It has been a rough season for the San Fransisco 49ers. The team has lost four of their last five games and are also 2-4 since their bye week. Their playoff hopes are slowly dying down as each week goes by. They sit last in the NFC West and have been decimated by injuries. Throughout the season, frustration can be connected to this team. Whether it’s star players or the fan base, anger has been built up because of this team. The post-bye week struggle for the San Fransisco 49ers continues to impact this team in many ways.
The Post-Bye Week Struggle for The San Fransico 49ers
Injuries On Offense
One of the main issues the 49ers dealt with on offense was the health of star running back Christian McCaffrey. Before the season started, he was dealing with injuries to his calf and Achilles. He surprised the entire league when he was not able to play for the team’s season opener. These injuries lingered with McCaffrey all season as it took until week 10 for the running back to make his season debut. In week 13 against the Buffalo Bills, McCaffrey injured his right knee and would eventually get shut down for the rest of the season. Jordan Mason, the backup for McCaffrey, also got hurt during this matchup. Mason got placed on injured reserve and his season came to an end as well. Even the team’s third-string running back deals with the same issue. Isaac Guerendo experienced a foot sprain in week 14 against the Chicago Bears. This injury was not as serious for the running back as he was able to handle 16 carries and four receptions against the Los Angeles Rams the following week.
Christian McCaffrey did in fact suffer his potentially season-ending PCL injury on this play — one play before he went down and then took himself out of the game. pic.twitter.com/iFbjkHiEhR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 2, 2024
Brutal Losses
The 49ers had to deal with some brutal losses during their post-bye week skid. In week 15 against the Rams, the 49ers did not put up a single touchdown. They were only able to walk away with six points as the Rams only needed to score 12 points to defeat their division rival. Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills was a snowy beatdown as the Bills cruised to a 35-10 victory. Josh Allen made history during that game, He became the first quarterback in NFL history to have a rushing, passing, and receiving touchdown in one game. These types of losses are tough for a team that is coming off a Super Bowl appearance. Before the season started, the 49ers were considered contenders. They were expected to be competitive in these huge games and even dominate their opponents on the offensive side of the ball.
Finishing Up Their Season
While it is a long shot, the San Fransico 49ers can still clinch a playoff spot. Although, it will certainly not be easy. The 49ers sit two games out from the division lead. They will definitely need help down the road if they want to grab hold of this lead. The team finishes up their season with games against the Dolphins, Lions, and Cardinals. This type of season is tough for a team with Super Bowl aspirations in the preseason. The post-bye week struggle for the San Fransisco 49ers hurt this team during the second half of the season. However, the San Fransico 49ers know how dangerous they can be next season with a healthy team and an offense that starts to connect again.
Main Photo: [Kelley L Cox] – USA Today Sports
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