SF 49ers: 3 silver linings from playoff-eliminating loss to Cowboys

The SF 49ers were officially eliminated from the playoffs by the Cowboys in Week 15 but there are some small silver linings from the outcome.

The SF 49ers‘ “Revenge Tour 2020” officially came to a premature close in Week 15 when the Niners lost in turnover-prone fashion, 41-33, to the lowly Dallas Cowboys.

That loss, paired with the Arizona Cardinals’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles, officially eliminate head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad from the playoffs, putting an end to any hopes of getting back to the Super Bowl and winning it this time.

As if the 5-9 SF 49ers would have made any headway in the postseason anyway.

Yet the loss in Dallas revealed a number of problems Shanahan and Co. will have to address this offseason. San Francisco committed four turnovers in the game, bringing its total on the year to 29, which ranks second most only behind the Denver Broncos. The SF 49ers’ quarterbacking room could use a complete overhaul, while there’s some clear need for offensive linemen between now and 2021.

And with 40 players set to become free agents, the Niners don’t exactly have much choice other than a large-scale roster overhaul anyway.

With all that said, and especially amid all the injuries this season, there were some positive silver linings from San Francisco’s defeat, both in terms of the immediate future and over the long run. Considering how disappointing 2020 has been for the SF 49ers and their fans, it never hurts to at least find the few positives out there.

Especially when they’ve been few and far between.

Let’s take a look at three silver linings from the Niners’ Week 15 loss and what they mean moving forward.