SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers returned to the practice field Monday on a mission. Even though they were on a bye, it was as if they lost something over the weekend.

In fact, they had.

The idle 49ers not only lost ground to the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but they also surrendered sole possession of second place in the division because of the Seattle Seahawks’ victory.

So, the 49ers (4-3) now not only are out of playoff position in the NFC, but they must share the view of the outside looking in with the rival Seahawks.

With nine weeks to go, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh insisted Monday his team is in a one-game-at-a-time mode, starting with Sunday’s home rematch with the St. Louis Rams.

Harbaugh said while the players were given the bye week off, he and his coaches met with two agendas.

“(We) looked at what we’d done up to this point through seven games and what we’ve done well, what we can improve,” he said. “And also game-planning our next opponent.”

Because Sunday’s foe is the Rams, a team the 49ers already played this season, San Francisco can use part of this week getting formerly injured players back into their practice routine.

On Monday, that list included:

–Nose tackle Glenn Dorsey, back for the first time since he underwent biceps surgery Aug. 4.

–Linebacker Patrick Willis (toe).

–Guard Mike Iupati (concussion).

Running back Marcus Lattimore (knee surgery in college) is due back on the practice field Wednesday.

Despite rumors that Aldon Smith’s nine-game suspension would be shortened by a game or two, the linebacker was not cleared to return to the 49ers on Monday. The club has no idea when he will return, so it must assume he won’t be back until the full nine-game penalty is served.

That would make Smith eligible to practice on the week of their Nov. 16 meeting with the New York Giants.

Fellow linebacker NaVorro Bowman also remained absent from practice. He hasn’t practice at all this season following knee surgery.

The 49ers had estimated a “midseason” return for Bowman, with hopes of maybe getting him back during the bye week. The season reaches its midpoint Sunday.

REPORT CARD AT THE BYE

–PASSING OFFENSE: C-plus — The 49ers’ inconsistency in the passing game in their first seven games is represented by these two stats: San Francisco is good at avoiding interceptions (only five) but poor at avoiding sacks (19). QB Colin Kaepernick is doing a good job spreading the ball around to the best corps of weapons he has ever had — TE Vernon Davis and WRs Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd. However, when a team has more field goals (13) than touchdown passes (12), something is not clicking.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: C — The best thing that can be said about the 49ers’ rushing attack is that RB Frank Gore is well rested. He was handed the ball just 102 times (14.5 per game) and was almost never targeted through the air (just four total receptions) through the first seven games. Nonetheless, the 49ers still managed to reside in the NFL’s top 10 with 125.1 rushing yards per game. With Gore and backup Carlos Hyde, the potential is there for an improved final nine games. Certainly, the club’s three rushing touchdowns should be a weekly goal, not a seven-week total.

–PASS DEFENSE: B-plus — When a team faced Denver QB Peyton Manning and still ranks in the top 10 in passing yards allowed, it is doing something right. Not that the unit did when it faced Manning. He torched the 49ers. However, the pass defense more than held its own against everyone else, and in the end allowed only 221 yards per game and a very respectable 84.0 opposing passer rating. And the 49ers did so without their best pass rusher (suspended LB Aldon Smith) and with a banged-up secondary.

–RUSH DEFENSE: A — The 49ers faced RBs DeMarco Murray, Matt Forte, Andre Ellington, LeSean McCoy and Jamaal Charles in their first five games, and they did so without arguably their best defensive player, LB NaVorro Bowman. Even so, San Francisco allowed only five rushing touchdowns to date and an average of just 84.9 yards per outing. Heck, even run-stuffing LB Patrick Willis missed some time. Smith, Bowman and Willis are all expected back soon. A season-ending ranking atop the defensive rushing charts is a possibility.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: B-plus — Andy Lee ranks fourth among punters and Phil Dawson has 13 field goals in seven games. An argument could be made that they are the team’s co-MVPs so far. The only negatives were an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown by Philadelphia’s Darren Sproles in Week 4 and three missed field goals by Dawson.

–COACHING: C — Here is something positive that happened for the 49ers during their bye: Jim Harbaugh was overtaken by the New York Jets’ Rex Ryan in total number of negative headlines so far this season. Not that being No. 2 is anything to be proud of. Harbaugh is navigating one of the league’s toughest schedules without several key players, so on one hand, 4-3 isn’t bad. But it isn’t acceptable, either, when you consider the 49ers would be watching the playoffs if the postseason started today.