HEADLINES

Brandon Mebane

Brandon Mebane, Patrick Willis Out For Year

November 11th, 2014 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

4:38pm: Both Mebane and Willis have now officially been placed on IR by their respective teams.

12:19pm: Two key defensive players on NFC West contenders will be sidelined for the rest of the season with injuries, according to multiple reports. Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane has suffered a torn hamstring that will end his season, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, , who also reported (via Twitter) that 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis was likely to undergo season-ending surgery. A source confirms to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link) that the Niners are placing Willis, who has a toe injury, on season-ending injured reserve.

The losses are significant ones for the Seahawks and 49ers, who currently rank second and third, respectively, in a competitive NFC West division. Mebane has been Seattle’s best interior defensive lineman this season, and his absence figures to mean increased playing time for Jordan Hill, Kevin Williams, and Tony McDaniel. The Seahawks may also add another defensive tackle to their roster — the team has Jimmy Staten on its practice squad, and worked out free agent Michael Brooks today, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

As for the Niners, while Willis will very much be missed, the team does have reinforcements on the way. Rookie Chris Borland has been excellent in an increased role over San Francisco’s last two games, and Aldon Smith was reinstated today following his nine-game suspension. NaVorro Bowman may also return within the next few weeks, assuming he doesn’t have any setbacks on his way back from last year’s knee injury.

Neither team has officially placed its injured player on IR yet, but an announcement should come soon in both cases.

West Notes: Cards, Chiefs, Seahawks, 49ers

November 10th, 2014 at 6:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Carson Palmer is expected to miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL on Sunday, and while the Cardinals wait for the official word on his injury, the club is assessing its options at quarterback. Drew Stanton will be handed the starting reins, but Arizona will likely want to add some depth behind him, and the team could look to bring in Dennis Dixon, who spent one week on the Cardinals’ practice squad before being cut in mid-October, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Dixon, a Steelers fifth-round draft choice in 2008, has also spent time with the Ravens and Eagles. Currently, the only quarterback on the roster other than Stanton is 2014 fourth-rounder Logan Thomas. Here’s more from the West divisions.

  • The Chiefs will probably need to make a few roster moves this week to shore up their offense after a pair of players suffered long-term injuries on Sunday, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Third-string running back Cyrus Gray tore his ACL, while reserve tight end Demetrius Harris broke his foot, so Kansas City will likely bring in a couple replacements before next week’s game against the Seahawks.
  • The Seahawks’ defense was dealt a blow on Sunday, as head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, that defensive tackle Brandon Mebane will “be out for awhile” after pulling his hamstring. Carroll noted the the club will try to get by with players already on the roster, so Tony McDaniel, Kevin Williams, and Jordan Hill could see more playing time.
  • NaVorro Bowman has been on the physically unable to perform list for the duration of the season, and the rules of said list state that if he doesn’t begin practicing the day after the Week 11 games, he’ll be ineligible for the rest of 2014. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reports, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, that Bowman would return to practice as soon as this week; if so, the club will have a three-week window during which it can activate the 26-year-old linebacker.
  • As the only winless team in the league, the Raiders have a lot of work to do in order to turn their franchise around. Matt Williamson of ESPN.com offers a blueprint for Oakland to reverse its fortunes, which includes re-signing defensive tackle Pat Sims and offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski and adding a big-name receiver via free agency.