49ers @ Titans Week 16 Live Blog

This live blog will be updated frequently with information and analysis of the 49ers' Week 16 road game against the Tennessee Titans.

NASHVILLLE -- This is the live blog for the 49ers' Week 16 Thursday night game against the Tennessee Titans. I will update this frequently with information and analysis.

3:02 The Titans will have both of their star wide receivers -- Julio Jones and A.J. Brown. They activated Brown this week from the Injured Reserve List today, and Jones practiced this week despite injuring his hamstring this past Sunday. So Tennessee will have major matchup advantages over the 49ers cornerbacks.

But the Titans probably won't have a run game. They're missing their star running back, Derrick Henry, plus they won't have left tackle Taylor Lewan or left guard Rodger Saffold. So the Titans should be one-dimensional -- pass, pass, pass. And the 49ers pass rush should feast on the Titans offensive line. So I don't expect Tennessee to score lots of points.

I don't expect the 49ers to score lots of points, either -- the Titans have a terrific pass rush, too. They have two good edge rushers -- Bud Dupree and Harold Landry -- and an excellent interior rusher in Jeffrey Simmons. The 49ers also should struggle to run the ball and protect their quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo.

But the 49ers' offensive weapons are healthier than the Titans offensive weapons. And the Titans have been turning the ball over frequently the past few games, as opposed to the 49ers, who haven't.

I expect the 49ers to win a grim, low-scoring, ugly Thursday night game.

Final score prediction: 49ers 23, Titans 13.

Here are the 49ers inactives:

Elijah Mitchell

Talanoa Hufanga

Dre Greenlaw

Colton McKivitz

Maurice Hurst

That means Azeez Al-Shaair is active.

5:14 The 49ers looked extremely loose and confident in pregame warmups.

The 49ers lose the toss, so they will receive the opening kickoff.

FIRST QUARTER

5:29 The 49ers march easily down the field and score a touchdown as Jeff Wilson Jr. runs into the end zone from one yard out. The Titans defense still seems tired from last week. Let's see how the 49ers defense looks.

49ers 7, Titans 0.

5:36 The defense looks terrific. On 1st and 10 from the 49ers 48, Samson Ebukam sacks Ryan Tannehill for an 8-yard loss. The Titans punt three plays later. The 49ers will get the ball at their 20 after the touchback. 

5:46 On 2nd and goal from the 8, Garoppolo telegraphs a pass to George Kittle in the end zone and gets intercepted by Janoris Jenkins. Horrible play by Garoppolo.

5:50 On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 27, A.J. Brown runs an end around, Fred Warner tackles him for a three-yard loss and the Titans go three and out. Their offensive line isn't allowing them to do anything.

SECOND QUARTER

5:53 The Titans shank a 39-yard punt. The 49ers get the ball at their 37.

6:02 On 3rd and 26 from the 49ers 36, Garoppolo throws a tunnel screen to Deebo Samuel, who gains six yards and sets up a 48-yard field goal attempt for Robbie Gould, which he nails. The 49ers converted a 4th and 1 to keep that drive alive. Garoppolo also missed a wide open Kyle Juszczyk deep for a walk-in touchdown. Garoppolo's pass sailed over Juszczyk's head.

49ers 10, Titans 0.

6:11 On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 44, Jimmie Ward breaks up a pass intended for A.J. Brown, who ran a quick slant route. The 49ers get the ball at their 21 after the latest Titans punt.

6:16 On 1st and 10 from the 49ers 22, Garoppolo throws a pass directly to Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans, who drops the interception. Two plays later, Garoppolo gets sacked by Denico Autry, who beat George Kittle around the edge. The 49ers go 3 and out.

6:18 30-yard punt by Pro Bowl alternate punter Mitch Wishnowsky puts the Titans at the 49ers' 45.

6:20 Jimmy Garoppolo is rattled. He had a wide open receiver to his left about 7 yards downfield when he got sacked on 3rd down. Kyle Shanahan better get back to the run game quick.

6:28 On 3rd and 20 from the Titans 43, K'Waun Williams tackles A.J. Brown for no gain. Two plays earlier, Brown got two hands on a pass in the end zone but didn't catch it. Ambry Thomas was all over him. The 49ers get the ball at their 10 with 1:20 left after the punt.

6:35 On 3rd and 2 from the 49ers 30, Garoppolo sneaks forward for 3 yards, and then the 49ers let the first half end. The Titans will get the ball to start the second half. They had 3 first downs and 55 net yards in the first half, and yet they're still in the game.

6:59 On 3rd and 9 from the 49ers 21, Tannehill throws an incomplete screen pass, then the Titans make a 38-yard field goal. Josh Norman gave up two first-down catches to Brown on third and long during that drive.

49ers 10, Titans 3.

7:03 First play, Garoppolo sails a pass over Deebo Samuel's head and gets intercepted by Amani Hooker, who returns the pick to the 49ers 18-yard line.

7:06 On 2nd and goal from the 3, Titans running back D'Onta Foreman plows ahead for the touchdown. That's Garoppolo's fault. He's making pathetic decisions in this game. He had a receiver open in front of Samuel during that interception. No reason to force the ball to Samuel on first down.

7:20 On 4th and 1 from the Titans 36, Trent Williams commits a false start. On 4th and 6, the 49ers go for it, and Garoppolo throws a wildly errant pass to Brandon Aiyuk, who has to dive to get a finger on it. The 49ers turn the ball over on downs.

7:25 On 3rd and 22 from the Titans 29, Arden Key jumps offside and gives Tennessee a free play, so Tannehill throws deep to Brown, who easily beats Ambry Thomas for a 42-yard catch. Just a horrendous play all around by the 49ers on the final play of the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

7:30 On 3rd and 10 from the 49ers 30, Tannehill rolls left and hits Brown for a 12-yard gain. Next play, Brown beats Josh Norman with a slant route for an 18-yard touchdown. Hard to believe the 49ers are losing this game.

49ers 10, Titans 17.

7:39 On 1st and 10 from the Titans 44, Alex Mack commits a holding penalty. Next play, Garoppolo dances in the pocket and then gets sacked for a nine-yard loss. The 49ers pun a few plays later. The Titans take over at their 3 after Mitch Wishnowsky and Trent Sherfield pin them deep in their territory.

7:47 On 3rd and 6 from the Titans 40, Azeez Al-Shaair blitzes and sacks Ryan Tannehill for a loss of 4. Clutch play. The 49ers get the ball at their 5-yard line with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter after Aiyuk lets the punt bounce and roll.

7:57 On 2nd and 10 from the 49ers 38, Garoppolo completes a pass over the middle to Samuel, who runs 56 yards to the Titans 6. Two plays later, Garoppolo completes a touchdown pass to a wide open Aiyuk, and the 49ers tie the game with 2:20 left.

49ers 17, Titans 17.

8:09 The Titans make a 44-yard field goal with 4 seconds left.

The 49ers lose. Stay tuned for their grades.


Published
Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.