The San Francisco 49ers started out of the gate with an impressive five consecutive wins. They have since lost three in a row, finally reaching their bye week for some much-needed rest.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic that this break will rejuvenate his talented roster, setting them up to end their losing streak on November 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In their recent game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the 49ers faced the disadvantage of a short week of preparation after playing on Monday night. Meanwhile, their opponent was well-rested and well-prepared, coming off a bye week. The 49ers defense was credited with a season-high 13 missed tackles, and the overall lackluster effort didn't go unnoticed by the team's head coach.
"I think that was the most disappointing one because when I was done watching the tape, I felt we looked more tired than the team we were playing against," Shanahan said this week during a radio interview. "And that's not an excuse. That's the reality, and that's not okay. For whatever reason it may be, you can't do that.
"And that's something that I really haven't said much around our team in a number of years. There's a standard that we play to that I think we've earned, that people are well aware of, the whole league is aware of, that you're not going to outwork us."
After the schedule was released in May, Sharp Football Analysis ranked teams by "net rest edge." That is the extra number of rest days a team has over their opponent per game, totaled over the course of the season.
Which team had the worst net rest edge in 2023? That would be the 49ers, who have 20 fewer days of rest than their opponents. That lack of rest may have finally caught up with the players, who admit their execution suffered during the team's three-game skid.
"It's just inconsistency across the board," linebacker Fred Warner said after Sunday's loss. "I think tackling has been an issue when it hasn't been in the past. Players got to execute at a higher level, including myself. We've got to play more as a unit. There's got to be more hunt to the football at all three levels. There's got to be more penalty-free football.
"Like I said, the execution has to be higher. We think we're preparing hard. We think we're putting a lot of work in. Obviously, we're not doing enough. There's got to be more."
Christian McCaffrey also identified a lack of execution as the difference between the 49ers' first five games and their last three. The running back believes the team will benefit from much-needed rest during the bye week.
"But, the time for panic is definitely not now," McCaffrey declared after the Bengals game. "We need to be urgent, but they beat us today. It should piss everyone off, and it does. Like I said, we have the right guys to get a little bit of rest and come back hungry as ever."
The Bengals marked the second team to have a bye week before facing the 49ers this season. The team faced a well-rested Cleveland Browns team in Week 6, which kicked off the 49ers' three-game losing streak.
San Francisco and Jacksonville are coming off bye weeks in their upcoming matchup, with the only disadvantage being that it's a road game for Shanahan's squad. Later in the season, the Niners will also travel to face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15, who will be coming off a bye week.
Additionally, San Francisco will host the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, with the latter benefiting from more rest having come off a Thursday game. The 49ers face the Washington Commanders (Chase Young revenge game?) in Week 17 on a short week.
"It definitely will be difficult for the 49ers this year," the Sharp Football Analysis staff wrote.
The bye week provides a valuable opportunity for the team to recharge both physically and mentally. The team entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, and the players in the locker room are determined to make the most of this break.
"The good thing about our team is we know exactly who we are," Shanahan said. "We know exactly how we have to be, and we still have all the same people who are very capable of being that. And that's why I want these guys to get away here for these five days, and I really want them to look inward. Don't look for an answer outside, what someone else can do better. Look at what you can do better.
"And when we have 53 guys come back thinking that way, when we got everyone on our coaching staff coming back thinking that way, then I guarantee our team will play better collectively."