The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: 5 Takeaways from Week 4
The 49ers lost two games in a row against playoff teams. Here are the top five takeaways from their 28-21 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle needs to rebuild
I do not intend to write about the opposition team in my weekly takeaway, but I could not overlook this one. Pete Carroll's team reminds me of a formerly wealthy family who has lost all their fortune. They have no money or properties but live in a mansion about to crumble. Still, there is no shortage of bragging about the past glory days, and they remain in the social circles.
If you take out Russell Wilson, this team is terrible. Carroll should thank Kyle Shanahan for the victory in this game. If not for the 49ers, Seattle would be the worst team in the division. Wilson carries this team to playoffs every year without substantial progress to make them a real contender.
Kyle Shanahan and his offense
The NFL refers to Shanahan as an offensive prodigy. Right now, it feels like a Scottish folklore -- the Loch Ness Monster. Nobody has seen it or proved it exists. But that does not stop people from believing. Where is the so-called offense? It is a shame that a team with an offensive head coach relies on a first-year defensive coordinator to bail them out.
The 49ers offense kept Seattle's hopes alive in the first half. Seattle would have been buried deep only to emerge if an earthquake happened on the San Andreas Fault if this were another team.
Shanahan keeps bringing up players from his past or ones who are injury-prone. He refused to develop Trey Lance during the offseason. Lance looked a bit clueless at times during the second half yet kept fighting.
The 49ers fan base believed Shanahan is a better coach than LA Rams coach Sean McVay. I used to say Shanahan is the third-best head coach in the NFC West, thanks to Kliff Kingsbury. At this moment, Shanahan is the worst head coach in the division. It would be interesting to see how much Jed York will tolerate the mishaps of Shanahan.
The secondary keeps bleeding
Emmanuel Moseley had some excellent plays throughout the game. Dre Kirkpatrick gave a pass interference in a crucial stage. In a league favoring high-scoring offensive-friendly officiating, teams need to invest top talent in their secondary. You can't do much much as a defensive coordinator if you do not have players with good skills. The 49ers lead the league with defensive pass interference penalties. It is not surprising when players with limited skill sets are desperate to stop opposing receivers.
What bothers me the most is the 49ers front office's reluctance to be aggressive and find adequate replacements for Jason Verrett. They keep signing players who are past their prime and expect a miracle. All I have to say to this front office is, "You reap what you sow."
The offensive line is no good, either.
Mike McGlinchey gave away a holding penalty during the 4th quarter when the 49ers were behind by two touchdowns. The biggest question is Alex Mack. Shanahan bought in Mack, expecting a solid performance from the aging veteran center. It is fair to say that the performances from Mack were horrible to watch. The snaps look totally out of sync. Both Garoppolo and Lance had to adjust almost every snap. The ball seems to be coming out slow from the snap, which gives defenses extra time to rush the quarterback. The 49ers need an immediate solution at the center position.
The team took a gamble on veteran Trent Williams, who signed a 6-year contract as the highest-paid left tackle. If the injury forces Williams to miss significant time, the 49ers will fall into the Mariana Trench.
The 2019 vibes are falling off.
During the offseason, I argued that the 49ers should move from Garoppolo and start Lance to build for the future. But many did believe that this team is a healthy quarterback away from making it to the Super Bowl. Now, Garoppolo is going to miss games due to injury. The 49ers are back to square one, wondering who is to blame. The team is last in their division and yet to face the top two teams firing on all cylinders.
The team lost two games in a row against teams made to the playoffs last year. Out of the 13 remaining games, the 49ers have to face eight challenging ones. They have five games against divisional rivals. The games against the Viking, Colts, and Titans will be tough, too.
The team should decide whether to build around Lance for the future or keep getting hammered each week. If this team keeps playing without improvement, this will be another losing season.
