Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Baldy: 49ers miss Mike McDaniel, offense flat without him
Sep 27, 2022 at 10:53 AM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The San Francisco 49ers defense has been outstanding through three games this season. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the offense. The Niners currently own the No. 2 ranked defense in the league. The offense, on the other hand, sits at No. 24.
While the 49ers have struggled to a 1-2 record, the Miami Dolphins, coached by Kyle Shanahan's former right-hand man, Mike McDaniel, are one of two undefeated teams and just knocked off the Buffalo Bills.
Some are starting to wonder if the loss of McDaniel was too much for Shanahan and the 49ers offense to overcome.
"I thought they would miss him, and I think they [do]," NFL analyst Brian Baldinger said on 95.7 The Game's
The Morning Roast. "It just looks very beige, this offense, if you've got to put a color to it. It's just flat. I think Mike McDaniel is a big loss because what Mike does, nobody is willing—even if you're willing to put the time in, you don't know, really, what you're looking at. He just has that skill.
"You can replace a running back coach. You can replace a run-game coordinator. They get replaced all the time. But [you can't replace] somebody that is willing to do what Mike did. And so, I thought it would show up, and look, you had one explosive run by Wilson. You're on your third running back. I understand that. One explosive run. Otherwise, they were struggling to get two yards a carry."
Removing Jeff Wilson Jr.'s 37-yard run from the equation, the 49ers averaged just 2.8 yards per carry against the Broncos.
Baldinger added, "And so, it has looked like that for much of the season so far."
So what is the 49ers offense's identity in 2022? The NFL analyst's response wasn't what hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky hoped to hear because it's probably not something that is sustainable through 17 games.
"I think the identity of the offense is their defense just giving them good field position and getting the ball back to them," Baldinger said. "You think about this: They had like 15 possessions, but on 12 possessions on Sunday night, they had a first down or less. One or fewer first downs on 12 possessions.
"So if you ask what's the identify, the identity is you fumble the ball at midfield on a quarterback-center exchange, the most basic play in football, and the defense gets you the ball back in three plays. Their identity right now is their defense.
"If the defense takes the ball away, forces a punt, like they've been doing for three straight games in a row, that's when the offense is basically feasting. Other than that, I can't give [you the identity]."
You can listen to the entire interview with Baldinger below.
Related News
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Why Baldy sees 49ers QB Brock Purdy as a legitimate MVP candidate
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger asserts that Brock Purdy is a legitimate contender for the NFL MVP award. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has been playing at an elite level, leading the league in several statistical categories, including completion percentage (70.2), touchdown percentage (6.9), yards per attempt (9.6), yards gained per completion (13.7), and passer rating (116.1).
"If Brock Purdy keeps playing like this, I think Brock Purdy is the MVP," Baldinger said Tuesday morning on 95.7 The Game's "The Morning Roast" show.
While acknowledging that the 49ers are a perfect fit for Purdy, Baldinger dismisses the notion that San Francisco's talented roster and head coach Kyle Shanahan's system are solely responsible for Purdy's success.
"Honestly,
49ers vs. Seahawks Injury Report: These 6 players miss Thursday practice
The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for their Week 14 contest against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is recovering from a rib injury and was able to practice on Wednesday while wearing a blue no-contact jersey. However, the key special-teams player wasn't on the practice field on Thursday.
Running back Elijah Mitchell and guard Spencer Burford, both dealing with knee injuries, did not practice but were seen getting some work on the side.
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead emerged from Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles with knee and foot issues and is not expected to play against
Brock Purdy and 49ers offense among the best in team history
Where does the 2023 San Francisco 49ers offense rank among the franchise's greatest? Based on what they did in Philadelphia last Sunday, scoring a touchdown on six consecutive possessions, they should be considered among the best in team history. Nick Wagoner, of ESPN, wrote that what the 49ers did last Sunday was the first time a 49ers offense had scored on six straight possessions in a game since 1992. And it's only the second time it's been done over the past decade.
#49ers scored a TD on 6 straight drives today. It's first time they did
"We got too many weapons": 49ers defense very confident in offense
The San Francisco 49ers will undoubtedly rise to the top of most—if not all—power rankings this week after their 42-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. It will be hard to find anyone who doesn't view the Bay Area squad as the Super Bowl favorite after 13 weeks of NFL play.
San Francisco is proving to be a balanced team, equally impressive on offense and defense. Even 49ers defenders are in awe of the firepower on the offensive side of the football.
"I think the offense showed what we capable of when we're fully healthy," cornerback Charvarius Ward said in the locker room after the game.