The San Francisco 49ers faced a rude awakening defensively to begin the game against the Seattle Seahawks, as starting cornerback Charvarius Ward departed early with a groin injury after just three snaps of action.
Ward had been integral in San Francisco’s first win over the Seahawks, as the cornerback had shadowed top receiver D.K. Metcalf, fully erasing that side of the field, which limited quarterback Geno Smith to 180 passing yards on the Thanksgiving Day loss for Seattle.
However, with Ward out, cornerback Ambry Thomas assumed his place, while Deommodore Lenoir moved to the outside and Isaiah Oliver returned to play in the slot.