Firstrounder Kinlaw records his first sack
Rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw recorded his first sack Sunday after not taking down a quarterback in the first nine games of his career.
However, the No. 14 pick wasn’t overly impressed with his accomplishment in the 49ers’ 2713 loss to the Saints.
“I mean, it’s just one,” Kinlaw said. “It’s just one. It’s just one.”
Kinlaw had more than just one. And that’s not all he did in a performance that included 1.5 sacks: Kinlaw disrupted an incomplete screen pass in the second quarter and also split a double team to stop quarterback Taysom Hill for a 1yard gain on 3rdand2 in the third quarter.
On his full sack, Kinlaw took down quarterback Jameis Winston Hill despite being held by guard Nick Easton, who was drew a flag on the play.
“I was getting held a little bit,” Kinlaw said. “He tried to pull me to the ground, but I guess I can bend like that. So I just came around the corner and tried to finish up the play.”
It was easily the most disruptive game of Kinlaw’s brief career. He had just one QB hit in his first nine games.
“I feel like all season plays have been there, but sometimes I’m just a step off,” Kinlaw said. “Everything was firing today. Made plays when it counted. Just going to try to keep it rolling.”
Terrible teams: Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he might give rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk a chance to serve as the punt returner after two muffed punts led to 14 points.
In the second quarter, Trent Taylor allowed a punt to bounce and it caromed off cornerback Ken Webster. New Orleans covered the ball and followed with a 21yard touchdown drive. In the fourth quarter, Richie James bobbled a punt, a play that led to the Saints’ 22yard touchdown drive.
Taylor, James and Dante Pettis, who recently was waived, are the only 49ers to return a punt this season. Aiyuk averaged 16.1 yards, leading the Pac12, on 14 punt returns last year at Arizona State.
Shanahan, who said the 49ers’ specialteams play “wasn’t close to good enough,” indicated Aiyuk would receive consideration.
“It’s something we definitely have to look to with what happened today,” Shanahan said.
QB absence: Quarterback Nick Mullens left the field for one play: He exited when the 49ers faced 3rdand21 with about 10 minutes left in the game.
It appeared Shanahan wanted to insert C. J. Beathard, who has a stronger arm, after he called for a deep pass to wide receiver Richie James that was underthrown by Beathard and fell incomplete.
However, Mullens said he was forced to the sideline.
“I couldn’t breathe,” Mullens said. “I got the air knocked out of me. So I was shaken up on that play and I had to come out.”
Injury report: Undrafted rookie running back JaMycal Hasty suffered a broken collarbone in the fourth quarter that will end his season.
In other injury news, running back Jerick McKinnon ( shoulder stinger), safety Johnathan Cyprien ( hamstring) and undrafted rookie safety Jared Mayden ( quadriceps), who was making his NFL debut, did not finish the game.