How did the 49ers take the gigantic leap from the outhouse to the penthouse in so short a period of time this year, seemingly skipping several steps along he way? Let us examine the ways with the major factors that have turned San Francisco from a struggling operation nobody was much excited about entering this season into the talk of the NFL and a team nobody wants to face during the upcoming playoffs.
STAYING THE COURSE: The Jimmy Garoppolo-fueled 5-0 finish to the 2017 debut season of the Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch regime suggested the 49ers were quickly on their way and primed to be a contender and the NFL’s new darlings in Year 2 of the rebuild. That’s not how it worked out. Instead, the team regressed from 6-10 to a 4-12 finish last season, tied for the second-worst record in the league. There was an extensive list of factors that contributed to the backslide, particularly a slew of significant injuries, but it shook the new foundation that had been established and raised questions whether Shanahan and Lynch were adept enough in their new, demanding first-time roles. But both men remained true to their plan to build the team and revitalize the organization, aggressively pursuing new personnel and fresh talent until they got it right. The 49ers’ rebirth and rise to powerhouse status this season suggest they actually were getting it right all along.
Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Niner Report.
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Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Niner Report.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EIGHT IS ENOUGH
Set 49ers lineup still has several new starters
Calling all cornerbacks
Loss of Verrett exposes 49ers’ thin depth at CB
Always finding their way to run
49ers system accomplished at developing homegrown talent
ANOTHER COMEBACK?
Resilient veteran Verrett to miss rest of season
TOP 10 Rookie running backs
THE BACK LIST
STOCK UP STOCK DOWN
DEOMMODORE LENOIR | AMBRY THOMAS
Will Mostert run for 49ers again?
Raheem Mostert was primed this year to be the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses, featured as the lead performer in San Francisco’s grinding rushing attack while making his climb among the league’s top running backs.
THE WONDER OF WARNER
49ers make All-Pro star highest-paid LB in NFL
Making the right choice at QB
In the weeks that follow after you read this — and perhaps sometime even sooner than that — Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the 49ers organization will make a titanic decision that will have present, future and perhaps even everlasting implications for the franchise. It will chart the course for the team’s pivotal 2021 season while determining whether San Francisco really does have the juice to return to powerhouse status and again be considered a legitimate contender to get back to the Super Bowl.
TOP 10 Linebacker seasons
Fred Warner vaulted to stardom with a spectacular 2020 season — and the 49ers rewarded him this summer with a $95.225 million deal that makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in NFL history. By today’s standards, Warner’s performance last year was worth the money as he posted an Approximate Value of 19 — matching the highest score ever recorded by a San Francisco defender according to a Pro Football Reference formula that puts a single number on each player-season across all positions since 1960. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman (twice) also had seasons with an AV of 19 as they dominate this list of the greatest individual seasons by a linebacker in 49ers history.
