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I understand that it’s Tom Brady versus the NFC East—which is by far the most popular division in the NFL—but the Colts and the Bills always felt like that was going to be the best game we saw all weekend. Not that the other two games weren’t entertaining.
Also, I saw a lot of talk about how Wild Card weekend is the best weekend of sports. Is it even the best weekend of the playoffs? I’ll take the Divisional round. Also, the first weekend of March Madness and the Masters takes the cake for the best weekend in sports.
John Lynch: 49ers don’t anticipate drafting a first-round QB right now
Still, Lynch said this week in an interview with Tim Kawakami of TheAthletic.com for “The TK Show” podcast that he doesn’t see that happening at this point.
“We certainly could [select a QB], I don’t anticipate that right now, but we’re so early in the process, we’ll do what’s best for this team,” Lynch said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I do wanna make it clear, and I think Kyle and I have been fairly transparent since we’ve been here, we have a lot of belief in Jimmy Garoppolo. Where does that come from? It comes from the sample that we have, and when he’s been out there, we’ve been better. We’ve been successful.
“In addition to that, his teammates understand that. I’ve always believed leaders not only play at a high level, but they also make everyone else around them better. He’s had that quality on our team, I think he’s a good fit for what we do system-wise. Are there some areas he can improve on, sure, and we’ll always challenge him to do that. But we have liked working with him, and we’re excited to have him back.”
It’s impossible to narrow it down to any one injury, given there were so many big names that missed all or most of the season, but one of the most disappointing injuries was to wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
After a very promising rookie year, the fans could only get glimpses of the talent Samuel has and his potential partnership with rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Samuel played only seven games for San Francisco over the season, essentially six as he was out for the vast majority of his final game against Washington in Week 14, but still had 33 receptions for 391 runs and a touchdown while adding an extra dimension for what was usually a stagnant offense for the team.
The potential is there, and 2021 is the perfect time to break out as the true No. 1 receiver for the SF 49ers.
Twenty-six players spent time on the injured reserve list, including such key players as Jimmy Garoppolo, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa and Richard Sherman, each of whom missed large portions of the season.
Those players were key contributors in 2019, as the 49ers went 13-3 and advanced to Super Bowl LIV before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We played long last year being in the Super Bowl and we came back into camp, and everybody’s got their own theories as to maybe what happened for the inordinate amount of injuries,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said this week.
Was it just bad luck or was there a reason for so many injuries? That is a question for which there is no easy answer.
The Saints acquired linebacker Kwon Alexander (2019-2020) at the deadline, but he tore his Achilles Week 16 and will miss the game.
New Orleans boasts two more members of the 49ers’ 2019 NFC Champion squad.
Emmanuel Sanders (2019) caught 61 passes for 726 yards this year.
Defensive end Cassius Marsh (2017-2018) and his kicking sack celebration, accompany tight end Vance McDonald (2013-2016) in Pittsburgh.
Cleveland has four former 49ers in linebackers Elijah Lee (2017-2019) and Malcolm Smith (2017-2018), practice squad defensive tackle Sheldon Day (2017-2019), and cornerback Brian Allen (2020).
“Saleh did not do very well in the Detroit interview, I was told. And is not a shoo-in to get the job,” Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle said during a radio interview with SportsTalk 790’s Adam Clanton and Adam Wexler.
“According to a well-placed source, the Detroit Lions interview with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh went ‘great.’ However, the Lions have yet to make an offer,” said Jeff Lesson of 97.1 The Ticket.
A Lions beat writer for the Detroit Free Press, Dave Birkett, also stated that the Lions’ interview with Saleh was not as dire as Wilson suggests.