Kyle Shanahan’s masterful usage of Kyle Juszczyk could have huge impact on 49ers’ playoff push
The 49ers continue to deal with injury issues at wide receiver, as they will likely again be without Ricky Pearsall as well as long-term absentee Brandon Aiyuk for the visit of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
San Francisco’s adversity at the pass-catching spots has meant that, for most of the year, the aerial attack has centered around Christian McCaffrey.
The running back leads the 49ers in receiving yards (626) and has four receiving touchdowns, with McCaffrey maximized as a passing game easy button for Mac Jones in the absence of starting quarterback Brock Purdy.
McCaffrey is so effective in the passing game in part because head coach Kyle Shanahan does an excellent job of creating ways to get him into open space.
A key player in the creation of those open looks is fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Because of his own upside in the passing game, Juszczyk offers a rare skill set from the fullback position, and he was quietly key to McCaffrey’s production both on the ground and through the air in San Francisco’s Week 9 win over the New York Giants.
The 49ers gashed one of the worst run defenses in the NFL to the tune of 159 yards, with Juszczyk instrumental.
Juszczyk can excel as a blocker from a host of different alignments, but the 49ers leaned heavily on one look against the Giants. San Francisco consistently aligned Juszczyk just behind the line of scrimmage in a position similar to a H-back, with fullback’s body tilted slightly to the inside.
Throughout the game, the 49ers ran from this look, with Juszczyk either motioning across the formation and then blocking or winding back into an offset I formation just before the snap.
Juszczyk was extremely effective in helping create running lanes for McCaffrey and Brian Robinson when used in this fashion, so it was perhaps no surprise that, in fourth quarter with the 49ers leading 27-17 and in need of one more explosive to put away the Giants, the New York defense was completed deceived by San Francisco’s decision to call a pass from the same look.
The 49ers lined up in 22 personnel with Juszczyk aligned to the strength of the formation just behind George Kittle, again with his body turned towards the inside. Everything about the personnel and the formation said run. However, at the snap both Kittle and Juszczyk ran routes towards the middle, causing utter confusion among the Giants defenders to that side.
Kittle drew the attention of Brian Burns — who initially tried to engage with him in a block — and the boundary corner, but the play wouldn’t have worked without Juszczyk occupying the eyes of the middle linebacker. The result: McCaffrey uncovered on a wheel route up the sideline, and a lay-up for Jones. It produced a 39-yard catch-and-run, putting the 49ers in the red zone. Four plays later, McCaffrey was in the endzone and the game was over as a contest.
It was a masterful demonstration of how Shanahan shows defenses one thing from a certain look throughout a game, before confounding the opponent in a key moment by deploying personnel in the same manner only to pivot to an entirely different play. In this instance, at the heart of it all was the game’s most versatile fullback.
Pearsall will eventually return, and the 49ers still expect Aiyuk back at some point this season.
Still, the 49ers are going to continue to rely on Shanahan’s ability to draw up easy buttons to McCaffrey, which gives their aerial attack a very high floor. As such, Juszczyk’s passing-game threat and his success in serving as a decoy for McCaffrey will be critical down the stretch as the 49ers aim to ensure they make the playoffs despite their catalogue of injuries.
Lions Lob Rare Criticism at Jake Bates for Avoidable Slip-Up
Despite focusing on their upcoming game against the Washington Commanders, the Detroit Lions cannot wrap their heads around last week’s crushing defeat to the Minnesota Vikings. While both the offense and defense share responsibility for the loss, much of the blame has been dealt to second-year kicker Jake Bates.
According to Detroit Lions beat reporter Jeremy Reisman, special teams coach Dave Fipp attributed the blocked field goal attempt “entirely because of the kick trajectory”. Down seven with 6:29 left in the game, Bates’ 45-yard field goal was blocked and returned to Detroit’s 26-yard line. Just before Bates kicked the ball, his foot hit the turf early, kicking up pellets and affecting his kick.
This momentum-swinging play ultimately crushed the Lions’ hopes of mounting a comeback, as the Vikings extended their lead to 10 with a field goal with just 3:33 remaining in the game.
Jake Bates’ Recent Kicking Struggles Starting to Raise Concerns
Bates' blocked kick has summed up his kicking struggles this season. Through eight games, the 26-year-old has made nine of his 13 field goal attempts, hitting just 69.2% of his kicks, which is well below the league average of 83.9%. While Bates has connected on all of his 30 extra point attempts and has made all but one kick from under 50 yards, he’s struggled to hit kicks from 50 and beyond, nailing just two of his five attempts.
This comes as a surprise considering how terrific he was in his rookie season. Last year, Bates quickly emerged as one of the best kickers in the league, connecting on 26 of his 29 field goal attempts, ranking 11th in field goal percentage (89.7%), while hitting six of his eight attempts from over 50 yards. His 64 made extra points ranks seventh all-time for the most extra points made in a season.
Lions’ fans have every right to be concerned and frustrated with Bates’ recent performance. He’s already missed more field goals than he did all of last year, and he’s had a miss in each of Detroit's past two games. While Bates rightly received criticism for his low kick that played a part in last week’s loss, fans shouldn’t expect his disappointing play to continue.
All kickers, no matter how good they are, will go through slumps. Kickers, just like baseball players, go through stretches where they are unable to hit and have to make adjustments to their approach. In these times, their coaches should be the ones giving them encouragement and advice on how to get them back on track.
Fipp made a bold move, giving Bates criticism for his slip-up, and while it was fair for him to do so, he should be the one responsible for getting Bates back into his rookie form. Whether it's a technique or confidence issue, the Lions must rebuild Bates and put him in the right position to succeed.
Perhaps it’s bypassing a short-yardage situation on fourth down and opting instead to attempt a field goal that gets Bates out of his slump. Regardless, Lions fans shouldn’t give up on Bates just yet, as having quality kickers has become a rarity, and Bates has demonstrated that he is one of them.
This week is the perfect time for Bates to come out of his slump, as the Commanders will be without quarterback Jayden Daniels for the foreseeable future. Detroit's offense should be able to score at will and give Bates plenty of opportunities to put the ball through the goalpost.
