San Francisco's opening-week massacre of the Minnesota Vikings feels like 13 years ago.
The 49ers have since been outscored 110-28 during a three-game losing streak, looking as lost on offense as their spiraling quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.
"We're a better team than what we're showing right now," Niners wideout Torrey Smith told reporters this week, per ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez. "We're better offensively than how we're playing. To be honest, we work too hard to go out there on Sundays and play like that."
Talking of embattled first-year head coach Jim Tomsula, Smith emphasized that "Tomsula doesn't deserve this," and "the fans don't deserve to watch the way we play."
Trapped inside the league's worst passing attack, Smith was seen angrily marching off the field following a botched third-down attempt during Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Packers. On Monday, Smith acknowledged: "My body language was horrible at times. I should never let my frustrations show, especially to y'all. It's not a good thing."
The chemistry between Kaepernick and Smith has been shaky, but that goes for the quarterback's production with all his wideouts. Kaepernick gives off the scent of a passer in total regression, one who isn't helped by San Francisco's shaky offensive line.
Smith said that he doesn't see Kaepernick's confidence sinking, but admitted of the entire offense: "The execution isn't showing at all on game day."
That's an understatement. Kaepernick's problems require more than a tweak, while the rest of the attack lacks the requisite punch to overcome a defense allowing a whopping 45 points per game on the road.
Playing the Giants in New York on Sunday offers another chance to flip the script, but nothing on tape suggests the Niners are about to rewrite the story of this tumbling campaign.
