By Jordan Long
The defending NFC Champions San Francisco 49ers are set to take on the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. San Francisco is hoping to improve on their 4-4 record. They will have to do it without two of their top offensive players in tight end George Kittle and starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Both sustained injuries in last Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Kittle might be the top tight end in the NFL today. He creates mismatches with his size and speed. Kittle is 6 foot 4 inches. His height makes it tough for a defensive back to cover him. He will outjump a defender for the ball. When he catches the football, his speed allows him to gain yards for 1st downs or longer. It takes more than 1 defender to take him down.
This season Kittle is leading the 49ers in receiving yards with 474. His average yards per catch is an impressive 12.8 with 2 touchdowns. In Sunday’s loss, he caught 2 passes for 39 yards. Kittle left the game in the 4th quarter and didn’t return with a foot injury. X-rays showed he didn’t fracture the foot, but it could keep him out the rest of the year.
If Kittle can’t come back this year, wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel need to step their game up. They will also rely on running backs Raheem Mostert and Jerick McKinnon to catch passes out of the backfield.
For their tight ends, Ross Dwelley has his chance to play. He is not a Kittle but he has been productive. Dwelley caught 6 passes for 70 yards and 1 touchdown so far this season. He needs to be more involved in the passing game.
The 49ers will also be without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. The injury originally occurred in week 2 against the Jets, but he has been able to play with it. On Sunday he left because of it. Garoppolo struggled against the Seahawks passing for 84 yards and 1 interception. He was overthrowing his receivers. It didn’t help his offensive line didn’t protect him and he was sacked 3 times.
This year Garoppolo has played only average. He tossed for 1,096 yards and 7 touchdowns. He isn’t reading the defenses with 5 interceptions. Now with him out indefinitely Nick Mullens will be under center.
In 4 games this year Mullens threw for 852 yards and 4 touchdowns. He struggled to read defenses with 3 interceptions. Mullens knows this is his chance to lead the football team while Garoppolo is out.
According to ESPN, Mullens said, “Any time you can get out there and bounce back from my last start, it’s definitely going to create confidence. The biggest thing I’ve learned just going through it all is that the NFL is tough. It’s all about what you do next. That’s why I tell myself pretty much every day, ‘It’s all about what you do next.’ No matter if it is good or bad, it’s all about what you do next.”
The 49ers are still in the NFC playoff race. With these star players out, it could derail their season. If they happen to miss the postseason, they can look back at Kittle and Garoppolo’s injuries as the turning point of the season.
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