Sad. Ugly. Maddening. But perhaps most depressing of all, it seemed inevitable. Head coach Kyle Shanahan did everything he could to get the San Francisco 49ers ready, and the players played their hearts out, but on Saturday night, they were just overmatched.
In a game where the 49ers were down to some third-stringers, they needed a mistake-free game. That was gone with the opening kickoff when Seattle ran it back for a touchdown.
San Francisco needed no intangibles to favor the Seahawks. That was finished when Shanahan called an excellent play on 4th and 2, but when the receiver caught the ball for a 1st down, the refs, inexplicably late, said Seattle had called a timeout. The next play failed.
In a game in which they needed their stars to play their best, running back Christian McCaffrey was playing well—until he got hurt. Tight end Jake Tonges had five catches—until he got hurt.
From the broadcast booth, Tom Brady raved about how well quarterback Brock Purdy was playing in the first half, but much of his praise focused on Brock's ability to extend plays and make things happen. Translation: the offensive line was getting whipped, and Purdy was running for his life.
Back in the late '90s, when the St. Louis Rams, led by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Tory Holt, were the dominant team in the NFC, the 49ers took the approach of building a team to defeat them. It looks like Seattle and the current Rams are the same kind of targets San Francisco should build to beat.
Some of that will happen on defense when the 49ers get defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner back from their injuries. They can hope their 1st-round draft pick, defensive lineman Mykel Williams, fulfills some of his promise when he returns from injury. And perhaps rookie defensive tackle Alfred Williams and rookie slot cornerback Upton Stout will grow from their successes this year.
But the 49ers still have areas to address. Cornerback Renardo Green has struggled. Safeties Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown miss too many tackles and drop would-be interceptions. The team doesn't have a defensive tackle who can collapse the pocket consistently.
On offense, getting a fully healthy Ricky Pearsall back will help the receiving corps, but general manager John Lynch also needs to sign receiver Jauan Jennings to an extension. Even if Lynch does, though, the pass-catching room is woefully thin.
Jacob Cowing was out the entire year, but he seems more suited to a backup role. Demarcus Robinson did yeoman's work in the absence of starters, but he is more of a number 3 receiver rather than a 1 or 2. Lynch will certainly draft a receiver—perhaps in the first round—and that player needs to be a difference maker.
It is frustrating to say this every year, but the offensive line is just not good. Some suggest they are adequate. The reality is that an adequate line is a terrible line against a strong defensive front. We saw that last night. It could not have been more apparent than when on 4th down and 2 yards to go, Brock Purdy took the snap, in a shotgun formation no less, and was immediately engulfed by Seattle defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who faced a double team!
Earlier in the game, on a 3rd and 1, McCaffrey ran to the right, but right tackle Colton McKivitz was pushed into the backfield and into McCaffrey to stop him for no gain.
When a play matters the most, an offensive line needs to make the plays, not get dominated.
Depending on the result of the Rams-Bears game, the Niners will draft either 26 or 27. This is a deep draft at some of our positions of need, particularly wide receiver and defensive line.
But considering how much they had to overcome, the Niners have reason to be somewhat optimistic for next year.
Brock Purdy put it well: "The resiliency, the character and the heart of this team was unlike anything I've ever been a part of . . . the heart, man. And so for us it does excite us in terms of we're going to regroup and get guys healthy and get back after it. So we are excited for the future."
The Niners are not that far away from contending. They made it to the second round of the playoffs on crutches and in walking boots this year. Their starters can match up with most anyone, but they still need some pieces. Let's hope John Lynch brings his A game to the offseason.