The 49ers will play in the postseason after a well-earned break.
The San Francisco 49ers have earned a nice break with a bye week before the divisional round of the playoffs, having completed the regular season.
With head coach Kyle Shanahan announcing that the team will work out hard twice this week before taking the weekend off, the 49ers are still planning to practice hard.
The 49ers also received some encouraging news regarding injuries: wideout Jauan Jennings is out of the concussion protocol, and tight end George Kittle, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, safety Tashaun Gipson, cornerback Ambry Thomas, and safety Ji’Ayir Brown will all be back in practice this week.
Though the 49ers are doing well overall, what are some potential problems before the postseason?
We talked about the 49ers’ Week 18 loss to the Rams in our most recent podcast episode, as well as the team’s potential opponents in the postseason.
The 49ers’ injuries must be at the top of the list. San Francisco has a number of important players back this week, but it’s important to remember the variety of injuries they dealt with in the final few weeks of the season.
Even the injuries to supporting players were noteworthy because they cost the 49ers their best third-down chain-mover, Jauan Jennings, and their dependable return man, Ray-Ray McCloud, which caused some lapses in both areas.
Defensive end Clelin Ferrell will now probably be missed by the 49ers for a considerable amount of time, and Christian McCaffrey might not be fully recovered for the final stretch.
Even at 80%, McCaffrey is a fantastic player, but without him, San Francisco’s outside run defense may suffer. Still, the defense does have depth along its line.
Given the importance of the kicker position and the fact that Jake Moody’s recent struggles are occurring at the most inopportune time of the season, there is also reason for concern.
A potential problem going into the playoffs is the offensive line, especially the right side.
Is this the 49ers’ best-15 unit? Although there is a case to be made for it, it doesn’t justify right tackle Colton McKivitz’s performance this season, given how poorly the right side has performed against elite teams overall.
The 49ers’ offensive line has previously struggled in the playoffs, and they will now have to contend with some elite pass-rushers. Look no farther than the 49ers’ inability to maintain protections for long enough in the 2021 NFC Championship Game. With Jimmy Garoppolo starting at quarterback, this wasn’t a recipe for success.
San Francisco is more dominant offensively in the current era, but how their offensive line fares against the tougher pass-rushes is something to monitor heading into the playoffs.