Kyle Shanahan On 49ers Injuries & Missed Opportunities

Aaron Sholl via Flickr

NFL

Kyle Shanahan On Injuries, Missed Plays, And Rookies

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan discussed the Niners recent loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday.

Injury Report

The 49ers loss to the Vikings saw a number of injuries to key starters. Both Mike Person and Joshua Garnett, the starting and backup right guards, went down with foot injuries and did not return. Receiver Marquise Goodwin sustained a quadricep injury early in the game, along with linebacker Brock Coyle who suffered a head injury.

“[G Joshua] Garnett and [OL Mike] Person, got a foot strain with Person, Garnett dislocated his toe. We don’t know how long it’s going to be. The good news was nothing is broken with either of them. So, no IR or anything. But, we’ve got to see how they respond to treatment during the week to kind of have an idea whether they have a chance this week and going forward whether it will be week-to-week after that.

They need a few more days to kind of understand that. Then, after that, [WR Marquise] Goodwin had a deep thigh bruise. So, he’s day-to-day with that. And then, [LB] Brock [Coyle] is in the [concussion] protocol.”

Rookies Impress Coach Shanahan

Due to injuries and suspensions, the 49ers rookie’s had the opportunity to step and show what they could do. This didn’t go unnoticed.

Dante Pettis

Rookie receiver Dante Pettis took to the field early, replacing the injured Goodwin for the remainder of the game. Overall, Pettis performed well for his first regular season game. He had the 49ers only touchdown, catching a 22-yard pass in the end zone from Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan had the following to say about Pettis’ performance.

“I thought he did a good job. He made some big plays. He beat man coverage really well on that third and three. I think he got about a 40-yarder, almost made a hell of a catch, I think he did catch it.

I think [Minnesota Vikings CB Trae] Waynes made a real good play of getting his hand in there from what I could see on our copy, ripping it out. Then he made the off-schedule play on the touchdown that he had.

So, Dante did a real good job. I think a lot was thrown on his plate once Marquise got hurt. And he wasn’t perfect, he had some mistakes and stuff which does hurt and you’ve got to overcome them, but it was good that his first game he saw all of the things that could happen. I think that will make him that much better next week and that much more prepared next week.”

Mike McGlinchey

Rookie right tackle Mike McGlinchey was thrown in the deep end, shifting to right guard after Garnett left the field injured. Third-string Garry Gilliam filled McGlinchey’s spot at right tackle. McGlinchey had no prior experience playing guard, which showed at times. Garoppolo received continued pressure from the right side of the offensive line.

While McGlinchey’s performance was okay, a replacement guard will need to be found so McGlinchey can move back to his natural position at tackle. Shanahan liked what he saw from his rookie left tackle.

“I was so impressed with McGlinchey. By no means did he play perfect, but we were in a situation that I haven’t been in too much in my career. He was in a situation that he has never been in his career. But, losing all of those guys and having to throw someone in at guard, it was just neat to see how he reacted to it on the sideline.

It was his first NFL game, he’s never played guard, and you could see that there was nothing about him that was scared to go try it. He knew he had to do it and he didn’t flinch at all. He went in there, competed, did the best he could and did a pretty good job. I know there were a couple of mistakes, as expected, but it was not too big for him. Him going there, he did give us a chance to have a chance to come back and win that game.”

Fred Warner

Rookie linebacker Fred Warner had an outstanding game. With the suspension of Reuben Foster for two games, Warner is playing at the MIKE LB position. He had a total of 12 tackles with one forced fumble on Vikings RB Dalvin Cook, recovered by Richard Sherman. It’s hard not to see Warner as a starter upon Foster’s return. Warner and Foster lining up next to each other can provide the Niners with a formidable linebacker duo. Kyle Shanahan, however, is unsure if that will be the case at this stage.

“I’m not sure yet. That’s still another week away. The way he played yesterday, it’d be hard to get that guy off of the field. He did a hell of a job yesterday in his first game. But, that was yesterday. We’ll see how he does this week.”

Shanahan was also happy with Warner’s communication with the defense during the game.

“He did fine. I didn’t hear anything wrong with it. I’m not the one giving him the plays and stuff. I know the guys were very happy with how he communicated. The defense got guys lined up and made a lot of plays in the game, too.”

Missed Opportunities

The 49ers offensive game was plagued by missed opportunities, some of which may have changed the course of the game. From sacks on Garoppolo to dropped balls in the end zone, at times nothing seemed to be going right for the Niners.

“I think it was very evident that there were a lot of opportunities we missed out there. I think the guys knew that before they saw the tape and after. A lot of that, you can feel two ways about it. You have mixed emotions about it because it’s frustrating when you let opportunities go, but also when you come in feeling like crap after a loss like you always do, it’s also good to see that you’re capable of doing a lot better. We can see that, and we’ve just got to do it.”

The loss to the Vikings was the first for Garoppolo as a 7-0 starter. Kyle Shanahan was impressed with how Garoppolo handled himself in the face of pressure and adversity.

“Jimmy has had a lot of success in the games he’s played. But, he’s a guy you don’t have to beat around the bush with. Even talking to him on the plane last night, he knows the plays he missed, and you don’t have to sit there and talk very long about it. He’s as disappointed when he misses a play as anyone. That makes him fun to coach.

You can be honest with him, you can keep it real with him. You don’t have to worry about offending him because he’s a guy who is realistic and understands when he does well and when he does bad. That’s what will give him a chance to recover from not playing as good as he could.”

Red Zone Struggles

San Francisco continued to struggle in the red zone. From five attempts, they had one touchdown, three field goals and a fumble by Alfred Morris. The 49ers previously struggled during the 2017 season, relying on field goals to keep them in games.

To be competitive this season, they will need to work harder on their red zone scheme to score some much-needed touchdowns. Kyle Shanahan explained that, although they’ve had their struggles, it’s difficult for every team in the red zone.

“Yeah, it’s just the same for every other team in the NFL, it gets harder the tighter you get. It always does. That’s every team. Last year, I think we got better in the red zone as the year went, just like I think we got better on offense as the year went. Usually, a really good offense will do better in the red zone because they’re really good.

I think we’ve made a lot of strides, but it definitely does get tougher down there. I thought we had a number of opportunities. Obviously, starting with the fumble on second-and-one, I’d like to think we would have got in there on the next two tries.

I know there were a couple throws that Jimmy would like to have back, which I know he’d be the first to tell you. When you miss opportunities versus a defense who’s, I’m not sure exactly what they were ranked, but I know they’re in the top-five of everything, a top-five defense in the red zone.

It’s hard to get space, and when you do get a little bit, and you miss those opportunities, that’s going to be the result.”

The 49ers play their first home game of the season against the Detroit Lions on September 16th.

Photo Credit to Aaron Sholl via Flickr

Follow Matt Stephenson on Twitter: @Matt_Stevo49ers