It's no secret the 49ers' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.
But with San Francisco, 5-5, currently in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC West, the team still has a shot at winning the division to earn a postseason spot.
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks believes the 49ers are capable of bouncing back to win their third consecutive NFC West crown, but he also ranked them behind the Seattle Seahawks (No. 1), the Arizona Cardinals (No. 2) and the Los Angeles Rams (No. 3) as the least likely team to win the "wide open" division in his latest edition of the "Scout's Notebook."
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"The Super Bowl hangover is real," Brooks wrote. "San Francisco has been rocked by injuries this season. In fact, right before publishing, [Brock] Purdy and [Nick] Bosa were ruled out of this Sunday's game at Green Bay. Brutal. And even when healthy, the 49ers' best players just haven't excelled like in years past. San Francisco's inconsistent offense and underachieving defense have kept the back-to-back division champs from seizing control of the West in 2024.
"Perhaps the team can get healthy down the stretch, but the clock is ticking on Kyle Shanahan to create a winning formula with a team that is seemingly reeling from an overtime loss in this past February's Lombardi game. This just seems like one of those star-crossed seasons where nothing can go right, which is unfortunate, given how much promise this roster appeared to have back in August."
The 49ers certainly have been ravaged by injuries, with reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey most notably missing the first half of the season with bilateral Achilles tendinitis. And just two games after his return, as Brooks mentioned, Purdy and Bosa won't play in Week 12.
It has been a never-ending carousel of bad luck for San Francisco, and the team's on-field play has done nothing to help overcome those injuries. Still, Brooks knows the 49ers never can be counted out with the standard that has been set in the Bay.
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"A loaded roster that can beat anyone when its firing on all cylinders," Brooks wrote. "The 49ers' raw talent can overwhelm opponents unable to deal with their collection of blue-chip players at marquee positions. When everyone's healthy, the nucleus of Brock Purdy, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner can dominate most foes, which makes it hard to count the 49ers out in win-or-go-home battles down the stretch.
"The Niners are too good to be counted out, given their talent and toughness. Well, at least when all the stars are available ..."
The NFC West is anyone's for the taking. If the 49ers can pull off a win over the Green Bay Packers without Purdy under center on Sunday at Lambeau Field, there's no telling what kind of run they could make down the stretch when the gang's back together.
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