3 things SF 49ers must improve on during Week 11 bye

The SF 49ers need to make good use of their Week 11 bye, meaning some improvements in these three critical areas must happen.

A year ago, there was ample reason to be upset with the SF 49ers receiving their bye week in Week 4. And as the injuries started to pile up late in the season amid the team’s push towards the Super Bowl, one could have only wished the Niners received that much-needed break in the latter half of the year.

This season, that’s the case. And the Week 11 period off for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad couldn’t have come at a better time.

Following a three-game losing streak, which has San Francisco now sitting at 4-6 and falling sharply out of the playoff picture, the bye-week break should give Shanahan and Co. a sizable boost. This, both to refresh from those ugly three games and for numerous players to recover from injuries that have plagued the team all year.

Getting healthy is just one item on Shanahan’s to-do list. There are plenty of other items he’ll want to focus on for the break, too.

Yet the culminating efforts have to spill over onto the on-field results. Considering the losing record and hotly contested NFC West, San Francisco’s remaining chances to get back into the playoff hunt are dwindling fast. The team will need to take advantage of every opportunity to win its final six games in order to be back in contention.

Fortunately, the bye week provides ample evaluation time. Aside from getting healthy and adding extra preparation for their crucial Week 12 bout against the Los Angeles Rams, the SF 49ers need to turn the bye week into these three improved-upon action items.