The 49ers are heading into their bye week with a lot more optimism than a team coming off its first loss usually has.
After San Francisco fell to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Kyle Shanahan said Monday that a sizable group of injured players has a chance to be back for the Nov. 8 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. The names Shanahan mentioned were Nick Bosa, Mike Evans, Luke Gifford, Marques Sigle, Garret Wallow, Demarcus Robinson and CJ West.
Shanahan also said Upton Stout was dressed only for emergency purposes on Sunday, but the hope is that the bye week gets the second-year cornerback back in the lineup as well.
That matters most at a couple of spots where the 49ers have felt thin. At receiver, the offense clearly missed bodies against Atlanta.
The group accounted for just seven of Brock Purdy’s 27 completions and 14 of his 40 attempts. Getting Evans, San Francisco’s leading wideout, back would be a boost, and so would the return of Robinson, who had looked efficient in his two games before getting hurt.
Bosa’s possible comeback may be just as important. The pass rush stalled badly against the Falcons, generating pressure on only 9% of Michael Penix’s drop backs. That gave the Atlanta quarterback time to operate and helped swing the game.
One area that does not appear to be changing is kicker. Eddy Pineiro missed his fourth extra point of the season on Sunday, and seventh overall in two seasons with the Niners, while also sitting on three missed field goals, the most in the NFL this year. Pineiro said he will “go back to the tape” during the bye week, but he’s also the first 49ers kicker since Ray Wersching in 1986 to miss a kick in five straight games, and his extra-point struggles are already piling up in an ugly way.
The loss also came with one major injury scare that turned into a relief. Christian McCaffrey left after “having his leg die on him” in the second quarter, after playing a key role early in the game plan. His absence helped shape the turning point of the afternoon, but the word “mild” and the bonus of extra recovery time gave the 49ers at least one encouraging note to carry into the break.
For San Francisco, the bye week now looks huge. The roster should look different on Nov. 8, and the extra time could make all the difference as the team tries to regroup after a rough stretch.
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From Atlantas perspective, the chatter lands because the Falcons are among the clubs that could use a player with Thomas upside if Jacksonville ever decides the timing and price are right. For now, it remains more speculation than a real market, but the fact that Atlanta is already being mentioned tells you how quickly a situation like this can gain traction. [Read more 🡒]