Week 1 in Australia is almost here for the San Francisco 49ers, and one of the biggest questions hanging over their matchup with the Los Angeles Rams is how much Mike Evans will actually be able to handle in his debut.
The 49ers made the smart move by arriving a week early, giving themselves time to adjust to the 17-hour time difference and whatever weather they’ll be dealing with. Evans, meanwhile, is still trying to get settled into the team after a training camp that’s been interrupted by a quad injury and then a groin injury.
He has practiced only once before the trip, but he is clearly set to play against the Rams. The issue isn’t availability. It’s usage.
There’s a real case for the 49ers to be careful with him. Evans has been dealing with soft-tissue problems at a worrying clip since camp began, and at 33, with plenty of wear on his body, the risk of pushing him too hard is obvious. One option would be to use him almost entirely in the red zone and rotate him in and out before that, which would also open the door for rookie De'Zhaun Stribling to see plenty of snaps.
That approach would make sense if the 49ers wanted Evans more as a decoy, especially with the Rams boasting two outstanding cornerbacks. But that does not sound like the direction they’re headed.
The expectation is that San Francisco leans on him right away. In fact, the first play of the game could be a quick pass to Evans. Kyle Shanahan is not likely to waste time making his newest weapon part of the plan, and getting him involved immediately would send a clear message to the Rams that Evans is central to what the 49ers want to do.
That would give the offense an early Evans-Christian McCaffrey rhythm, with the hope that it opens things up for Deebo Samuel, Stribling and George Kittle as the game unfolds.
It’s a gamble to treat Evans like he never missed most of training camp, but this is a must-win game for the 49ers and they need the offense to carry the load. That’s true not only because the Rams are a divisional opponent, but also because the team traveled 16 hours or more to get to Australia and arrived a full week ahead. After all that, walking away with a loss would sting.
So the expectation is that Evans will be featured heavily. A line like eight targets, six catches, 80 yards and a touchdown feels like a realistic starting point.
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49ers Suddenly Have Real Trade Deadline Pressure To Go For It
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Pass-rush help is the area most often mentioned around the Niners, and that alone tells you where the pressure is building. Jared Verse has been one of the names floated as a possible target, and his contract status for the next two years only adds to the intrigue for a team that wants more disruption up front without sacrificing long-term control. The question for San Francisco is no longer whether it can afford to chase a difference-maker, but whether this is the moment to spend the capital to do it. [Read more 🡒]