Week 15 Recap: 49ers Beat the Titans After a Restful Bye Week
After a much-needed bye week, the San Francisco 49ers grabbed their 10th win of the season against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans were coming off arguably their best game of the season, with rookie quarterback Cam Ward throwing two touchdown passes and running back Tony Pollard running for 161 yards.
While San Francisco is looking to be a playoff team, led by veterans, Tennessee is working on developing its young core. Ward was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and has shown potential throughout his first season. In Sunday’s game, he had another 2-touchdown outing with no interceptions.
The Titans struggled to start the game, going three-and-out on their first possession. The 49ers marched down the field with help from a 23-yard gain from tight end George Kittle. The drive ended in a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Purdy to wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Tennessee responded with a field goal by kicker Joey Slye before the end of the first quarter. Both teams opened the second quarter with touchdowns. As the clock expired, Slye missed a field goal, leaving the halftime score at 17-10.
The 49ers started the second half with receiving touchdowns from Jennings and Kittle. On the other side of the field, both of Tennessee’s third-quarter drives ended with a punt. However, things started to look better for the Titans when Purdy fumbled the ball after being sacked by defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
Tennessee was able to capitalize on the turnover with a 43-yard pass from Ward to wide receiver Van Jefferson. On the next play, Ward threw a touchdown pass to Simmons. Pollard was able to get in the endzone on the next Titans drive to put them within 10. The 49ers responded to the Tennessee touchdowns with two field goals, leaving the Titans without enough time to even the game. San Francisco emerged victorious with a 37-24 win over Tennessee.
As they head into Week 16, the 49ers will look to clinch a playoff berth next week in their Monday Night Football matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. San Francisco will secure a spot in the playoffs with a win or with a Detroit loss. The Titans will go back home to play the struggling Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday morning.