© Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers are heading back to New Orleans as anything but the team they were upon their last visit, when they crescendoed to a 48-46 win which represented something of a statement for Jimmy Garoppolo.
On paper, San Francisco is in for a drubbing this go around against a Saints team which just beat Tampa Bay 38-3.
No starting quarterback, running back(s), tight end, defensive ends, corner and safety. A once-appetizing affair to re-establish their status as contenders now maintains an unquestionably ominous appearance. A loss, which would leave San Francisco likely needing to win five of six remaining games to make the playoffs, may well put the nail in their season’s figurative coffin.
Tartt to IR, leaving a less-than preferable situation at strong safety
Yes, there’s another player heading to injured reserve. After suffering turf toe (a toe sprain) in the 34-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers, strong safety Jaquiski Tartt has been placed on injured reserve. He’ll become the 14th current player on the list, along with the team’s three players on the physically unable to perform list.
Tartt was replaced by Marcell Harris, who is a coverage liability (ranked the second-worst coverage player by PFF metrics) and who was taken to task in New Orleans last year. San Francisco already promoted strong safety Johnathan Cyprien earlier in the week as cover at the position.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the Packers that the reason Tarvarius Moore doesn’t play the strong safety position—despite Shanahan referring to Moore, perhaps errantly, on October 12, as having “gotten two straight years of reps at strong safety,” and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh saying last Tuesday of the safety positions, that, “they both are interchangeable”—solely because of his frame.
“Usually the bigger body goes at strong safety,” Shanahan said.
Harris is listed at 6’0″, 215 pounds, compared to the 6’2″, 200-pound Moore.
Roster moves and injuries
The other two moves San Francisco made were promoting running back Austin Walter from the practice squad to the active roster and signing, as expected, quarterback Josh Johnson to the team’s practice squad.
The move was made with running backs Raheem Mostert (ankle) and Tevin Coleman (knee sprain) both out this week, and targeting a return in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Richard Sherman will return to practice on Wednesday after having being designated for return from injured reserve and is “a real long shot for this week,” per Shanahan, but is not ruled out. He is targeting a return this week, while the team hopes he’ll return against the Los Angeles Rams.
Deebo Samuel (hamstring) will not practice Wednesday and will be re-evaluated on Thursday. It’s unclear if he can play Sunday.
Trent Taylor will not practice Wednesday with a back injury.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (hamstring) is OUT this week.
K’Waun Williams suffered a high ankle sprain and won’t immediately be placed on injured reserve because that would end his season. With roster spots to spare, the team will keep him on the active roster until they are desperate for the roster spot or it’s absolutely clear he cannot return this year.
Why Kendrick Bourne is back on COVID-19 list
It seems apropos to have a bizarre testing situation in a season and year which are both bizarre and perhaps increasingly so. After being removed from the COVID-19 list following two negative tests, Kendrick Bourne, who, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, is still asymptomatic, Bourne tested positive again.
And then… negative.
In other words, Bourne may have had two false positive tests. Or, he may have had one false positive test and a false negative test. Head coach Kyle Shanahan, who tried to bite his tongue, but couldn’t quite, said the following on Bourne.
“Positive, negative, negative, positive, negative.”
While there’s been little certainty in Bourne’s situation, the following test should—in an ideal world, at least—indicate which of the prior two tests were incorrect.