The Los Angeles Rams get plenty of buzz for their offensive firepower, but former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o says the San Francisco 49ers are the team giving opposing defensive coordinators headaches this offseason.
Te’o pointed to the combination of running back Christian McCaffrey and newly signed receiver Mike Evans on the outside as the reason defenses can’t find a clean answer.
“Now, when I am looking at Christian McCaffrey, I’m going to stack the box. But then what are you going to do with Mike Evans?” Te’o said. “You can’t stack the box and have a safety over Mike Evans all the time. So for Mike Evans, this will probably be the best situation he’s been in. For Christian McCaffrey, this could be possibly the best situation he’s been in, because now, defenses, you have to pick your poison.”
Te’o’s argument centers on structural math rather than star power. While the Rams have stud receivers in Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, the 49ers have two stars at different positions that force defenses to choose. He said defenses are generally limited to two coverage shells — one-high, which is built to stop the run, or two-high, which is built to stop the pass — and no shell handles both equally well. That’s the bind he says the 49ers create.
“But if I’m a defense, I’m staying up late at night trying to figure out, ‘How do I stop Christian McCaffrey knowing that I have to guard somebody like Mike Evans out there at wide receiver?’ Not to mention you got George Kittle and all of those guys, so I think they are the most dangerous offense in that division.”
McCaffrey and Kittle give the 49ers an established backbone, while Evans’ arrival adds a proven downfield threat that the offense hasn’t had in recent years. Whether that combination translates to the most dangerous unit in the NFC West will start to get tested once training camp and preseason play begin.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Ex-LB explains why 49ers are most dangerous offense in the NFC West
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
