The Playoff Push
The San Francisco 49ers. One of the most legendary franchises in NFL history and now the sole team of the Bay Area. In 2019, the 49ers were ten minutes away from winning the sixth Super Bowl in franchise history, which would be tied for first all time with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. Unfortunately, a late game collapse led to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs emerging victorious, leaving very bitter feelings in the hearts of 49ers fans worldwide. Looking to bounce back and avoid the dreaded “Super Bowl Hangover” in the 2020 season, the 49ers were ready to make another deep playoff run. That season’s hopes were cut down almost immediately, with a season ending injury to franchise cornerstone Nick Bosa in Week 2 and an injury almost every other week for starting Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Tight End George Kittle. In 2020, no team in the NFL had more injuries sustained throughout the season than San Francisco. The current 2021 season felt like a re-fresh from the prior two years of heartbreak. Having traded up to the third overall pick in the draft, the 49ers selected QB Trey Lance from North Dakota State, and have publicly stated that he will be the one leading the franchise moving forward. However, having played ball at a smaller school with what most would consider below-average competition, the 49ers opted to start Jimmy Garoppolo for the season, believing he will give them the best chance of winning this season. With a healthy Nick Bosa and George Kittle, the 49ers will be looking to make it back to the playoffs this year.
After starting the season 2-0 with victories over the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles, the team proceeded to lose 4 straight games before breaking the slump against the Chicago Bears in Week 8. Week 9 saw the 49ers get blown out at home against a wounded Arizona Cardinals team, which led many supporters of the team to question where the 49ers’ long-term trajectory was taking them. Sitting at 3-5 through 8 games, a Monday Night Football showdown against division rival and then 7-2 Los Angeles Rams would be a pivotal game if SF wanted any hopes of keeping the playoff hopes alive. While the 49ers were heavy underdogs in this game, they had beaten Los Angeles in their last four games, which gave 49er fans hope that something could happen. That “something” was third-year wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is currently having a breakout season and quickly becoming a fan favorite among the NFL community. Samuel heroically had 5 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, and added 36 yards rushing with another touchdown. After the game Samuel promised 49er fans that they will sweep the LA Rams this season for the third season in a row.
Samuel is playing at an All-Pro level this year, with 1,006 receiving yards with 6 games still remaining. He is the first receiver in NFL history to record 1k receiving yards, 5 receiving Touchdowns and 5 rushing Touchdowns. The 49ers have also recently been using Deebo as a Running Back multiple times a game, making his case for the most versatile player in the entire league. What makes all of his stats all the more impressive, is that Samuel does most of his damage after the catch (YAC = yards after catch), making him one of the most exciting players in the NFL to watch. Deebo is currently 2nd in the league behind Cooper Kupp in YAC this season and 2nd in the league in all-purpose yards (rushing/receiving) with 1,284. On the other side of the ball, third-year Defensive End and former 2nd overall pick out in 2019 Nick Bosa is having a career year. After winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and helping lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his rookie year, he was expected to be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Year 2. Unfortunately he tore his ACL in Week 2 that year and lost the season. Bosa is the leading candidate for Comeback Player of the Year this season as he is fourth in the NFL in sacks with 11, which is a career high with six games remaining. He also displays his impact in the run game with 16 TFLs (Tackle for Loss). Bosa is a key player for the 49ers and anchors a top-10 defense in the league currently. Having him in the lineup forces opposing teams to gameplan around him, which frees up opportunities for other players on the team to make winning plays. With the way these two players are playing, Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and General Manager John Lynch must be ecstatic considering they got Bosa and Samuel in the first and second rounds of the same draft in 2019.
Following the Rams game, the 49ers started rolling, winning their last two games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Minnesota Vikings. The win against the Vikings has the 49ers slotted as the 6 seed (out of 7) in the playoffs if the season were to end today. While the team has shown its resiliency throughout this season, there are still six important games remaining. Analysts believe ten wins should guarantee the 49ers a playoff spot, meaning they would need to win 4 of the next 6. With games against the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams remaining, we could be in for quite the finish. Next Week the 49ers will head up to Seattle to face Superstar Quarterback Russel Wilson and the Seahawks in a rivalry game that can change the trajectory of the rest of the season. This is a must win game for the 49ers. The final game of the season, Week 17, will be played in Los Angeles against the Rams in another rivalry game that could very well shake up the playoff seeding in the NFC. Only time will tell what will happen to the 49ers this season, but for the moment, they will continue to control their own destiny.