What were the best 49ers games this season?

Much of the talk around the San Francisco 49ers over the past few weeks has been around their impressive season, as the team managed to win 13 games despite being hit by the injury bug.

Several of those games were one-score contests early in the season before the 49ers went on a strong five-game win streak to clinch a playoff spot before their Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Then, San Francisco had the impressive playoff win on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles before their eventual exit against the Seahawks.

While the season didn’t end the way San Francisco wanted, there were definitely a number of games that were worth reminiscing on from an entertainment perspective. So, let’s rank the best games for the 49ers this season.

5. Week 1 vs. Seattle (17-13 win)

Looking back, that Week 1 team was far different than how both the 49ers and Seahawks ended the year. And it came with its rollercoasters as Brock Purdy threw for two interceptions and Jake Moody had two missed field goals before being released.

But it was a great start to the season as a road win over what ended up being a Super Bowl team, and the 49ers did it with a comeback drive as Brock Purdy hit Jake Tonges on 3rd & Goal for an incredible four-yard catch in the end zone over Tariq Woolen. That gave the 49ers a 17-13 lead with just over 90 seconds left.

It looked like the Seahawks were going to win, as they came back all the way to the 49ers 9-yard line with 42 seconds left. But Nick Bosa got the game-winning strip sack on Sam Darnold. and recovered the fumble to seal the deal.

San Francisco lost George Kittle early in that game and found out Brock Purdy had turf toe, but managed to get the win.

4. Week 11 vs. Arizona (41-22 win)

This one wasn’t a nail-biter by any means, but it was a dominant performance in Brock Purdy’s return from injury. The 49ers got out to a hot start with back-to-back touchdown drives to start the game, and ended up scoring five times in the first half to take a 25-10 lead.

The third quarter extended that lead to 35-10 and the game was virtually over from there, with the 49ers ultimately winning 41-22. This one had everything. Brock Purdy threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey ran for 81 yards and two scores, while adding 40 yards and a receiving touchdown, with one of his best games of the season to date. George Kittle went off with six catches, 67 yards, and two touchdowns.

The 49ers defense stopped the run and also forced three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble). And Skyy Moore had a 98-yard kickoff return to open the game. Pretty good win that sparked a huge win streak for the 49ers.

3. Week 17 vs. Chicago (42-38 win)

A game with big implications for the playoffs and one against a top NFC team definitely cracks the list here. It was all offense in this one, which adds to the entertainment factor. Brock Purdy had a big game with over 300 yards and five touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey went off for 140 on the ground with a score. And the 49ers scored six touchdowns.

That included the go-ahead score with 2:15 left as the 49ers trailed by three in the final minutes. Brock Purdy was 4 of 5 for 66 yards and the game-winning touchdown to Jauan Jennings, who ran it in after the catch for a 38-yard score.

And somehow, the 49ers managed to get a goal-line stop to end the game. Chicago marched 63 yards to the 49ers two-yard line, and it felt like they were bound to score with a minute remaining. Caleb Williams converted a 3rd & 4, 3rd & 10, and 4th & 5 to keep the drive alive at crucial points. It all came down to the final play on 2nd & Goal at the 2-yard line, and Robert Saleh’s defense got the stop.

That was a late-season thriller that extended the 49ers win streak to five games and kept their one-seed hopes alive.

2. Week 5 vs. Los Angeles (26-23 win)

This was just a game the 49ers had no business winning. With a plethora of players out and Mac Jones injured coming in, San Francisco was a touchdown underdog on the road against the Rams.

Well, they set the tone from the jump with eight-play and 17-play touchdown drives on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead. They ultimately led 17-7 at halftime by essentially keeping the ball out of Matthew Stafford’s hands.

But Stafford and Los Angeles came back, tying the game at 20 apiece in the fourth quarter. But the Mac Jones-led 49ers kept pushing, generating a field goal drive and then forcing a huge fumble on the goal-line with an Alfred Collins punchout.

Stafford still tied things up with 40 seconds left by getting Los Angeles into field goal range on a short field, putting the game in overtime. The 49ers got a field goal first, and were looking gassed on the brink of a loss as Los Angeles drove down the field into the red zone.

But they got another huge stop on 4th & 1 at the 49ers 11-yard line with a run stop on Kyren Williams to win the game. It was huge for morale and a big divisional victory with the odds stacked against them.

1. Wildcard round vs. Philadelphia (23-19 win)

Once again, this was a game where the 49ers looked quite outmatched on paper and yet still found a way to win.

San Francisco got off to another good start with an opening drive touchdown, but the defense immediately looked outmatched, giving up seven points right back.

There were a couple of rough drives, including a 16-play, 94-yard Eagles touchdown drive in the second quarter, where they just kept finding ways to move the chains. At halftime, it felt like the 49ers were grateful to be trailing only by three.

Then came a Brock Purdy interception in the third quarter in Philadelphia territory. But the defense really stepped up in the second half and found a way to get some big stops, especially in the run game. Then came the 49ers comeback with a touchdown drive off a trick play from Jauan Jennings to Christian McCaffrey.

Then, after another Purdy interception, which led to an Eagles go-ahead field goal, the 49ers got the game-winning drive orchestrated by Purdy, ending in a four-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey with under three minutes left.

Philadelphia drove down the field into the red zone, and things were looking bleak for a second. But the 49ers defense bottled up and got a huge stop, and somehow, the team won a playoff game on the road.

What are your top games this season? Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

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