49ers news: 3 biggest headaches team has had in 2021
By Tee Epps
49ers players aren’t executing properly
Drive-killing penalties, bad play-calling and poor execution are all recipes for disaster and losses, or better yet, disastrous losses.
During the 49ers’ Week 5 matchup against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals, the Niners committed seven penalties with five of them coming in the second half. Three of those five killer penalties occurred during their first offensive drive post halftime.
The penalty bug is not just limited to the offense. In 2021, San Francisco has been struggling to find its once-dominant defensive form, too. Now, however, the 49ers are currently tied with the defending Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in first place with eight defensive pass-interference calls.
The Bucs may have the overall talent to overcome those mistakes, but the margin for error by the Niners is much more razor-thin, and the lack of proper execution on plays is hurting the team in so many ways.
Some observers may look at those numbers and see it as an indictment towards the players, but not so fast. Players are expected to execute each play call with the highest level of perfection, so let’s flip the script and hold coaches to the same standard.