Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 10 Worst Teams in Franchise History

By Peter Panacy

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Nov 22, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers linebackers coach Mike Nolan looks on during the second half of the game at Qualcomm Stadium. Kansas City won 33-3. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers linebackers coach Mike Nolan looks on during the second half of the game at Qualcomm Stadium. Kansas City won 33-3. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 8: The 2006 49ers

Regular-Season Record: 7-9, third in the NFC West

The dynasty of the 1980s had long evaporated and the talent-laden Niners of the 1990s and early 2000s were also gone, which ushered in a new and forgettable era under the reign of former head coach Mike Nolan.

The 2006 49ers may not be the only Nolan squad on this list. But this season was especially bad.

Nolan boasted of a lot of changes when he took over as head coach the year before. Signs like “Win the West” used to don the players’ locker room. And yet the 2006 49ers finished with a 7-9 record and their fourth-consecutive losing season.

San Francisco did have some positives. Running back Frank Gore rushed for 1,695 yards and eight touchdowns. Wideout Antonio Bryant also had a decent season as the Niners’ leading receiver.

But some of the good performances and regular-season record masks some of the true problems behind the team.

Statistically, the 49ers hadn’t improved much at all. Their offense ranked No. 24 in the league (298 points). Defensively, San Francisco was even worse and allowed a league-highest 412 points on the year.

The 49ers also had a point differential of minus-114, which ranked 29th in the NFL that season.

Forget the record, this Niners team was terrible outside of Gore.

Next: No. 7