5 crazy stats that say everything about SF 49ers 2020 season
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: Number of players SF 49ers have lost to injured reserve
If there’s been one stat that’s been the proverbial “elephant in the room,” it’s the sheer number of players the Niners have lost to injury this season.
Before 2020, injured reserve was a destination players almost never returned from, and it typically meant that player was done for the season. Yet rule changes in 2021, specifically making short-term three-week IR a possibility, shook up what it meant to be on the list this season.
Either way, San Francisco could field an entire team based on who has landed on IR this season alone.
Before the aftermath of Week 14, the SF 49ers lead the league with 18 players currently on injured reserve, according to Spotrac.com, and it’s likely wide receiver Deebo Samuel winds up on IR after reaggravating his hamstring injury during the game.
Make that number up to 19.
But what’s crazier is the total number of IR spots the Niners have used this season: 41.
Interestingly enough, the Baltimore Ravens actually rank tops (or worst, depending on how you view it) in this category with 45, while the Jacksonville Jaguars have 37 players who have ended up on IR at some point this season.
Yet the next stat separates San Francisco from Baltimore in a big way, at least in terms of players injured. If you want to make things worse, just check out where Man Games Lost put the Niners in player games lost to injury this season after Week 12:
NFL week 12 injury plot. Games missed to injuries versus team wins. Bubble size represents cumulative quality of players lost (Lost-av metric)https://t.co/IYFcqGRonk pic.twitter.com/aiJDeUV28s
— Man Games Lost NFL (@ManGamesLostNFL) December 3, 2020
Notice the outlier? It’s insane.