Niners Nation
Week 1 will inevitably be full of surprises, even when two teams as familiar as the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks meet. There were expected performances, like the Niners’ special teams blunders, or the game coming down to the final minute.
We asked fans on Twitter what they thought were the biggest surprises. Here were the most common responses.
Apparently, Dee Winters had a negative connotation attached to his name. While everybody agreed that he was a standout and a potential game-changer, some went as far as saying Winters looked completely different from a season ago.
I’d push back on that last part. Winters played with a similar reckless aggression last season. Unfortunately, Winters was consistently banged up and couldn’t string together multiple games without getting hurt. But he was the man early in training camp, and a noticeable upgrade whenever he was on the field.
Now, that’s not to say he hasn’t improved. Winters was one of the best players on the field in Week 1. He had the most run stops, had a pair of tackles for loss, was stingy in coverage, matched Seattle’s physicality, and was a big reason why the Seahawks averaged 3.2 yards per carry on the ground. Winters made six tackles for an average depth of 1.2 yards. That’ll play.
The expectation was that the 49ers would drop Christian McCaffrey back into the lineup and all would be well again. Not so fast, my friend.
McCaffrey rushed for the fourth-lowest EPA and tied for a league low in rushing yards over expected in Week 1. It was tough sledding for the Niners on the ground. His line did McCaffrey no favors, as evidenced by 51 of his 69 rushing yards coming after contact.
McCaffrey’s 69-yard performance is a testament to his running skills. CMC can manipulate defenders and squeak out three to four yards when he should be stopped at the line of scrimmage. When there’s the slightest of daylight, McCaffrey maximizes his yardage.
I don’t think his play-caller did CMC any favors, either. Whenever he ran to the right, it was an utter disaster. There were short-yardage situations that seemed hopeless. On one third and short, once George Kittle was out, the design called for Kyle Juszczyk to block Demarcus Lawrence. McCaffrey barely got back to the line of scrimmage. On 15 carries running to the right, McCaffrey had 36 yards. On seven carries to the left side of the line, McCaffrey ran for 33 yards. Knowing who the left tackle is, shouldn’t that be flipped?
Whether Dominick Puni or Colton McKivitz, Seattle had the upper hand on the right side. Trent Williams lost a couple of times in the passing game, but he was superb on the ground. And when Jake Brendel and Ben Bartch were allowed to work double teams, McCaffrey and Brian Robinson weren’t touched until they were four yards down the field.
I’m going to go out on...
