Was it the defense, the offense, or both that cost the Niners?

The San Francisco 49ers’ expectations of September have been overwhelmed by the failings of November. Head coach Kyle Shanahan used the word disappointing. He was specifically talking about the 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. But the word would apply to the 2024 season, in which an attempt to return for a second straight year to the NFL Championship game now seems very doubtful.

Whatever happens to teams that lose the Super Bowl is mysterious and deflating. Right now the Niners are 5-5, and almost certainly a doubtful participant in the coming Superbowl. The unavoidable factors on which football is known, offense, defense, special teams, and, perhaps heart—that propelled the Niners to success a year ago—have vanished. 

Yes, key players have been missing and bad breaks have been too prevalent, but good teams overcome the bad stuff. Which is the reason they are good teams.

The manner in which the Niners fell to the Seahawks giving up the lead they had taken with only twelve seconds to go, is all too indicative of a team that for whatever reason has lost its way.

This was the fifth time San Francisco failed to retain a fourth-quarter lead this season. They say good teams win the close ones. What this makes the Niners is up to the judgment of the individual, but so far they certainly seem to meet the standard of a good team.

“We had our opportunities to win this game,” said Shanahan, “but we didn’t get it done. Penalties just killed us.”

That the Niners were without their star defensive lineman, Nick Bosa, in the final minutes, after he incurred a hip injury, certainly did not help. Yet winning teams manage to survive the negatives.

Through the length of an NFL schedule with players crashing into each other game after game, there will always be injuries and missed games. It’s how you respond when key players are not on the field. One of those was Bosa. Another, unquestionably was George Kittle, the Niners tight end whose blocking and receiving are a major part of the offense. He was declared out even before the kickoff. Still, as Shanahan has pointed out, the Niners had their chances—opportunities he called them—and were unable to take advantage of them. It’s been that kind of year for San Francisco, a team often unable to do the right thing at the right time, or even at the apparent wrong time. 

The Niners were unable to move the ball on the ground. A month ago in Seattle, the 49ers rushed for 228 yards and beat the Seahawks. But Sunday, they gained only 131 yards. Was it because the offensive line has worn down or because Seattle was better on defense?

Some might point out that the reason the Niners were beaten by Seattle in this game was because of their defense. However, maybe if San Francisco picked up more yards with the ball, it wouldn’t have mattered how many they allowed when the other team had the ball.

It may be unfair to blame what the Niners couldn’t do with the ball on what the Seahawks could do with the ball, in other words finding fault with the offense rather than the defense.

In truth, it was a little bit of both. And that’s why the Niners are struggling and may not get to the postseason.