A loss that could have been bigger
Backs’ injuries don’t appear serious
HOUSTON — They didn’t win, but they averted disaster.
After the 49ers’ 20-9 preseason loss to the Texans on Saturday night, head coach Jim Harbaugh did have some good news: Running backs Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James apparently didn’t sustain severe injuries although both had to be carted off the field during the game.
Jacobs was injured at the end of an 8-yard run in the first quarter when the helmet of Houston cornerback Kareem Jackson hit his left knee as his leg was planted. The injury appeared serious — Jacobs was unable to put pressure on his left leg as he was assisted off the field — but he did not have ligament damage. Jacobs will have an MRI exam Sunday, according to ESPN.
“He’s going to miss a little time. I don’t think it’s anything that … the ACL’s good,” Harbaugh said. “The patella’s good. It will be some time, but we’ll see. Not something of the you-don’t-comeback-from variety.”
Though it sounds as if Jacobs’ status for the regular-season opener at Green Bay on Sept. 9 could be in doubt, James’ prognosis is better. The rookie secondround pick was already insisting he’d be practicing Monday after his ankle was inadvertently hit by 49ers tackle Derek Hall as James was blocking late in the fourth quarter.
“I’m not going to miss practice,” James said. “I owe it to my teammates, I owe it to myself to go out there and practice hard each and every day. I’m not going to let an injury — if I can’t walk, that’s a different story. But if I can
walk, I can practice. That’s how I feel.”
Harbaugh felt good about quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s hold on the backup spot behind Alex Smith after he entered in the second quarter and completed 4 of 8 passes for 19 yards. Kaepernick, who had a 12-yard run on a read option, would have had a better stat line if wide receiver Randy Moss (three catches, 24 yards) had held onto a potential 25-yard reception at Houston’s 5-yard line in the second quarter.
“I don’t come out of it feeling that anything’s changed because of the way Colin played,” said Harbaugh, who indicated Kaepernick had “emerged” as the backup earlier in the week. “I think he played pretty darn good.”
As he did in the preseason opener against Minnesota, Kaepernick made one ill-advised throw when cornerback Quintin Demps jumped a short hitch route intended for Ted Ginn Jr. Kaepernick acknowledged he had Moss open on the opposite side of the field.
“There was one throw where I wish I would have worked the other side,” Kaepernick said. “Other than that, I think my reads were where they needed to be.”
Josh Johnson (4-for-6, 64 yards), the No. 3 quarterback, showed the inconsistency he has displayed in training camp. After entering with 5:24 left in the third quarter, the strongarmed QB flicked a beautiful 32-yard pass to first-round pick A.J. Jenkins down the left sideline. On the next play, Johnson overthrew a wide-open Jenkins on what could have been a 41-yard score.
Jenkins “made a great route on that next play and that should have been a touchdown,” Harbaugh said.
Scott Tolzien finished the game and completed 4 of 9 passes for 23 yards.