San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey - Terrell Lloyd/49ers
The 2024 San Francisco 49ers season kicks off on Monday night against the New York Jets. The 49ers’ 2023 season ended with heartbreak, losing the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. It sometimes feels as though the Jets season never began last year, as this will be Aaron Rodgers‘ first game since week one of 2023. Here are a couple of things to watch for the 49ers in their week one matchup against the Jets.
Brock Purdy‘s Accuracy and Strength
All offseason, quarterback Brock Purdy’s offseason training has been a highlight. He has gotten bigger and finally had a full offseason of training as a first-string quarterback. Now, it is time to see it pay off. He did get a couple of snaps during two of the preseason games. It could have been better, but now he will have his offensive line back. To be specific, he will have left tackle Trent Williams back. This should give him some breathing room to make plays. Purdy also tried not to rush too much to stay healthy.
How are Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams?
The next thing to watch is how much the two players who did not participate during the offseason and preseason are doing. It is expected that both Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will play. How many snaps will they get though?
Williams is expected to play a full game despite his holdout. There are still conditions to that. According to David Lombardi on X, offensive line coach, Chris Foerster did not rule out rotating Jaylon Moore in when Williams needs a break. This is something to expect to happen, but it is good to know Williams will be there during Monday Night Football.
As for Aiyuk, he will be playing this weekend as well, but it’s another case of how often. According to Jake Hutchinson on X, when asked, Kyle Shanahan said he would be surprised if Aiyuk had his normal 98 percent of his snaps. This will likely be a wait and see how he is doing but do not expect this to be a full Aiyuk game. Hopefully, he still gets to be a difference-maker when he is on the field.
2024 San Francisco 49ers Defense
The 49ers are known to have a strong defense, but they do have a new defensive coordinator. One thing to watch for with the defense is the communication. That is something that was lacking last year. The defense will need to get going early against this Jets offense. There cannot be too much miscommunication; the guys need to know where to be to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.
Seeing some of the new players on the defense will be exciting. There may no longer be Arik Armstead, but there is Maliek Collins at defensive tackle. The San Francisco defense should have done better last season against the run. Collins could definitely be a big help at stopping the run down the middle. It will also be interesting to watch De’Vondre Campbell Sr. He is joining the 49ers from the Green Bay Packers. Campbell is replacing Dre Greenlaw, who is still out with an Achilles injury. Greenlaw is a hard hitter and hopefully, Campbell will be a great fit on the team
It may be true. The San Francisco 49ers may finally have a strong cornerback core. Now, they have to just step up against the Jets receivers, especially with Rodgers throwing to them. There are some questions about the safety position. It is unknown how much Talanoa Hufanga will play this week. Sometimes it feels as though he will not play, sometimes it seems like there is a chance. This may be a game-time decision, but it does seem like if he does, it will not be a lot of time. It will likely be George Odum in his place.
Christian McCaffrey‘s Health
One last, potentially minor thing to watch is running back Christian McCaffrey’s health. He has been dealing with a calf issue, connected to an Achilles issue. He and the team have confirmed he will be playing and that he is good to go. It will simply be something to monitor throughout the game. He has not played in any preseason games but has been practicing more within the last two weeks. Hopefully, he is okay, but it is something to monitor.
Predictions
It feels as though despite these two offenses, it will not be a high-scoring game. Both teams have a strong defense, and that will be the key component of the game. The 49ers are favorites heading into the matchup, but it is week one anything can happen. The prediction here is that the San Francisco 49ers will defeat the New York Jets with a final score of 21-16.
