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What the 49ers Should Takeaway From Colts-Bills Playoff Matchup

Watching the playoffs from home can be a teaching moment for the San Francisco 49ers.
What the 49ers Should Takeaway From Colts-Bills Playoff Matchup
What the 49ers Should Takeaway From Colts-Bills Playoff Matchup

Watching the playoffs from home can be a teaching moment for the San Francisco 49ers.

They can use this time to study what makes these playoff teams so successful. One game that can be used as a takeaway is the Colts-Bills matchup.

That game reminded me of the ongoing debate of whether or not the 49ers need an upgrade at quarterback. For the Colts, they resembled the 49ers from 2019. A team that played complimentary football with an elite defense and a clock draining effective offense. The Colts are an example for keeping Jimmy Garoppolo.

For the Bills, they resembled why the 49ers need an upgrade. The defense of the Colts is so stout, yet they still could not shutdown or slow down Josh Allen for much of the game. Buffalo ended up victorious because they had the better quarterback. The Colts did all they could against them. They held time of possession staunchly, ran the ball well, and had their quarterback make a handful of throws when needed. 

They did all of that soundly, yet still fell to excellent quarterback play.

If Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were watching this game, how can they not think to explore all avenues of upgrading the quarterback position?

Doing what the Colts did against the Bills (and what the 49ers did in 2019) is not sustainable for long-term success. Even Shanahan himself admitted that "having the right quarterback" is the key for it. The 49ers cannot have a frightened mentality of looking elsewhere at quarterback just because they have a decent quarterback already. 

Garoppolo is limited and cannot uplift the 49ers when needed. Otherwise, they would have won the Super Bowl. An upgrade at quarterback is needed and you can be assured that the 49ers are considering their options as the offseason progresses. It is the only way for them to keep making the playoffs year in and year out.

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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.

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