Two winning streaks are on the line when the Niners face the Giants at Candlestick Park this afternoon. San Francisco extended their winning streak to 6 after a 19-11 win at the Washington Redskins last week. The Giants came from behind to beat the New England Patriots 24-20 for their third win in a row. Both teams met 27 times in the regular season, with the G-Men holding a 14-13 lead. The last meeting took place in 2008 and ended in a 29-17 loss at New York. Giants C David Baas returns to The Stick where he spent 6 seasons from 2005 through 2010.

LE Ray McDonald’s status is still questionable due to a hamstring injury. He will likely relinquish another start to DE Ricky Jean Francois who filled in for him last week. Considering that Ray McDonald practiced during the week he may see some limited action today. FB Moran Norris is still suffering from a fibula injury and remains questionable to play. FB Bruce Miller will continue to start at fullback.

The New York Giants will be without RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot). RB Brandon Jacobs will start in New York’s offensive backfield. WR Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) and C David Baas (knee) are listed as questionable but are expected to be active. WR Mario Manningham (knee) was a late addition to the injury report on Saturday and his status is questionable.

The New York Giants are the opposite of the San Francisco 49ers on offense. They depend on a successful passing offense due to a struggling running game. QB Eli Manning completes 62.7% of his passes and has a passer rating of 98.8. With Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham being questionable, WR Victor Cruz and TE Jake Ballard may see an increased workload. Cruz already leads the Giants receivers in touchdowns (4), yardage (588) and yards per catch (17.3). New York’s pass rush, led by DE Osi Umenyiora, can put constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Umenyiora already has 6 sacks this season. The Giants pass defense ranks 17^th in the league, allowing 238.5 yards per game, but any of the defensive backs can make big plays. CB Corey Webster and CB Aaron Ross have 3 interceptions each.

Keys to Success

A mixture of swing passes, screen passes and slants to keep New York’s pass rush off balance.

Establish a running game.

Control the clock to keep Eli Manning’s passing offense off the field.

Involve Vernon Davis in the passing game as he can outmatch linebackers.

Osi Umenyiora may need extra attention, double coverage etc.

Stuff the middle and force Brandon Jacobs to run to the outside.

Put pressure on New York’s porous offensive line.

Make the Giants start their drives deep in their own half and generate good starting points for San Francisco’s offense.     

Probable Starters

Offense: QB Alex Smith, RB Frank Gore, FB Bruce Miller, WR Braylon Edwards, WR Michael Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis, LT Joe Staley, LG Mike Iupati, C Jonathan Goodwin, RG Adam Snyder, RT Anthony Davis.

Defense: LE Ricky Jean Francois, NT Isaac Sopoaga, RE Justin Smith, LOLB Ahmad Brooks, LILB Navorro Bowman, RILB Patrick Willis, ROLB Parys Haralson, LCB Carlos Rogers, SS Donte Whitner, FS Dashon Goldson, RCB Tarell Brown.

Prediction

San Francisco 49ers v New York Giants 24-19

The San Francisco 49ers released the final injury report for their clash with the New York Giants and the list just keeps growing.

LE Ray McDonald was a limited participant in practice throughout the week but his status remains questionable due to a hamstring injury. He sat out last week’s game against the Washington Redskins. DT Ricky Jean Francois replaced him and had a solid, yet unspectacular game. It is likely that Francois gets another start against the New York Giants but McDonald should be able to play on some downs as well.

FB Moran Norris’ (fibula) status remains questionable and it is safe to say that FB Bruce Miller will continue to start in San Francisco’s offensive backfield alongside RB Frank Gore.

WR Michael Crabtree (foot), CB Chris Culliver (shoulder), WR Braylon Edwards (knee), RB Frank Gore (ankle) and LILB NaVorro Bowman were limited participants in practice all week and their status is probable for Sunday.

The same applies to CB Shawntae Spencer (toe), FS Dashon Goldson (knee), RB Kendall Hunter (ankle), TE Delanie Walker (knee) and SS Donte Whitner (thigh), who were full participants in practice.

The New York Giants will be without RB Ahmad Bradshaw again, who suffers from a foot injury. RB Brandon Jacobs is expected to start. WR Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) started practicing on Thursday and is listed as questionable. He missed last week’s game against the New England Patriots but could see some action on Sunday. C David Baas missed last week’s game with a knee injury but is expected to start against his former team despite being listed as questionable. DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) and FB Henry Hynoski (neck) are listed as probable and ready to play.

The 49ers travel to the nation’s capital for their week 9 matchup with the Washington Redskins. The Niners are on a five-game winning streak after last week’s 20-10 win over the Cleveland Browns and are unbeaten on the road this season. The Redskins have cooled down after a 3-1 start and lost their last three games, including a 23-0 shutout against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto, Ontario last week. Since 1952 both sides have met 24 times in the regular season, with the 49ers leading the series 14-9-1. Both teams last met in 2008, when the 49ers beat the Redskins 27-24 at Candlestick Park. This game features OLB Aldon Smith and OLB Ryan Kerrigan, the favorites for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. CB Carlos Rogers spent six seasons with the Redskins before signing a one-year contract with the 49ers in the off-season.

San Francisco’s only injury concerns are LE Ray McDonald and FB Moran Norris. McDonald suffers from a hamstring injury and will likely be sidelined. In his absence DT Ricky Jean Francois would get the start and DE Demarcus Dobbs would also see more involvement in the game. FB Bruce Miller is expected to get another start in the offensive backfield.

The Washington Redskins will be without WR Santana Moss, due to a hand injury. TE Fred Davis (ankle) and LT Trent Williams (ankle) are listed as questionable but will likely play. FS Oshiomogho Atogwe (toe, knee) is also questionable and will likely miss the game. MLB London Fletcher and MLB Rocky McIntosh are listed as probable and ready to play.

Washington’s QB John Beck has only recently taken over the starting job from QB Rex Grossman but has not exactly been sharp. In 3 starts he has thrown 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions and accumulated a passer rating of 69.9, though Washington’s offensive struggles can be explained with the loss of several starters to season ending injuries. The offensive line is holey and is struggling to protect the passer, which became apparent when the Buffalo Bills sacked John Beck 10 times last week. OLB Brian Orakpo and the defensive ends Adam Carriker and Stephen Bowen are the biggest threats for QB Alex Smith and the offensive line. Adam Carriker in particular is the player to watch out for today. London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh will keep an extra eye on Frank Gore.              

Keys to Success

Washington will stack the box in order to stop Frank Gore. Use play action passes to catch the defense on the wrong foot.

Blocking will be essential to San Francisco’s success. Use two tight end sets often.

TE Vernon Davis was mainly assigned to block last week. Expect more passes thrown to him this week. With Fletcher and McIntosh focused on Gore he could easily sneak behind “enemy lines”.

Win the battle in the trenches.

Put constant pressure on the opposing offensive line. OLB Aldon Smith and RE Justin Smith are bound to have a great game.

Mix in all kinds of blitzes.

Special teams may feature a big role if the ground game struggles.   

Probable Starters

Offense: QB Alex Smith, RB Frank Gore, FB Bruce Miller, WR Braylon Edwards, WR Michael Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis, LT Joe Staley, LG Mike Iupati, C Jonathan Goodwin, RG Adam Snyder, RT Anthony Davis.

Defense: LE Ricky Jean Francois, NT Isaac Sopoaga, RE Justin Smith, LOLB Ahmad Brooks, LILB NaVorro Bowman, RILB Patrick Willis, ROLB Parys Haralson, LCB Carlos Rogers, SS Donte Whitner, FS Dashon Goldson, RCB Tarell Brown.

Prediction

San Francisco 49ers @ Washington Redskins 23-16

The 49ers are heading east and released their final injury report for their week 9 encounter with the Washington Redskins.

No Niners player has been ruled out for the game but LE Ray McDonald’s status is doubtful due to a hamstring injury. The defensive lineman did not practice all week. McDonald has 10 tackles and 3 sacks in 7 starts this season. In his absence DE Demarcus Dobbs and DT Ricky Jean Francois would likely see an increased amount of snaps.

FB Moran Norris’ (fibula) status has been upgraded from doubtful to questionable but FB Bruce Miller will likely get another start. RB Frank Gore is rushing for 113.8 yards per game and scored 4 touchdowns since Miller became his lead blocker in week 3.

WR Michael Crabtree (foot), CB Chris Culliver (shoulder), WR Braylon Edwards (knee) and FS Dashon Goldson (knee) were limited participants in practice all week and are listed as probable. The same applies to CB Tramaine Brock (hand) and CB Shawntae Spencer (toe) who were full participants in practice.

The Washington Redskins will be without WR Santana Moss (hand) and newly acquired RB Tashard Choice (hamstring). TE Fred Davis (ankle), LT Trent Williams (ankle) and FS Oshiomogho Atogwe (toe, knee) are listed as questionable. ILB London Fletcher (hamstring) and ILB Rocky McIntosh (ankle) are listed as probable.

The 49ers return back home from a two-game road trip to host the leader of the NFC South division. San Francisco had a stunning come-from-behind win last week at the Philadelphia Eagles, when they overcame a 20-point deficit to win 24-23. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Monday Night Football clash with the Indianapolis Colts 24-17 and are now on a three-game winning streak. The 49ers lead the series 15-5 and 11-2 at home. Both sides met at Candlestick Park last season and the Buccaneers shut out the 49ers 21-0.

In yesterday’s article http://49ers.sportsblog.com/post/49/49ers_injury_report.html I was talking about San Francisco’s injuries and what impact they might have on today’s lineup. The Buccaneers are likely going to be without LOLB Quincy Black (ankle), who already missed a game in week 3, but all their other starters with minor injuries seem ready to go. This includes FB Earnest Graham (hamstring), DE Michael Bennett (groin) and CB Aqib Talib (knee).

The Buccaneers are a well-balanced team that basically runs as often as they pass. QB Josh Freeman is off to a slow start but showed last season that he’s got what it takes to succeed in this league. He spreads the ball equally among his receivers. RB LeGarrette Blount is rushing for 4.4 yards per carry but FB Earnest Graham is a short-yardage option and the better receiver. Tampa Bay’s offensive line allowed only 6 sacks in 4 games and is one of the better lines in the league.

Tampa Bay’s defensive line is young and deep but inconsistent. Each lineman is capable of pressuring the quarterback and you can expect some player rotation on the line. Their most dangerous linebacker is rookie MLB Mason Foster. He will not only stop the run but also find opportunities to get to the quarterback. The secondary seems to be the weak link of Tampa Bay’s defense. CB Aqib Talib and veteran CB Ronde Barber are solid but their safeties can be exploited.

Keys to Success

Establish a running game to set up a successful passing game.

Let Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter share carries, for Gore to remain fresh when the game is on the line.

Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn Jr. could pose the biggest threat to Tampa Bay’s secondary.

The improvement of the offensive line has to continue.

Put pressure on Josh Freeman and create turnovers.

Stop LeGarrette Blount.

The secondary needs to stay healthy.

They say that offense wins games and defense wins Super Bowls but I believe that the defense will be the key to victory in this game. Both teams match up pretty even.

Probable Starters

Offense: QB Alex Smith, RB Frank Gore, FB Bruce Miller, WR Josh Morgan, WR Michael Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis, LT Joe Staley, LG Mike Iupati, C Jonathan Goodwin, RG Adam Snyder, RT Anthony Davis.

Defense: LE Ray McDonald, NT Ricky Jean Francois, RE Justin Smith, LOLB Ahmad Brooks, LILB NaVorro Bowman, RILB Patrick Willis, ROLB Parys Haralson, LCB Carlos Rogers, SS Donte Whitner, FS Dashon Goldson, RCB Tarell Brown.

Prediction

San Francisco 49ers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-20.

It is week 5 of the 2011 season and San Francisco’s injury list is growing. WR Braylon Edwards (knee) and FB Moran Norris (fibula) are still ruled out. Both are going to miss their third consecutive game. They will be joined by CB Tramaine Brock, whose hand injury will keep him sidelined against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tramaine Brock has 4 tackles in 4 games this season. He and CB Carlos Rogers lead the team with 2 interceptions each.

CB Shawntae Spencer (toe) didn’t practice Wednesday and Thursday but was a limited participant in practice on Friday. This makes his status questionable for Sunday. Spencer only made 3 tackles so far this season.

This situation requires rookie CB Chris Culliver to step up and we should get a better look at his potential. He is only one of three healthy cornerbacks for Sunday, together with Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown. Culliver recorded 4 tackles in 4 games and has shown that he can cover.

NT Isaac Sopoaga didn’t practice all week because of a staph infection and is listed as doubtful. There is no word on what precautions the 49ers took but the sensible thing is to rest Sopoaga as the disease is contagious. Sopoaga’s 6 tackles in 4 games may not sound spectacular but he is an integral part of the league’s 4^th best run defense, which allows 74.0 yards per game.

If Sopoaga is unable to play Ricky Jean Francois will get the start at the nose tackle position. Francois made 1 tackle in 4 games. DeMarcus Dobbs or Ian Williams would be activated as Francois’ backup.

WR Michael Crabtree (foot), RB Frank Gore (ankle), LG Mike Iupati (neck) and RG Adam Snyder (hamstring) are all listed as probable and ready to play.

Earlier this week Michael Crabtree moved past WR Ted Ginn Jr. on the depth chart and is expected to start alongside Josh Morgan. Crabtree is still without a touchdown this season but he caught 5 passes for 68 yards last week.

Frank Gore is recovering from his ankle injury and had a great game at the Philadelphia Eagles, when he ran for 127 yards and 1 touchdown. He will share time with Kendall Hunter but I expect him to get the majority of the carries, especially as the game wears on.

Adam Snyder won the starting job at right guard last week and there is no doubt in my mind that he will start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, too, as he was a full participant in Friday’s practice.