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[Note by David Fucillo, 01/14/13 9:04 AM PST ]The 49ers and Falcons will be releasing their first practice participation reports later this week, but we've got some early news to track this week for the Falcons. Defensive end John Abraham entered the divisional round matchup with a bothersome ankle, and apparently re-tweaked it just before halftime. He sat out the rest of the game, although Falcons coach Mike Smith claimed it was merely "precautionary".
Abraham said he couldn't push off the ankle at one point during the game, but he also indicated he would play Sunday against the 49ers. He expects to "treat the (heck) out of it" and doesn't think anything will keep him out of the game. While not surprising, it will be interesting to see how the ankle impacts Abraham's play on Sunday. If Abraham is limited, that is a huge bonus for the 49ers, and Colin Kaepernick in particular.
The 49ers injury report is likely to be fairly limited this week. I imagine we'll see plenty of players on it, but the two most pertinent names should be Joe Staley and Justin Smith. Staley injured his arm early in Saturday's game, but it is reportedly just a bad bruise. Staley had an x-ray after the game, and it reportedly came up negative. I expect him to be listed as limited in practice this week, but he should play Sunday.
As for Justin Smith, he made it through Saturday's game well, facing double teams much of the game. The 49ers did not get a ton of pressure until the second half, but having him in the game was key. I expect him to also be listed as limited all week, but he too should be good to go on Sunday.
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