The 49ers (3-5) travel to Ford Field for a 10:00 PT kickoff against the Detroit Lions (2-6).
Jon Kitna starts at quarterback for Detroit. Kevin Jones runs the ball. Roy Williams and Mike Furrey lead the receivers. Alex Smith starts for the 49ers; Frank Gore at running back; Antonio Bryant at receiver. Vernon Davis the tight end.
A 2-6 Detroit Lions team. The 49ers (3-5), off the Minnesota home defensive grind, travel to Ford Field for the kind of cross-conference road game where the back-half identity tape needs another win against a beatable opponent.
Alex Smith stays the starter. Frank Gore the lead back. Antonio Bryant the WR1. The Lions come in with Jon Kitna at quarterback and Kevin Jones as the lead back. The kind of road game where a 49ers win keeps the year's identity tape on the right side of .500.
Favored by Detroit by 1 at home. The kind of cross-conference road game where 4-5 has the team in real competitive position with five games to play.
Week 10 across the NFC sees the conference contenders pulling further away. The Bears (7-1), Saints (6-2), Cowboys, Eagles, and Falcons compete for division titles and wild-card spots. The 49ers (3-5) trail the Seahawks (5-3) and Cardinals (2-6) in the NFC West. Around the AFC the Colts (8-0), Patriots, Bengals, and Chargers dominate. The Sunday road game is the kind of week where the 49ers, against a beatable cross-conference opponent, can put the year's identity tape in real competitive shape.
Through eight games the 49ers are 3-5 with a -95 point differential. Alex Smith averages 6.7 yards per attempt with nine TDs and seven INTs. Frank Gore averages 84 rushing yards a game with three TDs. Antonio Bryant averages 57 receiving yards a game with two TDs. The defense allows 26.8 points a game (improved with the Vikings shutout-style win). The Lions are 2-6 with Jon Kitna averaging 230 passing yards a game and 11 TDs/12 INTs. Kevin Jones averages 60 rushing yards a game. Vegas opens Detroit as 1-point home favorites; total 39.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 6-2 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 4-4 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3-5 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 2-6 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 6-2 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-4 | L2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2-6 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-6 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 8-0 | W8 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5-3 | W2 |
| Houston Texans | 2-6 | L2 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2-6 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 6-2 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-2 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 5-3 | W3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2-6 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-3 | W1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 4-4 | L3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-5 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1-7 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 6-2 | W5 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-4 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-4 | L3 |
| Washington Redskins | 3-5 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 7-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-4 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3-5 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-6 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 6-2 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-3 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4-4 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-6 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Frank Gore 61 yard rush ( Joe Nedney kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 28 yard field goal | 10-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 23 yard field goal | 13-0 |
| Lions | Jason Hanson 25 yard field goal | 13-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 23 yard field goal | 16-3 |
| Lions | Dan Campbell 8 yard pass from Jon Kitna ( Jason Hanson kick) | 16-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 47 yard field goal | 19-10 |
| Lions | Jason Hanson 33 yard field goal | 19-13 |
Frank Gore ran for 159 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown and the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 19-13 at Ford Field. Alex Smith threw for 136 efficiently. Joe Nedney made four field goals. Jon Kitna threw for 202 and a touchdown. Kevin Jones ran for 44. The 49ers improved to 4-5 in the cross-conference road win.[1][2][3]
Frank Gore ran for 159 yards Sunday morning at Ford Field. The 49ers' lead back, in his fifth career 100-yard rushing game of the year, produced the kind of grind-it-out road performance the year's identity tape needed. The 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 19-13.
Alex Smith threw for 136 efficiently. Joe Nedney made four field goals. Arnaz Battle caught six for 55. Vernon Davis caught one for 16. The defense produced multiple sacks of Jon Kitna and held the Lions to 13 points. The kind of cross-conference road win where the year's identity tape, two weeks into the post-Chicago reset, has produced two straight credible games.
4-5. The kind of road win where 5-5 with a home win against the Seahawks next week would put the 49ers actually competitive in the NFC West with six games to play. The kind of November where the staff's late-season identity tape is producing real football.
49ers 19, Lions 13. Margin: +6. Nine-game record: 4-5, -89 differential.
* Alex Smith: 14-of-20 for 136, 0 TDs, 0 INTs.
* Frank Gore: 22 carries for 159, 1 TD.
* Joe Nedney: 4 FGs.
* Jon Kitna: 19-of-30 for 202, 1 TD, 1 INT.
* Kevin Jones: 13 carries for 44.
* Arnaz Battle: 6 catches for 55.
* 49ers D: multiple sacks of Kitna.
* 49ers 4-5; Lions 2-7.
A 19-13 cross-conference road win at Ford Field. The 49ers improve to 4-5 with their second straight win.
How it unfolded
The 49ers scored on their opening drive with a Joe Nedney field goal. The Lions answered with a Kitna touchdown to make it 7-3. The 49ers added a second Nedney field goal to make it 7-6. Frank Gore scored a touchdown to make it 13-7. Joe Nedney added two more field goals in the second half to push the lead to 19-7. The Lions added a late touchdown to close it 19-13. The defense made the key stops.
The turning point
Frank Gore's first-half touchdown. With the score 7-6 and the Lions' offense looking like it might produce another touchdown, Gore's score gave the 49ers the lead they used to manage the rest of the game with Joe Nedney field goals.
By the numbers
Smith 136 passing on 20 attempts with no TDs and no INTs. Gore 159 rushing on 22 carries with a TD. Battle 55 receiving on 6 catches. Vernon Davis 16 receiving on 1 catch. Kitna 202 on 30 attempts with a TD and an INT. Kevin Jones 44 rushing.
Personnel watch
Frank Gore's fifth 100-yard rushing game of the year (now on a multi-year pace). Alex Smith's clean game. Joe Nedney's four field goals. The defense generating multiple sacks. The kind of road win where everything the new staff has been building toward worked.
What it means
4-5 with the Seahawks at home next Sunday. The kind of cross-conference road win that, with the back-half identity tape now actually producing two straight wins, gives the team a real argument for second-half competitiveness. The Seahawks game next week is the kind of home division test that could put the 49ers in the NFC West conversation.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Alex Smith | 14/20 | 136 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arnaz Battle | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DET | |||||
| Jon Kitna | 19/30 | 202 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 22 | 159 | 1 | 61 |
| Maurice Hicks | 9 | 20 | 0 | 5 |
| Alex Smith | 8 | 15 | 0 | 7 |
| Michael Robinson | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| DET | ||||
| Kevin Jones | 13 | 44 | 0 | 13 |
| Jon Kitna | 4 | 27 | 0 | 13 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Arnaz Battle | 6 | 55 | 0 | 19 |
| Antonio Bryant | 2 | 42 | 0 | 23 |
| Maurice Hicks | 2 | 18 | 0 | 12 |
| Frank Gore | 2 | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| Eric Johnson | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| DET | ||||
| Roy Williams | 5 | 81 | 0 | 22 |
| Kevin Jones | 9 | 71 | 0 | 23 |
| Dan Campbell | 2 | 32 | 1 | 24 |
| Mike Furrey | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| Marcus Pollard | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2006 W10 - 49ers at Detroit Lions - Game Thread
