Skip to main content
Advertising

Live Updates: San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions

View select images from the 49ers Week 16 matchup with the Lions.

The San Francisco 49ers will look for their second road win of the season on Sunday against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

Keep it logged on here for all of your Week 16 updates throughout the contest. Pregame Notes

Jarryd Hayne is active.

I repeat: Jarryd Hayne is active.

The rookie running back was called up to the active roster on Saturday after spending the last six weeks on the team's practice squad. Before that, Hayne had been the team's starting punt returner for the first six weeks of the season.

It hasn't been announced how Hayne and Bruce Ellington will split reps at punt returner, but it's a decent bet that the Aussie will get at least one crack at it. With Shaun Draughn (knee) out for Sunday's game, Hayne could also figure into the mix at running back along with Kendall Gaskins and newly acquired DuJuan Harris.

The other pregame headline is that Aaron Lynch will make his return to game action after missing the team's last two contests with a concussion. Despite missing those games, Lynch still leads the team with 6.5 sacks on the year. Getting the pass-rusher back will be a welcomed addition to Eric Mangini's defense against Matthew Stafford and the Lions surging offense.

Finally, with Marcus Martin out due to a concussion, Erik Pears will start at right guard while rookie Trent Brown gets his first career NFL start at right tackle. Brown stepped in and played a career-high 34 snaps in Week 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals after Martin went down.

Here's the full list of 49ers inactives: Draughn, Martin, Michael Wilhoite, Jerome Simpson, Chris Davis, Brandon Thomas and Corey Lemonier.

Here's the full list of Lions inactives: Corey Fuller, Bill Bentley, Gabe Ikard, Corey Robinson, Jermelle Cudjo, Gabe Wright and George Winn.

First Quarter

The 49ers received the opening kickoff to start the game. Starting at their own 20 following a touchback, Blaine Gabbert completed his first pass on a quick screen to Anquan Boldin for a gain of five yards. The reception marked Boldin's 1,000th for his career.

Hayne got the first carry of the game for the 49ers, taking it for four yards. DuJuan Harris ran for 22 yards on the next play. The touch was his first in a 49ers uniform. Harris ran to the left between Joe Staley and Andrew Tiller, who did a great job opening up a gaping hole on the play.

Hayne's career-long carry of 11 yards and two more passes to Boldin set up 1st-and-goal for the 49ers. On 3rd-and-goal, Gabbert's pass intended for Torrey Smith fell incomplete, but Lions defensive back Nevin Lawson was called for pass interference to give the 49ers a fresh set of downs.

On the very next play, Gabbert hit Garrett Celek on a play-action pass for the 1-yard touchdown to put San Francisco up 7-0. (9:24)

The score was the 49ers first opening-drive touchdown of the season and McDonald's third touchdown catch of the season.

Ameer Abdullah got the Lions going with a 46-yard kick return to Detroit's 39-yard line. Two offsides penalties against the 49ers helped Detroit move the ball into striking distance. San Francisco stood tall from there. Dontae Johnson broke up a pass in the end zone intended for Calvin Johnson and then Ian Williams knocked down a third-down pass at the line of scrimmage to force a field-goal attempt.

Matt Prater was good from 36-yards out to cut into the 49ers lead, 7-3. (5:19)

Both defenses appeared to trade three-and-outs following the opening-drive scores, but Detroit ran a fake punt to get a first down. Needing less than one yard, the Lions snapped the ball to the up-back, who ran it for a 4-yard gain.

A 10-yard pass from Stafford to tight end Eric Ebron concluded the first quarter with the Lions driving into 49ers territory.

Second Quarter

The second quarter began with a third offsides penalty against San Francisco. After a five-yard run from Theo Riddick, the Lions found the end zone for the first time in the game.

Stafford hit TJ Jones for a 29-yard touchdown pass to give the Lions the lead, 10-7. (14:21)

The touchdown was Jones' first career score.

San Francisco's offense responded immediately. A 26-yard pass down the middle to McDonald got the 49ers in business. Runs of 17 yards and 11 yards for Harris set up the go-ahead score.

Gabbert hit Smith to the right for a 16-yard touchdown to give the 49ers the lead once again, 14-10. (11:26)

It was Smith's fourth touchdown of the season and first of less than 70 yards. The touchdown capped a seven-play, 82-yard drive that lasted just 2:49.

San Francisco's defense followed with a three-and-out, but the Lions got the ball on a strip sack of Gabbert. Josh Bynes sacked Gabbert while Haloti Ngata recovered the loose ball at San Francisco's 1-yard line.

Joique Bell marched into the end zone on the next play, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Lions up 17-14. (8:54)

Once again, Gabbert got the offense moving quickly to respond. Two big plays to Bruce Ellington got the 49ers into Detroit territory. The first was a 38-yard bomb down the right sideline on a perfectly thrown, over-the-shoulder pass by Gabbert. The second was a pass near the right sideline for a 14-yard gain that Ellington did well to keep both feet in bounds.

The drive ultimately stalled, and Phil Dawson uncharacteristically missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt, hooking it wide to the left.

After forcing a three-and-out, a 21-yard across the middle to McDonald pass got the 49ers rolling again at the two-minute warning. A holding penalty against the Lions and a 14-yard run for Gaskins kept the ball moving into Lions territory. Gabbert scrambled for nine yards, Hayne followed by picking up the first down with a 3-yard carry. Three-straight incompletions brought Dawson on for another field-goal attempt.

Dawson was good on his second try, this time from 40-yards out to tie the game at 17 a piece. (0:35)

Detroit wasn't content taking a knee to go into the half. A 16-yard shovel pass to Riddick and a quick timeout got the Lions to their 36-yard line. Another offsides penalty got the Lions five more yards. Ahmad Brooks and NaVorro Bowman combined for a sack of Stafford but a 36-yard pass to Tate put the Lions in field-goal range.

Matt Prater knocked down the 38-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, giving the Lions the 20-17 advantage. (0:00)

Third Quarter

Calvin Johnson got the Lions moving to start the third quarter with two quick receptions of 13 and 18 yards. Dink-and-dunk gains got Detroit into San Francisco territory, but the 49ers defense was able to force another field-goal attempt.

Prater was good once again from 37 yards out to extend Detroit's lead to 23-17. (8:25)

The teams traded three-and-outs with the 49ers getting the ball back at their own 10-yard line. Quinton Patton made his first big play of the day, making a nice catch on a low throw over the middle of the field and taking it up the left sideline for 28 yards. A negative rushing play and a sack of Gabbert resulted in another punt from Bradley Pinion.

Fourth Quarter

The final quarter began with Detroit challenging a ruling the Tate was down short of the first-down marker on a third-down reception. The Lions won the challenge to give them a fresh set of downs. The 49ers were called for their seventh offsides penalty. Three plays later, Stafford hit Johnson near the left sideline, who broke a tackle and took the pass for 29 yards.

A pass interference on 3rd-and-goal gave the Lions the ball on the 1-yard line with a fresh set of downs.

Stafford hit Johnson on the very next play for the 1-yard touchdown connection, building Detroit's lead to 29-17 after a failed two-point try. (9:04).

It was announced in the press box that Quinton Dial was questionable to return with a back injury.

One first down on a 5-yard reception by Hayne is all the 49ers could muster on the next drive. Hayne caught a fourth-down pass that was stopped inches short of the sticks to give Detroit possession.

Detroit didn't go far, but they didn't need to in order to set up a field-goal opportunity.

Prater's fourth field goal was good and brought the score to 32-17, Lions. (3:07)

San Francisco failed to convert on fourth down during their following drive. Detroit took three knees and sealed the 32-17 victory.

The 49ers come home for a Week 17 home game against the St. Louis Rams to close out their 2015 season.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.
Advertising