Seahawks Defensive Game-Planning vs. 49ers Gets a Bit Easier With Latest News

It was a morning of injury updates across the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks were lucky enough to have theirs be cosmetic, as Darnold had his presumed hip injury altered to a glute. The Los Angeles Rams learned that Myles Garrett would be spending some time on IR after a week one no-show. And the 49ers took a significant hit to their offense.

De’Zhaun Stribling Out At Least A Month

Per Ian Rapoport, the San Francisco 49ers will be without stud rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling for ‘at least a month’. The injury, which is to his deltoid ligament, was suffered in the week one game against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia. Stribling initially went back into the game after an initial injury, only to go down on a non-contact play and leave the game.

Stribling was an important part of the offensive plan this year. — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'zhaun Stribling (15) attempts to catch a pass over Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Deane Leonard (33). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stribling was the first pick of the second round five months ago after posting back-to-back 50 catch and 800 yard seasons at Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. The pick was considered a reach, but the 49ers were enamored with him, and he posted eleven catches for 109 yards across two preseason games. He was a starter for the offense to start the year.

The Impact On The 49ers

Stribling was carrying a lot of hype on his shoulders for the 49ers offense. The top two receivers on the roster are Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, both aging veterans who can’t be expected to put up numbers every week. Stribling was being counted on to provide speed in an offense that is mostly lacking it. His loss is very significant, especially with the games ahead.

Without De'Zhaun, who will take the top off of opposing defenses? — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'zhaun Stribling (15) is tackled by Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor (24). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

San Francisco gets the Dolphins and Cardinals their next two games, both matchups they should be able to handle easily regardless, but then they draw the Denver Broncos, who have one of the NFL’s top defenses. And after that? They head to Seattle for their first true road game of the season against the Seahawks, one of the biggest games of the year.

Kyle Shanahan’s Ace In The Hole

The 49ers saw their season end last year in large part because their offense could not crack Mike Macdonald’s defense. Across 120 minutes of football, San Francisco scored nine points and struggled to move the ball. The team made two major additions to try to change that this offseason. One is Mike Evans, and the other is De’Zhaun Stribling.

With no Stribling, will the 49ers have the same issues they did last year against Seattle's defense? — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) is strip sacked by Seattle Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (0). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stribling in particular was important with his ability to stretch the field, something they lacked heavily last season. With Ricky Pearsall out for the year and Christian Kirk already nicked up, Stribling is really the only one who can offer this ability. Without him, the Seattle defense should be able to shrink the field, play in a box, and dare San Francisco to go over the top.

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