Takeaways from the 49ers' Week 14 Loss Against the Raiders

The San Francisco 49ers saw their hopes of a playoff berth all but ended in Week 14 as they crashed to a shock 24-13 defeat to the cross-bay rival Oakland Raiders.

At 7-6, the Niners now need a minor miracle to seal a place in the postseason and look sure to be watching the playoffs from home for the first time in four years.

By this point in the campaign, most are aware of the problems that have dogged San Francisco in 2014, and more light was shed on those issues as they were well-beaten by a Raiders team that had been obliterated 52-0 by the St. Louis Rams the previous week.

There can be no doubt that the Niners will fight until they are mathematically eliminated from contention. However, for many, attention will now turn to the offseason, the future of head coach Jim Harbaugh—who is viewed as a lock to leave San Francisco, according to The Boston Globe—and the 2015 draft.

Defeat in Oakland gave further indication as to the areas the 49ers will need to address come the end of the campaign, and here I break down the key points from what was a new low in a season of abject mediocrity for this proud franchise.

The Receiving Core Needs an Overhaul

The 49ers may have scored a passing touchdown on Sunday, however, as against the Seahawks, the Raiders never looked daunted by a receiving core that has stacks of talent on paper.

Michael Crabtree led the way with nine receptions that went for just 56 yards, with his longest going for 18 yards as the Niners once again struggled to test an opposing secondary deep due to their lack of downfield threat.

	Catches	Yards	YPC	Long	TD
Anquan Boldin	72	897	12.5	37	4
Michael Crabtree	60	633	10.6	51	4
Stevie Johnson	35	435	12.4	32	3
Brandon Lloyd	12	268	22.3	80	1

Aside from Anquan Boldin, who was held in check with four catches for 54 yards, none of the San Francisco wideouts have enjoyed consistent success, and when they are unable to do so against the worst team in the NFL, it is time to accept that change is needed.

Crabtree does not look like the same player that put up his only 1,000-yard season back in 2012 before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the following offseason, and, in a contract year, it would make sense if the final three games of this season were his last as a Niner.

What has become evident throughout the course of this year is that in Boldin, Crabtree, Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd, the 49ers possess four experienced receivers who can fool defenders with well-run routes, but none of whom have the capability to take the top off a defense. Simply put, they are all too similar to be successful as a group.

It seems unlikely that Crabtree will be back in 2015 and, with Lloyd taken on a one-year flier, his return to the Bay Area looks set to be a brief one.

The 49ers will need some experience going forward so there is value in keeping Boldin and Johnson on board—although maybe not at the salaries exceeding $5 million that both are set to earn in 2015—but this is a group that needs significant remodeling.

San Francisco waited until the fourth round to take receiver Bruce Ellington in the 2014 draft, passing on an array of rookie wideouts who have all enjoyed strong maiden seasons. The 2015 class is set to be well-stocked at the position, and this time the 49ers cannot afford not to take advantage of that.

This Offense Has No Identity

Throughout the 2014 season there has been much talk about the 49ers offense finding its identity.

After continuously attempting to focus on the passing game in an apparent attempt to develop quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a pocket passer, the Niners looked to have returned to a focus on the running game that had been the cornerstone of their three straight appearances in the NFC Championship Game.

However, the ground game struggled markedly in the Thanksgiving loss to the Seattle Seahawks and was bizarrely neglected against Oakland despite Frank Gore putting up strong numbers on the limited carries he did receive.

Gore averaged 5.3 yards per carry against the Raiders yet was handed the ball on just 12 occasions as San Francisco showed no faith in a ground attack that was producing good results.

With Gore continually gaining decent yardage, the Niners had the opportunity to dictate the tempo of the game, yet instead they put the pressure on Kaepernick to win the game.

Evidence of San Francisco's confused and ill-conceived game plan came on the 49ers' first offensive series of the third quarter. The Niners efficiently drove down to the Oakland 12-yard line but then proceeded to call passes on two of their next three plays before settling for a field goal.

That failure to punch the ball into the end zone quickly backfired on the Niners as the Raiders went up the field for a touchdown that gave them a lead they looked like they'd never relinquish, with Kaepernick's efforts to try to rescue the situation failing miserably in a game that served as further evidence of his regression in an offensive system that is not suited to his strengths.

For some time now, the 49ers have looked like a team that is lacking a clear direction and philosophy on offense. Last Sunday's debacle provided further proof that for all the talk of finding its identity, this San Francisco offense does not have one.

Injuries Are Catching Up with the Defense 

The 49ers have been able keep their season alive largely due to the incredible play of Vic Fangio's defense, despite the injuries suffered by that group in 2014.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman has finally been activated to the 53-man roster as he nears an apparent comeback from the ACL and MCL tear suffered in last year's NFC Championship Game, but the San Francisco defense has taken plenty of other hits away from the absence of Bowman.

Patrick Willis' toe injury has left the Niners without their other All-Pro inside linebacker for much of the campaign, while the defensive front has been dented by the losses of Glenn Dorsey and Ian Williams, and the secondary as been hit by blows sustained to rookie Tramaine Brock and Jimmie Ward.

In spite of all those problems, the 49ers have been able to maintain their status as a top-five defensive team this year. However, that unit had one of its worst outings of the season against the Raiders, who racked up 330 total yards.

The Niners had little problem stuffing the Raiders' run game, yet it was through the air that Oakland was able to carve up the defense, taking advantage of San Francisco's surprising inability to generate a pass rush and a wafer thin secondary that was further depleted by an injury to cornerback Chris Culliver in the second quarter that kept him out for the rest of the game.

Throughout the 2014 season, the 49ers defense has made up for the ineptitude of the offense. On this occasion, Fangio's bunch were unable to salvage the game, but the fact that it took this long for them to have a truly disappointing performance is a testament to the character and resolve of this group.

Harbaugh Has Not Quit on the 49ers

The buildup to the 49ers' trip to Oakland was dominated by speculation generated by a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Raiders would be among the leading candidates to make a trade to acquire Harbaugh from San Francisco in the offseason.

San Francisco and Harbaugh have been understandably quiet on the subject of his future, with Harbaugh ranking it last among his list of priorities, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area in the postgame press conference following the loss at the O.Co Coliseum.

There has been much talk that Harbaugh does not have the same animated demeanor as in recent years and—while there may be some truth to that—for this season, at least the former Stanford coach is still invested in this team.

He still has the same desire to be successful and, as long as there is the slight mathematical chance for the Niners to make the playoffs, he will fight to make sure it happens.

Harbaugh said on Monday that the beginning of this three-game run could be the start of their "finest hour." That seems unlikely, but his comments in the wake of arguably his worst loss as San Francisco head coach prove that he has very little intention to quit on the 49ers.