Dak Prescott suffers severe ankle injury, but Andy Dalton leads Cowboys to victory
Things can change quickly during an NFL season, and the San Francisco 49ers suddenly might have an uphill battle just to return to the playoffs, let alone to the Super Bowl. Instead of taking advantage of an early slate that might have resulted in a record of 4-1 or even 5-0, the team is 2-3 and staring at a much more imposing group of upcoming opponents.
Following their 43-17 loss at home to the Miami Dolphins, the 49ers are now set to face, in order: the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Rams again and then the Buffalo Bills. Those teams entered Sunday with a combined record of 19-5, as compared to the 4-15-1 mark posted by San Francisco’s first five foes, which included the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
Adding to the Niners’ uneasy situation is the fact that starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was benched Sunday after a poor, two-interception first half. San Francisco Coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that he pulled Garoppolo because the latter was still recovering from an ankle injury, so the benching is not expected to last, but the team’s struggles in the standings might.
