After four straight losses, the 49ers are doing some self-evaluation, and at least trying to make adjustments. They are also doing so without a substantial number of players who they’ve lost to injury.
Kinlaw’s season could be ending, and a bevy of injuries
Here’s the injury report from Kyle Shanahan.
Did not practice:
Maurice Hurst (calf) – timeline was 4-8 weeks, can’t go back on IR, so may be done for the season
Javon Kinlaw (knee) – being evaluated in Los Angeles for surgery
Trent Williams (ankle)
Azeez Al-Shaair (concussion protocol)
Dee Ford (concussion protocol)
Deebo Samuel (calf) – went through walkthroughs, and Shanahan is “pretty optimistic he’ll be alright”
Tartt (bone bruise, knee) – expected to be out “a few weeks”
Limited:
Marcell Harris (thumb fracture) – played Sunday, should be the norm as he recovers
Trey Lance (knee sprain) – Shanahan said he’d get a few scout team reps, evaluate his health. Here’s how he looked early in practice:
There is major concern for Javon Kinlaw, who both Shanahan and Lynch expressed worries about last week, before he sat out Sunday’s game. His lingering knee problems appear to have come to a head, and as they both said, it is costing Kinlaw his development.
Shanahan said Wednesday that he’s currently being evaluated in Los Angeles to assess his surgical options, and whether he may need to undergo season-ending surgery.
Dre Greenlaw, meanwhile, is hoped back for next week, while Jeff Wilson Jr. will take a couple more weeks, with an outside chance to return next week.
Kevin Givens (ankle) has had his injured reserve practice window opened and could return this week, which would be crucial given that Kinlaw and Hurst could be done for the year.
Why can’t Trey Lance compete for starting job?
Perhaps the greatest source of frustration for many 49ers fans has not just been Shanahan’s commitment to Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter, but the continuing statement that “there is no open quarterback competition.”
The idea that Lance, who the organization bet the future on, is not able to compete, doesn’t check out with his six quarters, in which he looked shaky, but effective at moving the ball.
Shanahan’s response Wednesday is simply that Lance’s knee sprain — assessed as a one-to-two-week injury, and possibly just one — was worse than initially expected.
Before practice, when Lance was back in drills (shown above), Shanahan said he need to see him fully healthy to even consider starting him over Garoppolo.
“I don’t think it’s the right thing for him to start full time right now especially when I don’t even know if he can get through practice today. So I think it’s — I told you guys I understood why the questions are coming, but that’s why I don’t understand why that keeps coming,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see if he’s healthy today, first. And then when he’s healthy for at least more than one day, then we’ll start to see when it’s the best time for him, which I don’t think that’s crazy at all to think now’s not the best time for him when he’s going to come out to practice limited for the first time in two weeks.”
He did have some praise for the rookie though, when asked how he’s developed since the start of training camp.
Shanahan also made a point to say that Lance has gotten valuable scout team reps which he said some other rookie quarterbacks don’t typically get, and that he’s growing because of those reps. It was a statement which attempted to counter the argument that Lance isn’t developing by sitting.
“I think it’s been good. I think that was really unfortunate that the time he got to play, I thought he was ready to take off a little bit after that, getting that experience,” Shanahan said. “I thought it was gonna be great for him to come back the next week, especially with Jimmy banged up a little bit and stuff. But he had that unfortunate injury and it’s lasted a little longer than expected, so I’m excited to get him out there today. He hasn’t done anything in a couple of weeks, so we’ll see where his progress is now.”
At the very least, that is an indication that Shanahan is not shutting the door on Lance starting while the 49ers are still technically in playoff contention.
Other notes: Adjustments after pass interference penalties, Aiyuk still isn’t where Shanahan wants him, and Justin Fields
- Adjustments after defensive pass interference issues: Defensive pass interference has been the bane of the 49ers’ existence this season. The 97 defensive penalty yards from Sunday were tied for the most in Kyle Shanahan’s tenure, and the 81 defensive penalty yards in Week 3 were the fourth most. Shanahan said changes are being made in the way the team handles individual drills:
“We’re changing up all our individual drills and stuff today. No footwork stuff. We’re throwing jump balls and having them try to locate the ball and do all that stuff, which is the only way to practice it. You don’t do one-on-one every day. We do one-on-one on Thursdays, so we’ll get them a lot more live, full-speed reps at that and not working at the other stuff, just work at that. Because it’s way too bad right now. No matter what the situation is, tough to win games if you don’t fix that.”
- Aiyuk, Aiyuk, Aiyuk: Aside from Lance and the many other maddening factors in this 49ers season thus far, fans have been confounded by the fact that Brandon Aiyuk, who, if not for a COVID-19 list stint and injuries, was on pace to break Jerry Rice’s rookie receiving record last year, has been targeted just 16 times this season. Shanahan indicated that Aiyuk took a step back from last year, but didn’t provide a concrete assessment of where that’s come from. He said the added weight he put on over the summer could potentially be a factor when asked, but didn’t indicate that was the main issue.
“I want Aiyuk to keep getting better,” Shanahan said. “I don’t think he’s quite back to where he was last year. And I expected him to be better this year than last year. I think he’s still trying to get back to that point, which, I think he’s for closer to that point right now than he was a couple of weeks ago because he has been working hard and trying to get there and if he keeps doing that, hopefully things will get better for him and us.”
Continued, regarding the added weight:
“I don’t think he quite looks to where he was at last year, so that could be a reason that’s something that’s different,” Shanahan said. Sure it’s a few things, though, but he needs to get there.”
- Justin Fields assessment: Going back to the draft, many people felt that Shanahan would draft Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who was one of the first players to work with former Shanahan quarterback and current quarterback coach John Beck. Fields has struggled with a bad team in Chicago and questionable play-calling from head coach Matt Nagy, but was still viewed as one of, if not the most talented quarterbacks in the draft. Shanahan raved about him on WEdnesday.
“I really liked Justin. I thought he was extremely tough, very talented,” Shanahan said. “Getting to know him through it. I thought he was a great guy. He’s getting thrown in there and playing and he’s having some up and down moments, which is expected, but you got to always be ready for him. I mean if he breaks away, he’s got the size, and he’s got the speed to out-run almost anybody. He throws a great deep ball, got a big arm, can make every throw and he’s getting better each week.”