Editor’s note: The 49ers break for the bye week with a 2-8 record. This is part of a series that recaps the first 10 games with an eye to the future. In this installment, we look at the best moment from the first 10 weeks.
The 49ers have just two wins, so it could be argued their best moments so far this season have come when the game clock hit 0:00 at the end of those two games.
But if you're really taking only one singular moment, there’s no comparison as to which to chose.
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SIGN UP HERE It happened in Week 4, with a little less than three minutes left on the clock in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers. That's when 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard found tight end George Kittle wide open 20 yards downfield with a pass. Kittle did the rest, running 60 yards diagonally to the left edge of the end zone for a touchdown.
It still stands as the 49ers' longest pass play of 2018. It also was the longest play in the NFL this season until Cleveland Browns rookie running back Nick Chubb ripped off a 92-yard run in Week 10.
Beathard and Kittle’s incredible play marked the first time the Iowa stars had connected for a touchdown in their football careers. They have played together since they were freshmen for the Hawkeyes.
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After the game, Kittle explained the 49ers had been working on the play for a while. He was just waiting for it to be called.
“Safeties playing on the opposite hash, the guy drops me because he thinks I’m running vertical, C.J. finds me," Kittle said, "and [I] got a good cut on the safety. He kind of stumbled, and just got a run from there.”
While the game didn’t end how the 49ers wanted -- the Chargers won 29-27 -- Kittle explained the play did give them momentum toward a comeback after trailing by nine points. It gave the fans hope, too.
“After I caught my breath, yes. I was ready," Kittle said. "The defense got a three-and-out, and we got a field goal the next time to put us in the lead. I was pretty excited about that.”
Kittle has enjoyed an extremely productive season, with 50 catches for 775 yards, putting him on pace to break 1,200 yards for the season. His 15.5 yards per reception ranks third among NFL tight ends behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' O.J. Howard (16.8) and the Pittsburgh Steelers' Jesse James (15.6). It also lands Kittle 18th among wide receivers and tight ends combined.