Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers suffered another crushing loss on Sunday night, falling to the Buffalo Bills 35-10. The loss was their third straight, dropping the team to a 5-7 record and further denting their playoff hopes.

A turnaround in the season seems increasingly unlikely. The Seattle Seahawks now hold a two-game lead over the bottom-ranked 49ers in the NFC West, a division that will likely need to win the title to clinch a playoff spot.

“It sucks,” quarterback Brock Purdy said of the recent loss. “In all the games we’ve been in, except the last two, every drive is important, every time you touch the ball. And finishing close games matters.”

While the 49ers lost several close matchups early in the season, their last two games have been blowouts. San Francisco has outscored a combined 73-20 in back-to-back losses, appearing a far cry from the team that reached the Super Bowl in February.

“And now we’re 5-7,” Purdy continued. “That’s just the reality. This is the NFL. But we need to man up and do something about it, and we have the right people in the locker room to do that. I know that. I trust that. And that.” It also starts with myself. I have to do my job better.

“So everyone just has to be responsible for it, and we have to come together at this time of year and make it happen.”

The loss was compounded by the departure of star running back Christian McCaffrey, who left the team in the second quarter with a knee injury. The team fears McCaffrey may have suffered a season-ending PCL injury, dealing another blow to an already difficult season.

Despite the growing challenges, Purdy remains determined to get through the final five games. When asked about his approach to the rest of the schedule, Purdy emphasized urgency and made it clear that he hasn’t given up on the team’s postseason hopes.

“For us, every game is a must-win,” Purdy said. “We obviously don’t have any wiggle room if we want to make the playoffs, advance and do what we set out to do before the season. Every (game) has to be a must-see–” And that’s clear, and we all know that.

“Like I said, we all have to take responsibility and grow from it. And we don’t have much room for error at the moment. We have to get going.”

Tight end George Kittle also remains hopeful, even as he acknowledges the uphill battle the San Francisco 49ers face.

“Football is hard,” Kittle said. “Things happen and you either allow it to drag you into oblivion and you just give up, or you keep going out there and swinging and fighting every single day you have. And the crazy thing is that we only have so many options left, but technically we can’t get out of the playoffs or anything like that.

“And even though it feels dark and gloomy and absolutely probably depressing… we still went out and I have faith that we can do it. I really do. I still have faith in this coaching staff. I still have faith in them.” The players around me are still playing Brock Purdy and (WR) Deebo Samuel (Jennings) and are excited to be back out there.

Kittle added: “The only way to improve the feeling is to take advantage of next week and try to get a win.”