The San Francisco 49ers looked like a powerhouse poised to make another deep postseason run for the first five weeks of the season.
The Niners annihilated the teams they should have annihilated and then, in case anyone thought it was a fluke due to the light schedule, annihilated the Dallas Cowboys on national television in Week 5.
All of this makes the Niners’ current position (5-3, with a three-game losing streak) as they enter their bye week all the more perplexing and concerning.
“I thought there was things that we were sloppy on versus Cleveland, mainly the penalties and struggling against the run,” Kyle Shanahan, the team’s coach, said. “I thought there were a number of good clips in Minnesota that I really liked how we looked on tape and our energy and stuff like that.” But I thought we gave up too many huge plays, had a number of busts, and struggled against a hot quarterback.
“Then I suppose [Sunday vs. Cincinnati] what stands out the most on the tape to me is just how slow and fatigued we looked… I could see a different type of intensity on tape, which was frustrating. But I also know that they require this rest, as evidenced by the most”
Over the last three weeks, the Niners have looked like an entirely different squad. The issues don’t only affect one player or one side of the ball. Some appear to be short-term remedies. Others may require more time.
In any case, the 49ers entered this season having appeared in three NFC Championship games in the previous four seasons and with the clock ticking on their window to finally break through and win a Super Bowl. So there’s no time to wait around praying and hoping that things will miraculously improve, which is why the Niners traded a 2024 third-round pick for defensive end Chase Young on Tuesday.
We’ll look at the challenges the 49ers have encountered throughout their recent losing streak and how easily they can be solved through trades or other means.
Injuries
The Niners are hoping that the bye week will aid them with their health. In a Week 6 loss to the Browns, San Francisco lost All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams (sprained right ankle), receiver Deebo Samuel (hairline fracture in his shoulder), and running back Christian McCaffrey (oblique strain).
While McCaffrey has been able to play through it for the past two weeks, Samuel and Williams have missed both games. Their absence has been felt in a variety of ways.
Shanahan believes both players will be able to return following the bye week. The Niners could need both guys back as soon as possible, especially given Williams’ blocking and Samuel’s versatility can help resurrect the team’s struggling run game.
The Niners averaged 34.6 carries per game for 156.4 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per attempt over the first five weeks. Over the last three seasons, those figures have plummeted to 23.3 carries for 95.3 yards at 4.1 yards per rush.
Getting the run game back on track after the bye week will be a primary priority, especially with all of the other things it can set up in Shanahan’s playbook.
“When you have outside zone, you could run play action, boot legs, keepers, all that off of it,” tight end George Kittle explained. “And when you have turnovers and penalties and you’re playing behind the sticks and down, it’s difficult to run the football and get access to all those plays.” We must be cleaner from the start. Then we’ll keep running the football, running outside zone, running some gap system, and being the physical 49ers offense that we all know and love.”
This has contributed to perhaps the most troubling aspect of the 49ers’ recent slump: turnovers. During their five-game winning streak, the Niners had only two turnovers and zero interceptions. In the last three games, they had seven turnovers and five interceptions. Furthermore, four of those interceptions came in opposition territory.
Purdy has generally performed well this season, but he still needs to demonstrate his ability to perform in less-than-ideal conditions with the game on the line.
“It’s like, trust in the play, trust in what we’re trying to do,” said Purdy. “And then, if it isn’t there, attempt to make something happen but don’t push it… Even if you’re attempting to make something happen, be clever about it. So it’s really a delicate line.”
Stephen A. Smith explains why he dislikes what he’s seeing from Brock Purdy.
Tackling
The 49ers’ defensive problems are considerably more extensive. There was always going to be some snags under new coordinator Steve Wilks, but the first five weeks looked to put those fears to rest until a sharp decline during the last three.
The Niners’ apparent inability to tackle consistently has been the most surprising aspect of it all. Sound tackling has been a trademark of every solid Niners defense in recent years, and it appeared to be so again this season, with only 24 missed tackles through five games. They’ve missed 32 games in the last three weeks, including a season-high 13 on Sunday against the Bengals.
In theory, this should be a simple fix because the Niners have the same players who did so well to start the season, but they must still prove they can tackle well in the long run.
“I’m not going to make excuses for why we’re missing tackles,” said Fred Warner, a linebacker. “We’ve got to tackle better.”
Coverage and pass rush
Better pass coverage could help the 49ers overcome their tackling issues. Wilks arrived in San Francisco with a reputation for being confrontational. Wilks frequently combined man coverage with high blitz rates in past stops. The Niners have done the opposite in most of Shanahan’s seven seasons, rushing with four and varying zone coverages.
That is insufficient given their sustained investment in the defensive line, and they hope that acquiring Young will help in that area. Shanahan has already been questioned about his faith in Wilks as a result of all of this. This includes thoughts of sending Wilks from the booth to the sideline in the hopes of igniting the defense.
In truth, such actions are primarily cosmetic, done to demonstrate that you’re attempting new things rather than taking serious measures to improve. The Niners’ progress must come from returning to basics. Shanahan’s farewell address to his team before the bye emphasized this issue.
“Bottom line was we’ve got to get better in every aspect,” he stated.
