The San Francisco 49ers entered Sunday's clash with the Arizona Cardinals without their two starting defensive tackles. Kyle Shanahan's squad emerged with the win, but the defense surrendered a season-high 234 rushing yards.
The head coach didn't have any definitive updates regarding the statuses of Arik Armstead (foot, knee) and Javon Hargrave (hamstring), simply saying, "We'll get an idea of that when we start practicing."
As the team prepares for a crucial match against the Baltimore Ravens, fans are hopeful Armstead and Hargrave are suited up for the Christmas night game. With injuries along the defensive line, Shanahan was asked if the 49ers have discussed the possibility of signing someone like Ndamukong Suh.
"Not yet," Shanahan said. "I mean, I'm not ruling out anything. We have guys on our practice squad, as you guys see, that we used last week. But that stuff, we also aren't exactly sure when Hargrave and Armstead are coming back. We do know they have chances this week, so there's a lot of variables that are playing together that we'll be discussing here the rest of the day, tomorrow.
"And even if we don't make a move in any area, that'll probably be continuing throughout the year."
The 49ers will take the next couple of days off and return to the practice field on Thursday. They have a tough task ahead of them. The Ravens have been playing well, too, winning their past four straight and eight of their last nine. The last time Shanahan faced the Ravens was in 2019, resulting in a 20-17 victory for Baltimore. This time, the matchup takes place at Levi's Stadium.
Regarding expectations for the Week 16 clash, Shanahan said, "Just the way they run their organization with [head coach] John [Harbaugh] and the group of coaches they have there, the style that they play to, you always know what you're going to get from their team. We haven't played them in a little bit, but I know that hasn't changed. You always see them on tape, you always see their numbers, and they still have the same quarterback who will always be as big of an issue as there is.
"I know it's a number of years later, and there's a bunch of different guys out there, but the style is going to be, to me, extremely similar."
Shanahan also offered an early scouting report on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, stating, "When I just watch him on crossover tape and stuff like that, everyone knows how elite of a runner he is. But the way he can throw, he's always been such a good thrower, but what I see is I think he sees the field well. He's got a good way of finding the holes in the defense, whether he's scrambling it off-schedule or it's in the pocket and rhythm.
"He's just got to decide all the time whether he wants to kill you with his arm or his legs, and both of them are a very good option for him. That's why he is such a challenge."
