And just like that, it’s – basically – over.
Though the San Francisco 49ers have a modicum – or less – of a chance mathematically of getting into the playoffs, their Thursday night, 12-6, loss to the Los Angeles Rams pretty much dashed all hope. They fall to 6-8 on the season and 1-4 in the division and none of those numbers add up to a playoff berth.
“We did have to win out and we didn’t do enough to win today,” said linebacker Fred Warner.
The defense played well, special teams played well (minus two penalties), but the offense could never get going, amassing 191 total yards on the night and failing to score a touchdown. A late-game drive that showed promise ended in a Brock Purdy interception and that was pretty much that. A Deebo Samuel drop before that was also a game-changer, but more on that in a bit.
“That’s what’s hurting me, I feel like I failed the team,” Purdy said. “I could have been better for our offense and we could have put up more points…But more than anything for the way that we play on offense and our standard, I could have been better for sure.”
Tight end George Kittle understands the feeling but disagrees that it’s all on Purdy.
“It’s a team sport, it is.” Kittle said. “I know the quarterback position is highlighted, because you’re responsible for the football in that situation. I can say it shouldn’t come down to that. We could have made plays in other positions, we could have run the ball better, we could have done a lot of things better to not be in that position.”
In a very odd turn of events, LB De’Vondre Campbell told Kyle Shanahan he didn’t want to play anymore and left the game in the third quarter. “That’s some selfish in my opinion,” said cornerback Charvarius Ward. “He’s probably going to get cut soon.”
Ward’s full answer on De’Vondre Campbell https://t.co/IYWDVdD5Yt pic.twitter.com/WVSXrASOST
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) December 13, 2024
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said, “We’ll figure something out. I don’t know that right now.”
Kittle was less than impressed himself.
“I’ve never been around anyone that’s done that, and I hope I’m never around anyone that does that again,” Kittle said.
After taking to social media this week to share his frustration over not getting the ball, Samuel had three receptions on seven targets for 16 yards. As mentioned previously, he dropped a pass in the third quarter that most likely would have been a touchdown and would have changed the game.
“I was more frustrated than anything that I even dropped the rock,” Samuel said, later adding, “I feel like if I make that play, we win the game.”
It was an overall bad night for Samuel, but it was an overall bad night for the San Francisco offense.
George Kittle on what he said to Deebo Samuel after the game. pic.twitter.com/5c0HlrnK9U
— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) December 13, 2024
The lone bright spot for the 49ers was the return of LB Dre Greenlaw, who had not played in over 300 days, after tearing his Achilles in the Super Bowl. He had eight total tackles on the night, before leaving in the second half with tightness in his leg. Despite the end result, his presence made an immediate impact on the defense and bodes well for the future.
“It meant everything,” said Warner. “We shared a moment before we went out and through the tunnel. Everything that he’s gone through and his journey with rehab and thinking about that moment in the Super Bowl and being able to finally go out there and be with him again, it meant everything. He looked like Dre Greenlaw from the moment we started.”
The 49ers have three more games left in the regular season, and no matter what the playoff chances currently stand at (0.1%), they still have to play them and start planning for 2025 and beyond.
“We’re going to find out who wants to be here the next few weeks,” said pass rusher Nick Bosa. “Obviously, it’s slim and that’s not really the focus. The focus is to win games and to put our best out there…I think momentum created in the next few games could be really big for the offseason.”