These 4 problems have demolished 49ers' playoff chances in 2024

The 49ers are on the brink of being eliminated from the NFL playoffs, and Kyle Shanahan can thank these four reasons why.

At 5-6, the likelihood of the San Francisco 49ers making the NFL playoffs this year is slim. According to ESPN, the Niners' playoff probability is hanging by a thread at 16 percent after 12 weeks.

Barring a near miracle, San Francisco is going to be watching the postseason from home this year, a fitting end to a 2024 campaign that has seen no shortage of disappointment, controversy and headache.

Sure, injuries can be blamed. Head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad has lost plenty of star firepower over the course of the year to one injury or another.

However, that doesn't explain why the 49ers have underachieved so much throughout the season.

Digging deeper, it's not hard to understand why the Niners have failed to meet expectations. And these four issues reveal the painful truth Shanahan and Co. have to confront and own.

4 issues that have plagued 49ers all year long

No. 1: 4th-quarter collapses

If you want to win games, you have to be winning in the fourth quarter.

Three of San Francisco's six losses on the year were decided in the final frame of regulation, starting off with a gut-punch of a loss to the banged-up Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 at SoFI Stadium where special teams miscues led to quarterback Matthew Stafford engineering a game-winning drive late.

To make things worse, the 49ers again collapsed in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals before suffering yet another fourth-quarter debacle in Week 11 at home versus the Seattle Seahawks.

Tip the scales in each of those three losses, and the Niners would be 8-3 while claiming the NFC West lead and still very much in contention for the No. 1 seed in the conference.

But, that's a "what if?" statement, and what-ifs don't exist.

No. 2: Red-zone scoring woes

Avoiding fourth-quarter collapses is easier when scoring touchdowns instead of field goals, and San Francisco has been forced to settle for three points instead of seven more often than it'd like to admit.

Interestingly enough, the 49ers still boast a top-five offense (at least in terms of yards gained) and average 6.3 yards per play, second best in the NFL and only trailing the Baltimore Ravens' 7.0.

However, finding pay dirt in the red zone has been, well... challenging.

Inside opponents' 20-yard lines, the Niners are reaching the end zone just 50 percent of the time, which is tied for fifth worst among all 32 squads.

A year ago, back when San Francisco was storming toward a Super Bowl appearance, Shanahan's offense was the best in red-zone touchdown percentage.

That seems like a distant memory now.

No. 3: 3rd-down defense

It might not get as much attention as fourth-quarter gaffes or failing to convert in the red zone, but the 49ers' defensive efforts on third down have left a lot to be desired.

The Niners defense has received plenty of criticism this year despite holding opponents to a respectable 5.1 yards per play (tied for sixth best). However, one key area this unit has struggled with all year long is simply getting off the field when it matters most.

In fact, San Francisco's third-down defense has been notably awful, as opposing offenses have been able to convert a first down 43.7 percent of the time, which is seventh worst across the league.

Even worse, on plays where opponents are facing 3rd-and-10-plus situations, quarterbacks have netted eight first downs on 29 attempts, a success rate of 27.6 percent, which is notably high.

As bad as that might be, there's one aspect from the 49ers' 2024 campaign that stands out as even worse.

No. 4: Missed tackles galore

Getting off the field on third down is contingent upon not missing tackles, and the Niners haven't done either particularly well this season.

This was illustrated in Week 12's loss to the Green Bay Packers where San Francisco missed 20 in the game and even had a whopping 10 whiffs in the first quarter:

So, it shouldn't come as a shock the 49ers are among the league's worst when it comes to tackling, boasting 106 total misses, according to Pro Football Focus, which trail only the Cleveland Browns' 116 missed tackles on the year.

To the surprise of no one, linebacker De'Vondre Campbell has the most misses on the Niners with 12, but he's uncharacteristically trailed by typically stout defenders, linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa, who are credited with 11 misses apiece.

This speaks to the magnitude of the problem, one which San Francisco has had no success trying to alleviate.

Instead, just like all the other items on this list, the problem has been compounded.

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