The players on the San Francisco 49ers who have the most to lose in Week 3 are listed below.
The San Francisco 49ers were in a special position going into Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season.
On the one hand, Brock Purdy, Kyle Shanahan, and company had an absolute ton of talent on the injured report, missing George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. However, the Rams were also lacking a number of players, as their offensive line remained subpar, their depth was seriously doubtful, and their two best receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, were predicted to miss several weeks of action. The 49ers would seem to have the upper hand overall, even in a legitimate “Attrition Bowl,” right?
Yes, it seemed that way on paper, but in reality, the Rams surprised everyone by keeping their opponents off balance and winning their first game of the season 27–24 in a stunning SoCal showdown.
What took place? How did the 49ers, a club that was hoping to win the Super Bowl, go from being 1-2 to tied with the Rams and two games behind the Seattle Seahawks? Needless to say, the 49ers paid a heavy price since a number of players failed to perform when it mattered most.
1. Javon Hargrave
Following a somewhat lackluster 2023 season following his trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the 49ers, it appeared as though 2024 would be Javon Hargrave’s make-or-break year in San Francisco.
While Nick Bosa dominated on the outside, Hargrave was widely praised as a dynamic interior pass rusher who could change the game on the interior. However, as a member of Shanahan’s defensive line, Hargrave has not really stood out, recording just seven sacks in the previous season and just one in 2024, in Week 3, against the Rams.
Even though he defeated Matthew Stafford with outstanding style, that would regrettably be the only memorable moment of his 2024 NFL season. A few plays later, he sustained a partially torn right triceps, which forced him to the locker room and basically terminated his season.
Thankfully, there is still chance that Hargrave will return later in the season. Shanahan stated during his post-game media availability that Hargrave might still return in time for the playoffs, though it is not a given.
Shanahan responded, “I think so,” to reporters. However, we advocate surgery whether you rip it completely or just partially, so when you have surgery, it normally takes a few months at least. It would have to be towards the end of the playoffs if there was a chance.
Is it a little disappointing that Hargrave, who was having a great game, was held responsible for the 49ers’ defeat? Maybe so, but it is difficult not to be disheartened by how everything worked out in the end, given how much the 49ers invested in him as a player and how his performance declined in the fourth quarter.
2. Wide receivers for the 49ers, negative Jennings, Jauan
While it is likely fair to attribute Hargraves’ poor performance in the closing minutes to his injury, the same cannot be said for Brandon Aiyul and Ronnie Ball, who entered the game hoping to contribute to a 49ers offense without George Kittle and Deebo Samuel but ultimately cost their team more money off the field than they were worth.
Ball made two extremely stupid passes that the 49ers could have used to change the game, maybe the most egregious error of the contest. After finishing the game with 12 yards against 30 offensive snaps, he was targeted three times, only caught one ball, and the fans demanded that he not be given any more opportunities going ahead.
The performance of Brandon Aiyuk, who was targeted ten times and only managed to catch five passes for 48 yards, was as appalling. Although those stats placed him second on the team, most fans were expecting more from the 49ers’ top position player in a game without Aiyuk and Kittle, especially given he had targets to make an impact rather than a player like Kyle Juszcyk, who was only targeted once.
Actually, Jauan Jennings—the team’s standard WR3—was the only 49ers receiver to truly shine, as he recorded the best performance of his career with 11 catches on 12 targets for 175 yards and just a 34-yard touchdown. Add three receiving touchdowns to the mix, and Jennings’s contributions to the game’s closeness are significant; the 49ers would have been in serious danger without him.
Was Jennings’ outstanding performance in Week 3 noteworthy? Yes, it was good to see Jennings receive his due as a longtime 49ers player who was frequently required to perform the grunt work as a hybrid receiver/blocker. Sadly, it is probably not sustainable in the long run because Jennings is not going to miraculously transform into Aiyuk, who is being paid to perform like his 2023 self rather than like his efforts in Week 3, after averaging just 25.8 yards per game with the 49ers.
3. Moody Jake
Jake Moody has been playing catch-up with a big portion of the NFL audience ever since he was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
With the added challenge of having to replace none other than the legendary Robbie Gould, one of the greatest kickers in Big 10 history, Moody had to adjust quickly from Michigan to the Bay Area. In 2023, he made 21 of his 25 attempts at extra point, missing just one in the regular season (6-8 from the field, 8-9 in the playoffs).
In addition, Moody’s sporadic inconsistency reared its ugly head again in Week 3, as the collegiate Wolverine finished 1-2 overall and 0-1 from beyond 50 yards in what was undoubtedly the worst game of his season thus far. This is especially concerning given that his team lost by three points to a Rams team that was desperately trying to salvage its football season after a devastating loss to the Arizona Cardinals and a rash of injuries on all positions.
Will Moody’s recover? Yes, his miss was awful for a team that did not appear to have much luck that day, but in Week 3, he was not the 49ers’ worst problem at all. However, who knows if he starts to falter and a missed kick starts to happen frequently for the squad going forward? A few weeks from now, perhaps, the 49ers will need to assess their alternatives.
