Nov

3

Week 9 Preview, San Francisco at Atlanta

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers 

San Francisco 49ersAtlanta Falcons
Unless you’re a diehard fan of one of these two struggling teams, this game will probably hold very little interest for most folks. The San Francisco 49ers entered this season full of hope, looking to make their first playoff appearance in five years. Instead, they are trying to erase a 5-game losing streak when they visit the Atlanta Falcons.

The 49ers have had a multitue of issues that they have yet to overcome. Let’s start at quarterback. Alex Smith (65-of-127, 651 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) initially led the 49ers to a 2-0 record this season, but then he seperated his shoulder in a loss to Seattle on September 30. He missed 2 games as a result, then returned. His numbers, pre-injury suggest that he needs to improve and in a hurry. Fortunately for San Francisco, they have running back Frank Gore. Gore isn’t having the year he had last season, rushing for 435 yards and 3 TD’s. But to be fair, he has also been bit by the injury bug. The bright spot for the 49ers is their defense. They have a future star in linebacker Patrick Willis (73 tackles) who should at this rate visiting Hawaii this postseason. Supporting Willis is the reliable defensive end Bryant Young (4 sacks).

The Falcons are looking to end their second 3-game losing streak this season on Sunday. Joey Harrington (135-of-213, 1,407 yards, 4 TD’s, 4 INT’s) will replace Byron Leftwich (ankle injury). Harrington should be the starter for the next 3-4 weeks because of Leftwich’s injury. Backing up Harrington is Chris Redman, and in an emergency – running back Warrick Dunn. Talking about depleted. This game should be low-scoring, with the team who establishes their running game best becoming the victor. The passing game for both teams will probably be abysmal, and the stats will be a result of inefficient offenses rather than outstanding efforts by the two team’s defenses. San Francisco should squeak this one out in a close one.


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