Brian Allen got the call up from the 49ers practice squad one day before their Week 5 matchup vs. the Miami Dolphins. He wound up getting pushed into starting duty, and it didn’t go particularly well. Yet he stayed in for most of the first half. Head coach Kyle Shanahan offered an explanation after the game.
San Francisco has battled a ton of injuries in the secondary, which is why Allen was up in the first place. It didn’t look like the 49ers would need to turn to the practice squad player though when Ahkello Witherspoon was announced as active.
Shanahan said after the game Witherspoon was only available in an emergency because of a hamstring injury he’s been dealing with. He went in once he told the coaching staff he wanted to play.
Allen, who signed with the 49ers’ practice squad on Sept. 16 got beat for a 47-yard catch on Miami’s first series. He also got beat for a 29-yard gain a couple series later. He was also flagged for a horse collar tackle, flagged for pass interference that gave Miami a possession inside the 49ers’ 5, and got beat for a touchdown all before the end of the second quarter.
If the 49ers secondary continues playing as poorly as it did Sunday, it’s going to be a rough season for the defense.
