49ers notebook: Richard Sherman jabs back at slights, Witherspoon benched again
Richard Sherman wasn’t at all worried about the 49ers defense as it took a statistical step back during the second half of the season.
San Francisco, of course, allowed an average of just 224 yards to opponents during the first seven weeks of the season. And as attrition took its toll and the competition began to improve, that number rose 350 over the final four games before the playoffs.
Naturally, skeptics began to wonder about what happened to San Francisco’s defense that was playing at a historically high level early in the year. Sherman, who uses slights as motivation as well as anyone in recent memory, didn’t forget.
“Nobody is saying it inside the league because they see the tape,” Sherman said. “It’s just the nonsense from the media. It’s like they got to sell a story. It’s a one seed versus a six seed and you have people calling an upset. Like we haven’t played the whole season like we’ve been playing.”
Sherman and the 49ers responded Saturday with a dominant showing against the Vikings, allowing 147 yards in their 27-10 lopsided win in the divisional round of the playoffs at Levi’s Stadium.
The mandate from defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who interviewed for the Cleveland Browns’ coaching vacancy during the bye week, was to stop the run and slow running back Dalvin Cook.
Check.
Cook finished with 15 touches (nine runs, six catches), for 26 yards. He averaged 118 yards from scrimmage in 14 games during the regular season. The Vikings’ run-first offense that ranked fifth in the NFL was limited to just 21 yards on 10 carries overall.
“That’s what we expect to do,” Sherman said.
Sherman also had the third postseason interception of his career. It came in the third quarter and set up running back Tevin Coleman’s second rushing touchdown of the game. The touchdown made it 24-10 and essentially put the game out of reach for Minnesota.
Sherman was in man-to-man coverage against shifty wideout Adam Thielen, who appeared to have a miscommunication with quarterback Kirk Cousins during an in-breaking route.
Sherman said he knew the route and stepped inside to make the easy interception.
“He gave me an inside release,” Sherman said, “gave me a little bit too much at the top of the route. I knew what the route was. I beat him to the spot. Kirk threw a very catchable ball, I appreciate, and I was able to make the play.”
San Francisco’s offense, meanwhile, ran the ball a season-high 47 times.
Shanahan benches Akhello Witherspoon
Opposite Sherman, the 49ers made a switch early in the game at cornerback.
Ahkello Witherspoon was benched for Emmanuel Moseley for the second straight game after allowing a 41-yard touchdown to Stefon Diggs while it appeared Witherspoon was in position to make a play on the deep pass from Cousins.
Diggs stepped in front of Witherspoon at the last moment, made the catch, and backpedaled into the end zone for Minnesota’s only touchdown of the afternoon. With Moseley in the game, the Vikings didn’t have a drive go longer than 8 net yards until the game was decided late in the fourth quarter.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said afterward the decision to replace Witherspoon was his.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in Ahkello. I’ve got a lot of confidence in E-Man, what he’s done when he’s come in,” Shanahan said.
“He knew if he was struggling at all, we weren’t going to hesitate. I’m sure if we left him in, he would have had a chance to play himself out of it. He was aware of that before the game and I loved how Moseley came in and played.”
Given that, it’s likely Moseley, a second-year pro who started nine games this year while Witherspoon was injured, will get the start in next week’s NFC Championship Game. Witherspoon ended the regular season allowing four touchdowns in coverage combined over the last two weeks of the regular season. He was sat before the Seahawks’ finale drive in the Week 17 victory in Seattle.
Alexander makes his return
Linebacker Kwon Alexander made his return from a torn pectoral and was flying all over the field, giving the defense a unique energy it lacked in his absence. He started the game at “Sam” linebacker playing only in base situations in which the Vikings had just two receivers on the field.
He came off in favor of rookie Dre Greenlaw, who played Alexander’s weakside linebacker role since he got hurt on Halloween.
“The times I’m looking up watching him, the way he flew around, made some plays on the screens,” Shanahan said. “Even when he flew and missed the guy on the screen, he makes the back have to come to a complete stop and cut back the other way, then our pass rushers can get there.”
Somehow, Alexander didn’t register a tackle on the stat sheet, though his presence was apparent throughout the game. Jaquiski Tartt, making his return from a fractured rib, finished had just one tackle and wasn’t targeted in coverage.
Dee Ford played mostly on third downs in his return from his hamstring injury and had a key sack at the end of the first half that limited Minnesota to a field goal attempt following Jimmy Garoppolo’s interception.
“He’s kind of like the key that unlocks that whole defense as far as his speed up front,” left tackle Joe Staley said.
This story was originally published January 11, 2020 at 7:58 PM.
