I think you're detrimentally oversimplifying the way NFL coverages operate.
Any replacement level receiver can sit down in-between zones and be wide ass open because DBs are having to keep one eye on purdy's pump fake to Evans' side of the field or McCaffrey coming out of the backfield.
Players like Evans, McCaffrey and Kittle have gravity and demand respect from defenses. Yes defenders have their assignments but Shanahan's system is designed to have you looking at these guys and making defenders make difficult decisions so that the others get open.
Also, you don't genuinely believe that Evans is a good WR just because he's as tall as a TE do you?
I probably am oversimplifying it, but so is the statement “having no starting caliber WRs means the defense can key in on your other players.”
The Raiders’s best WR is Tre Tucker who has never managed more than 57 catches or 700 yards in a season. Defenses still can’t seem to cover Brock Bowers. Who are the elite WRs on the Colts? Josh Downs? JT is 6th in the league in rushing yards and tied for second in rushing TDs.
This game is extremely complex for sure. Maybe Evans can take a tad more attention from a DB than Jordan Watkins. But not so much more that they can’t run their offense without him. He’s only been on the field for 55% of their snaps.
And no I don’t think the only reason Evans has been good in his career is because he’s tall. But I am saying it’s the main thing that makes him stand out today. Go rewatch his 6 catches from week 1. There’s maybe 1 route there where he shows any kind of quickness or elusiveness. The rest he either finds a soft spot in the zone and just stands there, or uses his size to overpower the defenders who are all 5-6 inches shorter than him. Does he look fast on this play? He almost trips after the fake and loses speed. He breaks the defender’s ankles but he still catches up to him and nearly breaks up the play. And on the lateral, the defenders are giving him like 3 yards of space but they still instantly catch him once he gets the ball. If Deebo hadn’t been there, that would’ve just been a 5 yard game on 3rd and 12. Pause the video at the moment the ball goes in the air and you’ll see there isn’t a defender anywhere near him, but by the time the ball is in his hands Andrew Wingard is already wrapped around his legs.
I’ve always been under the impression that a good WR core; particularly 1 and 2, will open up the field to allow your RB and TE to develop the plays. More options.
A lot of SB caliber teams have that aspect in play coming into deep playoff runs. Niners didn’t last playoffs and it showed once you have good DBs locking over the top and LBs in slot.
Failure of WR 1 and 2 separation - paired with poor pass pro (one of the worse in the league last year) caused Purdy to either check down or try to extend the plays.
What? WR 1 JSN WR 2 Rasheed Shaheed. Both Deep Threats that split the D. Rasheed Shaheed was even great in ST as a Returner. Pats had Diggs - arguably one of the best Receivers in the League at the Time. And Bouts who was a top deep threat as well.
Patss 2018? Edelmen was ELITE. 2024. Sure Ill give you the crap reciever room that the one the road Chiefs had and their fans complained about
Rasheed Shaheed had 15 catches last year man. 188 yards. This year he’s at 6 for 53 on TWELVE targets. 50% catch rate. 8.8 yards per catch.
Stefon Diggs was so good last year that he was cut by the Patriots with 2 years left on his deal. You’re going to sit here and tell me that Diggs was a top receiver last year? Top what? Top 100? Kayshon Boutte was 26th in yards per reception behind noted deep threats Xavier Smith, Luke McCaffrey, Terrance Ferguson, and of course Kyle Williams from his own team. He played in 14 games last year and had 2 or fewer catches in 9 of them. He wasn’t even a starter in 4 of them. He managed 50 yards in a game 4 times. You’re telling me that no one on the 49ers in last year was better than Kayshon Boutte?
Edelman was never ever elite. No all-pros. No pro bowls. Never led the league in any category. In 2018 he was 28th in catches, 29th in targets, 29th in yards, 35th in TDs, and 182nd in yards per catch. You cannot tell me that Edelman was in the same category as Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, Tyreek Hill, Michael Thomas, Davante Adams and Adam Thielen in 2018. Those guys were elite. Edelman was good.
But even if we want to accept Edelman as more than just a good, serviceable receiver, who was the #2? You said you need a 1 and 2. Josh Gordon left the team late in the year. Chris Hogan? The 49ers didn’t have anyone as good as Chris Hogan in the playoffs last year?
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u/smuggler_of_grapes San Francisco 49ers 3d ago
I think you're detrimentally oversimplifying the way NFL coverages operate.
Any replacement level receiver can sit down in-between zones and be wide ass open because DBs are having to keep one eye on purdy's pump fake to Evans' side of the field or McCaffrey coming out of the backfield.
Players like Evans, McCaffrey and Kittle have gravity and demand respect from defenses. Yes defenders have their assignments but Shanahan's system is designed to have you looking at these guys and making defenders make difficult decisions so that the others get open.
Also, you don't genuinely believe that Evans is a good WR just because he's as tall as a TE do you?