2-3 49ers play role in 24-23 loss to Arizona

The 49ers' sub-.500 record and inconsistent execution suggest the same thing: This is a mediocre team. With each game, the picture becomes clearer that this is a team that may struggle to make the playoffs. Good enough to beat bad teams, bad enough to give up a 10 point lead in game 4 and lose. Arizona dominated the second half, which was marked by turnovers by the 49ers, and took a 24-23 win.

Kyle Shanahan

He was outed in different ways every time he lost. In that game, Shanahan was 1-for-6 in the red zone against an Arizona defense that has given up the most red zone touchdowns in the league. The Niners had a 17% red zone success rate against the Cardinals' defense, which gave up a 68.8% rate early in the game.

Part of that is clearly the loss of Christian McCaffrey. However, Shanahan is not innocent. With the ball on the Arizona 18, Shanahan went to an empty backfield pass from Brock Purdy that was tipped and picked.

One of Shanahan's main flaws is that he doesn't take the negative into account. He does this in the draft by selecting players based on the highlights while ignoring the negatives. He does this on the field by focusing on the play he believes will be most successful at that moment, while ignoring possible negatives, the yard line and the game situation. He doesn't focus on finishing, he doesn't manage the game, he focuses on the game.

He refuses to conform. Kyle Shanahan's football gravestone.

The supporting actors

Some of the veterans on the team are a fateful year too old. Deebo Samuel no longer produces the speed or YAC of his past. Kyle Juszczyk's contribution is dwindling, he has to make way for a demonstrably more productive Jauan Jennings through a higher deployment of 11 personnel. Trent Williams is no longer who he once was last year and is still working on getting back into football shape.

The good news is that Brandon Aiyuk is back and George Kittle is battling injury to contribute. The bad news is that a team without McCaffrey and Dre Greenlaw will struggle to score and stop the run in the red zone.

Play balls

Brandon Aiyuk – 8 catches for 147 yards with a length of 53.

Nick Bosa – A clever reading of a screen to make a selection that could have won the game.

Jordan Elliott/Deommodore Lenoir – A blocked kick and run for score that led to a 10-point turnaround.

Seattle Questions

Thursday night's Seahawks game is now a must-see. Lose and the 49ers fall to 0-3 in the division and face a wild card in the playoffs, if at all.

Shanahan hasn't beaten the league's top four defensive coordinators in over a year, going 0-5. Now he faces back-to-back opponents in Mike Macdonald and Steve Spagnuolo. How does Shanahan make the adjustments he still needs to make to compete and achieve victory against these masters of simulated pressure and blitz play?

The Niners faded in the second half as temperatures reached 102 in the Easy Bake Oven. How does an older team that is struggling to get into football shape manage to not slack off in a short week with minimal rest?

The Seahawks' game is winnable, but it will require the best Niners and Shanahan. They still need to prove they can do this consistently against a top-class team.

What if the Niners lose?

A loss in Seattle would require the Niners to officially win the division, and they haven't shown the consistency necessary to reach that level.

A loss would also heighten questions about whether Shanahan has lost the ear and heart of his team. He contributed to the Super Bowl loss and may have lost confidence there that will impact this season. He has also been in office for eight years and the owners may decide a new voice is needed. This would coincide with outstanding coaching candidates being available this offseason, led by Detroit Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson.

It remains to be seen whether the 49ers owners will take this into account. However, it's safe to say that if this season goes off the rails, Shanahan's exit becomes more likely. The best way to calm it down is to win. Consistently.

Against this background, not only the team but also Shanahan himself faces a major challenge on Thursday evening in Seattle.

Download and follow the Best 49ers Podcast.