Why the 49ers cannot rely on George Kittle as their lone receiving option

Having an elite No. 1 option at receiver makes life easier for an offense, but in the case of the San Francisco 49ers. Tight end George Kittle is essentially their only option. Someone needs to step to be the No. 2 option for them.

Ever since training camp began for the San Francisco 49ers, Kyle Shanahan has challenged his wide receivers to step up. There isn’t a single clear cut wideout, in Shanahan’s eyes, that is a legitimate threat for defenses. Someone that has earned the right to play on every down. His view on this proved to carry some weight as George Kittle was the only player on the offense that received more than three targets against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It’s only natural to force feed targets to your best offensive weapon. However, doing so will make it predictable for defenses to key in on. I'm not saying they shouldn't continue to have Kittle be a staple of the offense. However, there are going to be some games in which defenses will limit him. That is why the 49ers cannot rely on George Kittle as their lone receiving option. They desperately need a reliable No. 2 outside of him. Kittle will always be a force in the offense, but he needs help.

Kittle had 10 targets, which is way more than other 49ers who had only 3, but a lot of those targets didn't give him true room to run. Give a man of Kittle's size and speed a full head of steam when he catches the ball, and he's a nightmare. That one simple PA is a good example.

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 9, 2019

If the 49ers want to be a serious playoff contender, then they need someone to be that fallback option. There’s need to be a balance to the offense to take pressure off of him. The player that is most likely to be that No. 2 option is rookie receiver Deebo Samuel. He needs to be that guy for Jimmy Garoppolo. To be that nightmare for a defense because he has the talent to do so. Samuel was the only receiver to be on the field for almost every snap last Sunday.

Now he didn’t really standout against the Buccaneers, aside from his fumble that overshadowed his clutch third down conversion catch. But he is someone that can be that play-maker after George Kittle. It's why the 49ers drafted him because of the talent he brings to the table along with his big upside. Remember, Samuel has the ability to score on a big play and can make things happen when you get the ball in his hands. Kyle Shanahan needs to give him and the rest of these receivers opportunities.

How else are they supposed to show what they got? In practice? At this point, practice is not used as a measuring stick of growth anymore. Not like how it was during training camp and preseason. Now it is all about preparation for the opponent of the current week. As much as I want to see Deebo Samuel be given more opportunities, he didn't do any favors for himself by fumbling the ball. It wasn't even caused by a defender. It just slipped out of him, which should never happen.

#49ers WR snaps Week 1 at TB:

Deebo Samuel 59-of-67 (3-17-0 on 3 targets)
Marquise Goodwin 49 snaps (1-7-0 on 3 targets)
Richie James 26 snaps (39-yard TD on 2 targets)
Kendrick Bourne 17 snaps (1-9-0 on 3 targets)
Dante Pettis 2 snaps (1-7-0 on 1 target)

— Nick Mensio (@NickMensio) September 9, 2019

But the fact that he’s already been out there for almost a whole game shows he is more battle hardened for the next game. Samuel has one game under his belt now, so he should start to understand what it takes to make an impact on Sundays. If he's able to elevate his play soon, then he’ll punish defenses for putting all their effort into shutting down Kittle. The 49ers already do a good job by relieving pressure off of him by running the ball and utilizing play-action. Yet, there needs to be more.

Expand the ways of attacking a defense to keep them guessing. Eventually, once we past the mid-season point of 2019 there will be enough film out there for defenses to figure out what Shanahan is doing with Kittle. By then Deebo Samuel, and hopefully Dante Pettis, will be a staple in the offense. We are only one week in of the regular season, so there's no need to panic. By week four we should be seeing some strides taken by one of these receivers. If not, Shanahan is going to have concoct more ways of getting his receivers the ball.