Redskins vs. 49ers: What Are Experts Saying About San Francisco?
The San Francisco 49ers (6-4) have been in the headlines all season, and the days leading up to their Week 12 clash against the Washington Redskins (3-7) have been no different.
Injury updates, rookie hardware and the aftermath of a disgruntled player's blowup are on the docket this week.
What did 49ers experts have to say about these topics?
Let's investigate.
Tim Kawakami: 49ers Thriving in Chaos
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About three weeks ago, the 49ers were left for dead. Their 13-10 home loss to the St. Louis Rams was supposed to be the nail in the coffin.
Since then, the 49ers have won two straight, but not without some internal drama (looking at you, Michael Crabtree and Ahmad Brooks). However, it hasn't sunk them.
As Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News put it, "Harbaugh has enough command to keep things moving forward." Kawakami continued, writing:
"Not a single boring moment for the 2014 49ers, that's for sure.
The point is that Harbaugh, perhaps unique among coaches in all sports, can keep things together under fire and through constant controversy.
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It's been a messy season. The offense has been mediocre. The defense has had several injuries. The Ray McDonald saga has been a dark cloud hanging over the team.
And yet, through it all, these 49ers are holding steady at 6-4.
I couldn't agree more with Kawakami. Harbaugh deserves lots of credit for keeping this team together and focused.
Eric Branch: OLB Rotation Unknown After Brooks Blowup
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Ahmad Brooks has started 58 consecutive games for the 49ers. That streak is in jeopardy.
Brooks, who played 12 snaps against the New York Giants on Sunday, was benched early in the second quarter after yelling at defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Brooks told reporters that he apologized to Tomsula. It was previously reported by several media outlets that Brooks benched himself. He set the record straight.
"I reacted out of my character," Brooks said, per Branch. "I did not quit on the team. I did not take myself out of the game, but words that were said by me obviously couldn’t be taken back. So they decided to not put me back in the game."
Both Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch thrived against the Giants. It's a forgone conclusion that Smith will start, but the other starting outside linebacker position isn't as clear. Just ask Branch:
"The playing-time issue that triggered the sideline blowup Sunday isn’t going away. ...
The coaching staff clearly believes Lynch is outplaying Brooks, which leads to the obvious question: How will Brooks respond if his snap total shrinks again?
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Harbaugh has made it clear that Brooks will play. How much is the question.
My guess is Smith and Lynch will start. Brooks will be their main backup and play about 40 percent of the defensive snaps.
Lynch has been far more productive when pass rushing than Brooks, so expect Brooks' third-down snaps to be reduced for the rest of the season.
David Fucillo: 49ers Will Not Rush Bowman Back
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The three-week practice window for NaVorro Bowman has begun, but he isn't practicing with the team, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.
This suggests Bowman needs more time to rehab. But with a potential playoff run around the corner, would the 49ers consider rushing him back?
David Fucillo of Niners Nation speculated that they wouldn't:
"They are getting strong play from Chris Borland and Michael Wilhoite, but I don't think that necessarily changes how things will work with Bowman. By that, I mean that I don't think they would be rushing to get him back if both were struggling. He has a specific timeline in place, and if he is still working through some pain issues, or anything else for that matter, the 49ers would not rush him back. They have invested a lot in Bowman, and if it means waiting for him to return in 2015, so be it.
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It's hard to disagree with Fucillo. Patrick Willis was already shut down for the rest of the season. The 49ers aren't in the business of persuading an injured player to return to the field too quickly.
My guess is Bowman will not return in 2014. If he isn't comfortable practicing now, chances are he won't be ready to play in games in a few weeks.
However, there is hope, and 49ers fans will hold onto it until a final decision is made.
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Matt Barrows: Chris Borland a Nominee for Defensive Rookie of the Year
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Chris Borland had 13 tackles and two interceptions in the 49ers' 16-10 win over the Giants on Sunday. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the performance.
It was Borland's third spectacular game in a row, which has Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee thinking he's a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year:
"The 49ers’ defense continues to outperform the offense and Borland has been the heart of the unit since he took over for injured team captain Patrick Willis. He’s been a nominee for the league’s Rookie of the Week award three weeks running.
All of which makes Borland at least a candidate for the offseason award.
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There's no reason to doubt Borland at the moment. He's compiled 48 total tackles over his last three games.
However, his competition for the award is stiff. Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley has 90 total tackles. He's been making plays for Baltimore all season, which might work against Borland.
The 49ers linebacker has work to do to win the award. Averaging 10-plus tackles from here on out would do the trick.
Matt Miller: 49ers Will Win with Dominant Rushing Attack
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Gary Davenport transcribed a quote from lead writer Matt Miller on Sunday's NFC battle in Santa Clara:
"The 49ers are coming off a week in which they forced five Eli Manning interceptions but nearly gave the game away to the New York Giants. Against a Washington team struggling both on the field and in the locker room, the 49ers have the physical and mental edge this week. To expect the Washington defense to stop the running attack of the 49ers is betting on a loss.
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Miller is likely referring to the Robert Griffin III-Jay Gruden drama after Washington's Sunday loss as the locker room struggle.
To summarize, Griffin was accused by several people, including Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm, of throwing his teammates under the bus, and Gruden harshly critiqued Griffin's performance.
Griffin has since tweeted that he "would never throw his teammates under the bus," and Gruden has since apologized for his critique. We'll see if there's any hangover effect from the negativity of the last few days.
On the field, the Redskins are coming off a 27-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just about everything went afoul in that one. The one obvious positive was the defense's effectiveness in stopping the run. It held Tampa Bay to 48 yards on 21 carries.
So, though I agree with B/R's panel and Miller that the 49ers will beat the Redskins, San Francisco's running game will not be the biggest reason why. The 49ers' pass rush will be.
With Trent Williams looking less and less likely to play, the Redskins will be even more vulnerable at tackle than usual. Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch will keep Washington's offense in neutral, which will allow San Francisco's offense to chip away with a low-risk game plan featuring lots of Frank Gore.
Prediction: 49ers 22, Redskins 9
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