Are the 49ers Better Off with Justin Skule at Left Tackle?
The loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night was due to a collective of poor performances. One of those poor performances was offensive tackle Joe Staley, who made his return to the field after suffering a broken fibula in week two. All game long Staley was getting worked by Jadeveon Clowney and company.
Now it was Staley’s first game back, so being rusty is only natural. However, Staley should’ve still been able to hold his own because he is supposed to be a great talent. Now he is going to miss the next couple of weeks after having surgery on his fractured finger sustained in the game. That means rookie Justin Skule will return as the starter.
It begs the question to ask, are the 49ers better off with Skule at left tackle?
The offensive line was phenomenal with him in the lineup and were ranked as second best in pressure allowed via Pro Football Focus. If Skule starts against the Seahawks on Monday night, the 49ers likely have a better showing. Skule is also establishing himself as the future at left tackle after Staley, but should the future start now?
As good as Skule has been this season, we can’t come to that conclusion about Staley after just one game. It was a bit concerning that Staley wasn’t able to settle in against the Seahawks, but still it’s tough to hold too much against him. Even Mike McGlinchey performed poorly in the game, which is a factor of rust.
These players need to get accustomed again to the speed and conditioning of a game. Being away from playing that long will easily impact any player. The 49ers had to bring back Staley eventually, so there was no avoiding his rusty performance. It was just unfortunate that it happened against the Seahawks.
What is also unfortunate is that Staley is back on the sidelines again with another injury. It’s remarkable how unlucky the 49ers have been with injuries this season. At least Skule has demonstrated he is a solid player, so there is no worry with him. Where the worry does emerge is when the 49ers start the playoffs.
If Staley is still out, will Skule be able to handle the pressure of a playoff game? The atmosphere and stage of the game is a different beast compare to a regular season matchup. That is why Staley is still the best option for this season. You just hope that he comes back sooner rather than later once he is healthy.
