49ers: 5 crucial takeaways from Sunday Night Football loss vs. Packers

No. 4: 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk is back

Almost unsighted on offense for the first two weeks, there were some concerns wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was a one-hit wonder who couldn’t live up to his impressive rookie season.

There were varying explanations as to exactly why he wasn’t being featured on the offense, with head coach Kyle Shanahan explaining Aiyuk simply fell behind on the depth chart due to injuries. It was frustrating to see Aiyuk not being utilized, given he had the potential to be the No. 1 receiver on the team.

He still has some work to do in that regard, but finally, we saw some of the Aiyuk we were expecting to see.

Aiyuk had four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown, as well as a carry for 8 yards. He could have had a second touchdown but dropped the ball.

Dropped ball aside, Aiyuk being targeted much more than in the first two weeks is an encouraging sign for San Francisco. The offense has a lot more potency to it when he’s is performing well, and the game was a welcome return.

If Aiyuk had put more games together like this throughout the season, and even better performances than that, his first two weeks of the season will just be a distant memory.