After star San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle went down with an Achilles tear last Sunday, it was easy for the mind to go there yet again: they’re done.
It's a thought that has to have crossed Niners fans’ minds several times this season: When linebacker Fred Warner went down with a brutal ankle injury or when the team laid an egg in Week 18 with the No. 1 seed in the NFC on the line.
It has been so easy to count out the 49ers all season because of the injuries they have sustained, but they are not completely doomed even though the loss of Kittle hurts immensely.
Keep in mind, the Niners beat the Seattle Seahawks on the road in Week 1 even though Kittle missed most of that game after suffering a hamstring injury. Yes, Seattle was not the same team then that it is now, but San Francisco still got it done with some magic from Jake Tonges who filled in nicely for Kittle in the weeks that followed.
On the season, Tonges has 34 catches for 293 yards and five touchdowns. He had one catch for 14 yards after Kittle went down in Philadelphia.
Tonges has had to take a back seat once Kittle has returned from his ailments, but the Los Gatos native is always ready to step up when his number is called.
Of course, the Cal product cannot be asked to do everything that Kittle does. Thankfully, he won’t be. While Tonges is a solid pass catcher, backup tight end Luke Farrell is the superior blocker. He can help make up for some of what Kittle does as a blocking tight end.
It is easy to forget that the 49ers also have one of the league’s best kept secrets in fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The guy can do it all. Head coach Kyle Shanahan can put him in the slot as a wide receiver, use him as a tight end, or utilize him as a blocker to open holes for his teammates.
Do not be surprised to see him take on a much bigger role in Seattle. Juszczyk has never been afraid to ask Shanahan for the ball more, so he may get a great chance on Saturday.
Kittle is the game’s most complete tight end, which is why there will be a space reserved for him in Canton when his playing days are done. It is also why it will be so hard to replace him.
But thankfully, the 49ers have three players who, in the aggregate, can help try to fill the void left by Kittle, which is why this scrappy bunch is not doomed just yet.