Last year, by week 11, the 49ers had won 7 games and lost 3. This year, it has been a downward story. The reigning NFC Champions have a 5-5 win-loss record and are staring at an unforeseen crisis. This inconsistency in results has led to questions over the form of Brock Purdy, whose yards per attempt tally of 5.7 against the Seahawks last week was his lowest of the campaign. But the team’s struggles aren’t down to their quarterback, according to HC Kyle Shanahan.

After the 17-20 loss to the Seahawks in week 11, the 49ers’ O-line has slipped to the 16th place in the NFL O-line rankings for week 12. Do they still have a chance? Statistically, they do. But the task is enormous. They play 5 winning teams in their next 7 matches and will have to improve their ability to close out games, something that Shanahan pointed out while defending Purdy’s progress.

While talking to reporters on Wednesday, the 49ers HC praised his QB while criticizing other players. He said, “I think Brock’s doing a lot of good things. But we’re all going to be judged on winning games, and that’s why our team’s got to find a better way to win it there in the fourth so we can get our record right. I think it’s such a fine line. We’re a 5-5 team, which isn’t where we want to be … You ask a question about Brock, but I think if we were 8-2 with a top offense in the league and stuff, I think we’d be feeling a lot better. 

And so, I try to keep perspective of that, especially with our guys. And to me that’s come all the way down to how we finish games. Our team hasn’t been quite as good through this,” Shanahan said. “But a couple plays here and there, and I think we’re looking at it totally differently and that’s why we’ve put ourselves in the hole, and that’s why we’ve made it a lot harder for ourselves here at this back half.”

In contrast, you look at a team like Green Bay, they’ve had seven games come down to the last possession and they’ve won six of them, with the only one they lost being the opening game versus Philly. And that’s why they have such a good record.

Yeah, it’s hard to make a lot of progress after the way he played last year,” Shanahan said. “And it was hard to make a lot of progress after the way he played seven games in his first year. So I think Brock’s playing at the exact same level. I think there’s different circumstances around him. 

I still think it’s going to come down to the same stuff. I bet these next seven games come down to the fourth quarter, and we either get it done or we don’t. We’ve got to find a way to get it done,” he concluded.

Shanahan isn’t too off the mark when he says that they have been hurt due to not being able to see off games in the closing stages. Uncharacteristic mistakes at critical points have cost them. Notably, four of the 49ers’ 10 games have been decided in the final two possessions. Out of these games, the 49ers have won only one in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If they had managed to close the rest of the three games, they would have been 8-2—talk about fine margins. Instead, they sit last in the NFC West division, when they are supposed to be at the top once again.

This season, the 49ers are 15th in EPA per play in the red area and 14th in Success Rate. This is significantly down from fifth in EPA per play and first in Success Rate in the red zone in 2023. They are also 24th in total Yards after the Catch and 25th in YAC/completion, per Pro Football Reference, a metric they topped in 2023. There remain problems throughout the team and these stats suggest that it may be more than just fine margins.

Though the HC claimed that Purdy has been doing fine, his performance also seems to have dipped with a faulty O-line. In 10 games this year, he has 202 of 306 passes (66% completion rate) in 2,613 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and 8 yards. Last year, he ended the season with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Can he score 18 touchdowns in 7 games? Unless the HC makes some changes, it might not happen.

Against the Seahawks, the 49ers finished with less than 300 yards for the first time this season- 277, Purdy threw for 159 yards, the second-lowest of his career. But Purdy’s struggles haven’t been without reason. Injuries have ravaged the 49ers this season which have affected how Purdy has progressed this season.

Last month against the Chiefs, the Niners played the second half without the top three wide receivers. Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Deebo Samuel (illness), and Jauan Jennings (hip) were all out and Purdy threw back-to-back interceptions. During the third quarter there was miscommunication between Purdy and receiver Ronnie Bell, leading to the throw sailing away.

Injuries have derailed their hopes of a good season, but there is little respite. Here’s an update about it ahead of their week 12 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

49ers injuries add to Kyle Shanahan’s worries

The news on the injury front hasn’t been great for the Niners as well. Many of their star players didn’t practice or had limited practice on November 20. They released the injury status after Kyle Shanahan bashed his locker room. It’s not good.

RB Christian McCaffrey showed signs of recovery before week 11 but didn’t practice on Wednesday. Other players who didn’t practice were LB Tatum Bethune, who is out because of a knee injury, DE Nick Bosa, struggling with hip and oblique injuries, and LT Trent Williams whose ankle is injured. Apart from these, few players did limited practice.

Among those was the 49ers star TE George Kittle, who claimed he would play against the Packers. Purdy also suffered a hamstring injury in week 11 but is hopeful for the week 12 game. They need to find their way back in soon. Else things may slip out of hand quickly.