SANTA CLARA – Right here is how the 49ers (5-5) graded in Sunday’s 20-17 dwelling loss to the Seattle Seahawks (5-5):
PASS OFFENSE: D+
San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings (15) runs after a catch towards Seattle Seahawks’ Coby Bryant (8) within the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
Jauan Jennings’ huge rescue efforts (10 catches, 91 yards, go-ahead landing) fell brief, as was the case in Week 3 on the Rams (175 yards, three touchdowns) in addition to final season’s Tremendous Bowl (TD catch, TD cross). Brock Purdy knew nicely sufficient to maintain focusing on Jennings, whose greatest effort was a third-and-11, 13-yard conversion wherein he dragged 4 defenders to the Seattle 8, organising his 3-yard landing catch with 9:33 to go. Purdy (21-of-28, 159 yards) obtained intercepted on a deflected cross he tried forcing into Christian McCaffrey (4 catches, 27 yards). It’s alarming how minimal the manufacturing was from Deebo Samuel (4 catches, seven targets, 22 yards; one run for minus-1 yard) and nothing from Ricky Pearsall (no catches, two targets). George Kittle (hamstring) was a pregame scratch, and it’s no coincidence the 49ers have misplaced 11 of their final 14 video games when he hasn’t performed.
RUN OFFENSE: D
San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey (23) runs towards the Seattle Seahawks within the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
As nice as it’s to see McCaffrey wholesome and able to 19 carries, he didn’t break any longer than 11 yards and completed with 79 yards, with minimal open lanes out there. Whereas Purdy obtained these lanes on his 5 scrambles (40 yards) and first-quarter landing run, the 49ers didn’t impose an intimidating speeding assault towards a protection they owned in a earlier six-game win streak. As an alternative, holding penalties (Jennings, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel) nullified huge positive aspects. The 49ers tried compensating for Kittle’s absence as a blocker by deploying No. 3 deal with Jaylon Moore on a number of performs, and whereas that appeared to assist, their lack of depth at tight finish is a perennial downside.
PASS DEFENSE: F
Seattle Seahawks’ D.Ok. Metcalf (14) catches a cross over San Francisco 49ers’ Isaac Yiadom (22) within the third quarter of their NFL recreation at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-17. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Not solely did this unit buckle on the Seahawks’ successful drive towards Geno Smith (7-of-8, 54 yards), the defenders failed to identify him on a pair of late scrambles, the final of which was the 13-yard landing that sealed the 49ers’ destiny. Mentioned Fred Warner: “In the back end we have to be stickier and understand the situation: Geno’s going to want to come alive and extend plays.” Nick Bosa’s two sacks got here at a worth: he left within the third quarter with an injured left indirect/hip, presumably from compensating for his earlier week’s proper indirect/hip damage. Leonard Floyd’s sack on the ultimate sequence was a optimistic signal, however clearly not sufficient. Isaac Yiadom’s interception on the primary sequence after halftime got here as soon as Bosa and Floyd flushed Smith. With the Seahawks altering facilities, the 49ers ought to have repeatedly blitzed up the intestine, however when have they succeeded this season with additional strain, as an alternative deferring to predictable rush lanes.
RUN DEFENSE: F
San Francisco 49ers’ Fred Warner (54) walks off the sector after being defeated by the Seattle Seahawks throughout their NFL recreation at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-17. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Dropping on a landing run by a 34-year-old quarterback is fairly damning. Dropping fourth-quarter results in the Rams, the Cardinals and now the Seahawks is downright embarrassing. Though the 49ers stopped third- and fourth-and-1 runs for no achieve to quickly shield the lead, 4 minutes remained, which is an eternity for this season’s model of the 49ers. Stopping the Seahawks on third- and fourth-and-one with 4 minutes to go might have made this unit the hero. As an alternative, Seattle scored its second speeding landing, and the 49ers have now allowed 13 such scores on the season; Shanahan’s solely workforce to permit extra in an ENTIRE season was the 2021 squad (17). Horrible.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C-
San Francisco 49ers’ Jake Moody (4) kicks a 33-yard area purpose within the third quarter of their NFL recreation at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-17. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Can’t blame them this time. Heck, even their most obtrusive mistake truly helped the 49ers, seeing how Jordan Mason’s muffed kick return resulted within the ball ricocheting off him and out of bounds for a 16-yard achieve. Jake Moody made his solely field-goal try (33 yards) after Yiadom’s interception. New punter Pat O’Donnell got here away with only a 34.3-yard internet common on three punts, his final leading to a touchback relatively than pin them deep for the ultimate drive. Jacob Cowing left with a concussion after a 12-yard punt return, so if he wants time to get well, that would press Pearsall into motion there.
COACHING: F
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walks on the sidelines throughout their recreation towards the Seattle Seahawks within the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
It’s taking place each week if not seemingly each postseason. The 49ers’ fourth-quarter follies are simply too frequent underneath Kyle Shanahan. That’s the legacy he’s reinforcing as an alternative of reversing. The offense clams up. The protection opens up. And the season could find yourself and not using a playoff berth for the primary time since 2020.
Is it teaching? Is it merely the 49ers are mentally and bodily drained from a compilation of previous seasons, heartbreaking defeats and off-field distractions (see: contracts)?
Is it a scarcity of evolution, as urged by 2022 backup quarterback Kurt Benkert, who wrote on the social media platform X that Shanahan’s offense prevents quarterbacks from adjusting protections to strictly simply throw to scorching routes. (“It’s mindblowing stuff that a simple flipper would fix,” Benkert wrote. “… During my time in San Francisco, this was the No. 1 thing that made no sense to me. Why not empower your quarterback to get you into the best protection.”)
It’s not simply offensive restraints. The protection is stale and disjointed, the latter of which is due to new gamers (younger, outdated) and new coaches. The particular groups are a weekly fright. Jobs might be misplaced, little question. Possession finally will lose persistence (though no public indications but on that entrance) and be part of the rising legion of disenchanted “Faithful” who’re getting gouged ever-more in season-ticket costs. Shanahan is a superb coach who’s pathologically snakebit at closing time, however this isn’t a Fortune 500 firm that should ditch its CEO to appease shareholders when no apparent successor awaits to ship larger fortunes.
With a 1-3 document in NFC West motion, the 49ers should hope different NFC challengers show simply as mediocre, and a key step towards wild-card entry awaits subsequent Sunday at Inexperienced Bay, with the Packers third within the NFC North at 7-3.
