Niners Nation
I actually saw someone asking about where the mailbag was on the feed. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t pass up such a critical moment to give my (useless) answers to your (incredible) questions. For those of you who wonder, I usually post a question thread in the feed on Sunday/Monday. Hit me with your questions there. I’ll also see if there are any good feed posts outside of that to mention here. When the offseason hits, we’ll try to keep it going, but we’ll make it a bit more casual. Talk football, but also movies, video games, Golden Girls reruns— Whatever.
Now, before we get to this week’s mailbag.
The San Francisco 49ers play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. They haven’t lost a wild-card game since I was in college. That’s how far back I go. I will say I consider this season a massive success. I think the 49ers hit the draft with Mykel Williams and others, even if there are injuries. The second-year players look like they will be decent starters, and Brock Purdy showed why he’s worth that contract.
Now, the 49ers need to fill in the holes and probably revamp strength and conditioning in the offseason. As I’ve said, the issue isn’t the freak accidents; it’s the philosophical things (like them saying Nick Bosa may not have torn his ACL, but Bosa knew immediately that he did).
Despite all this adversity, injuries, and a defense that is the NFL equivalent of non-adhesive duct tape, the 49ers snagged a playoff spot. There’s a lot to be hopeful for in the future. Be very happy with the team and the man who coaches it. Another draft and a good free agency, and they’ll be a juggernaut.
Onto your questions:
Can the 49ers get at least one playoff win? Maybe two?
—Boise49ersFan
I will not be surprised to see the 49ers beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. That said, I don’t think they will win. Call me a hater all you want (I love the 49ers, actually—it’s why I do this job), when I look at what I’ve seen, I feel they won’t get out of Philly with a win.
The offense should have an easier time. Despite three points at home, I don’t think the things were that bad without Trent Williams. The Eagles’ defense isn’t the Seahawks, so we should see a couple of touchdowns.
Defensively, the 49ers are weak. It looked efficient against the Seahawks because Seattle’s offense isn’t that great. In fact, much like the 2019 NFC West showdown in Seattle, the 49ers were much like the Seahawks then. In 2019, the Seahawks were rolling Marshawn Lynch out of retirement for the last game of the season because they had no more running backs to carry the ball. In last week’s game? The 49ers defense was in the same state.
The 49ers have had a tremendous season given the circumstances, but how much more can they get? The Eagles are the league’s most...
