Already trailing by seven points after allowing an opening-drive touchdown, the San Francisco 49ers defense found itself backed up to its goal line midway through the first quarter on Saturday, just a few feet away from surrendering consecutive scores to open the 2015 preseason.
But instead of giving in, even when a penalty gave the Houston Texans offense a new set of downs, the 49ers goal-line unit – to borrow a hockey phrase – stood on its head.
San Francisco stopped Houston seven consecutive times from inside the 3-yard line to force a turnover on downs. Eric Reid, Nick Moody, Antoine Bethea, Shayne Skov, Quinton Dial, Eli Harold and Mike Purcell all recorded tackles during the sequence.