5 overreactions to 49ers’ embarrassing start to 2022 season
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers are off to a 1-2 start to begin the 2022 season and have lost two very winnable games. So, it’s time for some overreactions.
The San Francisco 49ers should be 3-0.
Instead, riding a 1-2 record over that stretch and having lost two winnable games against the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos in Weeks 1 and 3, respectively, head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. are once again looking at having to overcome an early record deficit to get back into the playoffs.
Just like they did a year ago after starting off 3-5.
Granted, any loss at the NFL level is going to garner plenty of heightened reactions and overreactions, and the nature of what happened during the Niners’ offensively ugly performance in Denver last Sunday night only highlights what’s wrong with Shanahan’s squad at the moment.
Is it time to panic? Absolutely not. There’s plenty of football left.
Yet it is time to point out some key overreactions that are surely being discussed within San Francisco circles after three weeks.
Overreaction No. 5: 49ers defense bears blame for loss to Broncos
Shortly after the 49ers fell victim 11-10 against the Broncos, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mike Silver called out not just quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for his ugly play, but also the Niners defense for not “closing things out” against quarterback Russell Wilson and a timely Denver offense in the second half:
"The truth, as we saw Sunday night, is that Garoppolo doesn’t always play a clean game, and the team’s most potent weapons … aren’t putting enough stress on opposing defenses. And while the Niners’ defense may be elite, its margin for error right now is thinner than the air in the Mile High City."
Sure, San Francisco’s defense blew a couple of coverages in Week 1, which led to the Bears’ victory. But, in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, this unit effectively pitched a shutdown, the Hawks’ lone points coming off a blocked field-goal try that was returned for a touchdown.
And only nine of Denver’s 11 total points came against coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ defense, the other two resulting in Garoppolo’s safety when he stepped out of bounds in the end zone.
Even forgetting the fact the 49ers rank No. 1 in the NFL in fewest yards per play allowed (3.9), surrendering an average of just 12.3 points per game (including Seattle’s Week 2 points and the Week 3 safety) is indicative of not only a defense doing its job but also dominating in the process.