The 49ers' Biggest Concerns Heading into the Playoffs
The 49ers have fewer concerns than most teams.
They're loaded, they're in the NFC which stinks and they should cruise to the Super Bowl. But eventually they'll face a team that can stand up to them and expose some weaknesses -- the Ravens and Browns already did that to the 49ers.
Here are the 49ers' five biggest concerns in no particular order.
1. Jake Moody
He was excellent most of the season, but he didn't have to kick many field goals under pressure, and the few he attempted, he missed. He missed what would have been a game-winning field goal against the Browns, and this past Sunday he missed a 38-yarder and an extra point both wide right. Can he handle the pressure of the postseason? We'll find out.
2. The Run Defense
The 49ers don't commit to it anymore. Steve Wilks prefers to play light boxes with two deep safeties to prevent the deep pass. This leaves the 49ers vulnerable on the ground. And while the return of Arik Armstead will help the interior run defense, the loss of Clelin Ferrell will hurt the perimeter run defense.
3. The Offensive Line
The right side simply isn't good, and the 49ers have to work around it when they face a dominant defensive line. Meaning they have to abandon their run-first identity and instead throw quick, short, horizontal passes from the shotgun before the offensive linemen get beaten. That strategy worked against the Eagles but failed miserably against the Ravens.
4. Brock Purdy
He's an excellent quarterback when everything goes according to plan. But when he falls behind, sometimes he melts down and takes the 49ers down with him. He's on a personal mission to prove he's more than a game manager, and this mission sometimes leads him to take chances he shouldn't. The 49ers are undefeated this season when he throws no interceptions, so that should be his goal. Throw no picks. Manage the game. Serve the team, not your ego.
5. Kyle Shanahan
He's the one on the 49ers with the pattern of choking in big games. He can coach well for months at a time and save his worst for the biggest moments. He has lost not one but two Super Bowls in which he was leading by double digits in the fourth quarter. That's hard to do. Everyone knows his history and pattern, including him. Can he break it this year?