The 49ers can go 5-2 the rest of the way and still have a chance to make the postseason.
Hold it. What are we doing here?
It seems ridiculous to even bring up the 49ers’ playoff chances when they have proven to be such a flawed team through 10 games of the regular season.
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Coach Kyle Shanahan is the person most responsible for the team underachieving at such an epic level. He’s the head coach and the offensive mastermind.
But the offense has sputtered at the most inopportune times this season. So where does the team go from here?
That’s what’s on the minds of the 49ers’ fan base — as expressed via the Bluesky social network:
Shanahan's offense is no longer unique enough to be a reason for keeping him as HC. — @jesserobards.bsky.social
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Overreaction? Yes.
The 49ers own the No. 2-ranked offense in the NFL. Yes, they are ranked that high this season. They are averaging 398.9 total yards per game, behind only the Baltimore Ravens and one spot ahead of the Detroit Lions. Obviously, the 49ers hired Shanahan in 2017 because of his results as an offensive coordinator.
Every week, it is suggested that Shanahan needs to hire an offensive coordinator. But that does not make any sense because — like it or not — he has been considered one of the top offensive minds in the NFL.
Heck, Mike Silver even wrote a book about his offensive prowess and those influenced by him and his father, Mike Shanahan.
Unless Shanahan completely loses the locker room down the stretch, and it becomes irreparable, it is not reasonable to think CEO Jed York will even be tempted to make a change.
The 49ers had a Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 2019 season, then fell off to 6-10 the following year. The right moves were made in order to reach the final four of the NFL in each of the past three seasons.
Regardless of how this season turns out, there still are too many good players for this to be a tear-down project.
But, yes, adjustments must be made to ameliorate the many problems that have plagued the team this season. Charting a path to solve issues that arise is why Shanahan was hired in the first place.
The team & scheme is built around dominating in the trenches & currently, the DL and OL are the weakest personnel groups. This is why this team has no identity and cannot adjust. — @mylessss.bsky.social
Overreaction? No.
While the 49ers’ offensive line still rates highly as a run-blocking unit, they are middle of the pack when it comes to pass protection.
And the 49ers’ defense line is much worse. Their run defense is in the bottom third in the NFL, and the pass rush is middle of the pack.
Those are the rankings put forth by PFF, which assigns grades to every player from every play in the NFL during the season. And because there’s not enough time in the day to watch every game, we’ll rely on those rankings to provide us with an idea of what’s happening around the NFL.
It is fair to say the 49ers’ biggest weakness on offense is their line. It’s a line that consists of Trent Williams and everybody else. But they still are good enough in that area to execute effectively in the red zone and win games.
The D-line is, essentially, Nick Bosa and a bunch of average to below-average NFL players.
So, yes, the 49ers must bolster those units in the offseason if they’re going to get back to the style that propelled them to a lot of victories over the past three seasons.
Time to move on from Colton McKivitz and let someone else not block the right side. — @timshawsaysmoo.bsky.social
Overreaction? Yes.
Everybody needs to be evaluated for their part in this fiasco. But I think you’ll find that upgrading from Colton McKivitz might not be as easy as you think.
The eyeball test reveals that McKivitz has not been great. But look around the league, and you’ll see a lot of other offensive tackles struggling even more. He is still graded, according to PFF, as one of the top right tackles in the NFL.
The 49ers should never stop looking for players who can help, but it also points to the fact that it is difficult for teams to find quality offensive linemen.
Deebo isn’t the same player he once was and the 49ers need to move on from him in the offseason. — @49ersjamie.bsky.social
Overreaction? No and yes.
Deebo Samuel is not nearly as productive, especially as a runner. He is averaging just 2.9 yards per rushing attempt and just 8.8 yards per game on the ground.
He turns 29 in January, and maybe the years of his hard-charging style are catching up to him.
But Samuel also has one year remaining on his contract, and it would cause more issues on the salary cap to part ways with him at this point. He is scheduled to make just $1.17 million in base salary in 2025, so it’s hard to believe he’s going anywhere.
The best the 49ers can hope for is that he comes back next season in tip-top condition and ready to produce big numbers for his next contract.
Can’t get past the 2nd round of the playoffs with this defense (and special teams) — @tonyuop.bsky.social
Overreaction? Yes.
The overreaction is to think the 49ers can even qualify for the playoffs.
The 49ers have not shown to be a playoff-caliber team. There has never been a point this season in which they have looked like anything other than a completely average team.
Their 5-5 record — without a victory over a team with a winning record — is proof of their place somewhere in the middle of the pack in the NFC.
Unless the 49ers start playing at a consistent level, to which we have yet to see this season, their offseason will begin on Jan. 5 at around 4:30 p.m.