The 49ers open 2021 at Ford Field for a 1:00 ET kickoff against the Detroit Lions in Dan Campbell's debut as head coach.
Jimmy Garoppolo starts with rookie Trey Lance on the bench. Christian McCaffrey is not on the roster yet; the 49ers' starting RB is Raheem Mostert.
The 49ers are coming off a 6-10 2020 in which Jimmy Garoppolo missed nine games. Detroit lost Matthew Stafford in a trade to the Rams.[1][2][3]
Dan Campbell's first game as Lions head coach. Jared Goff's first game as the Lions' QB1 after the offseason trade out of Los Angeles. The 49ers' first game with rookie Trey Lance on the depth chart behind Jimmy Garoppolo, an arrangement Kyle Shanahan has said is meant to extend through the season.
The 49ers were 6-10 in 2020. Garoppolo missed nine games to injury. The defense was the strength of the team. McCaffrey is not yet on the roster; the trade is fifteen months away. Sunday opens the version of the year the 49ers were supposed to play.
Detroit is rebuilding. The 49ers should handle the opener.
Opening Sunday begins the NFC West with the 49ers as a rebuild-back-to-contention team. Around the conference the Buccaneers return as defending Super Bowl champions. The Cowboys' Dak Prescott is back from his 2020 ankle injury. The Rams have Matthew Stafford for the first time. The NFC West remains the league's deepest division with the Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks all competing. The Sunday opener at Detroit is the kind of road game a contender takes care of as the schedule sorts itself.
Through zero games the 49ers reset to last year's profile: 6-10 in 2020, 5th-ranked scoring defense, 21st-ranked passing offense. The defense returns Bosa (back from ACL), Warner, Greenlaw, Armstead. Lance was the third overall pick. Garoppolo is back from the foot injury. Vegas opens the 49ers as 7.5-point road favorites in Detroit; total 47.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 0-0 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-0 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Jets | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 0-0 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-0 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 0-0 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-0 | -- |
| Tennessee Titans | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 0-0 | -- |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-0 | -- |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-0 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Football Team | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0-0 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 0-0 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-0 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-0 | -- |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-0 | -- |
πSan Francisco 49ers vs Detroit Lions Week 1 NFL 2021-2022 Full Game Watch Online, Football 2021
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49ers vs Lions Highlights | Week 1 2021 α΄΄α΄°Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Trent Sherfield 5 yard pass from Trey Lance ( Robbie Gould kick) | 7-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | T.J. Hockenson 6 yard pass from Jared Goff ( Austin Seibert kick) | 7-7 |
| 49ers | Elijah Mitchell 38 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 14-7 |
| Lions | Austin Seibert 49 yard field goal | 14-10 |
| 49ers | Jamycal Hasty 3 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 21-10 |
| 49ers | Dre Greenlaw 39 yard interception return ( Robbie Gould kick) | 28-10 |
| 49ers | Robbie Gould 40 yard field goal | 31-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Deebo Samuel 79 yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo ( Robbie Gould kick) | 38-10 |
| Lions | D'Andre Swift 43 yard pass from Jared Goff ( Austin Seibert kick) | 38-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Robbie Gould 52 yard field goal | 41-17 |
| Lions | Jamaal Williams 1 yard rush ( T.J. Hockenson pass from Jared Goff ) | 41-25 |
| Lions | Quintez Cephus 2 yard pass from Jared Goff ( Quintez Cephus pass from Jared Goff ) | 41-33 |
Dre Greenlaw returned an interception for a touchdown to help San Francisco score 17 points in two-plus minutes late in the first half, and the 49ers barely held on for a 41-33 season-opening win over the Lions at Ford Field. The 49ers led 38-10 early in the fourth quarter. Detroit scored 23 points in three-plus minutes to pull within 8. Deebo Samuel had nine catches for a career-high 189 yards but lost a late fumble. Rookie Elijah Mitchell ran 38 yards for a touchdown filling in for an injured Raheem Mostert.[1][2][3]
Dre Greenlaw took an interception to the house in the second quarter. The 49ers led 38-10 in the fourth quarter. Then Dan Campbell's Lions scored 23 points in three-plus minutes.
The 49ers held on 41-33. Deebo Samuel produced a career-high 189 yards on nine catches, then fumbled in the final moments at the Lions' 30 on what could have been a clinching gain. Rookie Elijah Mitchell, in for an injured Raheem Mostert, ran 38 yards for the tiebreaking touchdown early in the second quarter.
Jimmy Garoppolo postgame: 'We got into a pretty good groove and we were rolling pretty good, but you want to finish better than that.' 1-0. The kind of opener where the win is the win and the late-game discipline is the Tuesday film-room story.
49ers 41, Lions 33. Margin: +8. Season opener.
A 41-33 win in Detroit to open the season. The 49ers improve to 1-0 in a near-collapse against Dan Campbell's first game as Lions head coach.
How it unfolded
Detroit scored early but the 49ers ran off three straight touchdown drives. Greenlaw's pick-6 of Jared Goff late in the second quarter pushed the lead to 28-10. Mitchell's 38-yard run pushed it to 31-10. The 49ers led 38-10 early in the fourth quarter. Detroit then erupted: T.J. Hockenson touchdown, a long Goff pass, a fourth-down conversion, and 23 points in three-plus minutes. The Lions had the ball at the 49ers' 24 with 12 seconds left but turned it over on downs.
The turning point
Greenlaw's pick-6. With the 49ers building a comfortable lead, the defensive touchdown turned a one-score game into a three-score game and gave the offense room to operate in the third quarter.
By the numbers
Garoppolo 17-of-25 for 314 with a TD. Samuel 9 catches for 189 with the late fumble. Mitchell 19 carries for 104 in his NFL debut. Goff 338 passing on 57 attempts with three TDs and one INT.
Personnel watch
Mostert exited in the first half with what would later be diagnosed as a knee injury that ended his 49ers tenure. Mitchell took over and ran for 100. Samuel set a career high in receiving yards. Greenlaw provided the play of the game.
What it means
1-0 with the season's first lessons about closing games already on the film. The Eagles come up next on the road in Philadelphia.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 17/25 | 314 | 1 | 0 | |
| Trey Lance | 1/1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | |
| DET | |||||
| Jared Goff | 38/57 | 338 | 3 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Elijah Mitchell | 19 | 104 | 1 | 38 |
| Raheem Mostert | 2 | 20 | 0 | 11 |
| Jamycal Hasty | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Trey Lance | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| DET | ||||
| Jamaal Williams | 9 | 54 | 1 | 20 |
| D'Andre Swift | 11 | 39 | 0 | 16 |
| Jared Goff | 3 | 14 | 0 | 10 |
| Kalif Raymond | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Deebo Samuel | 9 | 189 | 1 | 79 |
| George Kittle | 4 | 78 | 0 | 35 |
| Trent Sherfield | 2 | 23 | 1 | 18 |
| Jamycal Hasty | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Mohamed Sanu | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| DET | ||||
| T.J. Hockenson | 8 | 97 | 1 | 23 |
| D'Andre Swift | 8 | 65 | 1 | 43 |
| Jamaal Williams | 8 | 56 | 0 | 11 |
| Kalif Raymond | 3 | 50 | 0 | 25 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | 2 | 23 | 0 | 20 |
| Trinity Benson | 3 | 19 | 0 | 11 |
| Tyrell Williams | 2 | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| Quintez Cephus | 3 | 12 | 1 | 7 |
| Darren Fells | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2021 W1 - 49ers at Detroit Lions - Game Thread