SANTA CLARA — The week off is over. Now the 49ers find out who’s coming back.
San Francisco went into its bye at 6-1 after a 29-20 loss in Atlanta, the first of the season. Four turnovers decided that one, as we reported in these pages. What decides the next stretch is who is healthy enough to play in it.
The Las Vegas Raiders come to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. Note the time: the NFL moved the game to 1:25 p.m. Pacific on FOX, out of its original 1:05 p.m. slot on CBS, and into its featured national window, NBC Sports Bay Area reported.
The three names that matter most
Nick Bosa. The pass rusher has missed five straight games with a calf strain and had not returned to practice going into this week. General manager John Lynch said on KNBR last week that Bosa got sore during defensive line drills but that he did not “think it was a setback.” The team has been optimistic he could play Sunday, CBS Sports reported. Practice this week is the test.
Christian McCaffrey. The scare in Atlanta turned out to be a mild hamstring strain. Lynch said “the images were on the good side.” Asked whether McCaffrey would be ready for the Raiders, coach Kyle Shanahan said, “Yeah, we think so.”
Mike Evans. The receiver sat out the Falcons game with Achilles tendinitis after playing through a rib injury. He is eyeing a return Sunday. “You’ve just got to quiet that thing down,” Lynch said.
A long list, and no promises
Shanahan said these players have a chance to come back after the bye, 49ers Webzone reported:
- WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring)
- WR Demarcus Robinson (ankle)
- CB Upton Stout (shoulder)
- S Marques Sigle (ankle)
- LB Luke Gifford (groin)
- LB Garret Wallow (hamstring)
- DT C.J. West (knee)
“All those guys have a chance after the bye week, but none are guaranteed,” Shanahan said.
Two others are further off. Receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, hurt in Week 1, is aiming for December. Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu, on injured reserve since Sept. 4 with a broken foot, is hoping for January.
Why the timing works
The 49ers lost in Atlanta while outgaining the Falcons by more than 100 yards. That was a ball-security problem, not a talent problem. And they haven’t lost at Levi’s this season.
The Raiders arrive in rough shape of their own. Las Vegas started 3-0, then lost four straight, to the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills and Rams, NBC Sports Bay Area reported.
A healthy Bosa against a reeling team is the matchup the 49ers would draw up. This week’s practices decide whether they get it.
Next game: Raiders at 49ers, Sunday, Nov. 8, 1:25 p.m. Pacific, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara. TV: FOX.
This story draws on reporting by NBC Sports Bay Area, CBS Sports and 49ers Webzone, including John Lynch’s interview on KNBR.
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