MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The San Francisco 49ers, who were last year’s NFC champions, found themselves out of the playoff race before their game on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins even kicked off. This disappointment was due to victories by both the Washington Commanders and the Los Angeles Rams, which effectively ended San Francisco’s postseason hopes. Ultimately, the 49ers lost to the Dolphins, 29-17, which allowed Miami to maintain their slim chances of making the playoffs.
With a season record of 6-9, San Francisco has become the 16th team in NFL history to miss the playoffs following a Super Bowl appearance, having lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58. The 49ers’ struggle throughout the season can be traced back to a disheartening stretch of four losses in five games leading up to Sunday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was unaware of his team’s playoff elimination until the game concluded. “I wasn’t aware of that but it did nothing with the game,” Shanahan stated. “We kind of had that thought last week. It wasn’t official but we understand numbers.”
The statistics that contributed to the 49ers’ downfall included an alarming total of 11 penalties costing the team 90 yards. They accrued multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and had issues with pre-snap infractions. With the Niners trailing by five points and just two minutes remaining, they were in a potentially advantageous position at their own 47-yard line. That opportunity came to an abrupt end when Miami cornerback Kader Kohu intercepted a pass from quarterback Brock Purdy. Just moments later, De’Von Achane sealed the game for the Dolphins with a stunning 50-yard touchdown run.
“I just feel like we’re hurting ourselves offensively and then when the defense gets a stop, we’ve got to go and capitalize,” Purdy remarked after the game. “Last year we did that really well.” This marks a disheartening trend for the 49ers, who experienced success when winning the NFC Championship in the 2019 season, only to falter the following year by missing the postseason entirely. This game also represented their first trip back to South Florida since they lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
In light of the defeat, tight end George Kittle expressed his sentiments, saying, “You asked me if I had PTSD from that (game)? No. It’s a great stadium. Great atmosphere.” Despite the loss, Kittle had an impressive performance with eight catches for 106 yards, now just 33 yards away from achieving a fourth 1,000-yard season over his eight-year career. He remained positive about the future, stating, “Although we are eliminated, we still have two weeks of football left, and if I have football in front of me, I am going to play as hard as I possibly can and try to get the guys around me to do the same thing.”
The elimination of the 49ers coincided with outcomes from other games, notably the Commanders’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles, which knocked San Francisco out of wild-card contention. Additionally, the Rams’ victory against the New York Jets meant that the 49ers could no longer compete for the NFC West title, as the Rams now hold a tiebreaker advantage over San Francisco due to their season sweep. Defensive end Nick Bosa reflected on the challenges of the league, acknowledging, “This league is very tough, and we’ve been in the highest of highs for a long time, and sometimes things don’t go your way.” He admitted the feeling of playing with no playoff prospects was unique but emphasized the privilege of being part of the 49ers franchise.
Alongside the 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints also saw their playoff dreams dashed due to the early match outcomes. The Cowboys were eliminated by the Commanders’ victory, while the Saints found themselves out of contention after a loss to the Atlanta Falcons, who defeated the New York Giants. Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals also faced elimination with their loss against the Carolina Panthers. For the Dolphins to keep their playoff hopes alive, they must win their remaining games and rely on the Los Angeles Chargers or Denver Broncos, both currently sitting at 9-6, to lose their remaining games, along with hope for the Indianapolis Colts to lose at least one of their final two games.