Are the 49ers Making the Right Decision Allowing Richard Sherman to Play?

A banged up San Francisco 49ers’ secondary was exposed last week when Julio Jones took each and every one of them for a ride. It was a major reason the Atlanta Falcons managed to upset the 49ers at home. However, the 49ers are hoping it does not happen again as star cornerback Richard Sherman is set to return in week 16 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Sherman was missing in action last week due to a hamstring injury he sustained in week 14. It was initially believed that Sherman would be out a couple of weeks, but Sherman himself revealed at his presser yesterday that he will be out there on Saturday.

Hamstring injuries are one of the trickiest injuries to diagnose whether or not it is recovered. Dee Ford found that just a couple of weeks ago when he thought everything was fine. Even Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings succumbed to re-aggravation of his hamstring. You can never be too careful with it.

Since it is a tricky one to handle: Are the 49ers making the right decision by allowing Sherman to play?

Considering that week 17 will most likely be critical to clinch the division- no they are not. The final game of the season is where all of the pressure lies for the San Francisco 49ers. If Sherman ends up re-injuring his hamstring again, then the 49ers can forget about having him against Seattle. Even his availability for the playoffs would be endangered.

It is quite surprising to see the 49ers allow Sherman to come back so quickly, especially after seeing what happened to Ford. All season long the 49ers have taken the cautious approach whether it has been with injuries or their game planning. You have to wonder if Sherman isn’t the one asserting himself by making the call on him playing playing Saturday. It’s only natural that he would want to. He is a leader on the team after-all and understands that this week’s matchup is a big one with the division on the line.

However, the 49ers don’t really need Sherman against the Rams for two reasons.

Rams lack an elite receiver

Los Angeles does not have a wide receiver that this secondary cannot handle. Of course, I say that after they were just gashed by Julio Jones last week. But that isn’t something to hold against them. Jones is one of the best receivers out there. Abusing corners is what he does on a weekly basis, so that game should be considered a push.

As for the Rams, they do have Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods who are threatening. They will make plays, make no mistake about it. But those two alone do not warrant Sherman being rushed back. Emmanuel Moseley matched up well with these two in the first matchup.

Don't forget that Ahkello Witherspoon was out of action for the first game, so he will add a considerable impact as well. Considering that they just had to cover Julio Jones; the difficulty lightens up moderately with Kupp and Woods.

K’Waun Williams is returning

Much like with Sherman, slot corner K’Waun Williams was out of action last week. Now that he is slated to return Saturday it makes the quality of the secondary more condensed. Williams is a talented corner who’s role will be vital against the Rams. That’s because of their heavy usage of attacking defenses out of the slot.

The Rams don’t spread their formation out nearly as heavily as the first half of the season, but it is still a go-to of theirs. Williams did a fantastic job in the first go around against the Rams. Their receivers could not find any success, which was aided by the suffocating pass rush. Nevertheless, Williams’ return bodes well for the 49ers and is a reason why they do not need Sherman for this game.

It is highly unlikely that the 49ers change their mind and sit Sherman for one more week. He is set to play under the lights against the Rams in a must win game. For the 49ers sake and Sherman’s, they must have crossed fingers that he doesn’t re-aggravate his injury.

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