The 49ers have a very short amount of time to solve a massive new problem after Week 5 loss
The San Francisco 49ers let slip a 13-point lead in a Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in large part because of a failing that is starting to define their season. San Francisco critically went one of six inside the red zone in a 24-23 defeat, and the continuation of the 49ers' problems inside […]
The San Francisco 49ers let slip a 13-point lead in a Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in large part because of a failing that is starting to define their season.
San Francisco critically went one of six inside the red zone in a 24-23 defeat, and the continuation of the 49ers' problems inside the 20 were made worse by a new issue that they now have a very short time to fix.
The Niners lost their kicker, Jake Moody, to a high ankle sprain in the second quarter after he made a tackle on a kick return. His absence was most apparent on the 49ers' second possession of the third quarter when they turned the ball over on downs having gone backwards after reaching the Arizona 14-yard line.
Moody, a third-round pick in the 2023 draft, likely now faces several weeks on the sidelines and will miss the 49ers' Thursday Night Football clash with the Seattle Seahawks in four days' time.
That leaves the Niners with a race against time to find a kicker, though head coach Kyle Shanahan is not particularly worried about it.
"Yeah, they'll work on that stuff right away," Shanahan said of getting a replacement in the building.
"With kickers, they're almost independent contractors, so we'll get them in as fast as possible and get the best guy we can. I'm sure it'll have to be for a few weeks. I'm not sure [about the severity of the injury], but I know they told me a high ankle, and that's never soon."
Despite some ups and downs in his brief career to this point, Moody has largely been a reliable kicker for the 49ers and was impressive on the biggest stage in the Super Bowl last year, nailing a pair of field goals from over 50 yards out.
Now the 49ers must speedily find a new one they can trust to deliver in the raucous atmosphere of Lumen Field in what is close to a must-win game for San Francisco.
Given the pressure of the situation, experience may be top of the 49ers' list of priorities when it comes to finding the right the stand-in for Moody. Regardless of who the 49ers settle on, a new face at that position places yet more emphasis on the offense to find a way to finish drives.
49ers’ incredible Week 5 collapse to Cardinals had everything to do with Christian McCaffrey
His absence loomed extremely large.
