The 49ers Most Surprising and Disappointing Position Group
The 2020 season is not going anywhere near what the 49ers expected, or anyone who watches football for that matter.
San Francisco looked poised to be a top-tier team in the NFL, but injuries have forced the team on a downward spiral.
It isn't just injuries that have cause the 49ers' decline. Some position groups have been massively disappointing. And while some have been disappointing, others have been incredibly surprising.
Here are the 49ers most surprising and disappointing position group.
Surprising: Cornerback
When Nick Bosa and Dee Ford went down, the 49ers pass rush was obviously going to dramatically decline. That meant that the secondary was not going to have the luxury of only needing to remain in coverage under five seconds. The vaunted pass rush of the 49ers helped mask any deficiency that the secondary had. And once Richard Sherman went down, the cornerback position especially looked vulnerable.
However, the cornerback position and secondary as a whole has been one of the best performing groups on the team. Jason Verrett has not had any misfortune with his health and has been balling out every game. Emmanuel Moseley has retained his strong form from last season as well as the K'Waun Williams in his limited action.
The defense has transformed their identity from a terrorizing pass rush to a lockdown coverage side. Quite the transition so suddenly and it is thanks to adaptation of Robert Saleh and the execution of his players. Cornerback is still going to be a need in the upcoming offseason for the 49ers. But at least they know they have two or three cornerbacks to consider re-signing.
Disappointing: Offensive line
Interior offensive line was the clear-cut Achilles heel of the 49ers last season, and it was going to be their weakness once again in 2020. However, the whole offensive line has taken a massive step back. It is unbelievable to see how this group has regressed, especially since they were one of the better position groups last season. This offensive line was magnificent with their complex run blocking scheme last season.
Now all you see is a ton of whiffs, passiveness and miscommunication. The loss of Joe Staley has certainly had an impact on the group along with Mike McGlinchey's inconsistent performance. Outside of Trent Williams, who also has had some poor games, the 49ers do not have an adequate starter at the offensive line position.
It has just been ugly all around from this group. A major factor as to why I do not believe the 49ers can make a run at the playoffs is because of this position group. Even if they get their injured key players back, the offensive line is not going to suddenly figure it out with six games left on the schedule.
