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The San Francisco 49ers find themselves 5-5 in the NFC West standings in a disappointing 2024 campaign. Facing a tough two-game stretch, the team is scheduled to take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, followed by a trip to Highmark Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills. Adding to their woes, quarterback Brock Purdy was ruled out for Sunday’s game and could also miss the following week with a shoulder injury.

Despite their struggles, the 49ers remain just one game behind the division-leading Arizona Cardinals. The NFC West race is wide open, with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks holding records equal to those of the 49ers, creating a four-team logjam for playoff positioning.

NFL analyst Bucky Brooks recently ranked each NFC West team’s chances of winning the divisionand placed the 49ers at the bottom, expressing the least confidence in their ability to claim the crown. Brooks listed the Seahawks as the top contender, followed by the Cardinals and Rams.

“The Super Bowl hangover is real,” Brooks explained. “San Francisco has been rocked by injuries this season. In fact, just before publication, Purdy and (DE Nick) Bosa were ruled out of Sunday’s game at Green Bay. Brutal. And even when healthy, the best players in the 49ers just didn’t make the cut. “San Francisco’s inconsistent offense and underperforming defense kept the back-to-back division champions from taking over the West in 2024.”

Even though injuries have plagued the 49ers, underperformance has also been a recurring problem. Last weekend’s loss to the Seahawks marked the third time the team lost this season after leading by four or more points in the fourth quarter.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan knows the margin for error is diminishing with just seven games left in the season.

“You start looking at three more losses and you have to have a lot of luck, and that’s nothing you want to count on,” Shanahan said. “So we have to control our future, and the only way to do that is to win these games.”

Brooks continued: “Maybe the team can get healthy by the end, but time is running out for Kyle Shanahan to create a winning formula with a team that appears to be recovering from an overtime loss in the game against Lombardi last February This seems to be one of those cursed seasons where nothing can go right, which is unfortunate, given how promising this roster looked in August.

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom, at least not yet. There’s room for optimism, and Brooks acknowledges the 49ers could still come out on top in the NFC West.

“The 49ers’ raw talent can overwhelm opponents unable to deal with their collection of blue-chip players at marquee positions,” Brooks wrote. “When everyone is healthy, Brock Purdy’s core, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Nick Bosa And Fred Warner can dominate most foes, making it difficult to count out the 49ers in win-or-go-home battles down the stretch.

“The Niners are too good to write off, given their talent and toughness. Well, at least when all the stars are available.”