# 2015 San Francisco 49ers season

The 2015 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 66th in the National Football League (NFL), their 70th overall, their second playing home games at Levi's Stadium and their only season under head coach Jim Tomsula. They were attempting to make history as the first team to play in a Super Bowl on their own home field, but they failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 2014, and ended with a 5–11 record to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row and suffered their first losing season since 2010 and their first last-place finish since 2005.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

With their loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 of the 2014–15 season, the 49ers were mathematically eliminated from the postseason, exacerbating tensions between head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke. After the season ended, the 49ers and Harbaugh mutually agreed to end his contract. On January 14, 2015, Jim Tomsula was promoted to head coach after serving as defensive line coach with the team since 2007; it was his second time at the helm, as he previously served as the 49ers' interim head coach for one game, after Mike Singletary's firing in 2010.

### Roster changes
#### Free Agency

| Position | Player | Free agency tag | Date signed/released | 2015 team | Notes |
| QB | Blaine Gabbert | UFA | March 12, 2015 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed 2-year/$2 million |
| QB | Josh Johnson | UFA | April 2, 2015 | Cincinnati Bengals | |
| RB | Frank Gore | UFA | March 10, 2015 | Indianapolis Colts | Signed 3-year/$12 million |
| RB | Alfonso Smith | UFA | - | - | - |
| RB | Phillip Tanner | UFA | - | - | - |
| WR | Michael Crabtree | UFA | April 13, 2015 | Oakland Raiders | Signed 1 year/$3.2 million |
| WR | Brandon Lloyd | UFA | - | - | - |
| WR | Kassim Osgood | UFA | - | - | - |
| G | Mike Iupati | UFA | March 10, 2015 | Arizona Cardinals | Signed 5-year/$40 million |
| LB | Dan Skuta | UFA | March 11, 2015 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Signed 5-year/$20.5 million |
| LB | Desmond Bishop | UFA | March 31, 2015 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed 1 year |
| CB | Chris Culliver | UFA | March 13, 2015 | Washington Redskins | Signed 4-year/$32 million |
| CB | Perrish Cox | UFA | March 14, 2015 | Tennessee Titans | Signed 3-year/$15 million |
| CB | Chris Cook | UFA | March 14, 2015 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed 1 year |
| LS | Kyle Nelson | RFA | March 6, 2015 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed 4-year |
| TE | Garrett Celek | RFA | March 12, 2015 | San Francisco 49ers | Signed 1 year |
| RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent LEGEND  – Light green background indicates a player has been re-signed by the 49ers.  – Light red background indicates a player has departed the 49ers. ||||||

#### Signings

| Position | Player | 2014 Team | Date signed | Notes |
| DE | Darnell Dockett | Arizona Cardinals | March 5, 2015 | Signed 2-year/$7.5 million |
| WR | Jerome Simpson | Minnesota Vikings | March 5, 2015 | Signed 2-year deal |
| WR | Torrey Smith | Baltimore Ravens | March 11, 2015 | Signed 5-year/$40 million |
| RB | Reggie Bush | Detroit Lions | March 14, 2015 | Signed 1 year/2.5 million |
| CB | Shareece Wright | San Diego Chargers | March 14, 2015 | Signed 1 year/$3 million |
| OT | Erik Pears | Buffalo Bills | March 14, 2015 | Signed 2-year/$4.7 million |
| LB | Nick Bellore | New York Jets | April 3, 2015 | Signed 2-year deal |
| LB | Philip Wheeler | Miami Dolphins | April 30, 2015 | |
| LB | Shawn Lemon | | August 8, 2015 | |
| LB | Steve Beauharnais | Washington Redskins | August 7, 2015 | |
* Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2014 season.

#### Departures

| Position | Player | Date | Notes |
| S | Bubba Ventrone | March 3, 2015 | Retired |
| LB | Patrick Willis | March 10, 2015 | Retired |
| WR | Stevie Johnson | March 12, 2015 | Released |
| LB | Chris Borland | March 16, 2015 | Retired |
| OT | Jonathan Martin | March 26, 2015 | Released |
| WR | Trindon Holliday | April 30, 2015 | Released |
| G | Fouimalo Fonoti | April 30, 2015 | Waived |
| WR | Lance Lewis | April 30, 2015 | Waived |
| DE | Justin Smith | May 18, 2015 | Retired |
| OT | Anthony Davis | June 5, 2015 | Retired |
| P | Andy Lee | June 6, 2015 | Traded |
| LB | Aldon Smith | August 7, 2015 | Released |
| CB | Chris Cook | August 5, 2015 | Released |
| TE | Vernon Davis | November 2, 2015 | Traded |

## 2015 NFL Draft

San Francisco 49ers 2015 NFL Draft selections :
| Draft order | Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | Height | Weight | College | Notes |
| Round | Choice | Overall | Player name | Position | Height | Weight | College | Notes |
| 1 | 15 | 15 | Traded to the San Diego Chargers | Traded to the San Diego Chargers | Traded to the San Diego Chargers | Traded to the San Diego Chargers | Traded to the San Diego Chargers | Traded to the San Diego Chargers |
| 1 | 17 | 17 | Arik Armstead | Defensive end | 6'7" | 292 | Oregon | From Chargers |
| 2 | 14 | 46 | Jaquiski Tartt | Safety | 6'1" | 221 | Samford | |
| 3 | 15 | 79 | Eli Harold | Defensive end | 6'3" | 247 | Virginia | |
| 4 | 14 | 113 | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills | Traded to the Buffalo Bills |
| 4 | 18 | 117 | Blake Bell | Tight end | 6'6" | 252 | Oklahoma | From Chargers |
| 4 | 27 | 126 | Mike Davis | Running back | 5'9" | 217 | South Carolina | From Broncos |
| 4 | 33 | 132 | DeAndre Smelter | Wide receiver | 6'2" | 226 | Georgia Tech | Compensatory pick |
| 5 | 15 | 151 | Traded to the Indianapolis Colts | Traded to the Indianapolis Colts | Traded to the Indianapolis Colts | Traded to the Indianapolis Colts | Traded to the Indianapolis Colts | Traded to the Indianapolis Colts |
| 5 | 29 | 165 | Bradley Pinion | Punter | 6'5" | 229 | Clemson | From Colts |
| 6 | 14 | 190 | Ian Silberman | Guard | 6'5" | 306 | Boston College | |
| 7 | 15 | 232 | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins | Traded to the Miami Dolphins |
| 7 | 27 | 244 | Trenton Brown | Guard | 6'8" | 355 | Florida | From Colts |
| 7 | 29 | 246 | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys | Traded to the Dallas Cowboys | From Colts |
| 7 | 37 | 254 | Rory Anderson | Tight end | | | South Carolina | Compensatory pick |
Notes
    The 49ers traded their first-round selection (No. 15 overall) to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for San Diego's first- and fourth-round selection (Nos. 17 and 117 overall, respectively) as well a fifth-round selection in 2016.
    The 49ers traded a conditional fourth-round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for wide receiver Stevie Johnson; the selection could be upgraded to a third-rounder pending Johnson's statistics in 2014.
    The 49ers acquired an additional fourth-round selection as part of a trade that sent their 2014 second- and seventh-round selections to the Denver Broncos.
    The 49ers traded a seventh-round selection to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for offensive tackle Jonathan Martin.
    The 49ers acquired an additional seventh-round selection in a trade that sent linebacker Cam Johnson to the Indianapolis Colts.
    The 49ers traded their fifth-round selection (No. 151 overall) to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for Indianapolis's fifth- and seventh-round selection (Nos. 165 and 244 overall, respectively).
    The 49ers acquired a sixth-round selection in 2016 as part of a trade that sent their seventh-round selections (No. 246) to Dallas Cowboys.

### Undrafted free agents

| Position | Player | College | Notes |
| RB | Jarryd Hayne | None | Played professional Rugby league from 2006 to 2014 in Australia |
| QB | Dylan Thompson | South Carolina | |
| WR | Dres Anderson | Utah | |
| OLB | Marcus Rush | Michigan State | |
| WR | Issac Blakeney | Duke | |
| OT | Patrick Miller | Auburn | |
| WR | Darius Davis | Henderson State | |
| WR | DeAndrew White | Alabama | |

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 15 | at Houston Texans | L 10–23 | 0–1 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 23 | Dallas Cowboys | W 23–6 | 1–1 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 29 | at Denver Broncos | L 12–19 | 1–2 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 4 | September 3 | San Diego Chargers | W 14–12 | 2–2 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 14 | Minnesota Vikings | W 20–3 | 1–0 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 20 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 18–43 | 1–1 | Heinz Field | Recap |
| 3 | September 27 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 7–47 | 1–2 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 4 | Green Bay Packers | L 3–17 | 1–3 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 11 | at New York Giants | L 27–30 | 1–4 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 18 | Baltimore Ravens | W 25–20 | 2–4 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 22 | Seattle Seahawks | L 3–20 | 2–5 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | November 1 | at St. Louis Rams | L 6–27 | 2–6 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap |
| 9 | November 8 | Atlanta Falcons | W 17–16 | 3–6 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 11 | November 22 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 13–29 | 3–7 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 12 | November 29 | Arizona Cardinals | L 13–19 | 3–8 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 6 | at Chicago Bears | W 26–20 (OT) | 4–8 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 13 | at Cleveland Browns | L 10–24 | 4–9 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 20 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 14–24 | 4–10 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 27 | at Detroit Lions | L 17–32 | 4–11 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 17 | January 3 | St. Louis Rams | W 19–16 (OT) | 5–11 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,499
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Berman, Trent Dilfer and Lindsay Czarniak
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
SF – Carlos Hyde 10 Yd Run (Phil Dawson Kick), 0:47. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 4:58.
Third quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 30 Yd Field Goal, 4:32 49ers 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 5:42.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 37 Yd Field Goal, 14:43 49ers 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:49.
SF – Carlos Hyde 17 Yd Run (Phil Dawson Kick), 9:30. 49ers 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:13.
SF – Phil Dawson 25 Yd Field Goal, 6:08. 49ers 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:14.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater - 23/32, 231 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
SF – Colin Kaepernick - 17/26, 165 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson - 10 rushes, 31 yards
SF – Carlos Hyde - 26 rushes, 168 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Mike Wallace - 6 rec, 66 yards
SF – Vernon Davis - 3 rec, 47 yards
Top tacklers
MIN – Anthony Barr – 12 tackles
SF – Antoine Bethea – 8 tackles :
In the 49ers' first game with new head coach Jim Tomsula, the 49ers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 20–3 on Monday Night Football. In his first career start, Carlos Hyde rushed 26 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Hyde's 168 rushing yards were the most by a 49ers player since 2012, when Colin Kaepernick rushed for 181 against the Packers. Colin Kaepernick went 17 for 26 with 165 yards passing. The 49ers defense was stout, holding the Vikings to just three points and sacking Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater five times. Adrian Peterson, returning from suspension, rushed for only 31 yards on 10 carries. This game also marked the return of NaVorro Bowman, who missed all of the 2014 season with an injury. He had seven tackles and a sack in the season opener. In addition, the 49ers introduced black alternate uniforms.

#### Week 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 18 |
| Steelers | 8 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 43 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 am. PDT
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 66,472
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Heath Miller 2 Yd pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Ben Roethlisberger–Antonio Brown pass), 4:20. Steelers 8–0. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 3:19.
Second quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 47 Yd Field Goal, 10:27. Steelers 8–3. Drive: 17 plays, 58 yards, 8:53.
PIT – DeAngelo Williams 2 Yd Run (Ben Roethlisberger–Heath Miller pass), 8:07. Steelers 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:20.
PIT – Darrius Heyward-Bey 35 Yd pass from Ben Roethlisberger (kick failed), 5:45. Steelers 22–3. Drive: 1 play, 35 yards, 0:07.
PIT – DeAngelo Williams 2 Yd Run (Josh Scobee Kick), 1:58. Steelers 29–3. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:42.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
SF – Anquan Boldin 14 Yd pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson Kick), 13:16. Steelers 29–10. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 1:51.
PIT – DeAngelo Williams 1 Yd Run (Josh Scobee Kick), 10:25. Steelers 36–10. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:51.
SF – Torrey Smith 75 Yd pass from Colin Kaepernick (Colin Kaepernick–Torrey Smith pass), 9:43. Steelers 36–18. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:42.
PIT – Antonio Brown 7 Yd pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Josh Scobee Kick), 7:43. Steelers 43–18. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
SF – Colin Kaepernick - 33/46, 335 yards, 2 TD
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger - 21/27, 369 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
SF – Colin Kaepernick - 9 rushes, 51 yards
PIT – DeAngelo Williams - 20 rushes, 77 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
SF – Torrey Smith - 6 rec, 120 yards, 1 TD
PIT – Antonio Brown - 9 rec, 195 yards, 1 TD
Top tacklers
SF – Eric Reid - 6 tackles
PIT – Ryan Shazier - 15 tackles :
The 49ers' first road game of the year ended in a disaster. The 49ers defense had no answer for Ben Roethlisberger, who went 21 for 27,369 yards and three touchdown passes as the Steelers won 43–18. The Steelers took a commanding 29–3 halftime lead. Despite only scoring 18 points, the 49ers offense opened up in the second half, with Kaepernick leading the 49ers into the Steelers red zone four times, but only able to score one touchdown (along with a field goal and two turnovers on downs). The highlight for the 49ers was Kaepernick hitting wide receiver Torrey Smith for a 75-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The Steelers defense had a field day on Kaepernick, sacking him 5 times and making him lose a fumble.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 1–1.

#### Week 3: at Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 47 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: September 27
* Game time: 1:05 pm. PDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 63,663
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Justin Bethel 21 Yd Interception Return (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 11:06. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, -1 yard, 1:04.
ARI – Tyrann Mathieu 33 Yd Interception Return (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 9:03. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, 2:03.
Second quarter
ARI – Chris Johnson 6 Yd Run (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 14:56. Cardinals 21–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:58.
ARI – Chris Johnson 1 Yd Run (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 7:49. Cardinals 28–0. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:04.
SF – Colin Kaepernick 12 Yd Run (Phil Dawson Kick), 2:03. Cardinals 28–7. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:05.
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 22 Yd Field Goal, 0:01. Cardinals 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 0:30.
Third quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 4 Yd pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 12:29. Cardinals 38–7. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 2:18.
ARI – Kevin Minter Safety, 4:18. Cardinals 40–7. Drive: 1 play, -1 yard, 0:06.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 8 Yd pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 5:15. Cardinals 47–7. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 7:42.
Top passers
SF – Colin Kaepernick - 9/19, 67 yards, 4 INT
ARI – Carson Palmer - 20/32, 311 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SF – Carlos Hyde - 15 rushes, 51 yards
ARI – Chris Johnson - 22 rushes, 110 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SF – Garrett Celek - 3 receptions, 29 yards
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald - 9 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TD
Top tacklers
SF – NaVorro Bowman - 7 tackles
ARI – Kevin Minter - 8 tackles :
49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick became the first player since 1925 to throw two interceptions returned for touchdowns (pick sixes) to start a game. He had four interceptions in the game overall and the Cardinals thrashed the 49ers 47–7. This is the most points the Cardinals have ever scored against the 49ers. In the past two weeks, the 49ers were outscored 90–25.
With the loss, the 49ers dropped to 1–2.

#### Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: October 4
* Game time: 1:25 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 70,799
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Richard Rodgers 9 Yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby Kick), 9:02. Packers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:58.
Second quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 33 Yd Field Goal, 4:25. Packers 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 6:23.
Third quarter
GB – John Kuhn 1 Yd Run (Mason Crosby Kick), 7:10. Packers 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:33.
Fourth quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 31 Yd Field Goal, 0:45. Packers 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 4:38.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 22–32, 224 YDS, 1 TD
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 13–25, 160 YDS, 1 INT
Top rushers
GB – Eddie Lacy – 18 CAR, 90 YDS
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 10 CAR, 57 YDS
Top receivers
GB – James Jones – 5 REC, 98 YDS
SF – Torrey Smith – 2 REC, 54 YDS
Top tacklers
GB – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix – 7 tackles
SF – Michael Wilhoite – 9 tackles :
Despite a good showing by the 49ers defense (holding the Packers to a season-low 17 points and sacking Aaron Rodgers 3 times), the 49ers offense struggled all game. It was another frustrating day for Colin Kaepernick, who consistently missed receivers and threw an interception. Throughout the game, he was sacked six times. In the last two weeks, Kaepernick had no touchdown passes and five interceptions with a quarterback rating of 12.7.
With yet another tough loss, the 49ers dropped to 1–3, and were outscored by a total of 110–48 in their first 4 games. By the end of week 4, the 49ers were last in the league in total points scored.

#### Week 5: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 27 |
| Giants | 3 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 11
* Game time: 8:30 pm. EDT/5:30 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 78,515
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 43-yard field goal. 11:19. 49ers 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:41.
NYG – Josh Brown 22-yard field goal. 6:22. Tie 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:57.
Second quarter
NYG – Shane Vereen 2-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 12:15. Giants 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 5:47.
NYG – Josh Brown 41 yard field goal, 3:57. Giants 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 4:05.
SF – Phil Dawson 22 yard field goal, 1:01. Giants 13–6. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 2:56.
Third quarter
SF – Anquan Boldin 3-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 8:00. Tie 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:56.
NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 17-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 1:14. Giants 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:16.
Fourth quarter
SF – Garrett Celek 5-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 11:49. Tie 20–20. 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:25.
NYG – Josh Brown 24-yard field goal, 4:29. Giants 23–20. 14 plays, 74 yards, 7:20.
SF – Carlos Hyde 2-yard rush (Phil Dawson kick), 1:45. 49ers 27–23. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:44.
NYG – Larry Donnell 12-yard pass from Eli Manning, 0:12. Giants 30–27. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 1:24.
Top passers
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 23/35, 262 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int.
NYG – Eli Manning – 41/54, 441 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Top rushers
SF – Carlos Hyde – 21 rush, 93 yards, 1 TD
NYG – Rashad Jennings – 11 rush, 46 yards.
Top receivers
SF – Anquan Boldin – 8 rec, 107 yards, 1 TD
NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. – 7 rec, 121 yards, 1 TD
Turnovers
SF - 0
NYG - 1 :
In one of the wildest games of the year, the 49ers lost a heartbreaker in the final minute. The 49ers offense, which struggled the previous two weeks and had just 6 points at halftime in this game, came alive and scored three-second half touchdowns, including Carlos Hyde's 2-yard go-ahead touchdown run with 1:45 left on the clock to give the 49ers a 27–23 lead. But Giants quarterback Eli Manning led the Giants down the field and threw a 12-yard touchdown to Larry Donnell with 0:17 left in the game. The 49ers defense was shredded for an astonishing 525 yards by the Giants offense. There were five lead changes in the game, three of them in the final 4:29 of the fourth quarter.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 1–4.

#### Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ravens | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| 49ers | 6 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 25 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: October 18
* Game time: 1:25 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), partly sunny
* Game attendance: 70,799
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Jamie Erdahl
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 53-yard field goal, 7:00. 49ers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:37.
SF – Phil Dawson 31-yard field goal, 1:56. 49ers 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:30.
Second quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 22-yard field goal, 13:16. 49ers 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:40.
SF – Colin Kaepernick 76-yard pass to Torrey Smith (Phil Dawson kick), 12:27. 49ers 13–3. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:49.
SF – Phil Dawson 26-yard field goal, 8:04. 49ers 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 3:31.
BAL – Justin Tucker 36-yard field goal, 4:14. 49ers 16–6. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:50.
Third quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 42-yard field goal, 7:34. 49ers 19–6. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 3:02.
BAL – Joe Flacco 34-yard pass to Steve Smith Sr. (Justin Tucker kick), 2:29. 49ers 19–13. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:05.
Fourth quarter
SF – Quinton Patton 11-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (two-point conversion failed), 10:52. 49ers 25–13. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:45.
BAL – Kamar Aiken 2-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 5:14. 49ers 25–20. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 5:38.
Top passers
BAL – Joe Flacco – 33/53, 343 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 16/27, 340 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Top rushers
BAL – Justin Forsett – 17 rushes, 62 yards
SF – Carlos Hyde – 21 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
BAL – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 rec, 137 yards, 1 TD
SF – Anquan Boldin – 5 rec, 102 yards
Turnovers
BAL – 2
SF – 0 :
The 49ers met the Ravens for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII, in which the Ravens won 34–31. In the second quarter, Colin Kaepernick threw a 76-yard pass to ex-Raven Torrey Smith to extend San Francisco's lead to 13–3. In the fourth quarter, Kaepernick threw another touchdown, this time to Quinton Patton, for 11 yards to lead the 49ers 25–13. This was Patton's first NFL touchdown. With the win, the 49ers avenged their Super Bowl loss and broke their 4-game losing streak, and they improved to 2–4.

#### Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 5:25 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), mostly sunny
* Game attendance: 70,799
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Marshawn Lynch 1 Yd Run (Steven Hauschka Kick), 7:01. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 6:36.
Second quarter
SEA – Steven Hauschka 49 Yd Field Goal, 9:37. Seahawks 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 3:21.
SEA – Tyler Lockett 43 Yd pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka Kick), 2:44. Seahawks 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 90 yards, 2:57.
Third quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 35 Yd Field Goal, 1:21. Seahawks 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:03.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Steven Hauschka 46 Yd Field Goal, 9:23. Seahawks 20–3. Drive: 12 plays, 49 yards, 6:58.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 18–24, 235 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 13–24, 124 YDS
Top rushers
SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 27 CAR, 122 YDS, 1 TD
SF – Carlos Hyde – 11 CAR, 40 YDS
Top receivers
SEA – Tyler Lockett – 5 REC, 79 YDS, 1 TD
SF – Vernon Davis – 4 REC, 61 YDS
Top tacklers
SEA – Earl Thomas – 7 tackles
SF – Michael Wilhoite – 13 tackles :
Much like last year's Thanksgiving Day matchup, the 49ers were unable to stop the defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks. Colin Kaepernick struggled all game long and he was sacked six times, much like Week 4 against Green Bay, where the 49ers were also only held to a field goal. With the 20–3 loss, the 49ers dropped to 2–5.

#### Week 8: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Rams | 2 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: November 1
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/10:00 am. PST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 51,207
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 54 Yd Field Goal, 10:29. 49ers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:31.
STL – James Laurinaitis Safety, 4:24. 49ers 3–2. Drive: 3 plays, -3 yards, 1:08.
Second quarter
STL – Todd Gurley 71 Yd Run (Nick Foles–Jared Cook pass), 10:25. Rams 10–3. Drive: 1 play, 71 yards, 0:10.
STL – Greg Zuerlein 38 Yd Field Goal, 6:52. Rams 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:13.
SF – Phil Dawson 26 Yd Field Goal, 1:53. Rams 13–6. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 4:59.
STL – Tavon Austin 2 Yd Run (Greg Zuerlein Kick), 0:18. Rams 20–6. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:35.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
STL – Tavon Austin 66 Yd pass from Nick Foles (Greg Zuerlein Kick), 8:34. Rams 27–6. Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:35.
Top passers
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 20–41, 162 YDS
STL – Nick Foles – 14–23, 191 YDS, 1 TD
Top rushers
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 6 CAR, 28 YDS
STL – Todd Gurley – 20 CAR, 133 YDS, 1 TD
Top receivers
SF – Jerome Simpson – 3 REC, 34 YDS
STL – Tavon Austin – 4 REC, 98 YDS, 1 TD
Top tacklers
SF – NaVorro Bowman – 10 tackles
STL – Mark Barron – 10 tackles :
With the loss, San Francisco fell to 2–6.

#### Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| 49ers | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: November 8
* Game time: 1:05 pm. PST
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,799
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 44 Yd Field Goal, 9:24. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 3:38.
Second quarter
SF – Garrett Celek 1 Yd pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson Kick), 13:41. 49ers 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:26.
ATL – Matt Bryant 36 Yd Field Goal, 6:05. 49ers 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:28.
SF – Phil Dawson 44 Yd Field Goal, 3:20. 49ers 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 2:45.
SF – Garrett Celek 11 Yd pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson Kick), 1:16. 49ers 17–6. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:09.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 17 Yd pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant Kick), 0:13. 49ers 17–13. Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:03.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 19 Yd Field Goal, 2:56. 49ers 17–16. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:18.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 30–45, 303 YDS, 1 TD
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 15–25, 185 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 CAR, 12 YDS
SF – Shaun Draughn – 16 CAR, 58 YDS
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 10 REC, 137 YDS
SF – Quinton Patton – 3 REC, 70 YDS
Top tacklers
ATL – Philip Wheeler – 10 tackles
SF – Marcus Cromartie – 7 tackles :
This was Blaine Gabbert's first game as starting quarterback with the 49ers, replacing Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers were also without tight end Vernon Davis, who was traded to the Denver Broncos, after nine and a half seasons with the team.
With the win, the 49ers improved to 3–6.

#### Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| Seahawks | 13 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 29 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: November 22
* Game time: 1:25 pm. PST
* Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 68,993
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Tyler Lockett 24 Yd pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka Kick), 9:55. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:58.
SEA – Thomas Rawls 2 Yd Run (Kick Failed), 3:04. Seahawks 13–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:25.
Second quarter
SEA – Tyler Lockett 11 Yd pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka Kick), 7:15. Seahawks 20–0. Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 7:37.
SF – Vance McDonald 19 Yd pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson Kick), 0:09. Seahawks 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 1:31.
Third quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 27 Yd Field Goal, 9:44. Seahawks 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:27.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 33 Yd Field Goal, 5:01. Seahawks 23–10. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:43.
SF – Phil Dawson 25 Yd Field Goal, 0:07. Seahawks 23–13. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:54.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Thomas Rawls 31 Yd pass from Russell Wilson (Kick Blocked), 12:32. Seahawks 29–13. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:35.
Top passers
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 22–34, 264 YDS, 1 TD
SEA – Russell Wilson – 24–29, 260 YDS, 3 TD
Top rushers
SF – Shaun Draughn – 12 CAR, 37 YDS
SEA – Thomas Rawls – 30 CAR, 209 YDS, 1 TD
Top receivers
SF – Anquan Boldin – 5 REC, 93 YDS
SEA – Doug Baldwin – 6 REC, 60 YDS
Top tacklers
SF – Eric Reid, 10 tackles
SEA – Bobby Wagner, 8 tackles :
Blaine Gabbert made his second start and remained starter for the rest of the season with Colin Kaepernick undergoing season-ending surgery on his left non-throwing shoulder.
After the loss, the 49ers fell to 3–7.

#### Week 12: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: November 29
* Game time: 1:05 pm. PST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 70,799
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 26 Yd Field Goal, 4:00. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:28.
Second quarter
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 41 Yd Field Goal, 12:43. Cardinals 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 19 yards, 4:12.
SF – Phil Dawson 53 Yd Field Goal, 0:00. Cardinals 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 45 yards, 3:42.
Third quarter
ARI – David Johnson 1 Yd Run (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 9:58. Cardinals 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:02.
SF – Vance McDonald 8 Yd pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson Kick), 7:34. Cardinals 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 2:24.
SF – Phil Dawson 33 Yd Field Goal, 1:28. Tied 13–13. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:10.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Carson Palmer 7 Yd Run (Kick Failed). Cardinals 19–13. Drive: 14 plays, 85 yards, 7:57.
Top passers
ARI – Carson Palmer – 24–40, 271 YDS
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 25–36, 318 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
ARI – Andre Ellington – 5 CAR, 24 YDS
SF – Shaun Draughn – 15 CAR, 51 YDS
Top receivers
ARI – John Brown – 5 REC, 99 YDS
SF – Anquan Boldin – 8 REC, 93 YDS
Top tacklers
ARI – Tyrann Mathieu – 13 tackles
SF – NaVorro Bowman – 8 tackles :
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 3-8 and were swept by the Cardinals for the first time since 2008.

#### Week 13: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| 49ers | 6 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
| Bears | 6 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: December 6
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CST/10:00 am. PST
* Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 62,088
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 40 Yd Field Goal, 10:17. Bears 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:25.
CHI – Robbie Gould 51 Yd Field Goal, 5:59. Bears 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:52.
SF – Jimmie Ward 29 Yd Interception Return (Kick Blocked), 2:49. Tied 6–6. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:54.
Second quarter
CHI – Matt Forte 5 Yd Run (Robbie Gould Kick), 13:37. Bears 13–6. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:12.
SF – Shaun Draughn 1 Yd Run (Phil Dawson Kick), 6:53. Tied 13–13. Drive: 16 plays, 81 yards, 6:44.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Ka'Deem Carey 4 Yd Run (Robbie Gould Kick), 3:32. Bears 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 3:53.
SF – Blaine Gabbert 44 Yd Run (Phil Dawson Kick), 1:42. Tied 20–20. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 1:50.
Overtime
SF – Torrey Smith 71-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert, 12:50. 49ers 26–20. Drive: 1 play, 71 yards, 0:11.
Top passers
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 18–32, 196 YDS, 1 TD
CHI – Jay Cutler – 18–31, 202 YDS, 1 INT
Top rushers
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 6 CAR, 75 YDS, 1 TD
CHI – Matt Forte – 21 CAR, 84 YDS, 1 TD
Top receivers
SF – Torrey Smith – 2 REC, 76 YDS, 1 TD
CHI – Alshon Jeffery – 4 REC, 85 YDS
Top tacklers
SF – NaVorro Bowman – 14 tackles
CHI – Shea McClellin – 9 tackles :
The 49ers would trail 20–13 with less than a minute to go. Blaine Gabbert would run in a game-tying 44-yard touchdown to tie the game at 20. However, the Bears appeared to have the game won when they went down the field after a 74-yard kick return by Deonte Thompson. But when Robbie Gould came out to attempt a game-winning 36-yard field goal, the kick was wide left, resulting in overtime. In the overtime period, Gabbert would throw the game-winning 71-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith to win the game for San Francisco. This was San Francisco's first win in Chicago since the 1988 NFC Championship Game.
With the win, the 49ers went to 4–8.

#### Week 14: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Browns | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: December 13
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EST/10:00 am. PST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), overcast
* Game attendance: 63,916
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Brady Quinn and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 1-yard run (Travis Coons kick), 5:40. Browns 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 3:27.
Second quarter
CLE – Travis Coons 26-yard field goal, 9:06. Browns 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:52.
SF – Phil Dawson 44-yard field goal, 4:16. Browns 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:30.
Third quarter
CLE – Gary Barnidge 2-yard pass from Johnny Manziel (Travis Coons kick), 0:17. Browns 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:15.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 3-yard run (Travis Coons kick), 8:53. Browns 24–3. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:47.
SF – Jerome Simpson 6-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson kick), 1:48. Browns 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 94 yards, 1:40.
Top passers
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 18/28, 194 yards, TD
CLE – Johnny Manziel – 21/31, 270 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
SF – Shaun Draughn – 11 rushes, 43 yards
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 20 rushes, 145 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SF – Blake Bell – 3 receptions, 49 yards
CLE – Brian Hartline – 8 receptions, 107 yards
Top tacklers
SF – Kenneth Acker – 8 tackles, 3 assists
CLE – Armonty Bryant – 7 tackles (2 sacks) :
With the loss, the 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs and became the latest Super Bowl host team to fail to play the championship game on its own home field.

#### Week 15: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 0 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: December 20
* Game time: 1:25 pm. PST
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,799
* Referee: Ron Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Jeremy Hill 1 Yd Run (Mike Nugent Kick), 5:16. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 2:45.
CIN – Jeremy Hill 1 Yd Run (Mike Nugent Kick), 1:17. Bengals 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:05.
CIN – Tyler Kroft 20 Yd pass from A. J. McCarron (Mike Nugent Kick), 0:53. Bengals 21–0. Drive: 1 play, 20 yards, 0:05.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
CIN – Mike Nugent 22 Yd Field Goal, 8:40. Bengals 24–0. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 6:20.
SF – Bruce Miller 1 Yd Run (Phil Dawson Kick), 3:14. Bengals 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 1:36.
Fourth quarter
SF – Anquan Boldin 15 Yd pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson Kick), 2:17. Bengals 24–14. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 3:53.
Top passers
CIN – A. J. McCarron – 15–21, 192 YDS, 1 TD
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 30–50, 295 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
CIN – Giovani Bernard – 14 CAR, 33 YDS
SF – Shaun Draughn – 9 CAR, 38 YDS
Top receivers
CIN – Marvin Jones Jr. – 4 REC, 89 YDS
SF – Anquan Boldin – 8 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD
Top tacklers
CIN – Rey Maualuga – 10 tackles
SF – NaVorro Bowman – 11 tackles :
The 49ers played an overall ugly game as they lost 24–14 to the powerful Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw 3 interceptions and receiver Anquan Boldin lost a fumble.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 4–10.

#### Week 16: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Lions | 3 | 17 | 3 | 9 | 32 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 27
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EST/10:00 am. PST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 61,313
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Vance McDonald 1 Yd pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson Kick), 9:24. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:36.
DET – Matt Prater 36 Yd Field Goal, 5:19. 49ers 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:05.
Second quarter
DET – T. J. Jones 29 Yd pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater Kick), 14:15. Lions 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:39.
SF – Torrey Smith 16 Yd pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson Kick), 11:26. 49ers 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 2:49.
DET – Joique Bell 1 Yd Run (Matt Prater Kick), 8:54. Lions 17–14. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:03.
SF – Phil Dawson 40 Yd Field Goal, 0:35. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 2:06.
DET – Matt Prater 38 Yd Field Goal, 0:00. Lions 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 0:35.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 37 Yd Field Goal, 8:25. Lions 23–17. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 6:35.
Fourth quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 1 Yd pass from Matthew Stafford (Two-Point Conversion Failed), 9:04. Lions 29–17. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:27.
DET – Matt Prater 34 Yd Field Goal, 3:07. Lions 32–17. Drive: 9 plays, 24 yards, 3:43.
Top passers
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 22–33, 225 YDS, 2 TD
DET – Matthew Stafford – 29–37, 301 YDS, 2 TD
Top rushers
SF – DuJuan Harris – 11 CAR, 73 YDS
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 8 CAR, 39 YDS
Top receivers
SF – Vance McDonald – 5 REC, 61 YDS, 1 TD
DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 REC, 77 YDS, 1 TD
Top tacklers
SF – NaVorro Bowman, 10 tackles
DET – Darius Slay, 6 tackles :
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 4–11.

#### Week 17: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Rams | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 49ers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: January 3, 2016
* Game time: 1:25 pm. PST
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,799
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Greg Zuerlein 33 Yd Field Goal, 8:11. Rams 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:15.
Second quarter
SF – Anquan Boldin 33 Yd pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson Kick), 14:52. 49ers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:27.
SF – Phil Dawson 26 Yd Field Goal, 9:03. 49ers 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:16.
STL – Greg Zuerlein 32 Yd Field Goal, 2:43. 49ers 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 6:20.
STL – Tre Mason 4 Yd Run (Greg Zuerlein Kick), 1:31. Rams 13–10. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:16.
STL – Greg Zuerlein 44 Yd Field Goal, 0:04. Rams 16–10. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 0:25.
Third quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 28 Yd Field Goal, 9:37. Rams 16–13. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:23.
Fourth quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 38 Yd Field Goal, 4:28. Tied 16–16. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 5:53.
Overtime
SF – Phil Dawson 23 Yd Field Goal, 3:27. 49ers 19–16. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 1:22.
Top passers
STL – Case Keenum – 22–37, 231 YDS
SF – Blaine Gabbert – 28–44, 354 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
STL – Tre Mason – 18 CAR, 44 YDS, 1 TD
SF – DuJuan Harris – 16 CAR, 67 YDS
Top receivers
STL – Kenny Britt – 3 REC, 81 YDS
SF – DuJuan Harris – 8 REC, 86 YDS
Top tacklers
STL – Trumaine Johnson – 10 tackles
SF – Gerald Hodges – 13 tackles :
This was the final game between the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams before the Rams' relocation to Los Angeles. With the win, the 49ers ended their season 5–11.

## Standings
### Division

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Arizona Cardinals | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 10–2 | 489 | 313 | L1 |
| $^{(6)}$ Seattle Seahawks | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 423 | 277 | W1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 280 | 330 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 238 | 387 | W1 |

### Conference

NFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division Leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Carolina Panthers | South | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .441 | .438 | W1 |
| 2 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 10–2 | .477 | .457 | L1 |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .449 | W3 |
| 4 | Washington Redskins | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .465 | .403 | W4 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .531 | .450 | L2 |
| 6 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .520 | .431 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .480 | .453 | L1 |
| 8 | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .527 | .482 | L1 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .535 | .429 | W3 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .508 | .473 | W1 |
| 11 | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .504 | .402 | W2 |
| 12 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .500 | .396 | L3 |
| 13 | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .469 | L1 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .484 | .406 | L4 |
| 15 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .539 | .463 | W1 |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 3–3 | 3–9 | .531 | .438 | L4 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 4 St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||