The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC East after walloping the San Francisco 49ers 35-10 on Sunday, pushing them down to a 5-7 record in a season riddled with injuries, most recently Christian McCaffrey who injured his knee after just returning from Achilles tendinitis. Moreover, besides missing key players like McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk (ACL and MCL injury), the 49ers simply hadn't lived up to their Super Bowl-caliber play. One part of it is that their remaining players like Deebo Samuel had taken a step down, or that young players like Ricky Pearsall hadn't figured at all in their offense, and coach Kyle Shanahan had to explain why ahead of the 49ers' Week 14 game versus the Bears.
Asked about why Pearsall has had zero catches and zero targets in the last three games, Shanahan pointed to many possible reasons.
“I think Ricky got a little banged up in Green Bay, battled through that a lot, still was able to play through it and helped us out at punt return,” the coach told reporters via transcripts shared on the official 49ers website.
Week 14: 49ers prepare for the Bears
Additionally, Kyle Shanahan had more to say about Ricky Pearsall's lack of involvement in their offense.
“And I don't judge much from that Buffalo game,” he continued. “I think we had six completions that were screens and I think four other guys had like a four-yard catch except for [WR] Jauan [Jennings] on a skinny. There was nothing really with Ricky there. We had a chance to hit him downfield one time and he slipped, but there was nothing against him for that game.”
Still, lack of offensive involvement aside, the rookie receiver had suffered a series of setbacks before he stepped on the field for his first NFL game in Week 7 against the Chiefs.
After suffering a shoulder injury that caused him to miss all of training camp in September, Ricky Pearsall got shot in an armed robbery gone wrong only a few days before the regular season.
It's already proof of his will and desire that Pearsall came back to play at all this season. However, the injuries to other key players have forced him to take additional responsibility in Kyle Shanahan's offense, more than expected of a rookie.
Rookie production
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Moreover, in his six games played, the rookie has had 11 catches for 132 yards and a single touchdown.
The 49ers had picked him in the first round of the latest draft, the sixth wide receiver selected, but all of the top nine rookie receivers have already compiled at least 393 receiving yards–except Pearsall.
Additionally, the team had drafted him because they expected he could beat man-to-man coverage, so he could still catch the ball under some duress.
His performance in the 49ers' last five games of the season, beginning in Week 14 against the Bears, should tell the team where he stands in the roster moving forward.
