The San Francisco 49ers open the season on Monday Night against the New York Jets. It wasn't a Monday Night game, but who could forget the opening week win over the Jets in 1998? That was when RB Garrison Hearst took an overtime handoff 96 yards to seal an exciting 36-30 win. This game isn't expected to be as high-scoring, but it could be just as close.
Following a dramatic offseason, there are plenty of questions for the 49ers. Some are specific to the season, and some are more specific to the opener. With the Jets bringing back QB Aaron Rodgers from the Achilles injury that cost him his 2023 season, the national audience on Monday Night will certainly be tuned in to see how Rodgers looks. But there are a few questions that fans of the 49ers are especially interested in. Here are five of them:
1. Can the 49ers stop the run?
There's no Dre Greenlaw and likely no Talanoa Hufanga. How will the 49ers run defense look without two of their best defensive players? Last season, especially late in the regular season and postseason, the 49ers struggled to stop the run, at times. Have they improved in this area? They changed defensive coordinators and added some players along the defensive line, including defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliot. Collins is more of a pass rusher, but Elliot should be a welcomed addition to the run defense.
Losing Greenlaw hurts the defense, but the 49ers brought in former All-Pro linebacker De'Vondre Campbell. The hope is that Greenlaw's loss isn't as impactful with the veteran Campbell starting in his place.
If the 49ers can't stop the run, it will be a long season. If they can, expect them to be one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl next February.
2. How will the revamped defensive line perform?
In addition to Collins and Elliot, the 49ers also added edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos. And though Gross-Matos will miss week one with a knee injury, Floyd is healthy and ready to pressure Rodgers. You may recall that Floyd is the one who hit Rodgers and caused the injury on the Jets' fourth offensive play of the season a year ago. So the two have a history.
In the offseason, the 49ers lost Arik Armstead, who signed a free-agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Can the addition of Collins and Elliot fill that void? And can Floyd add that presence off the edge that the 49ers have been searching for since 2019?
3. Is Christian McCaffrey healthy?
Christian McCaffrey, the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year, is listed as questionable with calf and Achilles soreness. Don't worry, the 2023 rushing champ will play on Monday Night. But how much will he play? And how effective will he be? Is he healthy or will these injuries hamper him against the Jets?
Back-up running back, Jordan Mason, may receive more playing time than normal. And the way Mason looked this training camp and preseason, that may not be a bad thing. And yet, when you have the best running back in the league on your team, you want him on the field. But the 49ers will be more careful with McCaffrey this season than they were a year ago.
4. How much will Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk play?
LT Trent Williams ended his holdout only a week ago. But it sounds like he will play and play a lot on Monday. At least that's what Head Coach Kyle Shanahan suggested. "I'd like him to [play the whole game], but you've got to watch it," Shanahan said. "We've got to talk to him. I haven't done this too much with a tackle. O-linemen are different with rotating...but also it seems weird to just watch Trent sitting on the sideline next to us. That's something we'll be on top of throughout the game and he'll be honest with us and how he feels."
The 49ers need Williams on the field. He is a future Hall of Famer and is still elite at his position. San Francisco's offense is noticeably better when Williams is in the lineup versus when he's not.
If Williams plays most of the offensive snaps, WR Brandon Aiyuk may not play quite as much. "Don't know [how much he will play] yet," Shanahan said. "He plays most of the game usually. Probably be surprised that same amount, but he's in good shape. He's had a really good week. His soreness hasn't been too big. After each practice he's pushed it real hard, do some stuff extra after and he looks good and he's ready to go."
5. Who will return kicks?
The 49ers drafted two rookies who they hope will be the main kick returners this season—RB Isaac Guerendo (kickoffs) and WR Jacob Cowing (punts). Guerendo is big and can fly. But he's been dealing with injuries, so whether or not the 49ers use him on Monday Night remains to be seen. He looked good returning kickoffs in the one preseason game in which he played.
Cowing was one of the stars of the preseason. He's likely the team's best punt returner. Cowing is confident, has excellent hands, and has great speed. But will Shanahan trust a rookie to return punts, especially in the first game of the season, under the bright lights of Monday Night? Last season, rookie WR Ronnie Bell returned punts, but he muffed a few. Count me as one who does not want to see Bell back to receive punts or kickoffs.
Most of these questions will be answered on Monday. Some may still linger. But at least the regular season is here and we'll soon see how the 49ers will look in 2024.