Monday morning on Twitter, Kyle Williams confirmed he tore his ACL Sunday against the Saints and will miss the rest of the season as he rehabs.
Kendall Hunter hurt his ankle on the same play, but the extent of his injury is currently unknown.
Due to these injuries, first and second round picks A.J. Jenkins and LaMichael James may be activated next week against the Rams, but I do not expect either guy to play. Jenkins is the No.4 wide receiver on the depth chart, and LaMichael James is the No.5 running back on the depth chart.
Also, neither guy is in football shape, because they haven’t been taking hits.
I expect Randy Moss to get more playing time at wide receiver, and I expect Anthony Dixon to get more playing time at running back. Dixon fits the 49ers slashing running style.
Brandon Jacobs does not. He’s a slam back. I do not understand why they signed him in the first place.
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Shame…. This kid has become a MAN this year. get well soon. Maybe moss gets more looks maybe Aj steps in n steps up. Lets go…
Kyle really stepped up this year. He worked his ass off, got better, overcame fan angst and was a solid contributor. Really a bummer for the young man.
Looks like we signed Chad Hall to be a slot receiver/return guy
Twitter: Chad Hall @chadhall16
California, California, here we cooooooome
The guy who needs to step up is Ginn. He’s had a sub par season in the return game. As for receiver, I think they’re fine with Crab, Manningham and Moss.
Losing Hunter is much bigger. LMJ is the closest thing to a similar back and it sounds like he isn’t close to ready for the real thing yet.
I keep hearing this from 49ers fans but Ginn was 8th in the NFL in returns and that was his first lost fumble since joining the 49ers. What am I missing here?
Not based on his fumble, more on no explosive returns. His constant taking the ball out of the endzone and not reaching the 20 was bugging me. 25 yard return is nice unless it was started 8 yards deep in the endzone. He just seemed like he was one guy away from a big return a lot last season and I’m not seeing it this year. Maybe it’s just me.
Sorry – Ted Ginn is 6th in the NFL in punt return average. Someone please explain to me why everyone is acting like Ginn has been awful this year?
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/returning/sort/yardsPerPuntReturn
I’m seeing Ginn sitting at 9th in punt return average, if I’m reading correctly. The bigger issue is the 23 yard kickoff average. When he’s constantly bringing it out of the endzone that isn’t getting you to the 20 a lot of times.
3 guys ahead of him on that list have 3 or less punt returns and therefore do not qualify.
So I was reading wrong. Sorry Mike. Anywho, I should narrow my beef with Ginn down to kickoff returns then.
Ginn is also banged up. That’s the reason JH gave for benching him. If that’s the case, I could see AJ or LMJ seeing some special team action
I wish they would give LaMike a shot. I would have to think running the read option with LaMike would be even more explosive and effective given both are probably the most prolific college read option players in history at their given positions.
Grant – If LaMike and AJ are on the scout team I can assure you they are getting hit and tackled 2 days a week.
Agree with you regarding LMJ and the read option stuff. Tempo, tempo, tempo.
James is not capable of getting yards after contact right now, and he would be a liability in pass protection. He’s got the body of a slot receiver. He reminds me of Dexter McCluster.
Watch the Oregon tape Grant. Are you forgetting what this guy did to the Bruins and everyone else he faced?
Grant… Dixon might be the right call but that read option works better with speed not power
You’re right, but I don’t think James is ready right now. He needs to add muscle. Kendall Hunter is one of the most muscular players on the team, and he’s among the league leaders in average yards after contact.
James is the least muscular player on the team. I don’t see how he could pick up a blitzing linebacker, or break any tackles.
Grant i like what you post 95% of the time, but its that 5% that questions why u went to bat so hard for Colby Fleener when the man has not produced even with Luck. This could be sour grapes. Lol. Just kidding. But u do a great job. keep up the good work
Thanks, Steele. I think Fleener will become a terrific tight end, but it doesn’t seem he was ready for the physicality of the NFL, either.
He probably wasn’t the guy the 49ers should have picked. I think I was wrong. The right pick would have been Doug Martin, I think.
I’m curious to see how Jenkins fits with Kaepernick next season. I thought Jenkins was a horrible fit with Smith because Jenkins is a shrimp who doesn’t fight for contested passes, but he could be pretty good with Kaepernick. I still think Rueben Randle will be the better WR, but we’ll see.
Have to agree with Grant on this one, as much as I like LaMic he isnt ready.
So you think they fill those spots on the 46 with Jenkins and Tukuafu?
Yes, that’s my best guess.
Grant, I thought Harbaugh said Ginn suffered a hand injury and that is why Williams took over return duties? True or false? Or was it really about the muffed punt?
LMJ is an edge player. You have to get him in space to get the most out of him. I’d be interested to see him and Kap run the read option.
With the o-line run blocking like they are this year, who needs yards after contact? Get LaMichael James into the open field and you’re golden and this o-line does that consistently as last time I checked we average the most yard per carry pre-contact.
If hunter is gone i think James nees to get a touch or 2 even if its just in thevreturn game. U got 6 weeks 7 before a playoff game. James with his speed could come in handy
LMJ could be effective – not only in the option – but also on screen plays and any play that gets him in space.
Any word on Walker, thought his hip was bad?
Well whoever steps in they better get ready. Frank cant play everydown. Dixon or jacobs or james…. One of them will have to step n and step up n be ready for those all out blitzes.
Damn! I was afraid of this news. Since Ginn is an injury magnet I hope he doesn’t see a snap on offense. Keep him on st only. Yes he made a bonehead play yesterday but it happens. See Hester lastinday night. We need Ginn this post season like we needed him last season. Now if Moss sees more time, ck MUST be the starter or it could get ugly.
As I’m tying this I hear jaws on his jaws dropper segment put up the ck to DW throw. It was a thing of beauty.
I posted about this yesterday! I think we’ll see A.J. Jenkins get some playing time this year. We may also see more of Moss, but I would imagine that Jenkins is the ideal player to fill Williams’ void.
LaMichael James is still questionable. It depends on how well Dixon steps up this week. I think ultimately we’ll need the change of pace that James brings to the table, but we may be able to use a grinding running game with Gore, Dixon, and Jacobs to close out the regular season.
Ultimately I think having Jenkins get game time action while Moss is around to coach him up is a great thing! I say let him pay. So far every high round pick (1st-3rd) in the JH era is proving to be a home run, let’s keep the streak running
Just watched the press conference with Jim today and he says by Wed. the QB will be known publicly for Rams game. Starting to get odd since he said” Alex is the starter and hasn’t done anything to lose the job”.
The problem that is now presented to us as FANS, if Alex is named starter for any game and the offense goes back to being very vanilla and the games are more of a dogfight, not many points, I’m gonna be pissed. The boo birds will come back out and I almost wonder if JH kinda wants that so he has a reason to say well, Kaep is the guy. Who wants to go back to boring football now?? Anybody?
That’s the kind of football that Alex represents, as I said before he’s the Mitt Romney of football. This has a domino effect for all of us, not just us fans, but players will now have inner monologues like “that ball would’ve gotten to me on time if Kap threw it, or Kap wouldn’t take that sack”. The reality is we now all have a reference point and it does change things.
Wish we could trade Alex right now to put an end to this. C’mon Baalke, make the trade happen. Coach Ryan needs one more QB to get ESPN to put them back on tv.
So many mistakes in this post hard to know where to begin.
Harbaugh could care less what the fans think. These are the same fans that chanted for David Carr a couple of years ago. Fans are emotional and irrational, especially in the stadium.
If he starts Smith it will be because he has faith that he’s the best guy to go with. Not because he’s playing some sort of game to keep people from second guessing him.
Players want to win period. If he goes back to Smith they’ll accept it because they’ve won with him before. There might be a few who think Kap is the better option, but as long as they win it won’t be a problem.
The trade deadline passed a month ago and trading a starting caliber backup when you are in the midst of trying to win a SB would be a stupid move of epic proportions.
I think they should stick with Kap personally, but I would understand if he goes back to Smith. He trusts both of them and that’s a good thing.
So we agree about who we want as QB, yet my post is stupid haha.
It’s not that I think JH cares about what we think, its that I’ve said all along he’s a sneaky dude. He showed that to us when he was the 1st to pounce on the Manning parade. When you listen to Vernon’s statements and pure excitement, you can tell its a new bounce in his step as well as other players jacked up on the new possibilities.
This isn’t about “Alex being the best guy to go with” anymore Rocket. You can’t cheer for Kap as the new QB and believe that Alex is the “best guy to go with”. He clearly isn’t, he’s not as talented and that is now proven clearly as fact. If he plays its more about politics and that Jim goes with “he deserves to have the job that he never lost”
You proved my post true by saying if he doesn’t win or shows that a game is close to being lost, fans will all wonder why is he still playing?
YOU DON’T WIN TROPHIES ON FAITH
Sled,
I didn’t say your post was stupid. I said it was full of mistakes which it was. You are putting too much emphasis on what we as fans want and how much pull that has with the Coach. You have now said you know he doesn’t care what we think and that is correct. As of today Davis is still supporting Smith as the starter so the bounce in his step hasn’t bounced him off the Smith train yet apparently. Not catching any passes yesterday must have dulled his enthusiasm on Kap.
I’m also not cheering for one guy over the other. I cheer for the 49ers. Who ever is playing is the guy I’m cheering for. My thoughts are based on what I think can happen. Harbaugh respects Smith a great deal and I could see him going back to him. If I’m making the decision I go with Kap as I said, but it’s not because I think Smith can’t play. It’s because I think once you’ve built up some momentum, you go with it as far as you can. We’ve seen two very good games in a row with the current lineup. Until they falter I think Harbaugh has to ride it.
Harbaugh will not make the decision based on politics. He will start the guy he feels most comfortable with which will be difficult because I think he feels good about both of them.
One thing I do believe will be different is the leash on either guy. If one is struggling, I can see a quick hook coming.
Is boring football still winning football? That’s the only thing I’m concerned about. Both qbs have won and I’m good with whomever coach puts in.
I don’t see the problem with Alex being QB for the rest of the season to see if he can push his ceiling. I rather have less tape on KAP for teams to study come play-off time.
I don’t care if the Offense is vanilla now because at this point in the season it is about execution. The Niners really have one tough game left, and that’s the Pats. Seahawks may cause some concern but even if they lose both games, they are 11-4-1. That’s fine with me.
Alex was efficient and playing well, even if he wasn’t dynamic. Maybe now he takes a few more chances.
I think we need to be able to threaten the edge. KH can do that. I’m not sure if A.Dix can. If we can’t then maybe LMJ activates later, until KHunter returns. If Walkermis nicked up, that’s more quickness and versatility we lose.
This is really bad news. KW worked so hard this past off season and he looked great! I am concern with our special teams now! If Ginn goes down what are we going to do in a big game!!! I wish KW a fast recovery
+1
+ This sucks. I really wanted KW to be the hero in a playoff game this year. That would have been sweet justice.
A slam back? What is that?
According to Urban Dictionary:
To down an alcoholic drink all in one go, without pause for breath (and sometimes without more than one swallow, unlike a chug).
is it just me or has the playbook opened up big time for kaep
Bummer about KW, after that season ending debacle, he was looking very good this year.
Who is our backup PR/KR in case Ginn goes down? This is what has me worried the most. (*still shuddering thinking of those NFCCG turnovers*)