The Ugly from Week 2
Well, fortunately, there wasn’t a lot of the ugly side of San Francisco’s Week 2 win. No significant injuries yet reported, no game-costing penalties.
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At least from the Niners’ vantage point, at least.
But perhaps there’s the argument to be made. The Lions, not the 49ers, were flagged 10 times for 105 yards. Include that fourth-quarter defensive-holding call on the play that included Jimmy Garoppolo’s interception tossed, one can see how Detroit cost itself the game. Not San Francisco.
That said, the 49ers won this game by three points. A year ago at this time, they were losing games by three, or fewer, points amid a stretch of games that inevitably led to Garoppolo’s five-game win streak and the opening of 2018.
So maybe Garoppolo, Kyle Shanahan and Co. have actually turned a page — no longer losing those close games, instead finding ways to somehow win them.
Even if the game itself was ugly and nowhere close to perfect.
But the Niners will have to be close to perfect in Week 3, as they travel to Kansas City to take on second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his red-hot Chiefs offense at Arrowhead Stadium.
Yes, that will be another litmus test for San Francisco.