Expected to be a major competitor in the NFC a year removed from reaching the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers entered the 2013-2014 campaign with tons of talent up and down the roster. With a seasoned veteran in Frank Gore controlling the ground game, one of the best defensive units returning and a rising star in quarterback Colin Kaepernick calling the shots, head coach Jim Harbaugh had numerous weapons at his disposal. A 6-2 start seemed to solidify the Niners as a legitimate threat once again but after opening the second half of the season with back-to-back losses, fans of the west coast team are becoming concerned with the squad's recent form.
After putting together a run of five-consecutive victories, the 49ers have dropped their last two, 10-9 to the Carolina Panthers and 23-20 to the New Orleans Saints. It would be unfair to say that panic has set in amongst members of the organization and a very passionate fan base, but with difficult games against a pesky St. Louis team, 10-1 Seattle and the rising Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco is certainly in need of a win, and they'll look to get one Monday night when they travel to the Washington, D.C. area for a showdown against Robert Griffin III and the Redskins.
Currently sitting 3.5 games behind the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, Jim Harbaugh's team knows they'll need a strong finish to earn a postseason berth, with a division title all but out of the question. Still approaching things one game at a time as they eye a Wild Card slot, the third-year NFL coach knows big opportunities lie ahead for his team to get back on track. "The sense of urgency is high every week. Each game is the most important game," the former Stanford University head coach said at his weekly press conference.
"The next game is the most important game on the schedule," Harbaugh continued. "And, that's certainly the case every week and the case this week. I think the thing you look at is, the season doesn't always play out the same every year. In fact, it usually doesn't. It plays out differently each year. And, plenty opportunity ahead of us and the opportunity that's staring us right here in the face is a very good one and that's what we focus on."
While quarterback Colin Kaepernick (141-251 passing, 1,802 yards, 11 TD, 7 INT) continues to battle through high's and low's, his Monday night opponent, Robert Griffin III, is also enduring his fair share of struggles. Currently sitting last in the NFC East, Griffin and the Redskins (3-7 overall) are in desperate need of a victory after dropping the last two to Minnesota (34-27) and Philadelphia (24-16). Despite his 2013 struggles after undergoing offseason surgery, RGIII still has the support of head coach Mike Shanahan, who recently noted that developing your game in the NFL takes time.
"If you're talking about Robert or if you're talking about a guy like Kaepernick, everybody comes from different systems and when you go to the National Football League and you're working with a drop-back passing game and you haven't done a lot of that, it takes some repetition," Shanahan said. "Whoever has been in those shoes realizes that it doesn't happen overnight."
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Redskins: DATE, TIME & TV INFO
DATE: Monday, November 25
TIME: 8:30pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: ESPN
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE
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