Are the Niners just not that good?

The season-opening loss to Seattle could be written off as an aberration. And the last-second loss to the Saints was in, some ways, a relief – evidence that the Niners could hang with the big boys and would be just fine.

But today’s loss raised serious questions. And it suggested that what happened in Seattle was no fluke. In two road games, the 49ers have lost by a combined score of 62-16 against teams that went 9-23 last year. Granted, the Seahawks and Chiefs are likely improved, but it would still qualify as surprising if they made the playoffs.


In both losses, the Niners were in the game early and seemed helpless to
stop the avalanche once it got rolling. I hesitate to question schemes,
game plans and adjustments because Mike Singletary, Jimmy Raye and Greg
Manusky possess a combined 78 years of NFL experience as players and
coaches. I, on the other hand, possess zero (sorry to shock you like
that).

But three straight running plays when trailing by 21 points today with
16 minutes left? That strikes me as odd. And Singletary’s explanation –
they wanted to stay balanced, avoid three and outs, keep the defensive
line from pinning its ears back – didn’t help clear up the confusion.

The Niners trailed the Seahawks 14-6 at halftime and were outscored 17-0
in the second half. They trailed 10-3 at halftime against the Chiefs
and were outscored 21-0 until their last-play touchdown.

Is that because they didn’t make the proper second-half adjustments? Is
that because their players, faced with a hint of adversity away from
home, collapse? I don’t know. But given the second-half numbers, both
explanations at least seem plausible.

Beyond coaching and resilience, it seems possible that this seemingly
up-and-coming team has more holes and less talent than previously
thought.

The offensive line has played poorly in both road games, Alex Smith
remains a large question mark, there is little speed at wide receiver,
the defense has three sacks and opposing quarterbacks have a rating of
109.7 (62 of 88 for 674 yards with seven TDs and two INTs).

The Niners’ run defense was stout in the first two games, but even that
was exploited today as Jamaal Charles made them look clumsy.

Singletary said changes were likely on the way this week. But what changes, exactly, would foreshadow a big turnaround?

Today’s blowout at least hinted at a possibility many hadn’t previously considered.

Are the 49ers, from top to bottom, just not very good?

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