One NFL game is in the books for Week 17, and it may have left a few fantasy managers in a hole. Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard and Tennessee Titans...
Elite Defense and O-Line Can Lift 49ers Past NFC's Best in the Playoffs
Dec 16, 2022
49ers DE Nick Bosa
There's a perception in today's NFL that a team cannot make a legitimate Super Bowl run without an elite quarterback. Well, the San Francisco 49ers are poised to put that theory to the test.
San Francisco is now on its third starting quarterback of the season. Yet, as the 49ers showed once again on Thursday night, their defense and offensive line are strong enough to challenge the best the NFC has to offer.
Are the Seattle Seahawks among the conference's best? No, but the 7-7 Seahawks aren't pushovers either. Thursday's game was a tough, physical divisional battle that San Francisco faced in a hostile environment. While the 49ers didn't exactly make it look easy, they dominated in the trenches, forced mistakes on defense and delivered a decisive 21-13 victory.
The 49ers have now won seven in a row and are as hot as any team in the NFL. They continue rolling with that aforementioned third-string quarterback.
Let's talk about rookie quarterback Brock Purdy for a moment, because he is one of the top stories in San Francisco right now. Taken with the 262nd and final pick of 2022, Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant on draft weekend and largely unknown in Week 1.
Starter and 2021 third-overall pick Trey Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending foot injury two weeks ago, which handed the keys to Purdy.
In his two-plus games since, Purdy has done nothing to disappoint. Against Seattle, he finished 17-of-26 for 217 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a key first down on San Francisco's final drive. He did it all without one of the 49ers' best players in wideout Deebo Samuel.
More importantly, the rookie has shown poise, accuracy, a solid understanding of Kyle Shanahan's offense and an ability to push the ball down the field. Just check out this play from Thursday, during which Purdy surveys the field, works through his progressions and finds tight end George Kittle breaking loose in the secondary.
The bottom line is that anyone high on the 49ers a couple of weeks ago when Garoppolo was healthy should still be extremely high on them—even with Mr. Irrelevant running the offense.
And plenty of folks should be high on the 49ers because of their defense, their running game and their offensive line.
The line, headlined by All-Pro Trent Williams, can open holes for in-season trade acquisition Christian McCaffrey. The former Carolina Panthers star has become a force in San Francisco and came into Thursday's game with 426 rushing yards, 316 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Against Seattle, McCaffrey rumbled for 108 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards and a touchdown.
That line helped pave the way for a ground-oriented nine-play, 71-yard drive at the end of the game to chew up the final 3:35 and seal the win.
The line can also give Purdy time in the pocket to survey the field, which is critical in a passing attack predicated on spacing. Shanahan doesn't rely heavily on timing patterns but rather utilizes the threat of the run and route patterns to get receivers open.
Brock Purdy has thrown 62% of his passes to open receivers tonight. HC Kyle Shanahan has drawn up a great game plan to make it easy for his rookie QB and SF is in control
If Purdy has the time to see receivers breaking open, he's shown that he can be dangerous. The 49ers are loaded with offensive playmakers, and they're expected to have Samuel back at some point in the postseason.
The 49ers expect Samuel "to return at some point during the regular season," according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner.
Purdy has shown that he can get the ball to those playmakers.
Brock Purdy has found his TEs and RBs tonight with great success. He's 11/14 for 89 yards & 2 TDs. their EPA/TGT is 0.43, an extremely efficient number when measuring how successful these throws have been in helping SF score
Then, there's the defense, which has been dominant since giving up 44 points to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. Since then, San Francisco has not surrendered more than 17 points in any game.
Coming into Thursday, the 49ers ranked first in rushing yards allowed, 12th in passing yards allowed, first in total yards allowed and first in points allowed for the season.
This elite defense—headlined by Nick Bosa, Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner—gives San Francisco a big margin for error, almost regardless of who is under center.
This margin, San Francisco's ability to protect the passer (24 sacks allowed on the season) and its ability to run the ball are exactly why the 49ers can get past teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.
The Eagles, who own an NFL-best 12-1 record, have been spectacular. However, they've thrived on racking up points (first in scoring), getting sacks (49) and forcing turnovers on defense (23).
Philadelphia also ranks a modest 24th in yards per rush allowed (4.7).
Dallas is a similarly built team, ranking third in scoring, third in points allowed, logging 48 sacks and amassing 23 defensive turnovers—but also allowing 4.4 yards per play on the ground.
While Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott may give the Eagles and Cowboys the edge at quarterback, respectively, San Francisco matches up extremely well with both the Eagles and the Cowboys. The Minnesota Vikings, who are 10-3 but are also a largely offensive squad, are an even better matchup for the 49ers.
Minnesota ranks 10th in scoring but dead-last in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed. That's not a formula that plays well against a 49ers defense that limits points, especially in the second half.
San Francisco did allow 10 second-half points to Seattle, but it's worth noting that starting cornerback Charvarius Ward exited with an injury before the Seahawks found their first touchdown.
According to the Amazon broadcast, Ward exited for a concussion evaluation and was cleared but did not return. Before that, he was spectacular against star Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf.
Charvarius Ward aligned across from DK Metcalf on 25 of 35 routes (71% shadow) in the first three quarters before leaving the game with an injury.
Seattle was still held to 277 total yards and 16 first downs while converting just four of 13 third-down tries. Rookie sensation Kenneth Walker III was held to just 3.9 yards per carry after averaging 4.7 coming in.
Geno Smith was sacked three times and faced constant pressure throughout the game.
Now, before we prematurely crown the 49ers as Super Bowl favorites, it's worth noting one big fact. We haven't seen how Purdy performs when facing a significant deficit. There's a difference between being a reliable game-manager and being a signal-caller who can spark a comeback.
Of course, with this defense and offensive line, the 49ers may not face a large deficit again before this year—at least until Super Bowl LVII, if they get that far.
The 49ers' formula of winning in the trenches, with defense and on the ground has taken them to two NFC title games in the past three years. There's every reason to believe it can take them to a third in the coming months.
Brock Purdy Stirs 49ers Super Bowl Hype on Twitter as SF Clinches NFC West Title
Dec 16, 2022
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 15: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of the game at Lumen Field on December 15, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers are NFC West champions in large part because of their backfield combination of Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey.
Just like everyone drew it up at the start of the season.
San Francisco clinched the division crown Thursday with a 21-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Purdy threw two touchdowns, both of which went to tight end George Kittle, and led the 10-4 visitors to their seventh consecutive win.
Social media had nothing but praise for the rookie signal-caller:
At this point, Brock Purdy has to have the inside track to being the 49ers QB of the present AND future. 49ers will be too afraid to deal him or Trey Lance in off-season, so they'll battle it out all summer.
The biggest storyline for San Francisco is how it has survived so many injuries. It is down to its third quarterback of the season with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo both sidelined, and do-everything playmaker Deebo Samuel was also out Thursday.
Enter Purdy, who was Mr. Irrelevant in this year's draft but is now a household name among all 49ers fans after leading the team to consecutive wins over the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seahawks.
He provided the highlight of a first half largely controlled by the defenses by faking a screen to one side of the field, turning around and faking a screen to the other side, and then hitting a wide-open Kittle over the middle for a touchdown on a beautifully designed play.
It was McCaffrey's turn to find the end zone after San Francisco's formidable defense set him up in ideal position with a monster Dre Greenlaw hit on Travis Homer and long fumble return by Charvarius Ward. By the time Purdy found Kittle for a 54-yard score on the first possession of the second half, the game was seemingly over.
The two-touchdown sequence sandwiched around halftime was a reminder of how perfectly set up San Francisco is for a quarterback to have success. There are playmakers such as McCaffrey and Kittle all over the field, and Nick Bosa spearheads one of the best defenses in the league.
Still, Purdy has played better than anyone could have realistically expected, and the NFC West-champion 49ers are Super Bowl threats as a result.
Tom Brady, Christian McCaffrey Headline Madden 23 Player Ratings Update After Week 14
Dec 15, 2022
SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 11: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi's Stadium on December 11, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Buccaneers 35-7. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
If Sunday's matchup didn't make it clear, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady is trending in the wrong direction and San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey is trending in the right one.
Madden NFL 23 announced its latest batch of player ratings updates Thursday, and McCaffrey is the headliner. The running back jumped to a 96 overall, which makes him the second-best back in the game:
Only Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns (98 overall) is rated higher at the position.
McCaffrey made the one-point jump and moved ahead of Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry (95 overall) after a brilliant performance during Sunday's dominant 35-7 win over Tampa Bay. He ran for 119 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries and added 34 yards and another score on two catches.
The do-everything back will be even more important for San Francisco with Deebo Samuel sidelined because of knee and ankle injuries and the inexperienced Brock Purdy under center, and he will have the opportunity to keep the momentum rolling in Thursday's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle just gave up 223 yards and two scores on the ground in its loss to the Carolina Panthers, so McCaffrey could be in for a monster game.
Brady was on the other sideline of that 35-7 blowout, and the Buccaneers quarterback saw his rating drop to 90 overall.
Brady is a legend and widely accepted as the best quarterback in NFL history, but this season has not been particularly kind to the Buccaneers offense. Tampa Bay is an ugly 28th in the league at 17.2 points per game and managed just one touchdown against the 49ers.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion went 34-of-55 for 253 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.
While the future Hall of Famer did throw two touchdowns in each of the previous three games, his rating took a hit after his team was blown out by Purdy and the 49ers. At least he can take solace knowing Tampa Bay's 6-7 record is good enough for first place in the dreadful NFC South.
The NFC West division champion could be crowned Thursday night. And with how well the San Francisco 49ers have been playing, there's a decent chance that it...
We've reached Week 15 of the 2022 NFL season, which means it's playoff time in virtually all season-long leagues. If you made it to your fantasy playoffs,...
49ers' Deebo Samuel Expected to Return from Ankle, Knee Injuries in 'Threeish' Weeks
Dec 13, 2022
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 11: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi's Stadium on December 11, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is expected to be out for "threeish weeks" while he recovers from knee and ankle injuries, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Tuesday.
The 49ers said Monday that the 26-year-oldsuffered a sprained MCL in his left knee as well as a sprained left ankle. They added that he was expected to return during the regular season.
Samuel was injured in San Francisco's Week 14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he carried the ball up the middle and landed awkwardly after being tackled. He was visibly emotional as he was carted off the field.
The South Carolina product this season has recorded 54 catches for 612 yards and two touchdowns while adding 228 rushing yards and three scores on 41 carries.
Samuel established himself as one of the most productive offensive players in the NFL last season, racking up 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns on his way to earning first-team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl selection.
The 49ers rewarded him with a three-year, $71.6 million contract extension with $58.1 million guaranteed in July.
While he hasn't put up those astronomical numbers, he has been a major part of San Francisco's success. The 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL with a six-game winning streak heading into Thursday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Without Samuel in the lineup, Brandon Aiyuk will be San Francisco's top option on the outside. Running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle could also get more targets in the passing game.
Sunday's win wasn't all positive for the San Francisco 49ers, as start wideout Deebo Samuel exited the game on a cart. However, that was about the only thing...
NFL Fans Troll Potential Baker Mayfield, Christian McCaffrey Reunion with 49ers
Dec 5, 2022
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Carolina Panthers hands the ball to running back Christian McCaffrey #22 during the second half of their NFL game against the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
With Baker Mayfield officially released by the Carolina Panthers on Monday, the question becomes where the veteran quarterback might end up.
One possibility is the San Francisco 49ers, who have lost Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo for the season already due to injuries. That has left the relatively unproven Brock Purdy atop the depth chart, so a veteran option like Mayfield—even if he has played poorly this season—would make sense.
Certainly, NFL fans and reporters think so, though not with much confidence that Mayfield would improve San Fran's title odds or benefit former teammate Christian McCaffrey:
On Baker Mayfield: I imagine McCaffrey's input would be valued by the 49ers on this. Mayfield isn't a Shanahan-style QB and his personality sure doesn't seem to fit this locker room, but maybe worth a flyer.
At this point I've given up trying to predict what kind of performance you'll get from Baker Mayfield, but I'd absolutely tune in to see what Kyle Shanahan could make of him.
The most obvious answer here is #Niners are interested in Baker Mayfield. Who was much better in Cleveland than his detractors want to admit. This is going to be fascinating.
Mayfield, 27, was poor in Carolina, throwing for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions in six starts (seven overall appearances), completing just 57.8 percent of his passes while taking 19 sacks. He was ultimately benched for P.J. Walker.
He doesn't offer the ideal resume, in other words, though the 49ers are running out of options. It's a potential marriage that makes sense, in other words, despite the red flags.
The San Francisco 49ers won on Sunday, but they're probably feeling about as low as they possibly could on a victory Monday. San Francisco handled a very good...
