The 49ers have seemingly had at the very least one “rain sport” per season that severely impacts their offensive capabilities.
Now, after beginning the season with a downpour in Chicago and a depressing exhibiting in opposition to the Bears, it seems the Niners could have yet one more wet Sunday to play via.
Climate forecasts present that rain is predicted to return to the Bay Space in full power on Sunday — proper in time for the 49ers’ residence opener at 1:25 p.m. in opposition to the Seahawks.
NWS WPC's 5 day rain forecast ending 5 am Tue Sep 20, 2022. Rising confidence a low stress system from Alaska brings rain to the Bay Space & north Central Coast Solar-Mon. Sluggish shifting to stationary, the low will assist hold cooler air & scattered showers right here into mid subsequent week. pic.twitter.com/AoY1tJfF8j
— NWS Bay Space 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) September 15, 2022
Whereas many within the Bay Space will welcome the cooler temperatures after current warmth waves and the precipitation in the course of a drought and wildfire season, the 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan have actually struggled to run their offense persistently within the moist climate over the previous a number of years.
Since 2019, the 49ers have performed 4 video games in what may very well be thought-about important rain, and within the three earlier than this season, their offense carried out nicely beneath its season common every time.
In 2019, when the 49ers averaged 29.9 factors per sport within the common season, they solely put up 9 factors in Washington, however their protection pitched a shutout to drag out a 9-0 win. Six weeks later, they misplaced 20-17 in a dreary Baltimore rainstorm — making these two video games the one instances the 49ers scored fewer than 20 factors all season lengthy.
Whereas they did get to 18 factors in opposition to Indianapolis on Oct. 24 final season, they recorded a season-low 13 first downs and had a season-high 4 turnovers in a 30-18 loss.
In all three of these video games, the quarterback play from Jimmy Garoppolo slumped:
2019 at Washington: accomplished 12-of-21 passes, 151 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
2019 at Baltimore: accomplished 15-of-21 passes, 165 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs
2021 vs. Indianapolis: accomplished 16-of-27 passes, 181 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
However if you throw Lance’s stat line in from this previous week, it mirrors Garoppolo’s output from rain video games, a little bit too nicely for San Francisco’s liking:
2022 at Chicago: accomplished 13-of-28 passes, 164 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
Lance was at the very least in a position so as to add extra offensive worth along with his legs, tallying 54 yards speeding on 13 carries. However it was clear, to the younger quarterback, that the climate was an element within the passing sport, particularly on the display screen passes the Niners wish to run to their high receivers.
“Not utilizing the climate as an excuse, however within the climate in that scenario, like catch and throw are among the hardest throws with these balls,” Lance stated on Wednesday. “Simply since you don’t know what the ball goes to be like if you take a seven-step drop or a five-step drop, you may type of really feel the ball, spin the ball, discover a dry spot or discover a spot the place it’s not a catastrophe. However yeah, there have been some ugly ones on the market on Sunday for certain.”
Lance stated he didn't strive throwing with a glove on his proper hand final week within the run-up to Week 1 as a result of they didn’t suppose the climate would prove that unhealthy. However he additionally admitted, “I don’t know, truthfully, if a glove would’ve saved me in any respect.”
If nothing else, the 49ers are adjusting how they put together for the moist climate, realizing Sunday’s forecast (and it’s price noting that long-term climate forecasts are additionally exhibiting a good probability of rain in Denver, the place the 49ers will play on Sunday Night time Soccer in Week 3).
However extra necessary than the climate is taking good care of the probabilities they do get — irrespective of the circumstances.
“For certain we’ll throw moist balls later within the week, however that’s not one thing that we’re an entire lot fearful about,” Lance stated. “I assumed the primary half we had each alternative on this planet. But when we get in that fourth quarter scenario, it’s a little bit bit totally different.”