49ers mailbag: How does SF prevent a 2-6 record at bye? Is Nick Sorensen on the hot seat? How do the 49ers fix their red zone offense?

Fans of the San Francisco 49ers are getting restless. They've become accustomed to their team winning, but that hasn't happened much through the first five weeks of the NFL season. The team has a lot of work to do, and they need to figure this out soon. Losing the next three games would be a potential death blow to the 2024 season for the 49ers.

We opened the 49ers Webzone Mailbag on Monday and found plenty of questions waiting to be answered. So let's hop in and see what is on your mind.

Sitting at a disappointing 2-3 right now and with Seattle, Kansas City, and Dallas next on the schedule, what do the 49ers need to do to prevent a 2-6 record at bye time? And in your estimation, might this be panic mode time? - Ed H.

If the 49ers can somehow manage to win these next three games, which I wouldn't bet on, then everything will be ok for now. But that's a tall ask. Winning in Seattle will be a challenge, but the 49ers have a shot. The Seahawks have not been very good. Beating the Chiefs and Cowboys will be tough, though.

Is it time to panic? Not yet, but I am concerned. I almost picked the Cardinals to win Sunday's game, but decided I wasn't going to pick against the 49ers this week. There just seems to be something missing, and the team isn't quite right. Is it injuries? Age? Are they worn down from all these deep postseason runs? Are they bored? Whatever it is, they need to correct it, or this season will be over before they get too far into it.

Even Charvarius Ward seems to agree with me that something is off. According to 49ers reporter, Michael Silver, Ward said after the game, "This year, for sure, it feels weird. It feels real, real weird. I mean, hopefully, it'll turn around, but it's just real peculiar. We've got a lot of talent, and we're losing games we're supposed to win." For what it's worth, former 49ers CB Richard Sherman is already in full panic mode.

Is Nick Sorenson's seat starting to heat up? We can point the finger everywhere but blowing 2 big leads in 3 weeks is not good. - Andrew S.

I don't think it is quite yet. Nick Sorensen has been a defensive coordinator for a total of five games now. And he's been missing some key players. I think he will be given more time to learn and improve. If he doesn't, then we could see his seat warming up. But it's unlike Kyle Shanahan will fire a coordinator during the season. Now, if the defense plays like this all year, then we could see a change after the season. Then again, Shanahan may decide that it's not fair to blame Sorensen when the players are injured or playing poorly.

Nick Bosa said something interesting after the game about how the 49ers' defense is well-prepared, but not making the adjustments they need to make. Is that a shot at Sorensen? Either way, Shanahan was asked about it and didn't seem to agree with Bosa.

Three losses in and still hopeful, but at what point do the 49ers' chances start to slip away? - Terence B.

Terence, it's coming soon. If the 49ers happen to lose the next three games, which is possible, considering how they're playing, then they would head into the bye week 2-6. If that happens, their chances have all but slipped away. I don't think that will happen, but it could.

The thing that is saving them, however, is that the NFC West is bad this season. If the 49ers beat the Seahawks on Thursday night, they'll be tied for first. They would own the tie-breaker over Seattle, but not over the Cardinals if there was a three-way tie. But we're a long way from needing to discuss tie-breakers. Right now, they need to figure out how to win games again.

Which one is a bigger concern: the struggles of the offense inside the red zone, or the inability of the defense to close out games? - ShoqMax

Today, my bigger concern is the red zone offense. But I'm more confident that will improve than I am that the defense will improve. This roster is laced with stars, but right now they're not playing like it. When Christian McCaffrey returns, the red zone offense will automatically get better. When Dre Greenlaw returns, the defense should improve, as well. But when will that be? Will it be too late?

Both losses in the NFC West can be blamed on the red zone offense and the defense. So take your pick. Still, I'm more confident in Shanahan, Brock Purdy, and the 49ers offense to correct their issues than I am in the defense correcting theirs.

What are the chances of bringing back Robbie Gould since Moody is out? - Stacy M.

What FA kickers are out there that can actually bring help? - John P.

Robbie Gould is a high school football coach in the Chicago area. He's committed to that program so I would not expect him to return to the NFL to fill in for Jake Moody.

As for other kickers, Shanahan mentioned that the team was bringing in four kickers for a tryout. He didn't mention any names. However, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero is reporting that the 49ers are signing veteran kicker Matthew Wright. Wright has appeared in only 30 games in his five seasons. He's made 85.1% of his field goal attempts, with a long of 59 yards. Wright was with the 49ers for close to a week right before the 2023 regular season started when Moody was dealing with a quad injury.

Two questions. 1) Does Shanahan lack trust and confidence in Jordan Mason when it's goal-to-go near the goal line? Week 2 Vs Vikings and it was 4th and Goal and Shanahan opted to pass vs just giving it to Mason and we saw it yesterday too. And Mason has been averaging better than 4 ypc. 2) Too many FGs vs TDs when it's 1st and Goal. How do you see the 49ers fixing this because when you play teams like Mahomes & The Chiefs in two weeks, you can't be settling for FGs because you need TDs to beat Mahomes. - Johnny Y.

No, I don't believe Shanahan lacks any trust in Jordan Mason. Maybe he's outsmarting himself, thinking the other team will assume he's going to run the ball, so he's throwing it. Or maybe it's that teams are stacking the box and he feels he needs to throw it. It would be great to see creativity, misdirection, play-action, etc. near the goal line. I'd love to see Purdy on a bootleg with a pass option, for example.

John Chapman, of the 49ers Rush Podcast, posted on X, "Teams have learned Kyle Shanahan will check out of runs vs the 5 and 6 DLine fronts. DCs are now dictating how the 49ers play offensively. Kyle has to adjust!" This is an excellent point by Chapman. Teams are adjusting to the 49ers and to this offense, which is now all over the NFL. It's time for the 49ers to adjust to defenses' adjustments.

Yes, the red zone offense has to get better, and fast. If they can't beat bad teams, they won't beat good teams until they start playing better. The biggest thing that needs to happen is execution. The players have to step up. The line needs to block better, Purdy needs to make better decisions, the receivers need to catch the ball, etc. And no turnovers.

How many 10-point leads are they gonna blow? - Jack M.

Hopefully, they're not going for some sort of record.

Therapists all over the Bay Area are reporting an uptick in business, with a new phobia clients are reporting, and it seems to stem from the number 10. Kyle Williams, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Ronnie Bell aside, this new fear appears to be rooted in multiple blown 10-point, 4th-quarter leads.

I reached out to the 49ers to inquire what they were going to do about this epidemic. They insisted FEMA was handling it.

What happened to the lockdown defense? - Len V.

They're not healthy, and they're not playing with much passion. Just as teams have adjusted to the 49ers offense, so have teams adjusted to the defense. And the 49ers are not responding well.

They're still very talented, but they have a rookie defensive coordinator, and they simply have to play better. Injuries have plagued them. Mistakes, especially by young players, have hurt them. But the young guys are playing because of injuries to some of the older guys. There have been missed assignments, missed reads (see Kyler Murray's long touchdown run), and way too many missed tackles.

In 2023, the defense took a step back. But in 2024, they have taken another step back. And that's a problem for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Red zone issues again. Can you pinpoint the reason(s) why we still can't punch it in the red zone? Two things I've noticed: Deebo was hardly involved all game. And the O still can't hold the very long or open holes. - Andy G.

It's a combination of things. There are some play-calling gaffes, some misreads by Purdy, some dropped passes, penalties, and other mistakes. Missing McCaffrey hurts, for sure. But it's more than that. As I mentioned already, there seems to be something missing. It's almost like they're bored with the regular season and just gliding by until the postseason begins. I doubt that's it, but it's what it looks like.

The problem is that if they don't get things going soon, there won't be a postseason in which to play. And yes, they need to get the ball into the hands of their best players, like Deebo Samuel. The problem is, it doesn't seem like the receivers are doing a good job of getting open, which may be why Purdy is running around so much.

Why was Moody given chance after chance? He should have been out his first season tbh. What's wrong with the 49ers special teams? - Jeremy C.

Moody should not have been sent packing during or after his first season. Rookie kickers often struggle. But Moody was good last year. We remember his misses because they came in bad moments, like the game in Cleveland. Yes, he had a PAT blocked in the Super Bowl. But he also made the longest field goal in the history of the game (well, it was the longest for a few minutes).

He missed a game-winner this season, but he was kicking very well until his injury. I'm not concerned about Moody, but he does need to be better when the game is on the line.

Where is the interior pressure on the D-Line? Is Nick Bosa as advertised? Should the Niners trade Floyd? He plays to straight up, causing little to no havoc. - David H.

Interior pressure has been an issue this season. Without Javon Hargrave, the 49ers are without their best interior pass-rusher. Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliot are doing a good job, often occupying multiple blockers. It's just that the defensive line isn't making enough plays as a whole.

Nick Bosa is playing well, especially against the run, although he missed three tackles on Sunday. We're used to seeing him terrorize quarterbacks, and we've not been seeing that as much over the past two seasons. But I'd hate to see what this defense looks like without him. And don't forget about his interception against the Cardinals.

Leonard Floyd had a sack on Sunday and was credited with three QB pressures. But he hasn't provided the pass rush fans were hoping he would. So that will make it look like he was a bad signing. I still think it's too early to say that, though. And with Yetur Gross-Matos reportedly out 4-8 weeks, Floyd will be counted on even more.

Who keeps making these ridiculous play calls? - Brenden M.

On defense or offense? I can only assume the question is about Shanahan's play-calling. I'm not one who thinks he needs to be fired or anything like that. But I will admit that sometimes the offense isn't as creative as it is at other times. Maybe I'm oversimplifying it and that's hard to sustain.

Jennings and Samuel both finished Sunday's game with one catch. Those guys need more red-zone touches. Good things happen when Jennings and Samuel get the ball.

On the drive Sunday in which the 49ers turned the ball over on downs, they moved it well, mostly on the ground. But once they got into the red zone, they got sloppy. Jennings was called for a false start, which cost them five yards. Then Purdy took a horrible sack that lost nine yards. So they had to throw on 3rd and 23. And without Moody, they had to go for it on 4th and 23.

I know you don't want to punt from the 27-yard line, but going for it and failing gave the Cardinals the ball at that spot. If they had punted there, maybe they could have pinned the Cardinals a little closer to the goal line. But I understand you don't want to punt in that part of the field.

When is Kyle going to remember he has a 227lb running back in the red zone....all that passing with a weak arm QB is not producing points. - Darne H.

Again, things get very tight in the red zone. The receivers aren't creating separation as they should. And Purdy is making decisions he normally doesn't make. For example, he normally reads things and gets rid of the ball quickly. This season, he's holding onto the ball longer and scrambling more. Is it because the receivers aren't getting open? They move the ball fine until they reach the red zone. Then they go in the tank.

I don't believe the issue is the strength of Purdy's arm. There are decisions (by the QB and the coach) that need to be better. But the execution is still key. I would like to see them run the ball more in the red zone, but that's not always possible if the defense is focused on taking that away. You have to make the defense pay so they think twice about stacking the box.

Biggest disappointment? The choke job at the end, or seeing the stands behind the Cardinals empty and people resorting to watching the game on TV in walkways? That is horrible. - Jaimito P.

Choking away the game was the bigger disappointment. The fans are going to do things like that. I noticed all the empty seats and was annoyed by it, as well. But after the game, my thoughts were not on the fans, but on the team and how they blew it down the stretch.

Why would they hire Sorenson? He did a horrible job as the HC for the Chargers. - Alycia N.

Sorensen was not the head coach of the Chargers. You're thinking of Brandon Staley. And while Staley wasn't very successful as a head coach, he was successful as a defensive coordinator before that. The players like him and talk about him as some kind of defensive genius.

But I understand the frustration. So far, it doesn't seem like Staley is doing much to make the defense any better. But maybe he is. For all we know, Sorensen would be doing even worse without Staley. It's hard to say when you're on the outside like we all are.

On Tuesday morning, Brian Baldinger was a guest on 95.7 The Game and responded to a question about Robert Saleh replacing Sorensen as the 49ers defensive coordinator this season. Saleh was just fired by the New York Jets. Would Shanahan fire Sorensen to bring back Saleh? Perhaps. But during the season? That doesn't seem likely.

Baldinger said, "I don't think it's realistic right now. You're going to fire Sorensen after five games and replace him with Robert Saleh? I think it's more of a personnel issue than a coaching issue." I agree with Baldinger. But, if I were Shanahan, I would reach out to Saleh and tell him not to accept any other job before checking with me. At a minimum, I would hope to bring him back next season.

Of course, there is a possibility that Shanahan would bring Saleh back in some form this season. But it's a slippery slope. You don't want players to start looking to Saleh, rather than Sorensen. That could be a big distraction.

I went into the season with the understanding defense may take a step back maybe due to the new DC. I liked the Staley hire afterward because I felt it would balance the inexperience of Sorensen. What is Staley's involvement during the game? - J.P

I am not aware of any mention the 49ers have made as to what Staley's job entails. The team website lists Staley as the Assistant Head Coach/Defense. But there's no mention of his role beyond his job title. So, unfortunately, I can't say what he does on game day or throughout the week.

When can we get a new coaching staff? - Donald K.

There could be changes after the season, but Shanahan likely won't be one of them. And as long as he's the coach, he will keep most of his coaching staff intact. I know fans are unhappy with him right now, but he would be the hottest commodity in the NFL if he was let go. The 49ers are lucky to have him. Is he perfect? No, he's far from it. But I'd rather have him than guys like Dennis Erickson, Mike Nolan, Mike Singeltary, Jim Tomsula, and Chip Kelly.

Even Jim Harbaugh, who this fanbase adores, performed no better than Shanahan. And what Harbaugh accomplished was with a talented roster that Scot McCloughan built. What Shanahan has done has been with a roster that he and John Lynch built.

That's all we have for this week's edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. We'll be back next week with a new one. Will we be finally celebrating a win? Or will the frustration continue?