2005 San Francisco 49ers season

The 2005 season was the 60th for the Niners overall, and 56th in the NFL. They were trying to improve on their 2-14 record from 2004. Head Coach Dennis Erickson had been fired just after the end of the 2004 season, and Mike Nolan, son of former head coach Dick Nolan, was at the reins.

Week 1: vs. St. Louis Rams
at Monster Park, San Francisco, California

Sunday, September 11, 2005

In Mike Nolan's debut as head coach, the 49ers beat divisional rival St. Louis Rams. The 49ers were able to build a considerable lead in the 3rd quarter, however, their defense fell apart and allowed the Rams to score 16 straight points, including 13 in the 4th quarter. The Rams were poised to score again, but Michael Adams intercepted Marc Bulger with 52 seconds left to seal the victory and start the season with a win.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

STL- Jeff Wilkins 30 yard field goal

2nd Quarter

STL- Jeff Wilkins 41 yard field goal

SF- Brandon Lloyd 35 yard pass from Tim Rattay (Joe Nedney kick)

SF- Otis Amey 75 yard punt return (Joe Nedney kick)

SF- Arnaz Battle 6 yard pass from Tim Rattay (Joe Nedney kick)

STL- Jeff Wilkins 33 yard field goal

3rd Quarter

SF- Kevan Barlow 9 yard rush (Joe Nedney kick)

STL- Jeff Wilkins 41 yard field goal

4th Quarter

STL- Isaac Bruce 29 yard pass from Marc Bulger(kick failed)

STL- Brandon Manumaleuna 6 yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick)

Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sunday, September 18, 2005

The 49ers were handily beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles as Donovan McNabb threw five touchdown passes, four of which were in the first 19 minutes of the game. In Terrell Owens' first game against his former team he had 143 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Rookie quarterback Alex Smith made his regular season debut, playing the final possession and throwing one incomplete pass.This loss dropped the 49ers to 1-1.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

PHI- Terrell Owens 68 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick)

PHI- L.J. Smith 6 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick)

2nd Quarter

PHI- Terrell Owens 42 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick)

PHI- Brian Westbrook 2 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Mark Simoneau kick)

3rd Quarter

SF- Joe Nedney 32 yard field goal

PHI- Greg Lewis 6 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick)

4th Quarter

PHI- Lamar Gordon 6 yard rush (David Akers kick)

Week 3: vs. Dallas Cowboys
The rivalry between the 49ers and the Cowboys continued in traditional high-scoring fashion. The 49ers maintained the lead for the majority of the game, however, their defense fell apart in the final quarter as they allowed the Cowboys to score fifteen consecutive points while the offense failed to put a single point on the board. The loss dropped the 49ers to 1-2 to start the season.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

SF- Arnaz Battle 15 yard pass from Tim Rattay (Joe Nedney kick)(SF 7-0)

Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals
A game played in Mexico City at Azteca Stadium garnished the largest crowd in regular season history, with 103,467 fans in attendance. The 49ers started off well, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter, but failed to score again. The Cardinals then began to dominate, scoring 31 consecutive points, including six field goals by Neil Rackers. San Francisco's backup quarterback Alex Smith was given the green light in the fourth quarter and threw six completions, including the first completed pass of his career.

Week 5: vs. Indianapolis Colts
In Alex Smith's first NFL start, he threw four interceptions and was sacked five times. Aside from Kevan Barlow, the 49ers offense failed to get comfortable and only managed a single field goal. This was the second straight week in which the 49ers' offense failed to score a touchdown. The loss to the undefeated Colts dropped the 49ers to 1-4, heading into their bye week.

Week 7: at Washington Redskins
The 49ers lost for the fifth straight time after opening the season with a win when they lost lopsidely 52-17 to the Redskins. San Francisco could do nothing right, with Alex Smith getting sacked five times, losing a fumble, and throwing an interception. On the other side of the ball, the Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell tossed three touchdowns and Clinton Portis rushed for three more, rolling up 448 total yards. The 49ers, who had not scored in the fourth quarter yet this season, grabbed ten points in the period.

Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In a game in which both starting quarterbacks were out due to injuries, field goals were the norm: the 49ers' Joe Nedney scoring five of the game's six. In a statistically unimpressive game, San Francisco toppled the Buccaneers, who, prior to the game, had the best record in the NFC. With the victory, the 49ers snapped a five game losing streak to grab their second win of the season. Buccaneers receiver Joey Galloway caught his 500th reception of his career. The win brought the 49ers up to 2-5 on the season.

Week 9: vs. New York Giants
For the second straight game, the 49ers failed to score a touchdown, this time managing only two field goals in the loss. Even while the Giants' offense struggled at times, their defense shut the 49ers down, preventing the 49ers from capitalizing on Giants' mistakes, such as allowing the 49ers four first downs on penalties. In a rare error, the 49ers only had 10 players on the field for the first play of the game, a 28 yard catch by Jeremy Shockey.

Week 10: at Chicago Bears
After a scoreless first quarter, the 49ers took a three point lead in the second quarter off a field goal by Joe Nedney. However, the game turned in the Bears' favor when Nathan Vasher ran back an attempted field goal 108 yards for a touchdown. The 49ers came within 5 point during the fourth quarter, but the high winds made it difficult to pass the ball. This, combined with a fumbled punt, doomed the 49ers to their seventh loss of the season, dropping them to 2-7.

Week 11: vs. Seattle Seahawks
In a shootout, the 49ers nearly came back from a fifteen point deficit by scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. However, the 49ers failed to score on a two-point conversion with under 30 seconds in the game that would have tied it and likely sent it into overtime. In the course of the game, the 49ers scored their first touchdown at home in sixteen quarters and also snapped a streak of 47 possessions without a touchdown. The eighth loss in nine games dropped the 49ers to 2-8.

Week 12: at Tennessee Titans
The Titans snapped a five-game losing streak and the 49ers extended theirs to four as Titans kicker Rob Bironas kicked a career-high four field goals. The Titans managed to score two touchdowns in a span of only 80 seconds. The game wasn't as close as the final score would suggest, as the Titans forced four turnovers and Steve McNair threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns. The 49ers lost their 9th game, dooming them to a losing season.

Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals
In their fifth loss in as many games (the 49ers' second five-game losing streak), the 49ers fell to the division rival Cardinals. Although two interceptions from quarterback Kurt Warner kept the 49ers in the game, eventually the poor performance by the defense succumbed. The Cardinals took the lead for good with a 54-yard touchdown reception by Anquan Boldin in a third-and-twenty situation. Being swept by the Cardinals this season, the 49ers fell to 2-10 with the loss.

Week 14: at Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers were dominated in their six straight loss as they fell to 2-11. Not only did Shaun Alexander rush for 108 yards, his ninth consecutive divisional game to rush for more than 100 yards, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw for four touchdowns. The 49ers' offense couldn't get going, managing only 113 total yards and fumbling three times. With the victory, the Seahawks completed the division perfectly, 6-0, and gained a two-game lead for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars
In a back-and-forth game, the Jaguars emerged victorious and clinched a playoff berth at 10-4. The 49ers offense failed to score a touchdown, as they only managed three field goals by Joe Nedney. The 49ers had opportunities to take the lead, but were unable to get any first downs in the fourth quarter and a fourth down, game-ending, desperation heave from Alex Smith fell harmlessly to the ground. The 49ers fell to 2-12 with their seventh straight loss.

Week 16: at St. Louis Rams
The 49ers broke their seven-game losing streak with a big performance from their running backs, Maurice Hicks and Frank Gore, who combined for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Rams lead for most of the game, but the 49ers scored 17 unanswered points and the defense held the Rams scoreless in the second half. The game was only decided in the final minute when Ben Emanuel intercepted a pass at the San Francisco 19-yard line. With the victory, the 49ers moved up to 3-12.

Week 17: vs. Houston Texans
The final game of the season for the 49ers, in which the number one draft pick was on the line, was a thriller. The two teams scored back-and-forth with the lead never greater than 7 points. The game went into overtime tied at 17, and Joe Nedney kicked a 33-yard field goal for the win. This marked the only time the 49ers won two consecutive games this season. Moreover, the loss gave the Texans the first overall draft pick and moved the 49ers from second overall to sixth. The 49ers finished the season 4-12.