Matt Maiocco talked to George Kittle about his recovery from a broken bone in his foot. The 49ers’ tight end hinted that he’s close to getting back on the football field and hopes to play before the season ends.
The NFL regular season provides plenty of time for a wide range of emotions.
This season, the ups and downs have been extreme, unlike any other year.
For the 49ers, the highs included uplifting victories, such as the team’s season sweep over the Los Angeles Rams.
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But the lows of this season have already taken the organization and its fan base to the Earth’s inner core.
The nomadic 49ers are 5-6 and in the thick of the NFC playoff picture as they pack up and head to Arizona for however long is necessary.
Contact sports are not allowed within Santa Clara County as hospitalization due to COVID-19 continue to rise.
It is not an overreaction to think the 49ers will not be allowed back in the county to practice or play for the remainder of the season.
But what about on the field?
Overreactions? Or simply reasonable observations? We’ll be the judge.
Overreaction? Yes.
The 49ers certainly do not have the worst pass-blocking offensive line in the NFL. Period. Let alone, the worst by a long shot.
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The 49ers have given up 27 sacks this season. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has been sacked 46 times.
The 49ers’ pass-blocking is probably around the middle of the pack in the NFL.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey has probably gotten the most heat from the fan base. He is tied with three others among offensive tackles in the NFL with 23 pressures allowed, according to Pro Football Focus. He has allowed three sacks, eight hits and 12 hurries.
Daniel Brunskill (21) and Laken Tomlinson (20) are among 26 interior offensive linemen who have yielded 20 or more quarterback pressures this season.
Meanwhile, Trent Williams grades as one of the top pass-blocking tackles in the league.
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Now, we fully understand that you arrived at your reaction after watching the line try to block Aaron Donald. He is the best in the business, and he makes every offensive line look like that.
I have a feeling there will be another disagreement here: If the 49ers are able to re-sign Williams, I’m of the belief they should keep their offensive line intact for 2021.
I believe it's logical to envision Williams at left tackle; Tomlinson at left guard; Brunskill or Ben Garland at center; Brunskill or Colton McKivitz at right guard; and McGlinchey at right tackle.
Assuming Williams returns, the 49ers should sink their money and draft resources into other positions and leave the offensive line alone.
Overreaction? Yes
Somebody over there must be doing something right.
Do you remember the 49ers’ defense before general manager John Lynch arrived?
Of course, a few of the draft choices did not work out. And the 49ers did not even get a full season of production from Dee Ford after the trade to acquire him.
But it is a bottom-line business. And the bottom line is that the 49ers’ defense has played remarkably well despite all of the injuries they have been forced to endure.
The 49ers rank No. 6 in the NFL in total defense, allowing 315.2 yards per game. Their pass defense is fifth in the league.
The defense has remained the strength of the team despite injuries to so many important players, including Nick Bosa, Ford and Richard Sherman.
Do we give all the credit to defensive coordinator Robert Saleh? He deserved a ton of praise (and a head-coaching job), but Lynch has still managed to stock the roster with enough good players to keep things afloat.
Overreaction? Yes.
The entire defensive backfield will not be gone next season. But it remains a possibility that there will be some dramatic changes.
Safety Jimmie Ward, who is playing at the level the 49ers expected when they signed him to a lucrative three-year contract in the offseason, will be back.
More than likely, Ward and Tarvarius Moore will be the 49ers’ starting safeties next season. Moore has one year remaining on his original rookie contract.
Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley is likely to return, as the 49ers can keep him around at a lower cost as a restricted free agent.
But the 49ers will most likely be forced to make a decision on whether to re-sign Richard Sherman or Jason Verrett as unrestricted free agents.
I’m not sure that the organization’s cap situation will allow them to bring back both players.
RELATED: Kittle expects to return to 49ers' lineup 'sooner than later'
Overreaction? Perhaps not.
First of all, it’s premature to assume the 49ers are bound for the postseason.
After all, they still have an uphill climb to be one of the seven (or eight) teams that advance to the postseason from the NFC.
But ... if the 49ers are able to finish strong and, somehow, get into the playoffs, they will be the team that nobody in the conference will want to meet in the postseason.
If the 49ers are able to string together win after win after win, they will buy time for Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle to get back in the final week or two and perhaps even make a difference in the playoffs.
Saleh can push the right buttons with the defense, and Kyle Shanahan would finally have most of his key players on offense with Garoppolo, Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jordan Reed.
So it is possible the 49ers could be getting stronger and stronger down the stretch of the regular season and carry it over to the postseason.
