3 glaring problems 49ers must fix now before Week 4 game vs. Patriots

The 49ers are on a two-game skid and have revealed a number of issues. These three in particular need an immediate resolution.

The 2024 edition of the San Francisco 49ers is looking much more like a team that'll be selecting in the first half of next year's NFL Draft instead of one favored to contend for a Super Bowl.

That's concerning, especially given the level of talent on both sides of the ball.

Granted, injuries have already played a significant role, and a multitude of Niners star players have already missed time over the first three weeks. However, amid a 1-2 start to the season and a two-game losing streak that revealed so much about what's going wrong, San Francisco has to display a sense of urgency to avoid an early fall-out of the postseason chase.

There are plenty of problems, yes. But there are also some very workable solutions, too.

Let's highlight three areas the 49ers need to fix before they look to get back to the .500 mark in a Week 4 home game against the 1-2 New England Patriots.

Problem No. 1: 49ers give up too many punt-return yards

Special teams has been atrocious over the first three weeks. And while this often-overlooked phase of the game doesn't seem as important as offense or defense, it'd be a great place for the Niners to start.

There's one area that's exceptionally concerning: allowed punt returns.

Through three weeks, San Francisco ranks dead worst in the NFL in average punt-return yards allowed (17.3), nearly 2 full yards more than the next worst team, the Cleveland Browns (15.4). This is problematic because the embattled 49ers defense, already under scrutiny, is forced to defend a shorter field, leading to more opposing scoring opportunities.

One potential fix to take the heat off coordinator Brian Schneider is to demote linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles from the defensive side of the ball and have him focus solely on special teams play where he's much more adept. Similarly, getting safety George Odum out of the defensive rotation and into strict special teams play could help in a similar manner, saving his efforts for this crucial part.

Problem No. 2: 49ers aren't getting edge pressure

The Niners' once-vaunted defensive line appears to be a shell of its former self, and the year-ending injury to Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave doesn't help matters whatsoever.

Edges Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd have a combined three sacks between them, and the latter has largely been a non-factor ever since his Week 1 efforts against the New York Jets.

As such, San Francisco's pass defense is giving up an average of 7.3 yards per attempt, which ranks third worst in the league, and the run defense isn't much better. Opponents are averaging 4.5 yards per carry against the 49ers, which ranks 21st.

One plausible solution would be for the Niners to engineer a trade for an interior defender to help mitigate the loss of Hargrave, and the Denver Broncos' D.J. Jones would make sense in a reunion-type move.

In the interim, a couple of on-roster moves might make sense, as A to Z Sports' Nicholas McGee pointed out: moving edge Yetur Gross-Matos to the interior and promoting defensive end Sam Okuayinonu from the practice squad on a permanent basis.

That'd be a good start.

Problem No. 3: 49ers lack depth at wide receiver

Wide receivers Deebo Samuel (calf) and Ricky Pearsall (gunshot wound) remain unavailable, and fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk has largely failed to produce, statistically.

Granted, this did open up the door for wide receiver Jauan Jennings to have a career-best performance in Week 3, and that's a solid sign moving forward. However, as fans can angrily remember, quarterback Brock Purdy's targeting of second-year receiver Ronnie Bell did not go particularly well last Sunday.

Bell doesn't do much for San Francisco's offense anyway, and his hands have been a liability for some time now. Opposing defenses are going to take this into account, so playing him doesn't offer much benefit.

There are two plausible solutions, the first giving an uptick in field time to the veteran pass catcher, Chris Conley.

But another would be to insert speedy rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing into the mix, especially in light of him not seeing any offensive snaps to date.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Cowing is "closer and closer each week" to playing a bigger role but admitted the first-year pro isn't quite there yet.

Considering the level of desperation, though, Cowing's straightline speed at least gives an element Bell lacks, potentially adding a useful dynamic to the offense overall.

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