LISTEN: Final 49ers 7-Round Mock Draft With Steph Sanchez →
placeholder image

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports


49ers lose 7th straight to Seahawks in 2016 season finale

Jan 1, 2017 at 4:31 PM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Tot
SEA 3 16 3 3 25
SF 7 7 2 7 23


The biggest news out of Santa Clara over the weekend was not the San Francisco 49ers' finale against the Seattle Seahawks. Instead, news surrounded the fates of general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly. On Saturday night, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that both Baalke and Kelly would be fired following Sunday's game.


On Sunday morning, Jay Glazer reported on FOX Sports that Baalke had actually been informed on Friday that he would not return to the team following the season. Kelly was not given the same courtesy and is scheduled to meet with ownership following the game to discuss is fate.

The personnel moves set a major reset in motion within the organization as the 49ers embark on their third head coach search in as many years as well as a hunt for a suitable general manager.


As for the game itself, 49ers players insisted that they have been focused on their game against Seattle and not the drama around them. They had not been informed of anything surrounding the future of Kelly. The game would likely serve as the final game with the 49ers for both Kelly and QB Colin Kaepernick. The Seahawks needed the victory to have any chance at the number two seed in the NFC playoffs and a bye week. Seattle entered the game on a six-game winning streak against San Francisco.

The 49ers were the first to get into the end zone thanks to a one-yard touchdown run by RB Shaun Draughn. The score capped off a seven-play drive that gave San Francisco an early 7-3 lead. Draughn entered the game as the team's starting running back after Carlos Hyde had been placed on injured reserve this week.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports


Draughn entered the end zone again on the 49ers' next offensive possession to take a 14-3 lead. San Francisco engineered an impressive 14-play drive that spanned 79 yards.



As has been the case for much of the season, the 49ers' initial strong showing did not last. A field goal and two Seahawks touchdowns in the second quarter gave Seattle their first lead of the game. The Seahawks entered halftime up 19-14. 10 of those 16 Seahawks points in the second quarter were off of 49ers turnovers.

After the Seahawks extended their lead in the third quarter following a field goal, Seattle's special teams unit had a bad snap while attempting to punt. The football flew over the head of punter Jon Ryan and out of the end zone, resulting in a safety.

49ers Team Leaders
Passing Cmp Att Yds TDs
C. Kaepernick 17 22 215 1
Rushing Car Yds Avg TDs
S. Draughn 21 41 2 2
Receiving Rec Yds Avg TDs
S. Draughn 4 68 17 0
J. Kerley 6 61 10.2 0

Some trickery by the 49ers on special teams placed the San Francisco offense at the Seattle 35-yard line in the fourth quarter. A Ryan punt was caught by WR Jeremy Kerley and then passed across the field to RB Raheem Mostert, who ran the football into Seahawks territory. Two plays later, Kaepernick passed 27 yards deep left to Kerley to the Seattle 5-yard line. The 49ers offense ended up scoring on the drive. A 9-yard pass from Kaepernick to TE Garrett Celek got the 49ers within two points of Seattle.

A scuffle between the two squads ensued and Seahawks DL Jarran Reed was ejected from the game. However, that's as close as the 49ers were able to get. The Seahawks were able to finish the game off and secure a 25-23 win for their seventh straight against San Francisco.

SEA SF
First Downs 18 14
Total Yards 376 253
Passing Yards 289 191
Rushing Yards 87 62
Penalties (Yds) 4 (34) 4 (25)
Turnovers 0 2
Punts (AVG) 4 (36) 6 (47)
Time of Pos. 29:08 30:26

Injuries


CB Rashard Robinson left the game with a left leg injury. He did not return.

Notes and Quotes


Head coach Chip Kelly confirmed that will have a meeting later with ownership. He stated that no one had told him yet that general manager Trent Baalke had been fired.

"I feel that if I was distracted by anything else, I wouldn't be giving [the players] what they deserve," Kelly said following the game.

Kelly said that, prior to the game, no players asked him about his future. After the game, there were a lot of hugs between Kelly and the players.

Kelly said that he has never had any conversations about coaching changes within his staff.

Kelly ended his postgame press conference by thanking the Bay Area media for their dedication, saying it was a pleasure working with everyone.

Related News





Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick

By David Bonilla
Apr 16

The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team. The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man


placeholder image

Draft Watch: Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley visiting 49ers on Wednesday

By David Bonilla
Apr 16

The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday. Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks. Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley


placeholder image

Rapoport: 49ers send clear message to teams inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk

By David Bonilla
Apr 16

Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture. Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft. Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his


placeholder image

7-round mock draft from The Athletic sees 49ers fortifying defense early

By David Bonilla
Apr 17

Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week. "Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote. Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone