Another 49ers loss to Kansas City and the concern is that Kyle Shanahan hasn't figured out Steve Spagnuolo's defense in five years. Press reports and aggressive pressure led to three Brock Purdy interceptions as the 49ers lost again, 28-18, to Kansas City.

The Chiefs defense led 6-0 early, holding Purdy to 17:31 for 212 yards, with the three picks resulting in a passer rating of 36.7. Purdy has to deal with forcing the ball into double coverage, which is where most of his picks come from this season.

Jordan Mason had 58 yards rushing, largely due to a 26-yard run. Half of his 14 carries went for two yards or less.

The Niners only had one answer: George Kittle with six catches for 92 yards. Jacob Cowing had an explosive shot from 41 yards with a beautiful double play. Ricky Pearsall had three catches for 21 yards in his league debut.

The Niners receivers barely cracked 100 yards. Deebo Samuel was sick before the game. The 49ers fear Brandon Aiyuk will be out for the season with a torn ACL. He will undergo an MRI on Monday. Add in Jauan Jennings missing this game with a hip injury, and the Niners could be very shorthanded at receiver against Dallas.

The 49ers are 3-4 and look the part. They are a team of moments, not games.

Play balls

George Kittle 6-92 and a long of 41 on an underthrown ball.

Malik Mustapha was the team leader with 12 tackles, including two sledgehammer hits.

Take stock

The 49ers have doubled up on their veterans and are getting inspirational plays from Fred Warner as a DPOY candidate. Deommodore Lenoir was a reliable playmaker. Nick Bosa has consistently applied pressure, if not sackings. Trent Williams is in the top 5 of PFF ratings. Jordan Mason was indispensable, Jauan Jennings was a rock, George Kittle delivered. After that, Brock Purdy's Jekyll and Hyde gets into trouble against great defensive coordinators.

Many of the weekly posts come from newbies. On a team looking for veterans to lead the way.

The question is, has Kyle Shanahan's offense reached its expiration date? It's against the best defensive coordinators, but there are only a handful of them. However, Shanahan looks more like the guy who has Christian McCaffrey on his team than a genius.

The more games McCaffrey and Dre Greenlaw miss, the more obvious it becomes that they are the players that take the team's performance from good to great. Without them, this is a .500 team.

What now?

This is a team in transition. Investments have been made in vets, but the children carry them. Shanahan needs to respond accordingly, such as targeting more Jacob Cowing.

One problem is the time bomb problem. Graduate veterans are written by young players who aren't ready for prime time. De'Vondre Campbell shouldn't be in the starting lineup, but Dee Winters can only come to the game, not finish. Either way, the Niners will pay a price.

Another problem is that Purdy is outgrowing this phase of his young career. Too many risks, overreacting to pressure, his decision making stuck in the moment and reliant on the same mistakes.

At the same time, Purdy can play well against weaker defenses with great stats. Its development will require more consistency and smarter decisions. That will come with time, but until it does, the offense will reflect its inconsistency.

The defense Purdy faces will determine his success or failure at this point. Purdy needs to continue to develop beyond that. I believe he will do that, but he will have to take some losses this season because of it.

Is this team a Super Bowl contender? No. However, this is the type of season where a team that gets hot late can make a run. Kansas City and Detroit seem to be the class of the league.

The Niners taking these Chiefs to overtime in the Super Bowl seems like a lifetime ago for both teams. Things got worse in Kansas City, but they barely controlled the Niners, which is a sign of how far the Niners have fallen. Can they fill that gap with McCaffrey and Greenlaw? Maybe, but that seems optimistic. There are too many setbacks on this team. Too many places where they have taken a step back, squad and coaches.

Next

The Niners are moving to Dallas, a team they have owned for years. The Cowboys will be ready for Sunday night's game and another chance for revenge.

Mike McCarthy's departure from a bye doesn't trigger Andy Reid's fear of a bye. Dallas' offense has cracked 20 points just once this year and its defense has given up 47 to Detroit.

Before their bye week, the Niners need a win over the Cowboys, otherwise they will slide into the bye week and lose three of four games. The only victory gift-wrapped by Seattle's Geno Smith.

San Francisco needs this win to get back to .500. Dallas is not good, the Niners are mediocre, 49ers moments should be enough to win next week.