49ers Mario Manningham Still Not Healthy, Cardinals Could Be Without John Abraham
By Jerrell Richardson
In terms of quantity, the injury report for this week's NFC clash between the 49ers and Cardinals is pretty much even. San Francisco has 10 names and Arizona has nine. The difference is that Arizona has one big name: John Abraham, who, if unable to play, will hurt his team's chances of beating the visiting 49ers. San Francisco on the other hand is sitting pretty. Not only should they have their entire roster available, but they also clinched a playoff spot last week. This puts the 49ers in the enviable position of only being concerned about avoiding injuries during the final week of the regular season that can hurt their chances of a deep playoff run.
Kassim Osgood is the only new name on the 49ers week 17 injury report. The special teams star was limited in practice, but more as a precautionary measure than anything else. Practice makes perfect, but this late in the season, and as a return coverage specialist, Osgood does not need a lot of preparation this week to get ready for the game. His injured shin will not keep him out of the game, or hamper his play.
The only point of interest for the 49ers is Mario Manningham and his injured knee. He could miss his second straight game, but the team has not gotten a lot of production from Manningham and will not suffer offensively if he sits out. The other eight San Francisco players listed are the team's regulars, and unlike Manningham, are only getting healthier. This includes Frank Gore, NaVorro Bowman and Michael Crabtree, who despite being listed as injured last week, were all major contributors in the Monday Night win.
Considering the 49ers have played in 15 games, they are lucky to be where they are health wise. Manningham could miss his second straight game, but if needed he could play. With the playoffs to worry about, there is no reason to send him out now. Instead the team should sit him and hope that he can give them something in the post season.
San Francisco 49ers
Did Not Participate In Practice
- Mario Manningham (Wide Receiver): Knee
- Dan Skuta (Linebacker): Foot
- Justin Smith (Defensive Tackle): Shoulder
Limited In Practice
- Frank Gore (Running Back): Knee
- Mike Iupati (Guard): Knee
- Vance McDonald (Tight End): Ankle
Full Participation In Practice
- NaVorro Bowman (Linebacker): Wrist
- Tarell Brown (Cornerback): Ribs
- Michael Crabtree (Wide Receiver): Ankle, wrist
- Kassim Osgood (Wide Receiver): Shin
Big Name Missing Practice For Arizona
The Cardinals defense is going to have to play well if they hope to win, and could be without the key to their pass rush. The silver lining for Arizona is that their run defense is their strong suit, and will not be affected. Linebacker John Abraham has a groin injury that has forced him to sit out of practice this week and it will be a big deal if he is unable to play. He leads the team in sacks and is his team's best threat to disrupt the rhythm of Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco passing game. If Abraham is unable to play, it could mean no pressure on Kaepernick, which is bad news for a Cardinal secondary that is average at best.
The rest of the Cardinals players will be playing in this important regular season finale. While there are a lot of other things that need to go right for Arizona to get into the post season, the fact remains that if they lose, they are out. Therefore it will be all hands on deck for the Cardinals who have to win this game. Arizona will leave everything on the field this week as their playoff lives hang in the balance.
Arizona Cardinals
Did Not Participate In Practice
- John Abraham (Linebacker): Groin
Limited In Practice
- Daryn Colledge (Guard): Back
- Rashad Johnson (Safety): Ankle
- Daryl Washington (Linebacker): Ankle
Full Participation In Practice
- Darnell Docket (Defensive Tackle): Shoulder
- Rob Housler (Tight End): Groin
- Rashard Mendenhall (Running back): Finger
- Carson Palmer (Quarterback): Right elbow, ankle
- Nate Potter (Tackle): Ribs
- Matt Shaughnessy (Linebacker): Groin
For more 49ers news and updates, visit 49ers Central.
Jerrell Richardson is a Bay Area native who due to a college career at San Diego State University has grown an appreciation for all things sports related in California. His heart will always remain in San Francisco though where he currently resides and covers everything from the San Francisco 49ers and Giants to the San Jose Sharks and California Bears Baseball team. Jerrell is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
