Why Richard Sherman doesn’t recognize the 49ers after ugly loss to the Packers – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The 49ers’ 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 12 has many questioning San Francisco’s ability to reach the 2024 NFL Playoffs.

Even some 49ers alumni fear the team’s season won’t extend past Week 18.

On Monday’s “Richard Sherman Podcast” episode, the former San Francisco cornerback talked about how his old team is unrecognizable given their current struggles.

“I don’t recognize this team,” Richard Sherman said of the 5-6 49ers. “There’s no basis, there’s no place to say, ‘Hey, they’re a defensive team’ or ‘They’re an offensive team’ or ‘They run the ball well’ or ‘They’re doing well.’ That’s why I’m slowly but surely – reluctantly – losing hope for this season.”

“I’m slowly but surely losing hope this season”@RSherman_25 believes the 49ers are in a dire situation after a loss to the Packers pic.twitter.com/rEBLrRhQzo

— Richard Sherman Podcast (@RShermanPodcast) November 25, 2024

Sherman is right – the 49ers are unrecognizable. San Francisco finished the 2023 season 12-5 and just a few games away from defeating the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, and now those days appear to be long gone.

The 49ers haven’t been themselves this season. They’ve had frustrating luck with injuries and inconsistency across the board, plus San Francisco’s special forces unit is the worst in the league.

To make matters worse, the 49ers, who already have two games under their belt, will face playoff contenders – the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals – in four of their final six games.

From a scheduling standpoint, no help is on the way, which also worries Sherman.

“Every game has to be won,” Sherman said. “If they lose another game, the playoffs are pretty much out of the question and you play for pride at that point just because the other teams are playing so well. We just talked about two other Wild Card teams with two and three losses (9-3 Minnesota Vikings, 8-3 Packers).

“And then there are teams in your division that have beaten you and are moving up. (The) Seattle Seahawks defense has found its rhythm (and) their offense is scoring against an Arizona Cardinals team that hasn’t given up a touchdown in two games. When they start to gain traction and create distance, I’ll be even more worried about (the 49ers) because I just can’t understand where the wins are going to come from.”

The 49ers are the anchor of the NFC West, two games behind the Washington Commanders at 7-5 for seventh place and the conference’s final wild-card spot. San Francisco star quarterback Brock Purdy is still recovering from shoulder soreness that also kept him out of the loss to Green Bay.

As Sherman suggested, a lot has to go right for the 49ers to make the playoffs. But there’s a reason games are on the schedule – San Francisco’s season isn’t over yet.

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