Sports Betting - Sportsbook Online, Casino at WagerWeb Sportsbook

Arguably no team in the NFL relied more on special teams this season than the San Francisco 49ers and the Niners may have to beat the New York Giants in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game without a key member of that unit: return man Ted Ginn Jr.

Ginn was hurt in the divisional round upset of the Saints last Saturday. Ginn injured his knee when New Orleans Saints linebacker Martez Wilson shoved him to the ground within the legal 5-yard contact zone on a crossing route in the second quarter. Ginn sat out three 49ers possessions and looked as if he would not return to action. He came back briefly in the third quarter but played only four more snaps before requiring the assistance of the 49ers medical staff on the field. Kyle Williams replaced Ginn as the No. 2 receiver and on punt returns. Receiver Brett Swain became the No. 3 receiver.

Ginn had missed the last two games of the regular season with an ankle sprain. He entered the 49ers’ training facility Monday with virtually the same limp he’s had for nearly a month. But Ginn did not have his tender right ankle in an orthopedic boot or a brace on the right knee that forced him out of Saturday’s game.

Ginn is an elite returner and brought both a punt and kickoff back for TDs in the season opener. If he can’t go Sunday, the Niners may have to resort to returner by committee. Ginn’s injury is a real concern when it comes to field position given the 26th-ranked offense’s occasional struggles to move the ball.

Meanwhile, tight end Delanie Walker, who sustained a fractured jaw on Christmas Eve, said he hopes to receive medical clearance to return vs. the Giants. The 49ers have their first full practice of the week scheduled for Wednesday, and the club figures to list a handful of their players as questionable for the upcoming game.

Defensive lineman Ray McDonald was noticeably limping throughout the game with a right hamstring strain, which he sustained in the regular-season finale against the St. Louis Rams. Earlier this season, McDonald missed a game with a left hamstring strain. McDonald, who typically plays every down, played just 44 of the 49ers’ 80 defensive snaps.

Place your NFL football bets at our online sportsbook!