The 49ers’ defense in 2019, along with a loud, ongoing conversation about Jimmy Garoppolo’s viability as a long-term starting quarterback overshadowed a very productive offensive year. San Francisco scored the second-most points in the league last season, and finished fourth in total yards. There are some things they have to do better though, which is why they sit just outside the top five at No. 6 on Touchdown Wire’s preseason offensive rankings.
The good news for San Francisco is that their baseline productivity makes them a top-10 offense. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has constructed a roster to pair with his imaginative offense to make life difficult on every defense the team faces.
A couple things still need to be proven before they enter the top tier of the league’s offensive attacks.
The first is the receiving corps. Rookie first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk will be tasked with eventually filling in for Emmanuel Sanders, who left for New Orleans in free agency. Deebo Samuel will lead that group, and 2017 undrafted free agent Kendrick Bourne has carved out a nice role in the offense. Outside of those two, the group is as unproven as it is talented. They’ll need their playmakers on the outside to make an impact if their offense is going to reach another level for the entire 2020 campaign.
Most of the onus to elevate the offense though will fall on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield believes the. 49ers’ quarterback has the tools to get better:
Garoppolo, particularly in the wake of that Super Bowl performance, has left some wondering if he is good enough to get the 49ers back to the pinnacle of the sport. But his quick release and accuracy are a perfect fit in Shanahan’s system, and that combination might just be enough for the 49ers to get to where they want to be.
He was good last year. He was efficient and finished with better numbers than the conversation around him would indicate. Still, he turned the ball over 18 times, including 13 interceptions. If Garoppolo can limit his turnovers and start stressing the defense vertically more often, there’s no reason he can’t post better numbers than he did last season while helping San Francisco’s offense reach the NFL’s top tier.
If the 49ers get more from their receivers in 2020 and Garoppolo builds on his 2019 campaign – they could wind up with one of the league’s top offenses in 2020.