The San Francisco 49ers got whooped on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, losing 42-26 as their defense was simply outmatched by LA.
This showing proves that general manager John Lynch was right not to make a big move at the trade deadline.
When the Niners were inactive at the trade deadline, it seemed to be a message from Lynch and the front office that this team is on its own. The inactivity could have been interpreted as the front office not believing in the team enough to make a big move, and if that's the case, maybe that lack of belief is warranted.
San Francisco's defense was taken apart surgically by Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. The 49ers didn't look like a team that was just one edge rusher away from being competitive in that game; they were probably at least two or three players away from truly being competitive.
Maybe the Niners could have made some sort of trade deadline addition that would have helped make the playoffs, but even if they made the playoffs, it's tough to see them making any sort of big run for a Super Bowl given the state of their defense.
They are just missing too many guys on defense, and the combined loss of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner is probably just too great to overcome this season.
That does not necessarily mean this season is a wash.
The experience San Francisco's young defensive players are getting could pay dividends in the long run as they are getting a baptism by fire. If those guys get better as the year goes on, even if they are ultimately outmatched by clearly better teams like the Rams, then maybe next season (if the Niners have a healthy Bosa and Warner out there), it will make the whole defensive unit better.
But Lynch looks wise for not making some sort of panic move at the deadline.
Given all of the 49ers' injuries and the surprising 6-3 record they took into the deadline, it would have been easy to make a knee-jerk move. However, that sort of move may have cost them more in the bigger picture, and it is not like a big edge rusher acquisition always pans out like you think, i.e. Chase Young.
This Niners squad still has a chance to make the playoffs even if it does seem unlikely they make a deep run.
But San Francisco was not one big move away, so Lynch's prudent approach to the deadline seems to be vindicated.