49ers report card: Coaching under further fire amid three-game skid

SANTA CLARA – Here is how the 49ers (5-3) graded in Sunday’s 31-17 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals (4-3):

PASS OFFENSE: D

Interceptions on back-to-back throws ruined the 49ers’ comeback bid, even if Brock Purdy did rally for a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey. Interception No. 1 was the death knell, for it came on first-and-goal from the 8 and it came about because of a failed handoff between Purdy and … Elijah Mitchell? McCaffrey (NFL TD leader) had gone in motion as a lead blocker (??) and Mitchell ended up being Purdy’s desperate target on a pass that 6-foot-3 Germaine Pratt snared at the 10-yard line. The 49ers still had a full quarter to rally, but Purdy’s next pass also was intercepted on a play he said he did not see clearly, citing a schematic issue rather than a lingering effect of last game’s concussion symptoms. Purdy threw for a career-high 365 yards (22-of-31), making especially nice completions to George Kittle (nine catches, 149 yards), Brandon Aiyuk (5-109) and McCaffrey (6-64). He was sacked twice but had to scramble more than ever out of trouble (six runs, 57 yards). Left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Deebo Samuel have been irreplaceable, and three straight games of 17 points show that.

RUN OFFENSE: D

McCaffrey’s 2-yard touchdown run on the second series tied an NFL record as he scored in a 17th straight game. But he finished with just 54 yards and just 12 carries. Purdy’s 59 yards inflated their team total to 113 yards. A botched handoff near the goal line is inexcusable and it led to Purdy’s disastrous interception. Over the three-game skid, the 49ers have managed 25, 22 and 23 carries. Their outside zone runs are not working. Lanes are not opening up on the inside, including in short-yardage situations. When Williams was at left tackle, the 49ers were wonderfully imbalanced by running his way with success. Now, it looks like an average offense.

PASS DEFENSE: F

Credit to Joe Burrow for lighting them up in the first half (19 consecutive completions) and throwing three touchdown passes, two of which were over cornerback Isaiah Oliver, who proved a much better defender in run stops. The four-man pass rush is feeble, something Nick Bosa tried to fix by playing almost every meaningful snap but only producing a shared sack with Clelin Ferrell. Arik Armstead came through with two sacks. And then? Javon Hargrave isn’t making the desired impact. If the 49ers are compelled to make a trade for a defensive end, Drake Jackson would be the odd man out for his lack of production. With the soft zone coverage, the 49ers were a bend-don’t-break bunch. On cornerback Charvarius Ward’s two pass breakups, one saw him force what initially looked like a fumble (replay ruled it an incompletion) and another saw him break up a throw to Ja’Marr Chase, only to draw a pass-interference penalty on a duplicate throw the next snap.

RUN DEFENSE: D

Joe Mixon came within 13 yards of becoming the first 100-yard rusher in 35 games against the 49ers. Mixon’s first carry gashed the 49ers for a 20-yard gain to the 11-yard line on their opening touchdown drive. Burrow had a 20-yard run himself (six carries, 43 yards). “Our tackling was extremely sloppy today, especially in the first half,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We tackled better in the second half, but yeah, there was too much space.” Often looking lost in space was Dre Greenlaw. Fellow linebacker Fred Warner noted that the 49ers’ tackling is an issue when it hasn’t been in the past, adding: “We’ve got to be more hunt to the football at all three levels. There’s got to be more penalty-free football.”

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

This sequence shouldn’t be overlooked: 49ers tie the score at 7, then allow a 41-yard kick return that sparks another Bengals touchdown drive, followed by Ray-Ray McCloud’s decision to return the ensuing kickoff from the end zone, reaching just the 14-yard line. The only time the 49ers’ starting field position was better than their 25-yard line was when they got the ball at the 40 after a missed Bengals field goal. Mitch Wishnowsky hammered 60- and 62-yard punts in the first half, then his only other punt resulted in a fair catch at the 19-yard line on the 49ers’ opening series after halftime. Jake Moody, on a windy day, made all his kicks (36-yard field goal, two point-after tries).

COACHING: F

October is over! The 49ers went 2-3 this month, dropping them to 13-19 in October games under Shanahan since 2017. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is an easy target amid this three-game slide, because the pass rush is failing, the linebackers are missing assignments and the secondary is doing more harm (see: penalties, touchdowns) than good. But the offense has scored just 17 points in each of the past three games. Warner astutely pointed out the 49ers “haven’t shown we can play from behind and come back and win.” It will take better execution and unity, of course. Look, things have been drastically worse for this team in past years. A freefall from a 5-0 start is not ideal. Now comes the bye to recalibrate – or recoil even further from the NFC race.