When the NFL released its schedule in May, this was the sequence of three 49ers games that jumped out.
In Seattle. In Philadelphia. Against Seattle at Levi’s Stadium.
Three crucial games in three weeks that will go a long way toward determining the NFC West and potentially the top spots in the conference.
The 49ers enter this stretch of the regular season with a 7-3 record and one game ahead of the Seahawks in the division standings.
Everything we’ll learn about the 49ers this season has yet to be written, and there could be more twists and turns ahead.
The 49ers suffered three losses between winning streaks of five and two games. Coach Kyle Shanahan actually fielded questions two weeks ago suggesting quarterback Brock Purdy should be benched. The overreactions have come from all angles.
So now, let’s take the temperature of the fan base after the 49ers’ Week 11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
We went to Threads to check out this installment of 49ers overreactions and here’s what we found:
The San Francisco Forty Niners have the best quarterback in the league! (@helmetsblingbywally)
Overreaction? No.
Based on performance and statistics, who has played better than Brock Purdy this season?
Just a quick note: The NFL’s passer rating system is based on completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdowns per attempt, and interceptions per attempt. Those are all significant statistics that accurately and objectively grade quarterback production.
Purdy posted the highest rating possible in the 49ers’ 27-14 victory over the Buccaneers on Sunday. And he was already leading the NFL in that statistic entering the Week 11 slate of games.
His current mark of 115.1 would put him in the top 10 on the NFL’s all-time single-season list and rank as a 49ers record.
While we recognize that Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes is a great player and has two Super Bowl rings in his safe deposit box, it’s not a stretch to say that Purdy is currently playing the best football of any quarterback in the league. NFL.
The only criticism anyone has made of Purdy since he’s been in the NFL is that he doesn’t have the strongest arm. And while that’s true (there are other quarterbacks in the league who can throw it faster and farther), no other quarterback in the league has had as much success as Purdy this season on deep passes.
The 49ers’ front 4 is so good that we can survive Hufanga’s injury (@vincedmonroy)
Overreaction? No.
The 49ers acquired running back Chase Young at the NFL trade deadline for a reason.
And while it wasn’t specifically to help compensate for an injury in the defensive backfield, the idea was that a better pass rush would help the 49ers at all levels of their defense.
The loss of safety Talanoa Hufanga to a torn ACL in his right knee is devastating. There’s no way around that. But the season continues.
Fortunately for the team, they opted to address the position with the draft selection of Ji’Ayir Brown.
“We know we needed some depth there,” Shanahan said of the decision to select Brown in the third round. “He has been practicing as if he knew this moment would come. He has been locked up.”
The 49ers secondary will be their Achilles heel and cost them a deep playoff run. (@perrin49)
Overreaction? Yeah.
If the 49ers fall short of their goal of winning the Lombardi Trophy, they may have run into a strong passing attack and been unable to keep up.
But if that’s the case, the blame won’t (or shouldn’t) fall entirely on the defensive backfield.
The pass rush and coverage go hand in hand. If the 49ers’ secondary is getting beat up, that means the team’s pass rush isn’t getting the job done either.
There is no defensive backfield in the NFL that can hold up in coverage for long periods of time if the quarterback is not under pressure.
The fact is, the 49ers pass defense has been very good this season, so don’t lose sight of that either.
Remember the components of determining NFL passer rating (see above)? Opposing quarterbacks have compiled a lowly rating of 70.1 against the 49ers with just 6.2 yards per pass attempt with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this season.
Trent Williams is our best player. (@controversycow)
Overreaction? No.
We’ll step aside on this one and let Christian McCaffrey cross the goal line.
“He might be the best player I’ve ever seen in my life,” McCaffrey recently said of Williams.
Yes, that’s high praise.
Williams is tied with Aaron Rodgers among active NFL players with 10 Pro Bowl selections. Rodgers won’t make the Pro Bowl this season and Williams will.
Here’s how McCaffrey described Williams: “There’s nothing he can’t do. He plays beyond the X’s and O’s and does things that a lot of other people can’t do, and he’s been doing it for a long time.”
Kyle needs to win a SB. That’s the measuring stick now, anything short is a failure. (@jtf321)
Overreaction? No.
Shanahan isn’t going anywhere. He signed a contract extension that keeps him under wraps with the 49ers at least through the 2026 season.
Shanahan is generally considered one of the best coaches in the NFL, and rightly so. He is.
But for him to be considered truly outstanding, yes, the 49ers must win a Super Bowl under his direction.
If the 49ers don’t win this season, the organization will be disappointed. But he should also have more opportunities in the coming years.
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