By Ana Kieu

SANTA CLARA–After losing to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers head into a much-needed bye week. The 49ers fell to the Saints 27-13 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Week 10.

The 49ers are currently 4-6. Normally, bye weeks are long and boring, but this bye couldn’t have come at a better time.

“They need some rest; they need to get away,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told ESPN. “We’ll have a couple days just to keep guys loose and moving around a little bit so we don’t get too far away from football, but this is as much of a needed rest as a team I’ve been on.”

Injuries have plagued the 49ers, and this season, it’s no different. Shanahan is hopeful that Richard Sherman, Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert, and Deebo Samuel will return just in time for the 49ers’ game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 29th at 1:05 pm PT.

On Tuesday, the 49ers placed two more players on injured reserve. Jonathan Cyprien injured his hamstring and is expected to miss a few weeks. The 49ers activated Cyprien from the practice squad after Jaquiski Tartt suffered a season-ending toe injury. Also, JaMychal Hasty suffered a broken collarbone and will be out for the season. With both players on injured reserve, the 49ers have a total of 16 players on the list.

A playoff run is a long shot for the 49ers, as they would likely need to win out or win five of their remaining six games, which feature four teams with six or more wins. Those six games may not go as planned, but the 49ers will make the most out of their time and figure things out as they try to become contenders again.

“Trying to do the best you can each week, every practice, I think that goes hand in hand with evaluating guys, what they are now, what they’re going to be next week, how they’re going to help us finish out this year and what they’re going to be in the future,” Shanahan told ESPN. “My biggest thing, and what I’m getting guys to focus on, is just getting better. That’s a cliché you say a lot, you get better or worse, but when guys are down, you better make sure you don’t make it worse. … Hopefully, we’ll get a few guys back as this goes through the end. And to me, when guys just worry about that stuff, it helps us know what they are, how they’re responding to adversity, how they’re going to be going forward. I want guys who are always continuing to improve, whether you’re a rookie or you’re a 10-year vet. If you’re not improving, you’re on your way out.”