The San Francisco 49ers gave a performance that perfectly encapsulated their dismal season on the day they were formally ruled out of the playoffs.
In Sunday’s 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins, the offense failed to score 20 points for the eighth time this season, a missed field goal spoiled a comeback attempt, and the defense was thrashed on the ground.
QB Brock Purdy stated, “It’s just not clean football across the board.” “We’re hurting ourselves offensively, and then we have to go and capitalize when the defense gets a stop,” I said. We did that pretty successfully last year, as we have in the past few years. I thought we were quite dominant for the four quarters that we played team football. It’s been hit or miss this year.
San Francisco (6-9) has struggled from the beginning due to contract issues throughout training camp, injuries to important players on both sides of the ball, and inconsistent play.
Purdy ruined a comeback attempt and guaranteed the 49ers a lost season with a late interception after being heavily pressured behind a patchwork line.
Earlier in the day, San Francisco, which started the season as one of the favorites to make it back to the Super Bowl, was already out of the running for the postseason. After losing in the NFC championship game the previous two seasons, the 49ers lost to Kansas City in overtime in February.
The 49ers have faltered this season after dominating the previous two after mid-season bye weeks due to injuries that have kept players like Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk, and Nick Bosa out of action for several games.
However, San Francisco is currently sixth in scoring, last in takeaways, and fifth in yards rushing allowed over the last seven weeks, despite the fact that even the healthy guys haven’t played well.
The Niners are now playing pointless games for the first time since the 2020 season, when they finished 6-10 following their Super Bowl loss, which puts them in an unusual position.
“We’ve been the highest of highs for a long time,” Bosa stated. “Sometimes things don’t go your way and a lot of it is because of what we’ve done, obviously.”
Red zone defense
On three trips to the red zone, San Francisco restricted Miami to one touchdown. The 49ers have restricted the opposition to one touchdown on six trips in the last two games after giving up touchdowns on 13 straight red zone drives over a four-week period.
Penalties
The Niners had a season-high 11 90-yard penalties, many of which were expensive. DBs Talanoa Hufanga and Deommodore Lenoir were both punished for needless roughness penalties that fueled field-goal drives, and rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall lined up illegally twice on a single drive.
Coach Kyle Shanahan stated, “You don’t deserve to win when you have those penalties like that, regardless of what’s going on.”
WR Deebo Samuel
Following five games in which he was limited to 116 yards from scrimmage, Samuel put on a performance that resembled his play from the past few years. He ran for 25 yards and caught seven passes for 96 yards and his first touchdown since Week 6. He set a season high with 121 yards from scrimmage.
K Jake Moody
In the third quarter, the second-year kicker missed a 41-yarder wide left. Moody’s 76.7% conversion rate is tied for 26th place, and he has missed seven field goals this season.
Jaylon Moore (quadriceps strain) and offensive lineman Aaron Banks (knee) will miss the season’s last two games. LB Dre Greenlaw, who recently returned from a left Achilles tendon injury, may also be sidelined due to right calf pain, according to Shanahan. LT Trent Williams (ankle) will not be returning this season, according to Shanahan…. RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) should return to practice this week. … To find out if OL Spencer Burford (calf) can return to action this season, the squad is awaiting the findings of an MRI. S Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle) and LB Dee Winters (chest) are day to day.
The 49ers remain winless under Shanahan after falling behind by eight or more points in the fourth quarter in the regular season or playoffs. They are the only team in the NFL without a win in that scenario since Shanahan was hired in 2017.
The 49ers host Detroit on Monday night.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.