Let's consider the state of the San Francisco 49ers all the way back on Nov. 8. It was the Monday after the team got shellacked by the division-leading Arizona Cardinals, 31-17, behind backup quarterback Colt McCoy.
That game has been a popular discussion point because of how bad things appeared. It was the fifth loss in six weeks. It negated the positive vibes from the previous Sunday, when the team snapped a four-game losing streak with a road win over the Chicago Bears.
The loss to Arizona gave the Cardinals a season sweep of San Francisco and dropped the 49ers' record to 3-5. Coach Kyle Shanahan's team seemed like it was on the brink of collapse, with the decision to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, even after moving heaven and earth to draft Trey Lance, looking like a season-defining mistake.
