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Following San Francisco's last-minute loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11, the 49ers received bad news about two of their team leaders ahead of their Week 12 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Quarterback Brock Purdy is day-to-day with a sore right shoulder, and EDGE Nick Bosa will be evaluated throughout the week for a hip/oblique injury, per ESPN's Adam Schefter via 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
The 5-5 49ers are out of the playoffs if they began today, but in a crowded NFC West, they are only one game behind the 6-4 Arizona Cardinals. With three NFC North and two NFC East teams likely to make the postseason, that leaves just one spot for the NFC West and NFC South. Since San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles are all 5-5, every remaining divisional contest is paramount.
San Francisco still has divisional matchups pending against Los Angeles and Arizona.
49ers circling the drain of lost season
San Francisco's downfall has the whole team reeling. Linebacker Fred Warner spoke about his frustrations after the loss to the Seahawks, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner.
“It's infuriating, honestly,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “It's not like us. But that's just what we've shown this year, so I guess until we stop doing that, then that's who we are.”
Shanahan echoed the same sentiment in how the 49ers gave the game away vs. Seattle.
“I thought we had a chance to put them away a number of times throughout the game,” Shanahan said. “I thought the penalties we had on a number of drives just killed us. We had some good momentum and then had a penalty that kind of ended the drive on two big drives. That cost us points on both of them.
“Still, should have put it away there on that last drive and had every opportunity to. And missed a couple opportunities to do that. When we did that, we gave them a chance. I thought our defense played great all game until that last drive. But let them hang around, and when you let people hang around, that's what happens. But it's, when you have opportunities to do it. And you hurt yourself with penalties and a few missed opportunities. You've got to finish it there at the end.”
The 49ers' collapse might be historically significant, statistically speaking, as the Elias Sports Bureau noted.
“The 49ers have three divisional losses when leading in the final two minutes of regulation, which is tied for the most such losses by a team in a season since the 1970 merger. San Francisco's three late-game letdowns have come in just four chances, and the Niners are tied with the 2001 Carolina Panthers, 2000 Los Angeles Chargers, 1996 Baltimore Ravens and 1994 Washington Commanders as the only teams to have that many defeats in those situations on the résumé.”
San Francisco travels to Green Bay in Week 12 to play the Packers on Sunday, November 24, at 4:25 p.m. EST.
