49ers have few difficulties to iron out ahead of Week 2 against the New York Jets

The San Francisco 49ers have a few difficulties to iron out ahead of Week 2.

The San Francisco 49ers‘ revenge tour did not get off to the start that fans were looking for.

Kyle Shanahan and company were stunned as the Arizona Cardinals came into Santa Clara and handed the 49ers their first loss of the season — something that didn’t happen until Week 10 of last year.

However, this is a brand new year with totally new circumstances and much-needed room for improvements.

The 49ers’ offense looked pedestrian

The 49ers jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter and looked like they were picking up where they left off last season. The only difference is, this is not last season and every team is licking their chops to get a piece of the NFC champs.

The game was actually flowing quite nicely for the home team all the way up to the 7:14 minute mark in the first quarter.

Punter Mitch Wishnowsky was set in the backfield and ready to punt the ball to the Cardinals. Unfortunately for the Niners, linebacker Ezekiel Turner had other plans when he blasted up the middle of the offensive line and blocked the kick.

The ball was recovered at San Francisco’s own 15-yard line and Arizona wasted no time in capitalizing off the turnover. The very next play, Kyler Murray connected with Chase Edmonds out of the backfield for a 10-yard score, and the 49ers never seemed to gain any momentum.

The running game was not consistent enough to threaten Arizona’s defense and without a true No. 1 receiver in the lineup, the offensive ineptitude was truly magnified.

When the 49ers took the field against Arizona for the opener, they only dressed four receivers but one of them — Richie James— was already coming off a training camp injury and still wasn’t 100 percent.

As the game wore on, the lack of having a playmaker who can really stretch the field became a glaring weakness for Shanahan’s crew.  Wideouts were targeted 11 times, hauled in four passes for a combined total of 41 yards.

Running backs and tight ends were targeted 21 times for 218 yards to go along with two touchdowns. Although the 49ers were missing their top two receivers, four catches for 41 yards between four professionally paid receivers is just not enough.

The 49ers had some evident weaknesses going into Week 1.

Coming into the Week 1 matchup, there were a number of concerns for this 49ers team. As impressive as they were in 2019, the Niners had some weaknesses and they reared their ugly heads yet again.

San Francisco had a difficult time containing mobile quarterbacks last year and the problem did not go away. Murray torched the 49ers in their opener and if San Francisco doesn’t make the necessary defensive adjustments, this is a problem that will linger well into the season.

Murray ran the ball 13 times for 91 yards and a touchdown. His speed and elusiveness caused all sorts of coverage breakdowns which led to some big, timely gains. The good news for San Francisco is there are not many mobile quarterbacks left on the schedule.

They face Russell Wilson two times and Kyler Murray once more. The only other quarterbacks that may pose a problem are Dak Prescott and Cam Newton.

Neither of them possesses the speed or shiftiness that Murray and Wilson bring to the table, but they have the ability to keep plays alive with their legs.

The recent news about Richard Sherman going to the ­­­­IR for three weeks is yet another obstacle for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to overcome. The team underperformed against the Cardinals and that may be putting it mildly.

Losing a veteran presence in the secondary can really be catastrophic for a young defense. Luckily, this team has a great coaching staff and enough locker-room leadership to help navigate the ship until reinforcements arrive.

All eyes will be on the defensive front while the secondary gets healthy and if the 49ers can generate the same pressure they applied in 2019, then all will be well.