49ers notebook: Ahkello Witherspoon says he’s starting, Thielen injures ankle
There’s one position in the 49ers’ starting lineup heading into Saturday’s playoff game against the Vikings that’s in question: cornerback opposite Richard Sherman.
But Ahkello Witherspoon on Wednesday confidently said he’ll retain his starting job at right corner despite getting benched late in the Week 17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in favor of second-year pro Emmanuel Moseley.
“Yes, I am (starting),” Witherspoon said at his locker.
Witherspoon’s proclamation came minutes after 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh decided against naming a starter in his weekly news conference, as head coach Kyle Shanahan also did earlier in the week.
However, Saleh defended Witherspoon’s performance in Seattle in which he was in coverage on two touchdowns, a score to Tyler Lockett and later D.K. Metcalf, while allowing six catches on eight targets for 71 yards total. Witherspoon was also in coverage for a pair of touchdowns a week earlier against the Rams.
“I’ll be honest,” said Saleh, “when you look from a surface level ... it’s easy right? There’s Ahkello, there’s a guy catching the football. But people don’t really understand what happened for that to happen. They don’t understand whether or not somebody actually busted or if he may have been making up for somebody who should have been there in the first place.
“Actually, when you go back and look at that tape, he played a pretty good football game. There were a couple of situations where he got caught in a bad situation. ... But to say he played a poor game against Seattle, I’ll be honest with all of you, that would be inaccurate.”
Witherspoon began the year playing well during the first two weeks before sustaining a foot injury in the home opener Sept. 22 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He later dealt with a quadriceps injury while working back from the foot ailment and wound up missing six games.
Moseley played well in Witherspoon’s absence — and he broke up a pass in the end zone on the final drive against the Seahawks to help ensure the victory after Witherspoon was taken out.
Despite his endorsement of Witherspoon’s performance against the Seahawks, Saleh declined to offer specifics as to why he was replaced for Russell Wilson’s final possession.
“I’ll keep that one in house,” Saleh said.
Witherspoon was lukewarm about the way his night went.
“I think I played average,” he said. “I’m not an average player so that’s a poor game to me. Just little things that just don’t need to happen. If it’s something that I’m not giving myself a chance to succeed, then that’s a poor game. I like to go out there and compete and let my athleticism give myself the best chance to win. And when I limit myself, I feel like that’s a poor game.”
San Francisco’s play at cornerback will be vital against the Vikings who boast one of the best receiver tandems in the league with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, who have four 1,000-yard seasons over the past three years combined.
Witherspoon said what stood about Minnesota’s offense was the differing skill sets of the team’s two receivers.
“You have to come in with that approach and understanding who each one is,” he said. “It should be an exciting matchup.”
Vikings WR Adam Thielen injures ankle
The Vikings got some bad news Wednesday when Thielen landed on the injury report with an apparent ankle injury he sustained at practice.
Thielen, who had seven catches for 129 yards in last week’s 26-20 win over the Saints, was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s session after not being mentioned on the injury report Tuesday. It remains to be seen how the injury will impact his status for Saturday’s game.
Thielen missed six games during the second half of the season with a hamstring injury before returning Dec. 15 against the Chargers in which he had three catches for 27 yards. He didn’t make a reception despite being targeted four times in the 23-10 loss to the Packers the following week.
Thielen isn’t the only receiver on the injury report this week. Diggs missed the first two practices of the week with an illness, though head coach Mike Zimmer isn’t expecting his 1,130-yard wideout to miss Saturday’s game.
“No, he’s sick. He’ll be fine,” Zimmer told reporters in Minnesota, per ESPN.
Cornerback Mackensie Alexander (knee) and safety Jayron Kearse (toe, knee) also missed practice for the Vikings. Defensive tackle Linval Joseph (knee) was limited.
▪ For the second straight day, four 49ers players who had been dealing with injuries were back on the practice field and continue to trent towards playing Saturday.
Defensive end Dee Ford (hamstring), safety Jaquiski Tartt (fractured rib), linebacker Kwon Alexander (torn pectoral) and right guard Mike Person (neck) were on hand as limited participants, which means all players on the active roster practiced for the second day in a row.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 4:32 PM.
