2015 San Francisco 49ers season

Coaching changes

With their loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 of the 2014-15 season, the 49ers were mathematically eliminated from the postseason, exacerbating tensions between Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and General Manager Trent Baalke. After the season ended, the 49ers and Harbaugh mutually agreed to end his contract. On January 14, 2015, Jim Tomsula was promoted to head coach after serving as defensive line coach with the team since 2007; it is his second time at the helm, as he previously served as the 49ers' interim head coach for one game, after Mike Singletary's firing in 2010.

2015 NFL Draft

Notes

^{^[a]} The 49ers traded their first-round selection (No. 15 overall) to the San Diego Chargers in exchange for San Diego's first- and fourth-round selection (Nos. 17 and 117 overall, respectively) as well a fifth-round selection in 2016. ^{^[b]} The 49ers traded a conditional fourth-round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for wide receiver Stevie Johnson; the selection could be upgraded to a third-rounder pending Johnson's statistics in 2014. ^{^[c]} The 49ers acquired an additional fourth-round selection as part of a trade that sent their 2014 second- and seventh-round selections to the Denver Broncos. ^{^[d]} The 49ers traded a seventh-round selection to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for offensive tackle Jonathan Martin. ^{^[e]} The 49ers acquired an additional seventh-round selection in a trade that sent linebacker Cam Johnson to the Indianapolis Colts. ^{^[f]} The 49ers traded their fifth-round selection (No. 151 overall) to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for Indianapolis's fifth- and seventh-round selection (Nos. 165 and 244 overall, respectively). ^{^[g]} The 49ers acquired a sixth-round selection in 2016 as part of a trade that sent their seventh-round selections (No. 246) to Dallas Cowboys.

Regular season

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings

In the 49ers first game with new Coach Jim Tomsula, the 49ers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 20–3 on Monday Night Football. Carlos Hyde in his first career start rushed 26 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Hyde's 168 rushing yards are the most by a 49ers player since 2012, when Colin Kaepernick rushed for 181 against the Packers. Colin Kaepernick went 17 for 26 with 165 yards passing. The 49ers defense was stout, holding the Vikings to just three points and sacking Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater five times. This game also marked the return of NaVorro Bowman, who missed all of the 2014 season with an injury. He had seven tackles and a sack in the season opener. In addition, the 49ers introduced black alternate uniforms.

Week 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers

The 49ers first road game of the year ends in a disaster. The 49ers defense had no answer for Ben Roethlisberger, who went 21 for 27, 369 yards and three touchdown passes as the Steelers won 43-18. The Steelers took a commanding 29-3 halftime lead. Despite only scoring 18 points, the 49ers offense opened up in the second half, with Kaepernick leading the 49ers into the Steelers red zone four times, but only able to score one touchdown (along with a field goal and two turnover on downs). The highlight for the 49ers was Kaepernick hitting wide receiver Torrey Smith for a 75-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The Steelers' defense had a field day on Kaepernick by sacking him 5 times and making him lose a fumble.

With the loss, the 49ers fell to 1-1.

Week 3: at Arizona Cardinals

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick became the first player since 1925 to throw two interceptions returned for touchdowns (Pick sixes) to start a game. He had four interceptions in the game overall and the Arizona Cardinals thrashed the 49ers 47-7. This is the most points the Cardinals have scored against the 49ers ever. The 49ers have now been outscored 90-25 in the last two weeks and now drop their record to 1-2.

Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers

Despite a good showing by the 49ers defense (holding the Packers to a season low 17 points and sacking Aaron Rodgers 3 times), the 49ers offense struggled all game. It was another frustrating day for Colin Kaepernick, who consistently missed receivers and threw an interception. Throughout the game, he was sacked six times. In the last two weeks, Kaepernick has no touchdown passes and five interceptions with a quarterback rating of 12.7.

With yet another tough loss, the Niners dropped to 1-3 as well as being outscored a total of 110-48 in their first 4 games. As of the end of week 4, the 49ers are last in the league in total points scored.

Week 5: at New York Giants

In one of the wildest games of the year, the 49ers lose a heartbreaker in the final minute. The 49ers offense, which struggled the previous two weeks and had just 6 points at halftime in this game, came alive and scored three second half touchdowns, including Carlos Hyde's 2 yard go ahead touchdown run with 1:45 left on the clock to give the 49ers a 27-23 lead. But Giants quarterback Eli Manning led the Giants down the field and threw a 12-yard touchdown to Larry Donnell with :17 left in the game. The 49ers defense was shredded for an astonishing 525 yards by the Giants offense. There were five lead changes in the game, three of them in the final 4:29 of the fourth quarter.

Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens

The 49ers meet the Ravens for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII, in which the Ravens won 34-31. In the second quarter, Colin Kaepernick threw a 76-yard pass to ex-Raven Torrey Smith to lead San Francisco 13-3. In the fourth quarter, Kaepernick threw another touchdown, this time to Quinton Patton, for 11-yard pass to lead the 49ers 25-13. This was Patton's first NFL touchdown. With the win, the 49ers have avenged their Super Bowl loss and broke their 4-game losing streak, and they go to 2-4.

Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Much like last year's Thanksgiving Day matchup, the 49ers were unable to stop the defending NFC Champions. Colin Kaepernick struggled all game long and he was sacked six times much like Week 4 against Green Bay, where the 49ers were only held to a field goal. With the 20-3 loss, the 49ers drop to 2-5.

Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons

This was Blaine Gabbert's first game as starting quarterback with the 49ers, replacing the inconsistent Colin Kaepernick.

Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks

Blaine Gabbert made his second start and remained starter for the rest of the season with Colin Kaepernick undergoing season-ending surgery on his left non-throwing shoulder.

Week 14: at Cleveland Browns

With the loss, the 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs, and become the latest Super Bowl host team to fail to play the championship game on its own home field.

Week 17: vs. St. Louis Rams

This was the final game between the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams.