Cardinals vs. 49ers: San Francisco Should Rest Frank Gore This Sunday

With a five-game lead in the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers are in a comfortable position to win their first division title in nine seasons. No other team in the division has more than three wins. The Niners have the league’s top-rated defense. Only two of their remaining seven games are against teams with winning records (Baltimore and Pittsburgh).

And Alex Smith—yes, that Alex Smith—is the best quarterback in the division (not much competition, however). Who’d’ve thunk it?

With all that said, there are reports out of 49ers practice that Frank Gore, superstar running back, is angling to play this Sunday against the visiting Arizona Cardinals. Gore tweaked his right knee in last week’s victory over the New York Giants. He sat out nearly the entire second half and finished with zero yards rushing on six carries.

But head coach Jim Harbaugh backs Gore’s sentiment, saying that he expects his starting running back to play. Though Gore missed practice earlier this week, he is raring to go against the Cards.

“I’ll play,” Gore said. “I’ll play good.”

But one thing that Harbaugh reinforced when asked about Gore’s status is the depth of the Niners backfield. The running back corps is not only deep but versatile, with Anthony Dixon and rookie Kendall Hunter both capable of contributing and complementing the offense. Hunter has been lauded ever since his impressive preseason performance (231 yards rushing on 35 carries). He substituted nicely in Gore’s stead against the Giants, collecting 40 yards on six carries while scoring a touchdown.

Dixon only has six carries all season, but the second-year pro is a good vertical runner and a decent blocker.

With Hunter’s explosiveness and Dixon’s fresh legs, maybe the Niners would be better off resting Gore this weekend. Their schedule has them playing next Thursday on Thanksgiving Day, so they will have a short week to prepare before heading on the road to face the Baltimore Ravens. Wouldn’t it behoove the 49ers to have Gore fully healed for the stretch run?

Not to overlook the Cardinals, because any divisional game is an important one, but Gore’s health is undoubtedly more vital to the Niners’ playoff aspirations, if and when they reach the postseason. After all, Gore has been banged up all season. In the previous week, Gore sprained his left ankle against the Washington Redskins. He also sprained his right ankle against Dallas earlier this season.

Gore practically is a hobbling advertisement for ankle braces.

With Gore likely not at 100 percent, and with a tough Thanksgiving Day road game against a formidable Ravens around the corner, Harbaugh and the Niners might want to consider resting their workhorse for next week’s contest. Hunter has proved he is capable to take on more carries, and Dixon is a suitable option in certain packages and on certain downs and distances, too.

The Niners do not want to look too far into their future. A young team that is not accustomed to the type of success they are currently in the midst of should approach the season as they currently are: one game at a time. But preparing for the latter portion of their schedule in December, and hoping for the best come the postseason, San Francisco may want to preserve their core offensive leader in Gore.

Should he stumble and re-re-re-tweak something—or injure an entirely different body part altogether—then the Niners offense and their playoff outlook could be hobbled in the long run.