Kendall Hunter will miss the rest of the season due the left ankle injury he sustained against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, according to USA Today.
Update: Hunter tore his left Achilles according to Matt Barrows.
How big of a blow is this for the 49ers. How much does it affect their Super Bowl odds?
Brandon Jacobs, Anthony Dixon and LaMichael James will have the opportunity to step up and become Frank Gore’s backup for the playoff run. Who do you think will seize the opportunity?
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Time for the big guy, Jacobs.
Jacobs, with LMJ also getting some plays alongside Kaepernick.
Sounds like the best way to go, Jack. It’s that time of the season when defenses are wearing down a bit and with Jacobs having fresh legs to pound them and LMJ to confound them, it’s a better option than Dixon.
wildcat and option runs along with some deft out of pocket passing with CK and LMJ
This is really bad, as we’ve seen Gore wears down towards the end of seasons and needs a good backup to help him. Hunter isn’t just a good back up, he is a change of pace back that could eventually start. Jacobs whined enough earlier in the season so he better take advantage of the situation and back it up.
I dont think LMJ is quite ready yet, otherwise they would have been activating him. If he does get action I have faith in the coaches to put him in the right situations, like they do with other players to succeed, until he learns more and can be a full time player.
MM said JH doesn’t like small backs….i didn’t quite understand that comment….didn’t baalke and JH come to somekind of consensus on draft day about how to use this pick
While I don’t know if LMJ is ready or not, I wouldn’t take the fact that he hasn’t played yet as any indication. He was behind Frank Gore, Kendal Hunter, Dixon (special teams value), and Brandon Jacobs. The depth there is undeniable and there wouldn’t be any rookie RB this year that ever got enough snaps to prove themselves without an injury above them on the depth chart. Pretty soon we will find where he’s at though.
jg, isn’t hunter considered a small back? Pretty sure Harbaugh loves what he brings to the table.
Why would LMJ not be ready? He’s had months to learn the offense and RB is about the easiest position to learn as there is on the team. If he does play it’s going to be sparingly but he’s as ready as he’s ever going to be and the kid is explosive.
Harbaugh was real high on LaMic, he was gushing about him when they drafted him. As I have said before I have watched every carry that guy had at Oregon, he needs to beef up some before he becomes really effective in the NFL. At Oregon LaMic ran outside and inside, not sure if he can run inside in the NFL.
This terrible news. Time for Dixon, Jacobs, and/or LMJ to step up
Hunter is VERY valuable to this team. This is as big of a loss as losing a key “starter”.
Damn! Matt Barrows: Source: Kendall Hunter suffered an Achilles tear, not an ankle injury. He is expected to be placed on injured reserve
man, thats worse than what i was hoping for. especially bad for a RB.
Looking forward to seeing Jenkins and LMJ this weekend.
That was an unfortunate play and ended up knocking out both Hunter and Williams. I’m glad this team has depth, however. Next man up.
I think the Niners will be fine going forward because they have tremendous depth at the RB position. I feel for Kendall though, he’s one of my favorite players.
Fudge. LMJ seems like the closest player to Hunter’s skill set so if he isn’t ready to play then we’ve truly lost a weapon on the offense. I like Williams but he was a #4 anyway so other then depth at the return position, which we do need, his loss isn’t as impactful.
We may be seeing Matt Hall move quickly from the PS to the 53. Plays the slot and can return as well. With Ginn’s wrist injury and Williams and Hunter out, 49ers don’t have a lot of other options besides Cox and LMJ, though DW has returned kick-offs in the past. One for a TD if memory serves me right.
Tough loss, but we are in much better shape to cope with this depth-wise, than we were last year. Albeit Hunter’s skill set can’t be duplicated, I would expect LMJ could be used effectively in the read-option and Jacobs is a proven veteran. Both have fresh legs.
We won’t know exactly how bad a loss it is until we see what they do about it and how it affects the team. I am hoping they don’t just give all the carries to Gore and wear him down.
I suspect the three draw backs for LMJ are he’s not as good at blitz pick up, he doesn’t understand the offense as well, and he’s never run successfully against the much more narrow holes in the NFL as compared to the ones he had in college. BIG learning curve to overcome.
All that said, it’s a must the LMJ is the replacement for Hunter because Jacobs simply can’t do anything the Hunter did other than simply take up caries to spell Gore.
that is why JH may not like LMJ’s small size…..blitz pickup….but for those plays you don’t have LMJ in there….that would be a dixon, jacobs job…
LMJ can come in and spell gore and let LMJ’s suprise speed surprise the defense and stretch the defense laterally for those read options
Laterally is right. They might as well have called ‘toss-sweep left’ the Kendall Hunter play. Lets hope LMJ can manage those because KH could rock that play routinely and LMJ would be the only replacement for that. Slowing the defense down by breaking outside containment and picking up 15 yard while ur at it.
Damn that hurts. Looks like Dixon will be filling in some more. Pepper some Jacobs in while they’re at it.
Hunter is a big loss! His quickness and elusiveness was very important. When defenses were tired at end of 2nd qtr and end of game, Hunter had that extra burst that could frustrate them.
As for who steps up? The cream will rise to the top during next 5 games. TBD
We lost some explosiveness, we need Kap even more now.
Barrows also reported that the 49ers are going to activate Jewel Hampton and maybe Wilhoite or Thomas from the PS.
I believe Jacobs will do a good job and they may game plan a little for LMJ. I’m really interested in AJ Jenkins. He started so poorly but showed huge improvement from the mini camps and by the end of the preseason he was shining.
Tore my Achilles. Nasty injury, but with today’s surgical procedures, the return to action is pretty much guaranteed and the healed tendon is actually stronger than before the injury.
Get well, bud.
Good to hear, for next year at least.
Man…….
I love me some Kendal Hunter. That dude Was ridiculously solid as a backup RB. Regularly picking up 7-15 yard gains. Quick, shifty, and as grant likes to point out, the most muscle bound guy on the team pound for pound. Wish him and KDubs speedy recovery.
Now is when we get to be grateful for all the depth everyone has been talking about all year. I don’t know what the coaches are going to do, but I’m excited to see what LMJ and Jenkins can do. And Get Brandon in there as well. He needs to hit some fools.
yeah that’s good to hear. Hard to compare a RB to a 1st baseman but Howard came back in way less than a year for the Phillies
Terrell Suggs came back in less than a year.
An achilles tendon injury can cause problems for a shifty running back like Hunter. I ruptured my achilles many years ago and it was never the same afterward. I’m not comparing myself to a elite athlete like Hunter, but I’m hoping that he fully recovers and it doesn’t affect his future performance.
Sorry for those inj players hunter and williams but this is why we drafted lmj and Aj jeninks for reasons like this time to step up rookie!!!!!
Grant – This is crazy, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma took out both Kyle Williams and Kendall Hunter on the same play! I just reviewed the play. Vilma was initially suspended for the entire 2012 regular season for his involvement in the Saints bounty scandal. His ban was overturned.
Not funny at all, but that Vilma scumbag would’ve cashed in big time if the bounty program was still in play.
Grant – Was anyone aware of this? Vilma had Hunter with both hands around the foot and ankle area. It could have been intentional. Someone should ask Hunter if he felt Vilma twist his leg.
Crab
Love the conspiracy theorist in you … but an Achilles tear is not an injury caused by a guy twisting or pulling. The feeling is akin to an explosion going off inside the back of your lower leg. Normally caused by opposing equivalent forces of the sort of massive strength of the lower body. Hard to imagine Vilma being capable of effectuating such an explosive injury.
Neanderthal – I didn’t know they had so much medical knowledge back in the Ice-Age.
Lol…..Just havin some fun in here man.
I love this blog…..free entertainment!!
Good one Crab. Hahaha
Likewise, he didn’t even contact Kyle when he tore his ACL. It was the plant before the block. So, while it’s incredibly ironic, it’s not Vilma’s fault.
Grant: Any word from anybody anywhere on where AJ Jenkins fits in? Will he suit up? Should he?
from MM:
http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-san-francisco-niners/niners-talk/How-do-49ers-replace-Williams-Hunter?blockID=806731&feedID=2800
from not having seen him in months its hard to say. But williams was the slot guy and I think crabs can play slot, he showed it in those 2 similar AS to MC redzone TD passes in which he lined up in the slot, or near the slot, the AZ one might have been a bunch formation. But Jenkins might get some looks in the slot, we’ll see.
Would be the perfect time for James, if he is ready. Kind of makes you wonder if Baalke has a crystal ball. Aldon Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Chris Culliver, Kendall Hunter, Bruce Miller.
The challenge for Harbaugh is going to be winning while limiting Gore’s carries. We need a fresh Gore for the playoffs.
That is why I know Harbaugh will go with CK. Now more than ever he needs a playmaker while reducing Gore’s carries. Kaepernick is less reliant on play action than Smith and he can move the chains with his legs better than Smith. Basically with Hunter gone we need to go with the best playmaker at QB. Easy decision really.
not an easy decision….but i can see the value of having CK start due to these injuries….
also saw the value with the second go around against the rams starting either CK or AS….but giving the rams a second shot at CK may provide a blueprint for the rest of the league on how to defend CK or maybe not….how JH addresses this context will speak volumes…give the league a chance to really dissect CK (because we all know fishcher is no dummy on defensive schemes) vs giving CK a chance to revisit a defense he has just recently seen…..
I disagree. Now is the time to run an offense with limited turnovers not starting an inexperience QB who is likely to turn the ball over
and depend on a strong defensive unit to carry the team.
Good point. Except CK has everyone guessing right now. Does he run? Does he sit in the pocket? I think that is what has surprised the last two teams the most is that he isn’t really running. He’s surveying the field and delivering the ball.
Also if we are going with CK in the playoffs I think that every start and every bit of experience he gets from those starts are invaluable to him and to the team.
I meant good point to Windsor…
Bay,
What do you mean if we are starting CK in the playoffs? Come on man. It’s over, it’s done. It’s all CK. tell Alex to keep his chin up. It wasn’t good enough bro. Our QB situation is a done deal bro.
well i guess the lmj pick dont look so bad now. and as for hunter good luck and come back strong next year we well need u.
Matt Barrows ‏@mattbarrows
Looks like the 49ers are trying out some kickers today. … Also new practice squander Chad Hall is in the building.
matt barrows on knbr at 1:30
I think this is an opportunity for Anthony Dixon (and maybe LMJ).
I’m no fan of Jacobs, maybe some use in short yardage (even though he’s proven he can suck at that too), but I think Dixon gets the majority of Kendall’s snaps.
I have no idea about LMJ’s ability to pass protect. If he’s too much of a liability there, that’s a big problem for his snaps. If he is in there, I’d like to see some read options with Kaepernick to get his speed to the outside (even though I generally don’t like that play, it would be intriguing with those two running it).
On running back Kendall Hunter: “Little 32, we’re going to knock the f— out of him.” `Greg Williams (before NFC Championship)
On Kyle Williams: “We need to find out in the first two series of the game, that little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion. We need to f—— put a lick on him right now. He needs to decide. He needs to f—— decide.” `Greg Williams (before NFC Championship)
Isn’t it ironic that Saints linebacker Jonathan “Bounty Hunter” Vilma took out both Hunter and Kyle Williams on the same play Sunday? Two of the players on Greg Williams hit list.
I blame artificial turf more than Vilma.
Crab this really ticks me off!!!
Looks like Harbaugh’s draft was the perfect draft for this team. It was as if he saw this happening way back in April. Harbaugh must have a sixth sense for these type of things which leads to say that what ever quarterback he chooses to play is without a doubt the correct choice.
baalke’s draft
Are Baalke and Harbaugh prescient or brilliant? Seems their drafting of Jenkins and James will pay off despite those who said the draft was a bust. Stocking the wide receiver pool didn’t hurt, either. We’ll see.
On a brighter note……lmj is used to playing in the read option/spread type offense. He also runs well from the shotgun formation, maybe the best on the team.
Not to mention he can run the Wing T Jet Sweep that has been kept in the bag this year after unleashing it on the NFL in 2011. I was hoping Roman would expound on it and add some actual play action passing routes or option for the tailback. LMJ getting a running start on that Jet Sweep could be deadly.
Grant,
RCartwright is still floating around and ran well when given the chance during the preseason. I don’t know why they don’t bring him in for at least a look see. He could help this 9er team.
Because they added Jewel Hampton to the 53 man roster today Hofer.
Jack, I understand that, but he doesn’t have NFL experience. Nothing against JHamp, but RC could help now.
Actually Hof,
Best comment you’ve made in months. Wonder what type of shape Cartwright is in.
Hampton better fits the model of the type of back they are moving towards. Cartwright is not in the cards.
Navarro Bowman signed to 5 year contract extension thru 2018.
Boom!!!
Hello!
ARE YOU SERIAL??????? Get outta town! THATS so SWEEEET!!!
Sick with It!!!!!!!!!
Yup just saw the Schefter tweet.
AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
49ers on verge of a five-year contract extension with LB NaVorro Bowman that will tie him to SF through the 2018. Deal done within 24 hours.
cool
5 years, 45 million with 25 million guaranteed. Wonder what Goldson thinks of this?
We are now the model franchise of the NFL!
pssh! He thinks, gawsh shucks, I should’ve signed either one of those deals they offered me… or NOT! he’s playing lights out and will get paid Boo koo $$$$. Hopefully, but probably not, with us.
Wonder where that extra 8+ million is coming from? Hmmm…
Because they franchised Goldson they can’t negotiate a new contract this year. I think they’ll sign him long term this offseason.
Looks like I may have to take another look at my 2013 draft board – now inserting safties Vaccaro and McDonald as possibles.
tuff call where $8 mill comes from….the QB position total for 3 QBs at this moment is 9 million…with 7 or earmarked for AS….
do the niners keep the QB at status quo which is pretty darn inexpensive or do they really go subterranean at the QB postion money wise and shift dough to the safety position….
glad to see PW get his money extra early cap wise…
C’mon Grant! Break some News Occasionally!
He is busy playing Madden and painting his toe nails!
The Niners do have a twitter account. They are usually on top of things.
https://twitter.com/49ers
great signing
Bowmans money is Alex Smiths contract for next season!’ Bye Alex.
Bowman signed thru 2018
Tartar Sauce/Brilliant
Tartar sauce? You lost me…
Looks like this front seven will be together for years to come. We just need to replace Soap and we are good.
@ Adam:
How long do you anticipate Justin Smith playing? Also, his contract expires after next season.
I think Smith has 2-3 years of playing at a high level. We will need to find his replacement soon tho.
@ Adam:
I think Smith has 2-3 years of playing at a high level.
That would be nice, but I am not sure he’s here after 2013. I just hope his contract demands are team friendly.
Niners wil offer him a fair contract. I just hope someone doesnt drastically over pay, which may happen. I could see the Raiders going for him. They like to over pay for players that are old with declining play.
I had been thinking about Sheldon Richardson, DT, as a 1st round pick since those Missouri boys have worked out pretty good for the 49ers. I’m sure Justin would be willing to mentor him.
Yeayeah! Bowman agreed to his extension!!!!
sorry about my delayed excitement
That’s okay. We can all be excited about this through 2018.
I cant see the Niners using anyone but James to replace Hunter. Jacobs is a bruiser, he is not going to outrun anyone, still a short yardage guy. Dixon is a special teamer, h eis not very effective running the ball, he thinks hes a speedy back but hes stuck in a Jacobs type body. He isnt going to beat anyone to the edge. James is the only one capable of running like Hunter.
This is another bad news! We will miss hunter down the road! GO NINERS
Losing Hunter is devastating. He complimented Gore well.