SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have performed video games with out Deebo Samuel Sr. within the final 12 months and a half. And so they’ve performed video games with out Christian McCaffrey within the final 12 months and a half.
However they’ve by no means performed a sport in that span with out both Samuel or McCaffrey, a problem for Kyle Shanahan’s offense Sunday in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams.
Shanahan mentioned Wednesday that his playbook received’t essentially contract with out these gamers however conceded he’ll name performs in another way.
“You remove some particular issues that you’d solely do for these guys, however the quantity (of performs) doesn’t change,” he mentioned. “It’s simply that there’s issues these guys do very nicely. Nothing different guys can’t do. However there’s sort of totally different percentages on how a lot you name them and issues like that.”
Samuel didn’t observe Wednesday, though he was seen strolling round within the locker room and weight room with out a limp. Shanahan mentioned Samuel’s calf damage doesn’t contain his Achilles tendon like McCaffrey’s does.
The difficulty is that McCaffrey and Samuel are essentially the most versatile weapons in Shanahan’s arsenal. They’re adept within the working and passing sport, forcing defenses to decide on whether or not to counter them with defensive backs or linebackers and giving the 49ers extra choices with their assault. When McCaffrey was dominated out for Week 1 in opposition to the New York Jets, for instance, the 49ers used Samuel as a McCaffrey-like change-of-pace possibility out of the backfield.
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So what do the 49ers do with out each of them? How do they complement the hard-charging fashion of prime tailback Jordan Mason, who hasn’t had a lot manufacturing as a third-down again? Listed below are their choices …
Take a web page from the previous
This isn’t the primary time the 49ers have confronted a working again scarcity early within the season. It additionally occurred in 2018 when Jerick McKinnon, on observe to be San Francisco’s do-everything again that season, tore his ACL simply earlier than Week 1.
His backup, Matt Breida, additionally battled accidents all through the season, resulting in numerous video games wherein fullback Kyle Juszczyk grew to become the de facto third-down again. For instance, Juszczyk had six catches for 75 yards in an early-season loss to the Arizona Cardinals that season and completed with a career-high 324 receiving yards.
The 49ers have already got been favoring Juszczyk whereas McCaffrey’s been out. He has eight targets and 59 receiving yards by two video games. If he retains up that tempo, he’ll end with a brand new career-high — 502 receiving yards.
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Roll with a newcomer
The 49ers produce other tailback and tailback-like gamers on the roster, although all of them have been calmly used at this level.
Isaac Guerendo actually has the instruments to be a change-of-pace possibility. The rookie is the crew’s quickest working again and was named Indiana’s “Mr. Soccer” as a large receiver. He initially was a receiver at Wisconsin earlier than switching to working again, and he had 22 catches for 234 yards final season at Louisville.
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The difficulty with Guerendo is inexperience, which was exacerbated by a four-week-long hamstring damage this summer season. Guerendo merely hasn’t taken many snaps with the 49ers and has only one carry — for no achieve — up to now this season.
Like numerous younger runners, Guerendo didn’t present sufficient endurance on his lone carry Sunday, although Shanahan didn’t assume it could have been a large achieve had he chosen the right lane.
“(Mason) had one like that within the sport, too,” Shanahan mentioned. “With a distant in our fingers, all of us sluggish it down and see that, however I don’t assume there was a giant one there. If he would’ve stored urgent, I feel he would’ve obtained 1 to three yards and tackled.”
Patrick Taylor Jr. has essentially the most expertise of the group. He’s been a backup runner for the Inexperienced Bay Packers for the final three seasons, which implies he’s well-versed within the 49ers’ offensive scheme. Nonetheless, he was primarily a particular groups participant in Inexperienced Bay and didn’t get numerous alternatives as a move catcher. His most prolific season got here final 12 months when he had 11 catches for 49 yards.
Patrick Taylor Jr. has NFL expertise with the Packers, although principally as a particular groups participant. (David Gonzales / Imagn Photographs)
The 49ers have used him in an identical means up to now. He has eight snaps on particular groups by two video games, zero on offense.
Lastly, rookie receiver Jacob Cowing could possibly be an possibility. He lined up sporadically in Arizona’s backfield final season and is sweet on the jet sweeps and screens the 49ers like to offer Samuel as a approach to preserve defenses transferring laterally.
Like Taylor, nonetheless, the 49ers haven’t been wanting to get him concerned within the offense and he has no offensive snaps up to now this season. At 168 kilos he’s additionally the 49ers’ smallest participant and the 49ers probably are leery of over-using him — particularly on carries — in a sport.
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Carry somebody from the surface
This seems to be the 49ers’ final resort. The 49ers didn’t usher in any working backs or receivers for tryouts on Tuesday, the day most groups achieve this, they usually could also be ready to see how McCaffrey’s Achilles problem resolves earlier than doing something dramatic. The soonest he can return is the Oct. 10 sport in Seattle, which is on a Thursday.
If the 49ers did really feel compelled so as to add a flexible tailback, they’ve choices. Breida spent the second half of coaching camp with them and stays obtainable. So is McKinnon, who caught 81 passes and scored 13 receiving touchdowns over the previous two seasons for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. McKinnon, nonetheless, wasn’t with any crew this offseason and hasn’t practiced for the reason that run-up to the Tremendous Bowl.
The 49ers additionally might commerce for a working again accustomed to their system with the running-back-laden Miami Dolphins being an apparent commerce accomplice. The commerce deadline this 12 months is Nov. 5.
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Odds & ends
• Security Talanoa Hufanga went by a full observe for the primary time since tearing his ACL on Nov. 19 and is on observe to make his 2024 debut Sunday in Los Angeles.
“Clearly, you at all times miss Huf on the market,” Shanahan mentioned. “The massive-play functionality, how nicely he communicates, flying sideline to sideline. We’re going to be pumped. He ought to get again this week if all the things goes proper. We’ve missed him.”
Ought to Hufanga begin as anticipated, he’ll be paired with Ji’Ayir Brown. George Odum began the primary two video games at security however misplaced snaps to rookie Malik Mustapha on Sunday in Minnesota.
With Hufanga again at full energy, Samuel was the one 49er who didn’t observe in full on Wednesday.
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• Shanahan mentioned Cowing would proceed to deal with punts regardless of his muffed try within the third quarter in Minnesota.
“Relating to catching stuff, he’s been as pure of a catcher as we’ve had in our eight years right here, simply in observe, how he’s been within the video games,” Shanahan mentioned. “I do know that one obtained away from him, and we are able to’t have these. However everybody muffs one right here and there. You simply hope that was the tip of it.”
• Shanahan attributed Mitch Wishnowsky’s blocked punt within the first quarter to sluggish response time on the correct aspect of the road. The Minnesota Vikings’ C.J. Ham break up Robert Beal Jr. to the within and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to the surface to get the block.
BIG punt block for the @Vikings!
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📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/EyUolJwU9W— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
“We have been late off the ball on the correct aspect, which made one man a little bit bit behind after which the man outdoors of him was a little bit bit too vast,” Shanahan mentioned. “He might have been a little bit tighter to avoid wasting (Beal). We had a snap rely that attempted to shock them and it (as a substitute) stunned one in all our guys who was simply — he missed half a second on the highway and stuff.”
• Atlanta Falcons security Jessie Bates III beat out Fred Warner for NFC Defensive Participant of the Week. Bates had 12 tackles, two passes defensed, a game-sealing interception and a deal with for loss in a come-from-behind win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Warner had two pressured fumbles, an interception, a sack and led his crew in tackles in Sunday’s loss.
• Former 49ers Joe Staley, Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker have been among the many 167 modern-era gamers nominated for the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame’s upcoming class on Wednesday.
The trio of gamers performed their closing video games in 2019, making them eligible for the 2025 class. Staley spent his 13-year profession in San Francisco. Davis spent 9 full seasons with the 49ers earlier than transferring on to Denver and Washington. He ranks eleventh all-time in receiving yards by a decent finish with 7,562. Walker performed seven seasons in San Francisco and one other seven in Tennessee.
(High pictures of Kyle Juszczyk and Isaac Guerendo: Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Photographs)
