SANTA CLARA — There was something to him being across the country and a whole level of the sport away from the 49ers.
Jim Harbaugh was a great coach for San Francisco, and his end in the South Bay was hardly a “mutual” decision.
But even as the Niners floundered for years following Harbaugh’s exit, at least Niners fans didn’t have to reckon with him coaching another NFL team.
Things have changed.
The Niners are floundering once again. Super Bowl aspirations have turned into a battle to merely make the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Harbaugh is in Los Angeles, coaching the Chargers to a 7-3 record, with quarterback Justin Herbert looking like a superstar. And the reigning college national champion is bringing the quirk and a physical, no-nonsense brand of football a fan of the sport can’t help but love.
Perhaps you’ve been able to avoid it. Maybe you haven’t caught a Chargers game yet.
But when the former Niners head coach asks, “Who’s got it better than us?” these days, the question hits a bit harder.
Because the Niners sure can’t say they do.
But another Harbaugh quote had me ruminating last night.
The Chargers’ win on Sunday Night Football was a “signature” win for the Harbaugh regime. It was a barnburner of a game, with the Chargers nearly blowing a big second-half lead only to come through with big plays down the stretch to win.
Yes, Harbaugh might have cured “Chargering.” Sunday’s performance was good enough to make me consider taking the Chargers at +3500 ($100 to win $3,500) to win the Super Bowl this season.
But this was the part that got me: After the game, Harbaugh declared that his offense, defense, and special teams all “played their best when their best was needed.”
That’s the hallmark of a good football team, after all.
That sure doesn’t sound like the 49ers.
In fact, on Sunday against the Seahawks, the Niners’ three phases all played their worst when that best was needed.
I don’t think it was a question of motivation or scheme. Save your “fire the coaches” anger for another column. (Given the trajectory of this season, we should have plenty of time to engage on that subject come December.)
No, it was repeated failed execution.
And to think that it seemed so promising to start.
After the Niners’ defense stepped up and forced the Seahawks into a turnover on downs with less than four minutes to play, up 17-13, San Francisco ran for 11 yards on the first play of the subsequent drive. Then, they were gifted a first down on the next play.
One more first down would have iced the game.
The moment called for the Niners’ offense’s best.
It never arrived.
Backup tight end Eric Saubert missed a block on a stretch run, resulting in Christian McCaffrey losing a yard on first down.
On second down, Kyle Shanahan dialed up a great play-action pass to Deebo Samuel over the middle. It’s a play that’s worked hundreds of times over the last few years. And it should have worked Sunday. The Seahawks bit on the play fake, and Samuel was going up against off-man coverage with outside leverage.
But Samuel was slow coming out of his break (a trend in recent weeks), and Purdy threw it high and behind him on what should have been an easy pitch and catch for a first down.
Then, on third and long, the Seahawks did what every well-coordinated team has done against the Niners this season: They stacked the defensive line in preparation for a scatter, overload blitz.
You see, the 49ers rarely slide protections at the line of scrimmage. Instead, they opt to recognize blitzes and throw “hot” to a singular option that is predicted to be open based on the blitz.
But that means the ball needs to come out fast — the Niners are leaving rushers unblocked.
And on third-and-long plays, that results in the ball often being thrown short of the sticks.
Guess what happened this time?
So now it was time for special teams to rise to the occasion.
Seattle opted to go all-out for the block, meaning there was no returner back to receive the kick. All recently signed punter Pat O’Donnell needed to do was kick the ball in the field of play and hope it rolled towards, but not into, the end zone. Anywhere inside the 20-yard line would have done.
Despite no pressure on his kick, O’Donnell had the ball land at the 3-yard line and then zipped into the back of the end zone. The Niners’ kick coverage, which did a solid job on the play, never stood a chance to down it. The Niners gained a paltry 20 yards of field position on the kick. Hindsight being 20-20 (apt), San Francisco might as well have gone for it on fourth-and-6.
Then, the defense, playing almost exclusively four-deep zone, failed to stop Seattle quarterback Geno Smith and the best wide-receiving troika in the NFL, as decent pass rushes didn’t turn into sacks, and the Seattle receivers carved up the space between coverage.
Credit to Smith: he made some big-time throws on the drive. But the formula was not working for the Niners’ defense. The Niners eventually blitzed after nine plays. Smith picked it apart. Then the Niners played a man-to-man on the next snap. Smith took advantage by running right past the defense for a game-winning 13-yard touchdown. No one was assigned to the quarterback.
Perhaps the Niners were waiting for Seattle to fail and hand them the game.
But that’s not how serious operations handle their business.
That’s not how good teams win games. Passivity doesn’t win on the gridiron.
And yet that’s the story of the 2024 Niners, who face an incredible uphill climb to make the playoffs from their current perch at the bottom of the NFC standings.
This campaign has all the hallmarks of a lost season, leading to a great unknown in future years. It’s challenging to be excited about all of it.
And come January, when we’re all still watching football but not the Niners, it’s going to be salt in fans’ collective wounds when the man in the baggy khakis is on our screens, with his impeccable vibes and outstanding football team.
So, Niners fans, who’s got it better than us?
Almost everyone.
