Today, the San Francisco 49ers (6-4) will host the Washington Redskins (3-7) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The 49ers are coming off of a 16-10 victory over the New York Giants. The Redskins are coming off of a 27-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks coming up on Thanksgiving, the 49ers are trying not to look past Washington. Each win strengthens their chances of making their fourth straight playoff appearance.
During the past two weeks, quarterback Colin Kaepernick has completed just 47.5% of his passes. However, he has only thrown two interceptions in his last eight games.
While the 49ers offense continues to struggle, the defense has stepped up, forcing three turnovers two weeks ago against the New Orleans Saints and then following that up with a five interception day on Eli Manning and the Giants. Both were road victories.
Last week, Robert Griffin III threw two first-quarter interceptions and was sacked six times against the Buccaneers.
Linebacker Aldon Smith returned from a nine-game suspension for the 49ers last week. Linebacker Chris Borland has impressed while playing for the injured Patrick Willis, who will be out for the remainder of the season. Borland has 48 tackles, and two interceptions since the bye week. He was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Giants, where he had 13 tackles, three passes defended and two picks.
The 49ers had hoped to have nose tackle Glenn Dorsey return against Washington, but he has already been ruled out. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman returned to practice this week, but the team is taking his comeback slowly and are being cautious with the All-Pro. The 49ers remain unsure if he will return this season.
Linebacker Ahmad Brooks added a little controversy last week after being benched against the Giants for an argument that ensued between himself and one of his coaches regarding his playing time. He has since cleared things up with the coaching staff and will play today.
The 49ers are tied with the Seahawks for second place in the NFC West. Each team is three games behind the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals and the Seahawks will face each other today as well.
As usual, you can visit 49erswebzone.com for the latest news and updates during and after the game.
Quick Hits:
With a win, the 49ers would improve to 20-10-1 all-time against the Redskins and 12-3-1 at home.
This would be the 49ers' fourth straight win over the Redskins.
The 49ers can wrap up their match-ups against NFC East opponents with a perfect 4-0 record.
The 49ers defense has 16 interceptions his season, the most in the NFL.
Offensive Rankings:
The 49ers rank 18th with 342.8 yards per game. The Redskins rank 8th with 380.4 yards per game.
Defensive Rankings:
The 49ers rank 4th, allowing 308.8 yards per game. The Redskins rank 10th, allowing 332.9 yards per game.
Last Meeting:
The 49ers beat the Redskins 27-6 in 2013 at FedExField in Washington, D.C.
Kickoff:
The game kicks off at 1:25 PM PT.
Betting:
The 49ers are 8.5 point favorites.
Fan Picks:
At Yahoo! Sports, 88% of fans believe that the 49ers will win this game. Within our
Pick 'em contest, 99% of fans believe that the 49ers will win this game.
Follow the Game:
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Television:
The game will be televised on CBS. You can check to see if the game is being aired in your area at
506 Sports.
Jimmy Garoppolo isn't thinking about the offseason right now. He is focused on the San Francisco 49ers' next playoff opponent—the Green Bay Packers. However, most predict that San Francisco will transition to 21-year-old Trey Lance this offseason, no matter how far Garoppolo takes the team in the playoffs. Could a Super Bowl win change the plan in Santa Clara? Possibly. It may at least cause some rethinking among the 49ers brain trust.
Still, there are significant benefits to moving on from Garoppolo, especially if coaches feel Lance has benefited enough from an entire season of studying behind the veteran quarterback. The most obvious benefit is the salary-cap savings. Garoppolo is set to count $27 million against the cap in 2022. On his rookie deal, Trey Lance will
The San Francisco 49ers could finish the 2021 season with 10 wins and end up being No. 3 in the division standings. That second part is a certainty with the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals fighting for the NFC West title.
The Niners remain in the playoff hunt and will need to beat the Rams on Sunday to clinch a playoff berth. A loss could mean they watch the postseason from home.
Finishing third in the division this season means some good news for next season. San Francisco might benefit from an easier schedule in 2022. The 49ers will face the third-place teams in the NFC East, NFC North, and AFC East. The team is also slated to play the entire NFC West and AFC West.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle
According to observers, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was out on the practice field for the second consecutive day. The team will release a practice participation report within a couple of hours. On Wednesday, Garoppolo was limited.
Jimmy Garoppolo on hand (pun intended) for the start of practice. Will update how he looked in a half hour.— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) January 6, 2022
The
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters via a conference call on Monday, one day after the team's Week 18 win against the Los Angeles Rams. Here is everything he had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening Comments:
"Alright guys, injuries from the game. [S Jaquiski] Tartt had a groin. Got positive news from the MRI, so we'll see where he is on Wednesday. [P] Mitch Wishnowsky is still in the protocol. [S Talanoa] Hufanga irritated his same knee, we'll see where he is Wednesday. He'll still have a chance. [RB] Elijah Mitchell has nothing worse, but it'll be the same plan with him this week with his knee, with being limited. [QB] Jimmy Garoppolo made it out
