49ers Can Still Make a Statement in Final Game of Season

If Fox Sports' Jay Glazer is right, Week 17 will be the final contest with head coach Jim Harbaugh at the helm of the San Francisco 49ers.

Glazer stated that the separation between Harbaugh and the 49ers will take place no longer than 48 hours after San Francisco's final 2014 contest, at home, against the playoff-bound Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers are not bound for the postseason. At best, San Francisco can finish with an 8-8 record, which would mark the first time in the Harbaugh era that the 49ers did not boast an above-.500 season.

It's easy to assume this will be a throwaway contest for San Francisco. With Harbaugh all but certain to be dismissed, one can speculate whether or not the entire team and staff will be entirely focused on their on-field efforts. Additionally, a loss would put the 49ers into a better draft position for 2015.

One can even reason that a Cardinals win would be a part of the equation that could, potentially, reverse the standings in the NFC playoff picture with a Seattle Seahawks loss.

Still, there are plenty of reasons why the 49ers would want to make a strong statement in their final game this year.

There are the obvious ones. A number of players are vying for increased roles in 2015. It wouldn't be out of the question for San Francisco to elect to give more snaps to backup and role players against Arizona. Additionally, the team would love to showcase to the rest of the league that this season was not a reflection on the true talent encompassed therein.

But what of the more specific statements? Two should be brought to the forefront. 

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick went from a breakout phenom to a non-progressing dud this year. The signal-caller who was once viewed as franchise elite has now raised questions regarding whether or not he can ever progress beyond his current level of play.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Glenn Dickey of the San Francisco Examiner was one who called out this issue:

"

That’s Kaepernick. He’s a gunslinger, always trying to prove he can beat any defense and any team. That can work against weaker teams. It doesn’t work against quality opponents. More and more, it seems Kaepernick’s career peaked in his first season, when teams didn’t know him. It’s not working now.

"

Kaepernick displayed more of what made him reputable in Week 16 against the San Diego Chargers.

At least for the first three quarters.

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Before the 49ers imploded in the fourth, the 27-year-old quarterback had posted two touchdowns—an eight-yard passing TD to wide receiver Bruce Ellington, as well as a 90-yard rushing TD in the third quarter.

Still, Kaepernick finished the contest with an 87.8 quarterback rating in the contest. And that was against the NFL's No. 14 defense. The Cardinals defense ranks No. 4 in the league with just 279 points allowed, so Kaepernick's efforts against Arizona will be that much more difficult.

Kaepernick has reached a point where one has to question whether or not he'll be the guy for San Francisco in 2015 and beyond. Whichever head coach takes over for the 49ers next season, the decision whether or not to retain Kaepernick's services will be a preeminent topic.

A strong game from the quarterback can carry substantial influence.

Yet Kaepernick is not the only question mark leading into the offseason. The entire 49ers offense endured a lackluster, uninspiring season. The 26th-best offense has fallen apart in the second half of the season—a macro summary of its second-half in-game woes.

Credit: StatMilk.com

Like its quarterback, the offense will be a major influence upon the choice of head coach for this franchise.

So what can the offense do in Week 16?

As stated, the Cardinals have a strong defense. But this was a defense that the Seahawks embarrassed 35-6 on Sunday Night Football, largely because Arizona's offense could not maintain any sort of rhythm.

For the 49ers, finishing the game will be the point of emphasis. San Francisco's 38-35 overtime loss to San Diego marked the fifth contest this season in which the 49ers blew a second-half lead. True, a banged-up defense could not hold the line. But the offense scored just seven second-half points—Kaepernick's 90-yard run—compared to 28 from the Chargers.

Offensively, San Francisco had a tremendous first half. Handing the ball to running back Frank Gore proved to be worthwhile, but that approach may not work against the Cardinals run defense—ranked No. 8 in the league with 1,533 rushing yards allowed.

It has been nearly an impossibility for the 49ers to establish a balanced, well-adjusted offense for a 60-minute period. They have one more shot to do so in 2014.

San Francisco doesn't have to win this game to make some positive statements. Perhaps it is best that it come away with a defeat when considering draft positions, etc.

Yet a strong showing from Kaepernick and the offense would provide a much more detailed picture about what this unit can do when it's firing on all cylinders. These criteria could then be used to lure in a new head coach and offensive coordinator who might be able to install a system in which the 49ers' weapons are best put to use.

Such a finish would point toward a promising future even if this season was anything but enticing.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers news, insight and analysis.

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