The 49ers offense has been a ‘Jekyll and Hide’ tale the past two weeks. The offense was hitting on all cylinders two weeks ago against Arizona, putting up 28 points en route to a victory. Then the offense struggled and couldn’t get into a rhythm, leading to their first loss of the season against the Seahawks on Monday night.
The offense faces the same Arizona team it rolled over two weeks ago, and looks to bounce back with a repeat performance. Here are the six players to watch:
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
The biggest question entering Sunday is which Garoppolo will show up? The one who lit Arizona up to the tune of 317 yards and four touchdowns, or the one that looked skittish in the pocket all night against Seattle? If Garoppolo looks like he did against Seattle, the 49ers could head into their key game against Green Bay with back-to-back losses.
WR Deebo Samuel
There could be a lot of pressure on the rookie with George Kittle likely out Sunday and Emmanuel Sanders questionable with a rib cartilage injury. Sanders is going to try and play, but his injury will likely limit him and make Samuel the de facto No. 1 receiver. That shouldn’t be an issue following his eight-reception, 112-yard performance against Seattle. Despite some drop issues, Samuel has been the most consistent receiver on the team all season, and shown he can be a go-to target for Garoppolo.
RB Tevin Coleman
Coleman will see a heavier workload with Matt Breida likely out with an ankle injury. He was a non-factor when the 49ers last played Arizona on Halloween when he rushed for 23 yards on 12 carries. Coleman hasn’t done much for the offense since his outburst against Carolina three weeks ago when he finished with 118 scrimmage yards. He has just 98 scrimmage yards combined the last two games. With Breida out, Coleman needs to play closer to how he did against Carolina to help take weight off of Garoppolo’s shoulders.
LT Justin Skule
It’s back on the Skule bus for the 49ers offense with Joe Staley out at least two games after surgery to repair a fractured, dislocated finger. This time with Skule, however, he’s a more well-known commodity than the first time he took over for Staley in Week 3. He allowed four sacks over his 452 snaps played, and was consistently good outside of a rough game against Carolina. He has a tall task against Chandler Jones and Terrell Suggs, although he acquitted himself well against them the last time these two teams matched up.
RT Mike McGlinchey
Both Staley and McGlinchey struggled against Jadeveon Clowney, allowing the pass rusher to collect 11 pressures on Monday night. It was McGlinchey’s first game back since Week 5, and there’s a chance he didn’t completely have his feet under him and he may not have been 100 percent ready for Clowney. Expect McGlinchey to play better, especially with Jones rushing off the edge.
WR Emmanuel Sanders
Sanders’ rib injury makes him an intriguing player to keep on eye on Sunday. He’s going to try and play through a painful rib cartilage issue, which could wind up limiting his productivity. He’s shown he can be an impact piece to the offense, and his game against Arizona in Week 9 was a prime example. He posted seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. If he can’t go at 100 percent, it’ll be something to watch to see if the offense can perform well without him.
