Chris Davis v Cole Beasley a Key Matchup in 49ers vs. Cowboys
With Dez Bryant likely out, there will be more focus on Cowboys receiver Cole Beasley, and Chris Davis is likely to be the 49ers player tasked with stopping him.
The 49ers received some good news and some bad news in Friday’s injury reports ahead the Week 4 encounter with the Cowboys.
First the good news, Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant is a long-shot to play after he suffered a hairline fracture in his knee.
#Cowboys WR Dez Bryant will be listed as questionable on the injury report. That said, he hasn’t practiced & is a major long-shot to play.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 30, 2016
Bryant’s likely absence is a big boost for the 49ers’ secondary, which will be a depleted group with the confirmation that starting corner Jimmie Ward is out with a thigh injury sustained against the Seahawks last week.
Jimmie Ward has been ruled out for #DALvsSF. Full injury report for both teams: https://t.co/RPWRI27BwZ pic.twitter.com/GeFQhRV32p
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 30, 2016
Had Ward been available there would have been a strong chance of him playing in the slot against the man who has developed into Dak Prescott’s favorite target so far this season, Cole Beasley.
Ward was excellent as the 49ers’ nickel corner last year but, with the former first-rounder out of action, the emphasis will be on Chris Davis to shut down Beasley.
Davis took over the slot role with Ward moving outside to become a full-time starter and will be under huge pressure to perform against a player who has become a focal point of the Dallas offense.
Beasley has been targeted 25 times so far this season and has caught 20 of those passes for 213 yards, an average of 10.7 yards per catch.
The Cowboys possess little to be fearful of on the outside with Bryant sidelined, so the area of focus figures to be the middle of the field with Beasley and tight end Jason Witten.
But Witten, now 34, does not have the same athleticism of Jimmy Graham and Greg Olsen, who presented the 49ers with extremely difficult matchups in the last two weeks, and is an easier cover for the San Francisco linebackers.
Therefore how much success the Niners have in stopping Dallas’ aerial attack will likely hinge on Davis’ ability to contain Beasley.
Davis impressed in preseason with his speed and solid tackling ability, but the undrafted free agent has endured his fair share of difficulties through two games after missing the season opener and will need to improve in order to have hope of stopping Beasley.
Indeed the feel-good story that has been Davis’ rise to prominence on the 49ers’ roster is threatening to take a negative twist.
Davis was culpable for a touchdown in the 49ers’ dismal showing in Seattle, allowing Doug Baldwin to find the end zone on a 16-yard pass play.
Baldwin gained a significant amount of separation with a clever move at the top of the route and is able to waltz in for the score.
Not a good look for Chris Davis. #49ers need better from him this weekend. pic.twitter.com/aEkiu5EjYS
— Nicholas McGee (@nicholasmcgee24) October 1, 2016
Simply put Davis cannot afford to give Beasley, who NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling rates as the No. 10 slot receiver in the league, the same amount of room if San Francisco are to have hope of stopping the passing attack.
Even with Ward out, the 49ers should be confident of shutting down the Cowboys’ outside receivers.
Tramaine Brock appears set to matchup against Terrance Williams while a combination of gangly rookie Rashard Robinson and the speedy Keith Reaser are poised to have the job of stopping the 6’3″ and 215-pound Brice Butler.
But it is Davis who has the toughest challenge of the day in facing a receiver in Beasley who will go from Prescott’s safety net to arguably the focus of the offense behind running back Ezekiel Elliot.
The 49ers have a huge challenge to shut down Elliot, who has the help of one of the best run-blocking lines in football, but taking away Prescott’s top target and making the Dallas offense more one-dimensional would make things a lot easier for Jim O’Neil’s defense.
It is up to Davis to help them do that by bouncing back from his early struggles in what is the key matchup as the 49ers look to get back to 2-2 at home.
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