49ers Stars Deliver Late To Avoid Another Collapse

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers made definite they didn’t fto different crippled gaffe away.

The Niners overcame a late-game comeback by Cincinnati connected Sunday, a missed imaginable winning tract extremity by Robbie Gould and a mislaid coin flip astatine the commencement of overtime to beat the Bengals 26-23 and solidify their playoff positioning.

“We astir blew it,” antiaircraft extremity Nick Bosa said. “But we didn’t. We did a bully occupation and we made the plays that we needed to make.”

Bosa had lamented the blown accidental the erstwhile week successful Seattle erstwhile turnovers and different miscues led to a 30-23 nonaccomplishment to the Seahawks that ended with 2 incomplete passes into the extremity zone.

San Francisco’s biggest stars made definite determination wasn’t a repetition successful Cincinnati and the 49ers (7-6) won for the 4th clip successful 5 games.

Bosa sacked his erstwhile assemblage teammate Joe Burrow on a 3rd down successful the reddish portion to unit Cincinnati to footwear a tract extremity connected the opening possession of overtime.

Jimmy Garoppolo past completed each six passes for 78 yards connected San Francisco’s overtime drive, including a 21-yarder to George Kittle to get into tract extremity scope and different 9-yarder to Kittle connected third-and-7 to support the thrust alive.

The Niners past won it connected a 12-yard TD walk Garoppolo to Brandon Aiyuk.

That moved San Francisco into sixth spot successful the NFC with a decent accidental inactive to determination up to the apical wild-card spot successful 5th if the 49ers support playing good down the stretch.

“I personally don’t deliberation astir positioning astatine all,” manager Kyle Shanahan said. “I conscionable deliberation of however to get there. If we were locked successful determination and that was done, past then my caput would astir apt determination to positioning and what we thought gave america the champion advantage. … I haven’t considered thing but triumph capable games until they archer america we’re successful and erstwhile we’re successful I’ll astir apt person different thought aft that.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Kittle had 13 catches for 151 yards and a TD, becoming the archetypal choky extremity successful NFL past with back-to-back games with astatine slightest 150 yards receiving and a TD. The past 49ers subordinate astatine immoderate presumption to bash that was receiver Terrell Owens successful 2002. Kittle had his 3rd crippled successful his vocation with astatine slightest 13 catches and 4th with astatine slightest 150 yards.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Third-down offense. San Francisco were conscionable 5 of 15 connected third-down tries successful the game. The Niners were 0 for 6 successful the archetypal fractional and past went 1 for 4 connected 3 consecutive drives that ended with punts successful the 4th quarter, mounting the signifier for the Bengals to rally from 14 points down to necktie the game.

STOCK UP

Aiyuk. After a unsmooth commencement to his 2nd play erstwhile helium mislaid Shanahan’s trust, Aiyuk is backmost to his promising rookie form. He had six catches for 62 yards Sunday, including the victor successful overtime for his 4th touchdown of the season.

STOCK DOWN

Ambry Thomas. The rookie cornerback’s archetypal vocation commencement was a unsmooth one. Thomas had 2 amerciable hands to the look penalties that wiped retired large plays — an interception by Jimmie Ward and a sack by Bosa. He besides got bushed heavy connected Ja’Marr Chase’s game-tying 32-yard touchdown precocious successful the 4th quarter.

INJURIES

Thomas (concussion), LB Azeez Al-Shaair (elbow) and LB Fred Warner (ankle) each near with injuries and are time to day. … Shanahan said he’d beryllium “surprised” if DE Dee Ford made capable advancement to beryllium activated from IR earlier a deadline aboriginal this week. If Ford isn’t activated by Wednesday, helium volition miss the remainder of the season.

KEY NUMBER

0 — The Niners committed nary turnovers for the 5th clip this play — acknowledgment successful portion to a imaginable dropped interception by Jessie Bates precocious successful regulation. San Francisco has won each 5 of those games and is 12-1 the past 3 seasons erstwhile committing nary turnovers.

“Usually I effort to merchantability to our squad if we don’t crook it over, we’re beauteous overmuch guaranteed to triumph almost, if you look astatine the stats with that,” Shanahan said. “But that was starting to look bleak for a small bit.”

NEXT STEPS

The 49ers sojourn Atlanta connected Sunday.

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