‘Slow and tired’ 49ers needed a bye, but season issues extended beyond fatigue

One of the worst defensive plays of the San Francisco 49ers’ season came during the first quarter of their 31-17 loss to the Bengals on Oct. 29.

On 1st-and-goal at the 2-yard line, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw jumped offside, flags flew and the defense, well, sort of rested. Linebacker Fred Warner raised from his pre-snap crouch with his palms upturned, defensive end Nick Bosa stayed in first gear throughout his pass rush and defensive tackle Arik Armstead jogged after quarterback Joe Burrow, who rolled right and tossed a touchdown to Andrei Iosivas, with the wideout grabbing it despite a holding penalty on cornerback Charvarius Ward.

The 49ers’ nonchalance — CBS’ Jim Nantz said they were “sleepwalking” — was inspired by confusion: They thought the play had been blown dead. However, their half-speed effort neatly symbolized a performance that ended with their third straight loss and a rarely heard next-day critique from head coach Kyle Shanahan.

What “sticks out on the tape the most is just how slow and tired we looked,” Shanahan said. “I could see on tape a different type of energy that was disappointing. But I also know they need this rest.”

The 49ers (5-3) returned to work this week, presumably recharged after their bye week and now charged with steadying a season that has wobbled off the tracks following a 5-0 start. And they’ll likely need every bit of the energy they were lacking to stop their skid. On Sunday, they will visit the Jaguars (6-2), who lead the AFC South and have won five straight games.

“I feel like everyone’s minds are refreshed and excited,” Bosa said. “I could feel it in here. We need it.”

The 49ers’ pre-bye fatigue was somewhat understandable given their schedule. Their losing streak began with back-to-back trips to Cleveland and Minnesota before they returned home, on a short week, to play the Bengals, who were coming off a bye. The 49ers allowed season highs in points and first downs (29) against Cincinnati, which had 400 yards against a defense that had at least one key player who clearly needed a one-week break: Linebacker Dre Greenlaw played with a sprained shoulder and struggled to get to his feet after making tackles.

“Yeah, definitely,” Bosa said of the team’s need for the bye. “Some guys more than others with that. Everyone feels different after every game. I was feeling pretty good. I obviously feel better now. But it’s a long year. You’re going to be beat up. You have to play to your standard every week.”

That was a theme Wednesday: Their three-week October grind doesn’t excuse the way they played. The 49ers averaged 17 points and committed seven turnovers while their defense allowed an average of 398.7 yards, with opponents totaling 122.7 rushing yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry.

It culminated with the 49ers looking “slow and tired,” words rarely associated with a team known for being fast and physical. Last season, their punishing style was illustrated by a stunning statistic: Opponents went 0-15 the week after playing the 49ers.

This season, teams are 5-3 the week after playing the 49ers and their past four opponents — the Cowboys, Browns, Vikings and Bengals — have won. On Wednesday, Warner said the 49ers haven’t been “imposing our will” during the losing streak.

“That’s something that was lacking, I think, the last three weeks,” Warner said. “Everyone is taking a look in the mirror to see what we can do better, especially myself. That’s what we’re going to try to get back to starting this week.”