49ers Mailbag: Spencer is No. 4 CB

Veteran cornerback Shawntae Spencer entered camp atop the 49ers' depth chart, having lined up as a starter for every game the previous two seasons.But Spencer sustained a hamstring strain early in camp. He came back too soon, aggravated the injury and lost even more time due to the injury.When Spencer's hamstring finally healed, he sustained a turf-toe injury Oct. 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles. And that's been that for Spencer's playing time this season.On Sunday, though, Spencer was back on the field. He saw three snaps on defense in the 49ers' dime defense, lined up against Larry Fitzgerald in the 21-19 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.Now, Spencer has moved ahead of second-year cornerback Tramaine Brock as the 49ers' No. 4 cornerback behind starters Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown, and third cornerback Chris Culliver.Let's go to the 49ers Mailbag to field some questions submitted on my Facebook page at www.Facebook.comMaioccoCSN
Will Shawntae Spencer play? (Tay Porter)
He is likely to see some action Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, because the Steelers like to use three- and four-receiver formations. However, the Steelers might employ fewer of those sets with Emmanuel Sanders out with a foot injury. I don't envision Spencer supplanting any of the 49ers' top three cornerbacks, but he might get a handful of snaps and he's on standby for depth purposes.Is Aldon Smith expected to have a big game since Big Ben is the leagues most sacked QB? (Sammy Araiza)
Smith, who ranks second among NFL rookies with 10.5 sacks, will certainly get his chances against Ben Roethlisberger (if Roethlisberger plays). The reason is because the 49ers figure to be in their nickel defense for a large portion of the game to defend against the Steelers' multi-receiver sets.Why isn't Vernon Davis being used in the Red Zone more? (Elijah Rangel)
The main reason is because defenses have focused on Davis near the goal line. Quarterback Alex Smith is not forcing the ball to anybody deep in the red zone, so if he sees double coverage he's going to look to get the ball to somebody else.How will the 49ers OL slow down Pitts blitz packages? (Nate Keyser)
It's not just the offensive line, of course. This is on the quarterback, running backs, tight ends and wide receivers, too. When a defense blitzes more pass-rushers than a team has blockers, that means there are going to be chances to make plays for the offense. Smith has to recognize the blitzes with his pre-snap reads, and he has to get rid of the ball quickly and decisively. Also, the offensive line has to do a better job of communicating the line calls. That was an issue in Baltimore and Arizona, where it was difficult for them to hear due to the noise from the road crowds. That's why the 49ers are emphasizing to their fans to remain quiet when the 49ers' offense is on the field.What's the time table for Josh Morgan? (Cesar Garcia)
As he recently told CSNBayArea.com, Morgan expects to start running soon. Of course, he is out for the remainder of this season, including playoffs with the fracture just above the ankle. Once a player is placed on injured reserve, he is ineligible to return until the following season. Morgan said he expects to be ready to take part in the entire offseason program.Did we fix the red zone problems? (Sean Sp Pierce)
You can see for yourself on Monday night . . . and beyond.