The San Francisco 49ers came so close to winning the Super Bowl last season, and with the talent they have in their squad, it was to be expected that they would be a candidate again this season. Unfortunately, an unbelievable number of injuries left them 6-9 and headed for a fascinating offseason. Richard Sherman is among the 49ers’ many free agents, Jimmy Garoppolo was mediocre and injured for much of the year, and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is ready to be the head coach in 2021.
To end our 5 Qs and 5 As segment for the 2020 regular season, I spoke with Kyle Posey of Niners Nation about this Sunday’s regular season finale against NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks, as well as what the future holds for San Francisco.
1.) There were a lot of injuries to count on both sides of the ball, so I actually credit Kyle Shanahan for getting six wins in this group and Robert Saleh for still being in the top 10 defense by DVOA and EPA / play. Which players do you think shone the most?
Fred Warner was one of the best linebackers in the NFL and deserves all the praise he received. Warner is about to be paid as the biggest LB in the NFL this coming season. Jason Verrett is another player who stood out, and his performance against DeAndre Hopkins last week is an excellent example of why. In the attack, you would have no idea that Trent Williams lost an entire season. He played on an All-Pro level and point guard Laken Tomlinson is not far behind him. These four played at a high level throughout the season.
2.) Kyle Shanahan said he believes Jimmy Garoppolo will be the 49ers’ starting lineup in 2021, but coaches say many things that are not true. Do you expect San Francisco to look for other options at QB next year?
They chased another quarterback less than a month after losing the Super Bowl last season. Shanahan said the team would upgrade if an option is available. I would be shocked if we didn’t hear rumors that the 49ers were flirting with the idea of negotiating or writing a quarterback in the coming months. Jimmy’s injury history is not easy to imagine the team rolling with Garoppolo as a starter in his fourth year with the Niners, after he practically missed two of those seasons due to injury. You cannot pay your initial QB starter in cash if he is not in the field. As for saying false things, the team did this to DeForest Buckner last season. This happens when the coach speaks and protects a player who may need to be changed in this off season. There is no reason for anyone in the organization to speak ill of Garoppolo.
3.) Richard Sherman played only five games this season, and he looked absolutely terrible against the Cowboys. Does it look like the end of the road for Sherm as a Niner?
Yes, and Sherman recognized that. He said during his media session a few weeks ago that the writing was on the wall. The 49ers have 40 unrestricted free agents, they will have to pay Warner and possibly a quarterback. Paying a cornerback on the wrong side of 30, who has been injured in two of the past three seasons, makes no sense. We saw Verrett and recently Ahkello Witherspoon play well in Sherm’s absence. I’m more curious if Sherm hangs up after this season or if he follows defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to his new destination.
4.) Talking about this Sunday’s game, the 49ers had great success running the ball last week against the Cardinals. Seattle has one of the best running defenses in the league, but Shanny seems to be excellent at planning big quick strikes with anyone. What kind of game plan do you expect from the 49ers’ attack against a much improved Seahawks defense?
It will be a tough sledge while Trent Williams is out. Then again, the 49ers had a lot of success running in the middle of last week. Most of his moves come with the defense coming out of its loopholes when San Francisco moves, so we can expect to see a lot of that. In the season, according to Sharp Football Stats, 49ers average 4.0, 4.8 and 4.0 yards per pass when they run to the right side of the scrimmage line and have the highest success rate when they run to the right too. Expect a lot of racing moves in that direction, especially with Williams out. It is difficult to imagine any jet sweep or to end without Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel, considering what remains on the list.
5.) What is your prediction for this? You can still play spoilers and negate Seahawks’ improved seeding.
CJ Beathard played the best he could last week with a support cast that will not be available to him. The Seahawks do not have the same rush pass as Arizona, but they are much better at the linebacker, and their athleticism and intelligence in high school can confuse you. Defensively, the Niners should do better this time, assuming Verrett plays better against DK Metcalf than Emmanuel Moseley earlier this season. San Francisco has been very good at limiting the big game this season. As the year went on, Saleh became more creative as a player and put the defense in a successful position every week. They have been great. I don’t think the Seahawks will score 37 again, but I also don’t see the 49ers attack scoring 27. Seattle 24, San Francisco 17
Thanks again to Niners Nation for answering these questions, and we can get one more reaction from the enemy 49ers before they enter the off-season!