49ers at a glance

[IE]

? Records: 49ers 6-4, Redskins 3-7



MATCHUP TO WATCH
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick vs. Redskins secondary
Opponents have been stacking the line of scrimmage against the 49ers running game and daring Kaepernick to beat them through the air. He hasn't. Kaepernick averages 168 passing yards this season, the lowest in the league for a regular starter. The Redskins defense, however, has not been as good as the previous two that Kaepernick has faced. Washington allows 275 passing yards a game and has given up 19 touchdown passes this year.




THREE KEYS TO GAME
? It often will fall to outside linebacker Aldon Smith to decide if Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III will hand off the ball or keep it himself. Griffin averaged 18 yards a carry in the first four weeks. His knee healthier, he's averaging 45.5 yards in the last six.
? Kapernick needs more help in the passing game. Tight end Vance McDonald has been unable to haul in catchable passes in the last two games. Receivers Mario Manningham and Jon Baldwin must be better targets as well.
? The 49ers' special teams continues to provide the offense with good scoring chances. But two big mistakes last week ? allowing a long New Orleans kickoff return and a late hit on a punt returner ? led to Saints' points. Those must be eliminated.



INJURY REPORT
49ERS
? Out: CB Tarell Brown (ribs), G Mike Iupati (knee), WR Quinton Patton (foot)

? Questionable: TE Garrett Celek (hamstring), WR Mario Manningham (knee), DT Ray McDonald (ankle)
? Probable: RB Frank Gore (ankle), QB Colin Kaepernick (back), DT Quinton Dial (ankle), LB Dan Skuta (foot), DT Justin Smith (shoulder)
REDSKINS
? Out : TE Jordan Reed (concusion)
? Questionable: DE Stephen Bowen (knee), S Jose Gumbs (ankle), RB Darrel Young (hamstring)
? Probable: CB E.J. Biggers (knee), CB Josh Wilson (toe)

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[IE]

[h=1]49ers' offense in a state of regression[/h]

[h=3]--Contra Costa Times[/h] SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers' yards per game are way down, their passing offense is last in the NFL by a sizable margin and quarterback Colin Kaepernick hasn't been nearly as effective as last year, yet no one is sounding the alarm just yet.
"I don't think there's any concern on this team," Kaepernick said Thursday when asked about the ability of the 49ers' offense to succeed against top-tier defenses.
Maybe so, but the tenor of questioning suddenly has shifted. What's wrong with Kaepernick and the 49ers' offense has become a hot topic after back-to-back losses.



The 49ers averaged 34.8 points per game during a five-game win streak after a 1-2 start. Then came defeats to the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints in which the 49ers scored nine and 20 points, respectively.
Through 10 games, the 49ers are averaging 24.7 points. In 2012, San Francisco scored 24.8 per game.
Yards per game, however, is another matter. The 49ers rank 29th at 309 yards per game thus far. Last season they finished 11th at 361.8 per game.


"Defenses are doing a great job on us, game-planning for us," running back Frank Gore said. "We've been doing great on the running game, so everybody's going to try to stop the run. That's what's been happening."
The 49ers still are fifth in rushing offense, though more and more teams are adding extra defenders near the line of scrimmage, expecting to see a heavy dose of runs.
That begs for the 49ers to counter with more passing. And that's where Kaepernick's play comes into question, at least for those not on the 49ers' payroll.
Kaepernick passed for 412 yards in the 49ers' regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers. He has averaged 154.4 yards per game since then. The Raiders 31st-ranked passing attack is putting up 18.4 yards more per game than the 49ers.
"I was trying to be a perfectionist last year, the same way I am this year," Kaepernick said in dismissing a question about his intensity inhibiting his ability to perform well on a consistent basis.
Coach Jim Harbaugh also seems perplexed by those concerned about Kaepernick's play.
"He's doing a heck of a job," Harbaugh said. "I would be puzzled why people would think that. What's more important is what we see."


Outsiders see that Kaepernick's stats are down significantly from last season. Through 10 games, he has completed 56.2 percent of his passes, with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, for an 81.8 passer rating.


He finished the 2012 season as the 49ers' starting quarterback after he replaced Alex Smith nine games in "' Smith suffered a concussion, and he spent the rest of the season on the sideline.


During his 13 games last season, seven of which came as the starter, Kaepernick completed 62.4 percent of his passes, with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, good for a robust 98.3 passer rating.
Harbaugh praised Kaepernick for his "laser-like focus" before certain games late last season, in particular the postseason.
That hasn't changed one bit this season, Harbaugh said.
"It's been consistently good," Harbaugh said. "He's been like that every week."
Kaepernick also is exemplary in taking charge and playing a prominent role in helping the 49ers emerge from their uneven play.
"Colin's always been A-plus in that kind of way," Harbaugh said.


There's hope for a rebound Monday night, if only for a spell. The Redskins defense is 26th against the pass and 30th in points per game.
"We still have a confident group," veteran center Jonathan Goodwin said. "When you turn on the film and see why a drive was killed or a play didn't work, even though it's not simple, it's easily corrected."