The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in unfamiliar territory after the first half of the 2024 NFL season. They’ve been one of the top teams in the league in recent years despite no Super Bowl wins, so being in third place in the NFC West after Week 9 is not something that they’ve been used to.
There have been a few reasons for why the team has limped out to a 4-4 start, but one of the biggest culprits has been their health.
Health Has Been An Issue For 49ers In 2024
The most glaring absence has been last season’s rushing champion and touchdown leader. Running back Christian McCaffrey has yet to play a single down yet this year, dealing with an Achilles ailment that he even went to Europe for treatment for. And while their rushing attack didn’t suffer all that much (they have the third-highest yards per attempt average in the NFL), inserting McCaffrey back into the starting lineup makes the 49ers far more dynamic and dangerous.
Deebo Samuel: “We turnt out here ain’t we? We got Christian back. We got JJ back. It’s all hands on deck right now.” 😤
🎥: @KNBR
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) November 6, 2024
San Francisco has been short at the wide receiver position, as well. Brandon Aiyuk’s season ending injury is of course devastating for the passing game, but they have been without Jauan Jennings since his injury back on October 10th. Jennings is back at practice this week, and there is plenty of optimism about his chances to play in Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.
SF Has 6th Toughest Remaining Schedule
Given the talent that the 49ers have on their roster and their tendency to go on late-season runs in recent years, it should come as no surprise that they are the favorites to win the NFC West despite being in third place. They have an identical record as the Rams and are just a half-game behind the Cardinals in the standings, but they have lost once already to each of those division rivals, giving LA and Arizona the tie-breakers.
They’ll need to go on a run over the next few games, but the schedule is unforgiving. The Bucs are tough despite injuries to their offense, and the next three will be played against the Seahawks, Packers, and Bills.
According to NFL Playoff projections done by The Athletic, the 49ers have a 39% chance of making the playoffs, and a 26% chance of winning the division. Their chances of winning the Super Bowl are listed at 2%.
