The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of work to do if they want to make the playoffs in 2018. The team has not won any games since Jimmy Garoppolo was injured and will now rely on their defense once again as it gets healthier than ever before.
Cris Collinsworth is a football analyst for NBC Sports. He has been with the network since 2006 and he is known for his work on NFL Sunday Night Football. In an interview with USA Today, Cris said “It Has to Start Now” if the 49ers want to make the playoffs in 2018.
On Sunday Night Football, the San Francisco 49ers will attempt to keep their season alive against the Indianapolis Colts. With the Arizona Cardinals 6-0 and the Los Angeles Rams 5-1 after six games, the 2-3 49ers will need a victory on Sunday to maintain pace with the NFC West leaders.
Cris Collinsworth, who will broadcast the game for NBC, recently gave his opinion on Kyle Shanahan’s team, saying that if they return to their original identity, they can still reach the playoffs.
The 49ers are “near” to where they need to be, according to Cris Collinsworth.
Before a game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans, Cris Collinsworth talks on the NBC set | Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Collinsworth arrived in Santa Clara early this week to observe practice ahead of the 49ers’ Sunday Night Football clash against the Colts. He chatted with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area during his time on the field and expressed his opinions on the 2-3 squad.
Collinsworth said, “They’re close.” “I believe the best way to put it is that there are certain teams that you look at and go, ‘OK, they’re not going to make the playoffs.’ We’re already at the stage in the season where we’re seeing double-digit underdogs in the NFL six or seven weeks in.
“At this moment, it’s beginning to split, and the 49ers must hold on.” They are in a difficult division. The most difficult thing they have to do is play those six games in that division every year, so that will be a challenge. Will they be able to recover? Yes, they may recover, but it must begin immediately.”
It’s now, as in Sunday evening.
Cris Collinsworth believes the 49ers should return to their origins.
It’s simple to say the 49ers need to improve their performance if they want to make the playoffs this season, but Collinsworth believes it all boils down to returning to their roots. San Francisco was dominant in the trenches when it reached the Super Bowl a couple years ago.
Collinsworth thinks it’s time to reclaim that identity on Sunday night.
He said, “They have to be dominating here.” “Some years, it seems like the Yin and Yang are conspiring against you, but this squad has to break free.”
“When their offensive and defensive lines are at their finest, this is a power football club, and you just get the impression it’s still getting there.”
So far this season, the 49ers are 12th in the NFL in rushing yards per game and 18th in rushing yards allowed. If the 49ers want to challenge for the NFC West crown, they’ll have to improve their ranks.
On SNF, is it a must-win situation?
Given that the NFC West is one of the top divisions in the league this season, the 49ers are running out of time to reclaim a playoff spot. A 2-4 start might put them out of contention for the division title, so Shanahan and company must win Sunday night’s game against the Colts.
On the opposite side of the ball, San Francisco must slow down Jonathan Taylor while riding Elijah Mitchell and the offensive line. If the 49ers can keep control of the trenches as they have in previous years, this should be an easy win.
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