Statistically, Lions quarterback Jared Goff is having the best season of his career. On Saturday, I asked 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan how Goff has improved in Detroit. His answer might surprise you.

The Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons are still in the hunt in the playoffs. The Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings have clinched playoff spots for the this season.

The 49ers lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave early with a torn triceps. Middle linebacker Fred Warner has played with an ankle fracture. Running mate Dre Greenlaw didn’t come back until Week 15, and now may be done for the year. Safety Talanoa Hufanga has attempted to rebound from a torn ACL, an ankle sprain and then wrist surgery.

With nothing left to play for this season, the 49ers will have to hope that Brock Purdy grows from a challenging 2024 campaign.

The San Francisco 49ers need to do something different offensively. Last season they were one of the best outfits in the NFL. This season they’ve sputtered on that side of the ball. Injuries

Down 17 points to Detroit at the half of last season's NFC title game, Brock Purdy helped engineer the comeback that sent the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in one of the most memorable performances of a spectacular first full season as a NFL starting quarterback.

After the San Francisco 49ers blew multiple opportunities and committed a season-high 11 penalties in a loss to the Miami Dolphins, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made his message clear: his team did not deserve the win.

T he San Francisco 49ers season has not gone the way they had hoped. Injuries, underperformance, bad luck, and some questionable late-game decisions have led them to a 6-9 record