San Francisco 49ers

Before writing the 49ers off against the Seahawks this Sunday, Kyle Shanahan’s familiarity with Seattle’s defensive design bods well for San Francisco.

Smith, initially considered a bust, eventually turned things around in 2012 helping lead the team to a 13-3 record, but told Graham Bensinger that his early years with the 49ers were defined by organizational dysfunction.

Kyle Shanahan’s head coaching debut was a frustrating one. In addition to losing 23-3 in front of a home crowd at Levi’s Stadium, the 49ers also committed 10 penalties for 74 yards and failed to convert on fourth down three separate times.

When Shanahan was asked about Hoyer’s performance the new coach didn’t throw his quarterback under the bus, but instead pointed to his surrounding cast.

While it’s not exactly good news for 49ers fans, the diagnosis could have been much worse.

In addition to losing 23-3 to the Panthers in a listless performance that provided few positives, a number of photos surfaced on Twitter showing nearly empty east side of Levi’s Stadium at the beginning of the second half, adding insult to injury on another disappointing day in Santa Clara.

When asked by Gary & Larry on Monday if there is anything 49ers fans can hang their collective hats on heading into a tough Week 2 matchup at Seattle, 49ers beat writer Eric Branch provided a single silver lining.

While the 49ers’ organization is certainly content with the Lynch/Shanahan paring — they were given six-year contracts after all — Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported on Sunday that Jed York and Co. were very close to going in a different direction.

Reuben Foster’s NFL debut was cut short in scary fashion on Sunday, when he was carted off the field with a right ankle injury sustained while tackling fellow rookie Christian McCaffrey in the first quarter.

49ers Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott knows all about turning potential into on the field success, making the Pro Bowl and helping lead San Francisco to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory in his rookie season.