The 49ers were able to drive for a game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game against the Titans, but there was time left for the Titans to drive for a game-winning field goal and it was hard to feel like the team should never have been in that position in the first place.
Jeff Wilson ran for a touchdown to cap the first possession of the game and the 49ers drove inside the 10 after forcing a quick punt, but Jimmy Garoppolo threw an interception in the end zone to end the drive without points. A field goal on the next possession put them up 10-0 and that’s how the first half ended despite the Titans being limited to 55 yards of offense through the first 30 minutes.
After the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he thought his team “should have been up more” and the game would be tied midway through the third quarter after Garoppolo’s second interception of the game set up the Titans’ first touchdown. Garoppolo ended the night 26-of-35 for 322 and that fourth quarter touchdown pass, but any good was mitigated by the two turnovers.
“Some good, some bad,” Garoppolo said, via the San Jose Mercury News. “I’m trying to go through it in my head. We had a chance. . . . We got off to a good start and got the lead like we wanted to. We just hit a lull in the middle there and if we don’t hit that lull, I think it’s a totally different game.”
Shanahan said the turnovers weren’t totally on Garoppolo, but the quarterback always bears the brunt of interceptions and losses. That’s especially true of ones that hurt a team’s playoff hopes and Garoppolo will have to avoid similar mistakes the next two weeks if he wants to avoid blame for the team falling short of the postseason.