The San Francisco 49ers, a franchise that has been classified as "The Team of the '80s," a former dynasty, winners of five Lombardi trophies, have suddenly been situated within the basement of the NFL standings. The dismissal of nearly all coaching personnel, shakeups within the front office, and the mass departure of far too many of the players that have brought the team back to relevant status have set the team further back than they have been in years. While there is some good that can be attributed to this season, the long-term consequences far outweigh any positives that one can justify.

The Good: In a season full of improvisation, many unproven backups have been able to step up and provide a spark for this disgruntled team. The most important position in all of pro sports, the quarterback, has been a point of intense scrutiny within the organization all season. However, former first-round quarter Blaine Gabbert, who was labeled by many to be a "bust" during his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, has flourished while under center.

Displaying a new-found sense of confidence and accuracy, Gabbert seems very comfortable and poised while running the offense. The receivers have also turned in valiant performances throughout the season. Veteran wideout Anquan Boldin has been his usual steady self as he has calmly surpassed 13,000 receiving yards for his career and is closing in on 1,000 career receptions. Newly acquired speedster Torrey Smith has already turned in the longest touchdown receptions of his career and currently leads the NFL in yards per catch. Even the 40-year-old ageless wonder Phil Dawson is on pace for one of the best years of his career as he has only missed one field goal this season and has gone 18/19 on the year.

For all of the glimpses of hope that the offense has shown, the defense has had its own reasons to smile. Pass rushing specialist Aaron Lynch has already surpassed his sack total from last season. A relatively young secondary has been quite successful in preventing getting beat by the deep ball. However, the real noteworthy story has been the resurgence of NaVorro Bowman. Before the start of the season, the former All-Pro linebacker hadn't played in an NFL game since the 2013 NFC Championship. In that game, Bowman suffered significant injuries to his left leg as he tore his ACL and MCL. Initially, doctors were skeptical if he would ever play again, let alone at his previously Pro Bowl level. Bowman has defied the odds by once again returning as the dominant leader of a reconstructed defense. As of this writing, he is the league leader in total tackles.

The Bad: For all of the strides forward that can be attributed to the 49ers this season, they have failed miserably thus far in the only true area that matters: winning. After compiling a 44-19-1 under former scrutinized head coach Jim Harbaugh, the organization has produced a paltry 4-8 record this season. In order to match last season's win total, the 49ers would have to win out for the rest of the season. This seems like a daunting feat as three of the team's final four opponents have an equal or better record than the team, thus making a statistical digression very likely.

A closer look at the team's record shows even more unfavorable results. In the team's four wins, only one has been more than a seven-point victory. However, within the team's eight losses, only two have been decided by LESS than seven points. This disparity shows that the team is unable to strike the same type of fear into their opponents as they have in years past. As stated early, the most important position in professional sports is that of the quarterback. For all of the accolades that have been bestowed upon Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick has garnered a litany of criticism as well as calls for a release from the team.

In each of the last four seasons, Kaepernick's play has regressed in each season. Kaepernick had been on pace for career lows in nearly every statistical category before injuring his non-throwing shoulder. Many experts from around the league have questioned whether the former Super Bowl quarterback has played his last down in San Francisco. Injuries within the rest of the team's backfield have halted any momentum that was built early in the season. After leading the league in rushing after Week 1, Carlos Hyde hasn't played in a game since late October.

Free agent acquisition Reggie Bush suffered an ACL tear midway through the season. Keep in mind that this was due to falling on a patch of concrete within the St. Louis Rams' stadium. Third string running back Mike Davis required surgery to his hand after minimal carriers this season. Australian rugby sensation Jarryd Hayne has been relegated to the practice squad after a very uneven performance through the first month of games. The running back position has been more injured riddled than ever in recent memory. The offensive line has not done any favors for the offense.

A combination of ranking in the top 10 in sacks allowed coupled with dead last in total offense has put a tremendous amount of pressure on the defense to pick up the slack. However, the defense hasn't fared much better. The unit ranks in the bottom 10 in interceptions, forced fumbles, sacks, passing defense, rushing defense, and total defense. The team also leads the league in worst point differential. They simply are not the dominant top-five force that the league has been accustomed to.

The Ugly: Oh boy, where do I start with this one? At the end of the 2014 season, the organization "mutually parted ways" with the coach that had the second highest winning percentage in franchise history. Logically, when such a drastic move is made, the incoming coach is expected to lead the organization even further. Jim Tomsula, the team's defensive line coach since 2007, took over the team during the off-season as several successful coordinators were passed over in favor of an in-house favorite. While Tomsula has been noted as being a "player's coach," his lack of head coaching experience has become apparent in several deciding factors of games that have gone down to the wire. Yet, management has continued to support him despite many season ticket holders calling for his firing.

This leads many to believe that he will be retained into next season. If the contrary were to happen, it would show that management expresses zero confidence in the many offseason decisions that they were forced to make this past summer. Another process that has been much maligned is the execution of drafting. Starting in 2011, the organization has started a trend of selecting players who were productive in college yet were injured come draft day. The thought process is that the player would be available in the later rounds. San Francisco would then select the player, let them rest for the upcoming season, and then activate them when healthy in the hope that they would return to their pre-injury playing form.

Many of these picks have not panned out thus resulting in a lack of sustainable talent. In fact, since the 49ers Super Bowl appearance in 2013, only five starters are still with the team. This includes Colin Kaepernick who was previously benched and is now on Injured Reserve. This discontinuity has resulted in the current state of peril for the franchise. The silver lining within the season is that the team would play so poorly that they would be able to secure a relatively early draft pick. Yet, as the team continues to ink out wins, it drastically deflates their future draft position. It also lets the coaching staff enjoy a bit of comfort which is a luxury that has not come close to being earned thus far.

This has been by far the most difficult article I have ever had to produce. As a die-hard 49ers fan, this season has been painful to watch to say the least. While I am optimistic that the team has created some lasting formulas for staying somewhat competitive in the near future, this season has shown that the team is a long way away from the fleeting success that was enjoyed just a few years ago.