The 49ers’ 2024 season has formally come to an finish.
It’s been over for some time — arguably the final two months — so Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals ought to be a trigger for celebration.
Not solely is that this Niners workforce executed taking part in soccer, however in addition they ensured the very best draft choose they might have earned—No. 11—going into Sunday’s contest.
Did we be taught a lot from Sunday’s loss?
Not likely.
However, not like this Niners workforce, we don’t take weeks off with Studs and Duds. Listed here are the ultimate winners and losers this season:
STUDS 💪
Jauan Jennings – WR
Nobody performed Sunday’s recreation higher than the 49ers’ large receiver.
Wouldn’t it have been a pleasant little increase to have his first 1,000-yard season? Maybe.
However you recognize what’s even higher? Catching seven passes and getting in two fights, leading to an ejection., 25 yards shy of that four-figure mark.
Everyone knows he had an important season — why press your luck and play out a meaningless recreation?
Renardo Inexperienced – CB
The rookie, who will seemingly take over because the 49ers’ No. 1 cornerback subsequent season, made two good go breakups on Sunday.
Patrick Taylor – RB
Appeared nice in a recreation that meant lower than nothing. All he wanted was a recreation the place each groups wished to lose!
I joke, however significantly, Taylor regarded excellent as a runner, pass-catcher, and blocker — three issues I’ve not been in a position to say this season regardless of stable alternatives.
Ricky Pearsall – WR
A pleasant 30-yard catch and a powerful goal-line slant for a landing cap was a powerful end for the rookie large receiver, who shall be counted on in an enormous approach subsequent season, no matter what occurs with Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk.
Chris Conley – WR
Only a rock-solid choice. The Niners can be fools to let him stroll this offseason — he’s the sort of depth this workforce lacks at each different place.
DUDS 📉
Fred Warner – LB
I don’t blame the All-Professional linebacker for not being totally engaged on Sunday, however I’ve to name it as I see it: He was spinning like a prime in Arizona. Trey McBride had his approach with him one-on-one, and the Cardinals offense relentlessly focused him.
Warner performed by means of damage all season and picked up one thing to his hip within the third quarter. Nobody can query the person’s coronary heart.
However his play on Sunday? Contemplate it questioned.
I’ll query this, although: Why was he even on the market?
Jacob Cowing – WR
Lastly given a chance to play receiver amid relaxation, ejection, and season-long dejection, Cowing… didn’t take benefit.
He had his apparently requisite penalty with a third-quarter maintain, and he didn’t flash on an orbit-motion reverse that had stable sufficient blocking. He completed with two catches for 30 yards — fifth-best on the workforce.
Dee Winters – LB
He isn’t the answer to switch Dre Greenlaw, if anybody has to switch Dre Greenlaw. After a complete dud of a recreation towards the Lions, Winters doubled down with a brutal recreation in each protection and towards the run in Arizona. Maybe I used to be too arduous on Fred Warner…
Nick McCloud – DB
He turned in one of many worst video games you’ll ever see an expert have, because the Cardinals ran display screen passes to their receivers and allow them to run previous McCloud, who regarded like he was taking part in in gradual movement.
Tashaun Gipson – S
There was a superb purpose the Niners might signal Gipson off the road in November. His effort on Michael Carter’s game-winning landing was downright comical. He took a path to deal with Carter within the backfield, however the Cardinals’ operating again was already exterior the sting and moving into the tip zone.
Ji-Ayir Brown – S
Will probably be arduous to unsee that horrible deal with try on Tony Jones’ superfluous 46-yard landing. The truth that he was on the sphere that late within the recreation tells you that his days in Santa Clara is likely to be numbered.
Josh Dobbs – QB
Three turnovers? For all of the positives we noticed from Dobbs on Sunday — and there completely had been some — it’s arduous to disregard how careless he was with the ball. If that is the very best that the Niners can do at backup quarterback for 2025, they higher hope that Brock Purdy doesn’t miss a single recreation.
Kyle Shanahan – HC
Was he even calling performs on Sunday? From my perch in Alameda, I don’t assume I noticed one reduce to Shanahan on the headset — a favourite of each director in professional soccer.
With a lot obvious time on his palms, Shanahan would have been in a position to get an early-game problem on the sphere in time. However he didn’t. Add it to the listing of game-management transgressions.
Nick Sorensen – DC
I perceive the extent of expertise at Sorensen’s disposal on Sunday was sub-par, but it surely’s arduous to make an argument that he’s the person for the longer term when his protection worsened because the marketing campaign progressed.
Jake Moody – Ok
It’s over. I don’t assume this may all be defined away by a nasty holder.
