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The San Francisco 49ers had just forced a turnover against the Chicago Bears, recovering a fumble by wide receiver Allen Robinson, who could have iced the game simply by going down after making a first-down grab after the two-minute warning and with zero Niners timeouts. Cornerback Tarvarius Moore knocked the ball loose, and defensive back Greg Mabin grabbed it.
The 49ers were still alive, albeit trailing Chicago 14-9 with 1:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Two plays later, quarterback Nick Mullens hit wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for a crucial 25-yard gain. Bourne was able to get out of bounds to stop the clock. But after failing to move the chains again on the next three snaps, Mullens and the Niners offense found themselves in a 4th-and-4 situation with 1:14 left.
Mullens was flushed out of the pocket to his right. And despite Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd chasing him down, the 49ers quarterback appeared to have a clear path to the first-down marker. Perhaps much, much more.
Instead, Mullens tossed deep to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin. The ball sailed incomplete, the Bears took over and ran out the clock to win the game and send the Niners to 4-11 on the season.
Take a look at
the play itself:
"I saw Marquise down the field," Mullens told reporters after the game. "I thought I'd give him a chance instead of making the simple play. ...I was trying to make a big play, and it wasn't the smartest decision."
Indeed, the smart play would have been to attempt the first-down run. While Floyd was closing fast, it seems likely Mullens might have been able to reach the marker
and get out of bounds, stopping the clock and leaving the chance of a 49ers comeback open.
Yet he didn't, although this Yahoo! Fantasy Sports
tweet is a little too good to leave out:
"The second I threw it," Mullens admitted when asked at what point he realized not running was a mistake. "You look at the film, or whatever. I stood there for 30 seconds understanding what I just did and how big of a mistake it was."
Did Mullens' decision cost the 49ers a chance at winning the game late? Absolutely. Yet the Niners also went 0-of-3 in the red zone, relying solely on kicker Robbie Gould's three field goals for all their offense. Meanwhile, the Bears managed two touchdowns. And while San Francisco managed two defensive takeaways, a key interception by Mullens off the fingertips of Goodwin earlier in the game didn't help matters either.
Mullens also admitted he was still thinking of the play all the way up to his meeting with reporters, too. He'll probably think about it all night as well, even if it wasn't exactly
the reason San Francisco lost in Week 16.
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Written by:
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
The San Francisco 49ers hold the No. 31 overall pick, but speculation abounds that they may seek to move before or during the first round of next week's NFL Draft. With the offensive line as a prime target for improvement and the position going mostly ignored in free agency, a strategic trade-up to acquire an impact player could be in the cards.
Alyssa Barbieri proposes such a scenario in her latest mock draft for USA Today's Touchdown Wire. Barbieri envisions the 49ers trading with the Miami Dolphins to move up 10 spots, selecting former Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham.
Latham started 27 games
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
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
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
