Sunday was another disappointing outing for the 49ers. With 11 penalties for 90 yards against the Dolphins, HC Kyle Shanahan was left frustrated as his side succumbed to a 29-17 loss at the Hard Rock Stadium. Their performance against Miami summed up their season in a microcosm. It was filled with missed opportunities, sloppy efforts, and injuries to key players.

QB Brock Purdy was unhappy with how things unfolded on the day when the 49ers were officially eliminated from playoff contention. “You start thinking about the plays that could have changed the game, get some points up on the board, get some momentum,” Purdy said after throwing for more than 300 yards in a losing effort. Purdy struggled at times and his late interception after being under heavy pressure behind a makeshift line ended hopes of a comeback. After the game, there was more bad news for him and the 49ers.

The 49ers were hit by injuries against the Dolphins and had in-game departures with OT Jaylon Moore (quad) left guard Aaron Banks (MCL) and linebacker Drew Greenlaw (calf soreness) added to the injury list. Speaking after the game, Shanahan confirmed that at least two of those names are expected to miss the rest of the season.

According to Shanahan, Aaron Banks and Jaylon Moore are sidelined for the final two games of the 49ers season. Shanahan also mentioned that Trent Williams, dealing with an ankle injury since Week 11, won’t be able to return for the remainder of the campaign.

“He (Williams) won’t be playing in these next two games, so I guess that is an update,” Shanahan said. “He hasn’t been able to improve enough to get him out there, and we don’t see that happening enough in these two weeks, especially with the situation we’re in.” As for Greenlaw, while a final decision has not been made on his status, it is unlikely he will feature for the team in the last two games.

Shanahan said, “I have to wait to talk to Dre on that. We’ll still make sure to see exactly how he is doing because right now we have it as just soreness. That will definitely be a decision that I’ll leave up to Dre depending on what his health is.”

This means that Brock Purdy will be without even less QB protection while facing the Lions and Cardinals. It puts him in the firing line, allowing more tackles on him and increasing the chances of injury. The 49ers have been crippled by injuries to key players this season with their top WR Brandon Aiyuk suffering a season-ending ACL and MCL injury in the Week 7 revenge game against the Chiefs. For Purdy, this season has been about dealing with such blows regularly.

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RB Christian McCaffrey didn’t play till week 10 because of an Achilles injury. The injury woes for the 49ers don’t end here. Spencer Burford, who came in to replace Moore, sustained a calf injury against the Dolphins. However, as of Monday the results of his MRI were not received and an update is awaited. Linebacker Dee Winters, who came in place of Greenlaw suffered a chest injury and is day-to-day. Needless to say, this has been a season to forget for the 49ers.

Having started the campaign as one of the favorites to return to the Super Bowl, they currently sit at the bottom of the NFC West with an abysmal 6-9 record.  This means they will be playing dead rubbers for the first time since the 2020 season, when went 6-10.

Apart from the injuries other problems have also plagued Shanahan’s side. Conceding a season-high number of penalties against the Dolphins reduced any chances of a win. They took possession with 2:10 remaining and a chance to win the game. Trailing 22-17, Purdy completed a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Jauan Jennings. But Purdy was hit as he was throwing on the first play after the two-minute warning, and his pass was intercepted.

Offensively the team has struggled throughout, scoring an average of 22.1 points per game this season, down significantly from the 28.9 average last season. With Purdy finding it difficult against the Dolphins, he was clear about how the team hasn’t been up to the mark this season.

“Hit or miss” Purdy comes clean on 49ers’ disappointing campaign

The impact of missing key players was clear during crucial moments as during the week 5 game against the Cardinals, Brock Purdy got hit on a late possession, and they lost 23-24. The lack of protection and losing key players have affected Purdy’s performance throughout the season. In 14 games this year, he had 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with only a 48.15 success rate.

Against Miami, he completed 26 of 40 pass attempts for 313 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Reflecting on his team’s dismal season, Purdy said,

“It’s just been not clean football across the board. I just feel like we’re hurting ourselves offensively and then when the defense gets a stop, like we got to go and capitalize. Last year we did that really well, last couple of years. We played team football for four quarters and I felt like we were pretty dominant. This year, it’s just been hit or miss.”

It’s high time for the 49ers to sit back and make plans for the offseason in 2025. Getting decent backup and investing heavily in quality will do for the starters. In Brock Purdy, they have a player on whose back they can build the foundation of a strong team in the years to come. But for that they need right planning and perhaps a little luck.