The 49ers walked out of their loss to the Atlanta Falcons with a brutal lesson: this team’s ceiling and floor are tied to Mike Evans.
When Evans is on the field, the 49ers look like a different operation entirely. In the wins, they showed they can beat anybody in the NFL, including the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Seattle, and the source of that edge has been Evans.
Brock Purdy looks like Joe Montana. Kyle Shanahan looks like Bill Walsh.
But that version of the 49ers comes with a warning label. Evans has already broken ribs in Week 3 and dealt with Achilles tendinitis in Week 6, which kept him out of the last game and a half. He likely has to manage that tendinitis for the rest of the year, and at 33 - after missing nine games last season - the team has to plan for stretches without him.
That’s where things get ugly. Without Evans, the 49ers aren’t just less dynamic; they’ve looked flat-out ordinary.
Over the last six quarters he has missed, they’ve managed only 23 points, even with Shanahan, Purdy, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey still around. That’s not enough for a team built to contend.
The reason is simple: Evans is their best player, and everybody knows it. Purdy keeps forcing the ball his way because good things happen when he does. Shanahan keeps trying to scheme him open because nobody can cover him.
That usage came at a cost. The 49ers leaned on Evans early, feeding him repeatedly in the win over the Seahawks in October, and that workload helped lead to the Achilles issue that may never fully disappear.
Against the Falcons, Shanahan had to pivot. He turned to McCaffrey, who the article says is too old to carry the offense at this point in his career.
Out of necessity and desperation, Shanahan called six plays for McCaffrey on the opening drive alone, and McCaffrey quickly injured his quad. Now he joins the growing list of veteran pieces the 49ers have to manage carefully.
There is some relief coming. The bye week arrives at a good time, and Evans is expected back soon.
Deebo Samuel and Demarcus Robinson are also on the way, and De'Zhaun Stribling could return too. That means the 49ers probably won’t be stuck again with Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Brandon Cooks and Christian Kirk as their only active wide receivers.
Even so, the bigger problem remains unchanged. The 49ers likely will keep facing games without Evans and/or McCaffrey, and George Kittle and Trent Williams are not exactly iron men either.
With Evans, the team is dangerous. Without him, they’re vulnerable.
If he misses a playoff game, the article suggests, they probably lose it.
Unless they go get another Hall of Fame wide receiver before the deadline, this season runs through Evans.
In Other News...
49ers Bye Week Could Clarify A Return Picture Fans Need To See
The bye week arrives at a useful time for a 49ers team that has spent much of the first half juggling injuries, roster moves and the expectation that help is still on the way. San Francisco is using the break to reset physically and sort through a return picture that includes several important names, with the hope that the roster looks a lot healthier once the season resumes.
There is still some uncertainty in the timing, though, especially for the players fans are watching most closely. Deebo Samuel is part of that recovery conversation, but his hamstring situation may require a little more patience even after the break, while the 49ers are particularly eager to see one of their defensive leaders get through the extra week in good shape. Other injured players remain further away, leaving the team to balance short-term caution with the need to get stronger for the second half. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Shanahan Heads Into Bye With A 49ers Problem He Must Fix
The 49ers have spent much of the early season trying to build on clean, efficient football, but the last two weeks have complicated that picture. After standing as the leagues least-penalized team through Week 5, San Francisco suddenly looked sloppier in back-to-back games, with discipline issues becoming a more visible part of the conversation as the offense and defense both fought through a rough stretch.
Kyle Shanahan now gets the bye week to sort out a problem that has started to chip away at the Niners edge. Penalties are rarely the flashiest issue on a contender, but they can quickly become one when they alter drives, extend possessions and force a team to play from behind. For a San Francisco group that still has bigger goals in front of it, the coming week offers a needed reset before the season resumes. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Defense Just Made 49ers Fans Notice One Uncomfortable Thing
The Falcons defense spent Sunday making the undefeated 49ers look far less comfortable than anyone in San Francisco would have liked. Atlanta was outgained overall, but the unit kept finding ways to matter, coming up with key stops and stressing a Niners offense that has been built on control, balance and efficiency.
For 49ers fans, the uncomfortable part was how much the game tilted once the ground attack stopped humming. San Francisco had been rolling early on the run, then saw Atlanta clamp down after halftime while the defense kept building momentum with takeaways and timely adjustments, leaving plenty of room to wonder how quickly an elite offense can lose its rhythm when the other side keeps winning the hidden battles. [Read more 🡒]