Big things coming for the 22/23 season...
I don't know if I can consider it a big thing or not but I'd like to publish more content here for the 49ers and hopefully win over some paid subscribers.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and I am going to transition this substack into a paid subscriber newsletter in the very near term. I like writing, I think people enjoy the film content I put out on Twitter, SB Nation, and elsewhere, and I think there’s a small opportunity to make a few bucks doing what I like doing to help me pursue other expenses and hobbies I have.
As some of you already know who follow me on Twitter, I cover the Packers for Acme Packing Company on SB Nation. While I love covering the Packers and the paycheck it gives me (nothing crazy, just enough to fuel my obsession with snowboarding), my first love is the 49ers.
And this is a pivotal year for the 49ers and the Bay Area in general. The Warriors are on the verge of a fourth championship since 2015, the Giants have won the world three times since 2010, and the 49ers have been to two super bowls in that time, though they lost both. Bay Area fans expect great things, and when the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm couldn’t get it done in 2020, the team started looking for potential upgrades to get them over the top.
In fairness to Jimmy G, he came back healthy in 2021, only to start 3-5 before rattling off a 7-2 record to finish the season and help get the team back into the NFC Championship game for the second time in three seasons. The NFL is a tough business and the 49ers drafted his replacement in 2021, Trey Lance, with the hopes that his talent can put them over the top. And while the team still has Jimmy on the books, Lance is presumably the week one starter.
But why would they replace Jimmy and why is this year so pivotal? For one, Jimmy is what Jimmy is. Competent enough to win games with a talented roster and when he’s healthy, the 49ers under Shanahan have won most of their games with Garoppolo under center. He is a capable low end starter and certainly offers more than the backups who’ve filled in for him. But so was Jared Goff, whom the Rams shipped off for Matt Stafford even though Goff boasted the second highest “QB wins” since 2017 behind Tom Brady.
The Rams got their guy and won a Super Bowl a year later. I’m not saying that Lance is the 49ers version of Stafford. Far from it. But this year is so pivotal for Shanahan and his staff because if you’re going to shed the only quarterback whom you’ve won the majority of your games with, then it better be for a guy you are absolutely certain can deliver your offense things the last guy couldn’t: athleticism to extend plays, a cannon arm, the ability to take shots downfield.
Can Trey do all this? He absolutely can. Can he do it consistently? We don’t know but in 2.5 games worth of film, you can find anything to fit whatever narrative you want about him, which has been the MO for certain national media members and some fans online. I personally think he can grow into one of the league’s top 5 quarterbacks based on the growth I saw in his limited 2.5 game sample. Am I biased? Perhaps. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been wrong, and it won’t be the last.
But my livelihood doesn’t depend on being right or wrong. Shanahan’s and his coaches livelihoods are dependent on it though, whether or not they got the pick right. For as much as 2022 will tell us about how Lance grows and develops, it will tell us a lot more about Shanahan’s growth as a coach and what and how he’s willing to adapt to be successful.
This blog will hope to capture that along the way, for at least this season. My goal is to breakdown the core tenets of the Shanahan offense and DeMeco Ryan’s defense from now until the start of the season. During the season, depending on the reception this blog receives from now until then, I will write one game summary per week that focuses on the highlights/important aspects of the game, and one play concept breakdown, similar to how I structure my content for SB Nation.
If you’ve read this far, then thank you so much for taking the time to listen (read?) my rambling. My only goal is to bring you guys content that’s quick and easy to digest and understand, and on my end, to maintain and publish, content that lets us generate conversation around our favorite sports teams. And from time to time, I may decide to sprinkle in some other stuff from around the Shanahan coaching tree. But for now, look for some pieces in the coming weeks on certain core concepts in the offense and defense and along with that, the ability to subscribe to paid content.
Thank you again,
Rich