Santa Clara, Calif. – Just over a year ago, the San Francisco 49ers were facing a critical juncture as they headed into their bye week. Their record was far from stellar, sitting at 3-4, after a resounding defeat by the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium. However, a game-changing solution was already within their grasp. The Niners had recently pulled off a blockbuster trade, acquiring running back Christian McCaffrey with the hope of sparking a second-half resurgence. Their gamble paid off as the team went on a remarkable 10-game winning streak, leading to an NFC Championship Game appearance.
Fast forward to the present, and the Niners face their bye week with a stronger record, but the same level of urgency following a disappointing 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. After starting the season with a promising 5-0 record, San Francisco has now suffered three consecutive losses, dropping them to 5-3 and out of the top spot in the NFC West division.
While the Niners may be looking for external help during the upcoming trade deadline, Coach Kyle Shanahan has made it clear that they can’t expect another game-changer like McCaffrey to rescue them this time. The path to improvement must largely come from within the team, starting with a period of self-reflection during the bye week before they face the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 12.
Shanahan emphasized, “No, none of this changes anything with the trade deadline. How we played today or how we played these last three weeks… I do believe we have the answers in our building. I believe we have good players. I believe we have good coaches. It’s up to me to get them to do better.”
The recent loss to the Bengals marked the Niners’ first three-game losing streak since the 2021 season. This downturn came on the heels of a 15-game regular-season winning streak and a strong start to this season, where they dominated their first five opponents with an average winning margin of 19.8 points per game.
During their early-season dominance, Shanahan had hinted at the team’s mistakes, which they could afford due to their comfortable leads. However, recent weeks have seen a shift in the wrong direction across multiple key statistics. The Niners have been outscored by an average of 7 points per game, outgained by an average of 62 yards per game, and have given up 15 plays of 20-plus yards (the second most in the NFL over that span). They’ve also turned the ball over seven times and have a minus-3 turnover margin in the past three games.
Niners quarterback Brock Purdy, who didn’t throw an interception in the first five weeks, has thrown five interceptions in the past three games. These errors have limited the team’s ability to run the ball effectively.
While these offensive issues are concerning, the most surprising problems have occurred on the defensive side. Despite consistently fielding a strong defense in recent years, the Niners have faltered in this area recently. The defense has allowed nearly 70 more passing yards per game, and opposing quarterbacks have achieved a significantly higher QBR in the last three weeks.
All these challenges, coupled with a pass rush that has struggled and controversial coaching decisions, have put the Niners in a difficult position. Shanahan stressed, “This isn’t on any one coach or any one side of the ball… our team needs to do better. Every single player in there and every single coach.”
As they enter a lengthy break, the 49ers hope to heal their key players and work on their issues. However, their schedule won’t offer any respite as they face Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Seattle again in the five weeks after the bye.
Shanahan summed up the team’s mindset, saying, “I think our guys need to be pissed off a little bit. I think we need to come back with a little better focus because it hasn’t been enough, and we haven’t been getting it done.”
The San Francisco 49ers are on a quest for redemption, and the challenges they face are sure to test their mettle.
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