San Francisco, CA
San Francisco 49ers Week 7 playbook: What to know ahead of Chiefs matchup
Brock Purdy hasn’t gotten the same shine as a player like Joe Burrow because he entered the league as the last pick of the 2022 draft after an obscure career at Iowa State. He also doesn’t get as much credit for his performance because of the San Francisco 49ers’ scheme. Those labels are hard to shake, but it’s probably long overdue to consider Purdy among the game’s best quarterbacks. This week he will have another chance to prove it with a rematch of February’s Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
How good are the 49ers?
Check out Austin Mock’s 2024 NFL projections, where you will find each team’s probability of conquering its division, advancing through the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl. The projections are based on 100,000 simulations of the remainder of the season, which factors in each team’s projected strength, current health as well as its remaining schedule.
Week 7: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 1:25 p.m. PT (FOX)
Michael Silver: The mission for covering the NFL has never been clearer
Joining The Athletic feels right — in this moment, and as the culmination of an amazing journey.
What’s changed since the Super Bowl?
A lot has changed for both teams since their overtime thriller in Las Vegas, including significant injuries. Our beat writers break it down.
Most prominent improvement? Guard Dominick Puni
The rookie will get the biggest test of the season in the Chiefs’ Chris Jones, who’s been a consistent game wrecker against the 49ers.
Mailbag: Something’s rotten on special teams
Among this week’s questions: Why can’t Mitch Wishnowsky handle kickoffs and why was Brayden Willis promoted to the active roster?
Ricky Pearsall returns to practice 6 weeks after shooting
The return of Ricky Pearsall, who was shot in the chest during a robbery attempt nine days before the season began, added energy to the start of the week.
📈 Power Rankings: 49ers on the rise
Will Christian McCaffrey play this season? The 49ers could have opened the running back’s window to return this week. They did not. That’s not an encouraging sign.
Scouting the opponent
Catch up on all the latest news on the Chiefs before this Super Bowl rematch.
Around the NFL
Sando’s Pick Six: Deshaun Watson and a Browns escape plan
The salary cap would make cutting Watson painful but not impossible. Could the Browns thread the tiniest needle with a trade?
Why Davante Adams, Amari Cooper trades could be different
In-season wide receiver trades usually flop. But the Jets and Bills should not necessarily panic.
NFL panic meter
How worried should the Cowboys, Browns and other struggling teams be?
NFL QB stock report
Since 2022, Brock Purdy has been just as good, if not better, than Bengals QB Joe Burrow. So why doesn’t he get the same shine?
Exclusive: Jerry Jones explains himself after fired up comments
“The facts are that if I’m going to be grilled by the tribunal, I don’t need it to be by the guys I’m paying.”
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(Top photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
San Francisco Giants pitchers say they don’t feel MLB discriminated
Three San Francisco Giants pitchers say they did not feel discriminated against after the DOJ announced an investigation into Major League Baseball.
The San Francisco Giants have a lot to consider at this juncture of the MLB season.
There were mid-level expectations for the Giants at the start of the season. On paper, it seemed like the Giants could battle for a wild card berth.
The Giants won’t meet those expectations.
A week before the All-Star break, San Francisco has the third-worst record in baseball at 38-54. The Giants lost 10-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 8, held hitless through eight innings.
It’s becoming increasingly obvious that this team won’t be competitive down the stretch, which has many of the Giants faithful singing a NxWorries tune, wondering what to do and where to go from here.
It’s evident that a shake-up is needed. It’s simply a matter of where they start and what they can realistically do to change things in the dugout. But one thing’s for sure: the Giants are sellers heading into the trade deadline.
What should the Giants do now?
The Giants have to accept their fate. Entering the season, they looked like a team that could compete with anybody, but then the baseball games were played and that proved to not be the case. So now San Francisco has to look itself in the mirror and figure out what went wrong and how to make things right – well, better than they have been going, anyways.
Here are a few ideas:
Get aggressive in the trade market, sell high
It’s easier said than done, but the Giants have to get off the expensive contracts eating up their salary. Reason being, you won’t be able to get any talent, let alone invest in your prospects, if there isn’t enough dollars to go around by the time negotiations occur.
It’s also a matter of how aggressive they plan to be and who will be prioritized. Who is untouchable? ESPN’s Jeff Passan has Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee as a top-ranked trade candidate. He plays all throughout the outfield. Offensively, Lee ranks top 10 in MLB in batting average and strikeout rate.
Lee, 27, makes $22.83 million this season and next, before going down to $21.33 million in both 2028 and 2029. Although not a star, the Giants can sell teams on Lee being a promising, solid all-around player.
Move on from veteran players
With a record like San Francisco’s, the best thing you can do for the fans is give them something to be hopeful for. That’s not aging veterans.
Examine the market for your guys who are age 30 and up, or are occupying a ton of salary space.
Rafael Devers turns 30 in October. His age isn’t so much a problem, but his contract … combined with the lack of expected production. Devers has had a down year so far, batting .244, registering 86 hits and 18 homers. He’s under contract through 2033 at a hefty price tag.
Others to consider moving on from are Willy Adames and Matt Chapman. They’re fan favorites, but based on age and dollars it all makes sense. Adames is under contract through 2031 at over $31 million per season. Chapman is locked up through 2030 at over $25 million per year.
It’s hard to say goodbye, but in the best interest of the Giants, they have to find new homes for these guys. And honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Devers, Chapman and Adames wanted to find a new home if it meant playing for a contender and a chance at a World Series title.
Retain young talent, bring in fresh faces
There’s promise for the future in this squad with guys like Bryce Eldridge, Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert. It’s a start.
“The San Francisco Giants, who would love to trade two of their infielders at the trade deadline, need to clear space for power-hitter Bryce Eldridge. They realize it’s stunting his growth as an infielder to keep using him as a DH at the age of 21,” USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale wrote.
Eldridge has had plenty moments as a designated hitter but none bigger than his walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals on June 10.
Another intitiative San Francisco needs to focus on is hanging on to guys like Logan Webb, Heliot Ramos, Casey Schmitt and Landon Roupp. The best bet is to hang on to them to help usher in a new era. Years from now, when the team has a new look, you can decide whether to leverage them for additional assets.
However, in the interim, hold on to those guys for dear life because teams will come knocking as MLB gets closer to the trade deadline.
San Francisco, CA
Bay Area Teen Waymo Riders Nabbed For Allegedly Shooting Projectiles From Robotaxi
San Mateo Police said they were contacted by Waymo about the two 15-year-old riders after they were seen drinking and shooting from the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped as police responded and officers were able to safely remove the teens.
An investigation determined the teens were shooting Orbeez water beads and drinking while being chauffeured around the city.
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