49ers film room: Breaking down Emmanuel Sanders offensive impact

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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 27: Emmanuel Sanders #17 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

In only two games with the San Francisco 49ers, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has freed up their passing attack. Niner Noise analyzes how he’s opened everything up.

When Emmanuel Sanders was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, the immediate question was if this was the right value. A two-part question: did the Niners overpay for Sanders and would he have enough of an impact?

In an earlier article, I tried to answer the first part, stating how the location of the picks and a potential compensatory pick would be more than enough to justify the trade.

Now, I’ll attempt to answer the second part.

In the two games Sanders has been a part of the 49ers offense, his impact has been tangible, catching eleven balls for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He was particularly dominant during the Niners’ Week 9 28-25 Thursday Night Football road win over the Arizona Cardinals, serving as a more-than-reliable weapon for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

But even when Sanders hasn’t made the play, he’s been a critical part of the Niners offense.

There’s a collection of four clips below which will show a glimpse of how important Sanders has become to the Niners offense. Each one highlights a different way Sanders has provided a boost to the offense, inspiring some much-needed offensive confidence in San Francisco’s attempt to continue its hot streak over the latter half of 2019.