Behind Enemy Lines: San Francisco 49ers host Arizona Cardinals in Week 12
Nov 28, 2015, 9:22 AM | Updated: 9:22 am
The Arizona Cardinals absolutely embarrassed the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 of the NFL season.
The 47-7 loss was one of the worst in San Francisco franchise history. The Cardinals scored two touchdowns on interception returns in the first quarter alone.
Unfortunately for head coach Jim Tomsula, things haven’t gotten much better for the Niners since that September afternoon. San Francisco is 3-7, in last place in the NFC West and has been further bitten by the injury bug. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is on injured reserve with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. The running back group has been besieged by injuries and Shaun Draughn, who was signed three weeks ago, is now the starter.
To make things worse, the division-leading Cardinals (8-2) are coming to town Sunday for a showdown at Levi’s Stadium.
All week, we’ll keep you everything going on in San Francisco as the 49ers get ready for Carson Palmer and Co.
It’s Behind Enemy Lines …
Saturday, November 28
• Carlos Hyde to miss fourth consecutive game; Ahmad Brooks questionable (ESPN.com)
Running back Carlos Hyde will miss his fourth straight game as he continues to recover from the stress fracture in his left foot. He was the lone San Francisco 49ers player to be ruled out of Sunday’s NFC West game against the Arizona Cardinals.
• Mangini: Acker, Cromartie will split time at right cornerback (CSN Bay Area)
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Eric Mangini said Acker will start but Marcus Cromartie will also see plenty of action at right cornerback — just as they did a week earlier in the 49ers’ 29-13 loss Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
• Arik Armstead gets chance to step up for 49ers (SFBay.com)
Armstead has played mostly a reserve role to starters Dorsey, Ian Williams and Quinton Dial this season, playing in just 200 total defensive snaps on the year. The 22-year old from Oregon has recorded 13 tackles and one sack, which, coincidentally, came against the Cardinals in Week 3.
Friday, November 27
• San Francisco 49ers’ Black Friday shopping list includes a DeLorean (ESPN.com)
Doc Brown’s time machine is something the 49ers could use, as they surely need a rewrite on the past couple of years.
• Gabbert silences critics, faces stiff challenge vs Cardinals (CSN Bay Area)
After the game, Arizona defensive back Tyrann Mathieu revealed the simplicity of the 49ers’ offense under coordinator Geep Chryst made Kaepernick’s movements easy to predict. Mathieu recorded two of the Cardinals’ four interceptions and one of their two picks that were returned for touchdowns.
Thursday, November 26
• Tyrann Mathieu: Blaine Gabbert a ‘better option’ for 49ers than Colin Kaepernick (ESPN.com)
“It does (look different),” Mathieu said of the Niners’ offense. “Not to take anything away from Kaepernick, but it seems like Gabbert has a little bit better grip on what’s going on if he gets in a situation. He knows where the ball needs to go.
“So, he’s a hell of a passer. I think he’s underrated when you talk about how well he can throw the football.”
• Cosell: NFL caught up to Kap, but ‘he will get another chance’ (CSN Bay Area)
“I don’t think that anyone can fairly say that he was great in the way that you talk about guys playing for a long time being great,” NFL Films Senior Producer Greg Cosell explained on KNBR 680-AM on Wednesday morning. “I think he came into the league at a time when read-option and running quarterbacks were new in the league, as far as designed concepts. He sort of rode that wave and the league caught up to it an awful lot … the league has caught up to that. Sooner or later to be a good quarterback, or a higher level quarterback, you have to throw the ball.”
• Gabbert focuses on fixing 49ers’ red-zone issues (CSN Bay Area)
The 49ers rank last in the NFL as they’ve scored touchdowns on just 38.5 percent of their trips inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Last season, the 49ers were 29th, scoring touchdowns on 43.2 percent of their red-zone opportunities.
Wednesday, November 25
• 49ers pass defense suddenly needs help, too (ESPN.com)
As poorly as the San Francisco 49ers defense played against the run in Sunday’s 29-13 loss at the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers pass defense was just as culpable.
• 49ers move up two spots in Power Rankings to No. 29 (ESPN.com)
A weekly examination of the San Francisco 49ers’ ESPN.com Power Ranking.
• Report: Colin Kaepernick had ‘extensive’ labrum tear in left shoulder (ESPN.com)
Kaepernick underwent surgery to repair his shoulder Tuesday morning in Vail, Colorado, a source confirmed to ESPN.com. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
• Brent Jones: 49ers-Kap situation ‘give-up on both sides’ (CSN Bay Area)
“You know what the reality is here — this was Roberto Duran. This was an absolutely, ‘No mas,’ by Kap and by the 49ers management. No more. I don’t want you. I don’t like you. And we don’t want you. Because there’s no way that is done with what I’m going to say is a minor injury. Yeah, it’s problematic maybe, but you’ve been playing with it, it’s not your throwing shoulder. You don’t put the guy on IR and just say ‘OK, that’s it.’ As a player you’re just saying ‘I give up. Yeah. I’m gonna go on IR and give up because I’m the backup.’ That’s so discouraging across the board. I can’t remember any time in my athletic career where I’ve seen something like this happen. That’s just bad.”
• 49ers QB Dylan Thompson climbs from scout team to second-string (San Francisco Chronicle)
On Friday, Dylan Thompson was on the 49ers’ practice squad.
• Kaepernick’s shoulder surgery goes smoothly (San Jose Mercury News)
General manager Trent Baalke said surgery was advised by both the 49ers medical staff and Dr. Peter Millett, a shoulder specialist who performed Tuesday’s surgery in Vail, Colo. The surgery revealed that the tear was more significant than originally believed, a source said.
• Jim Tomsula needs to be fired (NFL Spin Zone)
Although San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula’s job doesn’t seem to be in any trouble, the team’s fourth consecutive loss is just one reason why the Niners need to look in a new direction.
Tuesday, November 24
• Jim Tomsula: 49ers’ defense ‘afraid to miss the tackle’ (ESPN.com)
In allowing the Seattle Seahawks’ to run the ball down their throats to the tune of 255 yards on Sunday — the most rushing yards a San Francisco 49ers team has allowed in a game since the Carter Adminstration, Jimmy, not Michael, Andre or even Dexter — the 49ers showed a shocking inability to do one of the most basic principles of the game.
• 49ers’ DL Dorsey suffers torn ACL, surgery pending (CSN Bay Area)
Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey sustained a season-ending knee injury on the 49ers’ first defensive snap of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, the team confirmed on Monday.
• Tomsula: No second-guessing 49ers’ late-game punt (CSN Bay Area)
Coach Jim Tomsula has no regrets about punting the ball away late in the fourth quarter while the 49ers required two touchdowns and two two-point conversions to tie the game.
• What’s behind the decision to shut down Colin Kaepernick (SFGate.com)
Kindness was not on the lips of many 49ers fans after quarterback Colin Kaepernick went on injured reserve.
Kaepernick, by choosing season-ending surgery on his non-throwing shoulder, looks like he’s abandoning the team.
• Is 49ers’ Jim Tomsula a one-and-done head coach? (San Francisco Chronicle)
Fox’s Jay Glazer, a frequent recipient of information coming from the 49ers’ leaky pipeline, reported that Colin Kaepernick’s time with the 49ers might not be over. Why? Because if the 49ers hire another head coach, that coach might decide he wants Kaepernick on the team.
• 49ers GM says Colin Kaepernick could still return to team next year (SI.com)
Asked if Kaepernick is done with the 49ers, Baalke told reporters, “I wouldn’t say that at all. I think people are reading into that.”
