San Francisco 49ers fans cheer for their team against the Arizona Cardinals in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CLARA – Deion Sanders would have been an ideal host for this week’s 49ers mailbag, before the Dallas Cowboys visit for Sunday night’s game at Levi’s Stadium. Alas, he’s busy in the college ranks, so, just believe we’ll do our best to answer these social media questions:
When will CMC become a true Hall of Famer? (@jbati_8052)
Good to know we’ve already jumped from Christian McCaffrey being an NFL MVP candidate to a Canton-bound legend. What a great (and necessary) stepping stone that would be if he becomes the first running back since Adrian Peterson in 2012 to win league MVP. McCaffrey is enjoying the NFL’s best start this season (459 rushing yards, 600 total yards, seven touchdowns). There are SO many games still to play this season. And Roger Craig, the pioneer of the 1K/1K fraternity that includes McCaffrey, is still waiting for his Pro Football Hall of Fame entry (see: Class of 2025). For what it’s worth, McCaffrey rates 107th among running backs on ProFootballReference.com’s Hall of Fame monitor; Frank Gore ranks 11th, Craig 24th, and Ricky Watters 30th.
Should we be concerned about our defense with the Cowboys? (@vanessa_tx)
Yes, but which part? The 49ers’ pass rush has just four sacks combined over the past three games, after five in the opener at Pittsburgh. Nick Bosa has 10 quarterback hits and one sack. Javon Hargrave’s been a great addition (three sacks). More pressure on Dak Prescott can only help a cornerback corps that makes plays but also yields some in untimely fashion, especially in off-coverage or via penalty to keep drives going. To-do list: Have Charvarius Ward shadow CeeDee Lamb.
Is the offensive line outperforming the defensive line? (@gonzo7v)
That is a wild accusation, and, yet, a correct one. Sunday’s 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals showcased the offensive line’s best balance and execution all season. “They were unbelievable,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Week 1 was probably the toughest. This week coming forward will be another huge challenge (with Dallas’) pass rush and how fast they play.” Left tackle Trent Williams and left guard Aaron Banks opened the season like an All-Pro tandem, and now center Jake Brendel, right guard Spencer Burford and right tackle Colton McKivitz are exceeding expectations.
I’m worried about McCaffrey’s usage. Are they using him too much? (@jsjagga)
“Yes, we’d love to have him a little more rest. But he’s extremely tough to take out,” Shanahan said of McCaffrey, who’s played 81 percent of the snaps and does not look gassed in the least. Elijah Mitchell’s knee injury in Thursday’s practice again raised issues about him as a reliable understudy. Jordan Mason is capable but still almost a secret weapon. As for Ty Davis-Price, TDP = DNP.
How long can the 49ers sustain 30 points a game? (@michael_budd)
This is the first time in franchise history they’ve scored at least 30 points in their first four games. But that’s merely sustaining last season’s scoring spree. They’ve scored 30 or more in seven straight regular-season games, a stretch last accomplished by the 2012-13 Broncos.
The 49ers scored at least 30 in 7-of-10 games to close last regular season, then opened the playoffs with a 41-23 win over Seattle. They downshifted in the divisional round but advanced with a 19-12 victory over the Cowboys. Their next opponent: the Cowboys.
Did you expect the Cardinals to be this competitive? The 99-yard drive was impressive. (@jyuu12)
When players insist they’re not taking their opponent lightly, that comes off as a backhanded compliment. But the 49ers correctly predicted the Cardinals would be scrappy. Still, the 49ers won their third straight over them – by 28, 25 and 19 points. That 99-yard drive gobbled 6 ½ minutes off the clock, which isn’t a swift way to stage a comeback. It did expose holes in the 49ers’ defense with short-yardage conversions by Joshau Dobbs (Dak Prescott can do those, too) and pass-coverage lapses (season-long 41-yard catch allowed by 49ers, and later an 8-yard scoring strike).
How’s Greenlaw’s health? (@gohbroscollectibles)
Great question, and one I wanted to ask, but I did not unmute my line in time before Shanahan’s media call ended Monday, without a word about Greenlaw, who appeared to hurt (aggravate?) his left ankle injury on that Cardinals’ 99-yard touchdown drive. If he’s not practicing Wednesday, don’t be shocked; he didn’t last Wednesday.
Not related to Week 5, but do you see the Niners going abroad anytime soon? (@abbass_h820)
The NFL’s increase in European games eventually must translate to the 49ers’ passports, to either London or Germany, right? Two things to consider:
1. The 49ers are connected to the United Kingdom and Mexico with the NFL’s global marketing rights. They’re a decade removed from their last London visit (a 42-10 win over the Jags), and they went last season to Mexico City (a 38-10 win over the Cardinals). Both were “away” games so maybe it’s time they burn a home date, now that Levi’s Stadium is 10 years old (and to further irk Santa Clara city officials).
2. The Falcons, Panthers, Chiefs, Patriots and Bucs have those marketing rights for Germany. The Bucs hosted the NFL’s regular-season debut there last year; the Chiefs and the Patriots host this season’s Germany games. Of those five teams, none are yet on the 49ers’ 2024 away schedule, as they’ll visit whichever NFC South team finishes in the same position this season. If that team is the Saints, well, they have France’s NFL marketing rights, and wouldn’t it be great for the NFL debut in Paris, a month or so after the Olympics there? Au revoir.
Originally published at Cam Inman