Game Breakdown: 49ers Make Too Many Mistakes in 22-17 Loss to Minnesota

For the second week in a row, the Niners took their opponent lightly, failed to execute, and lost the game with mistakes.

There are team wins, this was a team loss at every level. The 49ers blueprint failed them. The big investment in the pass rush. Go cheap at quarterback and surround him with weapons. Go cheap at the offensive line except for Trent Williams.  All exposed and defeated.

For the second week in a row, the Niners took their opponent lightly, failed to execute, and lost the game with mistakes.

Questions pile up after a frustrating self-induced loss to an inferior team.

Where is the edge and focus of the first five weeks?

The Dallas rout now appears to have been a finish line mentally and emotionally. The Niners were feeling themselves after that game and now have two losses due to a lack of focus.

The Threepeat Lakers were notorious for thinking just roll the balls out and we’ll win. I called them Team Lightswitch. These Niners are the NFL equivalent. When the time came to flip the switch and win they failed when it mattered most. The Niners tried to flip the switch the last two games and lost both.

Can this year’s team win without Trent Williams?

Apparently not. The running game was anemic, three yards per carry. The Niners' bread and butter, wide left, was rarely attempted.

On the first try, they had Jauan Jennings and both tight ends left, showing their lack of confidence in Williams’ replacement Jaylon Moore. Then Jennings missed his block for a loss of three. The Niners had one successful play running wide left and it didn’t happen until 7:58 left in the game. A George Kittle block freed McCaffrey for nine yards. Of note, Moore did nothing on the play.

Purdy was running for his life most of the night and did a good job of escaping pressure. However, he went to the anticipatory throw well a few too many times and it cost him with two back-breaking interceptions in the 4th quarter.

Why couldn’t the pass rush get home on Kirk Cousins?

Here is where the team blueprints come into sharp contrast. The Niners choose to invest in the defensive line and left tackle and get by with the rest of the offensive line. Without Williams, the line got worked in this game in pass protection and the running game went nowhere.

The Vikings have a No. 1 pick in Christian Darrisaw at left tackle and one of the league’s best right tackles in Brian O’Neill. Together they pitched a shutout against the Niners' pass rush. The Minnesota blueprint dominated the Kyle Shanahan blueprint, that’s where and how this game was won. On Minnesota’s offensive line and at quarterback. Where the Vikings invest and the Niners don’t.

What was Steve Wilks thinking sending six on a blitz with 17 seconds left in the half?

There’s no defending this call. Kyle Shanahan told ESPN’s Lisa Salters giving up that score was “inexcusable.” So why did Wilks make it? The pass rush was coming up empty and Wilks does not have full confidence in his secondary.

That said, Wilks has also made not giving up the big play the defense’s top priority, and here’s a 60-yard touchdown at the end of the half. Fluky, could have been picked, sure, but it results in a touchdown that changes the game.

Why did Kyle Shanahan not use Jordan Mason?

The Niners had no success running wide and that was predictable going in without Williams. So given that, why no Mason when his strength is running between the tackles? McCaffrey played nearly every snap despite the slight tear in his oblique.  

He extended his touchdown-scoring streak to 16 straight games.  With a touchdown against Cincinnati next week, McCaffrey would tie the Colts' Lenny Moore for the NFL record at 17.

The Niners have finished as one of the 10 most injured teams in the league every year under Shanahan. This is part of why - lack of trust by the coaching staff. At least the Niners avoided further injury on Minnesota’s slit-film turf.

Truth and consequences

This is a particularly costly loss in that it’s to an NFC team and the Niners are now down a game to Philadelphia for the No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, the Eagles just addressed their biggest weakness in landing former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard from Tennessee.

We’ll see how Shanahan and John Lynch respond. The trade deadline is Halloween at 1 p.m. Pacific.

Up Next
Cincinnati at home. Wilks will need to sort out the defense and decide who he trusts in what coverages. The Niners need to get home on Joe Burrow or risk giving up big plays to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.