NFL 100 Preview: San Francisco 49ers

2019 Prediction: 6-10

It’s been a wild three years in San Francisco. Back in 2017 the 49ers hired the premier head coaching candidate in Kyle Shanahan, brought former-All Pro John Lynch out of the broadcasting booth to be their general manager despite having no front office experience, and then landed prized quarterback prospect Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots at the trade deadline.

Garoppolo, took over as starter in Week 13 and went undefeated to close out the season. Two months later, the very impressed 49ers signed Garoppolo to a five-year, $137.5 million contract, making him the highest payed quarterback in the league at the time. Hopes could not have been higher for the 2018 season, but all was lost after Jimmy G went down in Week 3 with a torn ACL. San Francisco would go 3-10 without their franchise quarterback.

Now, the Niners are looking to make the 2019 season what the 2018 season could have been, but before we take a glimpse into the future lets flashback for the NFL 100.

Best Moment: The Catch (1981)
For a franchise with so many great moments it really wasn’t a hard choice. With 58 seconds left in the NFC Championship game, quarterback Joe Montana found a leaping Dwight Clark in the corner of the end zone, capping off a 14-play, 83-yard drive and sending the Niners to their first Super Bowl.

The Catch set the foundation for the dynasty that was to come. The 49ers would go on to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, the first of their four Super Bowl victories over decade.

Best Uniforms: 1994
Without a doubt the best. Not only does it look great with the black accent on the numbers, black stripe along the pants, and the 75th Anniversary patch; but they also won their last Super Bowl wearing them.

It’s been seven years since the 49ers last made it to the Super Bowl. A drought the storied franchise would like to break, but do they have all the pieces to make it happen? Lets take a look at the top stories surrounding the 49ers as they head into the 2019 season…

Health
As previously mentioned, Jimmy G only appeared in three games last season. But he was far from the only player bit by the injury bug. Starters Jerick McKinnon, Pierre Garcon, Jaquiski Tartt, and Jimmie Ward all missed half the year or more. The team decided to part ways with Garcon in February. McKinnon, didn’t even get to see the field after tearing his ACL in practice.

Returning starters aside, the Niners brought in other players with major injury concerns this offseason. The team signed linebacker Kwon Alexander to a $54 million contract, despite Alexander working his way back from a torn ACL. The team also added talented but fragile cornerback Jason Verrett. Verrett’s addition is a low risk, high reward gamble. He is coming back from a torn Achilles tendon.

Expensive Pass Rush
The Niners have invested a lot in their defensive line over the past few years. DeForest Buckner (No. 7 overall), Arik Armstead (No. 17), and Solomon Thomas (No. 3) were all first-round picks and only Buckner has lived up to the billing. Armstead completed his first full season in 2018 and Thomas has been a steady, but unspectacular contributor.

To remedy their lackluster investments, the team went out and signed Dee Ford to a five-year, $87.5 million contract. He’ll be playing with his hand in the dirt more than he did in Kansas City, it will be worth watching if he can replicate his 13 sacks from last season. The Niners also spent another first-round pick (No. 2) on Nick Bosa. With so much capital being poured into the defensive line, one would hope things finally begin to pay off.

Turnover Troubles
The 49ers forced only seven turnovers during the 2018 season, the fewest in NFL history. Only two of those seven turnovers were interceptions and neither were registered by a cornerback. Writing this feels wrong, but those are the cold hard facts. Absolutely crazy.

Obviously, a better pass rush helps the secondary, but the cornerbacks need to step up too. Only there is little depth at the position and future hall-of-famer Richard Sherman can only do so much. Fellow cornerbacks Akhello Witherspoon and K’Waun Williams need take a big step in 2019. As does Ward, a versatile weapon who has had trouble staying healthy. Watch for the veteran Verrett or youngster Tarvarius Moore to emerge…hopefully.

Kicker Drama…Yes, Kicker Drama
You read that right. The 49ers thought they had their special teams set after placing their franchise tag on veteran kicker Robbie Gould. The deal would pay Gould $5 million for the upcoming season, his third with the team.

But after the team flirted with free agent kicker Stephen Gostkowski, Gould was “unsure when or if” he would report to San Francisco, according to his agent Brian Mackler. He also requested a trade to Chicago, where his family still lives. It’s rare to watch a kicker holdout, so we’ll see how things go.

BREAKOUT: Dante Pettis, WR
Pettis had a productive season for an injury plagued rookie. Over 12 games, with seven starts, the former-Washington Huskie posted 27 receptions for 467 yards and five touchdowns. A true deep threat, Pettis connected well with Garoppolo over the first two weeks, but then came injuries for both. Pettis ended the season strong and will look to roll that production into 2019 with Jimmy G back at the helm.