Trending: 49ers confirmed blockbuster trade for $94 million superstar from AFC West…See Details
With just three weeks to go before the clock runs out on trade season, the 49ers could be in play for upgrades on either side of the football. Injuries have plagued San Francisco all season, and at 3-3, they aren’t yet a lock to win the NFC West this year.
The 49ers’ defensive line has been one of the most impacted areas of the roster, and a stout pass rush is a surefire formula to winning playoff games in January. With that in mind, the 49ers could look to pounce on a defensive end from a team that has seemingly declared itself open for business.
Sanjesh Singh of NBC Los Angeles named the 49ers as a trade fit for Las Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby, who is in the second year of a four-year, $94 million extension that carries a potential out after the current season.
“San Francisco has been hampered by injuries along its D-line, with Javon Hargrave out for the season and new signing Yetur Gross-Matos already on injured reserve,” Singh said. “Crosby would give the 49ers the reliable star partner for Nick Bosa that they’ve continuously sought since he was drafted, with names such as Dee Ford and Chase Young, among others, not panning out.”
Crosby, 27, is a three-time Pro Bowler who could instantly elevate any defense he played for. He already has 5.5 sacks in five games this season, despite constantly drawing extra attention as the lone pass-rush threat on the Raiders’ defense.
Bringing Crosby in to pair with Bosa in San Francisco could be the equivalent of throwing down the gauntlet to the rest of the NFC. Though the 49ers aren’t at the top of the conference standings, they’re still the reigning champs, and they could quickly climb back to the top of the heap.
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49ers HC Kyle Shanahan has an Abysmal Win Percentage in Close Games
Grant Cohn
Kyle Shanahan can’t close.
He is not a closer. He can take a team to a Super Bowl but he can’t take them all the way to a Super Bowl victory because he is a deeply flawed head coach.
He can pile up lots of yards and points on offense and he’s had some of the best defenses in the league the past few seasons. His roster often is the best in the league. And yet he finds ways to not win Super Bowls. Since 2017, he has blown 18 double-digit leads — tops in the NFL during that time.
He’s also one of the worst coaches in NFL history in close games. Seriously. According to the AP’s Josh Dubow, Shanahan’s win percentage is just .378 in games decided by seven points or fewer, which ranks 119 out of 124 head coaches who have been in at least 40 games decided seven or fewer points. The only head coaches with worse winning percentages than Shanahan in such games are Dom Capers, Zac Taylor, Doug Marrone, Monte Clark and Dan Henning. Not great company.
So why is Shanahan so bad in close games?
Because he’s an offensive coordinator at heart. Late in close games, he’s more focused on gaining yards than working the clock, which is why he passes so much with leads and lets inferior teams hang around and ultimately come back and beat him. Clock management is his weakness. He needs to blow out teams to beat them.
Not the mark of a great head coach.
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