NOTES, QUOTES
NFL Team Report - San Francisco 49ers
--Their records are similar, but much has changed since the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams met in Week 17 a year ago. The Rams were 11-4 entering the 2017 regular-season finale, had clinched the NFC West title and had no chance to earn a first-round bye. So they rested many key players, including quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley II. The 49ers, meanwhile, were 5-10 and were jockeying with Indianapolis, Houston, Denver, the New York Jets, Tampa Bay and Chicago for draft position. Despite the incentive to lose, they took advantage of the disinterested Rams to win 34-13, and in the process cost themselves four draft positions (fifth to ninth). Fast-forward 364 days and the Rams enter this week's action 12-3, but not with a lack of motivation. They need a win, or a Bears loss at Minnesota, to clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC and earn a first-round bye. So the 49ers are expecting to see Gurley. Meanwhile, San Francisco will take a 4-11 record into the finale, in which a loss would ensure the No. 2 draft position. A win probably would cost them at least two draft positions, possibly more. --The 49ers will duel the high-powered Rams without two of their most productive offensive players -- running back Matt Breida and wideout Dante Pettis -- in the regular-season finale. Breida, who leads the 49ers in rushing this season despite having been in and out of the lineup with ankle injuries, will finish the season with 814 rushing yards. He currently is tied for the team lead in total touchdowns with five. "Matt's had a very impressive season," Shanahan reported. "Matt stepped in right away (for injured Jerick McKinnon) and played like a No. 1 back. I think he was up there for a while close to leading the league in rushing. Got a ton of explosives. Had a good yards-per-carry. "He got hurt early on. He's battled every week to get in there and play for us. He's ended up hurting it every week, also. So, it's lingered all year. Just a credit to him to still be effective when he's been out there. It shows you the type of guy he is that he can still take it to a whole other level the healthier he gets for next year." Pettis, meanwhile, came on strong late in the season, catching Breida for the team lead in touchdowns with four in his last five games. He sprained his MCL in the Week 16 loss to the Bears, ending his season with 27 receptions for 467 yards, a 17.3-yard average. "You don't have to pencil him in at one (wideout) position; he's got the ability to do all three," Shanahan praised of the second-round pick. "Whatever the rest of our roster looked like, where he got to and how, just the way you can put the best three guys out there together. Whether it's three guys together, usually on third down, whether there's two guys on first and second down." BY THE NUMBERS: 8 -- The 49ers' franchise record for fewest interceptions in a season. So far this season: 2.
The Sports Xchange
Recent Stories
Testing Buffalo Bill Page
Joe Horrigan knows the Buffalo Bills
Steelers positional analysis: Kenny Pickett stands alone in QB room
2/17/2024If the Steelers were concerned about the uncertain future at quarterback when Ben Roethlisberger retired, the outlook at the position might not be any more ...
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t deserve criticism since Super Bowl
Globe StaffUpdated February 17, 2024, 9:38 a.m.Kyle Shanahan has been on the defensive all week following the 49ers’ 25-22 overtime loss to the Chiefs in the Super ...
New Raiders GM expected to be aggressive in search for top QB
February 17, 2024 - 4:19 PMIf Tom Telesco’s past offers clues about his future, expect the Raiders’ new general manager to be aggressive in bringing in a top-level ...
Latest Player Notes
How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann ...
Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The ...
How can UW recruit its best class ever? It starts with these five prospects
By Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch has lofty recruiting goals at Washington. He didn’t waste any ...
Texas football kicks off spring practice Tuesday. We answer 24 questions for the 2024 team
Things certainly look fresh for the 2024 college football season, especially on the Texas campus.There’s a new conference ...
College Football Playoff: Conferences solve their differences (for now) and agree on general framework for 2026 and beyond
The FBS conferences and Notre Dame agreed on Friday to continue the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025 season, signing ...
Ball security, leadership key as Aztecs look to identify starting quarterback
San Diego State seemingly auditions a new starting quarterback on an annual basis.In the past 12 years, the Aztecs have opened ...
Results and more: A look at what happened at Penn State football’s Pro Day inside Holuba Hall
Most of those at Penn State’s Pro Day Friday were relatively quiet throughout the afternoon’s workouts, but there was one ...
Defense dominates first two weeks of Oregon State spring practice as Beavers ready for 2-week breather
CORVALLIS – Oregon State hit the break of spring practices Saturday, not exactly the midpoint but a good place to assess ...
Dillon Gabriel to have similar input, autonomy as Bo Nix had in Oregon’s offense
Published Mar. 16, 2024, 6:26 p.m.By James CrepeaEUGENE — Dillon Gabriel will have much of the same autonomy as Bo Nix did ...
Two transfers, one underclassman who impressed in Missouri football's spring game
With that, spring camp’s a wrap.Missouri football held its Black & Gold spring game Saturday in front of a healthy crowd ...