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49ers in review: The last time we have to see this version of the Niners special teams

January 6, 2025 by Niners Nation

San Francisco 49ers v Green Bay Packers
Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

A season where many figured the 49ers would boom ended up with plenty of doom

The San Francisco 49ers hoped to end their 2024 season with a boom but ultimately ended it with a doom.

San Francisco’s nightmare season ends with a 47-24 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, ending the Niners season with a 6-11 record and 1-5 within the NFC West.

The 49ers were short-staffed, missing the likes of Brock Purdy and Deebo Samuel, and Arizona was close to near-strength, missing only James Conner and the results showed in the score. With the season coming to a close, let’s do one final game review:

A brief Rocky Top reunion

When Joshua Dobbs was named the starter this week, many quickly pointed out the quarterback’s chance to throw the ball to college battery mate Jauan Jennings. The Volunteer connection was strong on Sunday but also, unfortunately, short.

Dobbs wasted no time rekindling the connection, targeting Jennings on the 49ers’ first play and connecting for a short two-yard gain. That was Jennings’ only target on the opening drive, but Dobbs would look for Jennings more on the second drive, with four targets for three receptions totaling 31 yards.

However, the chemistry between the two didn’t always result in positives. After Arizona tied the game at three, the 49ers offense faced a second down in their territory. Dobbs would aim for Jennings again, but Sean Murphy-Bunting’s physicality caused some issues, and a misfire from Dobbs allowed Murphy-Bunting to make a play for the first of two interceptions from the quarterback.

That wouldn’t be the final interaction between Jennings and Murphy-Bunting. Just a play after Jennings and Starling Thomas got in a scuffle and saw Jennings get hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty, Murphy-Bunting got involved with Jennings. The two would bring each other to the ground and squabble on the ground before being separated. Flags were again thrown, resulting in the disqualification of the two competitors.

Jennings’ day would end at the 6:34 mark of the second quarter, but he still finished with a team-high 10 targets and seven receptions. But his quick exit Sunday ended his campaign 25 yards short of his first 1,000-yard season.

The last time we have to see this version of the 49ers special teams

The special teams unit is one aspect of the 2024 49ers that nobody will miss. After a season of miscues and follies, the special teams group couldn’t miss the final opportunity to show some incompetence.

After a rough Week 17 performance, Jake Moody righted the ship – for at least one kick – hitting a 51-yard kick to give the 49ers an early 3-0 lead. Maybe with some momentum, Moody was again called on the 49ers ensuing drive, this time for a 47-yard attempt. The one-kick streak would be short-lived, as the attempt for Moody would go left, ending his season with 23 made field goals on 33 attempts.

Not to be outdone, the punt unit wasted no time to make their presence felt. Arizona faced a fourth-and-4 near midfield. With both teams out of playoff contention, Jonathan Gannon used this chance to think outside the box and called a fake punt. The snap went directly to DeeJay Dallas, who took the ball for a gain of 22 and a first down to extend the drive.

The fake punt wouldn’t hurt the 49ers too severely, as the defense held the Cardinals to a field goal just three plays later. But after such a miserable season for the special team unit, of course, they would use the final game to remind 49ers fans one final time.

The season couldn’t end fast enough

Dobbs would find Ricky Pearsall for a touchdown with 16 seconds in the first half to even the score at 17. That tie would last 16 seconds, and Arizona wouldn’t look back after.

With all three timeouts in their arsenal, Arizona navigated 39 yards in 14 seconds, aided by a Zay Jones 25-yard reception on the field play. Thirty-nine yards was enough to get well within Chad Ryland’s range, who would hit a 49-yard field goal to give Arizona a three-point cushion at the break.

It would only get uglier from there; just look at the two teams’ drive charts after the teams swapped three-and-outs to open the second half:

49ers

Cardinals

Touchdown

Touchdown

Fumble

Touchdown

Interception

Punt

Turnover on downs

Touchdown

End of game

Touchdown

When the two teams last played back in October, Arizona used a 49ers second-half collapse to overcome a 13-point deficit to win 24-23. On Sunday, The Cardinals decimated the 49ers in the second half to win in commanding fashion.

The 49ers were outgained 229-156 despite the Cardinals running four fewer plays. The turnovers proved simply too much to overcome. Arizona allowed the 49ers to get away with Dobbs’ third-quarter fumble, punting the ball back after three plays, but the Cardinals made the 49ers pay afterward.

A Dobbs errant pass intended for Pearsall would find the hands of Kei’Trel Clark, who would get up and return the interception for a touchdown. Replay review would see that Pearsall got the smallest amount of Clark as he went to the ground, ruling the Arizona defender down at the San Francisco 39-yard-line, only delaying the inevitable. It would only take Arizona two plays to navigate those 39 yards, with Kyler Murray hitting Marvin Harrison for a touchdown to extend Arizona’s lead to 40-24.

Trailing by two scores with time winding down in the fourth quarter, the 49ers were forced to go for a fourth-and-6, but a Dobbs pass attempt for Patrick Taylor would fall to the ground, giving the ball back to the Cardinals. Five plays later, Arizona would again find the end zone for the final score of the game and the season, extending the Cardinals lead to 23.

From a tight 20-17 game to a 47-24 blowout in a half. If we’re being sincere, it was a finish fitting for the season the 49ers had.

Filed Under: 49'ers

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