The 49ers can’t afford to make mental mistakes, considering their stars are injured and the team is an NFC West-worst 5-6.
However, San Francisco’s president of football operations, John Lynch, believes the 49ers have been undisciplined throughout the 2024 NFL season.
Lynch recently detailed the team's discipline issue on "49ers Game Plan" with NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco.
“I don’t think we’re playing clean,” Lynch told Maiocco. “When I watch practice, we play very hard. And there’s anyone who challenges the work ethic of this team, our work habits, we’re well coached. For whatever reason, we haven’t been a very disciplined football team, and that goes down to the very end in terms of finishing.”
It is hard to argue with Lynch.
Over 11 games, San Francisco is averaging a 12th-worst 52 penalty yards per game and has received an eighth-worst 87 flags.
The 49ers also had internal tension when wide receiver Deebo Samuel laid hands on kicker Jake Moody and long snapper Taybor Pepper.
Lynch knows discipline isn’t the only reason for San Franciso’s struggles. But he knows the 49ers aren’t in a place where they can be imperfect. If anything, they have to be perfect to end the season.
“Everybody knows what has ailed us thus far -- three division games where we’ve been up in the fourth quarter,” Lynch told Maiocco. “When you’re a good team, you have to put people away. Everybody in this league has good players. Everybody in this league has a lot of pride. And frankly, when you’re in the Super Bowl last year, everybody’s gunning for you, and we’ve experienced that, and we haven’t handled that well to this point.”
San Francisco has had a target on its back all season. It makes sense, considering the 49ers almost beat the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII and have been perennial contenders under coach Kyle Shanahan.
But there are no excuses.
The 49ers must improve across the board, and fortunately for them, their NFC West rivals are leaving the door open for a season-ending San Francisco run.
"Fortunately, you know, all this has gone bad and we’re one game out of first place in our division,” Lynch told Maiocco. “You can get focused in the entirety of it and say ‘Well, it’s a real hard schedule and we’re on the road a lot.’
“What we’re focused on right now is one team and that’s the Buffalo Bills, and they present plenty of challenges.”
The 49ers are tied at 5-6 with the Los Angeles Rams while the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks each are 6-5 -- there is plenty of football to be played.
