Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
We will not be using the term “playoff hopes” for the remainder of the season. An ugly Sunday night against a Washington team without a name served as a reminder for how brutal this season has been, and the 49ers’ road swerving decidedly towards the draft.
Falling
Nick Mullens
This was as rough as it’s been for Mullens. He’s usually good for a handful of poor throws each game, but this was on another level.
Take your pick; whatever your preferred flavor of terrible throw, it was on tap. On back-to-back plays, Mullens overthrew Brandon Aiyuk and Jordan Reed. There were passes thrown too low, behind receivers, and sometimes, like when Mullens took an unnecessary sack on 3rd-and-12 in the third quarter, he just refused to throw the ball.
Kyle Shanahan said he was going to bench Mullens, but gave him one more drive in order to allow C.J. Beathard to warm up. Realistically, he was hoping Mullens could play himself out of a benching, and he did that, with a touchdown drive directly following a pick-six. Mullens had two turnovers for defensive touchdowns and consistently throws away the 49ers’ chances of winning.
It’s not tenable, and whatever draft pick compensation that was reportedly offered in this offseason for Mullens is almost certainly off the table.
Kendrick Bourne
Bad day for Bourne. He would have had five catches, but one was waved off by a Mike McGlinchey holding call (McGlinchey doesn’t appear on this list because he played as he usually does; mostly fine with at least three egregious mistakes). Of Bourne’s nine targets, he caught five of them (including the called-back reception.
The four of them that were not caught had varying level of difficulties, but they all hit his hands.
The first one was a low throw by Mullens. A very difficult ball to catch, but catchable. The second hit Bourne in the hands while he was outstretched, again, a difficult catch to make. The third was thrown slightly behind him, but was a pure, unquestionable drop. The last one came on a breakup from Ronald Darby, who hit Bourne from behind to break it up.
After the first two drops, Bourne false started. It was a sloppy game on a sloppy field from him. He had a key two-point conversion and a pair of 16-yard receptions, but after becoming so reliable, he was anything but on Sunday.
Rising
Dre Greenlaw
Greenlaw was flying around the field. He came up with a key tackle on J.D. McKissic to force a fourth down give the offense another late chance at a comeback.
Without Fred Warner on the field, Greenlaw’s value remained apparent. He’s the reason they could trade away Kwon Alexander and is crucial, just as Fred Warner is, in providing defensive flexibility.
His speed and range allows for use nickel and even a modified dime (three down linemen) formation. San Francisco held Washington to 193 total yards, 95 yards passing and 12 total first downs, all of which were season-bests by the defense, and came with Fred Warner out for most of the second half.
Kyle Juszczyk
Juszczyk was all over the place.
He had a key, crafty block early to set up the 49ers’ touchdown and was indispensable all game.
He had a block on Chase Young on an 11-yard outside zone rush by Mostert that was called back by a Ross Dwelley hold, same on an earlier 5-yard Mostert rush, again on a late nine-yard Jeff Wilson rush.
The most notable block was that early one, a crafty seal using Young’s momentum against him to clear the way for an 11-yard Wilson rush down to the 2-yard line, setting up the 49ers’ first touchdown. He was also there clearing space on a hole, though Laken Tomlinson did the leg work.
And of course, he came up with a six-yard leaping touchdown reception which earned him his fourth of the season and 13th of his career, good for his most in a single season. He’s coming up as a free agent and is obviously still the most valuable fullback in the NFL.
The question, of course, is what his value is. He signed a four-year, $21 million deal and is making $6.7 million this season. The 49ers can’t really afford to pay him that again, but he and his agent, Joe Linta clearly know his value. He’ll likely want something in that $5 million per year range again (current contract averaged $5.25 million per year), and especially if San Francisco goes for a mobile quarterback like Trey Lance in the draft, he’d be well worth it.