SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A San Francisco 49ers crew that mechanically rolled to weighty victories in 2023 can’t appear to drag clear of any person this season.
They have got disagree knockout punch.
In Moment 8, they’d a 27-10 manage getting into the fourth quarter, later needed to hold on for expensive week because the Dallas Cowboys fastened a enraged comeback. Latter era, they’d regulate within the 3rd quarter till a botched punt go back let the Tampa Bay Buccaneers again into the competition, requiring a last-minute 49ers force for the win.
And on Sunday, the 49ers once more gave the look to be cruising to victory then the protection stonewalled the Seattle Seahawks on fourth-and-1 with 3:56 too much. Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Ji’Ayir Brown and the extra of the avid gamers ran off the ground beating their chests and pumping their fists. Next all, the 49ers had been forward via 4 issues and simply wanted two or 3 first downs to salt away a reliable section win.
Protection stated NOPE.
#SEAvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // pic.twitter.com/IQd1AhOpwR— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 17, 2024
Rather, the 49ers punted from Seattle’s 42-yard sequence — a touchback — later watched Geno Smith and corporate force 80 yards in 2:26 to offer Seattle a 20-17 win. The loss drops the 49ers to 5-5 and places them in a three-way attach at the back of the Arizona Cardinals (6-4) within the NFC West. Because it stands now, they path the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams and Seahawks within the race for the NFC’s ultimate wild-card spot.
GO DEEPER
Latter-minute Geno Smith TD seals Seahawks’ 20-17 win over 49ers: Takeaways
Although Smith transformed two 3rd downs and scrambled for 29 yards at the game-winning force, Kyle Shanahan appeared extra dissatisfied that his offense couldn’t put the sport away when it had a anticipation.
Christian McCaffrey won 11 yards at the play games that adopted San Francisco’s fourth-down ban. However he misplaced a lawn the later age he were given the ball, Brock Purdy sailed a cross incomplete to Deebo Samuel Sr. on 2d unwell, later threw to Jauan Jennings neatly trim of the sticks on 3rd unwell.
“I thought we had a chance to put them away a number of times,” stated Shanahan, one thing he’s repeated all the way through the season. “We let them hang around. You let people hang around, that’s what happens.”
GENO!!!! TD @SEAHAWKS!!
: #SEAvsSF on FOX
: pic.twitter.com/ATSZeKJaOe— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2024
The loss got here with a number of Professional Bowlers both looking at from the sideline or taking part in with accidents.
George Kittle, the crew’s chief in touchdowns and receiving yards, overlooked the sport with a hamstring shock and his alternative, Eric Saubert, used to be added to the shock file with an condition in a while earlier than kickoff. The 49ers answered via putting offensive take on Jaylon Moore as an residue tight finish from time to time. And occasion the crew won a decent 131 speeding yards — 40 of them via Purdy — each the operating and passing video games lacked pop.
Left take on Trent Williams stated he just about sat out the competition with a bone bruise in his left ankle branch. He were given a pain-killing injection earlier than kickoff that helped, however he stated he didn’t have his habitual energy on operating performs or on protecting the bull accelerate.
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On protection, in the meantime, the 49ers performed the final quarter and a part with out Nick Bosa, who got here off the ground one play games then sacking Smith within the 3rd quarter. Bosa, who used to be coping with a hip/indirect shock on one aspect of his frame final era in Tampa, stated he overcompensated and ended up having the similar factor at the alternative aspect. He stated he used to be involved he may pass over his first complete contest for the reason that 2022 season — a loss to the Atlanta Falcons — and famous how irritating it used to be to look at Seattle’s ultimate force from the sideline.
“Brutal. Brutal,” Bosa stated. “It’s the most important time of the game for me to be out there and I wasn’t able to be there.”
In the end, despite the fact that McCaffrey were given his habitual allotment of snaps for the second one directly era, he prompt he hasn’t absolutely returned to mode then his multi-month bout with Achilles tendonitis.
“It’s not an excuse,” stated McCaffrey, who had 106 mixed yards however disagree touchdowns. “I know I can be a lot better. I can feel it.”
The 49ers gained their previous matchup with Seattle regardless of a expensive particular groups miscue, a 97-yard kickoff go back via the Seahawks that were given them again into the sport. The 49ers didn’t have any in their habitual particular groups bungles Sunday, however additionally they didn’t have any explosive performs on offense.
In Moment 6, they’d a couple of 76-yard positive aspects and two others more than 25 yards. On Sunday, their longest play games used to be a 22-yard cross to Jennings, who stuck 10 of eleven objectives for 91 yards.
“It had to be Jennings to finish this drive!” @49ers pluck the manage!
: #SEAvsSF on FOX
: pic.twitter.com/FVLQTw8PK7— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Next 10 video games, it’s now cloudless the 49ers are missing one thing, one thing that is going past the workforce that has been lacking from numerous contests.
Latter time they went thru a midseason slide all the way through which, particularly in a Moment 8 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, it appeared as though they had been operating in knee-deep sand.
However they snapped out in their temporary funk all the way through the again stretch of the season. This time’s crew has but to completely come alive, no less than to the extent of final time’s membership. The one contest through which the 49ers seemed like probably the most dominant crew within the NFC used to be their win over the Cowboys, and that simplest lasted 1 / 4.
Latter time’s crew misplaced only one section contest, the meaningless season finale to the Rams, and wrapped up the NFC West via mid-December. This time’s squad already has misplaced to each and every of its section foes and has completed so in a frustratingly homogeneous style — via blowing a fourth-quarter manage.
“It’s infuriating, honestly,” Warner stated. “It’s not like us. But that’s just what we’ve shown this year. So I guess until we stop doing that, that’s who we are.”
(Picture of Geno Smith: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Photographs)
