The 49ers’ greatest query coming into the 2024 season was whether or not they may keep away from most of the identical points that befell them within the post-Tremendous Bowl 2020 marketing campaign.
Fortunately, the world hasn’t been stricken with a worldwide pandemic once more.
However the Niners certain appear to have caught the harm bug once more.
Two of the workforce’s most essential offensive gamers, Christian McCaffrey and now Deebo Samuel, might be out for weeks to return.
Sure, the Niners are down not one however two do-it-all threats—the gamers who made the Niners’ offense the envy of the league.
Yikes.
In his convention name with the media on Monday, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned Samuel has a calf pressure and can miss “a couple of weeks,” beginning with the Niners’ sport this upcoming Sunday in opposition to the Rams in Los Angeles.
This, after McCaffrey was positioned on injured reserve earlier than the Niners’ Week 2 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. He’s not eligible to return to the sector till October, however there’s skepticism he’ll return when he’s first eligible.
Clearly, this isn’t the beginning the workforce wished. In 2020, a downright biblical string of accidents undercut the Niners’ season earlier than it actually began. 4 seasons later, the Niners aren’t beating the 2020 redux allegations.
Now, San Francisco’s season isn’t over due to two accidents, even when they’re arguably their two most essential talent place gamers.
However this season has change into considerably — maybe exponentially — harder with out Nos. 1 and 23 within the fold. The Niners are 8-9 over the past 5 years when Samuel hasn’t performed. They’re 1-2 with out McCaffrey since he arrived in 2022.
Since McCaffrey was acquired by way of commerce in October 2022, we’ve by no means seen the 49ers with out one or the opposite on the sector.
Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Rams might be a brand new territory for the Niners.
It places the highlight not on the celebrities’ replacements—Jordan Mason and, in all chance, Jauan Jennings—however somewhat on the remaining stars on the offensive roster.
So for this dangerous luck to strike amid the struggles of two different key offensive gamers — Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk — solely makes optimism that a lot tougher to search out.
Each Williams and Aiyuk skipped coaching camp amid contract disputes. Their rust was evident in underwhelming performances Sunday in Minnesota. (Williams allowed 4 pressures and Aiyuk was not on the identical web page with quarterback Brock Purdy on large downs.)
Each should be immense in opposition to the Rams (who’re down two of their very own stars, Puka Nakua and Cooper Kupp) on Sunday. That runway the place they’ll ease into the system has confirmed quick—Burbank airport quick.
This problem additionally presents an unimaginable alternative for quarterback Brock Purdy.
The Niners’ QB1 is in line for a large contract on the finish of the season. He can show he’s price each penny and a bit extra by elevating his sport to All-Professional ranges within the coming weeks.
It’s what the nice quarterbacks do after they’re lacking their high weapons. They make it work.
To this point in Purdy’s quick profession, he hasn’t. Final 12 months, he went 0-3 when Samuel missed the higher a part of three video games mid-season.
That is the stretch the place the Niners wanted to rack up wins — to place hay within the barn for the winter. Something lower than a 4-1 report going right into a Thursday night time sport in Seattle on Oct. 10 would have been unacceptable.
The Niners have already got that loss on the books, and harvesting that hay simply turned a complete lot more durable.
This workforce ought to nonetheless have sufficient expertise to win with out McCaffrey and Samuel.
However “should” doesn’t get you anyplace within the NFL.
It’s an early intestine examine for Shanahan, Purdy, and a workforce that believes it’s going again to the Tremendous Bowl.
How the 49ers reply will inform us all the things if that dream is in any respect attainable.
Initially Printed: September 16, 2024 at 4:46 p.m.
