Some people say that a lot can be learned from a loss. If that’s true, the 49ers will get quite the education after losing last night’s game to the Packers on a last-second field goal. During the Niners Nation Instant Reaction podcast, people seemed to be split on who they thought was most responsible for the outcome. As such, I thought I’d put it to you.
Do you blame Jimmy Garoppolo and the offense for doing nothing in the first quarter for the second straight game? San Francisco had 25 total yards in the first quarter last night and one first down. Technically, that’s an improvement over last week’s 14 yard, zero first down performance, but still completely unacceptable.
Or maybe you put the onus on DeMeco Ryans and the defense, which allowed a Packers team with no timeouts to go 42 yards in six plays and kick a game-winning field goal with no time left? For the third straight game, an offense has been able to go right down the field on the 49ers, with the outcome still in doubt.
There’s certainly plenty of criticism to go around, but as frustrating as that final possession was, I can’t blame the defense for this loss. I thought Niners Nation’s Marc Delucchi put it perfectly:
Jimmy Garoppolo had two turnovers that gave Green Bay the ball inside the SF 38. The 49ers defense allowed a combined 3 points on those drives.
Did SF’s defense play a perfect game? No. But anyone blaming the defense and ignoring Jimmy’s struggles is missing the bigger picture.— Marc Delucchi (@maddelucchi) September 27, 2021
The 49ers’ defense answered the bell on every possession but the last one. Should they have allowed the field goal? Of course not, but the offensive execution takes the biggest piece of blame pie in my book.
What do you think?
For more on this loss, check out today’s 49ers in Five podcast, which will tell you everything you need to know in about five minutes!