Bumped from prime time
NFL replaces injured S.F. on ‘Sunday Night Football’ with Chiefs vs. Bengals
SANTA CLARA >> So much for the 49ers playing five of their next seven games in prime time.
Not even the Los Angeles Rams’ undefeated start was enough to keep their Oct. 21 visit to Levi’s Stadium on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” and kickoff instead will be at 1:25 p.m. against the injurydepleted 49ers (1-4).
The 49ers no longer have Jimmy Garoppolo to show off under the lights. They’ve lost three straight games, starting with the Sept. 23 loss at Kansas City in which their star quarterback sustained a season-ending knee injury.
It’s those Chiefs (5-0) who will replace the 49ers as hosts of the Oct. 21, Sunday night game in an AFC matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals (4-1).
Don’t be surprised if the 49ers lose their final prime-time kickoff to the NFL’s flex-schedule option, as well. That Dec. 2 game will take place in Seattle, where the 49ers haven’t won since Christmas Eve 2011.
Their other prime-time kickoffs are secure: this coming Monday night at Green Bay; Thursday, Nov. 1 vs. the Raiders (5:20 p.m., Fox/NFL Network); and, Monday, Nov. 12 vs. the New York Giants (5:15 p.m., ESPN).
The 49ers had drawn the league-maximum, five primetime kickoffs, but that was back in April. This season has gone sideways in the wake of injuries to Garoppolo, Jerick McKinnon and many more. Richard Sherman was used as the 49ers’ face of the franchise in ESPN’s graphic dur-
ing “Monday Night Football” to promote next Monday’s game against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
An ESPN report Sept. 30 stated that some in the league wanted the 49ers to trade for a higher-profile quarterback such as the Philadelphia Eagles’ Nick Foles to appease prime-time viewers.
Television ratings are
“definitely the last of our worries,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan responded last week. “If you guys judge us on ratings and everything and they gave us a trophy at the end of the year, a Super Bowl trophy for ratings, then I would maybe think that way. But, that’s not how it works.”
The 49ers lost at home to the Rams last year in prime time, a 41-39 doozy on “Thursday Night Football” on Sept. 21.
Plenty of pomp and circumstance will still accompany
this year’s 49ers-Rams game even if it’s not good enough for prime time. This is the 49ers’ designated game to wear their throwback, all-white uniforms. In conjunction with it being their alumni game, they planned to unveil a statue of Joe Montana and the late Dwight Clark performing “The Catch.” Also, there is a throwback T-shirt giveaway.
• Running back Matthew Dayes, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, was added to the practice squad
as a result of starter Matt Breida (left ankle) being doubtful this week.
• Guard Najee Toran and defensive back Tyvis Powell also joined the practice squad after recently being released from the 53-man roster. Defensive back Dexter McCoil and wide receiver Frank Stephens were waived from the practice squad. Dayes (5foot-9, 205 pounds) got cut by the Browns on Sept. 2, having played all 16 games last season as a rookie reserve.