SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A San Francisco 49ers group that routinely rolled to massive victories in 2023 can’t appear to tug away from anybody this season.
They haven’t any knockout punch.
In Week 8, that they had a 27-10 lead coming into the fourth quarter, then needed to grasp on for pricey life because the Dallas Cowboys mounted a livid comeback. Final week, that they had management within the third quarter till a botched punt return let the Tampa Bay Buccaneers again into the competition, requiring a last-minute 49ers drive for the win.
And on Sunday, the 49ers once more appeared to be cruising to victory after the protection stonewalled the Seattle Seahawks on fourth-and-1 with 3:56 remaining. Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Ji’Ayir Brown and the remainder of the gamers ran off the sphere beating their chests and pumping their fists. In spite of everything, the 49ers had been forward by 4 factors and simply wanted two or three first downs to salt away a worthwhile division win.
Protection mentioned NOPE.
📺 #SEAvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4nCVJ pic.twitter.com/IQd1AhOpwR— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 17, 2024
As a substitute, the 49ers punted from Seattle’s 42-yard line — a touchback — then watched Geno Smith and firm drive 80 yards in 2:26 to offer Seattle a 20-17 win. The loss drops the 49ers to 5-5 and places them in a three-way tie behind the Arizona Cardinals (6-4) within the NFC West. Because it stands now, they path the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams and Seahawks within the race for the NFC’s last wild-card spot.
GO DEEPER
Final-minute Geno Smith TD seals Seahawks’ 20-17 win over 49ers: Takeaways
Although Smith transformed two third downs and scrambled for 29 yards on the game-winning drive, Kyle Shanahan appeared extra dissatisfied that his offense couldn’t put the sport away when it had an opportunity.
Christian McCaffrey gained 11 yards on the play that adopted San Francisco’s fourth-down cease. However he misplaced a yard the subsequent time he acquired the ball, Brock Purdy sailed a go incomplete to Deebo Samuel Sr. on second down, then threw to Jauan Jennings properly in need of the sticks on third down.
“I believed we had an opportunity to place them away plenty of occasions,” mentioned Shanahan, one thing he’s repeated all through the season. “We allow them to grasp round. You let folks grasp round, that’s what occurs.”
GENO!!!! TD @SEAHAWKS!!
📺: #SEAvsSF on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/ATSZeKJaOe— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2024
The loss got here with a number of Professional Bowlers both watching from the sideline or enjoying with accidents.
George Kittle, the group’s chief in touchdowns and receiving yards, missed the sport with a hamstring damage and his alternative, Eric Saubert, was added to the damage report with an sickness shortly earlier than kickoff. The 49ers responded by inserting offensive sort out Jaylon Moore as an additional tight finish at occasions. And whereas the group gained a decent 131 speeding yards — 40 of them by Purdy — each the operating and passing video games lacked pop.
Left sort out Trent Williams mentioned he practically sat out the competition with a bone bruise in his left ankle space. He acquired a pain-killing injection earlier than kickoff that helped, however he mentioned he didn’t have his standard energy on operating performs or on defending the bull rush.
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On protection, in the meantime, the 49ers performed the final quarter and a half with out Nick Bosa, who got here off the sphere one play after sacking Smith within the third quarter. Bosa, who was coping with a hip/indirect damage on one facet of his physique final week in Tampa, mentioned he overcompensated and ended up having the identical challenge on the opposite facet. He mentioned he was involved he may miss his first full recreation because the 2022 season — a loss to the Atlanta Falcons — and famous how irritating it was to look at Seattle’s last drive from the sideline.
“Brutal. Brutal,” Bosa mentioned. “It’s a very powerful time of the sport for me to be on the market and I wasn’t capable of be there.”
Lastly, although McCaffrey acquired his standard allotment of snaps for the second straight week, he prompt he hasn’t absolutely returned to type after his multi-month bout with Achilles tendonitis.
“It’s not an excuse,” mentioned McCaffrey, who had 106 mixed yards however no touchdowns. “I do know I is usually a lot higher. I can really feel it.”
The 49ers gained their earlier matchup with Seattle regardless of a pricey particular groups miscue, a 97-yard kickoff return by the Seahawks that acquired them again into the sport. The 49ers didn’t have any of their standard particular groups bungles Sunday, however additionally they didn’t have any explosive performs on offense.
In Week 6, that they had a pair of 76-yard positive factors and two others better than 25 yards. On Sunday, their longest play was a 22-yard go to Jennings, who caught 10 of 11 targets for 91 yards.
“It needed to be Jennings to complete this drive!” 🤩 @49ers take the lead!
📺: #SEAvsSF on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/FVLQTw8PK7— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
After 10 video games, it’s now clear the 49ers are missing one thing, one thing that goes past the personnel that has been lacking from numerous contests.
Final yr they went by means of a midseason slide throughout which, particularly in a Week 8 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, it appeared as in the event that they had been operating in knee-deep sand.
However they snapped out of their transient funk through the again stretch of the season. This yr’s group has but to totally come alive, at the very least to the extent of final yr’s membership. The one recreation through which the 49ers appeared like probably the most dominant group within the NFC was their win over the Cowboys, and that solely lasted 1 / 4.
Final yr’s group misplaced only one division recreation, the meaningless season finale to the Rams, and wrapped up the NFC West by mid-December. This yr’s squad already has misplaced to every of its division foes and has achieved so in a frustratingly comparable vogue — by blowing a fourth-quarter lead.
“It’s infuriating, truthfully,” Warner mentioned. “It’s not like us. However that’s simply what we’ve proven this yr. So I suppose till we cease doing that, that’s who we’re.”
(Picture of Geno Smith: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Photographs)
