Tennessee Titans vs. San Francisco 49ers: 2017 Week 15 Recap

Game story

In Week 15 of the 2017 NFL season on 2017-12-17, the San Francisco 49ers took care of business against the Tennessee Titans, pulling away with a 25–23 final that came down to the wire.

The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 25 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

J. Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers) paced the passing game, with +16.14 total EPA, and +11.3% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, J. Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +16.14 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (+39.5% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when San Francisco 49ers changed the game: (:03) 9-R.Gould 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 J. Garoppolo · San Francisco 49ers · Passing · +16.14 total EPA · 47 snaps · +0.34 EPA/play
2. 2 M. Mariota · Tennessee Titans · Passing · +10.92 total EPA · 35 snaps · +0.31 EPA/play
3. 3 R. Matthews · Tennessee Titans · Receiving · +9.79 total EPA · 8 snaps · +1.22 EPA/play
4. 4 M. Goodwin · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +7.21 total EPA · 13 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
5. 5 G. Celek · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +5.56 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.85 EPA/play
6. 6 K. Bourne · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +5.11 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.85 EPA/play
7. 7 E. Decker · Tennessee Titans · Receiving · +4.78 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.96 EPA/play
8. 8 G. Kittle · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +1.95 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.39 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• San Francisco 49ers — G. Celek (J. Garoppolo pass) (Q2 35:38)
• Tennessee Titans — D. Walker (M. Mariota pass) (Q2 30:37)
• Tennessee Titans — R. Matthews (M. Mariota pass) (Q4 13:36)

Field goals

• San Francisco 49ers — R. Gould (Q1 53:55)
• San Francisco 49ers — R. Gould (Q1 49:40)
• Tennessee Titans — R. Succop (Q2 44:10)
• San Francisco 49ers — R. Gould (Q2 31:41)
• Tennessee Titans — R. Succop (Q3 23:34)
• San Francisco 49ers — R. Gould (Q4 8:33)
• San Francisco 49ers — R. Gould (Q4 3:13)
• Tennessee Titans — R. Succop (Q4 1:12)
• Tennessee Titans — R. Succop (Q4 1:07)
• San Francisco 49ers — R. Succop (Q4 1:07)
• San Francisco 49ers — R. Gould (Q4 0:03)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: San Francisco 49ers won the period 6–0. San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the TEN 20 (Q1 53:55) — (8:55) 9-R.Gould 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the TEN 29 (Q1 49:40) — (4:40) 9-R.Gould 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion..

The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 10–10. Tennessee Titans connected on a field goal from the SF 22 (Q2 44:10) — (14:10) 4-R.Succop 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern.; San Francisco 49ers found the end zone from the TEN 5 (Q2 35:38) — (5:38) (Shotgun) 10-J.Garoppolo pass short right to 88-G.Celek for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; San Francisco 49ers added 1 points from the TEN 15 (Q2 35:30) — 9-R.Gould extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the TEN 10 (Q2 31:41) — (1:41) 9-R.Gould 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.; Tennessee Titans found the end zone from the SF 4 (Q2 30:37) — (:37) (Shotgun) 8-M.Mariota pass short right to 82-D.Walker for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tennessee Titans added 1 points from the SF 15 (Q2 30:29) — 4-R.Succop extra point is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern..

The third quarter: Tennessee Titans won the period 3–0. Tennessee Titans connected on a field goal from the SF 13 (Q3 23:34).

The fourth quarter: Tennessee Titans won the period 13–12. Tennessee Titans found the end zone from the SF 8 (Q4 13:36) — (13:36) (Shotgun) 8-M.Mariota pass short middle to 18-R.Matthews for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tennessee Titans added 1 points from the SF 15 (Q4 13:31) — 4-R.Succop extra point is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the TEN 32 (Q4 8:33) — (8:33) 9-R.Gould 50 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the TEN 30 (Q4 3:13) — (3:13) 9-R.Gould 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.; Tennessee Titans connected on a field goal from the SF 32 (Q4 1:12) — (1:12) 4-R.Succop 50 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern.; Tennessee Titans connected on a field goal from the TEN 35 (Q4 1:07) — 4-R.Succop kicks 65 yards from TEN 35 to end zone, Touchback.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the TEN 35 (Q4 1:07) — 4-R.Succop kicks 65 yards from TEN 35 to end zone, Touchback.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the TEN 27 (Q4 0:03) — (:03) 9-R.Gould 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• San Francisco 49ers (Q4 0:03) — (:03) 9-R.Gould 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion. [WPA +39.5% · EPA +0.71]
• San Francisco 49ers (Q4 0:51) — (:51) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 10-J.Garoppolo pass short middle to 85-G.Kittle to TEN 44 for 24 yards (31-K.Byard, 37-J.Cyprien). Caught at SF 46. 10-YAC [WPA +16.0% · EPA +1.10]
• Tennessee Titans (Q4 13:36) — (13:36) (Shotgun) 8-M.Mariota pass short middle to 18-R.Matthews for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +14.9% · EPA +3.19]
• San Francisco 49ers (Q4 6:28) — (6:28) 10-J.Garoppolo pass short middle to 84-K.Bourne to TEN 33 for 54 yards (25-A.Jackson). Caught at SF 26. 41-YAC [WPA +14.9% · EPA +3.27]
• San Francisco 49ers (Q4 9:12) — (9:12) (Shotgun) 10-J.Garoppolo sacked at TEN 32 for -10 yards (59-W.Woodyard). [WPA -14.2% · EPA -2.08]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• Tennessee Titans (Q2 34:38) — (4:38) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 8-M.Mariota pass short middle to 82-D.Walker to TEN 42 for 5 yards (50-B.Coyle). FUMBLES (50-B.Coyle), RECOVERED by SF-38-A.Colbert at TEN 46. 4 yards of Loose Ball yardage [WPA -6.1% · EPA -4.42]
• San Francisco 49ers (Q4 6:28) — (6:28) 10-J.Garoppolo pass short middle to 84-K.Bourne to TEN 33 for 54 yards (25-A.Jackson). Caught at SF 26. 41-YAC [WPA +14.9% · EPA +3.27]
• Tennessee Titans (Q4 13:36) — (13:36) (Shotgun) 8-M.Mariota pass short middle to 18-R.Matthews for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +14.9% · EPA +3.19]
• San Francisco 49ers (Q2 35:38) — (5:38) (Shotgun) 10-J.Garoppolo pass short right to 88-G.Celek for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +6.5% · EPA +2.80]

Quarterback report card

J.Garoppolo led all passers in efficiency for San Francisco 49ers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• J.Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers) · 47 dropbacks · 66.0% completion · +11.3% CPOE · +0.34 EPA/play · +16.14 total EPA
• M.Mariota (Tennessee Titans) · 35 dropbacks · 65.7% completion · +10.9% CPOE · +0.31 EPA/play · +10.92 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Tennessee Titans +0.15, San Francisco 49ers +0.16) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.

• San Francisco 49ers: 9 drives, +13.23 total EPA, 6 scoring drives
• Tennessee Titans: 8 drives, +11.87 total EPA, 5 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• San Francisco 49ers leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
• J. Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• J. Garoppolo (SF) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
• M. Mariota (TEN) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q1 53:55 · TEN 20 · Score 0-3
   (8:55) 9-R.Gould 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.
2. San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q1 49:40 · TEN 29 · Score 0-6
   (4:40) 9-R.Gould 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.
3. Tennessee Titans FG (+3) — Q2 44:10 · SF 22 · Score 3-6
   (14:10) 4-R.Succop 40 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern.
4. San Francisco 49ers TD (+6) — Q2 35:38 · TEN 5 · Score 3-12
   (5:38) (Shotgun) 10-J.Garoppolo pass short right to 88-G.Celek for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
5. San Francisco 49ers XP (+1) — Q2 35:30 · TEN 15 · Score 3-13
   9-R.Gould extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.
6. San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q2 31:41 · TEN 10 · Score 3-16
   (1:41) 9-R.Gould 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.
7. Tennessee Titans TD (+6) — Q2 30:37 · SF 4 · Score 9-16
   (:37) (Shotgun) 8-M.Mariota pass short right to 82-D.Walker for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
8. Tennessee Titans XP (+1) — Q2 30:29 · SF 15 · Score 10-16
   4-R.Succop extra point is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern.
9. Tennessee Titans FG (+3) — Q3 23:34 · SF 13 · Score 13-16
   (8:34) 4-R.Succop 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern. PENALTY on SF-35-E.Reid, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 15 yards, enforced betwee
10. Tennessee Titans TD (+6) — Q4 13:36 · SF 8 · Score 19-16
    (13:36) (Shotgun) 8-M.Mariota pass short middle to 18-R.Matthews for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
11. Tennessee Titans XP (+1) — Q4 13:31 · SF 15 · Score 20-16
    4-R.Succop extra point is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern.
12. San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q4 8:33 · TEN 32 · Score 20-19
    (8:33) 9-R.Gould 50 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.
13. San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q4 3:13 · TEN 30 · Score 20-22
    (3:13) 9-R.Gould 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.
14. Tennessee Titans FG (+3) — Q4 1:12 · SF 32 · Score 23-22
    (1:12) 4-R.Succop 50 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Brinkley, Holder-6-B.Kern.
15. Tennessee Titans FG (+3) — Q4 1:07 · TEN 35 · Score 23-22
    4-R.Succop kicks 65 yards from TEN 35 to end zone, Touchback.
16. San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q4 1:07 · TEN 35 · Score 23-22
    4-R.Succop kicks 65 yards from TEN 35 to end zone, Touchback.
17. San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q4 0:03 · TEN 27 · Score 23-25
    (:03) 9-R.Gould 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.