After suffering an embarrassing Week One loss, the Detroit Lions will attempt to take advantage of the 49ers biggest weakness in Week Two.
Maybe no team in the entire NFL needs a win in Week Two more than the Detroit Lions. Following an embarrassing outing against the New York Jets in their regular season home opener, and rumors of strained relationships between coaches and players, the Lions will travel to California to try and pull out a road victory over the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.
SideLion Report had the opportunity to get some insider knowledge about the Niners. We spoke with Niner Noise contributor Chris Wilson, FanSided’s 49ers’ fan site, and he answered five of our questions about the upcoming matchup from behind enemy lines.
1. What surprised you the most about the Niners’ Week One loss to the Minnesota Vikings?
CW: While the outcome of the San Francisco 49ers’ matchup against the Minnesota Vikings wasn’t surprising, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s final stat line certainly was.
Garoppolo completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw three interceptions in his first NFL loss. Although he kept San Francisco in the game by quickly responding after mistakes, the Niners expect more from their new franchise quarterback.
To be fair to Garoppolo, his receivers left a lot of yardage on the field – and points off the scoreboard – due to dropped passes.
The early loss of go-to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin also played a major role, as did the team’s offensive line woes caused in part by injuries to two key linemen.
The 49ers will have an opportunity to correct their “drops” issue on Sunday, but Garoppolo will be forced to overcome a makeshift offensive line and the absence of his top receiver for a second consecutive week.