Pass-rusher Tully Banta-Cain was among the last 49ers to leave the locker room Sunday in
Pass-rusher Tully Banta-Cain was among the last 49ers to leave the locker room Sunday in
He said he was in no hurry to go anywhere, and he wanted to buy a little time for his iPod and laptop to fully charge for the trip home. But he also said he’s been doing a lot of soul-searching after being inactive for the first four games of the season.
“It’s been an emotional four weeks for me,” Banta-Cain said. “I don’t think I’ve been inactive since my rookie year when I was on PUP. . . . I’ve been reflecting a lot these last few weeks on my life and my career.”
Banta-Cain is likely to make his season debut Sunday against his former team, the Patriots. Because of Manny Lawson’s injury, Banta-Cain will suit and play primarily on special teams. He also hopes to get in a few snaps on defense. He has been asked to know several different positions, so he could be used as a backup for Justin Smith, Parys Haralson or Roderick Green.
It seems coincidental that Banta-Cain will be playing against the Patriots, after spending his first four seasons in
“Obviously, you don’t want a player to go down,” Banta-Cain said. “But I knew at some point something would happen. I wasn’t going to sit on the sideline without pads on for 16 games. That fact that it’s against my ex-team at home, I couldn’t draw it out any better.”
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INJURY REPORT
Patriots: LB Eric Alexander (hamstring), CB Lewis Sanders (hamstring) and WR Kelley Washington (ankle) are doubtful.
49ers: T Jonas Jennings (shoulder) and CB Shawntae Spencer (knee) are out; LB Manny Lawson (hamstring) is doubtful.
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Saints safety Kevin Kaesviharn got fined $25,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on 49ers receiver Josh Morgan.
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Patriots coach Bill Belichick talked today about Steve Young, Michael Robinson and Justin Smith. Read the transcript of his meeting with the Boston-area media. Also, if you want to read more about the Patriots, please tune into the best Patriots blog, Reiss’s Pieces, from Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe.
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