The 49ers (8-7) host the Houston Texans (4-12) at Levi's Stadium for a 1:25 PT kickoff on New Year's Day.
Trey Lance starts in place of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo (thumb). Davis Mills is the Texans' rookie QB1. The 49ers need a win to stay alive for the wild card.
Trey Lance gets his second NFL start Sunday afternoon, on New Year's Day, against the Texans. Garoppolo is out with a thumb injury. The 49ers, at 8-7, need this win to keep the wild-card path alive.
Davis Mills is the Texans' rookie QB1 in a season that has been the kind of foundational rebuild the franchise is going through. The Texans are 4-12. The 49ers are favored by 9.5.
The Sunday is the kind of road-to-the-playoffs game where the rookie quarterback gets a meaningful start in a meaningful game. Lance's first start in October ended in a 17-10 loss. The bar for Sunday is higher.
Week 17 is the playoff-clinching New Year's Day. The 49ers (8-7) need both Sunday and Week 18 wins to clinch a wild-card spot. The Cardinals continue to lead the NFC. The Texans are out of contention. The Sunday game is the kind of New Year's matchup where the favorite has to handle business and the underdog plays for next year's draft positioning. Trey Lance starts with Garoppolo nursing the thumb injury.
Through sixteen games the 49ers are 8-7 with a +43 point differential. The Texans are 4-12 with a -161. Trey Lance starts in place of injured Garoppolo (thumb). Davis Mills averages 240 passing per game with 14 TDs and 9 INTs. Lance has had one previous NFL start (a Week 5 loss to Arizona). Vegas opens the 49ers as 9.5-point home favorites; total 43.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 9-6 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 9-6 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 8-7 | -- |
| New York Jets | 4-11 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 9-6 | -- |
| Baltimore Ravens | 8-7 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-7-1 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-8 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 10-5 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 9-6 | -- |
| Houston Texans | 4-11 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-13 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 11-4 | -- |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 8-7 | -- |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 8-7 | -- |
| Denver Broncos | 7-8 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 11-4 | -- |
| Arizona Cardinals | 10-5 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 8-7 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-10 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 11-4 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-7 | -- |
| Washington Football Team | 6-9 | -- |
| New York Giants | 4-11 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 12-3 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-8 | -- |
| Chicago Bears | 5-10 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 2-12-1 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 11-4 | -- |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7-8 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 7-8 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 5-10 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Texans | Brandin Cooks 8 yard pass from Davis Mills ( Ka'imi Fairbairn kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | Robbie Gould 37 yard field goal | 7-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Elijah Mitchell 8 yard pass from Trey Lance ( Robbie Gould kick) | 7-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Deebo Samuel 45 yard pass from Trey Lance ( Robbie Gould kick) | 7-17 |
| 49ers | Robbie Gould 27 yard field goal | 7-20 |
| 49ers | Robbie Gould 36 yard field goal | 7-23 |
Rookie first-rounder Trey Lance threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns and the 49ers beat the Houston Texans 23-7 at Levi's Stadium to stay in the wild-card race. Elijah Mitchell carried 21 times for 119 yards. Lance led five scoring drives on the 49ers' final seven possessions. Davis Mills threw a 8-yard TD pass to Brandin Cooks. Lance hit Mitchell on an 8-yard TD pass and Samuel on a 45-yard score. The 49ers improved to 9-7.[1][2][3]
Trey Lance's second NFL start. 249 yards passing on 23 attempts. Two touchdowns. The 49ers beat the Houston Texans 23-7 Sunday afternoon to stay alive in the wild-card race, the kind of New Year's Day game a real contender takes care of.
Lance led five scoring drives on the 49ers' final seven possessions. He overcame an early interception in the first half. Elijah Mitchell ran for 119 yards on 21 carries, his fifth 100-yard game of the year.
The Texans were 4-12 entering. The 49ers handled them comfortably. 9-7. The Rams come up next week to close the regular season. A win there and the wild-card spot is theirs.
49ers 23, Texans 7. Margin: +16. Seventeen-game record: 9-7, +59 differential.
A 23-7 New Year's Day win over the Houston Texans. The 49ers improve to 9-7 and stay alive for a wild-card berth.
How it unfolded
Mills opened with the only Texans touchdown drive of the day, a 17-play possession ending in an 8-yard TD to Brandin Cooks for a 7-0 lead. Lance answered with a TD throw to Mitchell to make it 7-7. Lance hit Samuel on the 45-yard score to give the 49ers a 17-7 cushion. Robbie Gould kicked field goals in the second and third quarters to extend the lead. The Texans never threatened.
The turning point
The Lance-to-Samuel 45-yard touchdown. With the score tied at 7 in the second quarter, the long ball produced the lead the 49ers held the rest of the day.
By the numbers
Lance 16-of-23 for 249 with two TDs. Mitchell 21 carries for 119 (fifth 100-yard game). Davis Mills 169 yards on 27 attempts with the lone Texans TD.
Personnel watch
Lance in his second NFL start, producing a much more efficient day than his first. Mitchell in his fifth 100-yard rushing game. The defense allowed only 7 points and held Houston to 251 total yards.
What it means
9-7 with the wild-card berth still alive but requiring a Week 18 win against the Rams. The Sunday game is the season-ender, the kind that decides whether the 49ers' year extends or ends.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Trey Lance | 16/23 | 249 | 2 | 1 | |
| HOU | |||||
| Davis Mills | 21/32 | 163 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Elijah Mitchell | 21 | 119 | 0 | 37 |
| Trey Lance | 8 | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| Deebo Samuel | 7 | 19 | 0 | 13 |
| George Kittle | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| HOU | ||||
| Rex Burkhead | 16 | 47 | 0 | 8 |
| Royce Freeman | 6 | 25 | 0 | 8 |
| Jaylen Samuels | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Davis Mills | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Chris Conley | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Brandon Aiyuk | 4 | 94 | 0 | 43 |
| Deebo Samuel | 3 | 63 | 1 | 45 |
| George Kittle | 1 | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Jauan Jennings | 2 | 25 | 0 | 13 |
| Trent Sherfield | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Elijah Mitchell | 2 | 11 | 1 | 8 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| Jamycal Hasty | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| HOU | ||||
| Brandin Cooks | 7 | 66 | 1 | 24 |
| Nico Collins | 2 | 35 | 0 | 20 |
| Rex Burkhead | 6 | 32 | 0 | 9 |
| Jaylen Samuels | 3 | 14 | 0 | 6 |
| Pharaoh Brown | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Brevin Jordan | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Chris Conley | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
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