The 49ers enter the 2020 season with the highest expectations they’ve had since the Jim Harbaugh era in the early 2010s. They’re coming off a trip to the Super Bowl and return largely the same roster from last season.
It’s not going to be easy for San Francisco to return to the NFL’s biggest stage again. There are several challenges facing the club if they’re going to play in Super Bowl LV in Tampa. Here are the six biggest obstacles the 49ers will have to clear:
Bouncing back from Super Bowl loss
Getting back to the Super Bowl isn’t easy after losing it the previous year. Only eight Super Bowl losers have ever gone back to the NFL’s championship game the year after losing, and only the 1971 Cowboys, 1972 Dolphins and 2018 Patriots won the title a year after losing it. The 49ers have an advantage with their continuity in a shortened offseason, but the roadmap is significantly harder this season with the Super Bowl LIV loss on their resumé. Bucking that trend will be the team’s biggest challenge for all 17 weeks.
Replacing DeForest Buckner
The 49ers have some options to fill the 810 snaps Buckner played last year. No. 14 overall pick Javon Kinlaw will carry a lion’s share of that load, but Arik Armstead, DJ Jones, Solomon Thomas and others will also get some run at Buckner’s vacated defensive tackle spot. The issue will be getting high-level production from those players. Buckner over the last two seasons plus the 2019 postseason had 119 total pressures per Pro Football Focus. He was also credited with 24 sacks. Finding the right combination of players to fill that void will be perhaps the most difficult task the 49ers coaching staff faces in 2020.
Finding a second starting CB
Richard Sherman can be penciled in as the starting cornerback on the left side of the 49ers’ defense. The right side is less certain. Emmanuel Moseley and Ahkello Witherspoon will compete for the job in camp, but neither played consistently enough last season to garner a full-time starting job. Witherspoon played well prior to a Week 3 foot injury, but he was benched twice in favor of Moseley. Ironing that out and having a consistent starting corner across from Sherman is an important step for the 49ers’ defense.
Establishing the receiving corps
The 49ers have questions at receiver, but it isn’t due to a lack of talent. They have a slew of options to fill out the roster after Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne and rookie Brandon Aiyuk. That trio will all make the team, but after that it’s all up in the air. San Francisco has the pieces to put together a really strong group of pass catchers, but ironing out which three or four other players will join the Samuel-Bourne-Aiyuk trio is likely going to take the entire preseason.
Avoiding steep defensive regression
For as good as the 49ers’ offense is, their road back to the Super Bowl includes another stellar showing from their defense. While it’s hard to imagine they improve on the 169.2 passing yards per game they allowed last season, avoiding a steep drop off from that is imperative. If they can still keep their pass defense in the top five-to-eight range while seeing an uptick in their 16th-ranked run defense, they’ll be fine. However, if they start getting inconsistent showings on defense where the unit as a whole starts to fall out of the top 10, it’s going to be a serious issue. Replacing Buckner and getting a repeat performance in the secondary is as vital as it is difficult.
Staying healthy
The 49ers managed to overcome a rash of injuries last season that typically would’ve derailed a team. Expecting a repeat performance from reserves shoved into action by injury isn’t realistic though. The 49ers won 13 games despite missing both offensive tackles, Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle, Weston Richburg, Kwon Alexander, Jaquiski Tartt, Dee Ford, Jimmie Ward, Ahkello Witherspoon and others for extended periods of time. Getting more games from their starters will be key in overcoming the Super Bowl loser’s curse.
