The San Francisco 49ers find themselves at 5-5 in the NFC West standings during a disappointing 2024 campaign. Facing a challenging two-game stretch, the team is set to take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, followed by a trip to Highmark Stadium to face the Buffalo Bills. Adding to their woes, quarterback Brock Purdy has been ruled out for Sunday's game and might also miss the following week due to a shoulder injury.
Despite their struggles, the 49ers remain just one game behind the division-leading Arizona Cardinals. The NFC West race is wide open, with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks owning matching records with the 49ers, creating a four-team logjam for playoff positioning.
NFL analyst Bucky Brooks recently ranked each NFC West team's chances of winning the division, and placed the 49ers at the bottom, expressing the least confidence in their ability to claim the crown. Brooks listed the Seahawks as the top contender, followed by the Cardinals and Rams.
"The Super Bowl hangover is real," Brooks explained. "San Francisco has been rocked by injuries this season. In fact, right before publishing, Purdy and [DE Nick] Bosa were ruled out of this Sunday's game at Green Bay. Brutal. And even when healthy, the 49ers' best players just haven't excelled like in years past. San Francisco's inconsistent offense and underachieving defense have kept the back-to-back division champs from seizing control of the West in 2024."
While injuries have plagued the 49ers, underperformance has also been a recurring issue. Last weekend's loss to the Seahawks marked the third time the team has lost this season after leading by four or more points in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan knows the margin for error is shrinking with just seven games left in the season.
"You start to look at three more losses and you have to have some really big luck, and that's nothing you want to count on," Shanahan said. "So we gotta control our future, and the only way you can do that is by winning these games."
Brooks continued, "Perhaps the team can get healthy down the stretch, but the clock is ticking on Kyle Shanahan to create a winning formula with a team that is seemingly reeling from an overtime loss in this past February's Lombardi game. This just seems like one of those star-crossed seasons where nothing can go right, which is unfortunate, given how much promise this roster appeared to have back in August."
Of course, it's not all doom and gloom—not yet, at least. There is room for optimism, and Brooks acknowledges that the 49ers could still come out on top in the NFC West.
"The 49ers' raw talent can overwhelm opponents unable to deal with their collection of blue-chip players at marquee positions," Brooks wrote. "When everyone's healthy, the nucleus of Brock Purdy, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner can dominate most foes, which makes it hard to count the 49ers out in win-or-go-home battles down the stretch.
"The Niners are too good to be counted out, given their talent and toughness. Well, at least when all the stars are available."