Despite Their Best Efforts, The 49ers Were Incapable Of Beating Themselves

In any other week for non-Jets teams, giving up five turnovers to an opponent tends to be a pretty solid blow towards that side’s chances of winning. But the 49ers became an exception to that trend against the Steelers on Sunday with a 24-20 win at home. Just like how that scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story of the game—neither side got anything going until the second half—San Francisco’s turnover total greatly understates just how incompetent the Niners looked with the ways they gave the ball away. The first, an interception from T.J. Watt, came as a result of Matt Breida being unable to corral a rather routine dump-off.

While the second was an unremarkable interception from Minkah Fitzpatrick, the new Steeler then forced a fumble from the hands of San Francisco running back Raheem Mostert, who coughed the ball up so far, it makes you wonder if he had any grip on it at all.

Of course, no montage of embarrassing turnovers would be complete without a couple coming as a result of bad snaps. Being at home, the Niners were kind enough to screw up both a snap from under center, and one during a shotgun play, where the ball bounced off the facemask of a receiver in motion, all for their fans.

With that mistake coming at a crucial point in the fourth quarter, the Niners seemed poise to walk out of their stadium with a solid victory over themselves. However, those plans hit a snag when the Steelers decided to one-up the incompetence and hand the ball right back to San Francisco just one play later.

Jimmy G then drove his offense the 24 yards it needed on the ensuing possession to snatch a win for the Niners from the jaws of a near-self-inflicted defeat.