3 49ers who should be benched or fired after loss to Rams: Deebo Samuel no-shows

The San Francisco 49ers fell short in the Super Bowl once again last season and were determined to win their first Lombardi Trophy since 1994. The 2024 campaign has been an unmitigated disaster for the 49ers due in part to the countless injures they've dealt with. Even so, they were still in playoff contention entering Week 15, sitting at 6-8 on the season. They needed to rack up some wins to end the season to have a chance.

Now, the 49ers playoff chances are officially on life support.

On Thursday night, the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams were in the middle of an ugly, rainy, low-scoring game. Ultimately, it was the Rams who emerged victorious, as they defeated the 49ers 12-6. No touchdowns were scored, but there were plenty of field goals and punts.

When it comes to the blame game, these three 49ers stand out. And yes, one of them is wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

3. Deebo Samuel

Deebo Samuel had an eventful week, to say the least. The 49ers do-it-all wide receiver hasn't lived up to expectations heading into the season. Instead of saying he wasn't playing well, Samuel instead decided to go on X and post a message saying that he's not getting enough opportunities. Not to mention, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he planned on giving Samuel more opportunities.

On Thursday night, Samuel didn't do anything with his opportunities. Perhaps his best chance to make an impact and live up to his comments was in the third quarter. Quarterback Brock Purdy hit Samuel right in the hands with a pass, and there was a wide open lane for a touchdown. Instead, Samuel dropped it, leading to boos from the crowd at Levi's Stadium.

Samuel hauled in just three-of-seven targets for a measly 16 yards, while taking two carries for three yards.

That's not going to silence the noise for Samuel. A surefire scoring chance, wasted on a drop. Yes, it was raining, but Samuel was under the proverbial microscope heading into Week 15.

2. Nick Sorensen

Head coach Kyle Shanahan notably fired Steve Wilks as his defensive coordinator following their Super Bowl 58 loss. Wilks did a great job in his lone season, and the defense was far from the reason why they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. But he was the fall guy. Replacing Wilks was Nick Sorensen, who had been with the team since 2022 as a defensive assistant and defensive passing game assistant.

While the defense held up for the most part on Thursday night, it fell apart when it mattered most — the fourth quarter. With the game tied 6-6, the defense surrendered a five-play, 59 yard drive, resulting in a 27-yard field goal by Joshua Karty. On Los Angeles' second drive, they marched 69 yards downfield on 15 plays, with running back Kyren Williams picking up 28 yards on six carries. Karty successfully made a 29-yard field goal to extend Los Angeles' lead to 12-6.

The 49ers gave up 302 yards on 65 plays. Not horrible, but the inability to close out the game did ruin the team's chances.

1. Kyle Shanahan

Look, Kyle Shanahan has had to deal with a lot this season, mostly due to the amount of injuries across the top of his depth chart. But in a winnable game, Shanahan didn't do enough to help the team succeed, due in part to the no-show by the offense.

There is no offensive coordinator for the 49ers, as Shanahan calls the plays. In that case, the team had an awful night.

The running game was non-existent, as they picked up 63 yards on 19 carries. The passing game struggled, too. There was the notable Samuel performance, but Jauan Jennings struggled and so did quarterback Brock Purdy, who threw for 142 yards and an interception while completing 14-of-31 pass attempts.

Purdy is not getting benched, as he's the only feasible option at quarterback. However, given the amount of struggles the team had on offense, rain or not, Shanahan deserves most of the blame. Now, Shanahan will have to wait out the clock until their playoff odds officially hit zero percent, although they are currently at less than one percent.