49ers mailbag: Why were Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel ineffective against Atlanta?

Is it time to panic for the 49ers following Sunday’s collapse against the Atlanta Falcons? We dove into that question, here.

Otherwise, let’s dive into an abbreviated version of our weekly mailbag as San Francisco gets ready to host the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday with a short week to prepare.

Mike Stone asks: I am curious to hear your thoughts after the game about why Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel were not utilized yesterday. It seemed obvious that 49ers should have been spreading the ball around more in the second half.

Kyle Shanahan’s game plan was far more restrained against Atlanta than the previous game in New Orleans. There was no wide receiver pass, fullback read option or deep shot for Sanders against the Falcons.

It was odd to see a limited version of San Francisco’s offense after an expansive one dominated in New Orleans. Either George Kittle was the only pass catcher to regularly get open or the plan was to force feed him to take the onus off the others.

After all, Sanders and Samuel have been recovering from rib and shoulder injuries recently, and taking fewer tackles means fewer chances at re-injuring themselves before the playoffs.

Either Shanahan did that by design or his game plan was a poor one. It’s hard to say. But needing to score a touchdown before the half and running a fade route to Kittle, which followed a Kittle bubble screen, hardly screams imagination like Shanahan’s game plan did a week ago.

Until this happens again, it feels like a blip on the radar rather than a worrisome trend heading into January. San Francisco throughout the season has been one of the best teams in the NFL at spreading the ball around. The 49ers tied the NFL season record Sunday with 13 players to have receiving touchdowns thanks to fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s in the second half.

Michael asks: Is anyone coming back from injury next week or should we expect the same line up as yesterday on defense?

Richard Sherman said he’d return for the Rams game and could have played against the Falcons if absolutely necessary. The coaching and training staffs determined it was best to keep Sherman sidelined to avoid aggravating the injury, like Dee Ford did in New Orleans, ahead of the playoffs.

We won’t know for certain until later in the week, but my guess is strong safety Jaquiski Tartt (fractured rib) and slot corner K’Waun Williams (concussion) have a chance at returning Saturday. Defensive tackle Jullian Taylor, who might be the best option to replace nose tackle D.J. Jones, may also be back after dealing with a ligament injury in his elbow.

But it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ford and Sherman get more rest. The inability to slow Julio Jones exemplified why Sherman is so valuable to the 49ers’ defense. His absence may have been the difference between winning and losing that game given Jones accounted for two touchdowns and more than half of Matt Ryan’s passing yards.

Tim Sprinkles asks: Which injury presents the toughest challenge to fill moving forward? Considering duration and role on the team.

It Sherman’s or Ford’s. I don’t think any of the players currently on injured reserve will be the difference between winning the Super Bowl and not.

But not having your top corner and key pass rusher would be tough for the defense to overcome in the playoffs. Ford, albeit in limited playing time, was effective all year as a situation player. The 49ers didn’t have consistent pressure opposite Nick Bosa on Sunday and with Ronald Blair III out for the season, the team is very thin at defensive end as long as Ford is sidelined.

Additionally, as well as Emmanuel Moseley has played this season, San Francisco should expect him to be targeted early and often if Sherman were to miss time in the playoffs. The Packers, Saints, Seahawks, Cowboys and Vikings (yes, each team currently in the postseason mix) have elite receivers that would try to victimize Moseley as Jones did Sunday.

Max AR asks: What’s the biggest offseason need? It doesn’t feel like any position group desperately needs help.

It’s a tough question to answer because we don’t know how free agency is going to shape offseason planning.

Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, a franchise tag candidate, could command most of the team’s upcoming salary cap space. Then there’s Sanders and Jimmie Ward, who are good players at key positions worth keeping around. But what about new deals for George Kittle and DeForest Buckner?

ESPN reported people around the league are expecting Kittle to get a new contract that could set the market for tight ends. Buckner could also get a new deal paying something like $15 million a season, which could also make it difficult to bring back Sanders and/or Ward.

The 49ers could use an elite receiver prospect. Dante Pettis has worked himself out of the regular rotation and Sanders might not fit financially. The upcoming draft class is supposed to have one of the best receiver groups in years.

The team could also think about the secondary. Ward may not be back, though he likely wouldn’t break the bank, either. Sherman is nearing his twilight years and Jaquiski Tartt is a free agent after 2020. So perhaps adding a foundational defensive back would be wise.

Speaking of Kittle, it might not be a bad idea to consider adding another tight end. The Eagles and Ravens have smartly built their offenses around having a pair of good tight ends, and we know Shanahan likes to utilize big formations more than most teams in the league. Getting someone to take the strain off Kittle could prove to be a worthy investment of draft capital.

This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 5:49 AM.