Heartbreaking losses aren’t anything new to the San Francisco 49ers. They don’t usually occur in the regular season, especially this early. But that happened to them in their 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.
The 49ers had a 10-point lead with seven minutes left to go in the game. Emerging victorious against the Rams should’ve been a layup for them at that point. However, they completely collapsed as they always do whenever they hold a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Recovering from this loss will be tough for the 49ers. That is because of the reality check this game provided to them. The 49ers face a harsh reality after their devastating loss to the Rams. The harsh reality is that they aren’t Super Bowl contenders anymore. They currently don’t look like the top dog in the NFC either.
Sure, it may be only Week 3, but they have two bad losses to NFC teams with one against arguably the worst team in their division. The Rams have been a team that the 49ers have dominated for the last five years. They didn’t have Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua nor several other key starters.
Yet, the 49ers couldn’t seal the deal when they had a clear pathway to victory with seven minutes left in the game. Something is off with this team both with the energy and the scheme, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen looks lost as a playcaller. This is the second week in a row where he got took to the woodshed. The bright side is that he has gone up against two amazing play callers Kevin O’Connell and Sean McVay. Perhaps he will improve as the season goes on.
Now, you could point out that the 49ers were missing Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel. Of course, their losses sting, but their absence wasn’t extremely costly to the 49ers. Jordan Mason looks fantastic, Jauan Jennings was a monster against the Rams, and Brock Purdy can play well without them.
The 49ers are lacking in a lot of areas. Most of it resides with the defense. Their pass rush hasn’t been great, the linebacker position is awful outside of Fred Warner, and safety isn’t sound. As for the offense, it’s the offensive line that hasn’t been consistent along with obvious injuries.
Suddenly, all of the bad vibes and foggy atmosphere throughout training camp feel like a serious factor again. Defeating the New York Jets in Week 1 seemed to dismay all of that, but perhaps it was just the case of the 49ers facing an underwhelming team.
Whatever the issues are that you may believe are hurting the 49ers, it is clear that they have a bunch. It’s costing them to be the best team in the NFC. They aren’t a fearful bunch anymore and the harsh reality of them no longer being that team is steadily creeping in. Not even a win against the New England Patriots in Week 4 will get them their status back.
