Tag: 49ers Rumors

Fred Warner forces punt with 2nd sack vs. Seahawks

Fred Warner is flying around in the 49ers’ first game without Kwon Alexander.

The 49ers were going to have big shoes to fill at linebacker with Kwon Alexander out. Fred Warner appears to be taking the onus on himself.

He got to Russell Wilson once in the first half for his first career sack. Then he got him again in the second half to force a punt after Seattle started rolling on offense.

This is the kind of showing San Francisco needs from Warner with Alexander sidelined.

Jaquiski Tartt steals DK Metcalf’s lunch money, prevents touchdown

Jaquiski Tartt prevented a Seahawks touchdown with perhaps the defensive play of the year for the 49ers.

The end of the first half could’ve been a disaster for the 49ers. Seattle looked like they were going in for a score when receiver DK Metcalf when rumbling through would-be tacklers toward the goal line. Safety Jaquiski Tartt had other ideas.

Tartt flew over and ripped the ball away from the rookie receiver inside the 5-yard line. It was perhaps the defensive play of the year for San Francisco:

If the 49ers hold on to win, remember this play.

3 49ers questionable to return with injuries

The 49ers in the second quarter announced a trio of players were questionable to return to Monday’s game vs. Seattle.

The 49ers announced a trio of injuries in the second quarter Monday night.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was announced as questionable to return with a rib injury shortly after he was seen walking to the locker room without a helmet. He had two catches for 24 yards.

Center Weston Richburg left the game with a hand injury, and defensive tackle DJ Jones went down with a groin injury.

San Francisco is already without starting tight end George Kittle, so losing another blocker and another pass catching option is a tough draw for the 49ers offense. Ben Garland stepped in for Richburg at center.

We’ll provide updates as soon as they become available.

WATCH: Fred Warner notches 1st-career sack

Fred Warner picked up his first sack of the season to end a Seahawks drive.

The 49ers rarely send extra pass rushers. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh dialed up a blitz on a Seahawks third-and-4 in 49ers territory. It worked.

Linebacker Fred Warner blew through a hole in the offensive line and dragged down quarterback Russell Wilson before he could get outside the pocket. Seattle punted for the third time in as many possessions.

The 49ers have done a nice job with Wilson in the early going.

WATCH: Jimmy Garoppolo hits Kendrick Bourne for 10-yard TD pass

Jimmy Garoppolo is dealing again and the 49ers lead the Seahawks early.

Jimmy Garoppolo is dealing again. He led a seven-play, 83-yard scoring drive on the 49ers’ second possession on Monday night. He capped the series with a 10-yard strike to Kendrick Bourne, who strolled in for an easy score and a 10-0 49ers lead.

Garoppolo is 7-of-11 for 89 yards and a touchdown.  Bourne has two catches for 26 yards and a score.

DJ Jones eviscerates Seahawks OL, sacks Russell Wilson

DJ Jones blew up Joey Hunt and sacked Russell Wilson.

DJ Jones was lined up across from Seahawks’ backup center Joey Hunt on a third-and-2 on Seattle’s first series.

Jones might as well have lined up across from a traffic cone.

That’s one way to make sure Russell Wilson can’t escape the pocket.

George Kittle officially inactive for 49ers vs. Seahawks

The 49ers won’t have their star tight end in their biggest game of the year.

The 49ers will officially be without their star tight end Monday night against the Seahawks. Tight end George Kittle has officially been ruled out after being given a ‘doubtful’ designation Saturday. He joins kicker Robbie Gould and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon among the inactive starters for San Francisco.

Here’s the full list of inactives for the 49ers:

TE George Kittle
OL Justin Skule
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
QB C.J. Beathard
DT Jullian Taylor
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
K Robbie Gould

The silver lining in this group is that it doesn’t include Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey or Kyle Juszczyk. The two starting tackles and starting fullback were instrumental in the 49ers’ dominance on the ground early in the year.

Staley broke his fibula in Week 2, McGlinchey hurt his knee and needed arthroscopic surgery after Week 5, and Juszczyk sprained his MCL in Week 5.

Witherspoon was ‘100 percent healthy’ according to a report from NBC Sports’ Jennifer Lee Chan, but he’s still inactive after being limited in practice all week with foot and quad injuries. He sprained his foot in Week 3, then suffered a setback just as he was getting ready to return.

Gould getting ruled out isn’t a huge surprise. San Francisco braced for that by adding kicker Chase McLaughlin on Wednesday after Gould suffered a quad injury during Tuesday’s bonus practice.

San Francisco survived without their tackles and fullback on offense, now they have to devise a way to win without their most impactful player on that side of the ball.

Here are the Seahawks inactives:

49ers activate TE Garrett Celek, waive CB Dontae Johnson

The 49ers made a pair of tweaks to their roster just in time for Monday night’s game vs. the Seahawks.

The 49ers made a roster move ahead of their Monday night showdown with the Seahawks. They officially activated tight end Garrett Celek off the PUP list, and waived cornerback Dontae Johnson to make room on the roster.

This move suggests two things. First, tight end George Kittle, who was already doubtful with knee and ankle injuries, will probably not play now that Celek is activated. Johnson’s departure is also a good sign for cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who’s been out since Week 3 with a foot injury.

Celek has been on the PUP list since undergoing back surgery during the offseason. His three-week practice window was opened the week leading up to the Seahawks game. San Francisco only needed to only see a week of action from Celek before putting him on the 53-man roster. He’d worked well as the second tight end during head coach Kyle Shanahan’s first two seasons. Ross Dwelley holds that spot now, but having Celek will give the 49ers an additional body to try and adequately replace Kittle’s production.

Keys to victory: 49ers defense has big adjustment to make vs. Seahawks

The 49ers defense badly needs a bounce back game, but Seattle won’t make it easy.

The 49ers defense got punched in the mouth for the first time all season in Week 9 against the Cardinals and rookie quarterback Kyler Murray. Now they face a similar style of quarterback in Russell Wilson when the Seahawks visit Levi’s Stadium on Monday night.

San Francisco has an adjustment to make against one of the NFL’s most explosive passing attacks. Here are three keys to stopping the Seahawks:

1. Keep Wilson hemmed in

There’s no area where Wilson really struggles, but the Seattle offense becomes especially dangerous when he escapes the pocket and gets to reset his feet and look down the field. If he does get outside, the 49ers have to make sure they stay in pursuit and keep him on the run to avoid finding a big shot down the field.

2. Find the run defense

Wilson’s productivity may not matter much if running back Chris Carson gets rolling. He’s a tough, hard-nosed runner who wears defenses out. The 49ers have to get to him before he gets going downhill. If they struggle again against the run, Seattle has enough weapons to beat them.

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3. Who’s the heartbeat?

Kwon Alexander was the emotional driver of the 49ers’ defense. They have to find a way to rekindle his intangibles now that he’s out for the season. If they come out flat defensively, they might be in for a long night. Starting fast and finding that emotional jolt missing with Alexander out is essential. It may not be one player who leads that charge, but they still need to find it.

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Keys to victory: How 49ers offense can find success vs. Seahawks

3 things the 49ers must do on offense to come away with a win Monday night.

The 49ers offense found a new way to win in Week 9 when Jimmy Garoppolo slung the ball around for 317 yards and four touchdown passes. Week 10 against the Seahawks won’t necessarily follow that same formula.

Here are three keys for the 49ers offense on Monday Night Football:

1. Get back in the run game

The returns of Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey and Kyle Juszczyk give the 49ers their full stable of blockers for the first time since Week 2. Their rushing attack has spearheaded the offense through most of the first half of the year, and Monday is a chance for it to hit a new level with a fully healthy offensive line and fullback. Ball control will be enormous against MVP-candidate Russell Wilson, so the run game has to be at its best against a relatively soft defense.

2. Don’t dwell on the absences

It sounds like tight end George Kittle isn’t going to be available Monday night. That means tight end Ross Dwelley will start in his place, and likely take on much of the same role as Kittle. While Dwelley isn’t as talented as Kittle, he’s capable enough as a blocker and pass catcher to keep the 49ers from completely overhauling their game plan. They may not be able to lean on Dwelley the way they do on Kittle, but they need to trust him to make plays and not steer out of the scheme that’s gotten them to 8-0.

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3. Pass (catch) the torch

No Kittle means the 49ers will be without their top target in the passing game. Where those targets get redistributed is going to play a huge role in how well San Francisco moves the ball, especially on third downs where Kittle was so reliable. Dwelley will earn some of those looks, but receivers like Deebo Samuel, Dante Pettis and Kendrick Bourne will need to step into playmaking roles to help extend drives.

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