The San Francisco 49ers easily handled the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 5 and made their case to be considered the best team in the NFL. San Francisco has now lost three games in a row after losing at home to the Cincinnati Bengals this week.
The 49ers are now 5-3 and are in second place in the NFC West behind the Seattle Seahawks. After beating the Cowboys by 32, the 49ers appeared to be getting ready to battle the Philadelphia Eagles for home-field advantage in the NFC. Now, the 49ers are a half-game behind Seattle and sixth in the NFC.
What Happened to the San Francisco 49ers in Cleveland?
San Francisco traveled to Cleveland for what appeared to be an easy win, but their entire season turned against the Browns. The 49ers took a 10-0 lead early but could never put the game away, and the Browns took a 19-17 lead in the final two minutes.
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San Francisco drove down the field and set up kicker Jake Moody for a 41-yard field goal attempt with nine seconds left. Moody missed the kick, and quarterback Brock Purdy suffered his first career loss as a starter.
Running back Cristian McCaffery, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, and offensive tackle Trent Williams all were injured in the game. McCaffery returned to play the next game against the Minnesota Vikings, but Samuel and Williams are still out.
The 49ers Offense Has Stalled
San Francisco scored at least 30 points in each of the first five games this season. The offense has only scored 17 points in each contest during the three-game losing streak.
The injuries to McCaffery, Samuel, and Williams have contributed to the offensive struggles, but the 49ers have not taken care of the football. San Francisco has turned the ball over seven times in the last three games after only two turnovers in the first five contests.
Purdy, who went through concussion protocol this week, has been responsible for six of the seven turnovers over the last three games. He has five interceptions and one lost fumble in the three losses after only one lost fumble in the five wins.
Seattle’s on a Hot Streak
After losing Week 1, the Seahawks have won five of the last six games, with the only loss coming at Cincinnati. The Seahawks defense has held opponents to 11.8 points per game over the last four games after giving up 29.3 points per game in the first three.
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Seattle has been fortunate to win two of the last three games after turning the ball over seven times in that stretch. Quarterback Geno Smith already has six interceptions after throwing only 11 in 17 games last season.
Two of the next three games are on the road with trips against the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Rams, who handed Seattle a 30-13 loss in the season opener.
What’s Next for the 49ers?
The best news for San Francisco is that they are entering a bye week to work on the offensive issues and get healthy. There has been no timeline announced for the return of Samuel, who has a hairline fracture in his left shoulder. The bye week could provide enough time for Trent Williams and his injured ankle to heal.
The 49ers will need to be ready coming out of the bye week with three of the next four games on the road. The team will be back on the road for a game against the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars. After a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco has to play huge away games against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seahawks.
In an odd scheduling twist, the 49ers and Seahawks have two matchups squeezed into a three-week period, with games in Weeks 12 and 14.
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