It would be understandable if a number of 49ers fans adopted a "Wait 'till next year" mentality following the team's loss on Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams. But tight end George Kittle is remaining optimistic not just about the team's chances of getting to the postseason, but advancing once they get there.
The 49ers took it on the chin in their 42-26 loss to the Rams at Levi's Stadium on Sunday, doing nothing to assuage fears that they may no longer have the manpower they need on defense to be a legitimate contender this season. The defense has had its moments in recent weeks while trying to cope with season-ending injuries to linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa, but those came against non-contending teams like the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants. They went up against a team expected to be a Super Bowl contender on Sunday and looked outgunned, surrendering six touchdowns to a Rams squad that solidified themselves as one of the NFC's teams to beat down the stretch.
So it wasn't exactly something that inspired confidence in the team's long-term outlook, but Kittle said after the loss Sunday that he still believed the 49ers had the team to move deep into the playoffs.
"Yes, I do," Kittle said. "I I think we're incredibly talented and we still have we have guys on offense coming back."
Kittle is referring to players such as wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk as well as quarterback Brock Purdy, each of whom remains on the sidelines due to injury but could make their way back to the field sooner rather than later. That won't solve the defense's problems directly, but it could help the offense do a better job of outscoring opponents while the young and inexperienced defense improves.
"Brock Purdy is an amazing quarterback and that's why we paid him so much money," Kittle said. "And then whenever we can get Ricky and hopefully at some point Brandon back, like, we have a lot of talent on this offense. And so I thoroughly believe that we can score a ton of points, and I really do also believe that our defense will just get a little better every single week. I truthfully do believe that. They've just been taking haymakers year-round with all the injuries. But I do. (Defensive coordinator Robert) Saleh is such a good coach that he's going to bump those guys up. They're going to get some stops and we just have to continue to score a lot of points and not turn the ball over."
Kittle believes it will be the offense's job to carry the team in the weeks ahead, and if they execute on the level they're capable of, they'll be able to get the team where they want to go while the defense gets better. The offense had a solid outing against the Rams, scoring 26 points while quarterback Mac Jones threw for over 300 yards, but Kittle thinks they can and should do more.
"I mean, we started the game off with a punt, a fumble, a fourth-down turnover, a touchdown, and a punt," Kittle said. "And I'm pretty sure like I said, since I've been back, is that our team is going to have to rely on our really good veteran offense to score a lot of points and not turn the ball over. And we didn't really do that today. And so I think that's going to be the case moving forward. Our offense has to play at an incredibly high level, we have to score a lot of points, and we have to not turn the ball over.
"And I think our defense is going to get better and better throughout the week because we still have a lot of young guys, we have a lot of guys missing, but we have to help out our defense. That's just that's the way the season's going to go. Our offense has to play at a high level, efficient, not turn the ball over, score points, score in the red zone, and then we'll win a lot of games. But if we're not doing that, that's going to happen."
Kittle also pointed out Sunday that the loss to the Rams, as bad as it felt, was far from a death knell for the 49ers. And he's right -- the team is still 6-4 with a 3-1 record in the division, and with a schedule on the horizon that includes games against three struggling teams in the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, as well as winnable home games against the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears, there will be opportunities for the 49ers to pile up more wins than losses despite their injury situation.
"I hate losing," Kittle said. "It's not very fun. But as long as we're getting better, and what, the Rams are the number one defense in the NFL, they're like everyone's favorite team in the NFL. So, was that a must-win game? I don't know. I mean, I want to win every single game, but, we still have plenty of games in front of us that if we win those, we'll put ourselves in positions to succeed at the end of the season. So, we just can't let this loss turn into another loss. So, we have to figure out a way to not screw up next week and go into Arizona and have a really good game against them."
The loss to the Rams makes next week's game in Arizona against the struggling Cardinals something closer to a must-win affair, but it's true that there are still plenty of opportunities on the horizon for the 49ers to get wins and that there's still time for the defense to improve. The whole operation will have to take a big step forward to get on the level that the Rams showed on Sunday, but Kittle thinks there's plenty of gas still in the tank to make it happen.
"I still felt the juice out there (on Sunday)," Kittle said. "(It will) take a little bit for our defense to really come together, get a stop, but they're a young defense. It's going to take them a little bit. Saleh's going to coach them up. It is what it is. But, all my my expectations are just for the offense and to continue to just execute and stop turning the ball over."