I have never played football, not surprising given that I'm a 5'4" female who grew up in Dallas during the 1970s. Anyway, I have always read the adage that penalties reflect poor coaching. Having never played this game (Madden doesn't count), I can't say for certain whether that is true but I have to wonder why this team is so prone to mental lapses. Dak should have handed the ball to the umpire and he should know to do that; on the other hand, it was a terrible play call. At least with an incompletion you stop the clock.
I am also wondering why McCarthy and company didn't have this team more prepared. There were too many mental lapses. We beat ourselves with inane penalties and a lack of preparation for San Francisco's run game. That first drive of the game, in which they tore through this defense like butter, shows that we either need a better defensive line or we need coaches who can better prepare the players that we have.
I am truly fed up with this offensive line. Dak was under pressure constantly. They were penalized again and again, and I'm not buying into any persecution narratives saying that the referees were out to blast us. I honestly don't know why, given how frequently he was rushed in the pocket, that Moore and/or McCarthy didn't call a few draw plays.
Fire McCarthy, and use the draft to build a better offensive line.