Why the 49ers need Isaac Guerendo against the Rams

On December 12, 2024By Online Niel

Over the past month or so, the question I’ve been asked the most by Niners fans is, “Why is Kyle Shanahan’s offense so bland?”

The answer is quite simple, but hardly satisfactory:

His players are ready.

Yes, some of the same players who comprised one of the best offenses in NFL history in 2023 leave Shanahan and the Niners wanting. Others have been promoted to roles beyond their capabilities.

He leaves you moaning “blah” on most game days this season.

The obvious example here is Deebo Samuel. He might tweet through itclaiming he’s still the same breakout player he once was, but the eye in the sky isn’t lying. Samuel’s lateral agility has suffered this season, and without his ability to create space or make defenders miss in the open field, the “cool” factor of the Niners’ offense is gone.

Think of it like chess. Samuel used to be bishop, knight or rook – take your pick, but he was a valuable, game-changing piece for Shanahan. Now he is a pawn.

What else can you name someone who needs to be slated to get open as a receiver, who had five carries for 13 yards against the Bears and is averaging 2.9 yards per carry (especially on high-gain gadget plays) this season?

Honestly, the Niners have a lot of pawns on the board right now. Jauan Jennings is a great possession receiver, but he’s being asked to play the X role vacated by the injured Brandon Aiyuk. In Shanahan’s ideal offense, the X is a receiver who can win one-on-one in man coverage and force the defense to switch a safety up and to their side of the field. This creates room for the Y (tight end), Z (Samuel) and flanker (formerly Jennings) to find space under that big coverage, giving quarterback Brock Purdy clear windows to throw the ball on short and intermediate routes, as well as room for those receivers to run with the ball once in possession.

you know the 49ers offense we’re used to seeing.

But Jennings doesn’t play that game — he’s better suited for the Z receiver spot. Samuel can’t play the X (because he can’t win in man-to-man coverage), and rookie Ricky Pearsall, who has about a dozen practices with Purdy since July, he is not yet ready for the concert.

So here we are.

Suffice it to say, the Niners aren’t able to play their best in the passing game under these circumstances.

A wonderful, possibly season-changing reprieve came Sunday against the Bears, however, as Chicago had a preseason-level defense — dropping into an undisguised zone on more than 80 percent of its dropbacks Purdy. This was a byproduct of absentee coaching. Everyone knows you play man-to-man against these 49ers.

But Sunday was also the first game the Niners used Guerendo, their fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft and the fourth running back on the depth chart at the start of training camp, as the primary quarterback. And while he’s no Christian McCaffrey, his skill set should command similar respect.

In fact, given McCaffrey’s slow recovery from injury, the Bears game was the first time all season the Niners had a McCaffrey-like player — one who can run for 100 yards and add 100 receptions — in the backfield .

Is it any surprise that it was the best offensive game of the campaign? They were finally able to execute the offense they set up over the summer.

When the Niners had Jordan Mason in the backfield for the first eight games of the season, opposing teams were happy to play man-to-man because Mason was a subpar receiver. Put a linebacker or a safety on him – what will he do?

It would be a death sentence against a healthy McCaffrey.

It looked the same with Guerendo – a former college wide receiver with historic speed for a player his size. He had two catches Sunday where he left Bears defenders scrambling to recover. Competent teams would look at that tape and say, “We’ve got to play the zone or we’re going to get burned.” It would play into the Niners hands in the passing game.

Guerendo might be an unknown making his NFL debut Sunday, but he was no pawn. And cool players allow coaches to make interesting calls. It also tilts the field so less versatile and adaptable players can impact the game.

So the possibility of not having Guerendo (sprained leg, haven’t trained this week) for Thursday’s game is more significant than you might think. His supports – running backs no. 5 and 6 on the depth chart at the start of the season – they’re good at carrying the rock, but they’re one-dimensional players.

They’re not giving the Niners offense the edge it’s been missing all year, except maybe on Sunday.

And when the 49ers offense lacks versatile players, it allows the defense to set the terms of employment.

Those teams could still give the Niners the looks they want to see — the defensive plays they can attack — but that’s just an illusion. This is the NFL, after all.

Meanwhile, the Niners have to hope Guerendo’s leg is good enough to play Thursday. It’s the latest injury San Francisco can ill afford.

Other injuries

• Left guard Ben Bartch has arguably been the last guy on the 49ers’ roster all season. And he was somewhat puzzled as to why the Niners were carrying him. Every time I’ve seen him — training camp, preseason — he hasn’t looked like a quality NFL lineman.

Show what I know.

It may have been small theater, but in a game and a half as the Niners’ top left guard — at Buffalo and against the Bears — Bartch was the Niners’ best receiver.

And on a line that needed a boost, it was just what the doctor ordered. He was moving smoothly down the court, making decleating blocks and fundamentally lifting the Niners offense.

In the midst of a season in which the 49ers seem to have few good moments, Bartch has been a reason for optimism.

So of course he’s hurt now.

Bartch will be placed on injured reserve before Thursday’s game. Starter Aaron Banks — who has been the Niners’ worst lineman this season while playing through a series of foot injuries — will return for the Rams contest after clearing the concussion protocol.

But keep an eye on that spot for the rest of the season. Bartch could be out, but the Niners can’t ignore the positives of an alternative to Banks. If the soon-to-be free agent doesn’t play his best over the next few weeks, the Niners could try someone else at that position in the final games.

» I know you probably hear this every week, but I assure you it’s true for Thursday:

The key to the game is pressure on Rams quarterback Matt Stafford.

Stafford is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL when he can operate out of a clean pocket — he’s thrown for 2,656 yards and 17 touchdowns while completing 74 percent of his passes with just two interceptions this season, according to Pro Football Focus . The elite numbers.

And Stafford is arguably the worst pressure quarterback this season. He completed 47 percent of his passes, throwing two touchdowns to five interceptions for a 53 quarterback rating.

The reason for the disparity is easy to spot: Stafford isn’t moving.

Even Kirk Cousins — who is coming off a torn Achilles tendon — has had more fumbles (twice) than Stafford, who has one this season.

Not having Nick Bosa on Thursday will hurt. Not having Yetur Gross-Matos — NFC Defensive Player of the Week — who had three sacks on four pressures against the Bears, would also be big.

Gross-Matos was limited in the Niners’ only practice of the week on Tuesday with a knee injury.

The Niners must turn to Robert Beal if Gross-Matos can’t play. Beal — a special crew — has played 20-plus snaps in each of the Niners’ last three games. He has total pressure in those games.

I know where Stafford wants the injury report to go.

Originally published: December 11, 2024 at 1:30 PM PST