It’s been somewhat of a disappointing journey to begin the San Francisco 49ers’ 2024 campaign.
We’re finally at the halfway mark, and the Niners are sitting at .500, currently in a dog fight with the rest of the NFC West while navigating a bunch of crucial injuries.
In years past, San Francisco has been known to start off slowly, then go on historical runs down the stretch of the season. The 49ers did it twice, back in 2021 and again in 2022, when they got out to lethargic starts only to end up in the NFC Championship game.
Not saying that’s going to be the case this time around, but having those experiences tends to put the nerves at ease (just a bit).
Despite missing multiple pieces on both sides of the ball, San Francisco is getting valuable contributions from the next men up. But having a bye week smack in the middle of the regular season is an absolute blessing, setting head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad up for yet another second-half surge, one that hopefully involves returning injured players like linebacker Dre Greenlaw and All-Pro linebacker Christian McCaffrey.
Perhaps this time off will serve as a rejuvenation break by getting these guys some much-needed rest and recovery. Not only will the break benefit players, but coaches kind of get to hit the reset button as well. It’s an extremely daunting task to maintain a certain standard of success year in and year out. One of the biggest factors needed for a team to sustain success is continuity.
The Niners had that working in its favor for a while until winning consistenly became the norm.
After a numerous trips to the conference title game and two Super Bowl appearances under Shanahan, teams began poaching players and coaches from his staff. The fluctuation of coordinators and assistants has arguably been more detrimental than actual player injuries. A lot of the defensive breakdowns and blown leads are a direct reflection of poor communication, which causes a ton of on-field errors.
There’s certainly no question about the level of talent assembled throughout the roster, it just hasn’t always translated into dominance.
However, a bye-week break can afford those who’ve been under some scrutiny here, such as defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, an added week to better prepare for the second half.
Aside from the fact injuries and continuity play a huge role in a few of the Niners’ underwhelming performances, they are not immune to real-life off-the-field tribulations. Such as the one suffered by cornerback Charvarius Ward and his family with the recent passing of his one-year-old daughter.
No amount of training or team meetings can ever prepare someone for such a tragedy, but having a strong support system during times like these can really go a long way to easing one’s spirit (on behalf of my immediate family along with the rest of Niner Empire, thoughts and prayers are up for Ward and his loved ones during this difficult time).
In that way, too, not having to worry about a game in Week 9 is a hidden blessing.
For the team overall, a post-bye week surge has already happened multiple times in years prior, and it’s poised to happen once again.
