# 2010 San Francisco 49ers season

The 2010 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 61st in the National Football League (NFL), their 65th overall and their third under head coach Mike Singletary. The 49ers were looking to build upon their 8–8 season in 2009 and were expected by many to win the NFC West for the first time since 2002; however, they lost each of their first five games and ended up with a 6–10 record as they failed to reach the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. The 49ers originally retained Jimmy Raye as the offensive coordinator, marking the first time since Greg Knapp in 2003 that the 49ers had the same offensive coordinator for more than one season; however, after their third loss to start the season, the 49ers fired Raye and promoted quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson to offensive coordinator. Ultimately, head coach Singletary was himself fired before the last game of the season.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

The first major coaching change in the offseason was the firing of Al Everest as special teams coordinator. The 49ers interviewed several candidates and by mid-January settled on Kurt Schottenheimer as special-teams coordinator. One week later, another assistant coaching change was made when incumbent offensive line coach Chris Foerster was permitted to accept an offer to coach the same position with new Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan. To replace Foerster, the 49ers immediately hired outgoing Seahawks offensive line coach Mike Solari, who had previously been an assistant line coach with the 49ers.

### Roster changes
#### Free Agency

San Francisco 49ers Free Agency :
| Position | Player | Status* | 2009 Team | 2010 Team |
| K | Shane Andrus | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| G | David Baas | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| WR | Arnaz Battle | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| CB | Dre' Bly | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Detroit Lions |
| LB | Ahmad Brooks | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| QB | David Carr | UFA | New York Giants | San Francisco 49ers |
| RB | Thomas Clayton | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | New England Patriots |
| NT | Aubrayo Franklin | Franchise | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| CB | Walt Harris | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Baltimore Ravens |
| DB | Marcus Hudson | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | Carolina Panthers |
| CB | William James | UFA | Detroit Lions | San Francisco 49ers |
| OT | Tony Pashos | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Cleveland Browns |
| CB | Karl Paymah | UFA | Minnesota Vikings | San Francisco 49ers |
| SS | Mark Roman | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | TBD |
| K | Ricky Schmitt | RFA | San Francisco 49ers | Tennessee Titans |
| OT | Barry Sims | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | San Francisco 49ers |
| LB | Jeff Ulbrich | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Retired (Now Coach) |
| RB | Brian Westbrook | UFA | Philadelphia Eagles | San Francisco 49ers |
| WR | Brandon Jones | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks |
*RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent, Franchise: Franchise tag

#### Trades

San Francisco 49ers Trades :
| Trading team | 49ers Receive | 49ers Give |
| Detroit Lions | 2011 7th-round draft pick | QB Shaun Hill |
| Miami Dolphins | WR Ted Ginn Jr. | 2010 5th-round draft pick |
| Denver Broncos | 2010 1st-round draft pick (11) | 2010 1st-round draft pick (13) 2010 4th-round draft pick (113) |
| San Diego Chargers | 2010 3rd-round draft pick (91) 2010 6th-round draft pick (197) 2011 4th-round draft pick | 2010 3rd-round draft pick (79) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2011 6th-round draft pick | DE Kentwan Balmer |

## 2010 NFL Draft

After finishing the 2009 season with a record of 8–8, the 49ers held the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. They also obtained the 17th overall pick as a result of a trade in the 2009 NFL draft that gave their second and fourth round picks in 2009 to the Carolina Panthers for the Panthers' first round pick in 2010. The 49ers traded their fifth round pick in 2010 to Miami for wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. In the first round of the 2010 draft the 49ers moved up two picks by trading their #13 pick and 4th Round pick to the Denver Broncos to move up to pick #11, with which they selected offensive tackle Anthony Davis from Rutgers. Six picks later, the 49ers again chose to solidify their offensive line by selecting top-rated guard Mike Iupati out of Idaho.
San Francisco 49ers 2010 NFL Draft selections :
| Draft order | Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | Height | Weight | College | Contract | Notes |
| Round | Choice | Overall | Player name | Position | Height | Weight | College | Contract | Notes |
| 1 | 11 | 11 | Anthony Davis | T | 6 ft 5 in | 323 lb | Rutgers | | From Denver Broncos |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos |
| 1 | 17 | 17 | Mike Iupati | G | 6 ft 5 in | 331 lb | Idaho | | From Carolina Panthers |
| 2 | 17 | 49 | Taylor Mays | S | 6 ft 3 in | 230 lb | USC | | |
| 3 | 15 | 79 | 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 | Traded to the San Diego Chargers |
| 3 | 27 | 91 | NaVorro Bowman | LB | 6 ft 0 in | 242 lb | Penn State | | from San Diego Chargers |
| 4 | 15 | 113 | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos | Traded to the Denver Broncos |
| 5 | 14 | 145 | 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 | Traded to the Miami Dolphins |
| 6 | 4 | 173 | Anthony Dixon | RB | 6 ft 1 in | 233 lb | Mississippi State | | From San Diego Chargers |
| 6 | 13 | 182 | Nate Byham | TE | 6 ft 4 in | 268 lb | Pittsburgh | | |
| 6 | 37 | 206 | Kyle Williams | WR | 5 ft 10 in | 188 lb | Arizona State | | Compensatory pick |
| 7 | 17 | 224 | Phillip Adams | CB | 5 ft 10 in | 192 lb | South Carolina State | | |

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 15 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 37–17 | 1–0 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | Minnesota Vikings | W 15–10 | 2–0 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 3 | August 28 | at Oakland Raiders | W 28–24 | 3–0 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | San Diego Chargers | W 17–14 | 4–0 | Candlestick Park | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 12 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 6–31 | 0–1 | Qwest Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 20 | New Orleans Saints | L 22–25 | 0–2 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 10–31 | 0–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 3 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 14–16 | 0–4 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 24–27 | 0–5 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 6 | October 17 | Oakland Raiders | W 17–9 | 1–5 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 7 | October 24 | at Carolina Panthers | L 20–23 | 1–6 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 31 | Denver Broncos | W 24–16 | 2–6 | Wembley Stadium (London) | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 14 | St. Louis Rams | W 23–20 (OT) | 3–6 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 11 | November 21 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 0–21 | 3–7 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 12 | November 29 | at Arizona Cardinals | W 27–6 | 4–7 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | at Green Bay Packers | L 16–34 | 4–8 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 12 | Seattle Seahawks | W 40–21 | 5–8 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | at San Diego Chargers | L 7–34 | 5–9 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 26 | at St. Louis Rams | L 17–25 | 5–10 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap |
| 17 | January 2, 2011 | Arizona Cardinals | W 38–7 | 6–10 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

## Standings

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 310 | 407 | W1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 289 | 328 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 4–8 | 305 | 346 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 289 | 434 | L1 |

## Regular season results
### Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 12
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 67,044
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (FOX): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan, and Chris Myers
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 23-yard field goal, 49ers 3–0, Drive: 8 plays, 24 yards, 4:35.
Second quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 23-yard field goal, 49ers 6–0, Drive: 9 plays, 31 yards, 5:48.
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), Seahawks 7–6, Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:57.
SEA – Deon Butler 13-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), Seahawks 14–6, Drive:1 plays, 13 yards, 0:06.
Third quarter
SEA – Marcus Trufant 32-yard interception return (Olindo Mare kick), Seahawks 21–6.
SEA – Deion Branch 3-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), Seahawks 28–6, Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:56.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Olindo Mare 35-yard field goal, Seahawks 31–6, Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 6:32.
Top passers
SF – Alex Smith – 26/45, 220 yards, 2 interceptions
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 18/23, 170 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
SF – Frank Gore – 17 rushes, 38 yards
SEA – Justin Forsett – 7 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
SF – Vernon Davis – 8 receptions, 73 yards
SEA – Mike Williams – 4 receptions, 64 yards
Top tacklers
SF – Patrick Willis – 10 tackles
SEA – Lofa Tatupu – 5 tackles, 3 assists :
The 49ers began their season at Qwest Field for an NFC West match against the Seattle Seahawks. In the first quarter, the Niners had the early lead when kicker Joe Nedney made a 23-yard field goal, which was extended in the second quarter when Nedney made another 23-yard field goal. Then, San Francisco failed to maintain it and then fell behind when Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck got a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by him making a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deon Butler. In the third quarter, the 49ers struggled further when quarterback Alex Smith threw an interception to cornerback Marcus Trufant, which was returned 32 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by Hasselbeck's 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deion Branch. In the fourth quarter, the Niners continued to struggle when kicker Olindo Mare made a 35-yard field goal.
With the loss, the 49ers began their season at 0–1.

### Week 2: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 9 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 25 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 5:30 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
NO – David Baas fumble out of bounds in end zone for a safety, Saints 2–0.
NO – Reggie Bush 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), Saints 9–0, Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:55.
Second quarter
SF – Frank Gore 12-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), Saints 9–7, Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 5:43.
Third quarter
SF – Anthony Dixon 2-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 14–9, Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 3:36.
NO – David Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), Saints 16–14, Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:08.
Fourth quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 46-yard field goal, Saints 19–14, Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:29.
NO – Garrett Hartley 19-yard field goal, Saints 22–14, Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 3:15.
SF – Frank Gore 7-yard run (Alex Smith – Vernon Davis pass), Tied 22–22, Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 0:53.
NO – Garrett Hartley 37-yard field goal, Saints 25–22, Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 1:19.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 28/38, 254 yards, 2 touchdowns
SF – Alex Smith – 23/32, 275 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
NO – Pierre Thomas – 18 rushes, 46 yards
SF – Frank Gore – 20 rushes, 112 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
NO – Marques Colston – 5 receptions, 67 yards
SF – Vernon Davis – 4 receptions, 78 yards
Top tacklers
NO – Jonathan Vilma – 7 tackles, 3 assists, 1 forced fumble
SF – Patrick Willis – 8 tackles, 1 assist, 1.0 sack :
Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Seahawks, the 49ers played their Week 2 home opener against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
San Francisco trailed early in the first quarter as center David Baas' high snap deep within Niner territory resulted in a safety. The Saints would add onto their lead as quarterback Drew Brees completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Reggie Bush. The 49ers would respond in the second quarter with quarterback Alex Smith finding running back Frank Gore on a 12-yard touchdown pass.
The Niners would take the lead in the third quarter as rookie running back Anthony Dixon got a 2-yard touchdown run, but New Orleans would answer with Brees' 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Thomas. In the fourth quarter, the Saints would add onto their lead as kicker Garrett Hartley got a 46-yard and a 19-yard field goal. San Francisco would tie the game with Gore's 7-yard touchdown run, followed by Smith's 2-point conversion pass to tight end Vernon Davis. However, New Orleans would get the last laugh as Hartley made the game-winning 37-yard field goal.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 0–2.

### Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 26
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT/10:00 am. PDT
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 68,188
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (FOX): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan and Chris Myers
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
KC – Dexter McCluster 31-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), Chiefs 7–0, Drive: 1 plays, 31 yards, 0:10.
SF – Joe Nedney 51-yard field goal, Chiefs 7–3, Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:22.
KC – Ryan Succop 32-yard field goal, Chiefs 10–3, Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 1:05.
Third quarter
KC – Dwayne Bowe 45-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), Chiefs 17–3, Drive: 2 plays, 45 yards, 0:16.
KC – Tony Moeaki 18-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), Chiefs 24–3, Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 5:05.
Fourth quarter
KC – Thomas Jones 3-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), Chiefs 31–3, Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 4:26.
SF – Josh Morgan 12-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), Chiefs 31–10, Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 1:23.
Top passers
SF – Alex Smith – 23/42, 232 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
KC – Matt Cassel – 16/27, 250 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
SF – Frank Gore – 15 rushes, 43 yards
KC – Jamaal Charles – 12 rushes, 97 yards
Top receivers
SF – Frank Gore – 9 receptions, 102 yards
KC – Dexter McCluster – 3 receptions, 69 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
SF – Nate Clements – 9 tackles
KC – Jovan Belcher – 7 tackles, 3 assists :
Looking for their first win, the 49ers flew to Arrowhead Stadium for an interconference duel with the Chiefs. Prior to the game, tight end Vernon Davis guaranteed victory. In the 2nd quarter, the 49ers trailed early as QB Matt Cassel completed a 31-yard TD pass to WR Dexter McCluster. The 49ers replied with kicker Joe Nedney hitting a 51-yard field goal. The 49ers fell further behind when Chiefs' kicker Ryan Succop hit a 32-yard field goal and then in the third quarter when Cassel found WR Dwayne Bowe and TE Tony Moeaki on 45 and 18-yard TD passes, respectively. RB Thomas Jones followed these scores with a 3-yard TD run. The 49ers narrowed the score when QB Alex Smith made a 12-yard TD pass to WR Josh Morgan.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 0–3.

### Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: October 3
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/10:00 am. PDT
* Game weather: None (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 66,874
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, Jim Mora & Laura Okmin
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Vernon Davis 12-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 7–0, Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 6:16.
SF – Taylor Mays blocked punt recovery in end zone (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 14–0.
Second quarter
ATL – Harry Douglas 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 49ers 14–7, Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 6:17.
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 49ers 14–10, Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 1:13.
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 31-yard field goal, 49ers 14–13, Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:27.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 43-yard field goal, Falcons 16–14, Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 1:20.
Top passers
SF – Alex Smith – 21/32, 188 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/43, 273 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
SF – Frank Gore – 21 rushes, 77 yards
ATL – Michael Turner – 16 rushes, 50 yards
Top receivers
SF – Frank Gore – 7 receptions, 60 yards
ATL – Roddy White – 7 receptions, 104 yards
Top tacklers
SF – Taylor Mays – 9 tackles, 2 assists
ATL – Stephen Nicholas – 12 tackles, 1 assist :
Still looking for a win the 49ers flew to Georgia Dome for an NFC duel with the Falcons. In the first quarter the 49ers took the early lead with QB Alex Smith making a 12-yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis. Then safety Taylor Mays recovered a blocked punt in the endzone for a touchdown. Then the Falcons rallied with QB Matt Ryan completing an 8-yard TD pass to WR Harry Douglas. Then the Falcons took the lead with three field goals from kicker Matt Bryant. He made a 37-yard field goal near the end of the 2nd quarter, a 31-yard field goad in the 3rd. Late in the 4th quarter, CB Nate Clements intercepted Matt Ryan's pass which should have sealed the game for the 49ers who were then up 14 – 13. However, instead of going down, Clements continued down the left sideline attempting to score. He would return the interception 39 yards before Falcons WR Roddy White was able to strip the ball from him and the Falcons recovered the fumble. After regaining possession, the Falcons drove down the field again and this time was able to win the game on a 43-yard field goal by Matt Bryant, giving the 49ers another loss.
With the close loss, the 49ers fell to 0–4.

### Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: October 10
* Game time: 5:20 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), clear skies, sunny
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, & Andrea Kramer
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Michael Crabtree 7-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 7–0, Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 7:07.
PHI – Brent Celek 8-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (David Akers kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:30.
Second quarter
PHI – David Akers 33-yard field goal, Eagles 10–7, Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 3:31.
PHI – LeSean McCoy 29-yard run, (David Akers kick), Eagles 17–7, Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:10.
SF – Joe Nedney 50-yard field goal, Eagles 17–10, Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 1:10.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
PHI – Quintin Mikell 52-yard fumble return (David Akers kick), Eagles 24–10.
SF – Vernon Davis 7-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), Eagles 24–17, Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:35.
PHI – David Akers 45-yard field goal, Eagles 27–17, Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 3:00.
SF – Frank Gore 1-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), Eagles 27–24, Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 2:33.
Top passers
PHI – Kevin Kolb – 21/31, 253 yards, 1 touchdown
SF – Alex Smith – 25/39, 309 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
PHI – LeSean McCoy – 18 rushes, 92 yards, 1 touchdown
SF – Frank Gore – 18 rushes, 52 yards
Top receivers
PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 6 receptions, 95 yards
SF – Michael Crabtree – 9 receptions, 105 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
PHI – Quintin Mikell – 8 tackles
SF – Takeo Spikes – 8 tackles :
Hoping to get their first win of the season, the 49ers went home for a Week 5 Sunday night duel with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Niners delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter as quarterback Alex Smith hooked up with wide receiver Michael Crabtree on a 7-yard touchdown pass, but the Eagles would answer with quarterback Kevin Kolb completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brent Celek. Philadelphia took the lead in the second quarter as kicker David Akers made a 33-yard field goal, followed by running back LeSean McCoy's 29-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, San Francisco closed out the half with kicker Joe Nedney booting a 50-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, the Eagles would add onto their lead in the fourth quarter as safety Quintin Mikell returned a fumble 52 yards for a touchdown. The Niners began to rally as Smith found tight end Vernon Davis on a 7-yard touchdown pass, yet Philadelphia answered with a 45-yard field goal from Akers. San Francisco tried to rally as Smith found running back Frank Gore on a 1-yard touchdown pass, but Philadelphia's defense would hold on for the win.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to their first 0–5 start since 1979.

### Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: October 17
* Game time: 1:05 pm. PDT
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C) (Rain)
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Rich Gannon
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 27-yard field goal, Raiders 3–0, Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 7:82.
Second quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 24-yard field goal, Raiders 6–0, Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 6:22.
SF – Joe Nedney 25-yard field goal, Raiders 6–3, Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 2:10.
Third quarter
SF – Michael Crabtree 32-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 10–6, Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 8:11.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 40-yard field goal, 49ers 10–9, Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 2:53.
SF – Vernon Davis 17-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 17–9, Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:07.
Top passers
OAK – Jason Campbell – 8/21, 83 yards, 2 interceptions
SF – Alex Smith – 16/33, 196 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
OAK – Michael Bush – 20 rushes, 47 yards
SF – Frank Gore – 25 rushes, 149 yards
Top receivers
OAK – Zach Miller – 2 receptions, 48 yards
SF – Michael Crabtree – 4 receptions, 57 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
OAK – Tyvon Branch – 7 tackles, 2 assists
SF – Takeo Spikes – 6 tackles, 1 assist, 1 interception :
| | Oakland Raiders | San Francisco 49ers |
| First downs | 10 | 17 |
| Third down efficiency | 5/15 | 7/17 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Total yards | 179 | 349 |
| Passing yards | 69 | 191 |
| Passing – completions/attempts | 8/21 | 16/33 |
| Rushing yards | 110 | 158 |
| Rushing attempts | 30 | 31 |
| Yards per rush | 3.7 | 5.1 |
| Penalties–yards | 8–60 | 11–143 |
| Sacks against–yards | 1–7 | 0–0 |
| Fumbles–lost | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| Interceptions thrown | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:39 | 33:21 |

### Individual leaders

49ers Passing :
| | C/ATT$^*$ | Yds | TD | INT |
| Alex Smith | 16/33 | 196 | 2 | 0 |
| 49ers Rushing |||||
| | Car$^a$ | Yds | TD | LG$^b$ |
| Frank Gore | 25 | 149 | 0 | 64 |
| Anthony Dixon | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Alex Smith | 4 | −2 | 0 | 1 |
| 49ers Receiving |||||
| | Rec$^c$ | Yds | TD | LG$^b$ |
| Michael Crabtree | 4 | 57 | 1 | 32 |
| Josh Morgan | 3 | 49 | 0 | 35 |
| Vernon Davis | 4 | 35 | 1 | 17 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 2 | 23 | 0 | 19 |
| Brian Westbrook | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Nate Byham | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Dominique Zeigler | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 49ers Defense |||||
| | Tak/Ast/Tot$^t$ | Sck | Int | Ff$^g$ |
| Takeo Spikes | 6/1/7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Smith | 4/1/5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nate Clements | 3/0/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Patrick Willis | 3/3/6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aubrayo Franklin | 3/0/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ricky Jean-Francois | 2/1/3 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Taylor Mays | 2/0/2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetric Evans | 2/0/0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Parys Haralson | 1/0/1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manny Lawson | 1/0/1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
Raiders Passing :
| | C/ATT$^*$ | Yds | TD | INT |
| Jason Campbell | 8/21 | 83 | 0 | 2 |
| Raiders Rushing |||||
| | Car$^a$ | Yds | TD | LG$^b$ |
| Michael Bush | 20 | 47 | 0 | 5 |
| Louis Murphy | 1 | 43 | 0 | 43 |
| Jason Campbell | 7 | 21 | 0 | 9 |
| Marcel Reece | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rock Cartwright | 1 | −3 | 0 | −3 |
| Raiders Receiving |||||
| | Rec$^c$ | Yds | TD | LG$^b$ |
| Zach Miller | 2 | 48 | 0 | 26 |
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | 3 | 19 | 0 | 8 |
| Michael Bush | 2 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| Louis Murphy | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Raiders Defense |||||
| | Tak/Ast/Tot$^t$ | Int | Ff$^g$ | Sck |
| Tyvon Branch | 7/2/9 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Huff | 6/1/7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Kelly | 5/1/6 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Shaughnessy | 4/0/4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford Routt | 4/0/4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamerion Wimbley | 3/0/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nnamdi Asomugha | 1/0/1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Mitchell | 1/2/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Scott | 1/2/3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hiram Eugene | 1/0/1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
$^*$ Completions/Attempts $^a$ Carries $^b$ Long play $^c$ Receptions $^t$ Tackles $^g$ Forced Fumble
Still looking for a win the 49ers played on home ground where they played their state rival, the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, the 49ers trailed early as kicker Sebastian Janikowski got a 27-yard field goal. Then he made a 24-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter. The 49ers replied with kicker Joe Nedney making a 25-yard field goal. They took the lead in the third quarter with QB Alex Smith making a 32-yard TD pass to WR Michael Crabtree. The Raiders cut the lead with Janikowski making a 40-yard field goal. The 49ers pulled away after Smith found TE Vernon Davis on a 17-yard TD pass.
With the win, the 49ers improve to 1–5.

### Week 7: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Panthers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 23 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 24
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/10:00 am. PDT
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 72,741
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Vernon Davis 1-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 7–0, Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:42.
CAR – John Kasay 47-yard field goal, 49ers 7–3, Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 4:46.
Second quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 24-yard field goal, 49ers 10–3, Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:49.
CAR – David Gettis 18-yard pass from Matt Moore (John Kasay kick), Tied 10–10, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:16.
Third quarter
CAR – John Kasay 55-yard field goal, Panthers 13–10, Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 3:58.
Fourth quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 38-yard field goal, Tied 13–13, Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:14.
SF – Ray McDonald 31-yard interception return (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 20–13.
CAR – David Gettis 23-yard pass from Matt Moore (John Kasay kick), Tied 20–20, Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 2:37.
CAR – John Kasay 37-yard field goal, Panthers 23–20, Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 0:29.
Top passers
SF – Alex Smith – 9/19, 129 yards, 1 touchdown
CAR – Matt Moore – 28/41, 308 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
SF – Frank Gore – 19 rushes, 102 yards
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 19 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
SF – Vernon Davis – 4 receptions, 74 yards
CAR – David Gettis – 8 receptions, 125 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top tacklers
SF – Patrick Willis – 8 tackles, 3 assists
CAR – James Anderson – 6 tackles, 1 assist :
Coming off their win over the Raiders the 49ers flew to Bank of America Stadium for an NFC duel with the Panthers. In the first quarter the 49ers took the lead as QB Alex Smith got a 1-yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis. The lead was cut when kicker John Kasay nailed a 47-yard field goal. The 49ers scored with kicker Joe Nedney making a 24-yard field goal. The Panthers tied the game with QB Matt Moore completing an 18-yard TD pass to WR David Gettis. The 49ers fell behind in the third quarter with Kasay booting a 55-yard field goal. They eventually got the lead back in the fourth quarter with Nedney hitting a 38-yard field goal, and with DE Ray McDonald returning an interception 31 yards for a touchdown. However, the Panthers tied the game with Moore finding Gettis again on a 23-yard TD pass. Following an interception by 49ers backup quarterback David Carr, Kasay successfully booted a 37-yard field goal to give the 49ers the loss.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 1–6.

### Week 8: vs. Denver Broncos (International Series)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 49ers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 24 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
* Date: October 31
* Game time: 5:00 p.m. GMT/10:00 am. PDT
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) (Mostly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 83,941
* Referee: Scott Green
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 34-yard field goal, 49ers 3–0, Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 7:31.
Second quarter
No scoring plays
Third quarter
DEN – Tim Tebow 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), Broncos 7–3, Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 2:15.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 32-yard field goal, Broncos 10–3, Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:11.
SF – Troy Smith 1-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), Tied 10–10, Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:22.
SF – Michael Crabtree 28-yard pass from Troy Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 17–10, Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 2:11.
SF – Frank Gore 3-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 24–10, Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 3:20.
DEN – Brandon Lloyd 1-yard pass from Kyle Orton (kick failed, wl), 49ers 24–16, Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 1:28.
Top passers
DEN – Kyle Orton – 28/40, 370 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
SF – Troy Smith – 12/19, 196 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 11 rushes, 40 yards
SF – Frank Gore – 29 rushes, 118 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
DEN – Brandon Lloyd – 7 receptions, 169 yards, 1 touchdown
SF – Delanie Walker – 5 receptions, 85 yards
Top tacklers
DEN – D.J. Williams – 9 tackles
SF – Patrick Willis – 8 tackles, 1 assist :
The 49ers' 8th match was an Interconference duel with the Broncos at Wembley Stadium. In the first quarter the 49ers took the lead as kicker Joe Nedney got a 34-yard field goal. They soon trailed in the third quarter when QB Tim Tebow scrambled 1 yard for a touchdown; followed in the fourth quarter by kicker Matt Prater hitting a 32-yard field goal. They soon went on a scoring rally to take the lead with QB Troy Smith scrambling a yard for a touchdown, followed by his 28-yard TD pass to WR Michael Crabtree. Then RB Frank Gore got a 3-yard TD run to put the 49ers up 24–10. The lead was narrowed when QB Kyle Orton made a 1-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Lloyd (with a failed PAT).
With the win, the 49ers went into their bye week at 2–6.

### Week 10: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Rams | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: November 14
* Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan and Chris Myers
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Josh Brown 42-yard field goal, Rams 3–0, Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 5:25.
SF – Frank Gore 1-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 7–3, Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 1:39.
Second quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 26-yard field goal, 49ers 10–3, Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:57.
STL – Danny Amendola 5-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Josh Brown kick), Tied 10–10, Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:56.
Third quarter
STL – Steven Jackson 13-yard run (Josh Brown kick), Rams 17–10, Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:22.
Fourth quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 47-yard field goal, Rams 17–13, Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:45.
SF – Michael Crabtree 16-yard pass from Troy Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 49ers 20–17, Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 2:02.
STL – Josh Brown 33-yard field goal, Tied 20–20, Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 2:10.
Overtime
SF – Joe Nedney 29-yard field goal, 49ers 23–20, Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:18.
Top passers
STL – Sam Bradford – 30/42, 251 yards, 1 touchdown
SF – Troy Smith – 17/28, 356 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
STL – Steven Jackson – 20 rushes, 81 yards, 1 touchdown
SF – Frank Gore – 22 rushes, 87 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
STL – Brandon Gibson – 8 receptions, 72 yards
SF – Delanie Walker – 4 receptions, 80 yards
Top tacklers
STL – Craig Dahl – 10 tackles, 3 assists
SF – Patrick Willis – 8 tackles, 3 assists, 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble :
The 49ers' ninth game was rivalry match against the Rams at home. In the first quarter the 49ers trailed early with kicker Josh Brown making a 42-yard field goal. They took the lead with RB Frank Gore getting a 1-yard TD run. This was followed in the second quarter by kicker Joe Nedney nailing a 26-yard field goal. The Rams fought back with QB Sam Bradford completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Danny Amendola. Followed in the third quarter by RB Steven Jackson getting a 13-yard TD run. The 49ers got the lead back with Nedney getting a 47-yard field goal, followed by QB Troy Smith making a 16-yard TD pass to WR Michael Crabtree. The Rams tied the game with Brown making a 33-yard field goal. The decision was made at overtime when Nedney successfully made a 29-yard field goal to give the 49ers their third win of the season, bringing their record up to 3–6.

### Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: November 21
* Game time: 1:05 pm. PST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers and Kurt Warner
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
TB – Cadillac Williams 6-yard run (Connor Barth kick), Buccaneers 7–0, Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:31.
Third quarter
TB – Mike Williams 8-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), Buccaneers 14–0, Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:55.
Fourth quarter
TB – Donald Penn 1-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), Buccaneers 21–0, Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 2:17.
Top passers
TB – Josh Freeman – 13/20, 136 yards, 2 touchdowns
SF – Troy Smith – 16/31, 148 yards, 1 interception
Top rushers
TB – LeGarrette Blount – 26 rushes, 82 yards
SF – Troy Smith – 5 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
TB – Mike Williams – 3 receptions, 54 yards, 1 touchdown
SF – Josh Morgan – 4 receptions, 51 yards
Top tacklers
TB – Cody Grimm – 5 tackles, 2 assists
SF – Patrick Willis – 9 tackles, 4 assists, 2.0 sacks :
Coming off their win over the Rams the 49ers played on home ground for an NFC duel with the Buccaneers. In the second quarter the 49ers trailed after RB Cadillac Williams made a 6-yard TD run. This was followed in the third quarter by QB Josh Freeman completing an 8-yard TD pass to WR Mike Williams; and in the fourth quarter by Freeman throwing a 1-yard TD pass to Donald Penn.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 3–7. This marked the 49ers' first shutout loss at home since 1977, when they were defeated by the Atlanta Falcons 7–0.

### Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: November 29
* Game time: 6:30 pm. MST/5:30 pm. PST
* Game weather: None (Dome Closed)
* Game attendance: 62,308
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden, Suzy Kolber, & Michele Tafoya
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Michael Crabtree 38-yard pass from Troy Smith (Shane Andrus kick), 49ers 7–0, Drive: 1 plays, 38 yards, 0:07.
ARI – Jay Feely 31-yard field goal, 49ers 7–3, Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:39.
SF – Anthony Dixon 1-yard run (Shane Andrus kick), 49ers 14–3, Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:27.
Second quarter
SF – Brian Westbrook 8-yard run (Shane Andrus kick), 49ers 21–3, Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:44.
ARI – Jay Feely 39-yard field goal, 49ers 21–6, Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 5:07.
Third quarter
SF – Shane Andrus 39-yard field goal, 49ers 24–6, Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:53.
Fourth quarter
SF – Shane Andrus 26-yard field goal, 49ers 27–6, Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 4:03.
Top passers
SF – Troy Smith – 11/23, 129 yards, 1 touchdowns, 1 interception
ARI – Derek Anderson – 16/35, 196 yards, 1 interceptions
Top rushers
SF – Brian Westbrook – 23 rushes, 136 yards, 1 touchdown
ARI – Beanie Wells – 5 rushes, 13 yards
Top receivers
SF – Michael Crabtree – 2 receptions, 48 yards, 1 touchdown
ARI – Early Doucet – 5 receptions, 60 yards
Top tacklers
SF – Patrick Willis – 4 tackles, 1 assist, 1.0 sack
ARI – Paris Lenon – 7 tackles, 3 assists :
Hoping to rebound from their shutout loss to the Buccaneers, the 49ers flew to the University of Phoenix Stadium for a Week 12 NFC West duel with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. San Francisco made the opening strike in the first quarter as quarterback Troy Smith found wide receiver Michael Crabtree on a 38-yard touchdown pass. The Cardinals answered with kicker Jay Feely getting a 31-yard field goal, yet the 49ers responded with a 1-yard touchdown run from rookie running back Anthony Dixon. San Francisco added onto their lead in the second quarter with an 8-yard touchdown pass from running back Brian Westbrook. Arizona would hang on with Feely's 39-yard field goal. Afterwards, the 49ers pulled away with a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter from kicker Shane Andrus.
With the win, San Francisco improved to 4–7.

### Week 13: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Packers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 34 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: December 5
* Game time: 1:00 pm EST/10:00 am PST
* Game weather: 26 °F (−3 °C), Cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,575
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Jeff Reed 44 yd. FG (SF 3–0)
Second quarter
SF – Jeff Reed 26 yd. FG (SF 6–0)
GB – Greg Jennings 57 yd. TD reception from Aaron Rodgers, M. Crosby XP good (GB 7–6)
GB – John Kuhn 1 yd. TD run, M. Crosby XP good (GB 14–6)
SF – Vernon Davis 66 yd. TD reception from Troy Smith, J. Reed XP good (GB 14–13)
Third quarter
GB – Donald Driver 61 yd. TD reception from Aaron Rodgers, M. Crosby XP good (GB 21–13)
SF – Jeff Reed 23 yd. FG (GB 21–16)
GB – Greg Jennings 1 yd. TD reception from Aaron Rodgers, M. Crosby XP good (GB 28–16)
Fourth quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 43 yd. FG (GB 31–16)
GB – Mason Crosby 24 yd. FG (GB 34–16)
Top passers
SF – Troy Smith – 10/25, 194 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 21/30, 298 yards, 3 TDs
Top rushers
SF – Anthony Dixon – 9 carries, 33 yards
GB – James Starks – 18 carries, 73 yards
Top receivers
SF – Vernon Davis – 4 receptions, 126 yards, 1 TD
GB – Greg Jennings – 6 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TDs
Top tacklers
SF – Takeo Spikes – 13 tackles, 4 assists
GB – Clay Matthews – 6 tackles :
Coming off their win over the Cardinals the 49ers flew to Lambeau Field for an NFC duel with the Packers. The 49ers took the lead after kicker Jeff Reed hit a 44 and a 26-yard field goal. The lead didn't last long after QB Aaron Rodgers completed a 57-yard TD pass to WR Greg Jennings, followed by FB John Kuhn getting a 1-yard TD run. The 49ers cut the lead down with QB Troy Smith making a 66-yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis, but in the third quarter, the Packers replied with Rodgers getting a 61-yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver. The 49ers scored again with Reed nailing a 23-yard field goal. They struggled further after Rodgers found Jennings again on a 1-yard TD pass. Followed in the fourth quarter by kicker Mason Crosby making a 43 and a 24-yard field goal.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 4–8.

### Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| 49ers | 10 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 40 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: December 12
* Game time: 1:05 pm. PST
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) (Overcast)
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Vernon Davis 42-yard pass from Alex Smith (Jeff Reed kick), 49ers 7–0, Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:27.
SEA – Ruvell Martin 11-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:47.
SF – Jeff Reed 33-yard field goal, 49ers 10–7, Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:14.
Second quarter
SF – Jeff Reed 44-yard field goal, 49ers 13–7, Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:52.
SF – Josh Morgan 15-yard pass from Alex Smith (Jeff Reed kick), 49ers 20–7, Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 0:55.
SF – Brian Westbrook 62-yard pass from Alex Smith (Jeff Reed kick), 49ers 27–7, Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:14.
SF – Jeff Reed 22-yard field goal, 49ers 30–7, Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:26.
Third quarter
SF – Dashon Goldson 39-yard interception return (Jeff Reed kick), 49ers 37–7.
SF – Jeff Reed 36-yard field goal, 49ers 40–7, Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:41.
SEA – Leon Washington 92-yard kickoff return (Olindo Mare kick), 49ers 40–14, Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Deon Butler 2-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 49ers 40–21, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:11.
Top passers
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 27/42, 285 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions
SF – Alex Smith – 17/27, 255 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top rushers
SEA – Michael Robinson – 3 rushes, 33 yards
SF – Anthony Dixon – 14 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Ruvell Martin – 4 receptions, 73 yards, 1 touchdown
SF – Brian Westbrook – 6 receptions, 87 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
SEA – Aaron Curry – 6 tackles, 2 assists, 0.5 sack
SF – Takeo Spikes – 6 tackles, 3 assists, 1 interception :
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Packers the 49ers played on home ground for an NFC West rivalry match against the Seahawks. The 49ers took the lead first with QB Alex Smith completing a 42-yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis, but the Seahawks replied with QB Matt Hasselbeck throwing an 11-yard TD pass to WR Ruvell Martin. The 49ers made a large scoring rally to increase their lead when kicker Jeff Reed hit a 33 and a 44-yard field goal, followed by Smith completing a 15 and a 62-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan and Brian Westbrook respectively. This was followed by Reed making a 22-yard field goal, and in the third quarter with FS Dashon Goldson returning an interception 39 yards for a touchdown. After that, Reed nailed a 36-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 40–7. The lead was broken down with RB Leon Washington returning the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, followed in the 4th quarter by QB Matt Hasselbeck getting a 2-yard TD pass to WR Deon Butler.
With the win, the 49ers improved to 5–8.

### Week 15: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 5:20 pm. PST
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 67,820
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (NFLN): Bob Papa, Matt Millen and Joe Theismann
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Vincent Jackson 58-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick), Chargers 7–0, Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 2:07.
Second quarter
SD – Nate Kaeding 25-yard field goal, Chargers 10–0, Drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 7:00.
SD – Vincent Jackson 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick), Chargers 17–0, Drive: 7 plays, 87 yards, 2:49.
Third quarter
SD – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), Chargers 24–0, Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 8:12.
Fourth quarter
SD – Vincent Jackson 21-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick), Chargers 31–0, Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:16.
SD – Nate Kaeding 39-yard field goal, Chargers 34–0, Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:56.
SF – Brian Westbrook 3-yard run (Jeff Reed kick), Chargers 34–7, Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:12.
Top passers
SF – Alex Smith – 19/29, 165 yards, 1 interception
SD – Philip Rivers – 19/25, 273 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top rushers
SF – Anthony Dixon – 6 rushes, 33 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 17 rushes, 56 yards
Top receivers
SF – Josh Morgan – 7 receptions, 106 yards
SD – Vincent Jackson – 5 receptions, 112 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top tacklers
SF – Takeo Spikes – 7 tackles, 5 assists
SD – Kevin Burnett – 8 tackles, 1 sack :
Coming off their win over the Seahawks the 49ers played against the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on Thursday Night. The 49ers fell behind 2 minutes into the game with QB Philip Rivers throwing a 58-yard TD pass to WR Vincent Jackson, followed in the second quarter by kicker Nate Kaeding nailing a 25-yard field goal, then with Rivers finding Jackson on an 11-yard touchdown pass. In the third quarter the 49ers had a touchdown from the second-half kickoff return but was declined because of a face-masking penalty enforced on them. Following that, they struggled further with FB Mike Tolbert getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Rivers connecting to Jackson on a 48-yard TD pass, then with Kaeding hitting a 39-yard field goal. The 49ers made their only score of the game with RB Brian Westbrook getting a 1-yard TD run. Justin Smith was ejected from the game after shoving a referee.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5–9.

### Week 16: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Rams | 9 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 25 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: December 26
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CST/10:00 am. PST
* Game weather: None (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 52,820
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), Rams 7–0, Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:39.
STL – Troy Smith tackled in end zone by James Hall for a Safety, Rams 9–0
Second quarter
SF – Ted Ginn Jr. 78-yard punt return (Jeff Reed kick), Rams 9–7.
STL – Josh Brown 43-yard field goal, Rams 12–7, Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 3:44.
SF – Michael Crabtree 60-yard pass from Troy Smith (Jeff Reed kick), 49ers 14–12, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:10.
Third quarter
STL – Josh Brown 30-yard field goal, Rams 15–14, Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:51.
Fourth quarter
STL – Laurent Robinson 3-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Josh Brown kick), Rams 22–14, Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 1:47.
SF – Jeff Reed 47-yard field goal, Rams 22–17, Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:55.
STL – Josh Brown 28-yard field goal, Rams 25–17, Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:50.
Top passers
SF – Troy Smith – 7/19, 153 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
STL – Sam Bradford – 28/37, 292 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
SF – Brian Westbrook – 10 rushes, 40 yards
STL – Steven Jackson – 24 rushes, 48 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
SF – Michael Crabtree – 6 receptions, 122 yards, 1 touchdown
STL – Danario Alexander – 6 receptions, 99 yards
Top tacklers
SF – Patrick Willis – 12 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble
STL – James Hall – 6 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sack, 2 forced fumbles :
The 49ers' fifteenth game was an NFC West rivalry rematch against the Rams at Edward Jones Dome. The 49ers struggled in the first quarter when Steven Jackson got a 1-yard TD run, followed by QB Troy Smith getting sacked in the endzone by DE James Hall for a safety. They got back in the game after Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown, but fell further behind after kicker Josh Brown nailed a 43-yard field goal. They took the lead with Smith completing a 60-yard TD pass to WR Michael Crabtree, but fell behind again as Brown got a 30-yard field goal, followed by QB Sam Bradford throwing a 3-yard TD pass to WR Laurent Robinson. The 49ers tried to cut this lead with kicker Jeff Reed making a 47-yard field goal, but the Rams pulled away with Brown hitting a 28-yard field goal.
With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5–10, eliminating them from post-season contention for the eighth consecutive season. As a result of this and a sideline argument during the game, Singletary was fired as head coach later that night.

### Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 21 | 7 | 38 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: January 2
* Game time: 1:15 pm. PST
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers and Jim Mora
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
ARI –
SF –
Top rushers
ARI –
SF –
Top receivers
ARI –
SF –
Top tacklers
ARI –
SF – :
The 49ers' final game was an NFC West rematch against the Cardinals. The 49ers took the lead as QB Alex Smith completed a 37-yard TD pass to WR Ted Ginn Jr., followed in the 2nd quarter by kicker Jeff Reed making a 39-yard field goal. The Cardinals narrowed the lead as QB John Skelton completed a 10-yard TD pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald, but the 49ers extended their lead after Smith completed a 59-yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis, followed by RB Brian Westbrook running 6 yards to the endzone for a touchdown twice in succession. This was followed by CB Tarell Brown returning an interception 62 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, the 49ers finish with a 6–10 record.