Redskins last chance for a winning season

December 27, 10:29 PMWashington Redskins ExaminerMark Newgent

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Its been a long time since this matchup had any meaning

Apologies for the long Christmas break, good times and too much good food kept me away from the laptop. Last week, the Redskins gave us an early Christmas present with a victory over the Eagles for a season sweep of Philly. This week the Redskins can give us a somewhat happy beginning to 2009 with a win over the 49ers, a 9-7 record, and make good on my season prediction for their final record.

The final 2008 installment of Game Day Examination is with 49ers Examiner David Fucillo, who is also the chief miner at Niners Nation

Mark Newgent: Fans my age remember a time when a December Redskins-49ers matchup meant playoff positioning. Folks here in the Washington area know what happened to the Redskins. In a nutshell, tell us what happened to the 49ers.

David Fucillo: Well, all that playoff positioning back in the day was paid for through "future returns," thanks for Eddie Debartolo and Carmen Policy's salary cap shenanigans. Throw in Terry Donahue as GM and Dennis Erickson as head coach and the fall to the cellar was quick and painful. At the lowest point the team was signing guys off the street just to fill the 53-man roster. Mike Nolan took over the entire operation and while the wins weren't always there, the big plus was changing the culture of the team. However, his game-day skills left something to be desired and he seemed to lack a certain leadership quality that Mike Singletary seems to actually have.

MN: As a Maryland alum, I have to ask about Shaun Hill and Vernon Davis. How have these former Terps fared in San Francisco?

DF: Vernon Davis has certainly not lived up to the billing he received as the #6 overall pick. However, I won't label him a "workout/combine warrior" because he has shown an amazing blocking ability. In fact, Mike Singletary actually called him the best blocking tight end he'd ever seen. In terms of receiving production, his problem has been a lack of preciseness in his routes and having cement bricks for hands at times. However, the talent is definitely there and I really hope it all clicks together at some point.   Shaun Hill has been quite the story in San Francisco. In 9 starts over the last season and a half, Hill is 6-3. He isn't the most athletically gifted quarterback, but he's got a great head on his shoulders and the players have responded to him. He struggled early this season to learn the playbook, but once Singletary got him back on the field in Week 8 he showed he's the best man for the job right now.

MN: Will Mike Singletary be the head coach of the 49ers next season?
 

DF: To quote the magic 8 ball, all signs point to yes. He met with ownership this past Monday and apparently really impressed them with his vision going forward. The team hasn't removed the interim tag yet because the Rooney Rule won't let them. Apparently they have to wait until their season ends so they can then include minorities in the hiring process. And in case you're confused, yes, Mike Singletary is a minority and yes the 49ers still have to wait until after the season.

MN: Where do you see favorable matchups for the 49ers on offense/defense?

DF: 49ers Rushing attack: Frank Gore has missed the last couple of weeks due to an ankle injury, but should be back. If he's in the lineup, he'll be well-rested and I think ready to put up a big number. He's struggled at times this season to maintain consistency, but at home he's been quite solid. He's 22 yards shy of becoming the first 49ers running back to ever have three straight 1,000 yard seasons and I think he'll be motivated.

49ers CBs vs. Redskins WRs: The 49ers secondary has struggled at times, but still bring a lot of talent to the table. Nate Clements will cover Santana Moss and that should be one of the marquee matchups to watch on Sunday.

Isaac Bruce vs. your #1 CB: Bruce has seen a resurgence the last six weeks and has become Shaun Hill's go-to guy. Although the other 49ers wide receivers have improved lately, Bruce was the key to that win over St. Louis.

Vernon Davis vs. anybody (except his own hands): Davis is an athletic freak and can beat anybody covering him one-on-one, whether it be through speed against a linebacker or size against a safety or corner. In the blocking game, I wouldn't be surprised to see him taking on Andre Carter throughout the day.

MN: What are your keys to a 49ers victory?

DF: The 49ers need to avoid turnovers on offense. They've managed to overcome some turnover problems the last month or so, but they can't keep shooting themselves in the foot. Shaun Hill doesn't need to throw for 300+ yards, but if the offense can avoid turnovers, he could put up 200-250 yards and that would be more than enough.
They need to get the running game going. Although they've won with a less than stellar rushing attack, if Frank Gore get going it will make life a lot easier for the passing attack, particularly in setting up the play action.
On defense, they need to bring any sort of pressure to Jason Campbell. The 49ers pass rush has been a weakness much of the season. Although they've shown some hints of pressure, consistency has been a major problem.
Allen Rossum was leading the NFC in punt and kick return yards before injuring his ankle and missing several weeks. He finally got back on the field last week but didn't do a whole lot of much. If he can regain his form, it'll be a huge boost in terms of field position.

MN: What weaknesses can the Redskins exploit?
The offensive line has been inconsistent at times and is prone to giving up sacks. If they can bring pressure it'll clam up the 49ers passing game.  The 49ers have been quite stout up the middle against the run, but have struggled when running backs get outside on sweeps and off tackle rushes. If Portis can get outside the tackle box and moving north-south he could do some damage.  While I think the 49ers corners can contain your receivers, the safeties aren't the same. Michael Lewis is great in run support, but he lacks talent as a pass defender. And Mark Roman seems to be on his last legs with the 49ers. If I'm the Redskins, I try and get a speedy receiver matched up against Roman as he could very easily be burnt deep.

MN: What 49ers player could be an X-factor in the game?
 

DF: Parys Haralson - Haralson leads the team in sacks but has flown under the radar. At the beginning of the season the 49ers were mixing the 3-4 and 4-3 pretty liberally, which led to Haralson stuck on the sideline a little too often. Since Singletary took over, he's switched to strictly a 3-4 and Haralson has gotten more playing time accordingly. If the 49ers get any sacks, odds are high that Haralson will be involved.

MN: Your prediction for the game?
 

DF: 49ers 23 - Redskins 13

Thanks, Dave

I think the defense comes up big one last time, bailing out the offense. Who knows maybe it is against the 49ers where the offense breaks the 30 point threshold. After all, they hung half-a-hundred on them the last time they met.

My Prediction: Redskins 16, 49ers 13.