There will be no storybook ending this season for the San Francisco 49ers, who were eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday before going on to lose 29-17 to the Miami Dolphins -- their fifth loss in their last six games.
The 49ers didn't have any illusions about making the playoffs coming off their 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday ("I know it wasn't official, but we understand numbers, so we kind of knew that last week," head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted on Sunday), but they came away highly disappointed with their performance against the Dolphins nonetheless. It was another error-filled performance for the 49ers, led by 11 penalties for 90 yards to go with a missed field goal, a costly late-game interception from quarterback Brock Purdy, and a 100-yard rushing effort allowed to Dolphins running back De'Von Achane.
"It's happened way too many times this year, and when it rains, it pours," defensive end Nick Bosa said Sunday. "It's very frustrating all around. Offense, defense, special teams... We have that many penalties, it's kind of a harbinger of loss."
2024 has been a year to forget for this franchise, starting with their loss in the Super Bowl in February. Things have consistently gone downhill from there, both on and off the field, as the team has had to deal with tragedy and a neverending list of injuries. The end of the season will feel like an act of mercy when it arrives, but the 49ers will have to fight through a home game against the Detroit Lions and a road game against the Arizona Cardinals before they get there.
"It's very, very evident that the guys who want to be here are going to play really hard and continue to do that," Bosa said. "I don't question anybody on this team, but we're definitely going to be tested in the next couple weeks."
Before heading into those games, let's take one last look at some odds and ends from Miami in this version of 49ers Notebook, including some damage assessment from head coach Kyle Shanahan, quarterback Brock Purdy, and tight end George Kittle.
Deserving of a loss
When asked by reporters Sunday what he told his players in the locker room after Sunday's loss, Shanahan was clear and to the point.
"That no matter what's going on, when you have those penalties like that, you don't deserve to win," Shanahan said.
The 11 penalties the 49ers committed against the Dolphins were the hardest thing to swallow about Sunday's game, as Shanahan's comment suggests. There were two illegal formation penalties called on wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on the same drive, one of which negated a third-down catch from wide receiver Deebo Samuel that would have moved the ball to the Dolphins' 2-yard line. There were multiple 15-yard penalties on the defense that were avoidable and costly.
Other significant mistakes hurt the 49ers in the game, including a missed field goal and a late-game interception by quarterback Brock Purdy that halted a potential game-winning drive. But the penalties stood out as the thing the 49ers did that helped their opponent the most.
"The offense, the biggest thing was the lack of concentration," Shanahan said. "We should have 1st-and-Goal at the 2, no problem. And three plays before that, we have two guys line up on the ball. And then we overcame it with Deebo's play there on 3rd-and-8, but we didn't because we had two guys off the ball. I mean, that was a big one.
"Then to miss the field goal after that, the defense, three drives where you have a personal foul on all three of those drives, I think two of them ended up in points, but that was stuff that we can control. I didn't get to see them all, but you can't have three personal fouls on three drives in the second half and expect to win."
Kittle provided the players' perspective of the penalties, saying none of what happened should fall on the shoulders of the coaches.
"Frustrated is a good word for it," Kittle said, then tossed in a joke about a reporter ("I'm a little thrown off by you wearing a stocking cap in Miami. Besides that, I would say frustrated for sure") before continuing his assessment. "I think our coaches have (done) a really good job of coaching us. And the penalties on offense, all the pre-snap penalties, it's just bad football. I don't put that on Coach Shanahan. I don't put that on the wide receivers coach, the line coach, tight ends coach. That's on us. We know what the formations are. We have to go out there and execute."
Lessons to be learned
What will the 49ers wind up taking from a season where so much went wrong and none of their expectations were met? They'll probably think about that more after their season officially comes to a close, but the question was asked Sunday anyway, with multiple players providing an answer. Purdy offered some introspection on the season while turning some of the blame towards himself.
"It's sort of tough," Purdy said. "You know, we'll really see after the season, just the theme of every game and all that kind of stuff where we need to be better. But just off the top of my head, it's just been just not clean football across the board. You know, I just feel like we're hurting ourselves offensively, and then when the defense gets a stop, like, we gotta go and capitalize. We did that really well last couple years, and we played team football for four quarters, and I just felt like we were pretty dominant.
"And so this year it's just been hit or miss, and the momentum as a whole team and a unit has just been okay, and that's a lot on me for our offense. I've got to get our guys going and be on top of things, and so (I'm) definitely learning that. But, you know, more than anything, we have a really good team and we have good players and a lot of the core guys from what we've done the last couple years. So that's what hurts, is you have those kind of guys and culture here, and, you know, we just haven't been able to get it done in some games."
For Bosa, Sunday marked the first time in his NFL career he played in a game after being eliminated from the playoffs (Bosa was sidelined due to injury when the 49ers missed the playoffs in 2020, which was the last time the franchise missed the postseason). That alone was a learning experience that gave him a new appreciation for where the team has been in previous years.
"I've learned that this league is very tough, and we've been on the highest of highs for a long time, and sometimes things don't go your way," Bosa said. "A lot of it is being because of what we've done, obviously, but you just have to appreciate playing this game. I mean, I don't think I've played a game where we don't really have a chance in the playoffs, so it was a different feel. But it's always a blessing to be on the field and be a part of the Niners."
Not blaming injuries
Purdy hasn't been in top form lately, and it would be easy to point out injuries as a reason why. The offense was down to its fifth running back (Patrick Taylor) on Sunday after losing Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, and Isaac Guerendo, while it continues to be without left tackle Trent Williams and has also been without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for most of the season.
Most would assume Purdy would perform much better if his supporting cast were intact, but he wasn't blaming that when the subject came up Sunday.
"That's my mindset is it doesn't matter who's out there," said Purdy, who threw for 313 yards on 26-of-40 passing with two touchdowns and one interception against the Dolphins. "We have what it takes to win and move the chains and put up points and give our team a chance to win. That's my mindset.
"And so that's where I'm hard on myself is we've had some guys that have been banged up and all that, and then we haven't been able to get it done. I'm just hard on myself when it comes to that, and it hurts. But that's the NFL, man."
The 49ers may not get much healthier before the end of the season, so Purdy will have to go through the final two games with a shorthanded supporting cast. He says he'll expect to win regardless.
"I know that I'm capable of pulling through and winning these kinds of games regardless of who's out there," Purdy said. "It's just in the moment, I've got to just be better and take what the defense gives me and continue to build guys up as we go... It hurts going through it kind of thing, but I still have all the faith in the world and what we can do moving forward and still have two games left to go, showcase ourselves and who we are."
Why no challenge?
The 49ers began the game with a three-and-out, but the television replay of what happened on third down made it seem like their opening possession didn't have to end that way.
The 49ers handed the ball on 3rd-and-1 to running back Patrick Taylor, who was ruled by officials to be short of a first down. But the replay showed Taylor may well have passed the line to gain and that Shanahan should have considered challenging the ruling.
After the game, Shanahan was asked why he didn't throw his challenge flag on the play and responded by saying his staff thought a challenge wouldn't have been successful.
"I didn't get a good angle, but they said upstairs they didn't think we'd win," Shanahan said. "It was a tough short yardage not to get."
One star who doesn't want to sit
With the playoffs out of the question, perhaps the 49ers will give some thought to resting some of their banged-up players for the final two games.
Bosa was asked if he might sit out, considering the fact he has been dealing with hip/oblique problems over the second half of the season. It doesn't sound like he's entertaining that idea, however.
"No, no, no, I'm good," Bosa said. "The oblique's been brutal, but it's not something that is worrisome, so I'm good to go."
Milestones to watch for
Kittle, who is a pretty clear choice for team MVP this season, is on the verge of notching the fourth 1,000-yard season of his NFL career.
Kittle stands at 68 catches, 967 yards, and eight touchdowns, making it likely he'll break the 1,000-yard mark before the season is done. He seemed at least moderately excited about the possibility when asked about it Sunday.
"I set goals for myself before the season," Kittle said. "1,000 yards is one of those goals. You know, I'd rather be in the playoffs, but getting a thousand yards, it's good."
Kittle also has an outside chance at setting a new career high for touchdowns. His current high mark is 11, which he set in 2022. If Kittle reaches 10 touchdowns, it will be the second double-digit touchdown season of his career.
Purdy meets his idol
Purdy had a moment to remember before Sunday's game as he had the opportunity to meet Dolphins legend Dan Marino, whom he grew up cheering for in Arizona.
Purdy's father Shawn was a Dolphins fan, which led Purdy to study Marino as a boy while also choosing to wear the number 13 in Marino's honor. Marino took the opportunity to meet Purdy on Sunday.
"It was quick," Purdy said. "We were starting to warm up and he sort of walked over and just said 'Hey, man, I just wanted to meet you and good luck and tell your dad I said 'Hi.'' So that was really neat. Cool him to do that."