The Seahawks are coming to town and the topic of the day is still injuries. After a 30-28 loss to the Packers, the 49ers are still reeling at corner and running back, along with a George Kittle concern.
Kittle’s calf and game statuses
Kittle is as tough as football player as you’ll find, but part of that toughness, and the physicality of the way he plays the tight end position means that he’s likely to be on the injury report a few times throughout the year.
Kyle Shanahan said the team was a little surprised by how much pain Kittle — who’s nursing a calf injury — was in on Thursday, so the team shut him down. He practiced on Friday in limited fashion for the first time this week after sitting out the two prior practices.
Kittle’s own answer on Friday wasn’t exceedingly optimistic, but if given the chance to play, Kittle usually does. Asked if things were “trending in the right direction” he did not answer affirmatively.
“I wouldn’t lie to you guys, would I?” Kittle said. “I mean, I’m gonna do everything I can to be able to be on the field on Sunday. If my body says I can go, I’ll be out there.”
Below are the game status reports for both teams:
49ers:
OUT: CB K’Waun Williams (calf)
Doubtful: CB Josh Norman (chest)
Questionable: DT Javon Kinlaw (knee), TE George Kittle (calf), RB Elijah Mitchell (shoulder)
Seahawks:
OUT: RB Rashaad Penny (calf), T Brandon Shell (ankle)
Doubtful: WR D’Wayne Eskridge (concussion)
Questionable: WR Tyler Lockett (hip), LB Benson Mayowa (neck), DE Alton Robinson (knee)
Shanahan’s view of running backs continues to mystify
It’s always tough to tell how Kyle Shanahan feels about his running backs, now more than ever. Last week, it wasn’t clear who was the No. 2 behind Trey Sermon, and it turned out that Sermon, for at least the first half, was actually the No. 2 behind Kyle Juszczyk.
No one behind Sermon played any offensive snaps, and with Elijah Mitchell still questionable with significant pain in his shoulder, the question remains as to who is behind Sermon in the pecking order.
Jacques Patrick and Trenton Cannon are the other two backs on the roster, with both Kerryon Johnson and Chris Thompson on the practice squad. Johnson was activated for the Packers game.
After speaking about Cannon mostly as a special teams option, Shanahan talked him up as a runner on Friday. He’s the closest fit to a Raheem Mostert/Elijah Mitchell, small speed back on the roster.
“We brought him here for special teams but with what he’s shown us in practice, we have no problem putting him in at running back,” Shanahan said. “I’ve watched what he’s done on other teams and when he’s gotten his opportunity, he has playmaking ability which he’s shown as a returner, and there’s no reason that we wouldn’t use him.”
Shanahan said that that crop of new running backs is “ahead mentally more than they were” over the last week or two, but wasn’t overly rosy in his assessment of the group.
He also said Trey Sermon has improved since the preseason.
“Trey, it took him a while to get up, but he has with these injuries and I thought he ran the ball a lot better verse Green Bay than he did in the preseason,” Shanahan said. “He had a better week this week than he did last week and I expect him to keep getting better with the opportunities being given.”
(Other) rookie roundup
Shanahan has obviously been impressed by Mitchell, given that he was the immediate choice once Raheem Mostert went down for the season.
He’s clearly not been sold completely on Sermon quite yet, while Deommodore Lenoir has played significant snaps, and Talanoa Hufanga got an increased share of defensive reps on Sunday. Jaylon Moore has been active as a backup tackle every game.
That leaves the two odd men out: Aaron Banks and Ambry Thomas.
Banks, the team’s second-round pick, has been made inactive every single game thus far, and hasn’t been needed given the healthiness of the offensive line and depth there. Thomas has only been active in the season opener, when he looked terrible both on special teams and the few defensive snaps he had to take.
Shanahan’s assessment of Banks was far more optimistic than for Thomas, saying he thinks he’s improved. He said Banks’ adjustment, as a very large guard converting to a very mobile blocking offense, has been “very similar” to Laken Tomlinson’s adjustment when the 49ers acquired him from Detroit.
“Scout team is a big deal for Aaron,” Shanahan said. “I think he got hurt his second preseason play, and then missed the whole preseason. Coming out of college being a much bigger player, not asked to run as much as we do, he was gonna have to practice a lot to get into that, to get into playing shape and the movement that requires such a big man to do some of the stuff we’re asking, and he missed out all that time.
So for him to just get there and to go everyday on scout team for now — he’s going into his fourth week of it — I think it’s helped a lot. It’s helped him get into a much better football shape and I can see becoming better at what he does more consistent each day.”
Thomas, meanwhile, looks headed for his third-straight week of inactivity. Shanahan said he wasn’t sure of the team’s plan at corner, given that Josh Norman could still play, but indicated Thomas likely wouldn’t play.
“I don’t have it set in stone right now because I’m still trying to wait until for sure Josh was ruled out,” Shanahan said. “Ambry, I mean he would have a chance to get up, but with both those guys (Buster Skrine, Dre Kirkpatrick) I just mentioned, probably not.”
