Is Kyle Shanahan's game-winning team a limiting team? – NBC Sports Bay Area and California

The 49ers start the bye week basically where they started the regular season.

The season is ahead of them. At 4-4, they sit atop the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. The Los Angeles Rams (3-4) are just one game behind.

The 49ers have not won two straight games at any point during the first half of the 2024 NFL season, and coach Kyle Shanahan admits they still have a lot of work to do.

“I look at where our team is and where I think we can be, but I don’t think we’re there yet,” he said. “I think there are a lot of things we need to improve. I think we're doing this gradually.

“But I think we have the guys here who are capable of it. We just have to make sure we’re a better team in the second half than we were in the first half.”

How the 49ers get there is the main thought of the team's fan base, as this edition of the 49ers Overreactions shows:

The 49ers need another pass rusher to close out these games. (1tanyewest)

Overreaction? NO.

The first reaction is…absolutely.

The 49ers have Nick Bosa, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. Who else?

Leonard Floyd was expected to post double-digit sacks when the 49ers signed him to a two-year, $20 million contract. With three sacks in eight games, he may still be able to do it.

Sam Okuayinonu has given the 49ers a nice boost as an inside pass rusher in nickel situations.

Kevin Givens (3.5 sacks) and Maliek Collins (three sacks) also provided some pass rush. But is that enough?

The 49ers expect Yetur Gross-Matos to bring something to the defensive line rotation when he returns from knee surgery later in the season. The 49ers registered 20 sacks. In comparison, Brock Purdy was sacked 15 times.

The New York Giants lead the NFL with 35 sacks, and all that has earned them is a 2-6 record. Could the Giants trade edge rusher Azeez Ojulari, who is in the final year of his contract? If he's available, that would be a good, close look. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 5th.

Other outside passers with ties to the 49ers who could be available include Arden Key (Tennessee Titans) and Chase Young (New Orleans Saints). Za'Darius Smith (Cleveland Browns) is reasonably priced for this year and next. If the 49ers want to strengthen their run defense, it's worth considering a reunion with Denver Broncos defensive tackle DJ Jones. However, the Broncos likely won't be sellers given their 5-3 record at the trade deadline.

Many of the contenders have comparable sack numbers to the 49ers. But the 49ers could definitely add another defensive lineman to help on third downs.

A consistent pass rush is most often seen on third downs. And the 49ers rank 26th in the league allowing 44.1 percent of third-down conversions.

Why isn't Brieda on the team? We need a RB (bullnbearhp)

Overreaction? Yes.

The 49ers were pretty good at running back. In fact, this position wasn't a problem at all.

Matt Breida was with the team in training camp and was one of the team's first players as it began the process of reaching the 53-man roster limit. He's not even on a team's practice squad.

In eight games, Jordan Mason has rushed for 685 yards with a 5.1-yard average. Rookie Isaac Guerendo has accumulated 227 yards with a 6.1 average.

Oh yeah, and Christian McCaffrey is expected back after the bye week. If the 49ers' running backs have slipped in any area, it's in the passing game. McCaffrey can fix this.

The 49ers won't stop having these adversarial comebacks until Shanahan stops putting himself in a conservative shell every time they take the lead. He has to trust Purdy like he has an elite offense. (Briansedel)

He threw three times in a row in the fourth quarter when they were supposedly trying to run out the clock. That's not conservative. It's not smart either. (mattmani)

Overreactions? Yes.

There are no absolute rules when it comes to play-calling.

If the piece works, it's a good decision. If a game doesn't work, it's not a good call.

The 49ers rank second in the NFL with an average of 412.4 yards per game. They are fourth in passing and fourth in rushing.

That means they do a lot of things well on offense, and there isn't just one thing they should do when they have a lead. You should maintain balance when passing and running.

Nick Bosa's post-game debacle overshadowed the win (rich.colbert)

Overreaction? It depends.

Half the country will have one view; the other half will have one more.

I don't know whether it overshadowed the victory. It definitely left people feeling a certain way.

It probably wasn't cool for Nick Bosa to interrupt post-game interviews with George Kittle, Brock Purdy and Isaac Guerendo to make some kind of political statement.

Then, when given the opportunity to make his case in his post-match interview, he replied: “I won't talk about it too much, but I think it's an important time.”

I don't know the political leanings of the players being interviewed by NBC's Melissa Stark. Regardless, Bosa's flyby with the “Make America Great Again” hat certainly put them all in an awkward position.

The NFL is expected to fine Bosa $11,255 for displaying a personal message or an unauthorized logo or branding. That's okay. He can afford it.

Overreaction? Yes.

The Jets are a mess. Carolina is a mess. We could list many other teams before the 49ers that would fit into the “mess” category, including the team they beat on Sunday night.

The 49ers have not been in disarray since the general manager and coaching changes were made at the end of the 2016 season.

The 49ers enter the second half of the season with a record of 4-4. They were an average team, as their record proves. But that is very different from being a lost cause.

There is nothing happening in the locker room that suggests this team is a mess, and the coaching staff is providing leadership and guidance to keep things moving in a positive direction.

There is no sense of fear or resignation with this team heading into the bye week. There is no feeling that this team is going to implode and fall far out of playoff contention in the long run.

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