The

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

season was the franchise's 65th season, their 61st in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

, and the third year with Mike Singletary as the head coach. The 49ers were looking to build upon their 8–8 season in 2009. The 49ers were expected by many to win the NFC West for the first time since 2002. However, the 49ers began the season with an 0–5 start and would end up with a losing record of 6–10 as they failed to reach the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. The 49ers originally retained Jimmy Raye as the

offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...

, marking the first time since

Greg Knapp Gregory Fishbeck Knapp (March 5, 1963 – July 22, 2021) was an American professional football coach in the National Football League (NFL). He served as an assistant coach for 25 seasons with the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, ...

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

that the 49ers had the same offensive coordinator for more than one season. However, after starting the season with three straight losses, the 49ers fired Raye and promoted Quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson to offensive coordinator. Ultimately, head coach Singletary would himself be fired before the last game of the season.

Offseason

Coaching changes

The first major coaching change in the offseason was the firing of Al Everest as special teams coordinator. The 49ers interviewed several candidates and by mid-January settled on Kurt Schottenheimer as special-teams coordinator. One week later, another assistant coaching change was made when incumbent offensive line coach Chris Foerster was permitted to accept an offer to coach the same position with new

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

head coach

Mike Shanahan Michael Edward Shanahan (born August 24, 1952) is a former American football coach, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he led ...

. To replace Foerster, the 49ers immediately hired outgoing Seahawks offensive line coach

Mike Solari Mike Solari (born January 16, 1955) is an American football coach and former player. Solari has previously worked for five other National Football League (NFL) teams, including a stint as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs from 200 ...

, who had previously been an assistant line coach with the 49ers.

Roster changes

Free Agency

*''RFA'':

Restricted free agent A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...

, ''UFA'':

Unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

, ''ERFA'':

Exclusive rights free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

, ''Franchise'':

Franchise tag In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has on ...

Trades

2010 NFL Draft

After finishing the 2009 season with a record of 8–8, the 49ers held the 13th overall pick in the

2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...

. They also obtained the 17th overall pick as a result of a trade in the

2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...

that gave their second and fourth round picks in 2009 to the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

for the Panthers' first round pick in 2010. The 49ers traded their fifth round pick in 2010 to Miami for wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. In the first round of the 2010 draft the 49ers moved up two picks by trading their #13 pick and 4th Round pick to the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

to move up to pick #11, with which they selected

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis is an eight-time NB ...

from

Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...

. Six picks later, the 49ers again chose to solidify their offensive line by selecting top-rated

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

Mike Iupati Michael Iupati ( ; born May 12, 1987) is a Samoan-American former American football guard who played for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A native of American Samoa, Iupati went to high school in southern California, played col ...

out of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Staff

Roster

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Standings

Regular season results

Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks

The 49ers began their season at

Qwest Field Lumen Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. Located in the city's SoDo neighborhood, it is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL, the ...

for an NFC West match against the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

. In the first quarter, the Niners had the early lead when kicker

Joe Nedney Joseph Thomas Nedney (born March 22, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996. He ...

made a 23-yard field goal, which was extended in the second quarter when Nedney made another 23-yard field goal. Then, San Francisco failed to maintain it and then fell behind when Seahawks quarterback

Matt Hasselbeck Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth round ...

got a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by him making a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Deon Butler Vincent Deon Butler (born January 4, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State. College career After redshirtin ...

. In the third quarter, the 49ers struggled further when quarterback

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...

threw an interception to cornerback

Marcus Trufant Marcus Lavon Trufant (born December 25, 1980) is a former American football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for Washington State University, and was chosen by the S ...

, which was returned 32 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by Hasselbeck's 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Deion Branch Anthony Deion Branch Jr. (born July 18, 1979) is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL), who currently serves as director of player development and alumni relations at the University of Louisville. He was ...

. In the fourth quarter, the Niners continued to struggle when kicker

Olindo Mare Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...

made a 35-yard field goal. With the loss, the 49ers began their season at 0–1.

Week 2: vs. New Orleans Saints

Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Seahawks, the 49ers played their Week 2 home opener against the defending Super Bowl champion

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

on Monday night. San Francisco trailed early in the first quarter as center

David Baas David Andrew Baas (born September 28, 1981) is a former American football center. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and was recognized as a consensus All-American and the top college center. The San Francisco 49ers se ...

' high snap deep within Niner territory resulted in a safety. The Saints would add onto their lead as quarterback

Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...

completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back

Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...

. The 49ers would respond in the second quarter with quarterback

finding running back

Frank Gore Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third ...

on a 12-yard touchdown pass. The Niners would take the lead in the third quarter as rookie running back

Anthony Dixon Anthony Rishard "Boobie" Dixon (born September 24, 1987) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Mississippi State University ...

got a 2-yard touchdown run, but New Orleans would answer with Brees' 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Thomas. In the fourth quarter, the Saints would add onto their lead as kicker

Garrett Hartley Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...

got a 46-yard and a 19-yard field goal. San Francisco would tie the game with Gore's 7-yard touchdown run, followed by Smith's 2-point conversion pass to tight end

Vernon Davis Vernon Davis (born January 31, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers sixth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. In 2009, Davis co-led the NFL in touchdown rec ...

. However, New Orleans would get the last laugh as Hartley made the game-winning 37-yard field goal. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 0–2.

Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs

Looking for their first win, the 49ers flew to

Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is an American football stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium has been officially named GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stad ...

for an interconference duel with the Chiefs. Prior to the game, tight end

guaranteed victory. In the 2nd quarter, the 49ers trailed early as QB

Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots an ...

completed a 31-yard TD pass to WR

Dexter McCluster Dexter Marquise McCluster (born August 25, 1988) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Mississippi. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and also ...

. The 49ers replied with kicker

hitting a 51-yard field goal. The 49ers fell further behind when Chiefs' kicker

Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( "suck-up"; born September 19, 1986) is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). Succop played college football at South Carolina and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by ...

hit a 32-yard field goal and then in the third quarter when Cassel found WR

Dwayne Bowe Dwayne Lorenzo Bowe (born September 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Louisiana State University, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...

and TE

Tony Moeaki Anthony Moeaki (born June 8, 1987) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Iowa. He was selected in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, and also played for the Buffalo Bills, Seattl ...

on 45 and 18-yard TD passes, respectively. RB Thomas Jones followed these scores with a 3-yard TD run. The 49ers narrowed the score when QB

made a 12-yard TD pass to WR

Josh Morgan Joshua Lewis Morgan (born June 20, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech. He also played for the Was ...

. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 0–3.

Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons

Still looking for a win the 49ers flew to

Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...

for an NFC duel with the Falcons. In the first quarter the 49ers took the early lead with QB

making a 12-yard TD pass to TE

. Then DB

Taylor Mays Taylor Mays (born February 7, 1988) is a former American football safety. He won Washington state titles in track in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash as a high school sophomore, before leaving track and field to dedicate himself to foo ...

recovered a blocked punt in the endzone for a touchdown. Then the Falcons rallied with QB Matt Ryan completing an 8-yard TD pass to WR

Harry Douglas Harry Douglas IV (born September 16, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football at Louisville. Douglas was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in ...

. Then the Falcons took the lead with three field goals from kicker

Matt Bryant Steven Matt Bryant (born May 29, 1975), nicknamed "Money Matt", is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for the Baylor Bears, and was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers in 2000. A ...

. He made a 37-yard field goal near the end of the 2nd quarter, a 31-yard field goad in the 3rd. Late in the 4th quarter, CB

Nate Clements Nathan D. Clements (born December 12, 1979) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Ohio State. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 21st overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, and a ...

intercepted Matt Ryan's pass which should have sealed the game for the 49ers who were then up 14 – 13. However, instead of going down, Clements continued down the left sideline attempting to score. He would return the interception 39 yards before Falcons WR

Roddy White Sharod Lamor "Roddy" White (born November 2, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played his entire professional career with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at UAB, and was drafted by the Falcons in the first ro ...

was able to strip the ball from him and the Falcons recovered the fumble. After regaining possession, the Falcons drove down the field again and this time was able to win the game on a 43-yard field goal by Matt Bryant, giving the 49ers another loss. With the close loss, the 49ers fell to 0–4.

Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Hoping to get their first win of the season, the 49ers went home for a Week 5 Sunday night duel with the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

. The Niners delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter as quarterback

hooked up with wide receiver

Michael Crabtree Michael Alex Crabtree Jr. (born September 14, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Texas Tech, where he was a two-time unanimous All-Am ...

on a 7-yard touchdown pass, but the Eagles would answer with quarterback

Kevin Kolb Kevin Benjamin Kolb (; born August 24, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Arizona Cardinals and the Buffalo Bills ...

completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Brent Celek Brent Steven Celek (; born January 25, 1985) is an American football executive and former tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cincinnati and was drafted by the Eagles in the ...

. Philadelphia took the lead in the second quarter as kicker

David Akers David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Reds ...

made a 33-yard field goal, followed by running back

LeSean McCoy LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady", is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the ...

's 29-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, San Francisco closed out the half with kicker

booting a 50-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, the Eagles would add onto their lead in the fourth quarter as safety

Quintin Mikell Quintin Perry Mikell (born September 16, 1980) is a former American football safety (American football position), safety who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Boise State Universit ...

returned a fumble 52 yards for a touchdown. The Niners began to rally as Smith found tight end

on a 7-yard touchdown pass, yet Philadelphia answered with a 45-yard field goal from Akers. San Francisco tried to rally as Smith found running back

on a 1-yard touchdown pass, but Philadelphia's defense would hold on for the win. With the loss, the 49ers fell to their first 0–5 start since 1979.

Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders

Individual leaders

^* Completions/Attempts ^a Carries ^b Long play ^c Receptions ^t Tackles ^g Forced Fumble Still looking for a win the 49ers played on home ground where they played their state rival, the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

. In the first quarter, the 49ers trailed early as kicker

Sebastian Janikowski Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Florida State ...

got a 27-yard field goal. Then he made a 24-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter. The 49ers replied with kicker

making a 25-yard field goal. They took the lead in the third quarter with QB

making a 32-yard TD pass to WR

. The Raiders cut the lead with Janikowski making a 40-yard field goal. The 49ers pulled away after Smith found TE

on a 17-yard TD pass. With the win, the 49ers improve to 1–5.

Week 7: at Carolina Panthers

Coming off their win over the Raiders the 49ers flew to

Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 74,867-seat football stadium located on in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League and Charlotte FC of Major ...

for an NFC duel with the Panthers. In the first quarter the 49ers took the lead as QB

got a 1-yard TD pass to TE

. The lead was cut when kicker

John Kasay John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...

nailed a 47-yard field goal. The 49ers scored with kicker

making a 24-yard field goal. The Panthers tied the game with QB Matt Moore completing an 18-yard TD pass to WR

David Gettis David Alexander Gettis (born August 27, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Baylor University. High school career D ...

. The 49ers fell behind in the third quarter with Kasay booting a 55-yard field goal. They eventually got the lead back in the fourth quarter with Nedney hitting a 38-yard field goal, and with DE

Ray McDonald Raymondo Antoine McDonald (born September 2, 1984) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida, where he was a member of ...

returning an interception 31 yards for a touchdown. However, the Panthers tied the game with Moore finding Gettis again on a 23-yard TD pass. Following an interception by 49ers backup quarterback David Carr, Kasay successfully booted a 37-yard field goal to give the 49ers the loss. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 1–6.

Week 8: vs. Denver Broncos (International Series)

The 49ers' 8th match was an Interconference duel with the Broncos at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...

. In the first quarter the 49ers took the lead as kicker

got a 34-yard field goal. They soon trailed in the third quarter when QB Tim Tebow scrambled 1 yard for a touchdown; followed in the fourth quarter by kicker

Matt Prater Matthew Phillip Prater (born August 10, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for lon ...

hitting a 32-yard field goal. They soon went on a scoring rally to take the lead with QB

Troy Smith Troy James Smith (born July 20, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Ohio State, was recognized as an All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2006. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fi ...

scrambling a yard for a touchdown, followed by his 28-yard TD pass to WR

. Then RB

got a 3-yard TD run to put the 49ers up 24–10. The lead was narrowed when QB

Kyle Orton Kyle Raymond Orton (born November 14, 1982) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Dr ...

made a 1-yard TD pass to WR

Brandon Lloyd Brandon Matthew Lloyd (born July 5, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Illinois, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth rou ...

(with a failed PAT). With the win, the 49ers went into their bye week at 2–6.

Week 9: BYE

Week 10: vs. St. Louis Rams

The 49ers' ninth game was rivalry match against the Rams at home. In the first quarter the 49ers trailed early with kicker Josh Brown making a 42-yard field goal. They took the lead with RB

getting a 1-yard TD run. This was followed in the second quarter by kicker

nailing a 26-yard field goal. The Rams fought back with QB

Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the P ...

completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR

Danny Amendola Daniel James Amendola (born November 2, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Texas Tech. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After spending his entire rookie season ...

. Followed in the third quarter by RB

Steven Jackson Steven Rashad Jackson (born July 22, 1983) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He played college football at Oregon State and was sele ...

getting a 13-yard TD run. The 49ers got the lead back with Nedney getting a 47-yard field goal, followed by QB

making a 16-yard TD pass to WR

. The Rams tied the game with Brown making a 33-yard field goal. The decision was made at overtime when Nedney successfully put away a 29-yard field goal to give the 49ers their third win of the season, bringing their record up to 3–6.

Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Coming off their win over the Rams the 49ers played on home ground for an NFC duel with the Buccaneers. In the second quarter the 49ers trailed after RB

Cadillac Williams Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams (born April 21, 1982) is an American football coach and former running back in the National Football League. Williams was the interim head coach of the Auburn Tigers, the first African American to hold the posit ...

made a 6-yard TD run. This was followed in the third quarter by QB

Josh Freeman Joshua Tyler Freeman (born January 13, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Kansas State University, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Freeman became th ...

completing an 8-yard TD pass to WR Mike Williams; and in the fourth quarter by Freeman throwing a 1-yard TD pass to

Donald Penn Donald Ward Penn (born April 27, 1983) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played college football at Utah State Aggies, Utah State, and was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Penn has also played f ...

. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 3–7. This marked the 49ers' first shutout loss at home since 1977, when they were defeated by the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

7–0.

Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals

Hoping to rebound from their shutout loss to the Buccaneers, the 49ers flew to the

University of Phoenix Stadium A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

for a Week 12 NFC West duel with the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

on Monday night. San Francisco made the opening strike in the first quarter as quarterback

found wide receiver

on a 38-yard touchdown pass. The Cardinals answered with kicker

Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for sever ...

getting a 31-yard field goal, yet the 49ers responded with a 1-yard touchdown run from rookie running back

. San Francisco added onto their lead in the second quarter with an 8-yard touchdown pass from running back

Brian Westbrook Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft af ...

. Arizona would hang on with Feely's 39-yard field goal. Afterwards, the 49ers pulled away with a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter from kicker

Shane Andrus Shane Andrus (born October 2, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Murray State University#Athletics, Murray State. Andrus has a ...

. With the win, San Francisco improved to 4–7.

Week 13: at Green Bay Packers

Coming off their win over the Cardinals the 49ers flew to

Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 as City Stadium, replacing ...

for an NFC duel with the Packers. The 49ers took the lead after kicker Jeff Reed hit a 44 and a 26-yard field goal. The lead didn't last long after QB

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...

completed a 57-yard TD pass to WR

Greg Jennings Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Western Michigan an ...

, followed by FB

John Kuhn John Allen Kuhn (born September 9, 1982) is a former American football fullback. After playing college football for Shippensburg University, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Kuhn earned a Super Bowl ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. The 49ers cut the lead down with QB

making a 66-yard TD pass to TE

, but in the third quarter, the Packers replied with Rodgers getting a 61-yard TD pass to WR

Donald Driver Donald Jerome Driver (born February 2, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Alcorn State University, Driver was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. ...

. The 49ers scored again with Reed nailing a 23-yard field goal. They struggled further after Rodgers found Jennings again on a 1-yard TD pass. Followed in the fourth quarter by kicker

Mason Crosby Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chos ...

making a 43 and a 24-yard field goal. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 4–8.

Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Packers the 49ers played on home ground for an NFC West rivalry match against the Seahawks. The 49ers took the lead first with QB

completing a 42-yard TD pass to TE

, but the Seahawks replied with QB

throwing an 11-yard TD pass to WR

Ruvell Martin Ruvell Martin (born August 10, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver and former coach in the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers in 2004. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State. Martin ...

. The 49ers made a large scoring rally to increase their lead when kicker Jeff Reed hit a 33 and a 44-yard field goal, followed by Smith completing a 15 and a 62-yard TD pass to

and

respectively. This was followed by Reed making a 22-yard field goal, and in the third quarter with FS

Dashon Goldson Dashon Hugh Goldson (born September 18, 1984) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Washington, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round o ...

returning an interception 39 yards for a touchdown. After that, Reed nailed a 36-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 40–7. The lead was broken down with RB

Leon Washington Leon Dewitt Washington Sr. (born August 29, 1982) is a former American football running back and return specialist. He currently serves as a coach for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Dra ...

returning the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, followed in the 4th quarter by QB

getting a 2-yard TD pass to WR

. With the win, the 49ers improved to 5–8.

Week 15: at San Diego Chargers

Coming off their win over the Seahawks the 49ers played against the Chargers at

Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadiu ...

on Thursday Night. The 49ers fell behind 2 minutes into the game with QB

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...

throwing a 58-yard TD pass to WR

Vincent Jackson Vincent Terrell Jackson (January 14, 1983 – February 15, 2021) was an American professional football player who played as a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northern Colorad ...

, followed in the second quarter by kicker

Nate Kaeding Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and retired after the ...

nailing a 25-yard field goal, then with Rivers finding Jackson on an 11-yard touchdown pass. In the third quarter the 49ers had a touchdown from the second-half kickoff return but was declined because of a face-masking penalty enforced on them. Following that, they struggled further with FB

Mike Tolbert William Michael Tolbert (born November 23, 1985) is a former American football fullback. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football for Coastal Carolina University. He has also been a ...

getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Rivers connecting to Jackson on a 48-yard TD pass, then with Kaeding hitting a 39-yard field goal. The 49ers made their only score of the game with RB

getting a 1-yard TD run. Justin Smith was ejected from the game after shoving a referee. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5–9.

Week 16: at St. Louis Rams

The 49ers' fifteenth game was an NFC West rivalry rematch against the Rams at

Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in Downtown St. Louis, downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and ...

. The 49ers struggled in the first quarter when

got a 1-yard TD run, followed by QB

getting sacked in the endzone by DE James Hall for a safety. They got back in the game after Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown, but fell further behind after kicker Josh Brown nailed a 43-yard field goal. They took the lead with Smith completing a 60-yard TD pass to WR

, but fell behind again as Brown got a 30-yard field goal, followed by QB

throwing a 3-yard TD pass to WR

Laurent Robinson Laurent Robinson (born May 20, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the thir ...

. The 49ers tried to cut this lead with kicker Jeff Reed making a 47-yard field goal, but the Rams pulled away with Brown hitting a 28-yard field goal. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5–10, eliminating them from post-season contention for the eighth consecutive season. As a result of this and a sideline argument during the game, Singletary was fired as head coach later that night.

Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals

The 49ers' final game was an NFC West rematch against the Cardinals. The 49ers took the lead as QB

completed a 37-yard TD pass to WR Ted Ginn Jr., followed in the 2nd quarter by kicker Jeff Reed making a 39-yard field goal. The Cardinals narrowed the lead as QB

John Skelton John Skelton may refer to: *John Skelton (poet) (c.1460–1529), English poet. * John de Skelton, MP for Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency) *John Skelton (died 1439), MP for Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency) *John Skelton (American footb ...

completed a 10-yard TD pass to WR

Larry Fitzgerald Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. Fitzgerald played in the National Football League for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of Pittsb ...

, but the 49ers extended their lead after Smith completed a 59-yard TD pass to TE

, followed by RB

running 6 yards to the endzone for a touchdown twice in succession. This was followed by CB

Tarell Brown Tarell Lameek Brown (born January 6, 1985) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Texas. High school career ...

returning an interception 62 yards for a touchdown. With the win, the 49ers finish with a 6–10 record.

References

External links

*
49ers official web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:2010 San Francisco 49ers Season

San Francisco 49ers seasons 2010 in San Francisco San