As injuries mount, the 49ers have at least one star returning

All-Pro 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga approached coach Kyle Shanahan on the sideline before last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

“This is the last one,” Hufanga told his coach. “This is the last one I can handle. I can’t wait to be back next week.”

Hufanga has been out since tearing his ACL in a mid-season game in November, but he’s set to return Sunday, when the 49ers (1-1) visit the Los Angeles Rams (0-2) at SoFi Stadium.

The 49ers have been cautious with the timing of Hufanga’s return. He practiced with the scout team defense over the first two weeks, knocking off rust while working against stars like George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk. 

Now, a defense that has struggled mightily to get off the field is eager to welcome back Hufanga to an actual game. The 49ers have allowed opponents to convert 59% of their third downs, the NFL’s second-worst mark and the team’s worst percentage since at least 2000.

The pass rush and coverage units seemed especially disjointed against the Vikings last week, and the 49ers believe Hufanga is well qualified to help fix that.

“He’s a tremendous communicator,” 49ers president John Lynch said Friday of Hufanga on KNBR. “He’s the quarterback of the back end of that defense.” 

Lynch was a Hall of Fame safety in his 15-year playing career. He often watches the 49ers practice not from the sidelines but from a spot in the middle of the field, about 40 yards behind the defensive formation — which allows him to see the action unfold from a similar angle to the one he had during his playing days. 

While Hufanga, 24, was rehabbing, he occasionally joined Lynch in watching practice from this vantage point. 

“A lot of it was my eyes,” Hufanga said in the locker room Thursday. “What are we seeing with my eyes when we’re out there watching together?”

Hufanga also popped into Shanahan’s office in recent months to watch tape from the offense’s perspective.

“I wanted to learn how they’re trying to attack us,” Hufanga said. “Those are the things you pick up and you learn as we’re trying to make our defense the best in the world.”

The 49ers finished with the NFL’s No. 1 defense by expected points added (EPA) per play in 2022, the year Hufanga earned All-Pro honors. A signature moment of that campaign was his October pick six against Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, whom he’ll be staring down Sunday. 

In 2023, with Hufanga out the final seven games of the season, the 49ers dropped to No. 10 defensively in EPA per play. Days after the team’s Super Bowl loss, Shanahan fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who’d been with the team for only one season. The 49ers targeted better run and third-down defense as they pivoted to new coordinator Nick Sorensen. 

Early results, of course, have been shaky. Beyond their troubles on third down, the 49ers allowed 6.4 yards per rush against Minnesota — an average too evocative of their porous 2023 run defense, which ranked No. 26 in EPA per play. The defense likely avoided complete disaster in Week 2 thanks to two red-zone takeaways from superstar linebacker Fred Warner.

But a two-game sample is small. And it’s come without Hufanga, who seems motivated to make a splash. 

Before Hufanga spoke Thursday, fellow defensive backs Ji’Ayir “Tig” Brown and Deommodore Lenoir crossed the room to sit next to their returning teammate at his locker. There was symbolic power in that sight, and Hufanga referenced it as he spoke about raising the bar.

“My second year, I was Pro Bowl, All-Pro, but to me it was really mediocre,” Hufanga said. “I really like to look at it that way. I gotta criticize myself to a standard. I’ve got to be better for this team, more communicative for everyone.

“If I can make a play for Tig, for Demo — guys that are sitting at my locker — I’ll do it,” Hufanga said. “I need to put myself in the best position to do that, and that relies on me.”

The next two games offer a good opportunity for the 49ers defense to get on track. So far, the Rams’ pass protection has been remarkably poor. L.A.’s cumulative pass-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus, is a measly 29.2 — more than 20 points behind the NFL’s second-worst line, the Seattle Seahawks (53.3).

The Rams are in a world of hurt up front. Offensive linemen Joe Noteboom, Steve Avila, and Jonah Jackson are all on injured reserve. 

They’re also missing star receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, which has exacerbated protection issues, since Stafford hasn’t had his typical escape valves from pressure. The Rams, though, continue to lead the league in pass percentage over expectation on first down, but perhaps that throw-first strategy will have to change given their enormous struggles up front.

Though the Rams will return left tackle Alaric Jackson from a two-game suspension, Logan Bruss will make his first career start at left guard. That opens another potential vulnerability for the 49ers to exploit next to starting Rams center Beaux Limmer, who’s also a rookie. 

Edge rusher Nick Bosa had two sacks for the 49ers last week, but the rest of the defensive line struggled to generate consistent pressure. The table should be set for a turnaround Sunday.

“There’s always urgency,” Bosa said in the locker room. “The standard is high. And right when you’re not living up to it, it’s not panic, but it’s intense focus on getting back to it.”

The 49ers are dealing with significant losses on offense, too. MVP finalist Christian McCaffrey is on injured reserve. Receiver Deebo Samuel won’t play due to a calf strain, and tight end George Kittle is doubtful with  hamstring soreness. He didn’t practice Thursday or Friday. 

That puts an even more glaring spotlight on quarterback Brock Purdy and receiver Aiyuk, who haven’t regained the extremely efficient connection they maintained throughout 2023. Lynch hinted that the injuries might even thrust less heralded players, including speedy rookie receiver Jacob Cowing, into offensive roles. 

“We have a deep football team,” Lynch said, citing the ongoing breakout of running back Jordan Mason, who leads the NFL with 48 carries. “We expect guys to step up when their number is called. I think Mason has been a tremendous illustration of that. … We’ve got ample ability and talent out there. That’s our charge this week, to find a way. And I think we will.”

Said Bosa: “I think we can do a much better job of playing complementary football: offense, defense, and special teams. When our offense isn’t doing great, we need to pick it up for them, and vice versa.”

And when it comes to complementary football, the 49ers’ plan circles back to Hufanga’s return. 

“He’s a really inspiring player, the way he plays,” Lynch said. “He’s at his best when he’s playing with no hesitation. That physicality and speed is contagious to us.”