SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 15: San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel #19 walks off the sphere after their 31-10 NFL win towards the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. (Jane Tyska/Bay Space Information Group)
No one throws a parade for an NFC runner-up. Till now.
The 49ers’ season got here a win wanting Tremendous Bowl LVI, and, actually, it got here with far more wins and smiles than anybody anticipated at midseason.
Their twelfth and closing victory got here with snow magically sifting onto Lambeau Area, like powdered sugar onto delicious French toast.
Three months earlier, the 49ers couldn’t climate an atmospheric river (of rain and penalty flags) towards the Colts, nor an ensuing home-game gimme towards Colt McCoy and the Cardinals.
However a year-long victory drought at Levi’s Stadium ended with a Monday night time masterpiece towards the Rams, the identical crew that, this previous Sunday, prolonged the 49ers’ Lombardi Trophy drought to 27 seasons.
Total, this season packed a pleasant mixture of “ups and downs,” on a “hell of a trip, guys,” as Jimmy Garoppolo mentioned Tuesday in one of many classiest farewells possible.
Suppose again to camp when everybody readied for a quarterback controversy. As a substitute, all season, No. 10 exchanged high-fives with No. 5, constructing bridges towards this 2022 handoff.
What else occurred, in addition to Deebo Samuel morphing from a multi-dimensional All-Professional and future multi-millionaire? Let’s sum up the ups and downs:
Offensive MVP: Samuel, for placing up 2,061 yards from scrimmage all season (1,559 receiving, 502 speeding), probably the most in 49ers’ historical past by a large receiver. He additionally handed for twenty-four yards, had 160 yards in kick returns and scored 16 of their 55 touchdowns.
Defensive MVP: Nick Bosa, with a career-high 15 ½ sacks within the common season, plus 4 within the playoffs, whereas making each begin on a reconstructed knee. Not an All-Professional? Laughable.
Garoppolo’s finest throw: To Deebo, for a 43-yard, last-minute catch-and-run to arrange a tying landing of their playoff-clinching, time beyond regulation win at Los Angeles in Week 18.
Lance’s finest throw: To Deebo, for a 45-yard landing within the fourth quarter of a Jan. 2 win over Houston. It was Lance’s penultimate move of his rookie season.
Deebo’s finest near-TD: Down 16-9 and dealing with a fifth straight loss, Deebo took a third-and-19 display screen move 84 yards to the 1-yard line, igniting a Halloween comeback at Chicago.
Deebo’s finest landing run: He ran proper, minimize inside, and rambled 26 yards by way of Dallas’ protection for a landing in a playoff-opening win.
Landing passes: Garoppolo 20, Lance 5, Samuel 1
Garoppolo’s worst throw: The final picture is his closing move, that was deflected and intercepted. It summed up his grit to go down combating but in addition his uncanny knack for gorgeous interceptions.
Draft steal: Elijah Mitchell, for instantly seizing a chance upon Raheem Mostert’s Week 1 knee damage. Mitchell overcame his personal accidents and ran for 963 yards.
Draft duds: Aaron Banks and Trey Sermon, second- and third-round picks who couldn’t get on the sphere however have to reverse that in 2022 at guard and working again, respectively.
Offensive shock: On one hand it, it was huge receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s slumber begin to his sophomore season, and, on the opposite, it was huge receiver Jauan Jennings’ second-half emergence. (Bonus: George Kittle had a career-high six touchdowns, but it nonetheless looks like they should get him 12 subsequent yr.)
Defensive shock: On one hand, the cornerback depth appeared like a deadly flaw, and, on the opposite, Arik Armstead and Arden Key joined D.J. Jones as inside menaces.
Quarterbacks they beat: Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, Matthew Stafford (twice), Trevor Lawrence, Kirk Cousins, Joe Burrow, Matt Ryan, Davis Mills, Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers,
Quarterbacks who beat them: Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson (twice), Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, McCoy, Ryan Tannehill, Stafford.
100-yard rushers allowed: Jonathan Taylor (Colts; 107), Justin Fields (Bears, 103).
Penalty field: The 49ers had been known as for extra holding penalties (25) than defensive move interference (23; nonetheless their most in not less than 20 years). Trent Williams’ 12 penalties all season (together with six for holding, plus three false begins within the playoffs) had been greater than Josh Norman’s 10 (six for move interference).
Greatest particular groups sequence: Jordan Willis’ block of a punt and Talanoa Hufanga’s restoration for a landing with 4:41 to spare in Inexperienced Bay, plus a nod right here to Robbie Gould for making the tying point-after kick, then a 45-yard discipline objective to win it as time expired.
Worst particular groups play: Robust to slim this class all the way down to only one play, particularly with three fumbled kick returns, however the winner/loser right here goes to the 49ers getting duped on a faux punt for a 73-yard landing that sparked their Dec. 5 loss at Seattle.
Greatest takeaways: Interceptions that bookended the common season, from Dre Greenlaw’s pick-six in Week 1 at Detroit to Ambry Thomas’ time beyond regulation clincher in Week 18 at Los Angeles.
Worst near-takeaway: Jaquiski Tartt, dropping a possible fourth-quarter interception amid the Rams’ comeback Sunday.
Greatest free-agent discover: Heart Alex Mack, offensively. Arden Key, defensively. Trent Sherfield, particular groups.
Greatest commerce: Lance’s deal is TBD, so this vote goes to getting defensive finish Charles Omenihu on the Nov. 2 deadline from Houston; Omenihu had 1 ½ sacks within the playoff win at Dallas.
Greatest exit: Garoppolo’s press convention Tuesday, summed up by his mantra: “Class and pleasure was all the time one thing that I attempt to stay by.” Runner-up: Defensive finish Anthony Zettel retired three days after beating Trent Williams with a spin transfer in camp.
Greatest trick play: That the 49ers had been going to draft Mac Jones as an alternative of Lance (or Justin Fields), or that they had been going to make use of Lance in spot obligation with Garoppolo all season?
Coolest name: Trent Williams lining up within the fullback and getting in movement as a lead blocker in a third-and-1 conversion at Inexperienced Bay. It labored the primary time, not afterward, nonetheless. Not so cool: Williams’ ankle not being at full power to tackle the Rams’ star-studded entrance.
Devastating accidents: It was 2020 once more when season-ending knee accidents took out Mostert and cornerback Jason Verrett within the opener. Different starters misplaced alongside the way in which: Javon Kinlaw, Mike McGlinchey and Dee Ford. However, man, so many (all?) others battled.
Replay challenges: A career-low three by Shanahan, successful two of them.
Fourth-quarter woes: In Shanahan’s final three playoff exits, his groups get outscored within the fourth quarter 19-0, 21-0 and 13-0, with the 2016 Falcons’ Tremendous Bowl (offensive coordinator), the 2019 49ers’ Tremendous Bowl, and Sunday’s NFC Ultimate). The 49ers had been outscored 60-16 within the fourth quarter of 5 playoff video games in 2019 and ’21.
Quote of yr: “Lots of people persevered to get right here, all of the work the coaches put in, from all of the criticism Shanahan and Garoppolo and a few gamers on protection have taken. They’ve labored onerous to dig us out of this mess. I simply didn’t need one play to be a defining second for all of the onerous work this group put in to be the place we're.” – Willis, on his reluctance to attract reward for blocking a Packers punt to avoid wasting the season.
Fallen 49ers: Former gamers and coaches who handed away in 2021: Phillip Adams, Ken Casanega, Greg Clark, Parys Haralson, Steve Hendrickson, Greg Knapp, Charlie Krueger, Stan Kwan, Jerry Mertens, Artwork Michalik, Floyd Reese, Floyd Sagely, Paul Salata, Henry Schmidt, Lynn Thomas, Dave Washington, Dick Witcher.
Subsequent season’s house video games: Buccaneers, Chiefs, Chargers, Commanders, Dolphins, Saints, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks. Predicted report: 6-3.
Subsequent season’s away video games: Bears, Broncos, Falcons, Panthers, Raiders, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks. Predicted report: 6-2.
Season predictions: 173-110-1 straight up, 142-140-2 towards the unfold.
Tremendous Bowl choose: Bengals 23, Rams 20.