The 49ers’ trade for wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is looking like one of the best personnel moves any team has made since the start of this season.
Sanders had a huge game on Sunday in New Orleans, helping the 49ers beat the Saints and moving them a step closer to home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. And that game showed off just how big a difference Sanders has made to the 49ers’ passing game. Consider:
In six games without Sanders, the 49ers averaged 215 passing yards per game. In seven games with Sanders, the 49ers averaged 261 passing yards per game.
In six games without Sanders, the 49ers scored 26 points per game. In seven games with Sanders, the 49ers averaged 34 points per game.
In six games without Sanders, the 49ers averaged 7.9 yards per pass. In seven games with Sanders, the 49ers averaged 8.7 yards per pass.
In six games without Sanders, the 49ers totaled seven touchdown passes and six interceptions. In seven games with Sanders, the 49ers have totaled 19 touchdown passes and five interceptions.
The 49ers sent their 2020 third-round pick and fourth-round pick to Denver for Sanders, who becomes a free agent this offseason. That’s a fairly steep price for a player who’s just a half-year rental, but Sanders is proving to be worth it.