Another week, another heart-breaking loss for the San Francisco 49ers. We look at three takeaways from their overtime defeat to the Indianapaolis Colts.
Only three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and the San Francisco 49ers losing in heart-breaking fashion. At least that will be how it feels for 49ers fans, who have now seen their team lose the last four games by a combined 11 points after a second successive overtime defeat.
San Francisco was beaten, 26-23, by the Indianapolis Colts in overtime, leaving the Niners wondering when that first win will come. That’s especially so as they approach a very tough sled of games, starting with a trip to face the Washington Redskins next week.
Here we look at three takeaways from yet another dramatic loss for the 49ers.
3. Hyde and Bowman could be on their way out
One of the biggest surprises from the game came as Carlos Hyde and NaVorro Bowman each spent a lot of time on the sideline, and seemingly not through injury. Bowman did have a stinger, but indicated Kyle Shanahan made the decision to have Ray-Ray Armstrong and Brock Coyle play ahead of him for long spells of the contest, per NBC Sports Bay Area:
"“Um. I don’t know, man. We had a conversation. I don’t know. They’re doing what they want to do, and… I don’t know. I don’t like it. Nobody likes coming out of the game, but I’m a team player.”"
Hyde, who is a free agent at the end of the season, had four fewer touches than rookie Matt Breida in what he described as a “coaches decision”. Shanahan indicated he was just going with the hot hand in Breida, according to Niners Nation, but the switch in the backfield will lend credence to the argument that Hyde is not his guy, with the 49ers having brought in Joe Williams as well as undrafted free agent Breida.
And, with Reuben Foster poised to return, there could be more time on the bench for Bowman, whose long-term status is in question because of the substantial contract handed to the injured Malcolm Smith. It remains to be seen how many snaps this duo will play next week, but Sunday’s developments suggest this could well be Hyde and Bowman’s last season as 49ers.
2. The 49ers drafted really well
While injury has prevented them from seeing what Foster has to offer, there have been strong performances from a number of members of their draft class. Solomon Thomas had a strong game against the Cardinals last week, while undrafted free agent Matt Breida and fifth-round pick Trent Taylor have already become integral parts of the offense.
On Sunday, it was the turn of highly touted fifth-round pick and starting tight end George Kittle, who came through in the clutch with five catches, including one for the touchdown, on the game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter.
With his size and athleticsm, Kittle has the tools to become the top-tier tight end the 49ers have lacked since Vernon Davis’ departure. And though some rookies have yet to flash their potential, San Francisco is already getting a lot out of its 2017 class.
1. Losing habit must be snapped
It’s a weird thing to say for an 0-5 team, but in terms of the rebuild, things are going perfectly for the 49ers. They are competitive and involved in consistently exciting finishes and are perfectly positioned to have a top-five pick in the draft. Thus, they’ll be able to restock the roster with top prospects in 2018.
That is all well and good, but losing is a hard habit to snap and, at the moment, the 49ers are a team unable to finish. San Francisco could legitimately be a 4-1 football team had they shown any capability to finish games.
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The disappointing play at quarterback by Brian Hoyer is a significant reason for this failure, but Shanahan and his staff need to find a way to get this team off the mark to avoid the run of defeats becoming something that damages locker room morale and turns an otherwise encouraging season sour.