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The 49ers’ Week 14 loss to Washington very likely knocked them out of playoff contention. Their biggest issue in the game, the quarterback, is also the biggest reason they fell two spots in the NFL Wire power rankings. At No. 21, they’re the lowest they’ve been all season.
A slew of injury issues have plagued the 49ers this year, but none has been bigger than a pair of high ankle sprains that limited starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to just six games.
The team’s issues under center were highlighted Sunday when a pair of Nick Mullens turnovers led to a pair of defensive scores for Washington to account for their only two touchdowns in a 23-15 win. The loss pushed the 49ers down two spots in the power rankings, and the QB was the focus of author Mark Schofield:
Problems with the quarterback position continue to plague the 49ers. Nick Mullens completed 25 of 45 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown in the loss, but that works out to an average of just 5.8 yards per attempt. Making matters worse, the quarterback threw a back-breaking Pick-Six near the end of the third quarter, allowing Washington to build their lead to 23-7. A late touchdown cut into the Washington advantage, but it was too little, too late.
While this season has been about trying to climb out of an early hole and reflect that climb in the NFL Wire power rankings, San Francisco has entered the dreaded portion of the season where they may be better off losing and continuing to fall.
The thing with the 49ers that’ll probably keep them from dipping too far is that they’re still more talented than a lot of the teams below them. As bad as this season’s been, they’re still not one of the 10 worst teams in the league by record.
The last three games will be fascinating with a possible quarterback change, and Garoppolo potentially making a late-season appearance.
No matter what, the 49ers have to take steps to ensure quarterback isn’t their biggest issue at any point next season.