Do you remember how John Lynch made his way to San Francisco? Back in the 2016 season, when Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for the Falcons, there were rumors swirling around that he would become the next 49ers head coach. So, after the Falcons won a Divisional Round playoff game on the way to a berth in Super Bowl LI, the former safety called Shanahan to congratulate him… and pitch himself for a job.

Shortly after the call, during which Shanahan mentioned he was looking for a general manager to pair up with in the Bay Area and Lynch suggested himself, he became the general manager. As for Kyle Shanahan? A day after the Falcons lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl, he was named the head coach. The thing is, at the time, the 49ers weren’t functioning as a team, much like what is happening in San Francisco right now. They were coming off their worst season since 2004 – with a 2-14 record (1-7 at home; the worst home record in franchise history).

That form seemed to have continued into the 2017 season as well, considering they started with 9 consecutive losses. But they turned things around toward the end, capping off the season (6-10) with a 5-game winning streak. Fast forward to the 2019 season, and Shanahan led them to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2012, repeating that feat last season. But remember how after losing to the Chiefs (yet again), Shanahan said he just wants to “win a damn Super Bowl?” All those dreams seem to be shattering now, as the Niners are sitting at the bottom of the NFC West with a 5-6 record. Well, this is the main reason why fans as well as the franchise’s board members, including John Lynch, aren’t too pleased with the current situation.

Going into their Week 12 game against the Packers, Shanahan & Co. knew it would be a tough win to pull off. After all, they were without stars like Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, and Trent Williams, all of whom were out due to injury. But no one expected it to be as bad as it turned out to be: a blowout 38-10 loss. Seeing as this was their second consecutive loss, it prompted John Lynch to call out the team, expressing his frustration at the situation. Turns out, he believes the Niners aren’t “disciplined” enough, as he revealed in his conversation with NBC Sports reporter Matt Maiocco.

John Lynch said, “I don’t think we’re playing clean. When I watch practice, we play very hard. And there’s anyone who challenges the work ethic of this team, our work habits, we’re well coached. For whatever reason, we haven’t been a very disciplined football team, and that goes down to the very end in terms of finishing.” Per NBC Sports, over 11 games, the 49ers are averaging a 12th-worst 52 penalty yards per game and have received an eighth-worst 87 flags.

Apart from their discipline, the general manager added, “Everybody knows what has ailed us thus far: three division games where we’ve been up in the fourth quarter. When you’re a good team, you have to put people away. Everybody in this league has good players. Everybody in this league has a lot of pride. And frankly, when you’re in the Super Bowl last year, everybody’s gunning for you, and we’ve experienced that, and we haven’t handled that well to this point.”

In Week 3, San Francisco had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Rams overturned it to win 27-24. Then, in Week 5 against the Cardinals, Kyle SHanahan’s team had a 13-point lead going into the final quarter. What happened? Arizona won 24-23. Now, imagine having a 4-point lead with less than 2 minutes left on the clock. In fact, imagine leading 17-13 with less than 20 seconds left to play. Well, that was the case in Week 11 against the Seahawks. But Seattle scored a game-winning touchdown after making up 80 yards in the final drive.

It’s not tough to decipher that these were the missed changes John Lynch was discussing. Had the 49ers maintained their leads, they would’ve been 8-3 right now… and first in the NFC West. But despite these mishaps, they’re still just one game out of first place in the division. But coming back to the team’s late-game performance, it wasn’t all that good against the Packers, either.

Green Bay gave San Francisco ample chances to get back in the game, but Kyle Shanahan & Co. couldn’t take advantage. And this was primarily due to the three turnovers they allowed in the fourth quarter – one at the hands of Purdy’s replacement, Brandon Allen, another on a pass to Christian McCaffrey, and the last on a tipped pass to Deebo Samuel. Addressing this in the post-game press conference, the head coach said, “The offense got an opportunity to get going. They gave us an opportunity to get back in the game. And then to have those three turnovers, that all three led to touchdowns with 21 points.

“You top that with the penalties and stuff, and that’s how you get embarrassed like that.” Going forward, the 49ers will hope to avoid late-game fumbles like this, especially considering how important the next few matches are for their campaign. John Lynch added, “What we’re focused on right now is one team, and that’s the Buffalo Bills, and they present plenty of challenges.” Coming into the Sunday game, the Bills will have a 9-2 record with a 6-game winning streak. So, the question is: Are the 49ers ready?

John Lynch’s frustration could increase after Kyle Shanahan’s injury report!

After John Lynch expressed his fear against the Bills, head coach Kyle Shanahan, during a recent press conference revealed some names who are placed on the injured reserve. He mentioned that Aaron Banks, Jordan Elliott, Deommodore Lenoir, Nick Bosa, and Trent Williams are out. The head coach also addressed Dre Greenlaw’s return, saying that he had a strong week coming back from an Achilles injury. But he fears that a short turnaround between games might limit his return to action. Hence, he, too, as of now, is considered to be out for the next matchup.

In addition to them, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Chris Conley, Kevin Givens, and Renardo Green are questionable at the moment. But the story doesn’t end here for the Niners’s injury list. One major name is under the spotlight, and that is – quarterback Brock Purdy. Talking about the 24-year-old, Shanahan said, “The last two practices it was good. It was great to get him back out there. He was able to go fully today, so it was a good day.” However, the head coach added speculation by saying, “Lots of things can happen between now and [Sunday]. But right now, he’s playing.”

Purdy missed the last game against the Packers due to his shoulder injury. So, on Wednesday and Thursday, he was limited at practice. But on Friday, he became a full participant. That means, though he is considered as good to go for the Bills game, anything can happen, of course, as Shanahan mentioned. Nevertheless, John Lynch will surely need an answer in the next matchup.