SEATTLE, Wa. – Justin Smith injured his elbow in the third quarter of the Patriots game last week, and he has not played since then. Without him, the 49ers have given up 70 points in six quarters.
After the 42-13 loss to the Seahawks, Jim Harbaugh said he’s not sure he’ll be back for the playoffs. He also said he doesn’t think Smith’s absence would be a factor.
Donte Whitner disagrees. He thinks if Justin Smith doesn’t come back, the 49ers have a real problem.
WHITNER: “I think it’s a big deal. I think not having Justin is a huge deal. Just a year ago he was the Defensive Player of the Year not only for what he does against the run, but for what he does against the pass. How he helps Aldon out over there also, eating up two guys, allowing him to go one-on-one. He’s a huge part of this defense. We all know it. He’s not there right now. He has an injury right now. We don’t have him right now. The guys that are in there for him and everyone else needs to pick their game up and take it to another level.”
Clearly, Whitner is right. The Niners do not need him now. They’re going to make the playoffs. As of now, no one knows what his injury is. Whatever it is, the 49ers need it to be healed in a few weeks.
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This post is 100% correct, Grant.
worried
I agree on two counts, Big. Worried that JS won’t be back soon, and worried that we’re so weak without any one guy.
Smith is indispensable to this team.
Getting one stop on third down all night long? That is not a Super Bowl defense. Seattle was 11 of 12 until the last play of the game, a meaningless kneeldown.
This is also not a super bowl offense, and maybe no a super bowl coaching staff. Considering how bad the Niners look every three weeks, I think that is a serious condemnation of the coaching staff too.
Yes, right on Grant! We needed the offense to carry us for once and Kap took the week off!
Maybe a little harsh… I just think he’s still young, inexperienced, and in there too soon, way over his head. In addition to doing it very clumsily (to be kind), Harbaugh made the switch way too soon. CK’s gonna be good, I think, but this year, we’re all going to pay for coach’s mistake.
i dont think i have ever seen this defense look so inept. This team is either killing it or getting killed.
Justin’s a huge loss, no doubt. I’m also curious how much last week’s game effected our guys’ stamina, tonight…? Dunno about you folks, but they just didn’t seem to “pop” like I’ve grown accustomed to.
Yes and it’s sad that on the off time of games the days you practice you, know, the staff doesn’t have what if backup talent they train and if cant run the same exact way Justin can adjust with tightening up the line with another power weight side by side to sub Justin’s absence. Then our defense is having the wrong formations given to them, GRANT, tell ur dad that its obviously showing whoever is in charge of that is mis reading the oppositions lines and that needs to change or vulnerability is for certain. That leaves one thing opposition high score, now what do we do to counter, aside from poorly admitting this and fixing, nothing and nothing at all our offense is horribly coordinated too. Come, on this wasn’t NE defense, seriously? This defense is hard and makes hardly mistakes and has authority behind them like we use to have maybe our D caller needs glasses? We are too predictable too say the least every possession and being so are readable which doesn’t leave room to actually go far. Go long on first snap stop running the first two and then throwing the third switch up they watch tapes and know how gore is going. Whatever happen to kap play the fake hand off go left or audible right ??? I don’t get it is this what we can expect and just hear we’re gonna get better. I as a inner fan and for all other demand ur Daddy, GRANT, make the changes and make them quick he owes it to us fans we hung in here when sh*t was real fu*^d up now we have the talent and the chance he better not blow it. Another thing is I love kap, but this better not be a plot to give him playoff experience so we can have some type of conspiracy amongst the fans that this was a plot for building a Super Bowl team for next year that this was for him to get ready. If he knew he wasn’t ready if that’s the case then stick to what could be a consistent thing.and build when building should be done not when we’re all amped up to win this. Because the way I’m seeing it is if he believed he was ready play calling would have a lot of routes and shifts for his arm and make him show all other great abs in the league and give us those numbers plus he would trust his play the running one not try it in some games and, get conservative in others like he’s not to sure this is the coach on Kaps plays. If that’s the case you know the obvious you have a man sitting on the side inspire of all said and how you don’t believe he can do you know what he can for sure he’s done it for years please let that not be the case. Because he’s not showing me any different.
The 49ers will be one and gone during the playoffs.
W,W, L is not the mark of a great team. If they are that dependent on one man, Justin Smith, then this team is not Super Bowl caliber.