49ers search Moody substitute after kicker injured vs. Cardinals

49ers search Moody substitute after kicker injured vs. Cardinals initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Bay Space

SANTA CLARA — An NFL placekicker normally is not a group’s most necessary participant, particularly on a group laden with star gamers just like the 49ers.

However in San Francisco’s crushing 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, second-year kicker Jake Moody’s damage loomed massive after the one-point defeat.

On the kickoff after the 49ers’ protection blocked a Cardinals field-goal try and ran it in for a landing to increase their result in 19-10 with 4:59 remaining within the second quarter, Arizona return man DeeJay Dallas returned Moody’s ensuing kick to the Arizona 38-yard the place the 49ers kicker met him and tried to sort out him earlier than rolling over on his proper ankle.

After he was examined on the sphere by the 49ers’ medical employees, Moody hobbled towards San Francisco’s sideline the place he sat for a few minutes earlier than he was taken off the sphere in a cart. He initially was questionable to return earlier than the 49ers formally dominated him out later within the sport.

Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed after the sport that Moody suffered a excessive ankle sprain and that the 49ers will work out substitute kickers instantly with a fast turnaround earlier than the “Thursday Night time Soccer” matchup with the Seattle Seahawks simply 4 days away.

“Yeah, they will work on that stuff straight away,” Shanahan stated of the 49ers discovering a short lived Moody substitute. “With kickers, they’re nearly unbiased contractors so we’ll get them in as quick as attainable and get the very best man we will and I am certain it must be for a couple of weeks. I am unsure, however I do know they advised me a excessive ankle and that is by no means quickly.”

Moody spoke postgame about his damage, and whereas he probably will miss a minimum of a number of weeks, he is relieved the damage wasn’t worse.

“Fortunately I did not really feel something break or crack or something as I did once I did break it,” Moody stated. “So yeah that was good. However I knew one thing was fallacious instantly. It is simply unlucky.”

The 24-year-old has skilled an analogous damage earlier than, however not as a kicker. Moody revealed that he as soon as broke the identical ankle on an analogous play in eighth grade, besides he was enjoying security and was trying to sort out the opposing group’s operating again earlier than his leg spun beneath him.

Whereas Sunday’s damage was preventable had the 49ers’ particular groups unit tackled Dallas earlier than he acquired to Moody, Shanahan by no means will dissuade his kicker from trying to make a cease.

“Similar as everyone. You attempt to sort out and you do not inform guys to maintain their ankle out of it,” Shanahan defined. “You hope it would not come to him and he would not must make a sort out, however you additionally do not inform guys to show it down and allow them to rating. In order that’s a part of soccer.”

The 49ers had been left with out their kicker for two-plus quarters, and his absence loomed massive within the second half.

Punter Mitch Wishnowsky was capable of efficiently kick a 26-yard discipline purpose instead of Moody to shut out the primary half, however San Francisco’s offense then opted to go for it on fourth-and-23 from the Arizona 27-yard line on its second drive within the third quarter on account of Shanahan deeming the try too far out of Wishnowsky’s vary, primarily leading to a turnover-on-downs punt.

Trailing by one level with 1:32 remaining within the sport, the 49ers’ offense had an opportunity to march down the sphere for a possible game-winning rating earlier than quarterback Brock Purdy threw a backbreaking interception that sealed San Francisco’s destiny. Had the 49ers superior into Arizona territory, Shanahan revealed that the offense wanted to get the ball to the Cardinals’ 15-yard line for Wishnowsky to try a possible game-winning discipline purpose.

However alas, as Moody’s damage certainly was an enormous blow to the 49ers’ offense, it was different pricey errors at inopportune occasions that proved to be the distinction.

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