ATLANTA -- Taken by itself, the pregame deactivation of inside linebacker Gerald Hodges was not even remotely close to the reason the Atlanta Falcons blew out the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon. The same is true of the loss of fellow inside linebacker Nick Bellore to an elbow injury in the first quarter.
But the fact Hodges was unavailable because he violated team rules set in motion a series of events that made the Niners' lives more difficult against one of the league's best offenses. More to the point, what the Niners attempted to do at inside linebacker Sunday was a microcosm of what their season has become.
At 1-13 and in the throes of a 13-game losing streak, the 49ers tried anything and everything to find a solution to the gaping hole in the middle of their defense. And, as has happened with pretty much every problem they've encountered this season, none of those answers was the right one as the Falcons cruised to a 41-13 victory and remained in the NFC playoff hunt.
With Hodges' unexpected absence, the Niners had two inside linebackers healthy and available when the game started. Mind you, this is a position where the team long ago lost starters NaVorro Bowman and Ray-Ray Armstrong and backup Shayne Skov to season-ending injuries. The Niners turned to veteran Michael Wilhoite to start alongside Bellore and crossed their fingers that it would all work out.
It didn't. Three plays into Atlanta's first possession, Bellore suffered an elbow injury that ended his day. From there, the 49ers tried safety Vinnie Sunseri in Bellore's place. Sunseri had played all of 13 defensive snaps in his career, none at inside linebacker, and was quickly targeted by Atlanta's passing game as he yielded an 8-yard catch on third-and-2 to set up the Falcons' first touchdown.
At various points throughout the rest of the game, the 49ers tried safety Antoine Bethea and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks in the middle. None of it was enough to slow down Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan & Co. Save for a couple of fumbles, Atlanta's offense was nearly flawless in racking up 550 total yards, including 248 on the ground. Falcons running back Devonta Freeman became the 11th running back to surpass 100 yards rushing in a game against the Niners this season, finishing with 139 yards and three touchdowns.
Along the way, the 49ers set a franchise record for most rushing yards allowed in a season, surpassing the old mark of 2,363 with two games left to play.
In the big picture, even having the likes of Bellore and Hodges available probably wouldn't have made much of a difference. The Niners' defense ranked near the bottom of most major categories entering Sunday's game with both of them in the lineup.
Instead, the 49ers' game of musical inside linebackers Sunday was more illustrative of the root problem for the team: a roster that lacks talent and depth. Throughout the season, 49ers coach Chip Kelly and his staff have been unafraid to make changes in personnel whether for injury or lack of production.
They swapped starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert out for Colin Kaepernick after five weeks because Gabbert wasn't playing well enough. Kelly even went back to Gabbert in a loss to Chicago in hopes of finding an offensive spark. Because of injuries, the Niners have rolled out different starters at just about every other position save for right tackle and the three specialists.
None of those attempts to right the ship has led to victory. As of Sunday, it's been 96 days since the Niners have had one of those. It's an indictment of everyone making football decisions for the franchise over the past few years. And it offers another reminder meaningful change must be in the offing if real solutions are to be found.