49ers-Dolphins injury roundup: Question marks for both Armsteads
“Armstead practiced for the first time last Friday and Shanahan expressed encouragement in the progress he’s made. He hasn’t played since Week 4 as he’s dealt with plantar fasciitis in one foot and a stress/hairline fracture in the other ankle. Sunday could be his return.
Meanwhile, Terron Armstead, the Dolphins’ star left tackle, suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle but won’t have surgery.
Per Cameron Wolfe, he’s hoping to play Sunday.”
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan was once a Tua Tagovailoa skeptic; he’s not anymore (paywall)
“When that back foot hits, he knows where to look,” Shanahan said of Tagovailoa. “They have so much speed that they blow the top off of stuff, which gets some people open underneath. Tua’s the reason that they’re leading the league in explosives. He knows how to hit people over the middle.”
49ers Notebook: Bosa looking to silence Dolphins-loving friends; McGlinchey ready for ‘fun challenge’; Mason impressing
“He held on to the ball great,” Shanahan continued. “There was no way he was fumbling it. But not only did he do that, but he moved the chains when it wasn’t always blocked to move the chains, and I think that’s what the players noticed on the sidelines, and I think the defense was really happy they didn’t have to go back out there again.”
Matt Maiocco discusses Arik Armstead’s status for Sunday, 49ers’ red zone issues
“I think teams are kind of like locked in and going to beat them at the numbers game and have more defenders than they can block. Then it’s a matter of if you’re going to throw the ball down there, I’m not sure the 49ers have very many guys who are great at beating man coverage off the line of scrimmage. I think that’s why Jauan Jennings has excelled because he’s one of the guys who is better at it. Maybe that has something to do with it too. Right now the personnel, they don’t have the guys that can get open quickly in a very confined space.”
NFC playoff picture: Can 49ers climb higher than No. 3 seed?
“Even if they win out, they’d need the Vikings to lose two of their remaining six games, and could leapfrog them if at least one of those losses is to an NFC team since the first tiebreaker after head-to-head is conference record.”
“One blade of grass”: The message that propelled the 49ers to a shutout win over the Saints
“However, the “blade of grass” mentality kicked in for the 49ers once again, forcing incompletions on three straight plays before edge rusher Nick Bosa sacked Andy Dalton on 4th & Goal to force a turnover.”
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