49ers’ main worries going into their bye week after their loss to the Bengals

The San Francisco 49ers have lost three straight games to the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, and Cincinnati Bengals after appearing to have the perfect season at first, winning five straight games, and emerging as the clear favorites in the Super Bowl. The 49ers dropped their first two-possession game in more than a year in the 31-17 defeat to the Bengals! The 49ers have unexpectedly returned to Earth.

Many have been quick to attribute the defeats to Brock Purdy or the injuries sustained by wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Trent Williams. But the problems go far deeper than injuries or quarterbacks. Although there are other forces at work as well, all three of these have contributed to the losses.

Let’s examine three of the 49ers’ most pressing problems that need to be resolved during their bye week in order for them to start winning again.

Tackling & Run Defense

One of the most jarring things for 49ers fans is the fall of their run defense and tackling The 49ers defense looks unrecognizable. The defense, which is known for stuffing runners at or behind the line of scrimmage, has given up multiple 9-yard and first down runs over the past three weeks. In addition, opposing teams have been able to break runs to the outside way more than before. These runs haven’t even been to premiere runnings backs or offensive lines either, but to the Vikings and Bengals, who are bottom-five rushing teams in the NFL. The normally swarming defense has looked slow to the ball, something unseen the past few years for the 49ers.

On top of the run defense issues, the 49ers aren’t getting ball-carriers like normal. One of the most sure-tackling teams is letting runners and receivers break free for first-down and larger gains, rather than knocking them down immediately. Some of the team’s better tacklers, including Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, have simply failed to get receivers down.

According to David Lombardi, the 49ers have missed an astounding 32 tackles during their current three-game losing run. The statistics also support this. The 49ers are not designed to frequently give up big plays or have poor defenses and still win. However, there are certain teams that do just that. One of the 49ers’ greatest strategies for slowing down and preventing opponents from scoring is to apply firm tackling. They’re not designed to compete in a weekly shootout. Their inability to do so has given the Bengals, Browns, and Vikings the opportunity to gain ground on the 49ers.

The 49ers pass rush has also not been the same the past few weeks. The 49ers have not had a top secondary in the Kyle Shanahan-era, so the basis of their “top” pass defense relies on their ability to get to the quarterback. When the 49ers pressure the opposing quarterback enough, they either stall drives or force them into poor decisions and throws. Though the 49ers got a few sacks on Joe Burrow and P.J. Walker, they also missed several opportunities for more, particularly when Burrow escaped on a third down early in the Bengals game. Overall, Burrow went 28-32 for 283 yards and three touchdowns, which is completely against the 49ers standard.

The 49ers also failed to sack Kirk Cousins once in the loss to the Vikings. Without disruption, Cousins is one of the sharpest quarterbacks in the league and lit up the secondary, going 35-45 for 378 yards and two touchdowns with a pick.