NFL Highlights: Brian Westbrook Of The 49ers Steps Up After Gore’s Injury, To Take Down Cardinals
When the San Francisco 49ers found out that runningback Frank Gore had been injured in the last play, they shut down. First of all, any injury is bad. Secondly, Gore makes up for about 40% of the yards that the 49ers get, and lastly, Gore’s injury is a pretty
bad one, sustaining a broken hip on the first series.
Cue Brian Westbrook.
After being released from the Philadelphia Eagles a year ago because he was aging, had a history of injuries, and was due $7.5 million for the 2010 season. The 49ers picked him up a few months later, but barely played until Gore went down in their win over
the Arizona Cardinals, 27-6.
Westbrook, who just came back from being on the injured reserve list, had a terrific night running the ball for the 49ers.
Everybody is always talking about Gore, how he’s opening the game, calling him Mr. Monday having started in five Monday night appearances and averaging over 100 yards per game.
But on Monday night, it was all about Westbrook.
The runs were essentially the same that Gore would run, but Westbrook is a lot different.
First of all, being smaller, Westbrook is a lot quicker and more agile. He brings the quickness back to a game of football. Although he is not as powerful as Gore, you can obviously see from his performance Monday that he still has all the moves.
Arizona had eight first downs and only 13 rushing yards. Their upfront defense was terrible against running plays. This team is not the same one that was in the Super Bowl in 2008 and won their division crown in 2009. They fall to 3-8 after the loss and
have lost their last six games in a row.
As far as the 49ers go, they are 4-7 but they are only one spot behind the leaders in the poor NFC West.
But what went down in the game?
The 49ers possessed the ball for almost twice as long as the Cardinals and it showed. The Cardinals had only eight first downs, all passing, while San Francisco passed for six first downs and rushed for 18, along with two more from penalties.
San Francisco also had almost twice as many total yards as the Cardinals with 386, as compared to Arizona’s 203. The 49ers were out-passed by the Cardinals, making only 125 passing yards unlike Arizona’s 190. But the Cardinals were far outscored in terms
of rushing with only 13 rushing yards, unlike the 49ers that got more than 20 times as many rushing yards at 261.
Westbrook led in rushing with 23 carries for 136 yards, including one TD.
The game started with San Francisco making the first TD with a 38 yard pass from QB Troy Smith to Michael Crabtree. The Cardinals made the next point with Jay Feely kicking a 31 yard FG, followed by another TD by the 49ers, with Anthony Dixon running for
one yard. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 14-3, to the 49ers.
In the second, Westbrook scored a TD from an 8 yard run, followed by Arizona scoring their second and final point of the game, with a FG by Feely for 39 yards. At the end of the half, the score was 21-6, still to San Francisco.
In the remaining two quarters, Shane Andrus kicked a FG in each quarter, once for 38 yards and again for 26 yards. At the end of the game, the score was 27-6, with the 49ers winning.
The Arizona Cardinals will play their next game at home against the NFC West leader St. Louis Rams on Sunday December 5, while the San Francisco 49ers will be heading over to Lambeau Field to play against the Green Bay Packers, who are 2nd in
the NFC North, behind the Chicago Bears.
Stay tuned!
Tags: