It’s one week until the gates open on the 2018 NFL season. Which means it’s time to throw our brains on the table and cough up our annual predictions of what the 49ers’ record will be this year. As usual, predictions will be accepted until next Saturday at midnight.
Some of you might be revising early estimations in light of the season ending injury to RB Jerick McKinnon at the tail end of Saturday’s practice. Jerick was the prize free agent acquisition this year, a guy who would make the Niner’s offense more explosive with his open field quickness. The team had avoided any major injuries all the way through training camp and the exhibition season until the last play of the last practice on Saturday.
This is the second consecutive season the 49ers have lost their prize FA signing to season ending IR. The previous year, it was LB Malcolm Smith. Smith was an overpriced, non-elite talent who was easily replaced by draft pick Reuben Foster. But McKinnon’s skills can’t be duplicated by any player on the roster. The recent signing of Alfred Morris will give the running game punch, but will not enhance the downfield passing game.
So, unless Dante Pettis goes wild somewhere along the way, we’ve got pretty much the same offense this year as the one that went on a five game roll at the end of last season. We’ll soon see whether that was a mirage or real.
And we won’t have to wait long because right out of the box the team travels to Minnesota for what Maiocco likes to call a GPS game. A game that measures where the team is in relation to the contending teams in the league. The Vikings are legitimate Super Bowl contenders; the Niners are merely a team expected to rise up the ladder this year.
The Vikings have a good defense, especially when they play at home, which will be good test for Jimmy Garoppolo and the rebuilt offensive line. Their offense is expected to improve with the addition of the extremely expensive QB Kirk Cousins. Personally, I’m not sold on Cousins. He piles up good stats, but not correspondingly good wins. I’ll be surprised if he does much better than last year’s Vikings’ QB, Case Keenum, who’s now playing for the Broncos and at a much more affordable cost. Cousins is the QB Kyle Shanahan wanted and Garoppolo is the one John Lynch brought in. A Garoppolo win here would be a mighty big feather in Lynch’s GM portfolio.
8-8. Hoping even worse for the best edge in the draft. Rotating DT’s at Leo does that to me.
Even with McKinnon I was going 8-8 nothing. I will stay with that. Nobody is gonna sleep on the Niners this year.
I’m going with 7-9 this year. I think the offense will be improved from last year, but I see the pass D as a serious weakness, and I think the team just won’t have what it takes to overcome early opponent big plays.
I’m sticking with 9-7 even without McKinnon.
Morris is a good signing and at worst will produce like Carlos Hyde did.
If the Raiduhs dropped Bryant I wouldn’t touch him with a 20 foot pole. They gave up a 3rd round pick for him. Why would you bring Lynch back? Never lived up to expectations and Fangio thinks he’s not worthy of a roster spot.
More roster moves today
“The San Francisco 49ers announced on Monday they have signed DB Antone Exum Jr. and OL Matt Tobin to one-year deals. In order to make room on the roster, the team placed S Marcell Harris and RB Jerick McKinnon on the Injured Reserve List.”
Also some number changes
OL Shon Coleman 78
WR Richie James Jr. 13
DB Tarvarius Moore 33
RB Alfred Morris 46
DB D.J. Reed Jr. 32
Gonna go the optimistic route as well this year Skeebs.
9-7 seems possible to me, even with the loss of McKinnon 😀
Looks like we’re all gonna be around .500 this year. I’m going to have to agree. 8-8.
16-0 !
So Florio reports that the Rams were in the mix to trade for Mack
Isn’t there a salary cap? How can you invest $60 mil year for 3 players on your Dline and still field a team?
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/09/05/rams-admit-they-tried-to-get-khalil-mack/
ROB, you magnificent bastard. Don’t overdose on the homer koolaid.
Seahags had CB Dontae Johnson as one of their starting CBs.
He has sustained a groin injury bad enough where they just put him on IR
Makes you wonder if Niner reject Johnson was the best they could do.
Thought the same thing. If he was a starter, their secondary is in big trouble. Of course, having Earl Thomas at FS cures a lot of CB ills.
Niners win today IF they can put up 27 points.
“49ers inactives
WR Richie James
LB Malcolm Smith
OL Erik Magnuson
OL Shon Coleman
OL Matt Tobin
DT Jullian Taylor”
Smith has yet to suit up for a single game going into his second season.
Not a good game by Garropolo, four turnovers, and one unbelievable bonehead penalty by Solomon. And that’s your game.
New post is up.