The San Francisco 49ers have been in the middle of a hellish 2024 season, and the end has been just as brutal as the beginning. Their funeral came in front of a nationally televised audience against the Detroit Lions.
Things got so bleak that general manager John Lynch couldn't hold in his true feelings
The Niners went down 31-28 in the third quarter of a game in which they had not forced Detroit to punt up until that point. Jared Goff and the Lions went for it on fourth down, and he found Amon-Ra St. Brown on a play that got him so wide open that you or I could have scored that touchdown.
Lynch was seen slamming his hand into a table, following his display of rage with a line of exclamations we can safely assume to be a bit more blue than a G-rated rant. The 49ers executive channeled the collective frustrations of his fanbase, as his defense looks unable to stop the Lions if they had 13 players on the field every play.
49ers executive John Lynch screams and yells after Lions convert fourth down TD
The fact the 49ers are doing this in a game that Detroit didn't even need to win to fulfill their quest of earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC is a perfect illustration of what San Francisco is this year. The Lions are playing at half-speed, and no one can offer a shred of resistance.
While Shanahan and the rest of the team can be cut some slack due to their comically bad injury luck this season it is still quite disheartening to see Detroit do this to them at home in primetime. One can only hope the injury bug infestation that plagued them this season doesn't return in 2025.
Lynch himself has his work cut out for him. Not only will he need to consider major changes on the defensive coaching staff, but he will need to nail it in the 2025 NFL Draft and address the lack of depth at cornerback, defensive line, and linebacker with his premium picks.
This season has been nauseating for 49ers fans, and this game has been no different up until this point. One can't blame Lynch for showing emotion. His job may be fairly safe, but one must wonder if the window is starting to close.