Tag: Matt Breida

49ers run game takes center stage vs. Saints

The 49ers run game needs to be at its best Sunday in New Orleans.

The 49ers offense has its work cut out for it Sunday in New Orleans. The Saints, once a dominant offensive juggernaut, now has a terrific defense to compliment an offense that may have taken a step back.

New Orleans’ defensive talent is good enough to match an equally talented 49ers offense. The room for error Sunday on offense is minimal against a Saints defense that’ll take full advantage of miscues.

San Francisco’s offense is at its best when it’s running the ball effectively. Here are the six players the 49ers need playing well to maximize their offensive production:

RB Matt Breida

(Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)

The 49ers have sorely missed Breida’s explosiveness while he’s been out with an ankle injury. He’s missed the last three games, and until Raheem Mostert broke out last week, the rushing attack has suffered greatly from a lack of big-play ability on the ground. Breida has game-changing speed that can turn a short gain into a long touchdown with one missed tackle. He leads the team with 542 rushing yards, and he’s going at 5.0 yards per carry in his third season. Breida may only get 10 or 12 carries, but the 49ers should benefit a lot from having him back.

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49ers injury outlook continues trending up ahead of crucial showdown with Saints

Arik Armstead got a day off, while the 49ers health continues improving ahead of their showdown with the Saints.

The 49ers’ injury report from Thursday’s practice looks only slightly different than Wednesday’s. The only changes to it are positive on the injury front for San Francisco heading into their crucial Week 14 visit to New Orleans to take on the No. 1-seed Saints.

Wide receiver Dante Pettis missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury he suffered in practice leading up to the team’s Week 13 loss to the Ravens. He was inactive vs. Baltimore, but his return to practice Thursday could signal that the second-year receiver will be available vs. New Orleans.

A glaring difference was Arik Armstead’s absence Thursday after a full Wednesday practice. The team’s leader in sacks missed the session for a veteran’s day off. There was no injury, and there’s no doubt about his availability Sunday.

Defensive tackle DJ Jones also got a full session in after limited participation Wednesday. He sprained his ankle against the Ravens and was considered day-to-day to start the week. Thursday’s practice indicates Jones will be ready to play Sunday, although his status won’t be determined until after Friday’s practice.

Here’s the full participation report for Thursday:

Did not participate

DL Arik Armstead (non-injury related)
S Jaquiski Tartt (ribs)
DL Jullian Taylor (elbow)

Limited participation

DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
CB Richard Sherman (knee)
TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)
WR Dante Pettis (knee)
OT Joe Staley (finger)

Full participation

DT D.J. Jones (ankle)
RB Matt Breida (ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)

Dee Ford returns to practice for 49ers

The 49ers are getting healthier just in time for the biggest game of the season.

The 49ers are getting healthier just in time for a vital four-game stretch that will determine their playoff fate. San Francisco practiced Wednesday in Florida in preparation for their Week 14 game in New Orleans, and got some good injury news from several key players. Perhaps the biggest note from the Wednesday injury report was the return of defensive end Dee Ford, who’s been nursing a hamstring injury that’s forced him out of the last two games.

Ford was a limited participant, along with defensive tackle DJ Jones and cornerback Richard Sherman. Jones and Sherman were both considered day-to-day following injuries sustained in the team’s Week 13 loss in Baltimore. Jones sprained his ankle, and Sherman sprained his knee.

Getting a nearly full slate of starters back in time to take on the NFC’s No. 1-seed would be a nice boost for the 49ers. Their margin for error moving forward is razor thin with a first-round bye hanging in the balance to end the year.

Here’s Wednesday’s full injury report:

Did not participate

WR Dante Pettis (knee)
S Jaquiski Tartt (ribs)
DT Jullian Taylor (elbow)

Limited participation

TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)
OT Joe Staley (finger)
DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
DT D.J. Jones (ankle)
CB Richard Sherman (knee)

Full participation

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)

49ers optimistic Matt Breida, Joe Staley, Dee Ford can return vs. Saints

The 49ers should be relatively healthy with several key players returning from injury vs. the Saints.

The 49ers’ Week 14 showdown in New Orleans against the Saints could wind up playing a significant role in how the postseason shakes out. A win for San Francisco may be the difference between whether the NFC goes through the Bay Area or New Orleans.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic about the team’s health going into that contest. He expects running back Matt Breida, left tackle Joe Staley and defensive end Dee Ford to all return against New Orleans. Shanahan does not anticipate the return of wide receiver Dante Pettis, who injured his knee in practice leading up to the Baltimore game.

“I’m holding out hope on all of them,” Shanahan said. “I’m definitely more optimistic about Breida, Ford and Staley. I would be surprised to get Pettis back. None of them are for sure, though. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get three of the four.”

Breida hurt his ankle in Week 10 against Seattle and the team shut him down after he played on an ankle injury for most of last season. He’s been out the last three games, and missed the contest in Baltimore despite practicing all week.

Staley also returned to practice last week after sustaining a hand injury against the Seahawks. He missed three games after he had surgery to repair a fractured, dislocated finger. That game against Seattle was his first since breaking his fibula in Week 2 vs. the Bengals. He’s played in just three games all season.

Ford missed the last two games against the Packers and Ravens after he injured his hamstring chasing down Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in their second meeting in Week 11. He hasn’t practiced at all the last two weeks.

Several key 49ers will be day-to-day after getting hurt Sunday. DJ Jones is nursing an ankle sprain. Richard Sherman is dealing with a knee sprain, and Jaquiski Tartt has a fractured rib. Shanahan didn’t offer any word on their potential availability, although we’ll find out more Wednesday when the team has its first practice of the week.

The only player who’ll for sure miss significant time is defensive lineman Jullian Taylor. He hurt ligaments in his elbow and will be out at least two weeks according to Shanahan.

49ers DE Dee Ford, WR Dante Pettis ruled out vs. Ravens

The 49ers won’t have Dee Ford or Dante Pettis, but Matt Breida could return vs. the Ravens.

The 49ers on Sunday will try and slow down the NFL’s highest scoring offense without one of their starting edge rushers. They’ll also be down one of their receivers on offense.

Dee Ford did not practice for the third consecutive day Friday and was ruled out of the contest on the team’s official status report. Dante Pettis practiced Wednesday and hurt his knee. He missed Thursday and Friday, and the team listed him as ‘out’ on the status report.

The good news for the 49ers is George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders are all off the injury report after going into last week’s contest as ‘questionable.’ Kittle didn’t practice Wednesday while Samuel and Sanders were limited. They were all limited Thursday and Friday, and will be active Sunday.

Kicker Robbie Gould was a full participant all week after missing the last three games, and running back Matt Breida returned to practice in a limited fashion this week after missing the last two contests.

Here’s the full status report:

Out

DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
WR Dante Pettis (knee)

Questionable

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
OT Joe Staley (finger)

49ers injury report: Matt Breida back in practice, George Kittle out

The 49ers are getting healthier just in time to face their toughest road test of the year.

The 49ers opened practice for Week 13 with some mostly good injury news.

Kicker Robbie Gould was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, while running back Matt Breida was in action on a limited basis for the first time since hurting his ankle in Week 10 against the Seahawks.

Tight end George Kittle didn’t go Wednesday, but head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Kittle “definitely can’t go everyday with the stuff he’s got.”

He also said defensive end Dee Ford could still play Sunday even though he’s out of practice again with a hamstring injury that kept him inactive for last week’s game vs. Green Bay. The same goes for left tackle Joe Staley, who’s working through a surgically-repaired finger.

The next two days of practice should give a better indication of just how healthy the 49ers will be going into their showdown in Baltimore.

Here’s the full participation report from Wednesday:

Did not participate

DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)
T Joe Staley (finger)

Limited participation

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
WR Dante Pettis (knee)
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)

Full participation

K Robbie Gould (quad)
DT Jullian Taylor (jaw)

49ers could get 4 key players back for showdown with Ravens

The 49ers may get healthy just in time for their toughest test of the season.

The 49ers might be as healthy as they’ve been all year when they roll into Baltimore on Sunday for a showdown with MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday indicated in his press conference that left tackle Joe Staley, defensive end Dee Ford, running back Matt Breida and kicker Robbie Gould were all progressing well and game-time decisions.

That’s a much better prognosis than last week when it became clear early in the week that San Francisco would face the Packers without their four starters.

The 49ers have survived a slew of injuries thanks to some quality depth on their roster, but they’re not going to reach their peak until they’re at full strength. Getting Staley, Ford, Breida and Gould back would put San Francisco as close to peak health as they’ve been all season.

Staley had surgery a finger he dislocated and fractured against the Seahawks in Week 10. Breida aggravated an ankle injury that same game and hasn’t played since. Ford hurt his hamstring the following week against the Cardinals, and Gould injured his quad in practice leading up to the Seattle game.

Gould told Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area that he plans to play Sunday.

Ford’s return would come at a good time after Damontre Moore, who replaced Ronald Blair, broke his forearm Sunday night. San Francisco is suddenly thin at defensive end, and putting Ford back in the lineup would be a nice boost for the pass rush.

The offensive tackles also struggled Sunday night. Justin Skule, Staley’s backup, was pulled in the second quarter in favor of Daniel Brunskill. Staley’s return to the lineup to shore up Jimmy Garoppolo’s blind side would help the offense immensely.

Breida’s insertion back into the lineup would give the running game an element of explosiveness its been missing with him banged up. He’s a home run threat every time he touches the ball. While the 49ers’ other backs are talented, Breida is simply a different type of electric that helps power San Francisco’s rushing attack.

The 49ers won’t practice until Wednesday, at which point we’ll get a better idea of how close each of those players are. Shanahan’s update Monday is optimistic though, and that’s as good as they can hope for given how bad the injury situation has been to this point.

 

Marquise Goodwin a healthy scratch vs. Packers

The 49ers’ speedy wide receiver is a healthy scratch for Sunday Night Football.

There was a small surprise on the 49ers’ inactives list for Sunday night vs. the Packers. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin is a healthy scratch. George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders are all officially active.

Here’s the full list of inactives:

QB CJ Beathard
OT Joe Staley
RB Matt Breida
DE Dee Ford
K Robbie Gould
WR Marquise Goodwin
TE Levine Toilolo

Goodwin had a huge game last season vs. the Packers on Monday Night Football with four catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He won’t get a chance to replicate that effort this year.

Toilolo is also a healthy scratch. There was some speculation pregame that Gould would play when he was warming up well before kickoff, but the nature of his injury and position makes it tough to activate him unless he’s 100 percent healthy.

Last week the 49ers didn’t have much choice with their inactives given how injured they were, but they’re much healthier going into Sunday night, which allows them to sit Goodwin and Toilolo.

San Francisco elected to go deep at defensive line with Jullian Taylor and DJ Jones both active. They’ll also be deep at linebacker with Azeez Al-Shaair and Elijah Lee both active.

Here are the Packers inactives:

George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders all officially questionable vs. Packers

The 49ers got good injury news on their status report for Sunday night vs. the Packers.

The 49ers won’t have all hands on deck Sunday night against the Packers, but they’ll be closer than they were last week. Their official injury report for Sunday listed George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders all as questionable for their showdown with Green Bay. All three are expected to play.

San Francisco’s offense hasn’t looked quite right since Kittle hurt his knee and ankle on the first play of the 49ers’ Week 9 win over the Cardinals. They’ve struggled to run the ball and their passing attack hasn’t been effective stretching the field vertically.

That second part was exacerbated with Sanders’ rib injury, although Samuel’s emergence with 16 catches in the two games without Kittle and with Sanders banged up. However, there was some cause for concern when Samuel showed up on the injury report with a shoulder injury that kept him out of practice Wednesday, and limited Thursday and Friday.

Perhaps the most significant name on the injury report is defensive end Dee Ford. He’s been ruled out with a hamstring injury, although that’s not a huge surprise after head coach Kyle Shanahan said early in the week that Ford would likely miss multiple games. He hurt his hamstring chasing down Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in the second quarter last week.

Ford is the second defensive end to go down for the 49ers in as many weeks. They lost Ronald Blair III to a torn ACL during the Seahawks game two weeks ago. Damontre Moore should see an uptick in playing time on the edge in passing situations.

Matt Breida is officially doubtful as he continues to recover from an ankle injury he aggravated against the Seahawks. That’s been a nagging injury the team has decided to keep the running back off of so he’s healthier down the stretch.

Here’s what the full status report for Sunday looks like:

Out

OT Joe Staley (finger)
DE Dee Ford (hamstring)

Doubtful

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
K Robbie Gould (quad)

Questionable

TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)

49ers’ 4 top offensive playmakers among 7 out of practice

The 49ers could face a serious injury problem Sunday night vs. the Packers.

The 49ers’ participation report for Wednesday’s practice was a star-studded list. Seven players missed the session, and two others were limited. Among the players out were running back Matt Breida, wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel, and tight end George Kittle.

Those four account for most of the playmaking on the 49ers’ offense. Breida leads the team in rushing yards and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season. Sanders has been Jimmy Garoppolo’s favorite target in his four games with the team, and Samuel has emerged as a top-end receiver in the two games Sanders has dealt with a rib injury. Samuel leads all NFL rookies with 38 catches. Kittle is arguably the best tight end in the league, and provides as much value as a run blocker as he does as a pass catcher. He’s leading the club in receptions and receiving yards.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t rule any of those four out for Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, but starting the week off with a non-participation in practice isn’t a great early sign.

Here’s the full participation report for Wednesday:

Did not participate

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)
T Joe Staley (finger)
DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
K Robbie Gould (quad)

Limited participation

DT DJ Jones (groin)
RB Raheem Mostert (knee)

Full participation

Azeez Al-Shaair (concussion)