Dein erstes Forum » DL Cassius MarshThe 49ers’ pass rush, particularly

SANTA CLARA K'Waun Williams Color Rush Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Kyle Shanahan pulled aside his star tight end and apologized to George Kittle for not getting him more opportunities in the second half to set an NFL record.The coach even said sorry a second time.Quarterback Nick Mullens placed the blame on himself after Kittle fell 4 yards short of Shannon Sharpe's NFL record by a tight end of 214 yards receiving. Kittle still had a brilliant Sunday afternoon, making an 85-yard touchdown reception on the way to 210 yards receiving and becoming the 49ers‘ first tight end to reach the 1,000-yard milestone to lead San Francisco past the sluggish, injury-plagued Denver Broncos 20-14."Four yards, ahhh, it's all right," Kittle shrugged nonchalantly, unfazed by a near miss. "Next time. Just talk to Nick and Coach Shanahan, they'll figure it out."Kittle's long TD reception on a pass from Mullens early in the second quarter put the Niners up 13-0 — "George flashed in my eyes," his QB said — and Denver (6-7) never found a groove in seeing its three-game winning streak snapped.Kittle had all of his yards and seven receptions in the first half and was targeted just once after halftime. Again, no big deal."We won. That's about all that matters," Kittle said.Broncos quarterback Case Keenum struggled to find any rhythm after the Broncos lost top wideout Emmanuel Sanders to a torn Achilles tendon in practice during the week.Dante Pettis added a 1-yard touchdown reception just before halftime for the Niners (3-10).But this was Kittle's sparkling afternoon from the very start. He has provided a major lift for an offense that dealt with the blow of losing starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 3 at Kansas City."We had one blown coverage, and a couple where we just didn't cover him," Broncos coach Vance Joseph said.Mullens connected on eight of his first 12 throws for 124 yards and wound up 20 of 33 for 332 yards and a 102.1 rating."George had one heck of a day, 4 yards short of the record. You can blame that on me, I guess https://www.49ersfanshop.com/Marquise-Goodwin-Jersey ," Mullens said.Denver (6-7), which sought its first four-game winning streak since starting the 2016 season 4-0, fell behind 20-0 at halftime then managed two second-half touchdowns to make things interesting.Phillip Lindsay ran for a 3-yard score in the third then Case Keenum hit DaeSean Hamilton on a 1-yard TD toss with 3:53 remaining. Keenum went 24 of 42 for 186 yards.San Francisco ended a three-game skid. The 49ers had lost their previous two games by 18 and 27 points, including a 43-16 defeat at rival Seattle last week.SACK TIMEDenver's Von Miller sacked Mullens for a 9-yard loss late in the second quarter. Including the postseason, Miller's 103½ sacks matched the franchise record held by Simon Fletcher.Meanwhile, linebacker Bradley Chubb had two more sacks for 12 on the season to break Miller's franchise rookie record of 11½ set in 2011.KITTLE'S CATCHESThe previous time any 49ers player had 1,000 yards was in 2014, when Anquan Boldin had 1,062 yards receiving and Frank Gore 1,106 yards rushing.In addition, Kittle's 52-yard catch and run to end the first quarter moved him past Vernon Davis for the 49ers franchise record for yards receiving by a tight end in a season.Kittle came in needing 73 yards to top Davis' mark of 965 yards set in 2009."It's an honor. … He set the standard," Kittle said.On San Francisco's nine-play opening scoring drive — capped by Robbie Gould's 40-yard field goal — Kittle made receptions of 31 and 5 yards.Gould made a 29-yarder early in the second.ANOTHER RECEPTIONNiners left tackle Joe Staley celebrated a rare catch, the third of his 12-year career, late in the first half when he got his hands on a tipped pass by a defender for a 5-yard loss.He will be fined for it, Shanahan insisted. Because of the chance of injury on such plays, trying for the ball isn't advised. Staley called it a "dumb decision Joe Staley Jersey ," but explained it like this: "It's like telling me ‘Hey, there's pizza here, don't have slice.' I'm going to have a slice.""Joe refuses to believe he's an O-lineman," Shanahan said. "… It was not a smart play."INJURIESBroncos: Cornerback Isaac Yiadom suffered a shoulder injury. Wideout Courtland Sutton nursed a thigh injury.49ers: Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was able to return after landing hard on his left ankle late in the game when he went down defending a pass on the sideline.UP NEXTBroncos: Host Cleveland on Saturday.49ers: Host Seattle on Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up their Week 11 bye and have begun preparing for this week’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At 2-8, without hopes of a playoff berth, coach Kyle Shanahan has made it clear that the rest of 2018 is about finding out who wants to be a part of the team’s plans in 2019.“This league doesn’t have patience. I don’t have patience,” Shanahan said. “Who is going to help lead us into next year? Who is going to help finish us this year? There are lots of things that are very important to us, and we want to know, as I always say, who are we dealing with?”Shanahan’s challenge extends to every player on the 49ers’ roster, veteran and backup alike. Let’s take a look at players whose performance throughout the rest of the 2018 season may determine their standing on the team come the offseason.DL Arik ArmsteadArmstead is having his best season since being drafted in 2015. The 49ers’ first-round pick has started all 10 games in 2018, the most of his career. In that span, Armstead’s totaled 33 tackles, six tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, three sacks and an “above average” Pro Football Focus grade of 75. The 49ers picked up Armstead’s fifth-year option during the offseason Solomon Thomas Color Rush Jersey , but have until May to determine if he’s worth the $9 million he’ll be due in 2019. If Armstead finishes strong, he could play his way into a contract extension that softens the blow to the 49ers’ salary cap. A poor showing could result in his option being rescinded, and free agency in 2019.WR Pierre Gar莽onGar莽on's tenure with the 49ers got off to an encouraging start in 2017. The veteran receiver was on pace for 80 receptions and 1,000 yards before a Week 8 neck injury cut his season short. Gar莽on hasn’t looked the same in 2018, with rotating quarterbacks, and knee and shoulder injuries hampering his production. In eight games, Gar莽on’s caught 24 passes for 286 yards and touchdown. He’s due $8.4 million in 2019. The 49ers will save $6 million of that if he’s designated a June 1st release next offseason. Gar莽on, in his 11th season, still needs to prove that he’s a valuable asset in Shanahan’s offense if he wants to remain with the 49ers. QB Nick MullensMullens took the NFL by storm in his Week 9 debut against the Raiders. The former third-string quarterback completed 72% of his passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns, zero turnovers, and a nearly perfect 151.9 rating under the prime time lights of Levi’s Stadium. Mullens’ stat line took a significant dip in Week 10, only throwing one touchdown to two interceptions against the Giants. His performance over the final six games of the season will not only ensure that he remains the 49ers’ week-to-week starter, but will be an audition to earn the role of primary backup over C.J. Beathard when Jimmy Garoppolo returns in 2019.WR Dante PettisThe 49ers drafted Pettis in the second-round of the 2018 draft. General manager John Lynch traded one of the team’s third-round picks to move up to pick No. 44 to select the former Washington wideout, indicating a strong interest. So far in 2018, Pettis has struggled to establish a significant role in the offense. A Week 3 knee injury sidelined Pettis for five weeks https://www.49ersfanshop.com/Mike-Mcglinchey-Jersey , before making his return against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8. He’s only managed four receptions for 12 yards since. Pettis is still a rookie and while his spot on the team isn’t in jeopardy, he still needs to show that he’s capable of handling an increased role in 2019.DB D.J. Reed Jr. The rookie defensive back entered the game in replacement of injured nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams during the Giants’ final drive in Week 10. Quarterback Eli Manning immediately targeted Reed in coverage, hitting receiver Sterling Shepard for the go-ahead score. It was a tough break for the 49ers’ promising fifth-round rookie, who spent time at both free safety and cornerback this season. It’s unclear how many snaps Reed will get on the defense through the last six games, but with injured free safety Adrian Colbert underperforming before being placed on injured reserve, and Jimmie Ward slated for free agency, Reed has a chance to show the 49ers’ coaching staff that he’s worthy of a starting spot in 2019.DL Cassius MarshThe 49ers’ pass rush, particularly off the edge, has been forgettable this season. The 49ers claimed Marsh off waivers in 2017 after he was cut by the New England Patriots. In response to a strong showing to conclude the 2017 season, the 49ers signed Marsh to a two-year extension over the offseason. He’s totaled 20 tackles, six tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks so far in 2018. An edge rusher is widely considered the 49ers’ most pressing roster need. Marsh’s play to conclude this season could determine how heavily Lynch invests in his position during the offseason. None of his $4.2 million salary in 2019 is guaranteed.