The 49ers went into their bye week with three uneven offensive performances. They struggled in Week 1, were near flawless in Week 2, then dominated aside from five giveaways the third week.
Ultimately that unit is better than it was a season ago, and it stands to reason they’ll put together more consistent performances as the year progresses.
One thing that stands out from their offense is a lack of a bona fide superstar. There are a slew of good players, but one doesn’t typically stand out on a game-by-game basis. That made finding a pre-bye MVP a little more difficult, but we gave it a shot:
Honorable mention: RB Matt Breida
The third-year undrafted running back has been terrific through three weeks. He’s rushed 41 times for 226 yards, and hauled in three catches for 31 yards. One of the reasons Breida didn’t win the MVP is because he hasn’t found the end zone yet since Jeff Wilson Jr. has emerged as the team’s short yardage back. Still, Breida gets an honorable mention because of his ability to create yards for himself and carry the offense with Tevin Coleman out with an ankle injury.
Honorable mention: WR Deebo Samuel
The 49ers needed Samuel to be good pretty quickly. He was the No. 36 overall pick, and entering a receiving corps that badly needed go-to playmakers on the perimeter. He’s rapidly emerging as the team’s top receiver thanks to his ability to rip off chunks of yards on screens, sweeps and intermediate and deep routes. Samuel has just 11 catches for 147 yards and one touchdown through three weeks, but that’s on 14 targets. The arrow for Samuel is pointing up.
Honorable mention: RB Raheem Mostert
It could’ve been a disaster for the 49ers when Coleman went down with an ankle injury. Breida has never been a No. 1 workhorse back, and Wilson is much better suited in short-yardage situations. Enter Mostert, who picked up where he left off last year with 202 yards on 34 carries, and four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. His 5.9 yards per carry have taken some of the onus off Breida and given the 49ers’ potent running game an additional explosive element even with Coleman sidelined. The 49ers are likely 3-0 without Mostert, but his hard running late in games, especially against the Steelers, has helped them secure wins.
Honorable mention: QB Jimmy Garoppolo
As shaky as Garoppolo was in Week 1, he was been terrific in his second and third games. Week 3 against Pittsburgh might’ve been his best game as a 49er despite his interception and fumbled snap inside the red zone. He’s standing in against pressure, orchestrating the offense, and regaining some of the accuracy in tight windows that allowed him to be successful in 2017 during his debut with San Francisco. Garoppolo is completing 69 percent of his throws for 246.3 yards per game with five touchdowns and four interceptions. There’s room for Garoppolo to grow, but his start to the season coming back from a torn ACL is a great sign for his long-term trajectory.
MVP: TE George Kittle
The numbers have dipped some for Kittle this season. He has 17 catches for 165 yards and hasn’t found the end zone yet. Nine of his 17 catches have gone for first downs though, and his outing against the Buccaneers where he hauled in eight of his 10 targets for 54 yards helped get the 49ers offense out of a couple of bad spots. Kittle gets the MVP nod because of his run blocking though. Look at this:
This is a regular occurrence. Kittle’s run blocking highlight reel might be the longest in the league. He’s a monster in that area and it helps unlock a ton of the deception that makes the 49ers’ offense. San Francisco’s offense is probably okay without their tight end – it can be elite because of him.
