SF 49ers: 4 painful realities over first half of 2020
By Tee Epps
No. 2: SF 49ers’ lack of wide receiver production
In order to become that consistent offense, San Francisco needs additional contributions from its receiving corps.
Rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has shown flashes from game to game, but it’s a very small sample size of his abilities. Him being out of the SF 49ers’ Week 9 matchup after landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list didn’t help matters either. Without complementary receivers and weapons at the skill positions in the lineup, Aiyuk needs more time before he is ready to shoulder the offensive load.
Through the first nine weeks of 2020, San Francisco receivers generated 87 receptions for only five touchdowns. With the recent release of former second-round pick, wide receiver Dante Pettis, San Francisco is extremely thin at the position.
Being thin at a particular position is nothing unusual for Niners because it’s not the only position at which this is the case. The defensive line was perhaps their strongest group coming into the season, and after a couple of crucial injuries, it has quickly regressed from top form.
And that’s a painful reality, too.