Five biggest non-injury reasons 49ers' season has gone wrong
Injuries.There. We just addressed the biggest thing that has gone wrong for the 49ers through 10 games this season.The 49ers are on their bye week – kind of. Everyone must still come to the team’s Santa Clara facility by 11 a.m. each day for their daily COVID-19 nostril-swab-swirl.When the 49ers get back to work, they hope some of their key players will be cleared to suit up and get onto the field for the Week 12 game, Nov. 29, at the Los Angeles Rams.That list of possible returnees includes running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman, wide receiver Raheem Mostert, and cornerback Richard Sherman.We all know the 49ers’ season has been derailed due to injuries, but we will try to avoid focusing on the health of the team when looking at what has gone wrong up to this point.Here are the team’s top five disappointments:
The first three picks of general manager John Lynch’s first draft in 2017 were Solomon Thomas, Reuben Foster and Ahkello Witherspoon.
The top two selections the next year were Mike McGlinchey and Dante Pettis.
McGlinchey has been fine. All the others have proven to be very poor selections for where they were chosen.
The 49ers held out hope that they could get some production from Thomas, Witherspoon and Pettis this season. Thomas started the first two games before sustaining a season-ending knee injury.
Pettis, whom the 49ers traded up to select with the No. 44 overall pick in 2018, was released when the club could not find another team willing to trade for him.
And Witherspoon has fallen completely out of favor to the point the club is activating cornerbacks Dontae Johnson and Ken Webster over him on game days.
There is a lot to like about Ward. The 49ers signed him to a three-year, $28.5 million contract in the offseason.
And while Ward continues to be a solid player, they need more than just a dependable player. They need Ward to show more playmaking ability. They need him to generate takeaways. And that is an area of his game that has been severely lacking over the years.
In 22 regular-season games over the past two seasons, has no interceptions, no forced fumbles and no fumble recoveries. He has just one sack.
The free safety position in Robert Saleh’s defense is known as “The Eraser.” This was supposed to be the season that Ward could take his game to the next level.
It simply has not occurred. Ward does not seem to be around the ball as much as anyone expects. He has gotten his hands on only one ball this season, and he could not hold onto a Jameis Winston pass against the Saints that would have been his first interception since the 2016 season.
Remember when Taylor was a rookie? He had the same number of receptions as a guy named George Kittle.
Taylor excelled late in the season after Jimmy Garoppolo arrived on the scene. The future looked bright, especially after the club hired Wes Welker as its wide receivers coach in 2019.
But injuries have derailed Taylor’s promising career. He underwent back surgery in 2018. Last year, he looked great in training camp before he sustained a fractured foot. Due to complications from surgery, he ended up sitting out the entire season.
This summer, he looked good – but not to the same level as the previous offseason.
The door was wide open for a slot receiver to take over and put up some big numbers. But Taylor does not look the same. Now, he has fallen completely out of the receiver rotation.
The good news for the 49ers is another slot receiver has emerged, as Richie James has taken advantage of his increased opportunities.
This one is a bit nuanced, so hang with us.
Armstead is not having a bad season. But coming off a year in which he led the 49ers with 10 sacks, the club signed him to a five-year, $85 million contract.
With that contract comes increased expectations.
His sack production has taken a hit. Armstead has 1.5 sacks on the season. He is tied with Javon Kinlaw and Jordan Willis and behind Kerry Hyder (5.5) and D.J. Jones (2) for the team lead.
There is no doubt the injuries along the 49ers’ defensive line has impacted Armstead. If Nick Bosa and Dee Ford were healthy and playing at their expected levels, Armstead would undoubtedly benefit.
Of course, the 49ers re-signed Armstead and opted to trade DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts. The subtraction of Buckner also had a negative impact on Armstead.
Kinlaw is getting better every week, so maybe he will start attracting more attention and open up one-on-one opportunities for Armstead as the season goes on.
We are not blaming the 49ers’ significantly worse pass rush solely on Armstead, but his noticeable dip in production is symbolic of the bigger issues that face the defense.
The 49ers rank 23rd in the NFL passer rating. They are tied for third-worst in the NFL with 11 interceptions.
Kyle Shanahan’s system is based on running the ball effectively and using play-action to make big plays down the field.
This season, Jimmy Garoppolo completed just one of 10 passes that traveled 20 or more yards down the field. That stat sheet includes no touchdowns and two interceptions, according to Pro Football Focus.
Of course, it’s not all on Garoppolo. Again, injuries factor into the equation. Garoppolo was healthy for only the first game of the season. That opening-week loss to the Arizona Cardinals was critical.
One of the biggest issues of recent weeks with Garoppolo and Nick Mullens at quarterback has been the 49ers’ inability to make defenses pay the price for bringing extra pass-rushers.
The Seattle Seahawks – with a pass defense that ranks among the worst in NFL history through this stage of the season -- repeatedly blitzed the 49ers with no consequences.
The 49ers have problems with their pass protection. The receivers are not getting open quickly enough. The quarterback is not making the proper reads, adjustments and decisions. It all ties together.
Even with all the adversity the team has faced this season, it is fair to expect so much more from Shanahan's passing game in his fourth season with the 49ers.
