The 49ers special teams are bad in every way imaginable. And they’ve been bad for a long time.

Is special teams coordinator Brian Schneider the common denomitator? Should the 49ers fire him at the bye week?

Just this past Thursday, they gave up a kick return for a touchdown. Later in the game, they almost gave up another, but their kicker, Matthew Wright, made a touchdown-saving tackle while separating his shoulder. And Wright is the backup kicker. The previous week, starting kicker Jake Moody suffered a high-ankle sprain making a tackle to save a touchdown during a kickoff. Which means the 49ers really can’t cover punts or kicks well.

In addition, their punt returner, Jacob Cowing, has muffed one punt already and frequently slips and falls.

Don’t forget, the 49ers muffed a punt in red zone during the Super Bowl and the Chiefs recovered and scored a touchdown on the next play. That was a six-point mistake in a game the 49ers lost by three.

So the 49ers have been winning games in spite of their special teams for a long time. This season, special teams are costing them games, which can’t happen. The 49ers must hold someone responsible.

If the 49ers have another special teams gaffe that costs them a victory in the next two weeks, I believe they’ll have no choice but to fire Schneider during the Week 9 bye. Because he’s had more than enough time to find solutions for the problems in his unit, and so far he has found none.