Ginn sustains ankle injury, Edwards sits it out

SAN FRANCISCO -- Coach Jim Harbaugh said he wanted the four receivers active who gave the 49ers their best chance to win Monday night.And Braylon Edwards was not one of those receivers.Edwards, who saw limited practice time last week with knee and shoulder ailments, was inactive for the 49ers' 20-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he might soon be needed again.Receiver Ted Ginn left the game after sustaining an ankle sprain on the opening kickoff of the second half. A team source indicated that X-rays were negative, but his status for Saturday's game against the Seattle Seahawks is uncertain.
Ginn returned to the sideline in the second half and watched the remainder of the game in street clothes without the use of crutches.The fact that Edwards was not in uniform was a bit of a surprise after he suited up for the Dec. 11 game against the Arizona Cardinals. He did not play Dec. 4 against the St. Louis Rams, as he focused on strengthening his right knee and left shoulder.Harbaugh indicated afterward that the decision to deactivate Edwards was not health-related."We went with the three," Harbaugh said. "Felt like (Kyle) Williams, Ginn and (Michael Crabtree) gave us the best chance. Then, we also wanted to use Brett (Swain) on special teams. Those were the four we dressed."Crabtree and Williams supplied virtually identical numbers for the 49ers. Crabtree had four catches for 35 yards, while Williams caught four balls for 33 yards. Swain made his first reception of the season -- a 9-yarder -- after Ginn was injured.
Edwards ranks eighth on the 49ers with 14 catches for 172 yards in eight games.--Left tackle Joe Staley, who received medical clearance Sunday one week after sustaining a concussion, started and played most of the game. He left the game in the fourth quarter when he got kicked in his left leg. Staley underwent X-rays that were negative, he said.In a statistical anomaly, punter Andy Lee's net average was actually better than his gross average -- thanks to Antonio Brown's minus-10 yard return in the fourth quarter. Lee punted six times. His gross average was 47.5, and his net average was 49.0."Guys are covering," Lee said. "They're getting down the field and I don't have to worry about anything."The 49ers became the first team in NFL history to not allow a rushing touchdown in their first 14 games of a season. The 49ers are also on pace to set a team mark in average points allowed. The 49ers have surrendered just 13.2 points per game. In 1976, the 49ers allowed 13.6 points per game.