Thursday, December 19
Niners to rest wounded in meaningless game
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Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) _ The San Francisco 49ers play at Arizona on Saturday with nothing at stake except maybe a little pride and staying healthy.
After last Sunday's 20-14 home loss to Green Bay, the 49ers are locked into a first-round playoff home game against a wild-card team _ nothing better, nothing worse.
So coach Steve Mariucci will take a cautious approach against the Cardinals, losers of seven of their last eight.
The 49ers (9-5) will play to win, but players nursing injuries will rest.
``The healthy guys will play,'' Mariucci said. ``If a guy should rest, then he will. I'm not going to play any injured guys, certainly. Some are not well enough to participate yet.
``The season must go on. We've got some things to improve. There's more work to be done. That's been our philosophy this week.''
Although Mariucci said he expects Terrell Owens to play, there remains a chance the star wide receiver will stay on the sideline all or most of the contest. He is listed as questionable with a groin injury.
``Geez, it's been about the same for a month, where he's been nursing some injuries and hasn't practiced much,'' Mariucci said, ``then a day our two before the game he starts feeling a little better. I anticipate that happening again.''
Even without Owens, the 49ers have plenty of weapons.
``I don't mind stepping up and taking some extra responsibility,'' wide receiver Tai Streets said. ``I welcome it, actually. J.J. (Stokes) and I can do whatever coach needs us to do. We're very confident in our abilities. It could be a great opportunity for both of us, and for Cedrick (Wilson) too.''
Jeff Garcia and his powerful offense will go against an Arizona defense depleted by yet another injury. Cornerback David Barrett won't play because of a hip flexor and groin problem. Safety Adrian Wilson and linebacker Ray Thompson missed practice Thursday with a virus.
Arizona (5-9) has 12 players on the injured list and non-football injured list, including five starters and two replacement starters. The injuries have ruined coach Dave McGinnis' plans of building on last year's 7-9 season.
``I've got a pretty good football team that is not able to suit up right now,'' he said. ``I think the guys that are still playing unhealthy, they know that and can see that we got some things going on here. But it's just right now at this point that we are battling through those things and the year is running out on us.''
Arizona is coming off its most frustrating loss of the season, 30-28 at St. Louis. Jake Plummer, in his best game of the year, rallied the Cardinals from a 24-7 halftime deficit to a 28-27 lead in the fourth quarter, only to lose on a 26-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins with 20 seconds to go.
The Cardinals will be playing their final home game of the season, and it might be the last for Plummer in an Arizona uniform at the stadium he has called home for 10 years _ since he started for Arizona State as a freshman. Plummer's contract expires at the end of the season.
``All I hope is it's not my last game at Sun Devil Stadium. We just have to wait and find out what happens,'' Plummer said. ``All I'm doing is worrying about where we're at right now.''
The last time the 49ers played at Arizona, on a Monday night in 1999, Steve Young went down with a concussion that ended his NFL career. That's the kind of catastrophe San Francisco dreads as it goes through the final two games before the playoffs. But the 49ers are insisting they won't be going through the motions.
``We're going down there and trying to win, not just trying to coast through and not get injured,'' said 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson, selected to his first Pro Bowl on Thursday. ``We want to finish 11-5. That's probably the only goal we have left in the regular season.''
Niners to rest wounded in meaningless game
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) _ The San Francisco 49ers play at Arizona on Saturday with nothing at stake except maybe a little pride and staying healthy.
After last Sunday's 20-14 home loss to Green Bay, the 49ers are locked into a first-round playoff home game against a wild-card team _ nothing better, nothing worse.
So coach Steve Mariucci will take a cautious approach against the Cardinals, losers of seven of their last eight.
The 49ers (9-5) will play to win, but players nursing injuries will rest.
``The healthy guys will play,'' Mariucci said. ``If a guy should rest, then he will. I'm not going to play any injured guys, certainly. Some are not well enough to participate yet.
``The season must go on. We've got some things to improve. There's more work to be done. That's been our philosophy this week.''
Although Mariucci said he expects Terrell Owens to play, there remains a chance the star wide receiver will stay on the sideline all or most of the contest. He is listed as questionable with a groin injury.
``Geez, it's been about the same for a month, where he's been nursing some injuries and hasn't practiced much,'' Mariucci said, ``then a day our two before the game he starts feeling a little better. I anticipate that happening again.''
Even without Owens, the 49ers have plenty of weapons.
``I don't mind stepping up and taking some extra responsibility,'' wide receiver Tai Streets said. ``I welcome it, actually. J.J. (Stokes) and I can do whatever coach needs us to do. We're very confident in our abilities. It could be a great opportunity for both of us, and for Cedrick (Wilson) too.''
Jeff Garcia and his powerful offense will go against an Arizona defense depleted by yet another injury. Cornerback David Barrett won't play because of a hip flexor and groin problem. Safety Adrian Wilson and linebacker Ray Thompson missed practice Thursday with a virus.
Arizona (5-9) has 12 players on the injured list and non-football injured list, including five starters and two replacement starters. The injuries have ruined coach Dave McGinnis' plans of building on last year's 7-9 season.
``I've got a pretty good football team that is not able to suit up right now,'' he said. ``I think the guys that are still playing unhealthy, they know that and can see that we got some things going on here. But it's just right now at this point that we are battling through those things and the year is running out on us.''
Arizona is coming off its most frustrating loss of the season, 30-28 at St. Louis. Jake Plummer, in his best game of the year, rallied the Cardinals from a 24-7 halftime deficit to a 28-27 lead in the fourth quarter, only to lose on a 26-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins with 20 seconds to go.
The Cardinals will be playing their final home game of the season, and it might be the last for Plummer in an Arizona uniform at the stadium he has called home for 10 years _ since he started for Arizona State as a freshman. Plummer's contract expires at the end of the season.
``All I hope is it's not my last game at Sun Devil Stadium. We just have to wait and find out what happens,'' Plummer said. ``All I'm doing is worrying about where we're at right now.''
The last time the 49ers played at Arizona, on a Monday night in 1999, Steve Young went down with a concussion that ended his NFL career. That's the kind of catastrophe San Francisco dreads as it goes through the final two games before the playoffs. But the 49ers are insisting they won't be going through the motions.
``We're going down there and trying to win, not just trying to coast through and not get injured,'' said 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson, selected to his first Pro Bowl on Thursday. ``We want to finish 11-5. That's probably the only goal we have left in the regular season.''
