Shanaplan: What a loss against the Colts says about the 49ers being contenders

It’s easy to get up for the elite teams in the NFL. However, most teams' “Super Bowl” comes when they play teams like the Buccaneers and the Rams. During today’s episode of the Shanaplan, Akash and I talk about what the 49ers loss says about where this team is compared to the rest of the NFL.

When I watch the Colts play, they are a team that “punches up.” They’re a nuisance. They will give good teams a run for their money before bowing out late in the game. Look at Indy’s schedule. That’s how all of their games have gone.

On paper, the 49ers are a playoff team. But, once it’s time to play the games, they look like anything but a playoff contender. Losses to teams like the Colts don’t help.

The Niners Week 8 opponent, Chicago, was obliterated by Tampa Bay last week as Tom Brady and company scored 35 points in the first half. That’s the sign of an elite team. Think about the 49ers during 2019. They smashed the Bengals, Panthers, and Browns during the first half of the season. As it turns out, they were the best team in the conference.

The 49ers have lost the benefit of the doubt. A loss against the Bears, a team that folded in the second quarter last week against a superior opponent, would set this site on fire. But, depending on how much of the weather you’re willing to pardon last week, the Colts and Bears are a better barometer of where the 49ers stand than games against the Cardinals and the Rams.

Other topics include:

• Is the Jimmy Garoppolo era over as soon as Trey Lance is 100% healthy?
• Why the report about turning down a second-round pick for Jimmy isn’t as bad as it sounds (Kyle Shanahan denied it Wednesday, saying there’s no truth to the rumor)
• Things that went wrong that weren’t Shanahan’s fault
• Predictions against the Bears