After Tuesday’s practices and meetings, the San Francisco 49ers will formally be off the office for a few days. The red and gold are coming off their third straight loss of the season and are dealing with injuries to important players on both sides of the ball. This makes the Bye week ideal.
The squad feels optimistic about the second half of the season going into the bye, despite Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. During the team’s last media appearance before the break, veteran linebacker Fred Warner expressed his trust in the locker room’s resilience.
Tucking away somewhere is the simple thing to do right now, according to Warner. Life is difficult. Take cover in a corner; you’ve lost the last three games. We don’t have guys like that. I am not the kind of guy who would do it. I’m going to keep encouraging the squad while standing tall. I will persist in attending and making every effort to contribute.
In Cleveland and Minnesota, the 49ers’ opening two losses gave the impression that they were a solid team going through a difficult period. For the first time this season, they appeared vulnerable after losing to the Bengals at home on Sunday. San Francisco is facing a number of new problems, including a defense that finds it difficult to leave the field in crucial situations and Brock Purdy’s recent spate of turnovers. The Niners might be in for a lucky break with their Week 9 bye; I’m not sure if they can suddenly find their clutch gene.
Losing three straight regular-season games and winning a Super Bowl is a very uncommon feat, but the Los Angeles Rams accomplished it a few years ago. Despite the 49ers’ severe collapse, their early-season supremacy supports a possible comeback scenario. We’re holding onto them for the time being, but not as firmly as we once did.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has performed admirably overall this season. Along with two touchdowns on the ground, he has completed 68.3% of his passes for 2,033 yards and 12 touchdowns. For the first five weeks, Purdy was the perfect point guard—he could find his playmakers with the ball, make the odd play off the schedule, and—most importantly—take good care of the ball. Purdy’s ball security has deteriorated while his first two qualities have persisted; during the last three weeks, he has picked up five interceptions this season, four of which have occurred in opponents’ territory. The Niners have dropped their last three games, which may not be a coincidence.
