The San Francisco 49ers hammered the Green Bay Packers by a score of 37-8 on Sunday night, and tight end George Kittle played a starring role, logging six catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.
Of course, Kittle had missed the previous two games with knee and ankle injuries, so having him back in the lineup was huge for the 49ers.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said as much after the victory:
“I was going to mess with you, but he means a ton,” Shanahan said, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “You guys all know that. It was hard without him and to have him back tonight, obviously what he did in the pass game. But, what he does in the run game is equally as important. It was great to have him out there.”
Given that San Francisco does not have a ton of reliable weapons in its passing game, Kittle's return is obviously significant, as it gives Jimmy Garoppolo a steady presence to depend upon moving forward.
On the season overall, Kittle has tallied 52 grabs for 670 yards and three scores.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Iowa, was originally selected by the Niners in the fifth round (146th pick overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He played in 15 games during his rookie campaign and was solid, catching 43 passes for 515 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Then, last season, Kittle broke out, setting the single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377 yards to go along with 88 receptions and five scores, en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
The 49ers improved to an NFC-best 10-1 with their win over the Packers.
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