1. San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco is mainly talked about for their Kyle Shanahan scheme, or their electric play makers like Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk. But one of the big reasons they have made it back to the Super Bowl is the star studded defense.

A group led by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner has measured at the top of the league in nearly every important defensive statistic. With 48 sacks last year ranking 7th this group also has multiple playmakers in the secondary like Talanoa Hufanga. The combination of amazing scheme and even better talent makes this group the best in the league.

2. New York Jets

The Jets have had a good group for years but this one in particular could be great. Losing Bryce Huff hurts the pass rush but with Jermaine Johnson’s improvement and the secondary being at the top of the league, I  wouldn’t be too worried. The main guys leading this defensive squad is cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner. 

3. Kansas City Chiefs

The reigning Super Bowl champions are once again projected to have an elite defense. Losing L’Jarius Sneed is a blow, but Trent McDuffie and company is more than enough to handle it. Not to mention Chris Jones was resigned and is more ready than ever to get to work.

This unit was dominant last year, losing Willie Gay Jr. and Sneed might lead to some growing pains. As long as Chris Jones and Trent Mcduffie remain on the field, this unit should be fine.

The post The Top 3 Defenses in the NFL Today appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em

Justin Herbert (vs. Mia) – Herbert has an enticing matchup this week against a Miami Dolphins team that will be without Jalen Ramsey. Herbert threw for 367 yards in week 14 last year against the Dolphins and posted a 76.5 completion percentage. Expect similar results for Herbert along with 2 passing touchdowns.

Sit ‘Em

Aaron Rodgers (vs. Buf) – Rodgers has a tough matchup in his opening game with the New York Jets. The Jets offensive line will be tested all game long and even without Von Miller the Bills will be able to generate pressure. Rodgers struggled last year at Buffalo when he threw for just 203 yards.

Running Backs

Start ‘Em

Aaron Jones (vs. Chi) – Jones is in for a big day when the Packers visit the Chicago Bears. Green Bay is dealing with injuries to their top 2 receivers (Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs) which means more targets for Jones. We don’t know what to expect yet from Jordan Love but the Packers will likely rely on the run game in this one.

Sit ’em

Najee Harris (vs. SF) – Harris and the Pittsburgh Steelers have a tough opening matchup against the 49ers and their stout defense. San Francisco allowed only 3.4 YPC in 2022 and they just got Nick Bosa back in action. The Steelers will need to attack the 49ers defense through the air to have a chance in this one.

Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em

Jahan Dotson (vs. Ari) – Dotson is no longer under the radar after his impressive rookie season in Washington. The Commanders get a juicy matchup against a Cardinals defense that will struggle all season. Fellow receiver Terry McLaurin looks to be ready to play but he may not be 100% yet.

Sit ‘Em

DeAndre Hopkins (vs. NO) – We don’t know yet what to expect from Hopkins in this Titans offense. I plan to wait and see how he’s utilized before I put him in the starting lineup. The Saints will have a better-than-average defense this year and will be tough at home.

Tight Ends

Start ‘Em

Evan Engram (vs. IND) – It could be a long day for the Indianapolis Colts when Jacksonville comes to town. The Colts will need to play keep away to have any chance in this one. Expect Engram to have a big day against the Colts who struggled at times to stop tight ends in 2022.

Sit ‘Em

Kyle Pitts (vs. Car) – After a disastrous 2022 it’s hard to put your trust in Pitts. The Panthers finished in the top 10 in points allowed to tight ends last year. That along with the fact we don’t know what to expect from Desmond Ridder has me sitting Pitts this week.

Start of the Week

Jamaal Williams (vs. Ten) – Williams is a must-start for week 1. With Alvin Kamara sidelined due to suspension Williams will get the majority of the workload against the Titans. I don’t expect to see that many touches from rookie Kendre Miller until he gets up to speed. Don’t forget, Williams led the league with 17 rushing touchdowns last year.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 1 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles. Purdy coincidentally suffered a significant shoulder injury in that game. Is Purdy back to full health and ready to lead San Francisco on a title run? Find out below as we offer a preview and record prediction for the 2023-2024 season.

The Good

For a handful of years, Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers deployed a running-back-by-committee approach. Shanahan’s zone-running style offense relies heavily on the play-action game to be successful. While it worked for the most part San Francisco never had a game-breaker in the backfield. That all changed last year when the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey. The trade signified a change in philosophy for Shanahan and it showed the front office was all in on winning a Super Bowl.

While it didn’t quite go as planned it was still a major success bringing in McCaffrey. There are now no limitations with what this offense can run thanks to McCaffrey’s versatility. The 49ers have an upper-echelon offensive line anchored by Trent Williams and weapons on the outside. I see no reason why this can’t be one of the best offenses in the league this season.

The Bad

One of the main storylines heading into this season is the absence of Nick Bosa. Bosa wants a new contract but so far the 49ers front office hasn’t budged. This is the type of off-the-field issue that could linger and needs to be resolved for the 49ers to have success. Bosa is way too valuable to this defense and without him, they will start to show cracks. My hope is that the two sides reach a last minute deal and Bosa is ready week 1.

The Prediction

Despite the ongoing Bosa issue I still expect the 49ers to win the NFC West. There is just too much talent on this roster and I expect Bosa will eventually return in the near future.

2023 Record: (12-5 1st in the Division)

The post San Francisco 49ers Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t have Robert Saleh last season, but they still featured a very superb defense. The 49ers ranked sixth in passing yards allowed, seventh in rushing yards allowed, fifth in sacks, and fifth in points allowed per game.

The 49ers defense was led by the fearless pass rusher Nick Bosa, who ousted 15.5 sacks, 21 TFLs, four forced fumbles, and 32 QB hits. PFF gave Bosa an 88.3 grade for his 2021 performance. It’s safe to say that the younger Bosa brother will seek a hefty contract extension after a potential DPOY-winning season in 2022.

The 49ers defense will also lean on Arik Armstead, Fred Warner, and Charvarius Ward to be star profiles next season. Armstead had 10 sacks in 2019 and six sacks last season, but he is also a huge force against the run. Warner was an All-Pro in 2020 and he was still a stud/Pro Bowl snub last season – as he obtained 137 combined tackles, four pass deflections, one forced fumble, and seven tackles for loss. It was clear that their front seven was quite stingy last season, but they could have certainly benefited from CB help. Well, they will anticipate Ward being a force in his first season in the Bay area. He recorded 2 interceptions, 10 pass deflections, and scored a 65.7 grade by PFF in 2021.

With that enunciated, the ultimate question is: can the 49ers defense that sharped its edges this off-season be the NFL’s top defense next season?

I honestly peg the Rams defense, the Saints defense and the Bills defense as the best three defenses next season. The Rams GM Les Snead managed to get Bobby Wagner in the same front seven as a Top-3 defensive player of all time in Aaron Donald. I love the Saints addition of Tyrann Mathieu and I also believe Marcus Davenport could be an All-Pro player if he stays healthy. Of course, the Bills defense (which ranked number one last season) should witness lots of glory from the future Hall of Famer Von Miller.

I really like the 49ers direction on defense with an ascending hulk-like pass rusher in Bosa and their slightly more talented secondary (which had growing pains last season) than in 2021. The 49ers have a Top-3 front seven in my opinion, but their secondary isn’t quite up to speed. They should be a Top-8 defense next season and potentially a Top-5 defense, but I’m not convinced they can be the NFL’s top defense in 2022.

The post Can the San Francisco 49ers have the best defense? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers relentless pass rusher Nick Bosa is one of two elite NFL profiles that has an older brother at the same position (of course, T.J. Watt is the other player). Most importantly, Bosa and Watt are both aspiring to be more successful than their older bros. After the Steelers pass rusher won DPOY last season, I believe Bosa is ready to prove that he can be the best defensive player in his family.

*Between Nick and T.J., I do believe that Nick has an easier chance to be better than his brother.

Bosa had a fine rookie season, as he won Defensive Rookie of The Year and cracked a Pro Bowl spot. Unfortunately, Bosa only played in a mere two games in his sophomore season, as the entire 2020 49ers squad could resemble the Walking Dead. The motivated and healthy Bosa came back with swagger and more power as he unveiled a whopping 15.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and 32 QB hits last season.

Bosa was fourth in the NFL and second in the NFC in sacks in 2021. After Watt snatched the DPOY award from Aaron Donald last season, I believe the fourth-year pass rusher in SF not named Aaron Donald could be the next behemoth pass rusher to win DPOY. In fact, Adam Schein from NFL.com believes that Bosa will win DPOY next season. He notes that Donald may retire, Bosa has shown out in pivotal playoff moments, and that 49ers defender is simply an excellent all-around player on a loaded team.

Hopefully, Bosa can really wreak havoc against the Rams OL that will miss former Pro Bowl LT Andrew Whitworth. Nick only ousted 1.5 sacks in two combined games against LA last season. It would be an understatement to say that Donald racked up his stats against pedestrian NFC West offensive lines in his DPOY campaigns. If Bosa can unleash more action than a Michael Bay movie against fellow divisional pass protections and strive to be the best player on the field in prime-time match-ups — he should have an All-Pro season and robust DPOY case next season.

The post Why Nick Bosa is really underrated appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Natalie Miller

With the recent signings that the Jacksonville Jaguars have made in offensive guard Brandon Scherff, wide receiver Christian Kirk, and tagging left tackle Cam Robinson, all signs seem to be pointing to edge rusher at the number 1 pick in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft.

The question becomes, which edge rusher may that be? I am firmly in the camp that Jacksonville should and will target Michigan university’s Aidan Hutchinson over someone like Kayvon Thibodeaux or recent riser Travon Walker.

Hutchinson during his last year at Michigan dominated college football, producing 14 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 16.5 tackles for loss. He helped carry a plain dominant Michigan defense all the way to the college playoffs before getting bounced by eventual national champion Georgia Bulldogs.

There’s constant energy from Hutchinson, whose pursuit of the quarterback could be described as harassment and pure love for the game of football and his Michigan teammates. It’s obvious he turns it up in the big moments and his motor seemingly never stops. Every down comes off like it’s the last of his career. A motor like this cannot be taught but it’s something Hutchinson has and will make Jacksonville secure with taking him.

His play strength and adjustment speed are evident on tape, where he is able to use his power to lure the tackle into a solid base before exploding off the edge. He also excels at pushing inside the tackle using his raw strength and motor to slide inside and throw the offensive line off balance. In the run game he is able to be patient and use his strength to fill the gaps and diagnose where a runner will end up before shoving through, he was almost unstoppable in that regard, a true linebacker on the edge.

There is more to his raw pass-rushing skills and ferocious nature to Hutchinson, he has high football intelligence as well, as he was one of the primary play callers on the Michigan defense. He was able to call out offensive plays and adjust, while also helping his fellow defensive lineman get into whatever position they should be in. Helping more raw players like David Ojabo enters the mix and be put into a good position to succeed. It is fairly rare to get that kind of leader on the defensive line, as defensive play-callers are typically held for the mike linebacker, but that is just a testament to the type of effort and study that Aidan Hutchinson put into his craft during his time at Michigan that lead to his meteoric rise.

A good pro comparison almost seems a bit too obvious, but I liken him a lot to Nick Bosa coming out of Ohio State as their burst and motor are awfully similar. Teams just struggled to keep up with the ferocious nature of both Hutchinson and Bosa. Now does Hutchinson have quite the same grade as Bosa? No, Bosa was a more talented and consistent player coming out, but then the production and playstyle match up nicely.

Hutchinson is the exact type of player Jacksonville needs to take the next step in the NFL, a ferocious winner with a non-stop motor who will inspire his teammates and make calls at the line. He is the perfect fit for the number 1 overall pick and Jacksonville should not make the mistake of passing him up.

The post Why Aidan Hutchinson will be the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

I envision the presence of the golden, Italian legend Frank Sinatra and the polarizing goon Tony Accardo, also known as “Joey Batters” when I witness Nick Bosa frequently take down opposing quarterbacks. The Bosa from the Bay Area and his brother from the City of Angels (Joey Bosa) have been all-star pass rushers in the league in the past few seasons. The Bosa bros clearly have the intimidating presence that the siblings from the film “Lawless” yield.

The younger Bosa in a San Francisco 49ers uniform has more potential than his older brother in my opinion. Nick (24 years old) is a couple of years younger than Joey (26 years old) and he’s had more success on a per-game basis in his career thus far. The SF pass-rusher made the Pro Bowl in his rookie year, as he notched 9 sacks. Nick Bosa would of course reel in a career-high 15.5 sacks in 2021, which was fourth in the NFL and second in the NFC. Bosa didn’t win DPOY last season, but I believe the motivating defensive end can soon strike gold and win the DPOY trophy that’s often claimed by pass rushers.

• Pedestrian NFC West competition

Bosa was clearly from another planet against his competition last season. Although, he didn’t mop the floor against his divisional rivals. He garnered 4.5 sacks in six games against his division foes. He didn’t turn up his success against his despised opponents in the wild NFC West. Bosa could benefit from watching the Saints Pro Bowl DE Cameron Jordan pin his ears back and beat down on the NFC South QBs Matt Ryan and Tom Brady in each matchup.

With this enunciated, I believe the blood-thirsty Bosa is primed to terrorize his NFC West opponents in 2022. The Los Angeles Rams LT Andrew Whitworth is 40 years old and coming off a Super Bowl victory. Whitworth could retire this offseason and many fans expect him to hang up his cleats soon. Bosa had a mere .5 sack in two regular-season matchups combined against the LA Rams last season, so he will be happy for Whitworth’s legacy and potential exit from the league in 2022. In Seattle, LT Duane Brown is a soon-to-be free agent, and he could not return next season. It seems realistic that Bosa will be licking his chops against weaker divisional competition next season.

• Age of Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald

The Chicago Bears pass rusher Robert Quinn turned back the clock and unleashed 18.5 sacks last season (second-most in career). I don’t foresee the 31-year-old edge rusher, who has two 10+ sack seasons since 2014, knocking out 14+ sacks in 2022.

I expect Quinn to get the treatment that Nick Bosa received in 2021. It was noted that the 49ers Pro Bowl DE was doubled-teamed more than any other pass rusher throughout most of the season. The world knows that Nick Bosa can dominate while being double-teamed, but I expect teams to be much more prepared to defend Quinn next season and Quinn will surely face a lot more challenges.

Aaron Donald has been a wrecking ball and Super Bowl champion in recent memory, but I believe his DPOY potential and annual DPOY prize are in his rearview mirror. Donald is 31 in May and he already faces a wall of pass protection in each pivotal matchup. I believe he can be an All-Pro player for the eighth season in a row, but I believe the young, sack machine in Kyle Shanahan’s squad has a higher ceiling than the Rams future Hall of Fame DT.

The post 3 reasons why Nick Bosa can win DPOY in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Chinmay Kulkarni

That was a wild week 18 finish to close out the regular season. The bittersweet crossroads of not watching Scott Hanson on my TV screen and addictive playoff football have arrived. Let’s look at some of the NFC teams and make some predictions.

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Since the beginning of the season, the recipe to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been to effectively throw the ball deep to expose their ailing secondary. As the singular worst passing defenses in the league by opponent passes/game, they’ve devoted their efforts to stopping all semblance of a running attack in a very ground-heavy NFC south. The Bucs have a top-3 rushing defense and hold their opponents to the least percentage of running plays per game. Does this sound like a huge problem for the Eagles ”“ YES! The Eagles are the premier running team in the league, using the ground game 51% of the time – the most in the entire league. If the Eagles even stand a semblance of a chance to keep pace with the Bucs’ second-best scoring offense, Jalen Hurts MUST throw the ball. This game will likely be won in the first half, in what should be expected as a game where Tampa scores with ease, and the Eagles struggle to gain momentum on the road.

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have been a weird team this year. I compare ”˜America’s team’ to the stock market ”“ when the Cowboys stock gets too high, the team struggles mightily ”“ especially in matchups following big wins (i.e.  against the Cards after thumping Washington). Everyone thought the Cowboys were Superbowl contenders after beating the WFT, and their recent 50-point performance against the Eagles is extremely reminiscent of a huge upcoming letdown spot. Meanwhile, the Niners have done nothing but exceed all sorts of expectations, being left for dead when they lost their entire backfield, then left for dead when Trey Lance played around the midseason, and then left for dead for a third time when Jimmy G broke his hand. To the dismay of Saints fans everywhere, San Francisco is in the playoffs, with a strong running game, and top-5 defense with respect to limiting total yards. The Cowboys on the other hand, have the most potent offense in the league, and a rested defense with Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons coming off week 18 rest weeks. The Cowboys should be projected to win this game, but as one of the grittiest teams in the league, don’t be surprised if the Niners keep scoring close to the final whistle.

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams

The greatest storylines of these division rivals stand on the Cardinals’ sidelines, with the return of J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins (not confirmed but projected to play in the post-season). While key additions to spreading the ball around come for Kyler Murray’s clunky offense, the Cardinals have everything to play for with respect to post-season success with a young quarterback. Arizona prides themselves on their road warrior status, only losing a Week 15 matchup against Detroit in an opponent’s stadium. The Rams on the other side have been the ”˜on paper’ darlings. If football were played on a spreadsheet, the Rams would win the Superbowl nine times out of ten. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as the best finesse-team in the league has head scratching losses while securing a top-10 offense and defense by simply throwing draft picks into the trash. Much of the Rams’ success will likely depend on play calling and interceptions thrown by Matt Stafford. Therefore, this game will truly show whether the Rams can grit out playoff wins and stop getting in their own way, for their Superbowl or bust season may end abruptly if they continue playing poorly. I still predict an upset victory from Arizona.

Green Bay Packers (Bye)

Despite the drama in Green Bay, the Packers continue to exert their iron fist on the rest of the NFC with the power of weather. The narrative of ”˜going up to Lambeau for a playoff game’ has been beaten since the times of Favre. It’s truly difficult to see success from teams going up to Green Bay and even producing in the frozen tundra. Watching indoor teams like the Rams and the Cardinals seems wrong and borderline torturous for snowbird destination that plays and practices in nice weather. Supremely physical teams like the Niners and Buccaneers seem to stand a better chance in the cold, while the true wild card of Philadelphia are built for the cold if they beat the Bucs in the first round. The Packers maintain one of the best offenses in the league, having a top 10 passing offense and middle of the pack rushing attack. While the defense has been inconsistent, they still hold opponents to some of the least number of points in the league. Going into the playoffs on a loss to the divisional Lions isn’t ideal, but as a very talented team, they own everything for a deep playoffs push.

The post NFC Wildcard Preview: Can the 49ers beat the Cowboys? 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: Jeremy Trottier

The 2021 offseason has been relatively interesting so far, with a huge deal of the free agents gone at this point.  With that said, there are still some quality signings out there to be made, and will likely happen as we get closer to training camps in the coming weeks.  Geno Atkins is one of the remaining free agents who is intriguing, as his landing spot is almost completely up in the air, and just depends on team needs come September.  In this article, I will be going over three reasons as to why the San Francisco 49ers should sign Geno.

Defensive Line Rotation

The 49ers have an extremely strong defensive line right now; however, they do lack a true force starting alongside the potential of Javon Kinlaw.  D.J. Jones is solid but does not bring much in terms of production throughout the season.  If the 49ers were able to accrue a line of Nick Bosa, Javon Kinlaw, Geno Atkins, and Arik Armstead, they would definitely be in a great place to really bulk up their rotation.  

This would also allow them to keep Dee Ford, D.J. Jones, and Kentavius Street as backups and after last season, it seems pretty clear they need to be focused on “next man up” football if players go down again.  Even if they do not have as many injuries as last season, keeping quality backups for later weeks so you can rest your starters is a solid plan.

Geno is Still a Productive Player

One of the biggest things people tend to forget about Geno is he really had one bad season to date, and that being 2020 with his shoulder surgery.  Prior to that, he made six consecutive pro bowls and an all-pro team, as well as two pro bowls in the three seasons before that.  The last season he played all 16 games (2019) he had the following stats:

• 4.5 sacks, 47 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss
• 10 QB hits, 10 hurries, 20 pressures, and only 6 missed tackles

It is also worth noting that 2019 was his first season playing defensive end instead of the interior, which really is not his strong suit.  If he is placed back at IDL he should regain his productivity of years past.

Scheme Fit

Personally, looking at how this defense was run under Robert Saleh, I believe Geno would absolutely thrive in this 49ers defense.  Things will likely stay relatively stable with DeMeco Ryan taking over as defensive coordinator, as he worked under Robert Saleh so he will likely continue to use the scheme they have in years past. 

This would allow their 4-3 scheme to stay intact, and them to run Geno as a “pass-rushing IDL” of sorts due to his hugely productive sack numbers over the years.  The 49ers are also extremely blitz-heavy on late downs, having the 3rd highest blitz rate on 3rd downs in 2020, and 19th on earlier downs. 

This would also allow Geno to either produce his own sacks on those late downs or take on two O-linemen and allow the other three previously mentioned players around him to rack up some more sacks as well.  Working inside Nick Bosa would be an absolute dream for the 49ers, and an absolute nightmare for any opposing quarterbacks. 

The post Why San Francisco 49ers should consider signing Geno Atkins appeared first on Pro Football Mania.