The 49ers wasted multiple opportunities in Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
San Francisco was 1-for-3 on fourth downs in the game, and the two failed conversion attempts proved to be costly.
The 49ers’ first turnover on downs occurred when quarterback Brock Purdy threw an incomplete pass to wide receiver Jauan Jennings on fourth-and-goal from the 2 with 10:31 remaining in the second quarter. The ensuing Vikings drive resulted in a booming 97-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Darnold to wide receiver Justin Jefferson to extend Minnesota’s lead to 10-0.
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San Francisco’s second turnover on downs came on its next drive, when Purdy scrambled on fourth-and-2 but was tackled short of the first-down marker, giving Minnesota the ball at its 42 with 6:36 left in the first half.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan explained his approach to the fourth-down decisions when he spoke to reporters after the game.
"I didn't mind the decision in those situations. Where we were at on the field," Shanahan said. "When you're just right outside of field-goal range, the down and distance, and I didn't mind going for it inside the [2], knowing that we'll pin them back. They made a hell of a play to get out of there but didn't like the results, obviously."
The 49ers played poorly on both sides of the ball, and perhaps Purdy's two turnovers were the most costly mistakes. However, when a team loses by one score, as San Francisco did, the two failed fourth-down attempts loom even larger.
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