Any faint hope has now gone, and the 49ers’ 2024 season is now effectively over.
A dismal showing on Thursday Night Football against the LA Rams means San Francisco will not be one of the seven NFC teams to make the playoffs this season.
This was a game that the 49ers simply had to have, and yet they put up the second-fewest yards of offense in a game in the Kyle Shanahan era.
To put that into context, the game with the fewest yards involved the 49ers basically having no quarterback. The performance was quite simply unacceptable.
Deebo Samuel will rightly come in for particular criticism. In a down season for him, ‘Deebo’ bemoaned a lack of involvement in the offense in the short week prior to the Rams game.
Those who have watched the 2024 49ers closely will know that Samuel has looked a shadow of his former self. Many would have argued that his usage was excessive – rather than insufficient – prior to Week 15.
Samuel was a big part of the gameplan on Thursday and simply did not deliver, with a dropped probable touchdown a particular low point. Deebo would be best keeping quiet for a few weeks now.
Brock Purdy’s performance was also poor. There is now a strong body of evidence that he is a poor quarterback in adverse weather. That is something that will have to factor in to the decision on how much the 49ers should be willing to pay him in his upcoming extension.
A quarterback worth $60 million a year should be able to throw in all conditions. Purdy needs to improve moving forward to ease the growing concerns among sections of the 49ers’ fanbase.
Campbell’s actions a disgrace
Finally, De’Vondre Campbell needs to look incredibly hard in the mirror. Last week I touched on the unimaginable tragedy suffered by two members of the 49ers, in addition to another player being shot.
Those three players have shown incredible mental strength to contribute to the 49ers’ efforts this season.
For a fellow teammate to refuse to enter the game is, frankly, a disgrace. There is not too much to be said about Campbell that has not been written elsewhere. He should find it hard to get another contract with any NFL team.
2024 never really got going for the San Francisco 49ers, and a crucial offseason now looms.
As seems to be case perennially, the 49ers will be a team to follow in the gap between the Super Bowl and February. The sooner Thursday’s display can be in the rear view mirror, the better.
