The San Francisco 49ers advanced past the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, but were dealt some brutal news in the process.
George Kittle, the superstar tight end, suffered an Achilles injury and will miss the rest of the playoffs. It's a brutal injury, but with the Seattle Seahawks on deck, the 49ers need to get ready for another big matchup.
As underdogs, the 49ers need to get the most out of their team against the Seahawks. For ESPN's Matt Bowen, one of the X-factors for the 49ers will be Kittle's backup, Jake Tonges.
49ers' Jake Tonges is X-factor to beating Seahawks
"Tonges lacks the lower-body flexibility of Kittle, but he can run all the routes required for a tight end in Shanahan's offense," Bowen writes. "... In Seattle, he will need to uncover on seams and crossers, while working the underneath zone voids as an outlet for Purdy."
While he can't replicate Kittle exactly, Tonges will be a big key to the 49ers' success against the Seahawks in the playoffs this weekend.
His ability to run the routes of a Shanahan offense has been seen at times this season when he's taken over for Kittle. He only had one catch against the Eagles, but in his previous starts, Tonges has been a strong contributor.
In the year, Tonges has 34 receptions for 293 yards and five touchdowns. Most recently, against the Chicago Bears, Tonges put up seven receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown while Kittle sat out a week.
In Week one, against the Seahawks, Tonges had three receptions for 15 yards and a touchdown after Kittle left the game.
The 49ers will need more of that from Tonges in the playoffs, as Kittle's absence will be a massive void to fill, and the production of Tonges against the weaker linebackers in Seattle will be key.
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