Niner Noise
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Top 5 takeaways from 49ers Week 15 loss to Falcons

By Nathan Bannerman

Wide receiver Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons and free safety Jimmie Ward #20 of the San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Wide receiver Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons and free safety Jimmie Ward #20 of the San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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49ers George Kittle
Tight end George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

No. 2: George Kittle is the most dominant football player right now

There is always a discussion on who should be the Most Valuable Player or who’s the most dominant player, and nobody is bringing up George Kittle. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is clearly the MVP front-runner and rightfully so.

However, if we emphasize “valuable,” Kittle has to be in the conversation.

When all looked lost on the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found his favorite target, Kittle. “The people’s tight end” had 13 receptions for 134 yards. He also set the record for most receiving yards by a tight end in over his first three seasons at the NFL level.

This is how valuable he is. Kittle set the record last season for most receiving yards by a tight end last season, too.

The Falcons brought a lot of pressure towards Garoppolo. Many times he only had a chance to throw to his check-down receiver, who was mainly Kittle. The only time Kittle showed any sign of being human, was the fumble and recovery on third down late in the fourth quarter. If he was able to hold the ball, there’s a great chance he picks up the first down.

Kittle can also block and it might be an underrated part of his game. Many know how well Kittle can block, but they might not understand just how important he is. Take a look at the attention he draws, even if it’s for a slight second, on the fullback Kyle Juszczyk touchdown:

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1206363192940617729

Kittle is at the top of your screen. When the ball was snapped is fairly clear, Juszczyk is getting the ball. The Niners tried to get him a touchdown the play before but were unable to succeed. But it meant the Falcons knew what was going to happen. After the snap, Kittle took on two Atlanta defenders. He’s able to clip the Falcons linebacker, No. 45 Deion Jones, enough to cause Jones to be a second late in stopping Juszczyk. Kittle continued on to push back another defensive back to clear a path for the touchdown.

The product out of Iowa is nearing a new contract. It’s a no brainier, the 49ers front office and ownership group need to keep him around, even if he has an off-year in 2020. Kittle is an obvious fan favorite, not just in San Francisco but around the league, which could pose a problem if a deal isn’t made by 2021.