Emmanuel Moseley out with ankle sprain
The San Francisco 49ers are clinging to the seventh and final NFC playoff spot, and doing so with potentially serious issues at cornerback and running back heading into their Week 14 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who left in the first half of a 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and will miss “several weeks” according to coach Kyle Shanahan.
At running back, Elijah Mitchell, who was tested for a concussion during the game but cleared to return by an independent physician, showed up Monday with symptoms and is now in concussion protocol
Also in the protocol is running back Trenton Cannon, who was discharged from the hospital after taking a blow to the head after the opening kickoff and spent the night in a Seattle hospital. Shanahan said Cannon had been released and was flying home Monday.
Both areas are paper-thin with the 49ers (6-6) taking to the road against a Cincinnati team that remains in the AFC playoff chase at 7-5.
The Bengals have secondyear quarterback Joe Burrow and one of the NFL’S most productive receiving trios in wideouts J’marr Chase (55 receptions, 958 yards, eight touchdowns), Tee Higgins (52 receptions, 628 yards, four touchdowns) and Tyler Boyd (51 receptions, 556 yards, two touchdowns).
Moseley, the starter along with veteran Josh Norman, was the 49ers top cover corner by a considerable margin. Norman, 33, has excelled in ball stripping but has struggled in coverage. When Moseley departed against Seattle, rookie Deommodore Lenoir came in and was immediately targeted by Seattle to the point where he was replaced at halftime by veteran Dontae Johnson.
Lenoir, as well as fellow rookie Ambry Thomas, will be in the mix to play outside as well with K’waun Williams as the nickel corner.
“We’ll see how the week plays out,” Shanahan said during a conference call with local media. “We’re obviously struggling in that area, and losing Eman doesn’t make it any easier. We’re going to have the young guys compete, and hopefully they can get more and more ready.”
Shanahan said Thomas, who was a pandemic optout during his final year at Michigan, has played better of late after a slow start in training camp and has pulled even with Lenoir. Thomas had three special teams tackles against Seattle, one of the few positives for a unit that had a poor game.
“Hopefully those two can up their game and push Dontae and Norman a little bit,” Shanahan said. “Those are the guys we’ve got.”
Mitchell became the second 49ers player in two weeks to be evaluated for a head injury during the game and then go back in after being cleared.