Top QBs pose challenge to 49ers’ untested corners
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Bad news for the 49ers, who are dealing with the loss of their best cornerback: The NFC West’s quarterbacks are dealing.
On Sunday, when the 49ers lost Jason Verrett for the season with a torn ACL, Seattle’s Russell Wilson, Arizona’s
Kyler Murray and Los Angeles’ Matthew Stafford had performances that underscored just how significant Verrett’s absence will be: That the three combined to throw 11 touchdown passes and one interception while completing 73% of their passes and posting a 141.5 passer rating en route to season-opening wins.
The 49ers are scheduled to have six games against those QBs, who are each assisted by accomplished wide receivers: the Seahawks’ D.K. Met
calf and Tyler Lockett, the Rams’ Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp and the Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins all ranked among the NFL’s top 20 in receptions in 2020.
“We don’t worry about who we’re going against,” 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said. “And what challenges (there are). It’s all about us. And how we are working throughout the week and how we go out and play on Sunday. I tell my guys: ‘Don’t panic, just work.’ ”
The 49ers have their work cut out for them without Verrett, a 2014 first-round pick who was Pro Bowlcaliber in the only two seasons (2015, 2020) in which he played more than six games.
They don’t appear to have another top-end corner on the roster, but they do have a solid starter in Emmanuel Moseley, who missed the season opener and didn’t practice Thursday with what head coach Kyle Shanahan has suggested is a minor knee injury. And they have a promising rookie fifth-round pick in Deommodore Lenoir. And they have two recently signed nine-year veterans, Josh Norman, 33, and Dre Kirkpatrick, 31, who are likely in their career twilight. And they have rookie third-round pick Ambry Thomas, who had a disappointing training camp.
“You don’t compensate for the loss of a guy like Verrett,” Ryans said. “So it’s devastating to lose a guy like that, man. He’s one of the hearts and souls of our back end.”
On Sunday, after Verrett was injured midway through the fourth quarter with the 49ers leading 41-17, Detroit QB Jared Goff completed 17 of 24 passes for 155 yards with a touchdown, 49ers cornerbacks had pass-interference penalties of 16 and 12 yards, and the Lions outscored the 49ers 16-0. Of course, the 49ers spent part of that game-ending stretch thinking they were in garbage time and briefly removed key players such as linebacker Fred Warner and pass rusher Nick Bosa.
The situation will be different this Sunday when they visit the Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts, a 2020 second-round pick whose first full season as a starter is off to a promising start. Hurts completed 27 of 35 passes for 264 yards with three touchdowns in a 32-6 season-opening win over the Falcons. Hurts is mobile — he also rushed for 62 yards on seven carries — but Bosa expects him to prioritize testing the secondary. In that sense, Bosa said he’s different than Murray, who rushed for 819 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
“Kyler’s looking to run and I think Jalen wants to get rid of the ball,” Bosa said. “But when he has the chance (to run), he’ll take it.”
Given the situation in the 49ers’ back end, the seasonopening work of Bosa and others up front was encouraging. The 49ers can mask some of their deficiencies at cornerback if Bosa and Pro Bowl pass rusher Dee Ford can produce strong comeback seasons after combining to play in three games last year. Bosa and Ford each had a sack against the Lions and Ford had a pressure that led to an interception return for a touchdown.
“It really sucks that (Verrett) is out,” Bosa said, “but we definitely have some good corners … It will be interesting to see who we plug in there, but I’m confident.”