📝 usncan Note: ‘They Are A Different Team’
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Patrick Willis says people should expect the San Francisco 49ers to be back in the playoffs.(Photo by Nhat V. Meyer/MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)
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Patrick Willis feels the San Francisco 49ers will bounce back this season.
The Niners went through their roughest season in years, going 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Their rough season came just a year after advancing to the Super Bowl and coming within one possession of defeating the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, it’s worth noting they were one of the most injured teams in the NFL last season, losing key players on offense such as Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk due to injury. They’ll get those guys back this season and they have the easiest schedule this season, with their opponents having a .415 winning percentage from last season.
“You should,” says Willis in a one-on-one interview if one should expect the Niners to make it back to the playoffs. “It’s a new team, it’s a new year. They still have some pieces, but they don’t have the same exact pieces today. The pieces they let go were some big pieces, and I don’t think you can just refill them like that. I still feel like they have a team full of veteran guys that if they come together, and a few of those young guys really get behind them and really step in, they can really shock us.”
The Niners did see major departures in the offseason including the losses of Deebo Samuel, Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw. However, there’s still plenty of veteran pieces who played a key role in the team’s Super Bowl LIV appearance that are still remaining on the roster.
“They still have some veteran leadership in positions that I think that if they’re healthy, they’re still some of the best in football,” says Willis. “When you have those kinds of players, you can still win some football games. I don’t know how many games they will win. I just hope that they win enough to get into the playoffs, because then anything is possible. I’m optimistic, I’m going to be faithful.”
Patrick Willis Says 49ers Are Different Team If Christian McCaffrey Is Healthy
A major reason for the team’s decline was the absence of McCaffrey. The former NFL Offensive Player of the Year was limited to just four games last season and didn’t score a single touchdown last season. That’s notable considering McCaffrey tied an NFL record with a touchdown in 17 consecutive games during the previous season.
Having the 2023 MVP candidate back in the fold should only help the Niners get back into title contention.
“If he’s healthy, they are different,” says Willis of McCaffrey. “They are a different team, for sure. I feel like this is going to be a year where him not having the year that he wanted last year, and being banged up, that they’re going to feed him the ball.”
McCaffrey’s fellow back from last season, Jordan Mason, has since departed. Mason ran for 789 yards on 5.2 yards per carry last season. However, the Niners made a major move recently in acquiring Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders. Robinson ran for 789 yards and eight touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry and should be a tremendous complement to McCaffrey.
“I just talked to him the other day, and I was like, ‘Man, how you feeling?,'” says Willis. “He’s like, ‘Man, I’m feeling good.’ I was like, ‘How do you feel sharing time with other guys? He’s like, ‘Listen, I always want the ball in my hands. He had that look, he said it just like that, ‘I always want the ball in my hands.’ I’m not even his teammate. I’m just there, and it fired me up, it fired me up to hear that.”
Patrick Willis Details The Athletic’s ‘Connections: Sports Edition’ Game
The Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker is partnering up with The Athletic centered around their popular game, “Connections: Sports Edition.” The launch will see the game give fans the opportunity to flex their football knowledge with 32-team specific puzzles.
“I am super excited to be a part of The Athletic and the Connections campaign,” says Willis. “The new rollout we have, it’s amazing. We are rolling out for the first time a 32-team specific puzzle that fans can be involved in, that fans can get behind and they can solve. We can find out just how great their minds are.”
The puzzles basically test fans on their history and iconic players, with Willis actually being included in the game itself with the Niners.
“You will get to know that the San Francisco 49ers have a rich tradition when it comes to sports, and the fans are without a doubt the best in the world,” says Willis. “I have no doubt that they will take heed to the new game, and they probably are going to be the best fanbase In the world when it comes to solving these puzzles.”
