The San Francisco 49ers are on the wrong end of .500, and one NFL exec thinks Kyle Shanahan is due a large portion of the blame.
In particular, the anonymous executive named Shanahan’s late-game decisions as the primary issue. In an article by The Athletic’s Mike Sando, the executive breaks down the 49ers’ issues.
“It’s a combination of injuries and then Kyle Shanahan’s late-game management, blowing all those leads earlier in the season,” the executive said. “They look tired, like Manti Te’o was saying before the season. They had a year like this before (in 2020). I want them to do well because I don’t want to see them get another stud in the draft after a down year.”
That being said, San Francisco’s latest loss, a 38-10 dismantling at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, didn’t stay close enough for late-game decisions to matter all that much. What did matter was what the exec mentioned first: plentiful injuries.
If the 49ers are going to save their season, they need to get healthy and to close out games. Shanahan only has control over one of those factors.
Shanahan Speaks on Embarrassing Moment in Lopsided Loss
NFL games are often decided by a single score. The 49ers know this as well as anyone, as six of their games in the 2024 season have finished within that margin. The loss to the Packers was a different story.
San Francisco not only got beat in all three phases, they also struggled to play clean football. One moment that especially stood out was when the Niners received back-to-back penalties for having 12 defenders on the field.
While that should never happen, Shanahan did explain why the first penalty flag should have never been thrown.
“The first one, they had 12 personnel, two tight ends in the huddle, which means we have base defense out,” Shanahan said. “They sent another receiver on the field to sub, which when they sub, they’re supposed to allow us to sub. So as soon as they did that, we started to change our personnel, and then they rushed up to the line and snapped it. It was a strategic play by them, but one that I don’t feel should have been allowed. They didn’t give us time to sub on that, and that’s why I was upset on that.”
The 49ers HC went on to say that the second flag was on the staff and players, as they had already seen the Packers’ strategy once.
49ers’ Need to Rally for Primetime
After back-to-back losses, a struggling team would be perfect for a 5-6 team. Instead, San Francisco will have to travel cross-country to take on a 9-2 Buffalo Bills team in a primetime game.
Further, the Bills are coming off a BYE week. Orchard Park is not an easy place to play in, but a night game against a team that has won six straight games in a row only emphasizes how difficult the trip could be.
During the week, Shanahan and the entire Niners fan base will be watching names like QB Brock Purdy, DE Nick Bosa and CB Charvarius Ward. If the 49ers want to get back in the season, they’ll need to pull off an upset on Sunday night.
