The San Francisco 49ers struggled to get much of anything going during their 26-15 defeat at the hands of the Houston Texans in Week 8.
And head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense bore the brunt of the blame.
The lack of offensive prowess put the Niners in an early hole, particularly with regular 3-and-outs and failing to net a first down until the waning moments of the first half, setting a new infamous record in Shanahan's tenure.
Both sides of the ball have been beset by injuries, yes. And that trend sadly continued for San Francisco in Week 8.
However, one injury-related absence loomed larger than most: wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who has been out since Week 4 with a knee injury that just hasn't seemed to be getting better.
49ers felt Ricky Pearsall's absence in loss to Texans
It's admirable the 49ers have (mostly) managed to survive on offense without Pearsall as of late. But, against a good Texans defense, his lack of presence was sorely felt.
Jauan Jennings, who has been hobbled by both ankle and ribs injuries, was the Niners' leading receiver from the game with four catches for 45 yards, followed by veteran Kendrick Bourne's three grabs for 44. But neither player is a true field-stretching threat, and despite the latter's recent hot streak of back-to-back 142-yard games in Weeks 5 and 6, expecting Bourne to be that kind of an impact player is unrealistic.
Also, unlike last week, running back Christian McCaffrey wasn't a major factor in the pass-catching game either, hauling in three passes for 43 yards.
The lack of a true separator afforded Houston with the chance to crowd the line of scrimmage, which resulted in McCaffrey being bottled up on the ground and quarterback Mac Jones being under constant duress.
Even the Fox Sports broadcast crew pointed out how Pearsall's absence sorely hindered San Francisco, as the Texans didn't have to respect any deep threat who'd challenge the very back end of their defense.
Pearsall might not have been the game-changing X-factor to flip Week 8's outcome on its head.
But, one could reasonably assume his presence would have made for a much closer game and better all-around offensive performance by the 49ers.