2021 San Francisco 49ers season

2021 San Francisco 49ers season
49ers 75th anniversary logo
OwnerJed York
General managerJohn Lynch
Head coachKyle Shanahan
Home fieldLevi's Stadium
Results
Record10–7
Division place3rd NFC West
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(at Cowboys) 23–17
Won Divisional Playoffs
(at Packers) 13–10
Lost NFC Championship
(at Rams) 17–20
Pro Bowlers
AP All-Pros
2
Uniform

The 2021 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 72nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 76th overall and their fifth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. In honor of the 75th anniversary of the team's founding in 1946, the 49ers introduced a commemorative logo to be used during this season.[1]

They improved from their 6–10 record from the previous year and they returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. Despite starting 2–0, they would lose 4 consecutive games. After an embarrassing Week 9 loss to an injury depleted Arizona Cardinals, [2] the 49ers had a disappointing 3–5 record. But they would rebound and end the season winning 7 of their last 9 games, including a dramatic Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams in which the 49ers fought back from a 17–0 deficit to win 27–24 in overtime, thus allowing them to sneak into the playoffs.[3] During the season, the 49ers showcased a well rounded team, finishing top 10 in both total offense and total defense. The offense averaged 376 yards a game, good for 8th in the league, while averaging 25.1 points a game. The defense was even better, giving up just 310 yards a game, good for 3rd overall. This included the 6th best pass defense and 7th best rush defense. The defense also generated 48 sacks during the season, 5th best in the league.[4]

In the wild-card round, the 49ers upset the Dallas Cowboys 23–17.[5] They would then upset the #1 seeded Green Bay Packers 13–10 in the divisional round, thus advancing to the NFC Championship for the second time in 3 years.[6] However, they lost to their division rival and eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams 20-17.

  1. ^ "49ers reveal 75th anniversary logo to be worn during draft, in season". nfl.com. April 26, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  2. ^ "49ers put on Pathetic Performance in 31-17 Loss to Cardinals". si.com. November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  3. ^ "Jimmy Garoppolo leads San Francisco 49ers' comeback from 17 down to stun Los Angeles Rams in OT, clinch NFC playoff spot". nfl.com. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  4. ^ "2021 Regular Season Stats". espn.com.
  5. ^ "49ers add to rivalry lore, eke out 'wild' playoff win". ESPN.com. January 17, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  6. ^ Alper, Josh (January 22, 2022). "49ers knock off Packers in 13-10 win at Lambeau Field". Profootballtalk.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved January 22, 2022.