{"id":295608,"date":"2023-10-28T04:14:03","date_gmt":"2023-10-28T04:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=295608"},"modified":"2023-10-28T04:14:03","modified_gmt":"2023-10-28T04:14:03","slug":"cracks-start-to-show-as-the-san-francisco-49ers-juggernaut-hits-skids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/nfl\/cracks-start-to-show-as-the-san-francisco-49ers-juggernaut-hits-skids\/","title":{"rendered":"Cracks start to show as the San Francisco 49ers juggernaut hits skids"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Cracks start to show as the San Francisco 49ers juggernaut hits skids with back-to-back defeats on the road after blistering start<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A dark night in Minnesota on Monday showed up flaws in 49ers game plan\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Brock Purdy could yet be unavailable due to a concussion picked up on Monday\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Sam Darnold is readying to step up but QB has had a chequered career\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a week-to-week league, a fortnight can seem like a lifetime. San Francisco were unbeaten and looked unstoppable two weeks ago. Now the Niners are 5-2 after back-to-back defeats on the road.<\/p>\n<p>The first, against Cleveland and back-up quarterback PJ Walker, was miserable but just about explainable. The Browns were coming off a bye and have a fearsome defensive unit \u2014 and Niners\u2019 rookie kicker Jake Moody missed a game-winning field goal attempt.<\/p>\n<p>But combined with Monday night\u2019s reverse in Minnesota, it seems cracks are emerging.<\/p>\n<p>Under head coach Kyle Shanahan the 49ers are dominant in two things: rushing the ball and rushing the opposition quarterback. They did neither at US Bank Stadium, as an unpressured Kirk Cousins enjoyed one of the best nights of his career, helping the Vikings to a potentially season-changing 22-17 win.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We didn\u2019t have any sacks, and when you go against a quarterback like that you have got to make him uncomfortable, and he didn\u2019t seem too uncomfortable,\u2019 Shanahan said.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/27\/23\/77100343-12681919-image-a-114_1698446843313.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The 49ers scarcely troubled the Vikings at US Bank Stadium on Monday and cracks are starting to emerge<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/27\/23\/77100409-12681919-image-a-116_1698446940062.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Nick Bosa admitted that the NFL was always ready to &#8216;humble&#8217; you, even after a blistering 5-0 start to the season<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The NFL will humble you every step of the way,\u2019 defensive end Nick Bosa added. \u2018And getting off to a 5-0 start you kind of get that confidence that we are who we need to be, but the NFL does that.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Linebacker Fred Warner urged: \u2018I think the thing right now with us is we have got to find ways to win the grimy games, the ones where it\u2019s not looking great and we find a way. Obviously we can win 30-10, but who are we and what are we going to do when we\u2019re down and we have got to come back and win a game?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>San Francisco were missing left tackle Trent Williams and do-it-all receiver Deebo Samuel, and running back Christian McCaffrey returned from an oblique injury.<\/p>\n<p>But the pass-happy Vikings were without superstar receiver Justin Jefferson and Cousins still managed to complete 35 of 45 passes for 378 yards.<\/p>\n<p>Although the 49ers have dominated without the ball in recent seasons through the defences of Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans \u2014 both have moved on to head coaching roles \u2014 there are signs of disharmony between Shanahan and first-year defensive co-ordinator Steve Wilks. After the all-out blitz which led to Vikings receiver Jordan Addison\u2019s game-changing 60-yard touchdown 16 seconds before half-time, Shanahan told reporters: \u2018He knows he messed up on that call.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>And despite the addition of pass rusher Randy Gregory, the 49ers have only mustered 15 sacks this year \u2014 tied 18th in the NFL.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We\u2019re usually a rush four kind of team. It\u2019s a little different this year,\u2019 Bosa explained.<\/p>\n<p>Coming off a short week, the 49ers host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night \u2014 the second of four teams they face this season coming off a bye.<\/p>\n<p>And they may have to do it without their starting quarterback.<\/p>\n<p>Brock Purdy suffered a helmet-to-helmet collision with Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks on a quarterback sneak. He appeared fine following the game, but showed concussion symptoms on the flight back to San Francisco.<\/p>\n<p>Although the signs are encouraging \u2014 the 23-year-old returned to practice on Thursday \u2014 if he isn\u2019t cleared to play, Sam Darnold will make his first start for the Niners.<\/p>\n<p>Shanahan\u2019s system does not require a quarterback such as Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson. It needs an accurate pocket passer who does not deviate from the script.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/27\/23\/77100385-12681919-image-a-115_1698446916311.jpg\" height=\"357\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Brock Purdy showed concussion signs on Monday after a head-to-head collision on Monday<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/27\/23\/77100487-12681919-image-a-117_1698446981707.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Sam Darnold could make his first start for the 49ers should Purdy be unavailable under the helmet<\/p>\n<p>Darnold has had a chequered career so far, but has never been in a position to succeed. The No 3 overall pick of the 2018 draft spent three unhappy years with the New York Jets.<\/p>\n<p>Without serviceable receivers, Darnold\u2019s spell was characterised by him being captured on film saying \u2018I\u2019m seeing ghosts\u2019 while being swarmed by the Patriots in 2019. He was released in 2021 and spent another under- whelming year in Carolina, with two wins in his six starts.<\/p>\n<p>But Shanahan is a fan and San Francisco came calling. The 49ers released Trey Lance in the offseason and Darnold was named backup.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I have as much confidence in Sam as I could have with someone that I haven\u2019t gone into a real NFL game with,\u2019 Shanahan said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>In many ways, Cincinnati are a superior version of the Vikings. They have three excellent receivers \u2014 Ja\u2019Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd \u2014 and quarterback Joe Burrow is an upgrade on Cousins, albeit he is still recovering from a knee injury.<\/p>\n<p>The Bengals are also better at running the ball. The Vikings\u2019 Alexander Mattison has rushed for 359 yards; Cincinnati\u2019s Joe Mixon has 366 and has played a game fewer.<\/p>\n<p>And although Brian Flores is doing an admirable job as Minnesota\u2019s defensive co-ordinator, throwing the kitchen sink at opposition quarterbacks despite a limited roster, his Bengals counterpart Lou Anarumo has a history of thwarting the likes of Mahomes and Josh Allen.<\/p>\n<p>Shanahan knows the game\u2019s significance, telling reporters on Monday: \u2018We have five-and-a-half days left. Got to focus all on that, make sure we go into the bye week 6-2, not 5-3.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Since Shanahan and general manager John Lynch began their rebuild in San Francisco in 2017, the 49ers have reached three of the last four NFC Championship games. They are more than capable of doing so again.<\/p>\n<p>They average 35.7 points at home this season, second-most in the NFL (Miami top the charts with an average of 47.7).<\/p>\n<p>But the season doesn\u2019t get any easier. After the Bengals come the Jaguars \u2014 another team coming off a bye \u2014 as the 49ers face some gruelling games down the stretch: the Seahawks twice, the Eagles and the Ravens.<\/p>\n<p>Everything will look a little easier with victory on Sunday evening. But the noise will be deafening if the 49ers fall to a third straight defeat.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/27\/23\/77100345-12681919-image-a-118_1698447001389.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The team will have to overturn things when they welcom the Bengals to San Francisco on Sunday evening<\/p>\n<p><span>German double-header will be pitch perfect, insists NFL chief\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>After its London triple-header, the NFL moves to Frankfurt next week when there will be back-to-back games at Deutsche Bank Park.<\/p>\n<p>The Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins meet on November 5 before the New England Patriots face off against Indianapolis Colts the following Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Last season, players from the Buccaneers and Seahawks complained about the slippery grass at Bayern Munich\u2019s Allianz Arena, so the NFL has installed a hybrid surface for this year\u2019s fixtures.<\/p>\n<p>Alexander Steinforth, the NFL\u2019s general manager for Germany, said: \u2018It\u2019s definitely something we\u2019re always re-evaluating, the US colleagues are re-evaluating, and there was the ask for this year to have another pitch.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/nfl\/article-12681919\/Cracks-start-San-Francisco-49ers-juggernaut-hits-skids-defeats-road-blistering-start.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cracks start to show as the San Francisco 49ers juggernaut hits skids with back-to-back defeats on the road after blistering [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":295607,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - 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