49ers will look to exploit Townsend

Earlier this week, San Francisco 49ers coach Dennis Erickson did a great job of deflecting a no-brainer question.
Asked if Niners offensive coordinator Gregg Knapp would be able to resist sending all-Pro wide receiver Terrell Owens repeatedly out against Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend, Erickson didn't respond, "well, duh."
Instead, Erickson said what just about every veteran NFL coach says when asked about the skill level of another team's player.
"Deshea Townsend is a good player -- you can't make into the NFL unless you're a good player," Erickson said.
No, but being 6 inches shorter than one of the league's top five receivers can have its drawbacks. And despite what the roster claims, Townsend will need to leap high when guarding No. 81.
"They do a good job of moving [their receivers] all around. We have got to be aware of where he's [Owens] at," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said.
Replaced Washington
Townsend is the former backup Steelers cornerback who was promoted to starter 12 days ago after Dewayne Washington fell and missed a costly tackle on Seahawks wide receiver Darrell Jackson.
Townsend, who is generously listed as being 5-feet-10 inches and 191 pounds, played well in last Sunday's 28-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals at Heinz Field, making seven tackles including a sack of quarterback Jeff Blake.
But the 49ers offense with the 6-foot-3, 226-pound Owens as its go-to-guy, is a bird of another feather.
"He's a great receiver -- big, physical and they move him around," said Townsend of Owens. "It's going to be a big challenge for everybody on the team to try and keep him contained."
We're not trying to say that Washington (6-0, 193), who has admitted that he's having a not-very-impressive season, can do a better job guarding against Owens. He probably can't. He probably won't.
Whale of a test
But it means that Townsend is in for a whale of a test in front of a national television audience.
The sixth-year cornerback says he's ready.
"It's always a lot of fun to play on a Monday because it's the only game on the schedule and all of your peers and everybody [else] in the NFL gets to watch that game," Townsend said.
After not playing on defense against the Cardinals, Washington may see action Monday at San Francisco's Candlestick Point. The Steelers' other starting cornerback, Chad Scott, bruised his knee in practice and may not be able to play.
Fortunately for the Steelers, the 49ers are banged up and will rely on more than a few backups themselves.
Quarterback Jeff Garcia, who has been to the Pro Bowl the past three years, probably won't play. Garcia's painful season began with a back injury in training camp and progressed with other leg ailments.
A high ankle sprain sent Garcia to the sidelines two weeks ago.
Backup Tim Rattay played so well in a 30-10 thrashing of the St. Louis Rams on Nov. 2 that it triggered a quarterback controversy in the Bay Area.
Webster may play
Defensively, cornerback Jason Webster may see his first action of this season after nursing a knee injury since training camp.
But the Niners lost linebacker Jamie Winborn for the season on Friday when a herniated disc was discovered in his neck. If he plays further, paralysis is a possibility.
The Niners aren't sure when the third-year linebacker injured his neck. He practiced Thursday, then reported pain and tingling in his neck and arm. A MRI discovered the problem disc and Winborn was placed on injured reserve on Friday.
Another linebacker, Jeff Ulbrich, is nursing an ankle injury, but is likely to play.
The game's outcome likely will hinge on how well Rattay passes against the Steelers' vulnerable secondary.
XTom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at williams@vindy.com.