Mistake-filled defeat to Dolphins sums up a lost season for the 49ers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — On the day the San Francisco 49ers were officially eliminated from playoff contention, they delivered a performance that summed up their disappointing season.
The offense failed to reach 20 points for the seventh time this season, a missed field goal hampered a comeback attempt and the defense got gashed on the ground in a 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
“It’s just been not clean football across the board,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “I just feel like we’re hurting ourselves offensively and then when the defense gets a stop, like we got to go and capitalize. Last year we did that really well, last couple of years. We played team football for four quarters and I felt like we were pretty dominant. This year, it’s just been hit or miss.”
It’s been mostly miss for San Francisco (6-9) since the start as the team has been plagued by contract disputes in training camp, injuries to key players on both sides of the ball and spotty play.
Purdy’s late interception after being under heavy pressure behind a makeshift line spoiled a comeback attempt and assured the 49ers of a losing season.
San Francisco had already been eliminated from postseason contention earlier in the day after coming into the season as one of the favorites to return to the Super Bowl. The 49ers lost to Kansas City in overtime in February after falling short in the NFC title game the previous two seasons.
After surging following mid-season bye weeks the past two seasons, the 49ers have stumbled this season as injuries that have sidelined stars such as Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk and Nick Bosa for multiple games have taken a toll.
But even the healthy players haven’t performed as San Francisco ranks sixth worst in scoring over the past seven weeks, last in takeaways and fifth worst in yards rushing allowed.
That leaves the Niners in an unfamiliar place as they are playing meaningless games for the first time since the 2020 season, when they went 6-10 the season after losing the Super Bowl.
“We’ve been the highest of highs for a long time,” Bosa said. “Sometimes things don’t go your way and a lot of it is because of what we’ve done, obviously.”
What’s working
Red zone defense. San Francisco held Miami to one TD on three red zone trips. After allowing touchdowns on 13 consecutive red zone drives over a four-week span, the 49ers have held the opposition to one TD on six trips the past two games.
What needs help
Penalties. The Niners committed a season-high 11 penalties for 90 yards and several were costly. Rookie WR Ricky Pearsall lined up illegally twice on one drive, and DBs Talanoa Hufanga and Deommodore Lenoir each got called for unnecessary roughness penalties that helped fuel field-goal drives.
“No matter what’s going on, when you have those penalties like that, you don’t deserve to win,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.
Stock up
WR Deebo Samuel. After being held to 116 yards from scrimmage the previous five games, Samuel delivered a throwback performance that looked like his play in recent years. He had seven catches for 96 yards and his first TD since Week 6 and ran for 25 yards. His 121 yards from scrimmage were a season high.
Stock down
K Jake Moody. The second-year kicker missed a 41-yarder wide left in the third quarter. Moody has missed seven field goals this season and his 76.7% conversion rate is tied for 26th.
Injuries
OL Aaron Banks (knee) and Jaylon Moore (quadriceps strain) will miss the final two games of the season. … Shanahan said LB Dre Greenlaw also could be shut down with soreness in his right calf after returning from a left Achilles tendon injury. … Shanahan said LT Trent Williams (ankle) won’t return this season. … RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) should return to practice this week. … The team is awaiting MRI results to determine whether OL Spencer Burford (calf) can play again this year. … S Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle) and LB Dee Winters (chest) are day to day.
Key number
0-43 — The 49ers remain winless under Shanahan after falling behind by eight or more points in the fourth quarter in the regular season or playoffs. They are the only team in the NFL without a win in that scenario since Shanahan was hired in 2017.
What’s next
The 49ers host Detroit on Monday night.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Pro Football Writer
