The injury bug has bitten the San Francisco 49ers. First, it was RB Christian McCaffrey, RB Elijah Mitchell, and rookie WR Ricky Pearsall. That was after the 49ers entered their 2024 training camp without S Talanoa Hufanga (knee) and LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles), who were injured last season. But now the 49ers will be without WR Deebo Samuel for a couple of weeks, and TE George Kittle may miss some time, as well.
The biggest question for 49ers fans may be whether or not QB Brock Purdy can lead his time to victory despite missing some key offensive stars. To get some perspective on what Purdy will be missing if his team has to play without McCaffrey, Samuel, and Kittle, let's take a look at what those three offensive weapons produced last season:
- McCaffrey (NFL Offensive Player of the Year, 3rd in NFL MVP, First-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl): 1,459 yards rushing (first in the NFL), 564 yards receiving, 21 total touchdowns.
- Samuel: 892 yards receiving, 225 yards rushing, 12 total touchdowns.
- Kittle (First-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl): 1,020 yards receiving, six touchdowns.
So that's 1,684 rushing yards, 2,476 receiving yards, and 39 touchdowns missing from the lineup. But it's not just the production the 49ers could be missing on the field, it's the leadership and the attitude those three players bring. In 2023, for example, the 49ers were 0-3 without Samuel.
How do the 49ers overcome these losses and win on Sunday? Well, for starters, it helps that Sunday's opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, is missing even more players than the 49ers. It also helps that the 49ers will essentially have a home game even though they are playing at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Here are three things the 49ers must do to help Purdy lead his limping team to victory:
1. Run the ball.
Jordan Mason is second in the NFL in yards rushing with 247. And he hasn't just lucked into those. Yes, the offensive line has played a key role, opening plenty of holes through which to run, but Mason has been dominant. He has looked like a lead back and has played like a star so far.
The Rams enter the game giving up 5.6 yards per rush, third-worst in the NFL. They've surrendered three rushing touchdowns and four rushes of 20 yards or more. The 394 rushing yards they've allowed so far is also the third-worst in the league.
The 49ers rushing attack, meanwhile, has run for 282 yards through two games and has averaged 4.5 yards per carry. They should be able to run on the Rams defense. But can Mason carry the load yet again? Kyle Shanahan and Bobby Turner need to find another running back who can take some carries away from Mason. Rookie Isaac Guerendo likely isn't ready for that role, but veteran Patrick Taylor, Jr. could be. The 49ers also have fifth-year player Ke'Shawn Vaughn on the practice squad.
Vaughn has appeared in 43 games, all with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Taylor had 141 yards rushing on 32 carries last season with the Green Bay Packers.
2. Give Purdy time to throw.
Last week in Minnesota, Purdy did not have a lot of time to throw. He was sacked six times. On the season, Purdy has been sacked eight times, hit four times, hurried 10 times, and pressured 22 times. He's been pressured on 28.9% of his dropbacks.
Some of that was on Purdy last Sunday. He held onto the ball a little longer than usual in Minnesota. After the game, he told Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores that his scheme was "crazy." So Purdy had some problems making decisions as quickly as he normally does.
But even though some of it has been on Purdy, most of the issue has been with the offensive line. In week two, even Trent Williams wasn't great. And center Jake Brendel has been especially bad in pass protection, often ending up on the ground. The 49ers offensive line has to be better, and they have to give Purdy time to throw. If he will be playing without three of his favorite targets on Sunday, his teammates will have to pick up the slack.
Fortunately for Purdy and the 49ers, the Rams are giving up 9.9 yards per passing attempt, the worst in the NFL. Their defense is also surrendering a passer rating of 121.4, which is the third worst in the league.
3. Get other players to step up.
In addition to Mason and the other running backs, the 49ers need some of Purdy's other teammates to step up, as well. Wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell, and Jacob Cowing need to be able to create separation and pick up some of the slack for Samuel.
When Kittle left the game for a handful of plays last Sunday, TE Eric Saubert stepped up and made a couple of catches. The 49ers will be relying on Saubert, and possibly other tight ends like Jake Tonges to make some plays. The 49ers also have TE Brayden Willis on the practice squad.
Additionally, FB Kyle Juszczyk could be used more, especially in the passing game. Juszczyk rarely runs the ball, but he will sometimes slip out of the backfield and make a catch at just the right time. Purdy may need more of that from his fullback on Sunday.
All eyes will be on Purdy to see how well he can perform while he's missing some of his offensive stars. But he can't do it alone. He'll need his teammates to step up, and he'll need his coaches to put him in good situations. The rest will be up to him.