The San Francisco 49ers suffered another crushing defeat Sunday night, falling 35-10 to the Buffalo Bills. The loss marked their third consecutive defeat, dropping the team to a 5-7 record and further dimming their playoff hopes.
Turning the season around appears increasingly improbable. The Seattle Seahawks now hold a two-game lead over the last-place 49ers in the NFC West, a division that likely will require winning the title to secure a playoff berth.
"It sucks," quarterback Brock Purdy said of the latest defeat. "All the games that we've been in, outside the last two, every drive matters, every time you touch the ball matters. And finishing close games matters."
While the 49ers lost several tight matchups earlier in the season, their last two outings have been blowouts. San Francisco has been outscored a combined 73-20 in the consecutive losses, looking far removed from the team that reached the Super Bowl in February.
"And so, now here we are, 5-7," Purdy continued. "That's just the reality of it. That's the NFL. But we got to man up and do something about it, and we have the right guys in the locker room to do that. I know that. I have faith in that. And it starts with myself, too. I got to do my job better.
"So, everybody just has to be accountable for it, and we got to come together at this time of the year and make it happen."
The loss was compounded by the departure of star running back Christian McCaffrey, who left in the second quarter with a knee injury. The team fears McCaffrey may have suffered a season-ending PCL injury, adding another blow to an already difficult season.
Despite the mounting challenges, Purdy remains determined to fight through the final five games. When asked about his approach to the remainder of the schedule, Purdy stressed urgency and made it clear he hasn't given up on the team's postseason hopes.
"Every game's got to be a must-win for us," Purdy explained. "We don't have any room, clearly, if we want to make the playoffs, and get ahead, and do the thing that we've set out to do before the season. Every [game has] got to be a must-win. And so, that's plain as day, and we all know that.
"Like I said, we all just got to be accountable and grow from it. And we don't have a lot of room for error right now. We got to go."
Tight end George Kittle also remains hopeful, even while acknowledging the uphill battle the San Francisco 49ers face.
"Football's tough," Kittle said. "Stuff happens, and you're either gonna let it beat you down into an oblivion, and you're just gonna give up, or you're gonna continue to go out there and swing and fight every single day that you have. And what's crazy is we only have so many opportunities left, but we're technically not out of the playoffs or anything like that.
"And while it feels dark and gloomy and absolutely probably depressing ... we still went out, and I do have faith that we can do that. I really do. I still have faith in this coaching staff. I still have faith in the players around me. I still have Brock Purdy out there, [WR] Deebo Samuel. [WR] Jauan's (Jennings) playing a hell of a season, and just looking forward to getting back out there."
Kittle added, "The only way to make this feel better is to go take advantage of next week and try to get a win."