San Francisco 49ers News: Santa Clara Team Has Become Doormat Of NFC West

San Francisco 49ers news has not been good this season. It got even worse for fans of the San Francisco 49ers when the team lost 24-10 to the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. Now the team residing in Santa Clara is one game from getting swept by the entire NFC West this season. A Week 17 game against the St. Louis Rams is the only thing standing between the 49ers and going 0-for-6 in games against other NFC West opponents this year.

The 49ers first got swept by the Seattle Seahawks this season, losing at home 20-3 in Week 7 and then falling 29-13 in Week 11 at CenturyLink Field. The Arizona Cardinals made it look easy as well, crushing the 49ers 47-7 in Week 3 and then finishing the sweep with a 19-13 victory in Week 12. The Rams easily beat the 49ers 27-6 in Week 8 and will now travel to Santa Clara to finish out the season against a 4-11 49ers team.

At 4-11 on the season, a lot of recent San Francisco 49ers news has revolved around the team competing for the first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. A report from ESPN.com has the team slated for the No. 5 selection. In the common draft era, the 49ers have had two selections in the top five picks, going with quarterback Steve Spurrier at No. 3 in 1967 and quarterback Alex Smith with the first pick of the 2005 draft.

The 49ers are currently tied with the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys at 4-11 records and trail the Cleveland Browns (3-12) and Tennessee Titans (3-12) overall. Week 17 games that could affect those picks include the Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns, and Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers. Any of the bottom five teams winning in Week 17 would be considered a huge upset at this point.

If the Browns lose to the Steelers, the 49ers could move up in the draft order. Since the Browns beat the 49ers this season, it would cause the 49ers to move ahead of the Browns in the list. The 9-6 Steelers are fighting for a chance to play in the postseason, though, so it would seem unlikely that the Browns could pull off an upset. In Week 10, the Steelers beat the Browns 30-9 to give a preview of what might be coming in Week 17.

There have been other San Francisco 49ers news articles about possible changes in the front office, including former Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren showing some interest. A report from CBS Sports states that he has interest in coaching the 49ers, possibly bringing him back to the NFC West. Bringing in a veteran coach with a lot of experience in the division could certainly help move the team away from being a doormat to the rest of the West.

Breaking down some of the numbers for the 49ers makes the 2015 NFL season look even worse for the team. In five games against the NFC West this season, the 49ers have only scored 42 points. They scored just three touchdowns total while giving up 142 points in the process. That is an average score of about 29-8 in the five contests. Having scored just six points in the first game against the St. Louis Rams this season, there is no expectation of the team doing any better in Week 17.

This final battle pits the two worst offensive teams in the NFL against each other to close out the season. The 49ers average just 293.5 yards and 14.6 points per game, while the Rams have averaged 293.3 yards and 17.6 points per game. This could lead to a defensive struggle as the 49ers try to avoid losing 12 games this season and the Rams try to finish the season at 8-8. Can the San Francisco 49ers avoid getting swept by the entire NFC West in the 2015 NFL season?

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