San Francisco 49ers: 5 takeaways from the team’s MNF rout of the Cleveland Browns
2. Long-snapping and holding is a legitimate problem
When 49ers long snapper Kyle Nelson was hit with a 10-game suspension the team hoped it wouldn’t turn into too big of a problem. Monday Night reminded 49ers fans how lucky they have been for the past two decades as the rest of the league has floundered on special teams.
Fans will come for Robbie Gould the hardest. He’s already missed five field goals on the season, including a pair under 50 yards. However, not only is the team already on their third long snapper of the season, but he’s working with a new holder in punter Mitch Wishnowsky.
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While it was understandable that San Francisco brass wanted to move on from inconsistent punter Bradley Pinion, Pinion had extensive experience as a holder and had a history as a kicker.
Gould has discussed in the past how Pinion was big in helping Gould adjust and understand the strange wind patterns in Levi’s Stadium.
Wishnowsky isn’t just a rookie holder, he also doesn’t have experience as a kicker. The first missed field goal seemed like a pure misjudging of the wind, something Pinion might have been able to correct in the past.
So far it hasn’t cost the 49ers, but as games become increasingly competitive, inconsistent special teams could prove costly. For years the kicking unit has been the only thing fans could count on.
Now that the offense and defense have caught up, it’s the other way around.