The 49ers on Sunday square off against Washington in need of a bounce-back game. Their offense did enough to beat the Rams last week, but it wasn’t the same dominant performance we’ve seen on that side of the ball.
Here are three keys for getting the offense right, and keeping a bad Washington team from swinging an upset:
1. No slow start
San Francisco will kick off at 10 AM Pacific Time for the second time this season. Early East Coast starts can have a pretty dramatic impact on the West Coast’s team’s performance, especially early in games. The 49ers can’t get out to a slow start and let an upset-minded 1-5 Washington squad hang around. Scoring early and getting stops in the first half will be vital.
2. Jimmy G, turnover free
An easy way to give a bad football team life is by giving them extra possessions. San Francisco’s defense has bailed out the offense multiple times this season off give aways, but a mistake-free game from Garoppolo is key to shutting down Washington’s thoughts of an upset. If the 49ers’ signal caller has an efficient game where he doesn’t record a turnover, they’ll be in good shape.
3. Where are the WRs
The 49ers’ wide receivers are already struggling to produce, and now they’ll be without rookie second-round pick Deebo Samuel, who’s been ruled out with a groin injury. Samuel is second on the 49ers in targets and receptions behind tight end George Kittle. There’s going to be a sizable gap in an already shallow receiving corps. That means Dante Pettis, Richie James Jr., Marquise Goodwin and Jordan Matthews all need to play bigger roles and produce in Samuel’s absence. The 49ers are going to run, but they need their receivers in order to avoid becoming completely one dimensional.
