San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
For 49ers, Seattle, secondaries are primary concern
The 49ers are dealing with cornerback attrition. The Seahawks are struggling with cornerback confusion.
Yes, while the 49ers can’t keep their corners on the field, Seattle is trying to get theirs on the same page. A betting tip for Sunday when the 49ers host the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium: Take the “over” on total passing yards.
Most fans are familiar with the 49ers’ plight. With Josh Norman doubtful to play because of a lung contusion, they will likely be without three of their top four corners against two Pro Bowl wide receivers and longtime nemesis Russell Wilson, who leads the NFL in passer rating (133.6). Last year, Seattle’s DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett combined for 31 catches, 305 yards and four touchdowns in the Seahawks’ season sweep of the 49ers.
The 49ers could face the tandem Sunday with a group of cornerbacks that includes Emmanuel Moseley, rookie fifth-round pick Deommodore Lenoir and two recently signed 30-somethings who didn’t have a training camp and have never played a game for the 49ers: Buster Skrine, 32, and Dre Kirkpatrick, 31. Skrine was signed Wednesday and head coach Kyle Shanahan, while mispronouncing his last name (“screen” is the correct way), was hopeful Friday the 11-year veteran could cram quickly enough to replace sidelined nickel corner K’Waun Williams (calf ). If not, Lenoir would likely play nickel and Kirkpatrick, who has been inactive for both games since he was signed Sept. 14, would probably play outside and replace Norman, 33, another recent addition who was replacing the 49ers’ best corner, Jason Verrett (torn ACL).
It sets up an unfair fight: The Replacements vs. Russell.
“Their receivers are as good as it is in this league,” Shanahan said, “and they have one of the best quarterbacks to play in the last decade.”
Unlike the 49ers, the Seahawks’ starting cornerbacks, D.J. Reed and Tre Flowers, have been healthy. But they haven’t played like it. Through three games, Seattle’s 32ndranked defense has allowed the NFL’s seventh-most passing yards (285.3 per game) while Reed and Flowers have been consistently roasted: QBs have completed 25 of 38 passes for 346 yards with three touchdowns (121.2 rating) when targeting the twosome.
What has been the issue? After Seattle fell to 1-2 last Sunday with a 30-17 loss at Minnesota, both corners indicated their subpar coverage was tied to coaching. “S—, they schemed our ass up,” Reed told Seattle reporters after QB Kirk Cousins completed 30 of 38 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns. “It ain’t nothing else to say. We got schemed up. … At the end of the day, the players, including myself, we’re on the field. We’ve got to get the job done. No matter what’s called.”
Said Flowers: “It’s a schematic thing, I feel like. I’ve got my own questions to ask.”
Added Flowers: “There’s a little gray area right now amongst a couple people. And I’ll fix it or someone else will fix it. We don’t know yet.”
Not surprisingly, that has been a major pregame story line in Seattle. On Monday, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was peppered with six questions that related to either Seattle’s defensive scheme or cornerback play in the first six minutes of his news conference. Carroll maintained he didn’t know his starting cornerbacks didn’t know all the details of their coverage assignments.
“I don’t know about what they said,” Carroll said. “I didn’t hear that. I didn’t read that.”
This should sound familiar.
Last year, the Seahawks had the NFL’s 32nd-ranked defense and had the allowed the most yards through six games in NFL history prior to their first meeting with the 49ers. Seattle finally figured it out: They allowed 305.4 yards per game in the final eight games after surrendering 455.8 yards in the first half of the season. The Seahawks probably can’t afford to wait that long in 2021 to solve their issues given the state of the NFC West, which the Rams (3-0) and Cardinals (3-0) are leading. It’s only Week 4 of the NFL’s first 17-game season, but tight end George Kittle said even the 49ers (2-1), coming off a 30-28 walk-off loss to the Packers, are cognizant of losing contact with the division leaders.
Kittle said Sunday’s meeting of division rivals will feature “two angry teams,” both of whom will try to overcome cornerback conundrums.
“They are going to give us everything they’ve got,” Kittle said. “And I feel like after this week of practice our team is going to be ready to swing right back at them. … Whoever backs down first will probably lose that game.”
“Their receivers are as good as it is in this league.”
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers head coach, on Seattle