What Needs to Happen for the 49ers to Make the Playoffs?

The 49ers have had a shaky start of the season, after 8 Weeks of Football they are 4-4. With time to rest with the Bye Week and a healthy Christian McCaffrey returning, what do the Niners have to do to be Super Bowl Contenders?

Oct 27, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo (31) carries the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The 49ers get a much-needed Bye Week in Week 9 after a big win against their rival Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers have had a rough go to start the season, sitting at 4-4 and fighting for a playoff spot. So what do the Niners need to do in order to make it to another Super Bowl?

1. Rookies Continuing to Contribute

The 49ers might have had the best draft of 2024. They got a great cornerback in Renardo Green, a hard-hitting safety in Malik Mustapha, arguably the steal of the draft in Dominick Puni, and so much more. Puni for example leads all rookies in snaps and is one of seven guards to not allow a sack or QB hit with a minimum of 100 pass-blocking snaps. He's already a top 5 guard in the league. These guys have been performing all year, and if this team is going to make another Super Bowl they have to continue and some even have to improve. With the injuries to the WR core, guys like Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing have to step up. Pearsall and Cowing have it in them, Pearsall is a route-running specialist and can create separation for catches. Cowing is a speed demon that can catch deep balls and be a threat in short pass concepts. If these two can start to develop a chemistry with Brock Purdy when Christian McCaffrey returns, this offense could become a nightmare for the best Defenses in the NFL.

2. Keep using Brock's Legs

I'll be frank here, I hated seeing Brock scramble for so long. Maybe it was something about the way he runs or the fear that Purdy will get hurt. Whatever it is, I was dead wrong. When pressure has come or receivers are covered, Purdy finds the best solution, scrambling. Purdy's legs have kept the Niners in games all season. This season, Purdy has scrambled on 9% of his dropbacks. That puts him only behind the Commanders who have a 14%, and tied with the Broncos and Ravens. Yes, that does mean that Brock Purdy has scrambled on dropbacks at the same rate as Lamar Jackson, and it's working. Then, you can look at the same stat but solely for when the QB is pressured. Purdy scrambles at 16% of the time, putting him ahead of the Ravens and Broncos, but behind the Buccaneers and Commanders. This QB scramble is being used more than most teams, and it all stems from the Niners receivers being unable to create separation. If those issues continue to show through the rest of the year, Brock will have to continue to scramble and it might not be a bad thing.

3. Special Teams Improvement

If there has been a singular hole on this team, it has been the Special Teams Unit. They have let up bad returns on kickoffs and punts, and have been bad at returning kickoffs and punts. Bad on both sides of the coin. This team cannot continue to let teams get easy points on basic Special Teams plays. Maybe the introduction of kickoff rules has their minds dumbfounded, whatever the issue is they have to figure it out. If they don't, teams will realize that they have to attack their special teams unit which will lose points and crush team morale.

4. CMC Show Arrives... but not to quick

I am so excited to see McCaffrey back in this offense. He has a gravity to him similar to Steph Curry, a gravity that pulls players toward him out of fear. Fear of what he could do with that extra yard of space. He is the pulse of this offense, and when he is not there the offense looks like a shell of itself. With all of that excitement, there is some fear. That fear will stem from seeing his usage. If the Niners use him too much, he could easily re-aggravate his injury or create a new one. That is not an option for this Niners team who are already fighting for a playoff spot. This team showed that they can survive without CMC on the field, so don't be afraid to take him out for an occasional play. I'd rather see him out a drive per game than out for the playoffs.

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