Kittle Defends Shanahan's Game Plan Amid 49ers' Receiver Injuries
Tight end George Kittle expresses confidence in head coach Kyle Shanahan's strategy despite the San Francisco 49ers facing significant injuries at the wide receiver position.
George Kittle stood by head coach Kyle Shanahan's game plan after the San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss of the season, a 29-20 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons. The team played Sunday's game with only four active receivers due to a rash of injuries at the position.
Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Ricky Pearsall, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling were all sidelined and are expected to miss additional time. Despite the depleted roster, Kittle maintained a positive outlook, crediting Shanahan for developing a strategy that allowed quarterback Brock Purdy to throw for 288 yards and one touchdown, completing 27 of 40 passes, albeit with two interceptions.
"Look, I’m always going to stand up for the guys we have on the field," Kittle said. "Like, did I go into that game with four active receivers? Which I don’t know if we’ve ever done that in the Kyle Shanahan era. Like, usually we have five."
Kittle acknowledged that the offensive approach necessarily differed without key playmakers. He noted the absence of a "Hall of Famer" like Evans, as well as Samuel, Pearsall, and Stribling, significantly altered the team's dynamics.
"It’s entirely different. There’s no Deebo on the sideline over there. There’s no wide receiver taking running back snaps," Kittle stated. "Mike Evans is one of the most unique wide receivers I’ve ever played with."
The tight end praised Shanahan and offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak for their ability to adapt and devise a plan that allows the remaining players to succeed. He highlighted Jordan Watkins as a notable contributor, who recorded three receptions for 56 yards on six targets.
One notable play saw Purdy connect with Watkins for what appeared to be a 23-yard touchdown reception. However, Watkins's foot was ruled out of bounds upon review, negating the score. During the broadcast, former player and current commentator Greg Olsen mentioned that Kittle had told him earlier in the week to watch out for Watkins.
Kittle concluded that while the team can still achieve victories, the games will inevitably have a different look and feel with the current limitations at receiver. "We can still win with it, it’s just going to look different," he said.