INDIANAPOLIS _ Linebacker NaVorro Bowman stood in a near-empty 49ers locker room and struggled to hide his dismay.
As the 49ers fell to 0-5 and lost back-to-back overtime games for the first time in their history, Bowman lost playing time in the process, as did running back Carlos Hyde.
"They're doing what they want to do and, I don't know. I don't like it," Bowman said after the 26-23 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts. "No one likes coming out of the game, but I'm a team player."
Hyde echoed that stance, saying: "I don't like it, but my boy Matt (Breida) is a good back and did a good job in there making plays."
Coach Kyle Shanahan showed he's willing to try almost anything _ but not a quarterback change _ in a maddening search for his first win.
The 49ers had never lost three straight games by three points or less until last week, and now they've done it four games in a row. Adam Vinatieri's 51-yard field goal lifted the Colts (2-3) with 1:38 remaining in overtime.
"We could have won all four of these games and we've come up short," Shanahan said. "As a head coach, it starts with me. We had opportunities there and didn't get it done, again."
The 49ers play their third consecutive road game next Sunday at Washington, where it will be interesting to see if President Donald Trump swings by to mimic what Vice President Mike Pence did this game. Pence left Lucas Oil Stadium once 23 of the 49ers knelt during the anthem, and Trump said he asked Pence to leave in response to the "disrespectful" demonstration.
Bowman and Hyde, meanwhile, left the field for the bench on a few occasions but did play in crucial series late in the game. But it was alarming to see arguably the 49ers' two most proven playmakers idly stand on the sideline during yet another tight ballgame.
Shanahan cited how Bowman overcame a neck stinger at one point but came out a couple series, as planned, "just to make sure to keep him fresh." Bowman had a team-high 10 tackles, and he didn't seem to approve of Shanahan's rationale, saying: "I don't know."
As for Hyde, Shanahan said: "Really, we've got three backs that are up and try to give them all carries and we go with the hot hand. We felt Breida was the hot hand at the time."
Breida, an undrafted rookie, had 10 carries for 49 yards (career highs) in relief of Hyde, who had eight carries for only 11 yards. Raheem Mostert had one carry, for 3 yards.
Breida and Hyde both saw action on a game-tying touchdown drive that covered 89 yards and finished on George Kittle's 5-yard touchdown catch with 20 seconds to force overtime.
After losing 18-15 in overtime last Sunday at Arizona, Shanahan said he did not consider going for a two-point conversion this game, instead opting for Robbie Gould to nail the point-after kick for a 23-23 tie.
Ray-Ray Armstrong's interception at the 49ers goal line midway through overtime delayed their defeat, and that came after a fourth-quarter comeback produced two touchdown passes from Brian Hoyer in the final eight minutes.
