It's always a big week when the San Francisco 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams. In 2021, the rivalry became even bigger when the 49ers had to win in the season's final week, in Los Angeles, to make it into the playoffs. On Thursday night, the 49ers must win again to keep their slim postseason chances alive. But it won't be easy for San Francisco. The Rams have a dynamic offense and the 49ers defense has been inconsistent this season. And that's putting it nicely.
The defense, and the 49ers overall, roared back to life last week against the Chicago Bears. Can they repeat that performance this week? Their opponent is much better, so it will be a huge challenge.
We are back with a new edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. Thank you for all your questions. We've used the good ones and placed the bad ones on season-ending IR. Hopefully, there are no hard feelings. Let's jump into the mailbag.
How likely is it we bring coach Saleh back next year? - Jeremiah J.
It's possible, but I don't believe it's very likely that Robert Saleh will return to Santa Clara. It's not that the 49ers won't like to have him back. But will Saleh want to return to the 49ers? He may need to return to being a defensive coordinator, but he may prefer to do it somewhere other than under Kyle Shanahan's wing. Not because he doesn't respect Shanahan, but because he may want to make a name for himself without Shanahan getting some of the credit. A lot of Shanahan coaches have gone on to be head coaches and coordinators, but how many have been successful as head coaches? Saleh wasn't. Mike McDaniel hasn't been overly successful in Miami. DeMeco Ryans has done well, but his team has been up and down this season.
My best guess is that Saleh goes back to being a defensive coordinator, but it will be somewhere else.
Sad to see Ben Bartch go down as he seems like an upgrade to Banks. On a related note, Jaylon Moore looks to be holding his own in place of Big Trent. Would he possibly get a look as a replacement for McKivitz? - Andy G.
Will Jaylon Moore replace Colton McKivitz? This year, no. The 49ers aren't going to sit McKivitz in place of Moore this season. Now is it possible Moore could replace McKivitz next season? Perhaps. Or maybe he will be a placeholder in case Trent Williams retires sooner than we expect him to.
McKivitz has been better in 2024 than he was last season. And Moore has been a pleasant surprise in place of Williams. But I doubt either is who the fanbase wants to see out there. That said, can we expect Shanahan and John Lynch to take a tackle in the first round, trade for an upgrade, or bring in a free agent? They replaced Joe Staley with Williams. Maybe they'll do it again when Williams moves on. Or maybe they'll fall in love with a first-round tackle.
What was the main difference on defense yesterday? The pass rush looked solid but Charvarius Ward looked lost out there. - Leo N.
On defense, the pass rush made a difference. They were great and pressured Caleb Willaims all game. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos were especially active.
It was great having Talanoa Hufanga back, too. The defense, including the run defense, looked better when he was out there. I didn't think Charvarius Ward was that bad. He hasn't been the same this season, understandably so. But on Sunday, he was targeted only three times and allowed just 20 yards, including the touchdown. I don't think I would say he looked lost.
Offensively, the difference was Brock Purdy. He was excellent. So was Gorge Kittle, Jauan Jennings, Isaac Guerendo, and the offensive line. Almost everyone on offense looked good.
Can Purdy win against good teams? - Mike B.
Purdy has already won games against good teams. His first game in 2022 was against a good Miami Dolphins team. He also won in Seattle that season, while playing through an injury. In the playoffs, he beat the Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. Any win in the postseason is against a good team.
In 2023, he beat Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Green Bay, and Detroit. This year has been different, but yes, Purdy can win against good teams.
Hey Marc, who do you feel or have you heard who is next for a contract extension? Kittle has played well and is going into his final year. Huff might be a guy we can resign at and cheaper price. Happy Holidays! - Lowbridge
Thanks, Lowbridge. I have not heard anything, and that's ok. When the 49ers do new extensions that we don't see coming, we normally don't hear anything until it's revealed. They are likely working on some new contracts for players like Purdy, Kittle, and perhaps, even Hufanga.
I predict Purdy's new contract will be completed shortly after the season. That's how they did it with Jimmy Garoppolo after the 2017 season. Now, I believe he was scheduled to be a free agent, so that may be part of the reason the 49ers moved so quickly with Garoppolo. But you don't want long holdouts and contract issues with your starting QB. If Purdy didn't sign until after training camp, the season would be over before it started. So that will never happen.
I can see them extending Kittle, as well. Hufanga may be more of a one-year deal just to give him another healthy season to show what he can do.
Hoping that Guerendo's injury isn't too bad. But I assume we'll see more of Patrick Taylor since it's a quick turnaround this Thursday. But do you think they'll activate Abanikanda to see what they got? He sounds like a way more dynamic option than Vaughn. - Andy G.
If Guerendo can't play on Thursday night, I expect Israel Abanikanda to be active for the game. If nothing else, they should be able to have him ready for a handful of specific plays. I agree with the thought that he's a better option than Ke'Shawn Vaughn. But until Abanikanda learns the playbook, I don't know how many touches he might get. That said, he ran a very familiar offense with the New York Jets, so he shouldn't take long to get up to speed.
If Guerendo is good to go for Thursday, it may be another week before we see Abanikanda. But I'm excited to see what he can do in Shanahan's system. A lot of people are high on him.
In your estimation, what do the 49ers have left in the tank for these last four games? - Ed H.
If last Sunday was any indication, they have plenty left in the tank. And if they get Dre Greenlaw back, that will be a shot in the arm. I'm not sure when Williams or Nick Bosa will return, but if they could get at least one of them back, too, that would be another jolt of energy for this team.
I have two big questions going into the Rams game on Thursday night. First, if Guerendo can't play, will the 49ers be able to run the ball? They may have to score a lot of points in this game, considering how up-and-down the defense has been.
This brings me to my second question: Can the 49ers defense slow down the Rams offense? Having Greenlaw, Bosa, and Hufanga on the field would help. This will be a big test for San Francisco. If they can beat the Rams, they'll be in decent shape for the final three games. If they lose this one, the season is over.
Looked like the entire defense was much better with Hufanga back. Is the combo of him and Mustapha the right pair of safeties moving forward, with Brown the odd man out? - Andy G.
I think so. For one, it puts Ji'Ayir Brown on the bench, which is probably where he belongs. He's more of a backup than a starter at this point in his career. I liked some of what I saw from him last season, but he has not been good this year. He still takes too many bad angles.
Malik Mustapha is built like a strong safety. He's a thumper. Hufanga made a noticeable difference on Sunday. But he's scheduled to be a free agent in March. I'd like to see the 49ers bring him back, but we'll have to see how his market shapes up.
What are the top 3 positions/players the 49ers will target in the first round of the NFL draft? - Jeremiah J.
I always hate taking a stab at these questions because the 49ers rarely do what I think they'll do in the draft. But I'll go ahead and give you my best guess for the top three positions San Francisco will target in the first round:
- Defensive line- In the last draft, the 49ers didn't address the defensive line like they normally do. They may regret that decision and will certainly address it in the 2025 draft. They keep swinging and missing on edge rushers. Could they try and grab one in the first round this year? It feels like defense will be the first thing they address. Not only has that unit underperformed this season, but that side of the ball has more pending free agents.
- Offensive line- I know, I know, this isn't something the 49ers normally do. And while I doubt they'll address the offensive line in the first round, if there's a tackle they like a lot, they may pull the trigger on someone to protect Purdy. Williams isn't getting any younger.
- Wide receiver- Yes, the 49ers addressed wide receiver in the first round a year ago (Pearsall) and in the fourth round (Jacob Cowing). But neither of those players has set the world on fire. Brandon Aiyuk will be returning from a major knee injury and no one knows what's going on with Samuel. So the 49ers may see the need to grab a pass catcher who can beat man coverage and loosen up defenses. I wouldn't mind seeing them draft a receiving threat at tight end, but I doubt they will do that in the first round.
Or maybe they'll just go with the guy they deem as the best player available. Linebacker is a question mark, with Greenlaw being scheduled for free agency. Are they happy with Dee Winters, Tatum Bethune, and Jalen Graham? And what about cornerback? They have Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir, but beyond those two, it's slim pickings.
If Hufanga doesn't return next season, I wouldn't mind the 49ers getting a legitimate free safety in the draft. But I doubt they will address safety in round one.
That's all we have for this week's edition of the 49ers Webzone Mailbag. We'll be back with another one before you can learn to pronounce, "Abanikanda."