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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In the same period last year, the San Francisco 49ers were facing difficulties before their bye week.
After a 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Niners find themselves in a similar situation this season. With a 5-3 record and out of first place in the NFC West, the team is now tasked with finding solutions to their recent struggles. While the Niners may be active in the trade market, head coach Kyle Shanahan emphasized that they cannot expect another blockbuster acquisition like Christian McCaffrey. Instead, the team must focus on introspection and improvement from within during the bye week.
The loss to the Bengals marks the Niners’ first three-game losing streak since 2021, a stark contrast to their dominant start to the season. During their five-game winning streak, the Niners showcased a powerful offense and a stout defense, but recent weeks have seen the team falter in key areas. Turnovers, offensive mistakes, and defensive lapses have contributed to their decline, with quarterback Brock Purdy throwing five interceptions in the past three games alone.
Surprisingly, the usually reliable Niners defense has also struggled, surrendering more passing yards and allowing opposing quarterbacks to have higher QBR ratings. These issues, combined with a lackluster pass rush, have put defensive coordinator Steve Wilks under scrutiny. However, Shanahan reminded everyone that the blame should be shared across the team and coaching staff.
As the Niners enter their bye week, they have ample time to heal injuries and regroup. Left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Deebo Samuel are expected to recover, providing much-needed support for the team. However, Shanahan acknowledged that physical healing alone will not be enough. The team needs to come back with a heightened focus and a stronger sense of determination to overcome their current struggles as they navigate a challenging schedule in the upcoming weeks.
“We’ve got to sit here and wait about 14 days to deal with this feeling that we have, which nobody wants, but I think we need to,” Shanahan said. “I think our guys need to be pissed off a little bit. I think we need to come back with a little better focus because it hasn’t been enough and we haven’t been getting it done.”
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