The fact that the 49ers have a functioning roster right now is unbelievable. I haven’t seen this many injuries since the opening scene of “Saving Private Ryan.” There are currently 10 players on their injury report, not including the names they have on IR.
And yet, San Francisco is sitting at 2-1 and in the thick of the NFC West race. A lesser team would surely be 0-3. It helps that they’re coming off back-to-back games against the moribund Jets and Giants. And they have another favorable matchup against the struggling Eagles at home on Sunday.
(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)
But there might be another reason. Since starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an ankle injury in Week 2, Nick Mullens has performed admirably, even throwing for 343 yards with a 108.9 quarterback rating in Week 3.
One can’t help but harken back to last season’s playoffs, when it was clear that head coach Kyle Shanahan was keeping the ball out of Garoppolo’s hands, instead choosing to feed the three-headed monster he had at running back at the time.
So, what do you say, coach? Any chance we might see Mullens win the starting job going forward?
“When Jimmy’s healthy, he’ll be playing,” Shanahan said (h/t to Pro Football Talk)
Really? You sure about that? What if Mullens keeps throwing the ball like an All-Pro? Can you imagine a scenario like that?
“That scenario does not exist,” he said.
Well, then. Looks like we’re done here … for now. But it doesn’t matter how much money a quarterback is making, if there’s someone behind him who can play better, eventually he’ll make his way into the lineup.
But at the moment, at least San Francisco has a competent quarterback room.
“I feel like San Francisco’s blessed with probably two starters, quite frankly,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told the San Francisco Chronicle.
And they definitely have an excellent coaching staff and front office. The fact that the 49ers are still standing upright and competing says a lot about their ability to withstand stormy times.
NFL’S TOP 10
- Chiefs — Sure, everyone loves Patrick Mahomes. And offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy. And Andy Reid. And Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce and blah, blah, blah. Who really deserves credit is defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has turned that unit around and made Baltimore’s offense look pedestrian. Welcome to the top spot.
- Ravens — What happened?! Who’s to blame?! Is the sky falling?! Breathe deep and relax. Yes, the Ravens laid an egg (see what I did there?) against the Chiefs on Monday and haven’t beaten Kansas City in the Lamar Jackson era. And speaking of Jackson, he did look lost. But there’s a saying that a team isn’t as good as its biggest blowout win and isn’t as bad as its ugliest loss. All you can do is resort to a cliche: Bury this game tape and move on. There’s a chance to get well against Washington on Sunday.
- Packers — They’ve scored at least 37 points in each game and unlike Seattle, has a semi-functional defense. And not to belabor the point, but Aaron Rodgers could have a season for the ages.
- Seahawks — It’s too bad Rodgers will lose out to Russell Wilson in the MVP race. The reason he’s the most obvious choice over Rodgers is because of Green Bay’s aforementioned defense. No lead is safe for Seattle and Wilson has to shoulder the burden to get victories every week.
- Bills — They made a believer out of me by jumping out to a 25 point lead against the Rams. Then they blew the entire lead, fell behind and needed a questionable pass interference to set up their winning touchdown. But still, they did get the win. This team is well-coached and if Josh Allen continues to improve, look out.
- Patriots — I’m pot committed with New England. I’ve seen enough to know this will be a typical Bill Belichick team. They won’t commit silly penalties or make other mental errors. They’re also tied for second in turnover differential and tied for first in total takeaways. The Bills better watch their backs in the AFC East.
- Steelers — They’re suddenly on a bye week after their game on Sunday was postponed, but more on that later. For now, they have one of the top-ranked defenses in the league and their offense should continue to come together.
- Titans — They’ve won their three games by a grand total of 6 points. And they haven’t been facing the league’s elite either. But whatever they’re doing is good enough, so more power to them. It’s too bad the coronavirus hit them.
- Buccaneers — Tom Brady is coming off a win in Denver, a place where he’s had some struggles. So that’s an encouraging sign. What’s even better is how well their defense has been playing.
- 49ers — Again, with all the injuries they’ve had, it’s a miracle they’re at 2-1, despite the crappy competition. Kudos to them.
WHAT’S THE CHATTER
It happened: Most of us who aren’t doomsayers were hoping for the best. COVID-19 testing was going well around the league until several members of the Titans tested positive after playing the Vikings last week. Thankfully, nobody in Minnesota’s organization has tested positive (yet) and the NFL did the right thing by postponing Tennessee’s Sunday game against the Steelers until later this season.
This was probably inevitable. And with the winter expected to be harsh for the flu and the coronavirus, this might not be the last time this happens. This is a good reminder that teams must be vigilant and not deviate at all from their testing policies. One lax move could have devastating consequences.
We can’t have nice things: The Packers famously passed on selecting a wide receiver in the latest draft, opting instead of QB Jordan Love. However, the receivers they already had on the roster made some encouraging progress, including Allen Lazard. He caught six balls last week for a career-high 146 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay’s win over the Saints. He even earned a game ball. And then … suddenly on Thursday he showed up on the injury report with a core muscle injury. And surgery might be needed. Oh, come on, man!
What a treasure: Gardner Minshew is already a fan favorite, not just in Jacksonville, but beyond. While speaking of how he’s been doubted countless times in the past, he said, “Vincent Van Gogh, people told him, ‘You can’t be a great painter, you only have one ear.’ You know what he said? ‘I can’t hear you,’” Minshew said via the Players Tribune.
He really is the best.
Just put the damn thing on: Head coaches have been getting fined for not keeping their face masks on enough during games. And while I agree that sometimes people can’t understand what you’re saying with it on, the benefits of wearing one far outweigh the negatives. And man, the NFL is really being harsh with the fines. We’re talking big money. So, while it’s tempting to continue getting camera time, it’s just not worth it.
Hard to watch: To be a Jets fan is a fate too ugly to imagine. It must be rough to watch this team invent new ways to lose every week. It’s one thing to be 0-4, but they just lost to a Broncos team starting Brett Rypien at quarterback. By the way, Rypien threw 3 interceptions, including a pick-6, and still had enough to get past Gregg Williams’ defense. Sam Darnold is going nowhere fast, despite his obvious talent. Head coach Adam Gase should put his house on the market. He won’t be there much longer.
APPOINTMENT VIEWING FOR WEEK 4
Colts at Bears: I failed to make a fuss about Chicago this week. Maybe they deserve to be in the top 10, especially now that they’ve pulled the curtain on Mitch Trubisky. If they win this one, they’ll turn me into a true believer.
Jaguars at Bengals: We need to keep an eye on Joe Burrow. He’s absorbing too many hits and I don’t want to see him get hurt. He’s too talented not to protect.
Browns at Cowboys: Two teams that can run the hell out of the ball when they want to. Let’s see if they stick with it in this game.
Seahawks at Dolphins: Trap game for Seattle? Don’t be surprised if something strange happens here. For some reason, I can feel it.
Ravens at Washington: My over/under for Lamar Jackson’s total yards is at 375. You heard it here first.
Patriots at Chiefs: This is exactly the kind of game a Bill Belichick team wins. Should I put some money down on this one? No way, I’m way too much of a coward.
Bills at Raiders: Worth watching just to see Allegiant Stadium and the views of Las Vegas.
Have a great weekend!
NFL Analyst
Currently a Mobile Editor at Yahoo, Saraf spent 5.5 years (Oct. 2010 – Feb. 2016) working for FOX Sports as an NFL Editor and Writer. Prior to that, Saraf worked for CBS Interactive for 4.5 years (May 2006 – Oct. 2010) as a Staff Editor.