Ranking 49ers Teams over Last 10 Years by Strength
No. 3: The 2013 Niners
Before finishing with a 12-4 record, the 2013 Niners were extremely hyped going into the regular season. They were coming off a Super Bowl appearance and Colin Kaepernick’s 2012 coming out party.
In May, unfortunately, the Niner offense hit the dirt before it ever had a chance to get rolling. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree injured his Achilles tendon and was said to be out for the season. Although he came back, he wasn’t the same player. The Niners lost four games, and hopes of winning their division.
Traveling to Seattle for the NFC Championship game proved far too much to overcome. The Niners disappointed in that game, and season, for a couple reasons.
Injuries
Crabtree’s Achilles injury is the most notable, but the Niners stayed banged up. Guard Mike Iupati missed some time, and tackle Joe Staley was feared to be lost for the season in a Week 4 false alarm. Of course, linebacker NaVorro Bowman’s ACL/MCL injury is the one we all remember, from the NFC Championship game, but Iupati leaving early really hurt the Niners offensive line.
Aldon Smith Rehab
OK, so the 49ers went on a five-game win streak while Smith was out. But distractions kept linebacker Aldon Smith from playing well later in the season when it counted. He had a good NFC title game, but he couldn’t help the team close the deal and went MIA the next season.
Kaepernick’s Youth
In the picture on top of this slide, Kaepernick made a half-field read against the Rams in Week 4. The 49ers won that game 35-11, but the underlying theme was that their quarterback had weaknesses and the coaches were compensating for them.
Bottom Line
A team that should have won it all. They were held back by a young quarterback and had injuries at key positions.
Next: No. 2, the 2011 Niners