The Week 9 bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for a San Francisco 49ers team left scratching their heads after suffering their third straight loss on Sunday.

Up until Sunday’s game, the visiting Cincinnati Bengals offense was struggling to find a consistent rhythm so far this year; but after the final whistle blew, it seemed as if they finally may have hit their stride.

Turnovers and inconsistencies on the other side didn’t help the Niners matter either; and now head coach Kyle Shanahan needs to find a way to right the ship.

Here were my thoughts on yesterday’s game via my BigThizzle75 YouTube account…

Other game notes…

– During the first five games of the season, the 49ers offense scored at least 30 points in each game; they have only scored 17 points each time during their past three losses.

One of the things that has made Shanahan’s offense successful over the years is their ability to dominate in the run game; but opposing defenses are now starting to hone in on the likes of running back stud Christian McCaffrey, making it more challenging to find open running lanes.

And when quarterback Brock Purdy is your leading rusher for the game (57 yards on six carries), that’s not a good sign for your running game; McCaffrey averaged 4.5 yards per carry but only rushed for 54 yards.

– Speaking of the running game, I’m really having a hard time figuring out how Shanahan is choosing to mix it up.

We know what we’re going to get with McCaffrey, but it is another story with both Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason.

Mitchell has carried the ball 22 times this season when healthy, but has only amassed 50 yards on the ground for an average of 2.3 yards.

As great as McCaffrey is, he can not do it all by himself; which is why the 49ers need a reliable No. 2 back to help take the load off.

I think it may be time to mix in Mason to try and switch gears for a struggling offense; he’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry on the ground with two touchdowns this season.

– All-Pro tight end George Kittle led the 49ers in receiving with nine catches for 149 yards; while wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk tallied 109 yards on five receptions.

– Christian McCaffrey had another game over 100 total yards with 54 rushing and 64 receiving.

– Quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 365 yards with a touchdown pass to McCaffrey despite also throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble; it is the second time Purdy has thrown for over 300 yards this season.

– Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow looked masterful on Sunday, completing 28 of 32 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns; while teammate Joe Mixon led all rushers with 87 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown.

– 49ers starting offensive left guard Aaron Banks suffered a turf toe injury during the game; which is expected to keep him out for a “few weeks,” according to coach Shanahan.

Meanwhile, linebacker Dre Greenlaw suffered a shoulder sprain and is listed as day-to-day.

With the 49ers having a much needed bye this week, it gives the team the perfect opportunity to go back to the drawing board and also heal up at key positions.