SF 49ers vs. NY Jets: 5 Week 2 X-factors for Kyle Shanahan

The SF 49ers are already facing adversity early in 2020, yet a Week 2 road bout against the NY Jets can either solve them or compound the challenges.

SF 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is already being asked to overcome a number of significant obstacles in his team’s quest to bounce back from a crushing Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last February.

And the Niners’ ugly Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday didn’t help matters much. If anything, the 24-20 defeat highlighted some problems Shanahan and Co. are already facing early this year. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t at his best in Week 1. Injuries are already playing a significant role. There are depth-chart concerns on both offense and defense.

Now, San Francisco has to travel to the East Coast for a two-game road trip after starting off the year with a 0-1 record.

Fortunately, the 49ers’ Week 2 opponent, the New York Jets, isn’t exactly looking to be in the thick of the AFC playoff picture this season. Jets head coach Adam Gase is already under scrutiny again early this season, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him the first coach fired amid what’s been a turbulent 2020 campaign in New York.

This presents a perfect opportunity for Shanahan and the Niners to bounce back.

But just as the case was in Week 1 against Arizona, various factors and X-factors could ultimately lead to a Jets upset over San Francisco. While that’s clearly what Shanahan and the 49ers want to avoid, they’ll have to ensure they’re on the right side of the circumstances facing San Francisco during these early obstacles.

Here are five X-factors that need to go the SF 49ers’ way in Week 2.