San Francisco 49ers: Top 10 plays from 2018, Weeks 1 through 10

49ers top play No. 7

In play No. 7, backup safety Antone Exum gives the 49ers’ defense a needed boost as he kicks off Week 4 with a pick-six on the Chargers’ opening drive.

After the injury bug hit San Francisco hard in Week 3, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was forced to piece together a makeshift secondary absent its most important starters. Exum, who was also questionable for the matchup, was able to suit up and start for injured strong safety Jaquiski Tartt.

Exum responded with the best game of his career, and his stellar performance began on the first drive of the game.

After the 49ers held the Chargers in place over their first two offensive plays, quarterback Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles offense was forced into a 3rd-and-10. With the Niners’ 6-foot-7 defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in his face, Rivers tried to throw around the defender’s outstretched arms to his favorite wide receiver, Keenan Allen.

Exum read the play perfectly, and when Rivers’ pass was off the mark, the safety was there for the easy interception. After avoiding Allen’s initial tackle attempt, Exum had only Rivers and the Chargers’ offensive line between him and the end zone.

30 yards later, Exum scored his first career touchdown off his first career interception, which put the 49ers on the board in the first minute of the contest, and before San Francisco’s offense touched the field:

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