Despite an impressive individual effort—hauling in eight passes for 106 yards—George Kittle expressed clear frustration with the San Francisco 49ers' performance in Sunday's 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The defeat marked the 49ers' second consecutive loss, fifth in the past six games, and ninth of the season.
The game was marred by miscues, penalties, and missed opportunities—issues that have plagued the 49ers throughout their disappointing season.
"Frustrated is a good word for it," Kittle admitted after the game. "... I would say frustrated, for sure. I think our coaches have [done] a really good job of coaching us. And the penalties on offense, all the pre-snap penalties, it's just bad football. And I don't put that on Coach [Kyle] Shanahan. I don't put that on the wide receivers coach, O-line coach, tight ends coach. That's on us."
Kittle noted that the coaching staff had adequately prepared the team and that the players failed to execute when it mattered most.
"We know what the formations are," Kittle explained. "We have to go out there and execute."
With two games left in the season, Kittle stressed the importance of addressing these recurring issues to finish the year stronger.
"Because if we don't do those things, it's probably a different outcome to the game," he added.
The 49ers were officially eliminated from playoff contention before kickoff. However, their postseason hopes were already slim following their Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Knowing this, the team focused on finishing the season with pride, regardless of the playoff picture. Unfortunately, that failed to translate on the football field on Sunday.
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"No, I didn't even think about it at all," Kittle admitted when asked about the team's playoff elimination. "I don't even know when I learned. I'm pretty sure we had to rely on teams losing and then a tie, so I was like, 'Hey, it is what it is.' When someone says you have to rely on a tie—it is what it is. So no, I didn't think about it at all."
Reflecting on the disappointing season, Kittle acknowledged the challenges of winning games when fortune isn't on your side.
"When the ball doesn't bounce your way, when you have turnovers, and you're not forcing turnovers, you have to play at a very elite level if that's what's going to happen during the game," Kittle said. "And we have not been playing at that elite level, and we have to continue to strive to get better every single week.
"And while we are eliminated, we still have two weeks of football left. And if I have football in front of me, I'm going to play as hard as I possibly can, and I'm going to try to get the guys around me to do that same thing."
