The 49ers’ YAC Bros of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk became supersized 23 months ago with the addition of star running back Christian McCaffrey. Through the first three weeks of the 2024 NFL season, however, San Francisco's ability to gain receiving yards after contact has become invisible with their top playmakers' lack of availability.
Coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t concerned with this being a team-wide issue or the way opposing defenses are attacking his offense, and views it more so as a byproduct of unfortunate injuries.
“I think George, Deebo and Christian are three of the best in the NFL at YAC, so it definitely doesn’t help with them being out with that,” Shanahan told reporters Friday at Levi’s Stadium.
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Missing three of the NFL's top playmakers clearly is part of the equation in the 49ers' 1-2 record, as they look to avoid a third consecutive loss when they welcome the New England Patriots (1-2) to Santa Clara on Sunday.
McCaffrey, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, hasn’t played in any of the 49ers’ first three games because of Achilles tendinitis.
Samuel sustained a calf injury during the 49ers’ Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a game in which he totaled 77 yards – 54 receiving yards on five catches and 23 rushing yards on eight carries – and scored one rushing touchdown. Kittle dealt with lower body cramps during San Francisco’s loss in Minnesota and later was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
Both players were unavailable for last Sunday’s upset road loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Their absence, along with McCaffrey’s, has been impossible to miss.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers last season, on their way to Super Bowl LVIII, finished fourth in total YAC while leading the entire NFL in YAC per reception. Through three games this season, the 49ers rank 29th in total YAC and are dead last in YAC per reception. Aiyuk is the only one of the four who has been healthy for all three games this season, but is tied for the 162nd-most YAC in the NFL with only 21 yards.
Quarterback Brock Purdy has been fantastic to begin the season, despite no training camp with Aiyuk and missing multiple top weapons in Kittle, McCaffrey and Samuel. Purdy leads the league in passing yards per game (280.7) and has a 72.1 completion percentage. But he also only has four passing touchdowns in three games while waiting for the 49ers to return to full strength.
Shanahan also keyed one area where the 49ers can be more explosive, no matter who is available.
“We haven’t hit up any big screens, I think, which is big too,” he said. “We need to get it going more with that.”
McCaffrey remains out for Week 4, and the 49ers are aiming to ramp up his rehab on Monday. The positive news is Kittle officially was taken off the injury report Friday, and Samuel, who practiced for the second straight day, is listed as questionable.
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