Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports


How Do the 49ers Replace Injured Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley?

Dec 7, 2021 at 1:30 PM--


Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley has been playing some really good football this season. He took over the starting corner role in Week 3. Since then, he has been the 49ers' best corner. He's actually been a player who hasn't been talked about enough, and his play this season has been underrated. Moseley has given up just a 56% completion percentage, has defended 10 passes, and has not allowed a touchdown on 51 targets, according to Pro Football Reference.

He was playing good ball to start the game against the Seattle Seahawks, even forcing an incomplete deep pass to wide receiver DK Metcalf. Once he went down, quarterback Russell Wilson targeted his replacement, rookie corner Deommodore Lenoir. Lenoir immediately gave up a deep ball to Metcalf, was called for pass interference, and gave up a touchdown. Lenoir was eventually replaced by Dontae Johnson, who played better. Now, how do the 49ers replace Moseley's play for a few weeks while trying to make the playoffs?

They better find a replacement fast because they play the Cincinnati Bengals this week, who have quarterback Joe Burrow and some good weapons at wide receiver in Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. Those are tough receivers to cover for a healthy secondary, much less a banged-up one with rookies as back-ups. The 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan, has said cornerback Johnson has a chance to start this week.

It's okay, Faithful. Breathe. 49er fans might be stressing out knowing the history of Johnson, and his less than stellar play. While its likely they will replace Moseley with Johnson, it might be good to see what rookie corner Ambry Thomas can do. The 49ers selected him in the third round of the 2021 draft. Why draft someone that can't contribute? If there was ever a time to play him, it's now. They'll be looking for cornerback help this offseason, in free agency and the draft, so they should see if the guy they drafted is serviceable and if he fits their plans for the future at corner.

To help these corners, they can change the scheme up a bit and throw more Cover 2 looks at opposing offenses to allow their rookie corners and Johnson to defend the shorter passes while having some help over the top. Also, mixing in Cover 4 to prevent deep balls could be part of the plan. This approach would be an example of the defense bending but not breaking. Offering defensive support for the rookies will lead to more success than leaving them on an island with good receivers. Making sure the safeties are getting over the top is vital.

The 49ers will try to replace Moseley with Johnson. If that plan doesn't work, it'll be one of the rookies—Thomas or Lenoir. If Thomas can get reps and looks good, that'll be huge for the 49ers. For now, San Francisco will use the next-man-up/group effort approach.

Good luck to whoever is playing for Moseley! Burrow will target you early and often Sunday. So clench your fist and fight back!

For more 49ers-related content, follow me on Twitter @Marco_mart1205
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.



0 Comments

  • No Comments

LISTEN

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



Podcast: 49ers OTAs Day 1 recap

By Rohan Chakravarthi
May 24

Rohan Chakravarthi and Jessie Naylor break down Day 1 of the San Francisco 49ers OTAs that was available to media. The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below. You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our dedicated podcast page, on



Kyle Shanahan feels "really fortunate" with 49ers' QB room

By David Bonilla
May 24

Kyle Shanahan praises his quarterback room every year. Last season, the San Francisco 49ers went through three starting quarterbacks and still made it to the NFC Championship Game. Trey Lance was the Week 1 starter but suffered a season-ending ankle injury during his second game. Eleven weeks later, Jimmy Garoppolo sustained a broken foot. That opened the door for rookie Brock Purdy to show his coaches and the NFL world that he belonged, despite being the last overall pick in the draft. Purdy guided the 49ers to eight consecutive wins before suffering a severe injury in that NFC title game matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Two of the quarterbacks from last season—Lance and Purdy—remain. Both are just 23 years old. They are joined by Sam



5 position battles to watch for during 49ers OTAs

By Rohan Chakravarthi
May 24

The San Francisco 49ers entered the offseason with several questions after key figures, such as Jimmie Ward, Mike McGlinchey, Samson Ebukam, and Charles Omenihu, departed in free agency, creating the possibility for position battles in organized team activities(OTAs) and training camp. While several of the starting spots are solidified, there are still a few position battles to watch, as well as depth questions that could allow younger players to compete and take 53-man roster spots at the end of the offseason. Let's break down some of those battles to watch and how they could play out for the 49ers, outside of the obvious competition at



Podcast: Questions that need to be answered during 49ers OTAs

By Rohan Chakravarthi
May 24

Rohan Chakravarthi and Suneil discuss the quarterback competition and position battles to watch during the San Francisco 49ers' OTAs. The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below. ?feature=share You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our


Featured

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone