The 2019 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 70th in the National Football League (NFL), their 74th overall and their third under the head coach-general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. They finished their 2019 season with a 13–3 record, their best finish since 2011. Starting the season 8–0 for the first time since 1990, the 49ers surpassed their win totals from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons combined. The 49ers were the second straight NFC West team to start 8–0, with the other being the 2018 Rams. With a Week 11 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers clinched their first winning season since 2013. Despite a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15, the 49ers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 with a Los Angeles Rams loss. The 49ers beat the Cardinals for the first time since 2014, won in Seattle for the first time since 2011, and beat the Panthers in the regular season for the first time since 2001.
The 49ers saw significant improvements during the season on both sides of the ball, with some analysts naming it one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NFL history. Their offense finished second in the league in scoring (479 points, most for the franchise since 1998), second in rushing yards per game (144 yards per game), first in rushing touchdowns (23), and third in point differential (+169). The defense was sixth in the league in forced turnovers (27), second in total defense (281.8 yards per game), first in passing defense (169.2 yards per game), and fourth in sacks (48). This was the first time since 2003 that the 49ers finished in the top 10 in both scoring and yards per game.
The 49ers had the best record in their conference, winning the head-to-head sweep tiebreaker with the Packers and New Orleans Saints. This was the first time the 49ers obtained home-field advantage throughout the playoffs since the 1997 season. In the playoffs, the 49ers defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round and the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, advancing to Super Bowl LIV, their first championship appearance since the 2012 season. However, the 49ers lost Super Bowl LIV to the Kansas City Chiefs 31–20. Despite having a 20–10 lead heading into the fourth quarter, the 49ers suffered their second Super Bowl loss in franchise history. It was the first time the 49ers lost a Super Bowl when leading after the third quarter (previously 4–0). The Niners also failed to join the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots as the only franchises to win six Super Bowls, or win their first title in 25 years.
2019 NFL draft
Notes The 49ers traded their fifth-round selection to the Detroit Lions in exchange for guard Laken Tomlinson. The 49ers conditionally swapped seventh-round selections with the Kansas City Chiefs in a trade in which the 49ers acquired wide receiver Rod Streater from the Chiefs. The 49ers traded Kansas City Chiefs seventh-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for tackle Shon Coleman. As the result of a negative differential of free agent signings and departures that the 49ers experienced during the free agency period, the team has received one six-round compensatory selection for the 2019 draft.
Staff
Final roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 Dallas Cowboys W 17–9 1–0 Levi's Stadium Recap 2 at Denver Broncos W 24–15 2–0 Broncos Stadium at Mile High Recap 3 at Kansas City Chiefs W 27–17 3–0 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 4 Los Angeles Chargers L 24–27 3–1 Levi's Stadium Recap
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 8 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 31–17 1–0 Raymond James Stadium Recap 2 September 15 at Cincinnati Bengals W 41–17 2–0 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 3 September 22 Pittsburgh Steelers W 24–20 3–0 Levi's Stadium Recap 4Bye 5 Cleveland Browns W 31–3 4–0 Levi's Stadium Recap 6 October 13 at Los Angeles Rams W 20–7 5–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap 7 October 20 at Washington Redskins W 9–0 6–0 FedExField Recap 8 October 27 Carolina Panthers W 51–13 7–0 Levi's Stadium Recap 9 at Arizona Cardinals W 28–25 8–0 State Farm Stadium Recap 10 Seattle Seahawks L 24–27 8–1 Levi's Stadium Recap 11 November 17 Arizona Cardinals W 36–26 9–1 Levi's Stadium Recap 12 November 24 Green Bay Packers W 37–8 10–1 Levi's Stadium Recap 13 December 1 at Baltimore Ravens L 17–20 10–2 M&T Bank Stadium Recap 14 December 8 at New Orleans Saints W 48–46 11–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 15 December 15 Atlanta Falcons L 22–29 11–3 Levi's Stadium Recap 16 Los Angeles Rams W 34–31 12–3 Levi's Stadium Recap 17 December 29 at Seattle Seahawks W 26–21 13–3 CenturyLink Field Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The revamped 49ers defense put on a show on opening day. Despite an average day by the 49ers offense, the defense dominated the Buccaneers offense. The defense sacked Jameis Winston three times and forced four turnovers, including returning two interceptions for touchdowns. The 49ers three interceptions in this game surpassed all of last year, as they only had two interceptions the entire season in 2018. The opening weekend victory put the 49ers at 1-0 for the first time since 2016
Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals
The 49ers were the road team for the second consecutive game, and they routed the Bengals 41–17 with their most complete performance in years. The 49ers offense racked up an astounding 571 yards of offense, including 259 yards rushing. They averaged 6.2 yards per rush and 8.4 yards per play during the game. Jimmy Garoppolo finished 17–25 passing with 296 yards and three touchdown passes, while Matt Breida lead the team with 121 yards rushing. The 49ers defense surrendered just 25 yards rushing, along with four sacks and one turnover. The blowout win over the Bengals on the road helped the 49ers to their first 2–0 start since 2012. The 49ers were 0–8 on the road during the 2018 season, but they started the 2019 season 2–0 on the road.
Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The 49ers faced adversity for the first time during the 2019 season. Despite outgaining the Steelers in yardage 436–239, the game was close due to the 49ers committing an unprecedented five turnovers, including three fumbles inside the Steelers 25-yard line. The worst of the bunch came with 6:49 left in the game; with the 49ers at third-and-goal from the Pittsburgh 7-yard line, an errant snap hit 49ers running back Jeff Wilson Jr (who was in motion), and was recovered by T. J. Watt of the Steelers. The 49ers defense responded by forcing Steelers James Conner to fumble, giving San Francisco the ball back. From there, Garoppolo hit Dante Pettis for a 5-yard touchdown pass, giving the 49ers the lead with just 1:15 left to play. The 49ers defense then held to give them the 24–20 win. Points off turnovers ended up being the difference; despite the five turnovers given up, the 49ers held Pittsburgh to just six points off them, both coming on Chris Boswell field goals in the first quarter. The close win over the Steelers at home helped the 49ers to their first 3–0 start since 1998 as they went into their bye week.
Week 5: vs. Cleveland Browns
The blowout win over the Browns at home helped the 49ers to their first 4–0 start since 1990, during the Joe Montana era. Notably, 49ers DE Nick Bosa celebrated a sack of Browns QB Baker Mayfield with a faux flag planting motion, echoing Mayfield's own celebration some years earlier when the two faced off at the NCAA level.
Week 6: at Los Angeles Rams
This game was the biggest test of the year so far for the 49ers, as they played the defending NFC champion Rams. Multiple sports analysts predicted the Rams to win. The result was the 49ers' best defensive effort in years. They held the high-powered Rams offense to just 157 total yards and seven points, which the Rams scored on their first possession of the game (a Robert Woods 8-yard touchdown run). The Rams were shut out for the remainder of the game. A goal line stand by the 49ers defense in the second quarter, in which Malcolm Brown was stuffed on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh garnered fame for his ebullient reaction to the play, flipped the script in the 49ers' favor. Rams quarterback Jared Goff threw for just 78 yards during the game and was sacked four times. The 49ers had 331 yards of offense and 22 first downs compared to the Rams, who had 157 yards and just 10 first downs.
With the win over the Rams on the road, the 49ers started 5–0 for the first time since 1990.
Week 7: at Washington Redskins
In a game that was affected by heavy rain and a slippery field, three field goals by 49ers Robbie Gould were the only scores in the game. The 49ers defense again dominated, holding the Redskins to just 154 yards of offense. This was the first shutout win for the 49ers since their 2016 season opener, ironically also against Case Keenum. With the road win over the Redskins, the 49ers started 6–0 for the first time since 1990. Their 9 points scored was the fewest by a winning team all season.
Week 8: vs. Carolina Panthers
With the blowout win over the Panthers at home, the 49ers started 7–0 for the first time since 1990.
Week 9: at Arizona Cardinals
Coming into the game, the 49ers were on an eight-game winless streak against the Cardinals, having not beaten them since Week 17 of the 2014 season. The usually stout 49ers defense gave up an opening drive touchdown for the first time all year, giving up a 4-yard rushing touchdown to Kenyan Drake. The 49ers tied it just before the close of the first quarter with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Jimmy Garoppolo to George Kittle. The 49ers went into halftime with a 21–7 lead, aided by a blunder by Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury; he called a timeout when the 49ers had been stuffed at the goal line on fourth-and-goal. The timeout gave the 49ers another chance, and they converted with an Emmanuel Sanders 1-yard touchdown catch. The 49ers built a 28–14 lead in the third quarter with a 21-yard touchdown catch by Dante Pettis. A furious comeback by the Cardinals made it a three-point game, but the 49ers ended the game with an 11 play drive, including three third down conversions. The last was an 11-yard pass by Garoppolo to Ross Dwelley on third-and-9 to seal the game. Jimmy Garoppolo had his finest game as a 49er, throwing for 317 yards and four touchdown passes, a career high. With the close win over the Cardinals on the road, the 49ers started 8–0 for the first time since 1990, and had their first win against Arizona in five seasons.
Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks