Victory over rival would be big step
The last time we saw the 49ers, they were losing their mind because they finally avoided losing a game.
After they improved to 1-9 with a win over the Giants on Nov. 12, they had a Mardi Graslevel locker-room celebration in which left tackle Joe Staley, 33, was one of the ringleaders. After the dancing was done, Staley declared the victory over the Giants, then 1-8, “felt as good as winning the NFC championship” after the 2012 season.
On Friday, Staley was asked about that comparison: Did he get a little carried away?
“We’ve been starving for a
win here, we had been through nine games,” Staley said. “I was basically just saying every win is just exciting in the NFL. You put so much into it. No one gets it unless you’re here. So it’s like trying to explain something that no one understands.”
Fair enough, but here’s something Joe Fan comprehends: A win by the 49ers over the Seahawks on Sunday truly would be cause for celebration.
The 49ers took a baby step by beating the listless Giants, but a long-awaited victory over their dominant division rival would indicate real progress.
The Seahawks have won eight straight in the series since the 49ers’ 19-17 victory on Dec. 8, 2013, at Candlestick Park. How long ago was that? Consider: Of the 49ers’ 22 starters in the game, only Staley and safety Eric Reid are still on the team.
The 49ers aren’t expected to stop the skid, but they are catching the Seahawks (6-4) in mini-crisis mode. Also, the 49ers nearly pulled an upset in Seattle in a 12-9 loss in Week 2.
In recent weeks, the Seahawks have lost three defensive cornerstones to injury. On Monday, playing without cornerback Richard Sherman, safety Kam Chancellor and defensive end Cliff Avril, they lost 34-31 to Atlanta, marking the first time they have lost consecutive home games since 2011.
There is chatter that Seattle’s Super Bowl window has closed, partly because Sherman (torn Achilles), Chancellor (neck) and Avril (neck) will be at least 30 when the 2018 season begins and all are dealing with serious injuries.
Head coach Pete Carroll, who has a 62-27-1 record since 2011, noted his team has been
prematurely buried in the past. The Seahawks have a 33-26-1 record under Carroll in September and October. They are 43-21 the rest of the season. If the season ended today, the Seahawks wouldn’t make the playoffs.
“Why don’t you guys look back since like 2012 and look what we’ve been at the 10-game mark, and you’ll know why we talk the way we talk,” Carroll said. “We’ve had very similar outcomes throughout this time of year, and we’ve always had the ability to finish pretty well.”
The Seahawks are coming off a short week, and the 49ers are coming off a bye and playing their third straight home game. The bye allowed the 49ers to get healthier: Wide receiver Trent Taylor, tight end George Kittle and defensive linemen Solomon Thomas, Tank Carradine and Aaron Lynch are available after missing time.
In addition, the 49ers claimed defensive end Cassius Marsh and defensive tackle Sheldon Day off waivers this past week, and they could play, given their knowledge of the 49ers’ 4-3 scheme.
Safety Adrian Colbert (thumb) is out. Right tackle Trent Brown (shoulder), who is questionable, is the only player whose status is in doubt. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he’ll finally have to think about which players will be inactive Sunday.
“This is the first time in about a month that I still don’t know,” Shanahan said. “I have a tough decision because we have a bunch of guys who are healthy.”
Shanahan isn’t thinking about his quarterback decision. On Wednesday, he announced that rookie C.J. Beathard would start and Jimmy Garoppolo would serve as his backup for the third straight game.
The 49ers clearly aren’t desperate to begin getting an on-field evaluation of Garoppolo before his contract expires after this season.
“He does not have to play” this season, Shanahan said on KNBR. “It’s not that we’re coming to this deadline and we’ve got to decide our future, ours and his, for both sides. We’ve got six games left, and we’re going to have next year also. I know you have to franchise a quarterback to keep him, but quarterbacks are expensive. And that is not that big of a deal to us.”