49ers overreactions: Are playoff hopes in danger after 1-2 start? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There never seemed to be a point the 49ers were in danger of losing in Week 3 … until they did.
The loss to the Los Angeles Rams came out of nowhere. The 49ers failed to put the game out of reach when they had plenty of chances.
They botched more than enough plays to give Matthew Stafford an opening to pull out an unlikely 27-24 upset victory over the shell-shocked 49ers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
It’s games such as this that are made for 49ers overreactions, so here we go …
Ronnie Bell to the practice squad. Fire the special teams coach. (spoilertalerts)
Overreaction: No and yes.
It was a bit of a surprise that Ronnie Bell made the initial 53-man roster, as the 49ers opted to keep seven receivers.
When Ricky Pearsall is cleared to return off the non-football injury list, it seems as if wide receiver is a spot where the 49ers could make a move.
There is no reason for them to keep seven wide receivers, so they could decide between Bell and Chris Conley. Bell is not a contributor on special teams; Conley is. So that would seem to give Conley the edge.
The 49ers still have an open roster spot, and they seem to be in no hurry to fill it.
Based on the 30 snaps Bell played in Sunday’s game, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has more confidence in Bell’s ability to fill a role on offense over rookie Jacob Cowing.
They need to get Cowing to a spot where he can see some action on offense while also holding down his role on punt returns.
As for special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, his unit must perform better. But firing people after three games is generally not a reasonable option.
Schneider has coached a long time in the NFL, so he’s proven. His special teams units with Seattle were top-notch, including in the season of their Super Bowl title.
The 49ers do not need to win games on special teams, but it is unacceptable for them to give the game away.
Worst regular season loss of Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers career (adamcopes)
Overreaction: No.
The thing that made this so bad was that the 49ers had the game in hand against a team that should have been overmatched on both sides of the ball.
The 49ers made mental mistakes. And they made physical errors. When there were clutch plays to be made, it was the Rams who came through — or the 49ers who made a costly blunder.
This is a veteran team that should have things more buttoned-up than what they showed the past two games.
The 49ers had a 14-point lead midway through the fourth quarter against the Rams and still found a way to lose.
It seemed as if they already chalked up the victory against a team that the Arizona Cardinals blew out, 41-10, a week earlier.
This one was about as brutal as it gets.
And it is twice as bad because it was a division game and a conference game. And it could come back to haunt the 49ers in the NFL playoff race at the end of the season.
The lack of first-round picks from the Trey Lance trade has really caught up to the 49ers depth chart and it’s really showing. (richlucido)
Overreaction: No.
It is difficult to argue with this point.
Yes, the 49ers came out ahead when it comes to quarterback play. But the fact Trey Lance did not work out came at a big price.
The 49ers could not have landed a quarterback better than Brock Purdy, who fell in their laps with the No. 262 and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
However, in making the trade up to No. 3 overall in 2021, the 49ers gave up the 12th overall pick in 2021, first-rounders in 2022 and 2023, and a third-round pick in 2022.
The 49ers could have added four players at premium draft positions if they had not made that trade with the Miami Dolphins to draft a quarterback.
The trade might have made sense at the time, as the 49ers decided to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo. And Purdy’s emergence has taken care of the 49ers’ quarterback situation.
But, yes, the 49ers are weaker at other spots because of that trade more than three years ago to get into position to select Lance.
Overreaction: Yes.
Of course, we cannot say for certain the 49ers will or will not make the playoffs.
But, even with the 49ers’ awful losses in back-to-back weeks, their season is not wrecked.
They have plenty of time to turn things around. There are 14 games remaining in the regular season.
There are only two unbeaten teams in the NFC through three weeks: the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings.
The 49ers, Rams and Cardinals each are two games behind the Seahawks with 1-2 records. And San Francisco still faces Seattle twice this season.
No team in the NFC is going to run away with this thing. The 49ers’ season will not be defined by these two losses to the Vikings and the Rams.
Dre Greenlaw is more valuable than we thought and Niners D is not the same without him. (nova4ess)
Overreaction: No.
Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner combined to form the top pair of inside linebackers in the NFL over the past couple of seasons.
Greenlaw’s presence is felt on third downs in pass coverage. There’s no question about it.
Veteran De’Vondre Campbell has taken over for Greenlaw. He struggled in coverage on Sunday. He surrendered three pass completions for 53 yards, according to PFF. He also committed a 25-yard penalty for pass interference that set up the Rams’ winning points.
Greenlaw continues to make progress in his comeback from a torn Achilles. He is expected back sometime near the midway point in the season. He does not want to come back until he’s ready.
And when he’s ready, he will provide the 49ers with an immediate and noticeable upgrade.
Purdy is solid. Even without the avengers. (kabinialgo)
Overreaction: No.
We’ll even take this a step further.
Brock Purdy is not just “solid.” He is an outstanding quarterback who continues to prove he is one of the best in the NFL.
Through three games, Purdy has completed 72.6 percent of his passes. That would be a 49ers single-season record. He ranks second in the NFL in both passing yards (842) and yards per pass attempt (8.9). His passer rating of 109.2 is fifth-best in the league.
On Sunday, he did it without Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. He fed Jauan Jennings, who had a career day with 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
Purdy’s decision-making and accuracy elevate the play of everyone around him. He gives his receivers chances to make plays — then, it’s on them to make the catches.
We gave the wrong WR the big contract. (editormartind)
Overreaction: Yes and no.
We understand what you’re saying. But the 49ers also signed Jennings to a multi-year deal in the offseason that keeps him around through the 2025 NFL season.
There’s frustration that Brandon Aiyuk did not practice during the offseason and training camp, and he has gotten off to a slow start.
Meanwhile, Jennings signed a two-year, $15.3 million extension early in the offseason, which did not receive a whole lot of attention.
Anyone watching the game on Sunday would have thought Jennings was the big-money guy. He was the best player on the field, while Aiyuk did nothing to stand out.
There can be no more excuses for Aiyuk’s relative lack of production. He must find a way to get involved in the passing game and begin earning those paychecks, because they need him to make plays now more than ever.
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