49ers’ depth must deliver to keep contender status – San Francisco 49ers Blog

The 49ers are also awaiting the return of limited conclude George Kittle (sprained knee), cornerback Richard Sherman (strained calf), receiver Deebo Samuel (foot) and defensive conclude Dee Ford (neck), none of whom was energetic on Sunday.

All of which left Shanahan the moment again preaching the value of each individual player on the roster in a year that could slip absent fast if depth will not arise.

“I just informed the men we do have a superior group, but there’s also so several men in our area that can get a good deal far better, coaches and gamers,” Shanahan said. “And when you get rid of some superior men like we did and it will almost certainly be for a whilst, we need to have men to get far better. There is a range of men who can make improvements to on our group, and which is what we’ve obtained to target on executing.”

If you can find a silver lining to be discovered in all the injuries, it really is that turning to the deepest reaches of the roster for manufacturing is practically nothing new for this group. Final 12 months, on their way to an NFC title, the Niners seemed to put up with just one or two key injuries each individual week. When tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey went down, unknowns this kind of as Justin Skule and Daniel Brunskill loaded in perfectly. The similar was real for limited conclude Ross Dwelley stepping in for Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

This 12 months, it starts with quarterback Nick Mullens, who is no stranger to changing an wounded Garoppolo. Mullens started eight video games for Garoppolo in 2018 and posted a passer ranking of ninety.eight. On Sunday, he done eight of seventeen passes for seventy one yards with an interception whilst mainly taking care of the recreation to get to the conclude. Although Shanahan said Garoppolo could continue to enjoy future week from the New York Giants, it really is tricky to imagine him playing as a result of a large ankle sprain on the similar MetLife Stadium playing surface area the Niners believe that did them no favors on Sunday.

“Mentor Shanahan claims it at the start off of the year and quite a lot each individual week,” Mullens said. “Most people has a position on this football group, all 53 of us can help the group get far better in just one way or one more, and that is additional real now than it has been.”

At managing back, it really is Jerick McKinnon who stands to get the most get the job done, although Jeff Wilson Jr. figures to get some prospects. That will not even account for gamers this kind of as limited finishes Jordan Reed and Dwelley, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Mohamed Sanu, all of whom need to get additional snaps mainly because of injuries.

“We’ve obtained a good deal of depth, and over the a long time, Kyle and [basic supervisor] John [Lynch] have produced the group that they have, and men are completely ready to phase up,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “I assume not only the men who experienced to phase up now, all people in the locker home can get far better.”

Coincidentally, it really is McKinnon and Reed, who experienced blended to overlook 3 full seasons before acquiring on the area this 12 months, who could enjoy integral roles in trying to keep the Niners’ higher than water whilst gamers heal. Reed scored two touchdowns Sunday in Kittle’s stead and McKinnon scored his next landing in as several months to go with seventy seven speeding yards.

“When you go as a result of items, you obtain expertise,” defensive conclude Arik Armstead said. “We have been in conditions like this before in which our men have been heading down and men have been compelled to phase up, and which is what we’re gonna have to have.”