The San Francisco 49ers fell to 5-6 following a brutal 38-10 defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
The 28-point loss, a stark contrast to last season’s playoff triumph over the Packers, left head coach Kyle Shanahan grappling with disappointment.
Missing several key players, including quarterback Brock Purdy, star tackle Trent Williams, and dominant pass rusher Nick Bosa, the 49ers struggled in nearly every facet of the game.
Shanahan did not mince words when reflecting on his team’s performance.
“The whole game was [disappointing],” he said. “When you have those penalties, we didn’t stop the run like we did, and we had those three turnovers in the second half. That’s how you get embarrassed.”
The absence of quarterback Brock Purdy was glaring as backup Brandon Allen faltered in his temporary starting role.
Allen completed 17 of 29 passes for 199 yards, throwing one touchdown, but also had one interception and two fumbles (one recovered).
The 49ers’ offense, as a whole, sputtered, managing just 241 total yards compared to Green Bay’s 325.
Shanahan offered a guarded update on Purdy’s recovery from a right shoulder injury, which sidelined him for the Packers game.
His status for this week’s crucial matchup against the Buffalo Bills remains uncertain. However, Shanahan did admit that things could be trending in the right direction.
“It went all good,” Shanahan said of Purdy’s throwing session today. “We didn’t push it that hard, but he did some light throwing, which was a good sign that the pain hadn’t come back, and we’ll rest it tomorrow and see how he feels as the week goes.
Having said that, Shanahan made sure to point out that the team needs to monitor Purdy’s shoulder injury carefully.
“Most guys, we always get more than one [MRI] when you get one, and it seems all right, then you have some pain later in the week,” he said. “So, you get another one to make sure you didn’t miss anything. And so, that’s what he did, I think, after the Thursday practice.”
Purdy clearly remains the team’s best option under center. He has thrown for 2,613 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions this season, completing 66.0% of his passes.
Notably, the 49ers are reportedly interested in signing new free agent Daniel Jones who just cleared waivers earlier today.
San Francisco isn’t alone in their interest of Danny Dimes. We shouldn’t have to wait too much longer to find out where he ends up.
Besides the offense, the 49ers’ defense also faltered significantly.
Green Bay’s running back Josh Jacobs delivered a stellar performance, tallying 106 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries.
In contrast, the 49ers’ star running back Christian McCaffrey was held to just 31 yards on 11 carries.
The loss highlights deeper issues for a San Francisco team that has battled injuries and inconsistencies throughout the season.
With a pivotal Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills looming, the 49ers must regroup quickly if they hope to keep their playoff aspirations alive.
If Purdy can return, Shanahan and the 49ers will hope his presence can provide the offensive spark they sorely missed against the Packers.
However, without significant improvements across the board, even a healthy quarterback may not be enough to right the ship.
What does the future hold for the Niners?
Now with six losses, there is VERY little margin for error at this point … Will they be able to save their season before it becomes too late???
