49ers were just 2 yards shy of ending embarrassing streak

For anyone thinking the San Francisco 49ers were suffering some sort of hangover after an ugly and one-sided Week 10 defeat against the Los Angeles Rams, think again.

The Niners got out to the hottest of hot starts the following Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, and it started on the very first play of the game.

Kick-return specialist Skyy Moore, who's had an up-and-down season in his special teams role, took the opening kickoff and found seams through Arizona's kickoff coverage unit, and it appeared as if he'd take it all the way for a touchdown on the opening play:

A shoestring tackle just shy of the goal line prevented Moore from arguably the most electrifying play in all of football.

And the tackle at the 2-yard line also prevented the Niners from ending a streak that goes back quite a long while.

49ers nearly ended kickoff TD drought on 1st play vs. Cardinals

Moore's return likely prompted some fans to think back to the last time San Francisco returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

And, yes. It's been a while.

The last time the 49ers returned a kickoff for a touchdown happened to be back on Dec. 16, 2018, when then-specialist Richie James did it at Levi's Stadium against the Seattle Seahawks.

At least that streak of no kickoff TDs doesn't look as bad as the drought of not scoring a touchdown on a punt-return attempt. The latter one has been far too long.

Still, Moore's return certainly gave a spark to the Niners offense in yet another crucial NFC West showdown and on the heels of a rough loss to another division rival. On the following play, running back Christian McCaffrey punched it in for a quick touchdown to give San Francisco the early lead.

Too bad Moore didn't do it on his own, though, ending a lengthy drought in the process.

Exclusive: Norman Powell teases explosive connection with Tyler Herro when he returns

MIAMI – As

Miami Heat star Tyler Herro has returned to practice after missing the start of the season, still recovering from left ankle surgery, there is one connection on the team that fans have yet to witness, which features Herro and

Norman Powell. There's no doubt that the veteran has made an impact, like Andrew Wiggins calling Powell the best thing to happen for the Heat this year, but how will he look with Herro also on the floor?

Heat's Norman Powell on fit with Tyler Herro when he returns

So far this season, Powell has been stellar for the Heat, averaging 26.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 47.9 percent from three-point range. One would imagine those statistics go down when Herro returns in about a

“week or two,” as the star said Sunday, but that won't mean Powell will be suppressed.

In a one-on-one interview with ClutchPoints after Sunday's practice, he would express his excitement to Herro and

Bam Adebayo, returning to practice, saying that he doesn't expect any changes when the guard is back. Powell cites himself playing with star players in the past, producing alongside them, and even mentions how the two have spoken about “playing off one another.”

“Especially in this offense, I could see if it was we had to run plays and I need a certain number of shots, or whatever it is, but that's not the case,” Powell said. “I mean, if you look at my track record from playing with other stars, I played alongside ball-dominant stars and still been productive and been able to produce. So I don't think it's going to be anything different.”

“I think we're going to complement each other with our play style, with the way they're guarding me,” Powell continued. “Now they have to guard Tyler as well. So I think we're going to have him in a lot of rotations, especially with the pace. We're both selfless players. We've already been talking about how we're going to be finding each other and looking for each other in transition and playing off one another.”

Heat's Tyler Herro on Norman Powell's season thus far

With the Heat displaying its new offense, emphasizing a free-flowing and fast-paced system, it could be easy to imagine Powell and Herro forming an explosive backcourt. Powell would receive praise from Herro after Sunday's practice, saying that the former Los Angeles Clippers guard has

“been killing it” and also highlighting that he doesn't “expect anything else to change” when he comes back.

“He’s been killing it, super excited for Norm [Powell],” Herro said to ClutchPoints. “I know how hard he works, since he's come here, you know, he's lived in the gym, guys like that, I just tip my hat. So I love workers, love guys who come in and get extra reps, and that's what he does. I don't expect anything else to change. He's a hell of an offensive player. He's going to continue to do that for us the whole season. Opens up a lot for our offense.”

Still, there is a handful of games to play with Herro sidelined, as Powell will be called upon to be the leading scorer once again, with a rematch against the New York Knicks on Monday after the disappointing loss last Friday.

The rebounding has been an issue for Miami recently, with Powell telling ClutchPoints that aspect was a big emphasis in practice, saying he takes blame for not just the boards, but needing to be a better leader. At any rate, Powell and the Heat look to get back in the winning column on Monday night.

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