2023 San Francisco 49ers season

2023 San Francisco 49ers season
OwnerJed York
General managerJohn Lynch
Head coachKyle Shanahan
Offensive coordinatorKyle Shanahan (de facto)
Defensive coordinatorSteve Wilks
Home fieldLevi's Stadium
Results
Record12–5
Division place1st NFC West
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Packers) 24–21
Won NFC Championship
(vs. Lions) 34–31
Lost Super Bowl LVIII
(vs. Chiefs) 22–25 (OT)
Pro Bowlers
AP All-Pros
7
Uniform

The 2023 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 74th in the National Football League (NFL), their 78th overall, their tenth playing their home games at Levi's Stadium and their seventh under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. This was the team's first season since 2013 and 2016, respectively, without safety Jimmie Ward and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster; Garoppolo signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on March 17, while Ward signed with the Houston Texans the following day.

The team had a 5–0 start that left them, along with the Philadelphia Eagles, as the last undefeated teams remaining.[2] The 49ers lost to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6,[3] their first of three consecutive losses[4] heading into their bye week. Following the bye, the 49ers won 6 games in a row and, with a week 14 win over their NFC West rival, the Seattle Seahawks,[5] coupled with the Green Bay Packers' loss to the New York Giants on Monday Night Football,[6] became the first team to clinch a playoff berth in 2023,[7] their fourth in five seasons. The following week the 49ers clinched the NFC West in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2011–2012 with a 45–29 win over the Arizona Cardinals.[8] With a 27–10 Week 17 win over the Washington Commanders, and the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles losing, the 49ers clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs for the first time since 2019. Despite clinching the number one seed, the team failed to match their 13–4 record from the previous year, going 12–5. After a close 24–21 win in the divisional playoffs against the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the 19th time overall, hosted their record 11th NFC Championship Game, the fourth time in five seasons, the fourth time they had made it in three consecutive seasons, after 1988–1990, 1992–1994, and 2011–2013. In the NFC Championship game against the Detroit Lions, the 49ers came back from a 24–7 halftime deficit to win 34–31, setting an NFL record for overcoming the largest halftime deficit in a championship game.[9] Coincidentally, the 49ers had been the most recent team to overcome a 17-point deficit in a championship game (but which was not a halftime deficit), which happened in 2012 against the Atlanta Falcons. The win allowed the 49ers to make their second Super Bowl appearance in 5 seasons, and their eighth appearance overall. The 49ers faced the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, which was a rematch of Super Bowl LIV. The 49ers season ended in defeat again to the Chiefs in the rematch, as they lost to Kansas City in overtime by a score of 25–22.

The 49ers finished the season in the top 10 in multiple offensive and defensive categories.[10][11] On offense, the 49ers finished with 491 points scored, which was third most in the league and the second most points scored in franchise history (behind the 1994 team which scored 505 points).[12][13] They finished second in the league in total offense with 398.4 yards per game, which included finishing fourth in pass yards per game (257.9) and third in rush yards per game (140.5).[11] They also established an NFL record by becoming the first team in league history to have four players with over 1,000 scrimmage yards, with Deebo Samuel (1,085), George Kittle (1,022), Christian McCaffrey (2,023) and Brandon Aiyuk (1,317) all surpassing the mark.[14] On defense, the 49ers finished third in the league in scoring defense, giving up just 17.5 points per game and finished first in the league with 22 interceptions (tied with the Chicago Bears).[10][15]

The 2023 49ers defeated every team that made the playoffs in the conference, the first time this has happened since 1993 by the Chiefs.[16] The 49ers defeated the Rams, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Eagles in the regular season, while defeating the Packers and Lions in the playoffs.

  1. ^ "2024 Pro Bowl Games: Complete NFC roster revealed". NFL. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  2. ^ Molski, Max (October 16, 2023). "How has the NFL's last undefeated team finished each season?". NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  3. ^ Trotter, Jake (October 15, 2023). "Underdog Browns find 'a way to win' vs. undefeated 49ers". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "Bengals pressure Purdy, rip 49ers 31–17 for 3rd straight loss". CBS News. October 29, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  5. ^ "Samuel scores 2 TDs, Purdy throws for career-best 368 yards as 49ers beat Seahawks 28–16". ESPN.com. December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "DeVito leads clutch drive to Bullock's winning kick as New York Giants top Green Bay Packers 24–22". December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  7. ^ Gordon, Grant (December 11, 2023). "Niners become first team in 2023 to clinch playoff berth". NFL.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "Niners clinch NFC West repeat with win over Cardinals". NFL.com. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "49ers stunning comeback makes NFL history plus 13 other crazy stats from the AFC and NFC championships". CBS Sports. January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2004.
  10. ^ a b Skrive, Data (January 12, 2024). "2023 NFL Defense Rankings: Team Pass and Rush Stats". Fox Sports. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Skrive, Data (January 20, 2024). "2023 NFL Offense Rankings: Team Pass and Rush Stats". Fox Sports. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  12. ^ "Morning Report: Top PFF Grades Following #LARvsSF 🗞️". 49ers. January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  13. ^ "San Francisco 49ers Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  14. ^ Wirth, Taylor (January 2, 2024). "49ers' offense makes NFL history with unprecedented scrimmage-yard feat". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  15. ^ "NFL Defensive Stats: 2023 Regular Season". Fox Sports. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  16. ^ "49ers can do something no team has done in 30 years in NFC title game". Yardbreaker. January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.