The Indianapolis Colts pulled off a huge move this week by trading for running back Trent Richardson and he will make his debut against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Week 3 in the first NFL meeting between quarterback Andrew Luck and his former Stanford coach in Jim Harbaugh and the game will be one of the best of the week and will air at 4:25 pm in the Bay Area.
The Colts are excited about the deal for Richardson and while he will be new to the offense, coach Chuck Pagano said he would get a steady amount of carries if he can handle it. The San Francisco 49ers suffered a tough loss on Sunday night on the road against the Seattle Seahawks and that wasn't all they lost in the game, as defensive tackle Ian Williams is now lost for the season after breaking his ankle in the Week 2 matchup.
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According to ESPN.com, Williams was placed on injured reserve by the 49ers and that is another player lost for the season following Michael Crabtree earlier in the offseason and now the team is 1-1 with less depth on defense. Williams was injured after getting blocked low on a play by Seahawks guard J.R. Sweezy and was helped off the field and after the game, linebacker Patrick Willis said he felt the block was not up to game standards. Willis said the NFL should look into cut blocks more, as careers are on the line and now the team has to replace Williams on the depth chart.
The 49ers brought in Owen Marecic, who used to play for Jim Harbaugh in college at Stanford and the team also has Glenn Dorsey, the former Chiefs draft pick, to play in place of Williams in the starting lineup. The 49ers opened with a big game against the Green Bay Packers and won 34-28, but the second game against the Seahawks was another story, as the team lost 29-3 on the road in what many call the most hostile environment in the league.
The Seahawks outplayed the 49ers on both sides of the ball on Sunday night and if the team gets home field advantage in Seattle for the playoffs at any point, it will be difficult for another team to win, even the Niners. San Francisco has lost two straight games by a wide margin in Seattle and now the team will have to keep that in mind if they travel there for a game again. Colin Kaepernick had a great game against the Packers with over 400 yards passing, but he was held in check by the Seahawks and now he must rebound next week against the Colts at home.
The Niners have the St. Louis Rams in Week 4 and that will be the first chance for the team to defeat their division rival in over a year, as the team did not lose to San Francisco in 2012. The Rams played the 49ers tough last season, winning one game and finishing tied in the other and the two teams will play on Sunday night football in Week 4. The team plays the Houston Texans next in what could be a Super Bowl preview, then they will host Arizona before heading on the road for "easy" games (since none in the NFL are) against the Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Click here for the NFL live stream for the Niners and the Colts from Week 3.
The bye comes in Week 9 and then the team has a tough stretch with the Carolina Panthers before road games against the Saints and the Redskins that could be very tough. The last part of the season will be crucial as well, as the team plays three divisional games, including matchups against the Seahawks, Cardinals and the Rams. The other games include the Buccaneers as well as the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night football in Week 16.