Garropolo, Shanahan not immune to power blackout
SANTA CLARA >> Just because they’re undefeated and living the good life does not mean the 49ers are exempt from Northern California’s biggest opponent: the PG&E power-outage crisis.
Coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found themselves dealing with it last weekend. Forgive them for being caught off-guard, seeing as how they were too busy preparing for Sunday’s eventual 51-13 win over the Carolina Panthers that raised the 49ers’ record to 7-0.
Shanahan’s Los Gatos home was in a blackout zone last weekend, so he didn’t go home after the win. Instead, his wife and three children came to crash with him in his room at the 49ers’ team hotel near Levi’s Stadium, and extended relatives found shelter there after the win, too.
“After the game I came in (the hotel room) and my wife said, ‘Our power’s still out and we’re not doing this two nights in a row,’ “Shanahan told me. “We just all went back to the same hotel room I stayed in Saturday. We had my family, my wife’s brother and his family. It was a hotel party.”
Garoppolo was also surprised by the power outage that hit his home he shares with his brothers nearby in the Peninsula foothills.
“I got my power shut off the night of the game. When I got home, it was off, and it was a little weird,” Garoppolo said. “It was out a couple hours. It was not what we expected. It threw the family for a curveball.”
Only two weeks ago, Garoppolo, a Chicagoarea native, learned that such blackouts were being planned to help thwart California’s fire season. RUNNING BACKS HURTING >> Running back Matt Breida (ankle) and Raheem Mostert (quadriceps) were on Tuesday’s list of players not practicing. Shanahan said Breida would not be able to play if the Cardinals game was Tuesday, “but we’re staying optimistic on (Thursday).”
Breida is the 49ers’ leading rusher with 445 yards (5.3 yards per carry). He’s mostly platooned with Tevin Coleman, who scored four touchdowns in Sunday’s rout of the Panthers. Coleman has run for 332 yards, Mostert for 309 yards.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk remained out of practice, but he’s progressing well from an Oct. 7 knee sprain, and he’s expected to get cleared later this week to prepare for a Nov. 11 return against the Seattle Seahawks.
DELAY OF GAME >> The 49ers’ shift to a late practice Tuesday was meant to help players’ adjust for Thursday’s 5:20 p.m. kickoff, and a byproduct of that delayed start is how it cut into wide receiver Dante Pettis’ World Series Game 6 viewing. Not that Pettis was whining.
“It’s a little upsetting. Shoot, the last time we won, I wasn’t able to go, either, so I’m used to it,” said Pettis, whose father, Gary, is the Houston Astros’ thirdbase coach.
When the Astros won it all two years ago, Dante Pettis was finishing his final season at the University of Washington, and he watched the championshipclinching win alone in the home he shared with his sister.
STALEY’S DOUBTFUL STATUS >> Left tackle Joe Staley’s much-anticipated return from a Sept. 15 fibula fracture might remain on hold. Staley returned to practice last week, but Shanahan considered Staley doubtful for Thursday’s game at Arizona. That also was Staley’s official designation last week before he got ruled out a fifth consecutive game.
“Without us having a full-speed practice, it will be tough to simulate some stuff in this day-and-a-half,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see how he feels. We’re doubtful but he’ll have a chance.”
Staley was limited, as was his replacement, Justin Skule (foot, knee). Right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee), cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (foot) and tight end Levine Toilolo (groin) did not practice. TRADE DEADLINE >> Having already dealt for wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders a week ago, the 49ers did not make any moves before Tuesday’s trade deadline.