One San Francisco 49ers starter sent an eye-catching message about Kyle Shanahan in a since-deleted post on Instagram.
The 49ers are reeling from a brutal 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, which dropped them to 2-3. CB Deommodore Lenoir made one of the biggest plays in the game with a special teams touchdown, and he’s clearly happy.
@OurSf49ers snapped a screenshot of Lenoir’s post.
“Been the same dawg. Kyle just let me out the kennel,” Lenoir wrote.
While it reads somewhat awkward, Lenoir appears to be saying that Shanahan has let him play his game. Besides having a relatively strong start to the year defensively, Lenoir upped the ante by scoring off a blocked punt by DT Jordan Elliott this past Sunday.
The score put San Francisco up 20-10 with 5 minutes left in the second quarter. You can watch the highlight here.
Despite Lenoir’s huge play, the 49ers’ suffered an offensive collapse in the second half, turning the ball over three times. Lenoir and the San Francisco defense were able to limit the Cardinals to 14 points despite short field position and a plethora of chances, but it was not enough to prevent an Arizona comeback.
Lenoir Showing Up in Big Way
After emerging in the 2022 season, Lenoir has started 40 straight games for the 49ers. He has steadily improved during that span, as he nabbed 3 interceptions and disrupted 10 total passes in 2023.
To start the 2023 season, Lenoir has continued his high rate of swats. He has three in 5 games according to Pro Football Reference, including one against the Cardinals this past Sunday.
Further, his catch rate has dropped. Lenoir is allowing 55% of passes to be completed, down from 63.2% in 2023. The only statistical area that is slightly concerning is that he has missed two tackles in five games.
But all in all, it’s been the exact kind of start to the season that the Niners CB wants. The cherry on top? Lenoir’s special teams touchdown was the first of his NFL career, and it also arrived on the 25-year-old corner’s birthday.
49ers Star Nick Bosa Calls on Team to Figure Things Out
Dropping to 2-3 after 5 games was certainly not in the 49ers’ plans just months removed from a Super Bowl appearance. While the team clearly has a lot of talent, defensive end Nick Bosa believes the squad is doing the opposite of what they’re known for.
“I think as a whole, as a team, we’ve always been an organization and a team that finds ways to win, and we are kind of doing the opposite so far,” Bosa said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “We are finding ways to lose… It doesn’t matter how good the players are, it doesn’t matter how explosive the offense is — if you let teams hang around and not play your best ball later in the game, then you’re going to find yourself in these situations.”
And it won’t get easier for San Francisco. The Niners have a difficult stretch coming up, starting with a quick turnaround for a Thursday night clash with the Seattle Seahawks.
