San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco 49ers hosted the visiting Baltimore Ravens at Levi's Stadium in Week 6 with a chance for either team to turn its lackluster early-season fortune around in 2015.

Both franchises entered the contest with a 1-4 record, and for head coach Jim Tomsula's 49ers, Week 6 provided an opportunity to build upon some of the positives emanating from San Francisco's tough 30-27 Week 5 loss to the New York Giants.

Could quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers offense pick up where they left off in last week's effort? 

More importantly, could San Francisco's defense shore up its permeability issues? The 49ers defense had been suspect over the course of the year and entered the contest with the 31st-ranked defense in terms of total yards allowed (2,034).

Kicker Phil Dawson got the 49ers on the board first at the 7:00 marker in the first quarter with a 53-yard field goal. Dawson added another late in the quarter to increase San Francisco's lead.

The Ravens added a field goal of their own early in the second quarter.

But San Francisco answered right back on the subsequent drive. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick delivered a perfect pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith, who was covered by former 49ers corner Shareece Wright, for a 76-yard touchdown.

Following an interception from linebacker Michael Wilhoite, Dawson tacked on another field goal midway through the second quarter. Baltimore answered with one of its own on the following drive.

Cornerback Kenneth Acker picked off Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco early in the third, which helped set up yet another field goal from Dawson.

Acker wasn't as lucky late in the third quarter when Flacco found veteran wideout Steve Smith for a 34-yard touchdown score. Acker, who was in good coverage, simply was beat by the crafty receiver.

Yet the 49ers responded in the fourth quarter when Kaepernick found wide receiver Quinton Patton for a huge touchdown score in the red zone. The touchdown marked Patton's first in his three-year career.

Baltimore answered back though. Flacco found wide receiver Kamar Aiken for a two-yard touchdown pass to cut into San Francisco's fourth-quarter lead.

The 49ers held on though despite a desperate comeback attempt from the Ravens towards the end of regulation. San Francisco improves to 2-4, while the Baltimore falls to 1-5.

Which team finds its second win in Week 6? Stay tuned right here for continuous updates, news and analysis throughout the game.

Final: Ravens 20, 49ers 25

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.

The San Francisco 49ers will look to bounce back from a heartbreaking Week 5 loss as they host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, October 18.

Both teams enter the contest with a 1-4 record, and both are coming off three-point defeats. Yet the 49ers offense was, surprisingly, solid enough versus the New York Giants. This unit will look to replicate its success in Week 6.

With the offense seemingly back on track, yet the defense in question, what will San Francisco's approach be when these two teams face off at Levi's Stadium?

The Ravens have fallen on hard times, especially due to their plethora of injuries, as noted by Pro-Football-Reference.com. The 49ers will look to exploit this wherever possible and take advantage of a Baltimore defense that is vulnerable against the passing game.

But San Francisco will need to improve its own passing defense and pass rush—problematic efforts from the 49ers' loss against the Giants.

Can the 49ers put both pieces together and come away with a much-needed victory over Baltimore?

Offensive Game Plan

Unlike his efforts in Weeks 3 and 4, quarterback Colin Kaepernick was able to put forth commendable statistics against New York. He passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns against zero interceptions. Granted, these numbers were against the NFL's (1,521 yards allowed) last-place passing defense, but it's a good sign to see the 49ers signal-caller making some progress here.

Baltimore's passing defense is also suspect. This unit ranks No. 28 in the league in average passing yards allowed per game (298), as indicated by the Bleacher Report chart below:

The 49ers will likely utilize their ground game to set up play-action and read-option schemes. But the onus will be on Kaepernick to adequately find his receiving targets.

Passing outside the numbers, never one of Kaepernick's great strengths, could be key. He was able to execute this well enough against the Giants as showcased in the following film breakdown.

The target will be wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who is lined up in the slot on this particular play. San Francisco will help draw one of New York's safeties down in coverage to protect against a short pass to the tight end, which frees up Boldin in single-man coverage.

Boldin has his man beat by a step, which forces safety Craig Dahl (red circle) to make the tackle. Note the trajectory of the ball (yellow arrow) and how it is in a position where only Boldin can make the reception.

This is a good example of a proper read, accurate throw and letting a receiver make a play on the ball.

But there is some bad along with the good.

Shortly thereafter, wide receiver Quinton Patton (yellow circle) will run a go route right behind New York's defenders (red circles) who are in zone coverage with their eyes on Kaepernick.

As the pocket collapses, not surprisingly from the right side, Kaepernick still has a chance to hit Patton in stride. Note how the Giants defensive backs are moving away from the wide receiver anticipating the play will go in front of them.

Instead, Kaepernick takes off to his left and eventually gets chased out of bounds for a three-yard loss.

Perhaps Kaepernick felt the pressure too early. It's possible he didn't recognize the coverage in time to hit Patton for a big gain. It's hard to say. But the 49ers will want to avoid plays like these when possible and only employ Kaepernick's rushing abilities when there are no other likable options available.

Defensive Game Plan

Giants quarterback Eli Manning torched the 49ers secondary for 441 yards and three touchdowns against one interception in Week 5.

As a unit, San Francisco's defense posted a minus-5.2 pass-coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus—not the kind of numbers the 49ers want to repeat going forward.

Manning was especially effective between the numbers, as pointed out by PFF's Jeff Deeney:

On throws between the numbers, Eli Manning was 30-34, 342 yards, 2 TD (128.2 rating) on Sunday vs. #49ers.

— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) October 15, 2015

Look for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco to try and replicate this success and do so by drawing on what went wrong on the final drive New York employed during its game-winning touchdown effort.

Part of the Giants' success here was the utilization of running back Shane Vereen in the receiving game.

Vereen is lined up to Manning's left and will receive a dump-off pass from Manning near the line of scrimmage. Cornerback Keith Reaser (yellow circle) is lined up close in the box and is assigned with covering Vereern. But note center Weston Richburg and how he uses his size to easily block out Reaser.

Richburg, essentially, takes Reaser out of the play, while Vereen is allowed to run free after the catch. Note the absence of any other 49ers defenders in the area.

Additionally concerning is NaVorro Bowman's lack of coverage ability.

Bowman owns a minus-5.0 coverage grade on the season, per PFF. 

“Laterally and some of the man-coverage-type things, which he’s not in a ton of positions to be in, some of that stuff you might be able to see the fact he’s coming back, a little bit,” Flacco stated regarding Bowman, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.

It's clear Bowman isn't quite 100 percent, despite his exceptional recovery from the 2014 NFC Championship injury that sidelined him all of last season.

With Bowman patrolling the center of the field, should the 49ers be expecting Flacco and Co. to find some way to utilize interior passes and exploit this potential weakness?

San Francisco is allowing 315 passing yards per game, which is the worst in the NFL this season. So Baltimore's aerial attack figures to be a primary weapon against which the 49ers will have to contend.

Defensive coordinator Eric Mangini's zone scheme wasn't particularly effective against New York, so it's plausible he employs more man coverages to compensate for this in Week 6.

Key Players and Matchups

Linebacker Aaron Lynch was one of the lone effective 49ers defenders to apply any sort of consistent pass rush in Week 5. He graded out with a plus-10.5 overall PFF grade against New York, and the 49ers will continue to rely on him to force Flacco off his game.

To force San Francisco's defense to play more honest, the Ravens will also likely look to get running back Justin Forsett involved early and often on the ground.

Forsett (ankle) is listed as probable for the contest and is averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

Wide receiver Steve Smith (back) practiced this week, but according to the Raven's Twitter feed (h/t Darin Gantt of NBC Sports), the veteran is not expecting to play in Week 6:

Steve Smith Sr.: “To be honest, my expectation of playing is very low.”

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 16, 2015

Baltimore is thin at the wide receiver position entering the contest as the aforementioned injury link suggests. So this will put more pressure on Forsett and Flacco to find ways to move the ball down the field.

On the flip side, Boldin and fellow WR Torrey Smith will be facing off against their former team. This should provide added motivation and combined with the Ravens' difficulty against the pass, open up chances for some big numbers Sunday.

And, as should be expected, can Kaepernick look to build upon his strong Week 5 effort?

Prediction

Both the 49ers and Ravens are looking to turn things around after five mostly lackluster weeks. 

Health is a major factor, though, and aside from a few injuries (running back Reggie Bush and tight end Vernon Davis), per the team's official website, the 49ers have a clean bill of health. Baltimore does not enjoy this luxury.

Still, there will be other notable factors working their way into the contest. 

Turnovers could be a critical element and, perhaps, one of the ways the Ravens can overcome their injury woes. Baltimore has forced four turnovers on the season, while San Francisco has generated only three.

But the big story will be on the 49ers defense and whether or not the offense can compensate for any defensive liabilities.

San Francisco should be able to build upon what it did well offensively in Week 5. And look for the defense to compensate and adjust to the problems showcased as well.

There should be little reason to expect the 49ers not to come away with a victory in Week 6. A 27-21 win for San Francisco sounds just about right.

All statistics, injury reports, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.

The San Francisco 49ers looked to put an end to an ugly three-game losing streak when they took on the New York Giants in Week 5 on Sunday Night Football.

San Francisco's offense had gone stagnant over the previous two weeks with a combined 10 points between Week 3 and 4 against the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers, respectively. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick had been at the focus for much of the offensive struggles, which continued to prompt questions about whether he should be starting under center.

Kaepernick worked against the league's worst passing offense in the league, which had allowed 1,265 yards leading up to the game.

While New York's passing defense was abysmal, its run defense entered the contest No. 1 in the league. With Kaepernick and the 49ers offense needing to kick-start their ground game, this X-factor would be at the heart of both teams' focus.

The Giants looked to continue a two-game winning streak, while San Francisco wanted to turn its early problems around. 

San Francisco took an early first-quarter lead on a 43-yard field goal from kicker Phil Dawson. And the Giants answered right back with a field goal of their own from 22 yards out.

The Giants got the next score following a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to running back Shane Vereen. And another second-quarter field goal increased the lead for New York.

San Francisco tacked on another late-half field goal to close the gap.

After a strong defensive effort to open up the half, the 49ers marched 88 yards down the field on their first second-half possession and capped it off with a touchdown pass from Kaepernick to wide receiver Anquan Boldin to tie the game at 13.

But wideout Odell Beckham put the Giants back on top at the 1:13 mark of the third quarter. Yet tight end Garrett Celek answered back with a touchdown reception from Kaepernick on the following drive.

New York was able to march down the field on the next drive however, and the Giants took the lead back thanks to yet another field goal.

San Francisco was able to continue its strong offensive second-half efforts though, and running back Carlos Hyde found paydirt in the end zone with a go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes remaining.

New York drove right down the field though, and a heartbreaking touchdown reception from wideout Larry Donnell gave the Giants the late lead.

And that score proved to be the difference as the 49ers defense couldn't hold when it needed to the most.

Stay right here for continuous updates, scores and analysis throughout this prime-time matchup.

FINAL: 49ers 27, Giants 30

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.

The San Francisco 49ers are in danger of being embarrassed on Sunday Night Football when they travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants in Week 5.

At 1-3, the 49ers need to get back on track as they take on a Giants squad riding a two-game winning streak. 

And the offense will have to be at the heart of the equation. But what will the 49ers' game plan be?

New York's defense against the run is stout. Not once this season have the Giants given up more than 90 yards rushing in a single contest. But their defense is vulnerable against the passing game, which opens up opportunities for slumping quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

How can the 49ers get their offense going while limiting the potential of Giants quarterback Eli Manning and New York's offense?

Let's break down San Francisco's offensive and defensive game plans in preparation for this week's contest.

Offensive Game Plan

The biggest storyline from the 49ers' efforts in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers was Kaepernick's continued struggles.

San Francisco's struggling signal-caller managed just 13 completions for 160 yards and an interception, which led to a passer rating of just 67.7—not much of a step up from his disastrous Week 3 performance against the Arizona Cardinals.

Kaepernick was also sacked six times, which has pushed his season total to 14.

The offensive line has to bear a portion of the blame for these numbers. According to Pro Football Focus, San Francisco's O-line has a minus-6.3 season grade in pass protection. Even more troubling is this unit's minus-17.1 overall grade in run blocking.

O-line issues, the recent lack of a strong ground game and Kaepernick's ongoing problems have combined to make the 49ers offense one of the league's worst, as seen by the B/R Insights graphic below:

Let's take a look at a part of the problem from this red-zone drive in Week 3.

Green Bay's defense will bring a blitz on this play, and the Packers' pass-rusher (red circle), who eventually gets the sack after edging around left tackle Joe Staley, will apply the blindside pressure. Note the two 49ers receiving options toward the bottom of the play (yellow arrows).

Staley is going to be beat here. But Kaepernick still has an option to step up in the pocket and deliver a quick throw to one of his open targets. Note how the quarterback has two options right in front of him. One has beaten his man in the end zone.

Instead, Kaepernick hesitates and goes down. Take a look at some of his open targets.

Forty-niners' red-zone drives have a tendency to move backward in 2015.

One should note the Giants have the league's best defense against the run. The defense has allowed just 279 yards on the ground, which figures to make life difficult for running back Carlos Hyde and the 49ers' rushing attack.

But, in contrast, New York has given up the most passing yards in the NFL so far (1,265). The Giants' pass defense has a minus-18.1 pass-coverage grade, per PFF.

Part of the issue has been the lack of pressure from New York's defense. The Giants have only five sacks on the season—the league's second-fewest.

Should we expect a different approach from offensive coordinator Geep Chryst—one that focuses more on a pass-heavy task?

Perhaps. But this will fall upon the shoulders of Kaepernick and his receiving corps to execute properly, which is something that hasn't been seen much this season.

Defensive Game Plan

New York's West Coast offense presents a similar challenge to the 49ers faced in Week 3.

Safety Eric Reid pointed out how this could be a factor in San Francisco's defensive preparations when he appeared on KNBR 680 during the week.

The Giants figure to move the ball effectively through the air against a 49ers defense allowing an average of 303.7 yards per game, which ranks No. 28 in the league.

One weapon of concern is Giants No. 1 wideout Odell Beckham Jr., who is leading all New York receivers, with 307 yards and two touchdowns. Reid will likely be asked to provide coverage assistance against his former LSU teammate.

But a large portion of the 49ers coverage schemes will focus on the matchup between Beckham and second-year defensive back Jimmie Ward.

Ward had an impressive effort versus Packers No. 1 receiver Randall Cobb last week and posted a plus-0.7 PFF grade during the game. Joe Fann, 49ers team reporter, provided stats to illustrate how well Cobb played:

Randall Cobb was held to five receptions for 44 yards. Yesterday might have been the shining moment in Jimmie Ward's young career. #49ers

— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) October 5, 2015

Covering Beckham will be a challenge for Ward when New York uses three-wide sets on offense. But Ward is up for the challenge.

“Odell gets in the slot, and he’s shifty a little bit, but not as shifty as Cobb," Ward said, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. "I see he has some of the same traits. If it’s s [sic] scramble route, he’s going to go the opposite way.

“He (Beckham) goes and gets the ball. He comes back for it. He’s going to get the ball no matter what. If the ball goes out of bounds, he’s still going to catch it. He’s trying to build that rhythm, too. He feels like he’s going to catch any ball that the quarterback throws to him. He’s a feisty player. He’s going to fight the whole game.”

Ward will have to be on guard since Beckham is always capable of making the incredible catch. He almost pulled off yet another, as seen in this NFL.com video:

Should the 49ers be able to contain Beckham, San Francisco's defensive front seven can focus on bringing down Manning. This hasn't been an easy task as the veteran has been sacked only four times on the year. New York's O-line has done a solid job protecting their quarterback.

Key Players and Matchups

Beckham versus Ward is already an intriguing matchup in Sunday's game. And the same could be said of the 49ers receiving corps against a questionable Giants secondary.

But much of the focus of this game will come at the line of scrimmage.

Putting pressure on Kaepernick will be another focal point for the Giants defense. It will try to replicate what was shown in the aforementioned red-zone breakdown. 

This means pressure on the 49ers O-line and, specifically, focusing on the matchup between right guard Jordan Devey and Giants tackle Cullen Jenkins. Jenkins has two sacks on the season, while Devey boasts a minus-9.1 PFF grade over four games. Devey has also allowed 12 quarterback pressures.

On the flip side, outside linebacker Aaron Lynch will want to replicate his strong Week 3 efforts—a game in which he had two sacks.

Defensive coordinator Eric Mangini will have to figure out ways to allow Lynch to replicate his previous pass-rushing efforts especially with fellow linebacker Ahmad Brooks unavailable as the veteran mourns the death of his sister.

And yet the focus will continue to fall on Kaepernick. Will fans see a quarterback "righting the ship" in the wake of back-to-back blunders? Or will Kaepernick's issues continue to spiral out of control in the national spotlight?

Prediction

The Giants want to continue their recent winning streak, while the 49ers are looking to end a three-game skid.

Desperation may play into San Francisco during this Sunday Night Football contest. Head coach Jim Tomsula's team has already made statements how the 49ers are, truly, better than what has been seen in recent weeks.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith was one such player to have these sentiments.

“We’re better offensively than how we’re playing," Smith said via Joe Fann of 49ers.com. "To be honest, we work too hard to go out on Sundays and play like that. Tomsula doesn’t deserve this. The fans don’t deserve to watch the way we play. We got to get this thing right, now.”

Both teams' passing games figure to be the difference-makers Sunday. And similar offensive schemes faced in Weeks 3 and 4 help give the 49ers a bit of an advantage here.

But the outcome will be the result of proper execution, in-game adjustments and the ever-so important turnover differential.

Let's hope the 49ers get their woes cleaned up a bit and come away with a much-needed 20-17 victory against the Giants.

All statistics, injury reports, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.

The San Francisco 49ers are on the fast track to, once again, being the laughingstock of the NFL. The last year-and-a-half has been an embarrassment to a proud franchise known for Super Bowl trophies, Hall of Fame players and a plethora of memorable moments.

And it's a downfall that permeates through an entire organization, from top to bottom.

Not so long ago, the 49ers were considered perennial Super Bowl contenders. After a 17-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, San Francisco looks nothing like the teams that went to three straight NFC Championship Games.

What happened?

Blame can be widespread when it comes to evaluating this team right now. The offense is terrible. The defense is inconsistent. The coaching staff is in over its head. And the front office seems to have no idea in regards to the 49ers' identity.

And, sadly, there doesn't seem to be any hope on the horizon. San Francisco is dangerously close to repeating the same drudgery which existed during the mid-to-late 2000s.

The Downfall of Colin Kaepernick

The 2012 season was quarterback Colin Kaepernick's best. The newly minted starter posted the best numbers of his career that year: a 62.4 completion percentage and a 98.3 passer rating.

Those numbers have steadily dropped as Kaepernick's interception and sack totals continue to increase. Kaepernick has already been sacked 14 times on the year. At that rate, San Francisco's quarterback would be on pace for 56 on the season—four more than the whopping 52 he suffered in 2014.

Take a look at this Fox NFL coverage of the 2013 playoff game between the Packers and 49ers when Kaepernick seemed unbeatable:

It's sad to see how much has changed since that moment.

Steve Berman of Bay Area Sports Guy describes this downfall and cites how the 49ers organization has destroyed its own would-be franchise quarterback:

Candlestick faithful once chanted David Carr’s name when Alex Smith struggled, while a totally-over-his-head coach with frighteningly little experience named Mike Singletary stalked the sideline. Smith never played with anything approaching confidence until the 49ers put together one of the best offensive lines in the league and brought in Jim Harbaugh, who accentuated Smith’s strengths—intelligence, mobility and caution.

Harbaugh liked Kaepernick’s attributes—speed, arm strength and fearlessness—even more, and the two won a lot of games together in a short period. To think that the same quarterback who went sleeveless in Lambeau when the wind chill made it feel like -14 degrees and led the 49ers to a 23-20 win looks like this in 2015 … well, it would’ve been hard to fathom less than two years ago. But the 49ers, through a series of awful decisions, buried a rising star.

The 49ers no longer have a competent coaching staff and can no longer boast of a strong offensive line. Kaepernick thrived in the confidence of a successful coaching staff while having a solid cast of Pro Bowl-caliber players around him.

Now, Kaepernick is no longer confident and no longer competent.

In a way, the 2015 49ers expressed their own lack of confidence in Kaepernick's ongoing development by simplifying the playbook—an element discussed in the B/R video below.

The thought here was to maximize Kaepernick's strengths by building an offense catering to his positive attributes.

But those attributes have been squandered since the 49ers don't have the ability to move the ball on the ground. Like many read-option quarterbacks, Kaepernick needs a strong running game. 

San Francisco doesn't have one despite boasting a promising running back in Carlos Hyde.

The Packers no longer respect Kaepernick. This SB Nation clip featuring Packers linebacker Clay Matthews mocking the quarterback essentially tells us all we need to know about Kaepernick's level of competency right now.

Clay Matthews is correct. Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson are not the same person. http://t.co/xRdgCWex50 https://t.co/0WUxDuVrVo

— SB Nation (@SBNation) October 5, 2015

Berman alludes to the feud between general manager Trent Baalke and former head coach Jim Harbaugh—we'll get there shortly—as a possible reason why the 49ers seem to be leaving Kaepernick "out to dry." He writes, "[General manager] Trent Baalke wanted Andy Dalton. Kap was Harbaugh’s guy. Time to take out the trash."

Kaepernick looks as if he's the new scapegoat for all of San Francisco's woes in 2015. Given how the front office structured his contract, it wouldn't be a bad prediction to suggest Kaepernick won't be wearing red and gold next season.

But the blame doesn't fall entirely on Kaepernick. It can't.

A Problematic Coaching Staff

Head coach Jim Tomsula continues his attempts to absorb the blame of all that is wrong with the franchise.

Tomsula's postgame presser, once again, pointed out how the team's issues all work their way back to the head coach.

"We came up short," the head coach said via the team's website. "Green Bay played a heck of a game. Offensively we've got to get some things ironed out, and that starts with me."

Tomsula: "We came up short. Green Bay played a heck of a game. Offensively we've got to get some things ironed out and that starts with me."

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 4, 2015

Tomsula could be an excellent head coach or coordinator at this level. But it isn't going to happen now. San Francisco needed to have a head coach capable of navigating the stormy offseason that plagued the franchise recently—someone with experience rectifying a turbulent period with a strong-willed, effective approach.

Instead, the 49ers front office elected to go with Tomsula and backed him with coordinators Eric Mangini and Geep Chryst, whose only qualifications were continuity and familiarity within the organization.

Remember, Chryst ran San Francisco's offense in the red zone last year—a problematic area in 2014. And, as Dylan DeSimone of CSN Authentic hinted at back in February, the 49ers won't be looking strong in this area anytime soon.

https://twitter.com/DeSimone_80/status/562384167204581376

And it's a situation that, seemingly, is getting worse with every week.

Ray Ratto of CSN Bay Area describes just how bad things are for Tomsula's 49ers a quarter of the way through the season:

He has a team that can neither run nor pass. It gained fewer than 200 total yards in successive games, the first time a 49ers team has done that since 2007. If Kaepernick were a pitcher, he would lead the league in walks, and Hyde needs two more games at his present pace to catch the number of yards he gained in Game 1.

Even the most criticize-able play of the game, a plunge into the line by Reggie Bush on a third-and-11 play in the third quarter that gained zero yards proves how bereft they are of solutions.

Chryst shouldn't be running this offense. But the entire coaching staff can bear the blame for not creating an established identity and finding means by which to implement it.

It All Points to the Top

Perhaps no other figures within the 49ers organization bear the wrath of San Francisco's fans right now than Baalke and CEO Jed York.

As would be the case with any dysfunctional multi-million-dollar business, an underachieving organization would have to look at the top of its own command structure for both answers and a solution. Baalke and York don't seem to have one.

At least no one seems to know what it is.

What we do know is this: Baalke and York are the unquestioned heads of a downward-spiraling organization lacking any sort of cohesiveness. 

Remember when Baalke and Harbaugh's feud first became evident? This B/R video was one of the first revelations of this pending problem back in 2014.

Baalke won that bout over Harbaugh when the 49ers front office made a mockery out of the situation and dismissed their first winning head coach since Steve Mariucci. 

And York's cryptic tweet following the 49ers' Thanksgiving Day loss to the Seattle Seahawks was just another sign that San Francisco's brass had an ignoble agenda.

Thank you #49ersfaithful for coming out strong tonight. This performance wasn't acceptable. I apologize for that

— Jed York (@JedYork) November 28, 2014

As the team's CEO, York isn't going anywhere unless he decides to.

But what about Baalke?

Baalke bears equal responsibility in all of this. Now we can't exactly delve into the general manager's frame of mind and "think" what he's thinking. But we can evaluate some of his decisions he's made, which have put San Francisco into this spot.

Take a look at some of his recent NFL drafts—first-round selections, to be precise.

Round 1 selections are typically intended to be Week 1 impact players. These are guys generally selected to be "ready to go" at the NFL level. They aren't project players nor are they developmental pieces.

Baalke selected the following players in Round 1 from 2011 through 2015: Linebacker Aldon Smith, wide receiver A.J. Jenkins, safety Eric Reid, defensive back Jimmie Ward and defensive end Arik Armstead.

Smith is no longer with the team following an array of off-the-field incidents. Jenkins turned into a bust and the book is still out on Ward and Armstead. Out of that group, only Reid continues to impact the team on a consistent basis.

Subsequent picks have also been problematic to an extent. Defensive end Tank Carradine (a second-round pick in 2013) looks like just an OK player. The majority of Baalke's 2013 picks, including tight end Vance McDonald and outside linebacker Corey Lemonier, are either not living up to expectation or are no longer with the team.

Round	Player	Status
Round 1	Eric Reid	Starting Safety
Round 2	Tank Carradine	Third-Down DE
Round 2	Vance McDonald	No. 2 TE
Round 3	Corey Lemonier	No. 4 OLB
Round 4	Quinton Patton	No. 4 WR
Round 4	Marcus Lattimore	Retired
Round 5	Quinton Dial	Starting DE
Round 6	Nick Moody	w/ Seattle Seahawks
Round 7	B.J. Daniels	w/ Seattle Seahawks
Round 7	Carter Bykowski	w/ Minnesota Vikings
Round 7	Marcus Cooper	w/ Kansas City Chiefs

Baalke can stock up on draft picks. He's shown ability there. But a great number of these picks, especially injured players, never panned out.

And then there was the fifth-round selection of punter Bradley Pinion.

The 49ers had depth to absorb a lot of the losses seen during the offseason. Baalke was responsible for that. 

But was that depth good enough to ensure San Francisco wouldn't suffer a lapse in talent in 2015?

The record and lackluster statistics (last in offensive scoring and No. 32 in points allowed prior to Week 4) suggest it isn't.

The Collapse

York and Baalke should bear the brunt of the blame and not let guys like Tomsula shoulder the burden of the 49ers' 2015 failures.

But it isn't happening.

The frustrations are starting to boil over now. It's apparent watching San Francisco's games. Veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin's sideline disgust is one piece of evidence. The 49ers' leading receiver in 2014 refused to speak to the media following Sunday's loss.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman was the veteran presence visibly frustrated during the 49ers' 47-7 drubbing at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, per Eric Branch of SFGate.com.

NaVorro Bowman was also frustrated after this completion to a wide-open Larry Fitzgerald. #49ers pic.twitter.com/k5t99nNlzW

— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) October 1, 2015

How will the frustrations continue?

It's hard to predict. But they aren't good signs at all when trying to evaluate exactly where the 49ers go from here.

The 49ers lack identity. They lack direction. They lack organizational leadership.

And that hurts when one thinks that this franchise was a perennial favorite just a couple of seasons ago. 

What needs to happen is a concerted effort from the entire organization top to bottom—an effort that preaches a re-establishment and commitment to the legacy of the 49ers franchise. 

Right now, signs don't point to this being atop San Francisco's priority list.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.