Another defensive end lost for the season
Damontre Moore played through Sunday’s game with forearm fracture
SANTA CLARA >> Losing another pass rusher for the season is not the 49ers’ ideal momentum heading into Sunday’s matchup at Baltimore against Ravens play-making quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Damontre Moore sustained a fractured fibula in Sunday night’s 37-8 win over the Green Bay Packers, an injury he played through and one caught coach Kyle Shanahan by surprise afterward.
Moore, the 49ers’ last roster cut before the season, at least made the most of his two-game opportunity since being signed to replace Ronald Blair, who had a season-ending knee injury Nov. 11.
“It was just really cool how he played these two weeks,” Shanahan said. “It was exactly like the preseason: He put everything on the line, doing everything he could to earn a job.
Moore forced a last-minute fumble in his 49ers debut to help clinch a Nov. 17 win over Arizona.
So, come Sunday in Baltimore, there’ll be no Blair, no Moore and possibly no Dee Ford, who missed Sunday night’s game with a hamstring strain that might be too dangerous to test chasing after Jackson.
Jeremiah Valoaga, a 6-foot-6 defensive end, will be promoted from the practice squad, Shanahan said. Valoaga had a teamhigh 4 ½ sacks in the exhibition season and has since been on the practice squad.
Moore played 42 percent of Sunday night’s defensive snaps (34), had three tackles and de
livered one hit on Aaron Rodgers while filling in for Ford, who missed his first game of the season. Shanahan believes Moore got hurt tackling Rodgers on a third-quarter scramble short of the goal line.
“I can’t tell you how impressed we were that we didn’t know he had a broken forearm until after my (postgame) press conference, because the guy never told anybody and he didn’t know it was broken,” Shanahan said.
There was pain but he kept playing, and after the game, he noticed it was hurting, got it checked out and found out it was broken,” Shanahan added. “To watch him on tape playing with that shows you he’s a special dude.”
The 49ers’ defensive front has been extremely special this season, led by starters Arik Armstead (10 sacks), Nick Bosa (eight), DeForest Buckner (5 ½) and Ford (6 ½). The 49ers have gone eight consecutive games with at least three sacks, the first time that’s happened in franchise history since sacks become officially charted in 1982.
KITTLE'S DAY AFTER >> Tight end George Kittle reported back OK after playing his first game since his Oct. 31 knee and ankle injuries. “George came out good,” Shanahan said. “I know after you’re always in a little pain when you play with that stuff. But, talking with him today, he didn’t have any setbacks and he should be good to go this week. We’ll have to be smart with him in how we practice, just like last week.”
LEFT TACKLE ISSUE >> Joe Staley is 50-50 on returning from a two-game absence from surgery to repair a fractured finger. If he’s not ready, Daniel Brunskill could be making his debut as a starting left tackle. Brunskill, who started in place of right tackle Mike McGlinchey for four games last month, was summoned to replace a struggling Justin Skule on Sunday night. Shanahan said any final decision will be based on the coming week’s practices. OTHER UPDATES >> Ford, running back Matt Breida (ankle) and kicker Robbie Gould (quadriceps) all are considered questionable entering this week’s game. Also being monitored are defensive tackle Jullian Taylor (jaw) and guard Mike Person (stinger).
Gould’s replacement, Chase McLaughlin, made all his kicks (three field goals, two extra points) on Sunday night. “I know Robbie wants to (play) but we’ll be smart with that and make sure he’s 100 percent,” Shanahan said. “He’s getting very close. We’ll see how he is on Wednesday.”
GAROPPOLO GRADE >> A day after calling Jimmy Garoppolo’s performance “pretty flawless,” Shanahan simmered his praise, just a bit. “No one’s ever done flawless but, I don’t know, I was short on words. He played very well,” Shanahan said. “It was one of his better games here.”
Garoppolo posted a career-best passer rating of 145.8 while completing 14of-20 passes (70 percent) for 253 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and no turnovers. He did fumble a snap that the 49ers recovered.
“He was very efficient in everything he did and when he had opportunities for big plays he didn’t miss any of them,” Shanahan added. “And he took as good of care of the ball as he has.”
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE >> Shanahan may move Thursday’s practice up so players can get home by 3 p.m. for Thanksgiving dinners, to which he issued them a warning. “Sometimes they come in (Friday) a little more tired, a little heavier, so you really try to stress and hope that some of these guys who enjoy eating don’t get too excited and fell they have to eat everything that day,” Shanahan said.
PRIME-TIME DRAW >> The 49ers, in their fourth prime-time kickoff this season, were a ratings magnet, with perhaps a little help from the Packers. An audience of 21.3 million viewers was the largest for a Week 12 game on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” since 2015. The top-three metered markets: Milwaukee (38.6 rating, 57-percent market share), San Francisco (27.4; 52 percent) and Sacramento (24.5; 43 percent).