49ers may see a lot of RB Gore
Bell’s injury means former back may get time
He will get his shot this week because the Jets lost Le’Veon Bell, one of their few solid offensive weapons.
On Sunday, we saw the Cardinals get retaliation for being swept by the 49ers last season.
On Monday, we got the news Frank Gore may play a prominent role Sunday when the Jets host the 49ers, the team that broke his heart by letting him go in 2014.
This is hardly what George Kittle had in mind when he proclaimed the 49ers would embark on “The Legendary Revenge Tour of 2020” after losing the Super Bowl.
Then again, it will take a lot more than a proud and determined 37-year-old running back for the discombobulated Jets to prevent San Francisco from bouncing back from a stunning season-opening loss.
And, good luck finding many of those assets when perusing the Jets’ roster.
Gore will only get his shot this week because the Jets lost Le’Veon Bell, one of their few solid offensive weapons. After coach Adam Gase said Monday the hamstring injury that knocked Bell out of their 27-17 loss to Buffalo Sunday could keep him out “a couple of weeks,” the Jets decided Tuesday to place him on injured reserve. Bell will miss at least three weeks.
Enter the guy former 49ers general manager Trent Baalke let walk away in favor of Carlos Hyde after the 2014 season, triggering Gore to later admit “I was bitter. I never wanted to leave.”
Six years later, improbably, he’s still in the league. But, now with his fourth different team in the past four years of a 16-year career, his tread wears thinner with each carry.
If nothing else, Gore brings quite a resume into Sunday’s game in New Jersey. He trails only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 15,371
yards after tacking on 24 yards in Week 1 against Buffalo.
Now we get to see how far perseverance and pride take Gore this week against the organization he says he’ll always love.
GAME ESSENTIALS » 49ers (0-1) vs. Jets (0-1) at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday at 10 a.m. on Fox-TV. ODDS: 49ers -7.
Three reasons for 49ers’ optimism
SAM DARNOLD’S STRUGGLES » He was jittery. He made poor decisions. He fired too many passes too far off target. Darnold looked like a rookie quarterback in New York’s opener, which is quite troubling for a guy in his third season as the Jets starter. Darnold went 21-of35 for 215 yards and an interception to finish as the NFL’s lowest-graded quarterback in Week 1.
“I just flat out missed guys and that’s on me. I gotta be better,” Darnold said Sunday.
The irony is that should Darnold’s struggles become
a season-long theme, it could lead to a significant quarterback upgrade next season — maybe Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, next year’s consensus No. 1 pick? JETS LINE NOT IN A RUSH TO GET TO QB » A harried quarterback who couldn’t make the necessary throws in the opener? Sounds a lot like 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo against the Cardinals.
The good news for Garoppolo is things should be a bit easier this week — provided Kyle Shanahan can counter the Jets’ blitzhappy defensive backs, who accounted for all three sacks against Buffalo. The Jets’ edge rushers didn’t provide much aside from a quarterback hit as Buffalo’s Josh Allen had ample time for most of the game. TROUBLE AROUND THEIR CORNERS » The Jets’ cornerbacks had a rough time as they allowed the Bills to register their first 300yard game passing since 2016. Allen threw for a career-best 312 yards, including a whopping 12-of-18 for 160 yards and a touchdown just on play-action passes.
And the Bills aren’t nearly as good of a playaction passing team as the 49ers. The Jets’ best
cornerback, Pierre Desir, struggled so much he was benched before halftime. Desir and Bless Austin, the Jets’ other corner, figure to be tested by Garoppolo, provided the 49ers can get some healthy receivers onto the field.
Three reasons for 49ers’ pessimism
JETS DIDN’T MISS JAMAL ADAMS » Just before the season started, the Jets traded disgruntled star Jamal Adams to the Seahawks in a deal that netted them a pair of first-round picks. But it was hard to notice the AllPro strong safety was gone during the Jets’ season opener because his replacement, Marcus Maye, was that good.
Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams plugged Maye into Adams’ old spot and utilized him in much the same way. Maye was one of the lone standouts in New York’s loss as he finished with 10 tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, two passes defensed and a forced fumble. ROADBLOCK FOR BOSA? » 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa was disappointed not to get a sack in the opener against Kyler Murray and
there’s reason to believe his path to Darnold won’t be much easier.
To be fair, Bosa played a strong game statistically with five quarterback pressures and a league-best five run stops by a defensive lineman Sunday. But Mekhi Becton, the Jets’ massive rookie left tackle (6foot-7, 364 pounds), will be standing in the way of Bosa’s sack pursuit for most of the day. Becton allowed a sack to Buffalo sack master Jerry Hughes, but otherwise proved to be a punishing force.
A SNEAKY WEAPON » The Jets desperately need to make Darnold comfortable early in the game. What better way to do that than lean on tight end Chris Herndon, who’s been a security blanket of sorts for Darnold?
Herndon played in just 22 snaps Sunday but grabbed six of the seven passes Darnold threw his way. Herndon emerged late in his rookie season two years ago as Darnold’s favorite target, finishing with 39 catches for 502 yards and four touchdowns. Injuries and a four-game suspension for an offseason DUI last year contributed to a lost season last year — he played in just one game.