in the season, Scheffler saw increased playing time and production after Jay Cutler was inserted as the Broncos starting quarterback on December 3, 2006,...
9 yard pass from Jay Cutler (Jason Elam kick)
Overtime
SF- Joe Nedney 36 yard field goal