Eagles 2020 Opponent Preview: San Francisco 49ers

Bleeding Green Nation’s 2020 Philadelphia Eagles opponent preview series continues today with their Week 4 enemy: the San Francisco 49ers. (Previously: Week 3 preview.)

The 49ers were the toast of the conference last season, going 13-3 en route to representing the NFC in Super Bowl LIV. Of course, the 49ers were also literally inches away from dropping to the No. 5 seed in Week 17.

Still, Kyle Shanahan oversaw an offense that improved from 30th in 2018 to a top five DVOA finish in 2019. The 49ers’ fearsome defensive line anchored a San Fran defense that finished second in DVOA.

Good coaching and strong play from the trenches should carry over into 2020. One big question remains ... just how good is starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo? If you go by #QBWinz, well, he’s not too bad. The 49ers are 21-6 in the 27 games he’s started for them. He also has a career passer rating of 100.0.

But does Jimmy G really strike fear into the hearts of anyone? It’s not like he’s regularly imposing his will on opposing defenses. He’s hardly unstoppable. His ranking as PFF’s 13th best quarterback from last season accurately reflects his standing as a quarterback that skews more towards solid than truly elite.

Another thing to consider about the 49ers is the Super Bowl loser “curse.” Here’s how the non-winners fared over the past 10 seasons:

2019 San Francisco 49ers — 2020 finish: ???

2018 Los Angeles Rams — 2019 finish: 9-7, missed playoffs

2017 New England Patriots — 2018 finish: 11-5, won Super Bowl

2016 Atlanta Falcons — 2017 finish: 10-6, lost in Wild Card round

2015 Carolina Panthers — 2016 finish: 6-10, missed playoffs

2014 Seattle Seahawks — 2015 finish: 10-6, lost in Divisional round

2013 Denver Broncos — 2014 finish: 12-4, lost in Divisional round

2012 New England Patriots — 2013 finish: 12-4, lost in AFCCG

2011 Pittsburgh Steelers — 2012 finish: 8-8, missed playoffs

2010 Indianapolis Colts — 2011 finish: 2-14, missed playoffs

2009 Arizona Cardinals — 2010 finish: 5-11, missed playoffs

Half of the teams missed the playoffs. There are only five playoff wins from this group and four of them belong to the greatest quarterback and head coach duo in NFL history. Russell Wilson, arguably the NFL’s current best quarterback, is responsible for the other one.

This Week 4 game isn’t going to be easy for the Eagles. The 49ers’ front will test an Eagles offensive line that has some question marks with Andre Dillard taking over at left tackle and Jason Peters trying to learn right guard. Shanahan is bound to put a good game plan together. But San Fran isn’t so unbeatable and they’re likely to take some kind of step back from last year.

Read on for more 49ers insight from our SB Nation colleagues over at Niners Nation.

Notable free agency additions

Does Trent Williams count? He should. The Niners added one of the best left tackles in the past decade to an already stacked roster. Instead of relying on a rookie tackle or unproven player, San Francisco has a seven-time Pro Bowler that is familiar with Kyle Shanahan’s system.

The 49ers kept Jimmie Ward, Arik Armstead, Ben Garland, and Ronald Blair. Each of those players were all key to the Niners’ success last season. San Francisco also added Joe Walker, Tom Compton, Kerry Hyder, and Travis Benjamin as additional depth.

Over/under 10 wins?

Over. Fresh off a Super Bowl appearance and returning the majority of the roster, 2020 would be a major disappointment if the 49ers won fewer than 10 games. The roster had enough talent where they could overcome over 15 players going on the injured reserve last year. The 49ers get all of that talent back off the IR, and a few of those players are expected to make contributions right away. San Francisco had several young players made an impact last year—from prominent draft picks like Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa to less-heralded names such as Kendrick Bourne and Emmanuel Moseley—and those players should be even better this year. Even without an offseason, there are fewer question marks headed into the season, and Jimmy Garoppolo could concentrate on throwing instead of rehabbing.

Rookie I’m most excited about

Brandon Aiyuk. We don’t know the status of Deebo Samuel or how much time he’ll miss, and the other receivers most people mention on the roster don’t have anywhere near the ceiling/talent that Aiyuk does. He went in the first round for a reason. Aiyuk fits the 49ers offense like a glove, and that’s why we’re so excited to see what he can do. He feels like the type of player the 49ers were missing last year on a few different levels. There is a lot of pressure on Aiyuk to perform early on during his career, and I’m fascinated to see how he handles said pressure.

Best position battle heading into training camp

Who will get more snaps, Kwon Alexander or Dre Greenlaw? Both players played at a high level in 2019, but one did so during the first half and the other during the second half. Because Greenlaw had more highlight, memorable plays, the common theme seems to be let him play among fans. Kwon has a bigger contract, more experienced, and quietly played better, in my opinion. Statistically, Alexander’s average depth of tackle against the run was 3.5 yards, while Greenlaw’s was 5.5 yards. Kwon’s success rate in coverage was also 10% points better than Greenlaw’s on two fewer targets. Alexander also allowed a full yard less than Greenlaw against the pass. Dre was a Day 3 rookie, though. Those stats aren’t an indictment on Greenlaw, but more of a compliment to Alexander. Greenlaw will take another step in his development, however, and make this battle interested.

Biggest storyline heading into training camp

It’s always wide receiver. Will Trent Taylor stay healthy? Is Jalen Hurd ready to contribute? Will Dante Pettis return to his rookie form? Can Jauan Jennings steal the spotlight? Is Aiyuk as good as Shanahan thinks? There are questions for about every wideout you can think of on the roster. The talent is there, but the young guys on the roster need to step up. There isn’t one position that is set in stone if Deebo misses time, which opens the door for everyone.

Under-the-radar storyline heading into training camp

Will George Kittle play without a new deal? Nobody knows. A little birdie told me that Kittle’s deal is done, and his contract will look like an absolute steal. That deal would likely be announced sometime over the next week. If that happens, the focus may shift to whether or not Raheem Mostert will be traded, which seems unlikely, too.

Notable injuries heading into training camp

The status of Jerick McKinnon, Deebo Samuel’s foot, Richie James’ wrist, Trent Williams’s health, Jullian Taylor and Ronald Blair may start on the PUP list, while Weston Richburg and D.J. Jones are returning from season-ending injuries. Taylor projects to be Garoppolo’s security blanket, but he has to show he can stay healthy.