The San Francisco 49ers have a pair of OTA practices that’ll be open to the media this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. But nothing that’ll take place in June comes close to the regular or postseason.
Let’s go down memory lane today and discuss some of the team’s most improbable victories this decade. The Niners have found themselves in some of the most entertaining games. They haven’t always ended up on the right side of the outcome, but that doesn’t take away from the excitement.
Today we ask:
What was the most improbable victory for the 49ers this decade?
Improbable
is the word doing the heavy lifting here. Right off the bat, I’m crossing out any victories that took place in 2022 or 2023. Why? Well, those teams had loaded rosters. The talent discrepancy with the coaches in the building made those two seasons feel like a video game.
That’s not to take away from anything that took place during those two years, but any win that happened almost felt like it was supposed to happen, regardless of the rollercoaster that was during the 60 minutes of the game.
I’m going to 2021—a playoff game between Jimmy Garoppolo and Aaron Rodgers. The 49ers traveled to Lambeau Field as nearly touchdown underdogs against a top-3 offense that was undefeated at home. The Packers had only one home game that season decided by less than a touchdown. That’s how dominant they were at home.
If you look at the possessions in the box score for the 49ers that game, you would have thought it would have been another double-digit win for Rodgers and company:
3 and out, -11 yards
3 and out, 0 yards
3 and out, -1 yard
3 and out, -3 yards
INT on 1st & goal
Field goal (started at midfield after Deebo Samuel’s long kickoff return)
3 and out, -1 yard
Turnover on downs
Field goal after picking up 44 yards
Calling the 49ers offense inept that day would be putting it politely. They threw for 106 yards. They converted 36 percent of their third downs. They were 0-for-3 in the red zone, including that costly interception. Nothing that transpired, at least on this side of the ball, suggested that the 49ers had any business winning.
Thankfully, there are two other phases of the game.
The Packers scored on their opening drive, and you may have thought the game would turn into a blowout. Fred Warner saved the day on the next drive after forcing a fumble after the Packers made it into San Francisco’s territory.
There would be six consecutive punts after that turnover. Deebo Samuel’s magical season continued to give the 49ers life after a 45-yard kickoff return and an 18-yard catch-and-run that led to a Robbie Gould field goal to put the 49ers on the board and trim the Packers’ lead to four at the time.
The Packers held the ball for the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter on a drive that felt like it was death by 1,000 cuts for the 49ers defense. After picking on Emmanuel Moseley, Arik Armstead sacked Rodgers on third and goal to force a field goal and keep the Niners in the game.
Elijah Mitchell lost a yard on 4th & 1, meaning the Niners would need a stop and a miracle to win the game the way the offense had played up to that point. The football gods gave them both.
Armstead sacked Rodgers again on third down. Jordan Willis blocked the Packers punt, and Talanoa Hufanga scooped and scored to tie the game at 10.
Green Bay was still shell-shocked, and that showed on their next possession. A quick three-and-out left enough time for the 49ers to get into Gould’s range. On 3rd & 7 from Green Bay’s 38, Deebo ran for nine yards to ice the game, allowing the Niners to run the clock to four seconds and Gould to make the improbable probable.
Is there a game that tops that in recent memory for the 49ers?
