DeMeco Ryans

 What went wrong on the Packers 37 second scoring drive? Ryans' defensive formation looked normal, with the LB's in run coverage. Why? Dunno. Nobody is running the ball and if they do, shame on them. Those LB's should have been back in a soft zone coverage in front of the DB's. Who cares if they throw short to the flat or in the middle? I guess Ryans did because there's no excuse for that formation in that situation. What do you suppose he was thinking?

Shanny too made his share of mistakes as well confessing to his regretful 4th down punt near midfield. Who would have thought coach Hightower would have out coached both the head coach and the defensive coordinator? Not me.

Week 3 Post Match Review: Packers at 49ers

 
By Scooter_McG

The 49ers went down to the Packers 30-28 in what was a nail biter, with Mason Crosby kicking the game winning field goal as time expired. This was a game that threatened to get away from the 49ers early as they went down 17-0 late in the second quarter. But a long kick return by Trenton Cannon set up Trey Lance's second touchdown as a 49er to bring the team back to 17-7 at the half. They carried that momentum into the second half and fought back to 17-14, then 24-21, and finally took the lead 28-27 with just 0:37 seconds left on the game clock. It was a courageous display that ultimately was undone by a couple of clutch plays by Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, helped by some poor defense, that let the Packers get Crosby in range for his 51-yard match sealer. 

In my Week 3 matchups to watch post I outlined three areas I thought would be key to deciding the game:

• The 49ers edge rushers against the Packers backup OTs.
• The battle between LaFleur and Ryans, and how LaFleur would overcome the absences along the OL.
• How the 49ers backup RBs would fare against the Packers DL that had been poor through the first two weeks.

Unfortunately for the 49ers they lost all three of those key matchups. 

Here's what stood out to me. 

Rodgers wasn't made uncomfortable. On paper this looked like a very one-sided affair. Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford were going to terrorise the Packers backup OTs all day and Aaron Rodgers was going to be running for his life. But somewhere the script got lost and the 49ers pass rush failed to generate much pressure on Rodgers throughout the game. Sure, there were some moments, but overall the Packers did an excellent job of keeping the 49ers pass rush at bay. The strange thing though is it wasn't all due to poor play of the 49ers DL - a lot of the credit goes to Rodgers who just did an excellent job of giving himself extra space. He took some deeper drops, he moved well in the pocket, and (most importantly) he got the ball out quickly most of the time while trusting his receivers to make plays.

LaFleur called a good game. I thought the LaFleur vs Ryans matchup would be a key one in deciding this, and in the end it was in my opinion. LaFleur is a big reason why the 49ers pass rush and defense in general struggled to keep the Packers in check. How do you stop a great pass rush? Step one is to keep a balanced offense to make the defense respect run and pass, sure, but it would have been easy for LaFleur to rely too heavily on runs and short passes without making the 49ers defense respect the deep ball. And it was also critical to take an early lead so the 49ers couldn't disregard the threat of the run and short passing game. LaFleur came out aggressive and stayed aggressive throughout, consistently giving Rodgers routes he could throw guys open to downfield 1-on-1, yet get the ball out quickly to negate the pass rush and get DBs backs turned so they couldn't make plays on the ball. Rodgers ball placement and understanding with his receivers did the rest. 

It is easy to blame Ryans for his role in the loss, and he certainly deserves some blame. But also credit to LaFleur for letting his Hall of Fame QB use his arm talent to win the game.  

49ers pass defense was poor. This is where the 49ers really struggled for mine. Yes, the pass rush didn't get the job done, but really it was the inability to cover for more than a couple of seconds that let the Packers and Aaron Rodgers get an early lead and then win it at the end. Too often the defenders let the Packers receivers win 1-on-1. Part of that was being too aggressive - by playing for the short game the 49ers defenders allowed the Packers receivers to get open behind them. There were also some very costly penalties that gave cheap yards and first downs. But really the 49ers just had no answer for Davante Adams, who was too good for any CB the 49ers put across from him. 

It wasn't all bad, and there were some important defensive stops along the way, but the Packers receivers won the battles when they mattered.

The 49ers offense struggled early. The other part of the equation to getting an early lead for the Packers was smacking the 49ers in the mouth on defense. They did this to great effect, getting after Jimmy G in the early going, and more importantly putting the 49ers behind the sticks consistently by stuffing the 49ers running game. The 49ers struggled to get anything going on the ground all game.   

Jimmy G and the passing game got going in the second half, and in the end the offense did enough to win the 49ers the game. But against a much-maligned Packers defense heading into the contest this was a disappointing offensive outing for the 49ers keyed by numerous lapses from the OL and some inopportune turnovers. While the turnovers didn't lead to many points, the INT ensured momentum continued for the Packers in the first half while the fumble halted the 49ers momentum in the second half. 

Final Verdict

Going through the above it may sound all doom and gloom, but it shouldn't be overlooked that the 49ers overcame a rough first half that saw them in a 17-0 hole just before halftime to put themselves within 37 seconds of winning the game. There are definitely some areas for concern moving forward, but there was also reason for optimism with the way the offense played in the second half and even the defense played well for much of the second half. But letting the game slip at the end after doing so well to fight back can only be considered very disappointing.  

Game Night Live

 This is a bit of a reversal from the last meeting when the 49ers were decimated by injuries, and subsequently taken to the woodshed. While the Packers haven't experienced that kind of decimation they will be missing LT #1 and #2. That could prove to be the difference in this game if Bosa and friends can take advantage and make Mr. Rodgers life miserable. Let's get to the inactives:

49ers

RB Elijah Mitchell G Aaron Banks CB Ambry Thomas CB Dre Kirkpatrick

Packers

CB Kevin King
OL Elgton Jenkins
S Vernon Scott
LB La’Darius Hamilton

Week 3 Matchups to Watch: Packers at 49ers

By Scooter_McG 

Following two road victories to start the season, the 49ers get their home opener in week 3 as they host future Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers had Rodgers and the Packers number in 2019, cruising to victory during both the regular season and post season, but last year the Pack got revenge with a comprehensive win of their own against a depleted 49ers roster.  

The Packers started 2021 very poorly, with Aaron Rodgers looking like the offseason distractions had taken their toll while their defense couldn't stop the Saints scoring on the way to a 38-3 loss. But last week the Packers turned things around and beat the Lions 35-17 and looked comfortable throughout. 

So which Packers team will turn up this week?

Here's the matchups I think will decide this one.

Nick Bosa/ Dee Ford/ Arik Armstead vs the Packers backup OTs. With both starting LT David Bakhtiari and his backup Elgton Jenkins ruled out for this one, the Packers are expected to move starting RT Billy Turner over to LT, meaning the Packers will be playing backups at both OT spots. This should be a significant advantage for the 49ers and their vaunted DL. If the Packers don't find a way to slow down the 49ers pass rush this could be one very tough afternoon for Aaron Rodgers.

LaFleur vs Ryans. This is probably more important than the matchup against the OTs itself. Realistically, the Packers can't expect their backup OTs to hold up consistently against the likes of Bosa, Ford and Armstead. So it can be expected the Packers will look to run the ball and get the ball out of Rodgers hands quickly. There will almost certainly be a lot of chipping of Bosa going on throughout the game. A key to success for the 49ers will be to keep the running game in check and rally to the ball quickly, to get the Packers into obvious passing situations. But... does LaFleur have something else up his sleeve? This feels like a game the Packers may need to do the unexpected to keep the 49ers defense off balance.

49ers backup RBs vs Packers DL. The 49ers OL has been good in pass protection this season, but has struggled a bit in the running game. Losing Mostert for the year, and now Hasty on IR as well as Mitchell banged up, the 49ers running game is looking vulnerable. Can Sermon, Johnson and company keep the 49ers offense on schedule in this one? The good news is the Packers defensive line has struggled so far this year. Kenny Clark is very good in the middle, but Za'Darius Smith is out injured and the rest of the DL has played poorly. Tyler Lancaster in particular has looked like a weak link and I would expect the 49ers to make targeting him a focus. 

Bobby Turner's Perfect RB?

 

Tom Pelissero

@TomPelissero

· 9m

The #49ers are signing RB Jacques Patrick off the #Bengals practice squad, source said. Big opportunity for the onetime XFL star with injuries depleting the SF backfield.

This dude was behind Dalvin Cook and was Cam Akers counterpart. He's 6'2 235 and runs like a battering ram. I remember Mr. Turner's first word when asked what he looks for in a back, and it was the word "toughness". Next up was coachability, quickness and patience. This isn't your typical Kyle Shanahan running back. Going to be interesting to see how he fits in this system....

Week 2 Post Match Review: 49ers at Eagles

By Scooter_McG

With two games down the 49ers remain undefeated on the season, completing their East Coast opening fortnight with a gritty 17-11 win over a game Eagles team. This one was a hard fought match that really stretched the mental and physical fortitude of the 49ers team. 

At the beginning of the season most people would have thought this should be a fairly easy victory for the 49ers, but credit where credit is due - while keeping things simple, Nick Sirianni has these Eagles playing good, hard, aggressive football. At the end of the season it wouldn't surprise me if we look back and see the 49ers beat a team today that is a real contender to make the playoffs.  

Here's what stood out to me.

The 49ers OL was overmatched by the Eagles front 4. While the 49ers managed to avoid giving up sacks, it wasn't a result of any dominance up front. The Eagles routinely got pressure on Jimmy G on any play taking more than a couple of seconds to develop and for the most part shut down the 49ers running game. The early going was particularly tough sledding, as Elijah Mitchell was finding no room to run from handoffs as the interior DL routinely got into the backfield, Jimmy G was being harassed into errant passes, and receivers struggled to haul in a couple of balls. 

But Shanahan adjusted. A key to the 49ers victory was how Shanahan adjusted his game plan to account for the Eagles dominance up front. Instead of handing the ball off to the RBs, Shanahan moved to using pitches to help get the RB past the interior penetration. While it didn't result in the running game becoming particularly dangerous, it turned the tide in terms of allowing the 49ers to stay on schedule. 

More importantly, Shanahan turned to primarily a short catch and run type passing game, employing lots of screens and dump offs. Jimmy G would end the day with 22 completions on 30 attempts, going for just 189 yards. But he led two crucial long drives for TDs - one at the end of the first half and one that went nearly 9 minutes across the 3rd and 4th quarters. Those drives helped the 49ers win the time of possession battle quite handily. 

The 49ers defense came up big in key moments. In tight games like this one, turning scoring opportunities into 7 points can be crucial. The 49ers did it, but the Eagles did not. In the first half the Eagles came away with just 3 points despite being within scoring range three times. Javon Kinlaw came up with a block on the Eagles second FG attempt of the first quarter, and then an impressive goal line stand led by a tackle for a loss by Fred Warner resulted in a turnover on downs late in the second quarter. That sequence would prove pivotal, with the 49ers subsequently marching the length of the field to score and take a 7-3 lead into the half.

Demo Lenoir could be a steal. Two weeks into his NFL career and he now has two starts under his belt, and has impressed in back-to-back weeks. Yes, he gave up a 91 yard reception today, where he failed to get hands on the receiver at the LOS. But aside from that blemish he was excellent, showing good skills to stick with receivers and great awareness in using the sideline to his advantage. 

The 49ers still struggle to contain mobile QBs. While the defense played a good game overall, and much improved against the run up the middle, one area they still struggled with was preventing Hurts from using his legs to effectively extend plays and pick up yards. Fortunately the Eagles often failed to take advantage of it, but against more potent offenses the inability to contain the mobile QB will come back to bite them if they don't clean it up. I thought Dee Ford in particular was guilty of allowing Hurts to escape too easily, but all the DL struggled with it to some degree. 

Final Verdict

This was a gutsy road win led by the defense that could be a galvanising victory for the team moving forward. Coming out of their two week East Coast trip with two wins makes for a great start to the season and a nice platform to build from. However, injuries continue to be an issue for the team, this time losing their top 3 RBs to injury at various points in the game (though Elijah Mitchell would eventually return). Hopefully none of the injuries are serious. 

Gameday Live

 

Get your popcorn because this promises to be a good one. I expect a similar game plan offensively to the one from last year, but with a quarterback that can give Juice an opportunity to make the catch this time. Yes, create mismatches on the Eagles weak covering LB's. Let's get to the inactives:

Matt Maiocco

@MaioccoNBCS

·

24m

#49ers inactives CB Emmanuel Moseley CB Ambry Thomas DT Zach Kerr OL Aaron Banks

Looks like Cannon is up and will be the kick returner.

Week 2 Matchups to Watch: 49ers at Eagles

By Scooter_McG

The 49ers travel to Philadelphia in week 2 to complete the second leg of their East Coast trip to start the season. Both teams are coming off week 1 victories, defeating teams that many pundits consider to be bottom of the league rosters in the Lions and Falcons. Heading into week 2, the Eagles victory (32-6) looks the more impressive having shut the Falcons out the entire second half and steadily accumulating points throughout the game. The 49ers on the other hand led 38-10 and 41-17 at various points in the second half, but allowed the Lions to mount a furious comeback with some soft defense and silly handling errors while losing two key players for the season. 

However, it shouldn't be overlooked that the 49ers were in cruise control for most of the second half of that game after dominating the second quarter. And the 49ers offense was able to consistently move the ball and score points throughout. The Eagles, on the other hand, relied heavily on their front four overwhelming the Falcons offense and on offense used a slew of short, easy passes to set up run after catch opportunities. The team was also helped by some critical plays called catches that looked like they could easily have gone the other way. 

This is another game the 49ers really should win pretty comfortably if they play to their ability. Here are the key matchups I believe will determine the game.

49ers OL vs Eagles DL

There is no doubt the Eagles DL is the strength of their team. The interior of the DL in particular is a challenge for any offense, with the ever-excellent Fletcher Cox joined by Javon Hargraves and Hassan Ridgeway to provide constant pressure up the middle. They are joined by the perenially under-appreciated Brandon Graham at DE, who may not put up huge sack numbers but consistently has one of the highest pressure rates in the league. Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat are also no slouches on the edge. 

The 49ers OL performed very well in week 1 but this will be a much more difficult matchup. Trent Williams can be relied on at LT, but Mike McGlinchey needs to play a clean game at RT and there will be a lot of pressure on Alex Mack to have the interior of the OL on the same page and keeping the Eagles DTs at bay. 

I expect the 49ers will once again look to the run game and play action to keep the DL from teeing off and make life a little easier for the OL in this one. 

Keeping the Eagles DL relatively quiet will be essential to keeping the offense on track throughout the game and not letting this one become an arm wrestle.

49ers RAC vs Eagles Back 7

While the Eagles DL is a significant strength, the back 7 of the Eagles looks vulnerable. The 49ers got excellent production from the passing game against the Lions, led by Deebo and Kittle. However, with the danger of the Eagles front 4 I expect the 49ers will focus more heavily on stretching the Eagles horizontally than vertically in this one. Part of that will undoubtedly be through the run game, but look for a lot more completions underneath this week to let the 49ers offensive skill players use their natural run after catch ability to generate yards. 

I expect the YAC Bros (Deebo, Kittle and Aiyuk) to all see a lot of quick passes in this one. And after a quiet week 1, I expect Aiyuk will see his number called a lot more often as Shanahan looks to quiet some of the "dog house" chatter of the past week.   

If the Eagles do a good job of not allowing the 49ers receivers to get the ball in space this game will become a tough matchup. 

49ers Defensive Discipline

Ooof, that run defense was pretty brutal last week. The interior DL got moved off the ball too easily, and the run fits from the back 7 was all over the shop. The 49ers need to fix these issues in a hurry or Miles Sanders and co will keep the Eagles offense on track throughout the afternoon. 

It is also no secret that mobile QBs have been a bugbear of the 49ers in the past, and this week will be all about making sure Jalen doesn't Hurts them (yes, I went there). If the 49ers can keep Hurts in the pocket and not allow him to make many plays with his legs it will go a long way to shutting the Eagles offense down and take pressure off the 49ers injury depleted secondary. The 49ers pass rush should be good enough to harrass Hurts throughout the game so long as they don't allow him to escape the pocket, and Hurts has yet to show he can be a consistently accurate and reliable pocket passer. 

Equally important will be the back 7 limiting the yards after catch of the Eagles skill players. As outlined earlier, the Eagles relied heavily on the short passing game in week 1, making use of the athleticism of the likes of Jalen Reager, Quez Watkins and Miles Sanders, and I don't expect anything different in this one against the 49ers pass rush. The coverage must be ready to sniff out underneath passes while also making sure they remain disciplined to not allow the likes of DeVonta Smith or Dallas Goedert to get open deeper downfield. 

Silver Linings

 The injuries to key players have many feeling Deja Vu from last year. In the spirit of Monty Python's, Always Look On The Brightside Of Life:

Dee Ford looked like Dee Ford. I thought the dude was retiring!! That's found money right there, and I'm not talking small bills either.

Nice Bosa looked like Nick Bosa. Who comes back from an ACL the same player in less than a year? Jerry Rice and Nice Bosa. Hell yea!

Kinlaw's knee tendinitis may or not be as severe as Ford's was, but he had the surgery to get his knee healthy and the recovery rate is very high. Word on the Street was Kinlaw took a practice snap Friday and then ran into the end zone and did a reverse dunk on the crossbars. I expect it to get better for him as the season progresses, and the Eagles running game to suffer. 

Jimmy G is moving around in the pocket and "running" like his knee is no longer in his head. You could say he's playing with a chip on his shoulder, and that's a good thing.

Trey Lance is the backup quarterback rather than Nick Mullens.

The left side of the offensive line looks elite. By the end of the year this offensive line if healthy should be better than 2019's version.

Mitchell looks good in the Mosert-rati role.

Al-Shaair is more than capable of filling Greenlaw's shoes. 

Lenoir looks like he can help in the secondary. Doesn't look like a liability. Looks like another 5th round gem. He'll be a seasoned corner by the end of the year. 

Team culture is strong as evidenced by the two quarterback system, as opposed to how it's working in Chicago for Nagy. Accountability and standards on full display regarding players like Aiyuk and Sermon. Very good sign. 

Did We Win?

 Doesn't feel like it. I traveled up to Motown to see this team in person. It was a beautiful summer day as I stood in line to enter Ford Field. One of the first things I noticed was a picture of Jared Goff with the words, "Papi's Home". I thought it was funny given I had always thought of Goff as more of a "mijo", but I digress. I got through security with no problem, and the line moved quickly. The 49ers were well represented. I made my way down to the field area so I could watch Bosa warm up. He looked good. Deebo, Sherfield and Aiyuk played catch with our section twice a piece which was cool. To my surprise, Trey Sermon was inactive. 

The game began on a sour note for the 49ers, but the defense bailed them out. Campbell's aggressive nature was apparent early on. I felt this game should be a blowout and that's just how it unfolded until a series of unfortunate events had 49er fans very nervous. From not executing on 3rd and 6 with 6 minutes to go in the game, to Kittle's greasy hands; the Lions were in business where they should have had no business. So with the injuries and the way the team closed out the game, it was more a feeling of relief rather than emphatic victory.

On the way out of the stadium, the Niners chant echoed quite loudly throughout the halls as we made our way out of Ford Field, which did hearten our collective 49er souls.

The Positives: 

The offense looks like the strength of the team. To see Trent Williams perform was truly amazing. Except for the initial hiccup, Jimmy looked real good. Seemed to move in the pocket well. This could be a record year for Shanny in points scored. Mitchell looks like Mostert but not as upright a runner. Defensively, the pass rush was lethal making Goff very uncomfortable. 

The Concerns:

Injuries. They rolled the dice on Verrett, and he didn't last one game. Mostert-rati, like a true sports car is back in the shop, likely not to return.

Discipline issues defensively, specifically Al-Shaair and Greenlaw in the running game left me wondering if the departure of Holland has had a residual effect. I saw Givens getting pushed around, along with Kerr. Seems like it might be a problem until they can get Kinlaw healthy. 

Foot on the throat mentality is still missing in action. From the head coach down the team has to learn how to finish an opponent, otherwise a better team will rip our hearts out like Kansas City did. 

News And Notes:

Signed: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, one-year deal Promoted

RB Trenton Cannon

CB Dontae Johnson from team's practice squad. IR RB Raheem Mostert CB Jason Verrett Practice squad Add: LB Curtis Bolton RB Kerryon Johnson Cut: WR Isaiah Zuber

Most yards per carry in NFL history for RBs in regular season + playoffs (min 300 att): Raheem Mostert 5.77 Bo Jackson 5.49 Bobby Mitchell 5.43 Jamaal Charles 5.40

Here was the throw right in front of our section to Sherfield by Trey Lance:

Here's a video my daughter took of this kid that apparently lost a bet. She put it on Tic-Tok and it went viral. Last I checked it was over 1.5 million and Draft Kings put it up on their website. Fun Times!

Week 1 Post Match Review: 49ers at Lions

By Scooter_McG

The 49ers have started the season 1-0 for the second time in the Kyle Shanahan era, this time beating the Lions 41-33. Starting the season with the W is nice, and there were some positives to take away, but also some negatives that really take the gloss off this one. 

The game ended up a lot closer than it should have after the 49ers led the game 38-10 and 41-17. The Lions came back and had the ball at the 49ers 25 with a full set of downs and a chance to tie it late in the game, but the defense did enough to close it out with a some good plays from Dontae Johnson, Azeez Al-Shaair and Samson Ebukam. 

Here's what stood out to me.

Jimmy Garoppolo was sharp. Jimmy G finished the game 17/25 for 314 yards and a TD, and looked sharp throughout the game. He didn't make any of his usual boneheaded decisions and the only ball that was at risk of being intercepted was a deflection. His 79 yard TD to Deebo Samuel may not have been the prettiest pass you'll ever see, but he did a great job of standing tall in the face of the rush and recognising his WR was one-on-one with a defender that his back turned, allowing him to just put the ball in the vicinity and let Deebo make a play on the ball. Jimmy also did a great job avoiding pressure on a few occasions and making positive plays out of dangerous situations. Jimmy gets a game ball for this one, and was a key reason for the 49ers victory.

Deebo was targeted often and delivered, but then there was the fumble. Deebo had a monster game as he bullied whichever defender covered him throughout the game. He finished with 9 catches for 189 yards and the TD from Jimmy G. Deebo was particularly effective on the deep cross. However, he had the opportunity to put the game to bed with his third down reception late in the game, picking up first down yardage, but then allowed the defender to punch the ball out and set up a grandstand finish for the Lions. He had a great game, but he needs to have greater awareness at the end of the game. 

Elijah Mitchell looked good, but running game stalled in second half. Elijah Mitchell got plenty of action in this one (in part due to injury - more on that later) and he showed some nice elusiveness and toughness to pick up yards after contact on his debut. He finished with 104 yards on 19 carries including a 38 yard scamper for a TD.  The running game looked good in the first half, however, in the second stanza the Lions largely stifled the run game and prevented the 49ers from getting the edge. 

Offensive line was solid. The offensive line paved the way for a 31-10 lead at half time, providing nice holes for the running game and keeping pressure off the QBs. They remained solid in the second half, with the team only allowing one sack (on a corner blitz where the CB was not picked up by the RB), but the running game was bottled up as the offensive line was unable to create much space for the backs. Overall, it was a promising start for the offensive line, though it would have been nice to see the team continue to bully a Lions defensive line that is decent but nothing great. 

Trey Lance got his first taste of the NFL, with some ups and downs. Lance has the distinction of having thrown the 49ers first TD of the 2021 season, with a nice 5 yard toss to Trent Sherfield. He also had three runs on the day, but the Lions were all over each of the run attempts and shut them down very quickly. It was nice to see Lance get some game action, but the Lance run packages seemed like the least dangerous runs of the 49ers. If the 49ers hadn't allowed the Lions to mount their comeback I'm sure he would have seen some more action late in this one. 

Where was Aiyuk? As good as Deebo was, the lack of opportunities for Aiyuk was equally noteworthy. Aiyuk struggled during preseason and it appears the strong play of Sherfield has convinced the team to let he and Aiyuk split snaps. Sherfield saw the field early and often throughout the game in place of Aiyuk. And Aiyuk was held without a target. It is a startling fall down the pecking order for Aiyuk, who many believed was poised for a huge season and would be the 49ers #1 WR this year. After the game Shanahan indicated the recent hamstrong issues were a factor in the limited opportunities, but hopefully this isn't another Dante Pettis situation unfolding.  

Aaron Banks and Trey Sermon didn't suit up. While Banks sitting out was not unexpected, Sermon being a healthy scratch was a real shocker. That is the 49ers 2nd and 3rd round picks not suiting up for this one. Not a great look for the draft process. 

Interior of the defensive line got pushed around. The 49ers were without Javon Kinlaw in the middle, but throughout camp and preseason the talk had been that the defensive line, in particular the interior of the defensive line, was the strongest and deepest unit on the team. It didn't look that way in this one though. The DTs were routinely pushed out of the play or allowed to run themselves out of the play, opening some huge holes for the Lions running backs through the middle. The Lions running game allowed them to keep it close for most of the first half, and keep the 49ers from teeing off on Goff in the second half as the Lions mounted a comeback. Significant improvement is needed moving forward as the schedule gets tougher. 

Pass rush was good in the first half, but got gassed. The 49ers did a nice job of pressuring Goff early in the game, and pretty much throughout the first half. However, the 49ers also struggled at times in the second half mounting much of a pass rush, giving Goff plenty of time late in the game to find his receivers and keep the comeback on track. Again, the talk of the offseason was the quality and depth of this unit, but when Bosa and Ford were off the field the team did not seem to give a depleted Lions offensive line much trouble. 

Dee Ford was excellent. While the defensive line was a little disappointing overall, one guy that really stood out was Dee Ford. He caused the INT, and also had a sack, as well as creating pressure on a couple of other plays. Nick Bosa also showed flashes on his return, with a couple of bull rushes that really rocked Sewell and led to one sack. Street also had some nice plays including his first ever sack.

Deommodore Lenoir held his own. With Moseley out, Demo got the start at LCB. Bar a pass intereference penalty he played strong throughout the game with some tight coverage and as a result was rarely tested. It was a promising start to his career for the rookie, which is a good thing as he may be needed to play a significant role this year (more on this later).    

Injuries reared their ugly head. Hard not to feel sorry for Jason Verrett. He finally was able to put together a healthy season in 2020 and had an excellent season. But he went down in the fourth quarter with what looked like a serious knee injury. Verrett was very emotional coming from the field, no doubt fearing the worst. We'll need to wait for tests to come back but at this stage it doesn't look good. Losing Verrett for an extended period of time would be a huge loss for the 49ers at a position with limited depth (and based on tweets I am hearing the team believes it is an ACL and season ender). A lot of pressure now goes on newly signed Josh Norman and the rookie Lenoir. 

Mostert also went out early with a knee injury, though it didn't look to be as serious. While a number of other players spent some time on the sidelines with knicks. After managing to avoid major injuries for the most part through camp, it appears the 49ers injury luck has resurfaced.

The team struggled to close this one out. The 49ers have historically been sluggish week 1 under Kyle Shanahan, in particular on offense. That wasn't the case in this one - a botched snap to start aside, the 49ers offense was nigh unstoppable in the first half. And while the defense had some struggles against the run, they did a good job of not breaking most of the first half and came up with a big pick-6 to blow the game open late in the half. However, the second half was a completely different story. A few miscues on offense that stalled some drives, as well as some penalties on defense and ongoing struggles stopping the run, allowed the Lions to stop bleeding points and stay in the game. Then in the fourth quarter the team allowed the Lions to wrest momentum away and get on a roll, with Goff steadily picking up yards and gaining confidence while the run game continued to provide a nice foil. Even so, the Lions comeback should have been nothing more than some late consolation points, but Kittle failed to handle a difficult onside kick, and then Deebo fumbled after picking up what would have been the match sealing first down. 

It's only week 1 and some sloppiness can be expected, but these miscues and struggles in finishing off an opponent and closing out games is not a new thing for the 49ers or Shanahan. They need to be better in this regard. 

Final Verict

At half time the 49ers looked like they were on their way to an easy victory, but they simply let their foot off the gas and allowed a team that had no business hanging with them back in the game. They need to be better. The injury to Verrett, among other injuries, puts a real dampener on the win and puts some real question marks around the team's depth moving forward.  

Week 1 Matchups to Watch: 49ers at Lions

By Scooter_McG

Week 1 of the regular season is finally here! The 49ers travel to Detroit on Sunday to open their season - the first of two away games on the East Coast to start the season. The 49ers are expected to rebound from a torrid 2020 season that was marred by injuries, while their week 1 opponents are widely expected to be in for a tough year under their new head coach Dan Campbell.   

Even so, the 49ers have historically started their seasons slow under Kyle Shanahan, in particular on offense. This is one the 49ers should win, and win fairly easily, but anything can happen week 1. 

Here are the key matchups I think will decide this one. 

49ers defensive line vs Lions offensive line. The 49ers defensive line will be one to watch most weeks to be fair, but the season opener will see the strength of the 49ers defense matched against what many pundits believe to be the strength of the Lions team. However, starting LT Taylor Decker will miss week 1 which will be a big out for the Lions. 

The absence of Decker will see Nick Bosa matched up against rookie first round OT Penei Sewell. Sewell was crowned as a future All Pro before even being drafted, but he has struggled some in pre-season while playing at RT. In this game he will move back to his more natural LT position but it will be a tough introduction to the NFL against Bosa and the 49ers pass rush. 

The Lions skill position players are led by Jared Goff, second year RB D'Andre Swift, WR Tyrell Williams (who missed all of 2020) and rookie WR Amon-Ra St Brown. That is to say the Lions offensive "weapons" are nothing that should strike fear into a good defense. For the Lions offense to make a game of this one they will need the offensive line to keep the 49ers defensive line quiet and pave the way for their offense. 

Both Javon Kinlaw and Kevin Givens have been held out of practice this week and are in doubt for week 1. Even so I expect the 49ers defensive line to prove too good for a Lions offensive line without Taylor Decker, have Jared Goff runnig for his life and putting the ball in harms way, and for the Lions offense to struggle to move the ball most of the game as a result. 

George Kittle vs the Lions linebackers and safeties. In all the excitement of the 49ers QB situation, the running game and the anticipated emergence of Aiyuk and Samuel, it almost seems as if George Kittle has become something of an afterthought given his relatively quiet camp and preseason. I expect that will change after week 1. The Lions struggled to stop TEs all last year, and despite a new coaching staff the Lions defense still looks noticeably weak at linebacker and safety. With Jimmy G under centre I expect Kittle will be targeted early and often in this game and if the Lions linebackers and safeties don't step up Kittle will prove too much to handle for the Lions defense. 

49ers running game vs Lions defense. The Lions gave up the most passing and rushing TDs in the NFL last season, and were in the bottom 5 for yards allowed against both the pass and run. New HC Dan Campbell and new DC Aaron Glenn have not been handed much in the way of improvement in personnel on defense this year, and they face one of the (if not the) best running games in the NFL in the 49ers. While I expect Kittle will be the main target and too good for the Lions in the passing game, it is with the ground that this game could get out of control and quickly. I will be looking for the 49ers offensive line to dominate the trenches in this one and pave the way for Mostert and Sermon to both have very big games. Really, there is no excuse for them not to. 

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Field Yates

@FieldYates

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2h

he 49ers converted about $7.8M of S Jimmie Ward’s 2021 compensation into a bonus, resulting in about $5.85M of space. San Francisco is at about $7.3M in space. 

The 49ers converted about $7.8M of S Jimmie Ward’s 2021 compensation into a bonus, resulting in about $5.85M of space. San Francisco is at about $7.3M in space.

Looks like Jimmy Ward will be around for awhile, but who do they have their sights on? Richard Sherman? Mitchell Schwartz? Or is this just in season maneuverability money?