49ers Mailbag: Answering key questions ahead of tough three-game stretch
The 49ers are about to embark on their most important three-game stretch of the season, which could define if they get a first-round bye or home field advantage throughout the postseason. It starts Sunday by hosting the Green Bay Packers before traveling to Baltimore and then New Orleans.
In fact, all three teams are currently 8-2, making it the toughest three-week stretch in league history. According to ESPN Stats and Info, no team has ever played three-straight teams with .800 or better winning percentages this late in the season in the Super Bowl era.
“We’ve got to go on the road for two weeks, back-to-back, which we did earlier this year (Weeks 1 and 2),” Kyle Shanahan said. “We’ve got a big game this week versus Green Bay. There’s lots of football here to play. Each game’s going to be huge so just trying to take it one week at a time and make sure we don’t look too far down the road because everyone’s in this it seems like right now. We’ve got to make sure we get stuff done this week.”
Let’s get to your questions for this week’s mailbag.
Bryan Tome’ asks: Why is Rob Saleh’s defense struggling to stop mobile quarterbacks? Coach’s weakness or just easy to say and hard to do?
Let’s dive in.
Kyler Murray in two games against the 49ers completed 41 of 57 (72 percent) for 391 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He averaged 6.9 yards per attempt (which is sub par), but he didn’t turn the ball over. The design of the offense will inflate his completion rate as a significant number of his passes are at or near the line of scrimmage. It’s also worth noting the Cardinals’ two scoring drives in the first quarter included pass interference penalties on Richard Sherman near and in the end zone.
Murray ran for 67 yards on eight attempts, including a 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter where he simply outran San Francisco’s defense.
Russell Wilson and the Seahawks had two touchdown drives that went 16 and 24 yards, respectively, because both came off 49ers turnovers on their side of the field. On the 13 possessions that didn’t begin after a turnover, the Seahawks scored six points, including the game-winning field goal in overtime.
Wilson averaged just 6.8 yards per attempt, but he added rush for 53 yards on six carries, including the scramble that set up the kick to win it.
San Francisco in those games against Murray and Wilson had three, five and four sacks, respectively. The team holds the league lead with 39 sacks in 10 games. They were within their usual weekly total the last three weeks.
There’s no doubt the 49ers defense didn’t play as well against Murray and Wilson as it did against other less mobile quarterbacks. But I’m not sure that’s an indictment of Robert Saleh or the defense because it gave the team a chance to win all three games.
We’d probably be talking more about how well San Francisco’s defense played the Seahawks if Chase McLaughlin hit the game-winning kick in overtime rather than shanking it left. Dre Greenlaw’s overtime interception would be the play of the year.
The biggest test is coming in two weeks against MVP favorite Lamar Jackson in Baltimore.
Joe P asks: With Dee Ford out, who is the next man up?
It would have been Ronald Blair III, but he’s lost for the year after tearing his ACL against the Seahawks. We don’t know how long Ford will be out, but he 49ers are fearing it will be multiple games, which could test the depth at position with Aaron Rodgers, Jackson and Drew Brees looming the next three weeks.
Journeyman Damontre Moore will get more snaps. As will Solomon Thomas, perhaps on the interior pushing Arik Armstead to the edge more often on passing downs. DeForest Buckner could also be used outside more often.
The 49ers have plenty of experience this season without Ford. He’s played just 37 percent of the defensive snaps this season while dealing with knee tendinitis that’s plagued him since training camp. Nick Bosa has played 60 and 57 snaps the last two games, after never appearing on more than 43 during the first half of the year.
Bosa will be pivotal in providing pressure off the edge, but he’ll have to avoid hitting the dreaded rookie wall as the final third of the season approaches.
The team’s injury situation will make it difficult for them to add players to the 53-man roster. If they did, look for Kentavius Street to get consideration to come off injured reserve or the promotion of Jeremiah Valoaga off the practice squad. He led the team with 4.5 sacks in the preseason.
Tone asks: Why can’t Richie James get more snaps?
It’s a good question and one that I posed to Kyle Shanahan after the Monday night game in which James didn’t play any offensive snaps. Shanahan said it made it difficult to incorporate James into the game plan because six receivers were active. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was a late scratch after the team prepared to have just five wideouts available.
“We planned all week because we thought we were going to have a situation at DB, where Richie wasn’t going to be in much on offense,” Shanahan said. “When we sat Ahkello, then we just got him up for special teams and he was ready to go on offense.”
That changed Sunday with James getting 10 snaps, including the 57-yard screen in the second quarter that got the offense on track.
But that was James’ only catch and target of the day. It’s fair to wonder why he hasn’t been given more of an opportunity given the inconsistencies at receiver.
I think there are a few reasons at play. First, Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel are clearly the team’s top two options, leaving Kendrick Bourne, Dante Pettis, Marquise Goodwin and James to compete for snaps. There simply aren’t enough to go around.
But that still doesn’t necessarily explain why James isn’t getting more burn. My guess? James isn’t a very good run blocker, which is notable given he spends most of the time in the slot where the action is.
Leighton Pahukula asks: Looking to the offseason, the receiver position is looking like a group that is going to get overhauled. With Hurd and Taylor coming back into the picture, who in your opinion gets squeezed out.
The first big decision they face is the pending free agency of Emmanuel Sanders. The team would be wise to bring him back and make another meaningful addition in the draft, perhaps with their first-round pick if a wideout is a best player on their board.
As to which player(s) get squeezed out? That’s hard to say. It’ll come down to health and how well they play during training camp.
Goodwin is offering the 49ers the least amount of value given his $5.125 million price tag for next season while he’s currently fourth among the receivers in receptions and just one ahead of Pettis. The team could move on in the offseason to clear some $4.5 million in cap space, which is conceivable given all the other players that may need new contracts such as Sanders, George Kittle, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward.
Pettis may also be on the hot seat. He’ll have to show significant improvement over the remainder of his second year, and perhaps early in the offseason program, to warrant sticking around. Otherwise, it’s hard to see how Pettis would fit with Sanders, Samuel, Taylor, Hurd, Bourne/Goodwin/James and a draft pick in the mix.
A. Calderone asks: Will the Running game get fixed when Kittle returns?
I have to think so.
Having Kittle on the field loosens everything up for the offense. Teams can’t play the run as aggressively because they know Kittle can leak free on play action and score whenever he touches the ball. When Kittle isn’t running routes, he’s the best blocking tight end in the league.
Ross Dwelley has played well, but he’s not nearly the blocker Kittle is. Getting Kittle back will be important, Captain Obvious reports.
Joe asks: Who has more catches next week Pettis or Biderman?
The Packers might have the most talented secondary the 49ers will face this season. Jaire Alexander could quickly become one of the best corners in the league and Kevin King is no slouch on the opposite side.
And unless there are injuries (like Emmanuel Sanders’ rib issue), it’s hard to imagine Pettis getting much playing time on Sunday after being given just two snaps against the Cardinals and their struggling defense. He’ll need to have an extraordinary week of practice to earn playing time. And the 49ers might not be able to have six receivers active due to injuries elsewhere.
So, in the likelihood of Pettis being inactive, and the weather changing, leaving a strong chance I catch my yearly cold just before winter, I think I’m more likely to catch something than Pettis this week. Sorry, Dante.
This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 9:28 AM.
