The 49ers are coming off their best showing of the season, a 37-15 domination of the Carolina Panthers in Week 5.
The game proved to be the tipping point for Panthers owner David Tepper, who brought head coach Matt Rhule’s forgettable tenure to an end.
Although the 49ers lead the NFC West with a 3-2 record, they got their own problems — mostly with injuries.
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And that brings us to this week’s edition of 49ers Overreactions . . .
Overreaction? Yes.
We here at 49ers Overreactions Central agree with the premise, though.
San Francisco 49ers
Yes, the 49ers would be well-served to add another high-caliber cornerback to their roster in the aftermath of Emmanuel Moseley’s season-ending ACL injury.
Fortunately for them, they can do that without trading away any valuable future draft capital.
Say hello — again — to Jason Verrett.
Verrett is the long-term answer for the need for a new starting cornerback that was created with Moseley out for the remainder of the season.
The 49ers do not need to rush Verrett into the lineup. It is imperative they take their time and make sure Verrett is ready to go before sending him onto the field.
Verrett was the 49ers’ best cornerback in 2020. And he was their clear No. 1 cover man at the beginning of last season before he sustained a torn ACL in the season opener against the Detroit Lions.
A cornerback tandem of Charvarius Ward and Moseley was exceptional. But as long as Ward and Verrett are the starters, the 49ers do not have to readjust their goals for the season.
Overreaction? No.
Moseley was really flourishing as a player. This is his contract year, and he was setting himself up to be one of the top cornerbacks on the free-agent market in the spring. From every standpoint, this was a devastating blow to him and the team.
As horrible as this injury was, it certainly increases the possibility of the team being able to keep him around for another season.
As good as Verrett can be, he has battled a history of severe injuries that has derailed his career time and time again.
Overreaction? Yes.
The 49ers were not “cooked” last season when they had an extraordinarily difficult time fielding a lineup that consisted of two cornerbacks worthy of starting jobs.
Ambry Thomas got better and better late in the season after being developed behind the scenes, then earning his way into the action as the starter for the final five regular-season games.
Remember, Thomas' interception in overtime while covering Odell Beckham on a deep ball sealed the 49ers’ overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 to clinch the 49ers’ playoff berth. He also started two playoff games, and more than held his own.
And, also, remember Dontae Johnson started at cornerback in the playoff game in which the 49ers held Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers out of the end zone for the final three quarters of a 13-10 victory in the second round of the NFC playoffs.
Ultimately, the 49ers will go with Charvarius Ward and Verrett as the starers, but Deommodore Lenoir and Sam Womack might also be capable of stepping into more prominent roles, too.
So whether it is Verrett, Lenoir, Womack or Thomas or Johnson, the 49ers have a strong enough defense in the 10 other spots to make it work.
Overreaction? No.
When coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were hired, the 49ers were in a sorry state after the final season of Jim Harbaugh followed by the one-and-done tenures of Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly. Then-GM Trent Baalke was fired with Kelly after the roster had fallen into disrepair.
Shanahan and Lynch were given six-year contracts because the 49ers’ football product was viewed as a massive rebuild. And, sure enough, the 49ers went 10-22 in their first two seasons.
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Now, the 49ers have risen to a .500 record (46-46, including the postseason) during the Shanahan-Lynch regime. The roster is deep enough to withstand some injuries, and Shanahan has proven to be a strong builder of coaching staffs.
Coordinators Robert Saleh and Mike McDaniel were hired as head coaches, and Demeco Ryans has a strong chance to join them during the next hiring cycle.
Overreaction? No.
It is a reasonable prediction. It’s not too outlandish, so that’s why we’re not going to label this as an overreaction.
The 49ers’ next seven games are against Atlanta, Kansas City, the Rams, the Chargers, Arizona, New Orleans and Miami.
During this span of games, however, the 49ers will start to get some players back from injury, such as Trent Williams, Elijah Mitchell, Arik Armstead and Azeez Al-Shaair. So that will help the club as it gears up for the stretch run.
While we do not officially classify this as an overreaction, we believe the 49ers will beat the Falcons, split against the L.A. teams, then win two of three against Arizona, New Orleans and Miami to finish this stretch at 4-3.
Overreaction? No.
Billionaires are billionaires for a reason.
There’s no good reason why football teams in open-air venues, such as the uptown stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, should ever have installed artificial surface.
Tight end George Kittle praised the York family for footing the bill for a grass field and the regular re-soddings that are required at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers stuck with a natural grass field in the early years of the Santa Clara stadium when they had a difficult time getting things right with that surface.
Elton John performed at Levi’s Stadium over the weekend, and the team will be playing on a new carpet of grass when it returns to face Kansas City on Oct. 23.
“I can't tell you how big of a difference it makes for us,” Shanahan said of playing on natural grass. “I’m glad that we don't have to deal with that stuff (artificial turf) in our stadium.”