Kittle Optimistic, but 49ers' Playoff Hopes Fade After Rams Loss

On November 9, 2025, the San Francisco 49ers suffered a 42-26 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium. While the 49ers had beaten the Rams a few weeks earlier, their defense struggled in this latest matchup, and the team's front office chose not to make any trades at the deadline to address their defensive issues.

Despite the defeat, 49ers tight end George Kittle remained upbeat about the team's chances of making a deep playoff run. Kittle, known for his relentless optimism, believes the 49ers are "incredibly talented" and that their offense will only get stronger with the return of players like Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall.

However, the article's author disagrees with Kittle's assessment, arguing that the 49ers' defense is simply too weak to overcome, and their offense is not good enough to score 40 points per game consistently. The author suggests that if the 49ers truly believed their offense would be elite, they should have traded for someone to improve their defense at the deadline, which would have better positioned them for a playoff run.

As it stands, the 49ers appear to be a "fantasy football team going nowhere," with their postseason hopes fading despite Kittle's positive outlook.