There is more to learn from a loss than a win, and the San Francisco 49ers’ first loss of the 2025 season gave plenty to take away.
It was a mistake-filled Sunday for San Francisco, which couldn’t get out
of their own way in the 26-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. And there were issues in each area of the team.
Here’s what we learned from the 49ers’ loss at Levi’s on Sunday afternoon:
Special teams are still a mess
Swapping the punter and kicker out looks good on paper for the special teams, but the 49ers’ most significant problem for years has been kick coverage, and Sunday proved the position group is still a disaster.
At least 10 of the 26 points allowed can be attributed to the coverage teams, and in a five-point loss, that’s a massive swing. The first blunder instantly cancelled out a long scoring drive that moved the 49ers within one score.
After a 12-play drive that ended with an Eddy Pineiro 26-yard field goal to cut the Jaguars’ lead to eight with 40 seconds left on the clock in the first half, the kick-off coverage team had its big failure. Holding a Jaguars return to minimal yardage could have gone a long way to ensure the 49ers entered the game with that one-score deficit.
Instead, Bhayhul Tuten returned the Pineiro kick 54 yards into plus-territory, making a field goal opportunity much likelier. The Jags offense would gain 40 more yards, making Cam Little’s kick as the half expired manageable, giving Jacksonville an 11-point lead at halftime.
That return was only an appetizer for the main course the punt coverage team put out late in the third quarter.
San Francisco was able to cut that 11-point lead down to six but was forced to punt near the end of the third quarter, hoping the defense would hold to give the 49ers’ offense a chance to take the lead. The defense would never take the field.
Jacksonville return man Parker Washington would field a Thomas Morstead 51-yard punt at the 13-yard line, make the first man miss, and go 87 yards mostly untouched to score what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.
The 49ers might have found their new specialists, but just like plenty of times in 2024, the special teams found a way to cost the 49ers a win.
The pass rush needs Nick Bosa
This was assumed mainly with the hope that Bosa would be able to stay healthy, but in true 49ers fashion, they just can’t have good things. We got our first taste of the post-Bosa 49ers pass rush, and it was not good.
Not only were the 49ers unable to sack Trevor Lawrence, but they couldn’t even get the quarterback’s jersey dirty. For the first time since 2015, the 49ers failed to record a quarterback hit. Mykel Williams, Sam Okuayinonu, Jordan Elliott, Bryce Huff, and Kalia Davis led the 49ers’ defensive line in snaps played, combining for 207 snaps played, and not a single finger was laid on Lawrence.
Huff led the 49ers’ pass rushers with two pressures, according to PFF, accounting for 40 percent of the team’s five pressures on Lawrence’s 31 dropbacks. Bosa alone had six pressures in his last full game in Week 2 against the Saints.
The 49ers’ defense played well enough to win the game, but the pass rush has to be better. It would be in the front office’s best interest to address the position sooner rather than later, instead of waiting to find out if Sunday’s performance was a blip or the reality of Bosa’s injury.
Brock Purdy might be a little too reckless
I appreciate an old-fashioned gunslinger as much as the next guy, and Purdy’s gunslinger mentality has led to some big plays. But Sunday showed that Purdy might need to hone it back just a little bit.
Now, it was obvious Purdy wasn’t healthy on Sunday, where he looked as stationary as Mac Jones in the pocket, but gained some mobility as the game went on. While there were physical limitations, Purdy’s decision-making was his biggest downfall against Jacksonville.
Purdy’s first interception was an example of that poor decision-making. While moving the pocket, Purdy passed open options right in front of him to Kyle Juszczyk or Luke Farrell, and instead turned his body and tried to force a pass to Christian McCaffrey further downfield. The throw was high – although not unreachable for McCaffrey – and turned into a tip-drill interception for Devin Lloyd.
It wouldn’t be the first time Purdy and Lloyd connected, and the second time was worse than the first for the 49ers quarterback. With the 49ers trailing by three, Purdy and the offense took control at the San Francisco 20-yard line. On the opening play, Purdy dropped back and fired a pass that looked to be targeting Lloyd, with the linebacker gladly accepting the gift for his second interception. The replay showed a Jaguars’ lineman got a finger on the ball, but even without the tip, Lloyd had the play read the whole way, and it was likely a pick either way.
Despite all the mistakes from Purdy and the special teams, the 49ers still had a chance to win the game. Trailing by five with less than four minutes left, San Francisco took the ball near midfield. The first play of the drive would get the 49ers offense right at midfield, but disaster would strike on the second. Purdy held the ball a bit too long on a play-action drop-back, and former 49er Arik Armstead would swipe the ball out, with Jacksonville recovering and putting the game to rest.
It was a game where an average Purdy performance likely would have given the 49ers an easy victory. Instead, the franchise quarterback was responsible for three of the team’s four turnovers, and it proved to be too much to overcome.
