Still Fighting: 49ers Post-Week 10 Under Reaction
The 2020 season has been messier than eating ribs coated in smoked barbeque sauce. Despite the “they are playing with backups” narrative, this was the first game since Week 7 that made you believe the 49ers still have a chance to win after three quarters on Sunday.
Playoffs are a long shot
It feels unreal to own that after watching this team in the Super Bowl just 10 months ago. Fans shouldn’t feel demoralized to cheer for the red and gold on Sundays despite the 4-6 record. A lot of us are bored at home as if we have been waiting at the DMV to renew our registration. The fact we are able to see 49ers football during a pandemic to keep us somewhat sane is a bright spot from all the chaos.
San Francisco is still technically alive but is three losses behind the 7th seed in the NFC playoff picture. They’d have to go a mere 6-0 over the final six games to just have a chance. Could a healthy 49ers team accomplish that? Darn right they could -- Over the next six games, they are projected to be without eight defensive and five offensive key players from the previous Super Bowl. We have to accept this is not the same team.
They are a quarterback away from becoming elite once again
Captain Obvious from the hotels dot com commercials could point out the injuries are holding this team back. But it’s deeper than that.
The 49ers had opportunities to win an additional two games. In the very first game of the season, Jimmy Garoppolo missed a wide-open Kendrick Bourne for the game-winner and in Week 4 Nick Mullens hit an Eagles defender right in between the numbers like every quarterback is taught (well taught with their receivers, not a defender). Those two games alone put this team at 6-4.
Then to throw some salt and squeeze some lemon on our wounds. The quarterback play was completely incompetent versus Miami, Seattle, Green Bay and New Orleans. Maybe just maybe if the 49ers saw average quarterback play, I am sold that one of those four would’ve been a different outcome.
There are brighter days ahead
The 49ers will be back in the NFC hunt come the 2021 season. Although I tend to be more optimistic than the average analyst the above statement is a fact not an opinion.
The defense has been without Nick Bosa and their frequently injured speed rusher Dee Ford. The pass rush this season is much like the fans in their seats at Levi’s Stadium -- nonapparent. Kerry Hyder has helped the rush a bit but he’s no Bosa.
Despite the lack of rush, the 49ers are the fifth-ranked defense in the NFL. The offense has struggled but above-average quarterback play fixes that issue and to say Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle miss this amount of games next season is just nonsense.
The 49ers had a shot this weekend because Fred Warner, Tarvarius Moore, Jason Verrett, Javon Kinlaw, Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk all played tough football and left it out on the field.
The effort those said players gave maintains a standard and a winning culture despite the loss. That will be the key as San Francisco finishes out the rest of this season.
