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Déjà vu: 49ers’ pass interference penalties and turnovers loom large in loss to Colts

On “Sunday Night Football,” the San Francisco 49ers were flat against the Indianapolis Colts. The 49ers started strong with an eight-play, 78-yard drive that resulted in a 14-yard touchdown by Elijah Mitchell. The 49ers followed it up with a forced fumble by Josh Norman on the Colts first play from scrimmage.

Then not much happened for San Francisco in the 30-18 loss. The defense gave up 107 yards rushing to Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. It marked the first time the team allowed a 100-yard rusher since Damien Williams in the Super Bowl in February 2020.

The rainy conditions at Levi’s Stadium helped both defenses. The 49ers defense had a season-high in turnovers, earning two after only forcing one the previous five games. But the offense turned it over four games, to increase the team’s turnover margin to -10 through the first six games of the season. That ranks 29th in the NFL, only behind the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars.

San Francisco is also making mistakes in the secondary. The 49ers lead the NFL with 11 defensive pass interference penalties this season. They were called for five Sunday. One didn’t count because of offsetting penalties and the other resulted in a 57-yard reception by Michael Pittman.

Ninety seven of the 49ers’ total 122 penalty yards came on pass interference calls. Coming into the fourth quarter, Colts quarterback Carson Wentz had only 73 yards on completions.

“I don’t know if there is a clear-cut answer for (how to fix those defensive pass interference penalties),” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. “We maybe have to rep it more in practice so we are more comfortable doing it in a game. That’s obviously an area we got to be better at. That’s where all of Carson (Wentz’s) yards were from — defensive pass interference. We have all got to be better.

“The bottom line is it doesn’t matter whether they get a pass interference (penalty) or get an explosive play, you have to stand up. We have to play way better in the red zone. We are letting too many walk-in scores happen. We gotta get it fixed and we will.”

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan added about the defensive pass interference miscues, “We are not doing it good enough. It’s been a struggle all year and today was the worst. … We gave them way too many explosive freebies especially on those two touchdown drives in the first half.”

The 49ers have lost four in a row, the team hasn’t won a home game at Levi’s Stadium in over a year and is in last place in the NFC West.