San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Hawkes: Garoppolo looks to be starter for opener in Detroit; Bosa, Ford and Tartt looking good in practices

San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Dee Ford after suffering nine months from a back injury will play in Sep 12th’s opener at Detroit (San Francisco Chronicle photo file)

On the 49ers podcast with J Hawkes:

#1 When at a recent practice about who will start Sep 12th’s opener in Detroit San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media scrum standing about “I bet you guys could figure it out” Joe just wanted to get your take on Shanahan’s answer?

#2 It’s been 357 days since defensive end Nick Bosa had torn his ACL and cartilage in his left knee. Bosa sat out all three pre season games how concerned is Shanahan about Bosa returning to top playing shape to start the season?

#3 Bosa has only been involved in 10 snaps of the closed to the media for full practices for 11 on 11 sessions. It’s hard to judge in that small amount of time but how Bosa will do but Shanahan said he’s expecting a lot from Bosa.

#4 49ers general manager John Lynch said that pass rusher Dee Ford will be used cautiously, Ford who had a third serious back injury and missed 15 games last season. Lynch said Ford has looked well in practices and drills. Ford didn’t play in any pre season games and his expected to take 15-20 snaps during games in pass rushing plays.

#5 Jaquiski Tartt looks as he will be the starting strong safety. Tartt missed nine months of last season due to surgery for turf toe. Tartt reportedly has looked like he hasn’t missed a step since returning to practice Aug 25th. Tartt participated on two practices during the week and against the Raiders last Sunday was in 29 snaps in the last pre season game.

Join Joe Sundays for the San Francisco 49ers podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

49ers’ defense will have its hands full with Seahawks’ Russell Wilson in key NFC West showdown

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) on the move to throw to a receiver during Oct 11, 2020 game against the Minnesota Vikings at Centurylink Field in Seattle in first half action (AP News photo)

By Joe Hawkes
Staff Writer

Its no big secret that the key for any team into stopping the Seattle Seahawks is to corral quarterback Russell Wilson.

Easier said than done.

Wilson’s uncanny ability to avoid would-be pass rushers and find an open DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett downfield for big gains has become routine this season. You almost take him for granted because we expect him to turn a broken play into a great play.

Both Lockett (45 catches/542 yards/7 TD) and Metcalf (24 catches/519 yards/5 TD) have made huge plays for Wilson this year that has put Wilson in prime position to win his first MVP award.

Simply put, Wilson is amazing at playing quarterback in the NFL.

San Francisco’s defense will have its hands full with Wilson as the 49ers (4-3) travel to the Pacific Northwest for a pivotal NFC West matchup against the Seahawks (5-1) on Sunday afternoon from CenturyLink Field.

The last time the 49ers were in Seattle, Week 17 of last season, San Francisco prevailed 26-21 in a heart-wrenching game that was decided by a goal-line stop by then-rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw on Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister. Greenlaw’s tackle wrapped up the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed for San Francisco in front a loud sellout crowd.

This time around, the division isn’t on the line and there won’t be any raucous fans at CenturyLink Field due to the pandemic. But a win for the 49ers would pull them within half-game of first-place Seattle, making for a tighter race with both the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams both at 5-2.

The same Arizona Cardinals that handed the Seahawks their first loss of the season last week, 37-34, in overtime in Phoenix on Sunday Night Football. In that game, Wilson completed 33 of 50 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns, but tossed three costly interceptions in losing for the first time in his nine-year career when leading by four or more points at halftime.

He had been 59-0 in such situations according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Oh yeah, that same Arizona Cardinals team that shocked the 49ers 24-20 in Week 1 at Levi’s Stadium.

You don’t think the 49ers, the reigning NFC champions, wasn’t paying attention like the rest of America when Wilson looked mortal in game for once this season?

The answer would be a resounding yes.

Despite season-ending injuries to defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (knee), along with cornerback Richard Sherman (calf) and defensive end Dee Ford (back) both missing significant time this season, San Francisco’s defense has remained steady this season.

The unit ranks fifth in total defense this season allowing just 19.4 points per game, which includes the 43-17 home drubbing at the hands of the Miami Dolphins that left the 49ers at 2-3 and many declaring their season over.

Seattle’s offense ranks tops in the NFL in scoring, averaging 33.8 points per game. Wilson leads all quarterbacks in touchdowns (22) and passer rating (119.4) to go along with just six interceptions.

Last week, the San Francisco’s defense played without both starting safeties in Jaquiski Tartt (groin) and Jimmie Ward (quad) and limited the New England Patriots to just 241 yards of total offense in a 33-6 demolishing in an empty Gillette Stadium. The defense recorded four interceptions.

San Francisco must find a way to generate a consistent pass rush against Wilson, who is an escape artist when the pocket collapses. Tackling Wilson is harder than tackling a tadpole in shallow water.

Through seven games, the 49ers have sacked opposing quarterbacks 19 times this season, which is good for ninth in the NFL. Defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. leads the 49ers with 3.5 sacks.

Fellow defensive end Arik Armstead has had some success at getting to Wilson in the past, registering 2.5 sacks in eight games.

Since the Seahawks drafted Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, he’s 12-4 against the 49ers (the most wins against any team) with 3,347 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 97.9 passer rating.

With injuries to Chris Carson (mid-foot sprain), Carlos Hyde (hamstring) and Travis Homer (knee), rookie DeeJay Dallas is the only healthy running back on Seattle’s roster, so the game could be in Wilson’s hands even more come Sunday.

The last three matchups against these two rivals have come down to the final possession. So we could very well see a replay Sunday of Week 17 where Wilson has the football in his hands and San Francisco’s defense will need a stop to walk away with a victory.

 

 

 

49ers set to square off against the Vikings in the NFC Divisional Round

photo from mercurynews.com: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) and quarterback Adam Cousins (8) both are jubilant following Cousins winning touchdown pass to Thielen in New Orleans last Sunday at the Superdome 

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

In the first game of Sunday’s NFC Wild Card matchup, the Minnesota Vikings stunned the New Orleans Saints, winning 26-20 in overtime to earn their first postseason road victory since Jan. 9, 2005. With the win, the Vikings will travel to Levi’s Stadium to face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round.

The Vikings have now eliminated the Saints in two of the last three postseasons. For the Saints, it makes the third-straight postseason that they were bounced out of the playoffs on the game’s final play.

Minnesota won the toss in overtime and took the ball and never looked back. The key play for the Vikings was the 43-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to Adam Thielen to move Minnesota to the Saints’ 2-yard line. On 3rd-and-4, Cousins would find Kyle Rudolph in the left corner of the end zone for the game winning score and punching the Vikings’ (11-6) ticket to Santa Clara, Calif.

The sixth-seeded Vikings’ shocking upset over the heavily favored three-seeded Saints (13-4) was largely due to the play of Cousins, who completed 19-of-31 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown.

Thielen, who fumbled on the game’s opening drive, shook off the turnover to lead all Vikings pass catchers with seven catches for 129 yards. After missing the final two games of the season, running back Dalvin Cook returned to the lineup and rushed for 94 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns. Cook also registered 36 receiving yards on three catches.

Minnesota’s offense racked up 22 first downs while racking up 362 net yards on the Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

For the top-seeded 49ers (13-3), it is the first time that Levi’s Stadium gets to host a playoff game in the six years that the stadium has been opened. San Francisco, who earned a much needed first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after taking down their bitter rival, the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 at CenturyLink Field, won the NFC West for the first time since 2012.

That season, the 49ers would advance to Super Bowl XLVII.

San Francisco is getting healthy at the right time, as they expect linebacker Kwon Alexander (torn pectoral) and edge rusher Dee Ford back in the fold for the game. Alexander, who was cleared to practice this week, had been on Injured Reserve since Week 9.

Ford missed three weeks with lingering hamstring issues.

Safety Jaquiski Tartt, who missed the final four games of the year with a fractured rib, will be ready to go Saturday.

The 49ers are 4-0 all-time in the divisional round as a top seed. Kickoff for the 49ers’ first playoff game since 2013 is at 1:35 p.m. PT and will be on NBC with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth on the call. Michelle Tafoya will be reporting from the sidelines.

San Francsico 49ers preview: Niners return home, hope to end skid

@49ers photo: San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis adjusts his gloves during game against the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday at Century Link Field

By Jeremy Harness

SANTA CLARA–The 49ers are currently riding a three-game losing streak, and things are not looking good for their being able to put an end to it this Sunday, either.

After getting smacked around in Seattle by the Seahawks, the 49ers will make their way back to Levi’s Stadium and play host to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

While the 49ers have been out of the playoff picture for quite a while now, the Broncos have an outside chance of getting in, with a current 6-6 record.

The 49ers have some good news, however. After missing the last two weeks with assorted injuries, receiver Marquise Goodwin returned to practice in a full capacity this week and is expected to be on the field Sunday afternoon.

At the same time, though, there are a few names that remained on the injury report this week, as running back Matt Breida has not practiced this week with an ankle injury that is expected to keep him off the field come Sunday.

Meanwhile, receiver Pierre Garcon’s bad knee has kept him out of practice and will likely not play this weekend, either. Safety Jaquiski Tartt, who has been riddled with injuries during his young NFL career, also has not practiced, as he is dealing with a bad shoulder.

The Broncos are dealing with their share of injuries as well, the most significant being receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in practice this week and will miss the rest of this season.

Former 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock was hoping to make his return to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, but it looks like that will not happen, as an injury to his ribs has kept him out of practice this week and is not expected to be ready to go by Sunday.