A lot of obvious conclusions can be drawn from Sunday’s 19-10 loss in Chicago. You’ve no doubt heard these conclusions rattled off at nauseam this week from the talking heads. These conclusions if taken at face value are corroborated by a stat sheet plagued with ugly warts and a very uninspiring highlight reel. A more nuanced take from the big J’s would require sadly more effort than most are willing to put forth, such as you know, actually watching the game. The biggest takeaway (and laziest) is that Lance clearly isn’t ready and the 49ers are stubbornly wasting a Super Bowl ready roster on a developmental player while a capable veteran rides the pine. If one were to actually watch the game they may have noticed a couple things not easily pulled from the “box score” tab on the ESPN app. They might notice a rookie right guard in Spencer Burford allow only a single pressure on the heels of a training camp and preseason constantly questioning the interior offensive line. They might notice a 2nd year player in Talanoa Hufanga absolutely showing out and playing with an anticipation and nose for the ball beyond his years. And lastly but not least they might notice a 22 year old quarterback in his 3rd career start under immense pressure stepping up in the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield and going through progressions. We know Lance has wheels and young quarterbacks under pressure typically will lean on them. I expect Lance to run the ball a lot this year, especially in the absence of Eli Mitchell, but the promise he shows as a pocket passer is something to be excited about. The stats don’t tell the entire story. There were errant throws and miscues but there were also throws downfield, layered over coverage hitting a receiver in stride. There was a 3rd down play with a collapsing pocket where a subtly shifting forward Trey Lance delivered a strike between 2 defenders for a first down. They were soaked from tropical levels of rainfall and smeared with mud but if you took the time to pay attention during the 2022 San Francisco 49ers season opener there were glimpses of hope and excitement moving forward.
This weeks matchup may bring better weather but also an opponent who makes every meet a dogfight. Expect it to be ugly. But with those expectations also keep an eye out for an emerging presence in the middle of the line or perhaps a young safety showing shades of a former legend from his alma mater. I already know you’ll be watching Five intently.
@reidcrowell
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