The San Francisco 49ers started strong this season, but with growing injuries, they just stumbled hard in Week 10. The Niners just found themselves on the losing side of a 42-26 game against the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers offense put up a decent fight, but the defense simply fell apart. As such, post-game defensive lineman Keion White was asked about the Niners’ defensive struggles. But his response was evasive, to say the least.

“As a new guy here, I don’t really think I’m in a position to speak about what the defense is,” Keion White said. “I’m just trying to find my way still… just figure out how we can do better or I can do better professionally to improve.”

It’s understandable that Keion White, recently traded from the New England Patriots, might not want to shoulder too much blame yet. The 49ers traded for White, hoping he could help fill the massive void on the edge left by Nick Bosa’s season-ending knee injury. While playing against the Rams, he and DL Kalia Davis managed a sack on Rams’ QB Matthew Stafford for a 5-yard loss. But that was one of the few defensive highlights of the night. 

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh had called Keion White an “elite athlete” when the deal was made. The 49ers expected him to spark the pass rush amidst rising injury numbers in the defense. But against the Rams, the defense struggled to pressure Matthew Stafford. The secondary gave the quarterback all the time he needed, and he carved up the Niners for 280 passing yards and four touchdowns on 24-of-36 attempts.

So far, the 49ers’ defense has allowed 27 TDs to their opponents, compared to their own 23. This night, too, was a really bad night for the 49ers’ defense.

Out of eight Rams possessions, six ended in touchdowns. Add seven costly penalties for 45 yards – compared to zero for the Rams – and it’s no wonder head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn’t pleased.

Kyle Shanahan shares his frustrations with the 49ers after a loss against the Rams

One can only play the cards that they’re dealt. As for Kyle Shanahan, he was playing with a short deck on Sunday night. At 6-4, considering all their injuries, the 49ers still have plenty to be proud of. But after the 49ers lost 42-26 to the Rams, Shanahan didn’t sugarcoat his frustration.

“I just told them, ‘Guys, it wasn’t good enough’,” said Kyle Shanahan. “You know, as bad as it was at times, you know, I still believe if we convert that 4th and 1 in the first half, we don’t turn it over on the other drive. It’s a two-score game, and I believe it could’ve come down to that if we played a little bit better on the offense in the first half. Obviously, we gotta get the D to stop them in the second half, but I still think we could’ve made that a game.”

The Niners’ offense had its own problems, too. Christian McCaffrey couldn’t find space. He got stopped for no gain on that critical 4th-and-1 from the Rams’ 11-yard line. And that play flipped the momentum for Los Angeles. Brian Robinson Jr. brought some spark in the second half with a 24-yard drive and a short touchdown. But it wasn’t good enough, and Shanahan’s message afterward was clear: the 49ers hurt themselves.

“I told them, I believe that we can find a way to win any game that we are in,” said Kyle Shanahan. “But if we hurt ourselves like that – seven penalties to zero, knocking off on 3rd down… I think they were 5 of 5 in the red zone, and then the offense having two turnovers, and they are having zero, make that pretty tough on yourself.”

Moreover, the reality is that Kyle Shanahan’s team might only be the third-best in the NFC West right now. Can they turn it around before the postseason hopes fade? Ultimately, players like Keion White need to step into larger roles. If not, the 49ers’ playoff run could slip away faster than anyone expects.