Before we make our Super Bowl LVIII pick later this week let’s first preview the game.

Early Line

As of today, the early line for Super Bowl LVIII is the 49ers -2. This is pretty much where I expect it to be although it could get down to San Francisco -1 by game time. I am expecting a close game and it looks like the sharks are expecting the same.

The current over/under is at 47.5 but I could see this number also dropping before game time. This should be a relatively low-scoring game with two stellar defenses going at it. I don’t expect a shootout like we saw last year with the Chiefs winning 38-35 over the Eagles.

Brock Purdy vs. Patrick Mahomes

The quarterback matchup in this game will be fascinating to watch. Patrick Mahomes is once again playing excellent playoff football. His numbers haven’t been off the charts but he has played turnover-free football thus far and is using his legs for timely runs. This 49ers defense will present another test for Mahomes and the Chiefs but they have proved they are up for the challenge.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco all eyes will be on Brock Purdy. Purdy has been the hot topic of discussion this past week with some calling him just a game manager. Purdy is much more than that if you dive more into his game. He led the league in quarterback rating in the regular season at 113.0 and also was a league leader in yards per attempt at 9.6. Sure this 49ers offense is loaded with talent but Purdy has shown he can carry this team if needed.

Andy Reid vs. Kyle Shanahan

On the coaching side of things, this could very well be the last game that Andy Reid coaches. Reid flirted with retiring after last season but ultimately decided to return. If the Chiefs win again I wouldn’t be shocked if Reid decides to hang it up ending his Hall of Fame coaching career.

Kyle Shanahan however, is just getting started in his coaching career. At 44, this will be Shanahan’s 3rd appearance in a Super Bowl and second as a head coach. We all remember the 28-3 meltdown in Atlanta when Shanahan was OC but don’t forget the 49ers were up 20-10 in Super Bowl LIV before collapsing in the 4th quarter. If Shanahan can finally seal the deal and win his first Lombardi it will be the first of many.

Key Injuries to Watch

For the most part, both the Chiefs and the 49ers are coming into Super Bowl LVIII fairly healthy but there are some injuries to monitor. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with toe and ankle injuries but the good news is he is off the injury report. Star Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones is dealing with a quad injury that has him limited on the practice reports. Jones also has no game status this week which is huge for the Chiefs as they will need him.

In San Francisco, tight end George Kittle is dealing with a toe injury that had him listed as DNP this past week. It looks like Kittle will go but it’s worth monitoring his status this week. 49ers DE Arik Armstead also showed up on the injury report last week with knee and foot injuries. It looks as if these injuries are not serious and he should also be good to go as well.

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Travis Kelce – Fantasy owners received frightening news on Tuesday that Kelce went down with an apparent knee injury. We are still waiting on the results on how serious it is. This injury puts Kelce’s status in doubt for Thursday night against the Detroit Lions. **Update** Kelce has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

George Kittle – There is a possibility that Kittle may miss the week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kittle is still dealing with a groin injury which has his status in doubt.

Cooper Kupp – Kupp’s status is also in doubt for the Rams opener. Kupp is dealing with a hamstring injury which has him seeing a specialist in Minnesota. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kupp misses a few weeks. **Update** Kupp has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

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PRESEASON EXPECTATIONS

After a bounce-back season that saw him play 14 games and a top-four finish for PPR for tight ends, people were still high on George Kittle. He ended the 2021 season with 71 catches for 910 yards and six TDs. Kittle is one of the few sure bets in a position lacking in star power.

DRAFT EXPECTATIONS

The 49ers’ TE ADP was around 45.3 or a 4th-round pick. His past success justifies this as one of the best receiving tight ends in the game and the creativity of the San Francisco offense.

OVERALL SEASON PRODUCTION

It was another terrific season as the 49ers’ TE was one of the best in all of football. He ended the year 3rd among tight ends in PPR. Kittle caught 60 passes for 765 yards. He did have a career-high with 11 TDs. His contributions made San Francisco one of the deadliest teams in the entire league.

CRITICAL MOMENTS DURING THE SEASON

Week 7 vs Kansas City Chiefs

After a slow start to the season, Kittle was starting to heat up. In Week 7 against the Chiefs, he said he was back. In a Superbowl rematch, Kittle balled out with six catches for 98 yards and his first TD of the season. He caught a 15-yard TD in the third quarter to keep the game close but the Chiefs pulled away after.

Week 15 vs Seattle Seahawks

In the middle of the season, Kittle was in a mini slump and was due for a great performance. After three straight performances of less than 7 FP, George Kittle scored 25.30 FP against Seattle. He caught four passes for 93 yards and a couple of TDs. This was a crucial matchup as the two play in the same division. Kittle caught a 28-yard TD pass from Brock Purdy in the first quarter and a 54-yard TD in the third quarter.

Week 16 vs Washington Commanders

Just when you think the 49ers TE was done, he put out his best performance the week after in Week 16. Kittle was unstoppable with six catches for 120 yards and two TDs as they obliterated Washington. This performance gave him 30 FP but was only TE 3 for the week. He caught both his TD passes in the third quarter when he caught a 34 and 33 yarder five minutes apart. This performance shows how special George Kittle is as a weapon in fantasy football.

The post 2022-2023 Fantasy Football Review: George Kittle appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

This is after an impressive combine performance from Richardson, where he ran a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, as well as a 40.5-inch vertical jump. Some people are even suggesting he has played himself into number one overall pick contention.

But is he worth the draft hype?

Is The NFL Combine A Fair Reflection?

The NFL Combine gives all 32 teams the chance to look at college prospects. However, it has many flaws and is often misleading. This is the case with quarterbacks more than any other position.

At the end of the day, quarterbacks are doing drills without any pressure put on them by NFL defenses and are throwing to open receivers that are not battling in coverage with a defensive back. Running a quick 40-yard dash does not impact their ability at throwing the ball and there is never a scenario in the league where they will need to replicate the vertical jump.

We have also seen many quarterbacks excel in the combine and struggle in the league and some great players to have played the position have struggled.

Tom Brady, struggled in the combine and as a result was taken 199^th overall. He went on to become the greatest of all time. On the other hand, everyone was waxing lyrical about Zach Wilson after he impressed with some throws in his NFL combine performance. So far, in his two seasons as a pro, he has struggled immensely and his time as a starter appears to already be over.

Tim Tebow also impressed in his combine and despite becoming a media darling, helped by his fourth quarter heroics, the joys did not last long and he was soon a backup and then out of the league shortly after that. Moving away from the quarterback position and the quickest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history is recorded by wide receiver John Ross.

Drafted in 2017, Ross has just 957 career receiving yards and 11 touchdowns to his name. Apart from one season with seven touchdowns, he has failed to have more than three in a season and his best season yardage total is 506.

In a 2014 article from Bleacher Report, they named the 10 most impressive NFL combine performances of all time. All selected in the first round, which shows the impact of the combine, only one of these players made the Hall of Fame (Deion Sanders) and four failed to earn a single Pro Bowl selection.

Some of these combine disappointments include wide receiver Matt Jones, who only lasted four seasons due to substance abuse issues. Vernon Gholston only lasted three years and started just five times, with zero career sacks. In ten NFL seasons, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey had just 16 career receiving touchdowns, achieving more than 606 yards in only one season, failing to record any 1,000-yard campaign.

NFL front offices never seem to learn that the combine is not everything. After all, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was a fifth-round selection and fellow tight end Travis Kelce was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round. Richardson may be the next victim of the combine hype.

Richardson’s College Inconsistencies

As a Florida Gators fan, no player has excited me more than Richardson, with raw athleticism and some brilliant individual highlight plays. However, his inconsistency passing the ball should not be ignored.

In his one full season as a starter in 2022, Richardson threw for 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. To put this in comparison, Justin Herbert’s best total was 32 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2019 and three of his four college seasons had more touchdowns than Richardson did in any campaign. Joe Burrow threw for 60 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2019. Patrick Mahomes had 36 touchdowns in 2015 and 41 in 2016.

Richardson’s biggest comparison is Cam Newton or Josh Allen. In Newton’s one season as a starter in 2010 for Auburn, he had 30 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Allen also had inconsistent play in his college days as well as early on in the NFL. His best season was 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, which should give Richardson confidence he can succeed in the league.

Richardson is more known for his feet, but his passing will need to improve if he wants to be a success at the professional level. This is why drafting him early would be a mistake unless you have someone in mind to start for a year or two to allow him to learn.

The Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Atlanta Falcons are all teams in the top 10 that will want a QB and start them straight away. However, the one anomaly is the Seattle Seahawks. Head coach Pete Carroll has come out and spoken of how the team is looking at the position. Richardson has also spoken of his positive meeting with the team.

Under Carroll, they enjoy a run-first offense. No quarterback in this year’s draft represents that more than Richardson. They may have given Geno Smith a three-year $75 million deal, but the long-time backup is 32 and has only enjoyed one successful season.

After all, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Steve Young Tom Brady all had at least one year to sit. Most of them had at least two or more years. This would align nicely with Richardson’s NFL development.

The Green Bay Packers have given Jordan Love three years to sit and look to now be ready to use him and see what he’s got. Seattle may use the same method for Richardson, who is in no way ready to start in Week One. If Smith struggles or gets injured, he can come in and showcase his raw talent. If he is on the bench for three straight years, he will learn from a seasoned pro in Smith and the team can remain competitive with Smith under center. It is a win for everyone involved.

The post Is Anthony Richardson Worth The Draft Hype? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

QB DAWG Of The Week: Kirk Cousins 34.40 FP

460 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TDs, 2 Interceptions, 1 2-Pt Conversion (Projected: 17.56 FP)

Kirk Cousins is now the King of Comebacks. He led the Vikings from down 33 at halftime to a 39-36 victory over the Colts in the wildest game of the season. Cousins did his damage in the 2nd half with four passing TDs to four different players. He threw for 460 yards and he needed all of it for this comeback victory. Kudos to Kirk for one hell of a comeback.

RB DAWG Of The Week: Jerick McKinnon 34.20 FP

10 Carries, 52 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD, 8 Receptions, 70 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 1 2-Pt Conversion (Projected: 14.28 FP)

Jerick McKinnon is back on the DAWGS article for the second week in a row after another dominating performance against the Texans. McKinnon looks like the favorite receiver not named Travis Kelce. The Chiefs RB rushed for 52 yards, which included a 26-yard TD that won the game in OT. In the passing game, he caught eight passes for 70 yards and a 20-yard TD to tie the game in the 2nd quarter. He is a dangerous weapon that makes the Chiefs one of the best teams in the league.

WR DAWG Of The Week: Zay Jones 34.90 FP

6 Receptions, 109 Receiving Yards, 3 Receiving TDs (Projected: 8.56 FP)

The Jaguars had a BIG comeback win over the weekend when they defeated the Cowboys in overtime. The star of the show was Zay Jones who had a career day. The Jaguars WR caught six balls for 109 yards and three TDs. Zay caught a five-yard TD in the 2nd quarter, a 59-yard TD in the 3rd quarter and a three-yard TD in the 4th quarter which gave them their first lead. With Trevor Lawrence looking special, his WRs are sneaky pickups for the rest of the season.

TE DAWG Of The Week: George Kittle 25.30 FP

4 Receptions, 93 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TDs (Projected: 9.95 FP)

George Kittle had his best game of the year in the Week 15 win over the Seahawks. Kittle led the way with a 54-yard TD in the third quarter and a 28-yard TD in the first quarter. These performances make the 49ers TE a dangerous weapon to have in the fantasy playoffs. We hope you had him in the starting lineup this past week.

DEF/ST DAWG Of The Week: Indianapolis Colts 24 FP

35+ Points Allowed, 1 Blocked Kick, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 Defense TD, 2 Interceptions, 7 Sacks, 1 Special Teams TD (Projected: 5.88 FP)

The Indianapolis Colts played one of the weirdest games in the NFL. They lost a 33-0 lead at halftime yet still scored 24 FP. In the 1st quarter, the Colts blocked a punt and JoJo Domann returned it for a 24-yard Special Teams TD. Julian Blackmon returned a pick-6 for 17 yards and it became a 30 point game at that point. Zaire Franklin forced a fumble. Dayo Odeyingbo led the way with two sacks while five other Colts recorded a sack. This was a heck of a performance that will be remembered for a long time.

Thanks for reading! You can look forward to this series until the end of the season. You can check out the last installment of DAWGS Of Week 14.

The post DAWGS Of Week 15 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has been one of the very best NFL players over the past four seasons. The 49ers TE had career-high marks in a few categories: receiving yards (1,377 yards), receptions (88), and targets (136) in 2018. It was safe to say that he blossomed as an all-around TE after his second season. Kittle was ranked as the second-best player by Pro Football Focus in 2019 and 2020 combined.

In 2021, Kittle had a Pro Bowl-caliber season (910 yards and 6 touchdowns in 14 games). There isn’t any sign that the 28-year-old TE is slowing down at this point in his career. With that enunciated, the ultimate question for the 49ers elite TE is none other than: Is George Kittle bound to make it into Canton? Well, I’m going to untwine his five-year resume to the first five seasons of the Canton-bound Antonio Gates.

Here is a closer look at how successful Kittle has been in his 49ers career thus far:

• Three Pro Bowl selections
• All-Pro
• 4,489 receiving yards
• 20 touchdowns

Here is the overview of Antonio Gates’s first-five seasons in the NFL:

• Three All-Pro selections
• Four Pro Bowl selections
• 4,382 receiving yards
• 43 receiving touchdowns

It’s clear that Gates enjoyed the taste of All-Pro honors a lot more than Kittle in the early stages of his career. Yet, Kittle had remarkably similar receiving yard numbers as Gates. It should also be noted that Kittle may not have been named All-Pro, but his recognition for being a very impressive all-around TE has been noticed by the football community.

All in all, I really feel like Kittle should feel optimistic about his path to finish with a gold jacket. His injury issues could be reflected in numerous ways. He can certainly expect to be more efficient if he has fewer injury habits than in the last few seasons, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if his injury concerns follow him and potentially force him to have an early retirement.

The last point that should make Kittle and 49ers fans encouraged is that he is playing with Kyle Shanahan and a talented roster. Gates may have been a greek-god like figure at TE, but he didn’t play with a genius head or a stacked team that even reached the big dance. If Kittle can have four or five more outstanding seasons while winning an SB ring with his mythical coach and impressive roster, Kittle should be a clear-cut HOF TE. If he doesn’t win a SB, I still expect him to have many more impressive seasons and get into the HOF.

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By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers were gifted a talented profile and energetic persona in George Kittle at pick 146 in the 2017 NFL draft. Kittle has made three Pro Bowls and garnered one All-Pro spot in his career thus far. Impressively, the Tarzan-like character managed to be PFF’s second-best player in 2019 and 2020 combined.

Nonetheless, Kittle is still human and the 28-year-old may be at his peak or beginning a slow decline in 2022. There have been bold opinions about the idea of trading away Kittle by NFL analysts. For example, Grant Cohen from 49ers Nation suggests that SF should trade Kittle ASAP.

It could be wise for Lynch to accept an offer from a desperate team in this trigger-happy trade world. Although, the 49ers need to decide if they feel close to playing on a special day in February with Kittle in the future. Furthermore, the 49ers have to ponder if they can replace Kittle’s production (and potentially Deebo Samuel’s ability) in the likely Trey Lance-led offensive attack.

With that enunciated, I’m going to outline the pros and cons of SF trading away Kittle. In the end, I will reach a verdict on the idea of Shanny shipping away Kittle.

Cons of trading away Kittle

• Many years of lost production

Kittle is 28 years old, but it would be ideal if he’s dominant for 4-6 more seasons and potentially a caliber- starting TE for several more seasons. Travis Kelce was elite at 32 years old and Gronk was a stud at 31 years old for much of last season. The Saints legend Jimmy Graham also had 8 touchdowns at age 34 in 2020.

• A big hit against SF’s offense in the near future

It will be a challenge for the 49ers to hand the keys to Trey Lance AND lose George Kittle. The SF TE had 94 targets and 71 receptions from the TE spot last season. Kittle may not have been effective in the recent playoff gauntlet, but he was instrumental in his team’s ability in the season to ultimately snag a miraculous playoff berth.

• Deebo Samuel effect

It may honestly be sexy for SF to exchange Kittle for many early draft picks from an overly aggressive team, but they definitely shouldn’t send Kittle out the door if Deebo Samuel flees the Bay Area. I believe the 49ers are retooling their squad with a switch from Jimmy G to Lance, regardless of Samuel’s situation. If Samuel leaves, the 49ers should keep the ship afloat and allow the creative Lynch to obtain 1-2 playmakers in space for the 49ers HC wiz.

Pros of trading away Kittle

• Lots of draft power

There have been many blockbuster trades (Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack) in the NFL this offseason. It may seem like the 49ers could be in awe of the ability to possess many early draft picks. Most importantly, the 49ers could potentially have multiple younger weapons via a new draft pick to build around Lance for a very long time. The 49ers could also not place all of their marbles in the Trey Lance experiment and use one of the potential early picks in a Kittle trade to select a QB.

• more cap space

The 49ers recently restructured Kittle’s contract, but he is still on a hefty long-term contract that he signed in August of 2020. The 49ers could REALLY use some moolah to keep the 2021 All-Pro Deebo Samuel in their offense right now. The clock on a Nick Bosa extension is also ticking fast.

Verdict

I believe the idea of SF trading away Kittle is more logical than the lack of rumors surrounding the thought. Although, I believe it’s too risky for the 49ers current team to lose Kittle in the short term (and long-term). He has been a huge part of their success in 2019 and 2021. I am also not convinced that his injury concerns are real, as he’s played in 14+ games in four out of his five seasons.

The 49ers had a movie-like entrance to the playoffs with “Samuel and Kittle” last season. The 49ers should really find a way to keep Samuel and slightly young Kittle, so they can help Lance be successful for many more seasons.

The post Pros and cons of the 49ers trading away George Kittle appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. Only the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers (both 6) have more Super Bowl wins than the 49ers (5). The 49ers’ five Super Bowls all came between the years of 1981 and 1994. They have lost two since, in the 2012 and 2019 seasons. The quarterbacks that led the 49ers to the Lombardi Trophy were Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young. Three of those five wins saw Montana as the starter and Young as the backup.

Young is seen by many as the best backup quarterback in history, considering the gold jacket that he earned despite many years as the backup to Montana. He would win a Super Bowl as the starter after the franchise moved on from Montana. Ever since Young decided to hang up his cleats, the 49ers have struggled to find his replacement. Have they found the guy in Trey Lance?

Perhaps, but here is why the quarterback situation involving Lance and current starter Jimmy Garoppolo could prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West during the 2021 season.

Struggles Since Young

Jeff Garcia was the man to come in for Young. During his five seasons in the Bay, he threw for 113 touchdowns and 56 interceptions as well as 16,408 passing yards. He had a 35-36 record as a starter for the 49ers in the regular season and a 1-2 record in the postseason, meaning he never hit the heights of his predecessor.

Alex Smith was the number one overall pick in 2005, shattering Aaron Rodgers’ dreams. However, he was a good quarterback, not a great quarterback. Colin Kaepernick replaced Smith and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl. They ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens in a game often called the ”˜Blackout Bowl’. Kaepernick failed to live up to the standards he set that season.

He would be kicked out of the league for taking the knee in a protest against police brutality in 2016. He has not played a snap in the NFL since. Jimmy Garoppolo was traded from the Patriots to the 49ers midway through the 2017 season. He gave hope to the organization after winning all five of the games he started in 2017. The fanbase had hope going into the 2018 season.

Many non-49ers fans had San Francisco down as their dark horse for the season. A season-ending injury to Garoppolo in Week 3 saw the starting role shared between Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard. However, the 49ers finished 4-12 as they went into 2019 with the second overall pick. Nick Bosa was selected and transformed the defense of San Francisco and Jimmy G had the best season of his career. He threw for 3,978 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Despite these stats, Garoppolo saw his production limited in the NFC Championship game as the coaching staff decided to use more of their running game. This led to many questions leading to the Super Bowl. The 49ers threw away a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter as they would end up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54.

Garoppolo was criticized heavily for an overthrown pass to Emmanuel Sanders that would have given San Francisco back the lead. His 2020 season saw a mixture of poor form and injury. During the 2021 offseason, the 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins to gain the number three overall pick. They took Lance with the pick, showcasing their intentions to eventually move off from Garoppolo. There is now talk of whether San Francisco and head coach Kyle Shanahan will start Lance in week one. The other scenarios discussed are either Lance coming in mid-season or sitting out the whole campaign as the backup to Garoppolo. The uncertainty will have a significant impact on the 49ers’ season.

The Strength of the NFC West

This is a problem that will affect all four teams in the best division in the NFL. There is a chance that all four teams can make the playoffs. Los Angeles has an exciting new quarterback in 2009 first overall pick Matthew Stafford. Both the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray that they would never dream of trading away. Meanwhile, the 49ers’ starting quarterback is largely unpopular by fans, due to a mixture of the overthrown pass in the Super Bowl, his poor 2020 campaign and his injury record.

San Francisco has the least trusted quarterback in the division. With the position being one of the most crucial in all sports, it does not bode well for a team when there is uncertainty in the position. Garoppolo may be benched at some point during the season for Lance. However, the 49ers would be putting a rookie that will still be learning the system into the toughest division in the NFL.

Learning From Mahomes, Jackson, Tua and Burrow

If San Francisco are to help Lance succeed, they will need to take some lessons from recent draft classes. Patrick Mahomes, widely seen as the best quarterback in the league, spent all but one game of his 2017 rookie season as a backup to Alex Smith. The Chiefs then traded Smith the following offseason and Mahomes has never looked back. In his first three full seasons as a starter in the NFL, he has reached two Super Bowls, winning one. He has also been crowned MVP and Super Bowl MVP and reached three successive AFC Championship games. All three have been at home. On the flip side, 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow started in week one of his rookie year. He wouldn’t last the season, only playing ten games before injury curtailed his first NFL campaign. He was impressive before his injury but there are no guarantees he will be the same player when he returns.

Lamar Jackson was a backup to Joe Flacco during his 2018 rookie year but won the starting role midseason. He has since gone on to win an MVP award and is the future of the franchise. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins brought Tua Tagovailoa in mid-season but he struggled in his rookie season. He is seen to already be on the hot seat, with many feeling the Dolphins rushed him in. These examples all show there are reasons for the 49ers to be hasty when it comes to choosing when to bring Lance into the starting role.

Lance Or Garoppolo In 2021?

The 49ers will have to decide soon who their starter will be in 2021. Considering Lance has only played one full season (2019), he is likely to start the season as the backup. He only threw for a combined total of 31 passing attempts, two touchdowns and 1 interception across the 2018 and 2020 seasons, albeit the latter campaign being disrupted by the pandemic. He is likely to be a work in progress but his 28 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in 2019 mean that he is one for the future.

Garoppolo will likely start in week one but it was clear from the NFC Championship game that Shanahan doesn’t completely trust him.

Jimmy G is a capable quarterback but his health is a concern. Expect Garoppolo to remain as the starter provided the 49ers are winning games but for Lance to come in should Garoppolo either be injured or start the season poorly.

Should this happen, this will be the end of Garoppolo’s time in San Francisco. Depending on timing, he will then be traded either before the deadline or in the 2022 offseason.

Can The 49ers Returning Players Avoid A Repeat Of 2020?

This is key if the 49ers are to challenge for both the NFC West and the NFC. After earning the number one seed and reaching Super Bowl 54 during the 2019 campaign, San Francisco finished 6-10 in 2020 and bottom of the division. A ”˜Super Bowl Hangover’ played its part but the main cause of such a decline was down to a colossal amount of injuries the team suffered. Along with the aforementioned Garoppolo, the 49ers also saw Bosa, Dee Ford, George Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel and Solomon Thomas miss large chunks of the 2020 season due to injury.

San Francisco had 33 players reported questionable and there were 186 occasions when the 49ers reported a player on injured reserve. They had the second-most injuries of any team in the NFL over the past twenty years. Should all these players come back, then this 49ers roster will be one of the best in the league. This will make life much easier for whoever the San Francisco starting quarterback is.

However, from the strength of the division to the uncertainty at quarterback, San Francisco will find it tough to win the NFC West.

The post Why the QB situation may prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

As usual, there were lots of fantasy breakouts in 2020, but also per usual, many players didn’t live up to expectations last season. There are things to be learned by those busts, but a lot of underperformance can be due to mitigating situations (injury, surrounding talent, etc.). As such, many of these busts could see improved production in 2021. Below are five fantasy players due for a bounceback year.

1. George Kittle (TE, San Francisco 49ers)

Kittle is an obvious bounce-back pick for next year, but he still tends to be overshadowed given the fantasy dominance of Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. This isn’t to diminish that duo’s 2020 accomplishments by any means, but Kittle seems to be slipping a little too far in midsummer drafts due to fatigue from his injury-plagued year.

Kittle’s 1,377 yards in a 2018 breakout campaign are still the second-most ever put up by a TE all time. On top of that, his 2020 season still had a pace of 96 receptions for 1,268 yards, and that’s including the two games he left early due to injury. Even when on the field, Kittle wasn’t always healthy, and yet he was still able to produce like an elite fantasy tight end. That positional advantage should not be overlooked, so it’s important to move beyond injury fatigue and see the value in his current draft price.

2. Julio Jones (WR, Tennessee Titans)

Jones is another player who will improve dramatically in 2021 assuming he’s able to stay on the field. Last year, Jones had just seven games with a snap share over 75%, and due to hamstring problems, he never was able to stay fully healthy for an extended period of time. However, in those seven games, he still averaged 8.9 targets and 6.4 catches per game, proving that, when healthy, he’s still a major problem for opposing defenses.

Jones is 32 years old, but there’s still reason to believe that his injuries could be a problem exclusive to 2020. The scars he left on fantasy managers last year obscured the fact that he hasn’t missed more than two games in a season since 2013, and he’s missed more than three only one other time in his 10-year career. With 848 catches and nearly 13,000 yards under his belt, he’s proven time and time again that he can put up big fantasy numbers.

Now, as Jones moves teams for the first time in his career, questions could arise about whether he can produce given a likely deduction in target share. Sharing touches with A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry will make it nearly impossible for Jones to receive the same heavy workload he’s gotten in past years, but that could actually be a good thing for his fantasy value. For the first time, Jones isn’t the number one offensive option on his own team, and the lessened defensive attention could help him thrive, as he’ll be facing one-on-one battles with cornerbacks more consistently than he ever has. Overall, it’s a near certainty that a healthy Jones blows away the injury-riddled totals that we saw in 2020, and he should be back in fantasy relevance once again.

3. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB, Kansas City Chiefs)

Edwards-Helaire had a very disappointing 2020, and that was partially due to his skyrocketing fantasy price, as he was a consensus back-of-the-first round RB due to his situation in Kansas City. CEH also dealt with injuries last year, missing three games, and when he was on the field, he just didn’t garner the full three-down workload that many expected him to receive.

Surprisingly, Edwards-Helaire actually averaged 13.9 attempts per game last season, which seems high given that he was generally tough to rely on in fantasy. The signing of Le’Veon Bell kept this number even lower than it could’ve been, and although Bell didn’t work out in KC, he still limited CEH’s touch count overall. However, the area where Edwards-Helaire was really disappointing was in the passing game, as his 2.8 reception average fell well short of what we expected from him, given that his specialty is catching passes out of the backfield. Thankfully, Le’Veon Bell is gone now, and the word is that Edwards-Helaire may develop into more of a workhorse in Year 2, with the biggest bump coming in the form of third-down usage. Even if CEH doesn’t become a true bell cow, it makes sense to project a noticeable increase in touches, and with it should come more fantasy production.

4. Jerry Jeudy (WR, Denver Broncos)

Jeudy actually received 113 targets last year, but he caught just 52 in a messy season that saw him tossed into the fire as Denver’s WR1 almost immediately following the injury of Courtland Sutton. Jeudy should now face less pressure with Sutton returning, and it’s possible, even likely, that the erratic play of QB Drew Lock won’t be what he relies on in 2021. Teddy Bridgewater will compete with Lock for the starting role, and he’s likely to get it at some point given that he’s at least had moderately consistent production throughout his career.

Although consistent, Bridgewater isn’t anything special by any means, and his arrival will hardly fix everything for the Broncos. However, it should mean more production for Jeudy in 2021, primarily because we’ve already seen evidence that Bridgewater can support two productive fantasy receivers (D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson in 2020). Moore and Anderson both eclipsed the 1,000-yard threshold last year, and there’s reason to think that Sutton and Jeudy can do the same, given that they are similar talent-wise to the duo in Carolina. It’s very possible that Jeudy never becomes elite for fantasy purposes, but with Bridgewater in town, we should see a major step up from the atrocious 39.1% catch rate Jeudy had last year, which alone will lead to a sizeable upwards bump in fantasy production.

5. Raheem Mostert (RB, San Francisco 49ers)

This last pick is one that can, understandably, be difficult for analysts to get behind, given that the 49ers have major competition in their backfield. However, I truly believe that a healthy Mostert is and will continue to be this team’s best RB, and if he can avoid injuries, Mostert’s efficiency could lead to very viable fantasy production.

San Francisco and Kyle Shanahan will likely still favor a running-back-by-committee approach given that there are multiple talented players in their backfield. I expect Mostert to hold the lead role if this is the case, and I don’t think that the team will feel a need to force rookie 3rd-rounder Trey Sermon into major year-one action. Sermon is a solid player, but he’s unproven, and the fact that he was a late Day 2 draft pick highlights that he’s far from a guarantee to succeed. Mostert’s average of 5.4 yards per carry in 2019 in 2020 is extremely good, and his blazing speed and acceleration mean he’s likely to continue putting up those numbers in 2021. If he does, there will be no excuse for the 49ers to keep him off the field, and the lead back role in their prolific offense could create very solid fantasy numbers.

The post Five Fantasy Players Due for a Bounceback in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

In the last twenty years, the NFL MVP award has become an award that almost strictly goes to quarterbacks. Only four of the last twenty winners were position players. The award is recognized as a quarterback award and is nearly impossible to win if you don’t play the position. The last non-quarterback to win MVP was running back Adrian Peterson in 2012. 

The last-position player to receive an MVP vote that wasn’t a QB was Todd Gurley in 2017. He finished with eight votes and finished second to quarterback Tom Brady, who received 40 votes. 

This past season, only three players received MVP votes. All three players were quarterbacks; Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. 

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is coming off of a season where he is just the seventh player to surpass 2000 rushing yards in one season. He also added another 17 touchdowns on the ground. Even with this monstrous season, he didn’t receive a single MVP vote. 

Outside of running backs, no position player has received an MVP award since 1986 when New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it. The last time a tight end received a vote was in the year 1986 when New York Giants tight end Mark Bavaro received a vote. 

It has been over 30 years since a tight end has received an MVP vote. A tight end has never even won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.

The biggest issue in regards to skill players not winning this award is that a majority of their stats go to the quarterback as well. If a receiver catches 15 touchdown passes, that means that a quarterback had to throw 15 touchdowns. The stats will fall into both categories, almost always falling in favor of the quarterback. 

While a tight end has never one, we are living in the time of the high-powered offense, where it could potentially happen someday soon. There are multiple tight ends that are at the forefront of the NFL. There is potential at the position and the award could make its way to the position soon.

That begs the question of, what would a tight end need to do to not just earn a vote but to win the entire award? In a simple sense, it would be one of the greatest seasons of all time. When taking both a statistical approach and a team approach, the tight end would have to dominate in both ways. By being a leader on the team and being their driving force on offense.

From a numbers standpoint, tight ends have blossomed in recent years. The very best at the position is able to take over games. But even the current greats at the position haven’t done enough to garner the necessary attention to be acknowledged for the award. 

Current Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski is arguably the greatest to ever play his position. His 2011 campaign is one of the single greatest seasons in NFL history. At 22 years old the second-year tight end caught 90 passes for 1327 yards. He also reached the end zone on 18 different occasions. Even with this performance, Gronkowski was not an MVP finalist, but his quarterback Tom Brady was. 

In recent seasons, tight ends such as Travis Kelce and George Kittle have taken over the position. Kelce has steadily improved since breaking out in 2016. He has five consecutive seasons of over 1000 receiving yards and has had two seasons with double-digit touchdown receptions. 

Kelce has been one of the most dominant players in the NFL for years now but has never found his way into the MVP conversation. Understandably so when you look at who his quarterback is. As Kelce approaches 32-years old, his MVP window could already be closed. But the same can’t be said for Kelce’s counterpart, George Kittle.

Kittle could prove to be the most likely candidate to finally win the award, especially when looking at the team that he plays on. Kittle could be the main target on the San Francisco 49ers roster in 2021. His stock could go up even more if San Francisco chooses to go with rookie quarterback Trey Lance, who could not only expand the offense but could also look at Kittle to be his security blanket. 

Kittle is coming off of a down season where he appeared in just eight games. But the 27-year old tight end should be ready to perform at a high level this season. He could prove to be one of the league’s best past catchers this season. And that is what it would take for him to bring home the MVP award. 

If Gronkowski wasn’t able to take home the award in 2011 with 18 touchdowns, then it could take scoring 20 to win it. Kittle could be the player to do it. A stat line of 20 touchdowns, 100 receptions, and over 1500 receiving yards could potentially get it done. And while that would be asking a lot, that could prove to be what it takes for a tight end to finally bring the MVP award home. 

The post What would it take for a tight end to win MVP? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.