49ers vs. Colts: Why Rashard Robinson is San Francisco’s biggest X-factor in Week 5

Despite a rocky start to the season, cornerback Rashard Robinson could be the X-factor for a San Francisco 49ers win on Sunday.

Cornerback Rashard Robinson hasn’t had the greatest season so far for the San Francisco 49ers.

From the moment Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill beat Robinson on a go route on the first play in the 49ers’ first preseason game, there was an ominous feeling Robinson was not going to be the same dominant player he was in his rookie season, where he led 2016 rookie cornerbacks in coverage snaps per reception, per Pro Football Focus.

Most 49ers fans, including me, thought that the team had found its own Patrick Peterson-like player — the Niners finally had a true shutdown cornerback to be reckoned with in the NFC West.

San Francisco 49ers

However, it’s just been the opposite of that this year.

After a stellar first game, the second-year player gave up the game-winning touchdown to Seattle wideout Paul Richardson, causing the 49ers to lose to the Seahawks. And from that point on, it just got worse.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff carved Robinson up in Week 3, throwing to wide receiver Robert Woods, whom Robinson was shadowing, for 108 yards. This was not a great showing for Robinson, given that Woods had racked up just 61 receiving yards in the Rams’ previous two games combined.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians took note of Robinson’s poor performance in Week 3, and essentially made the Cardinals’ offensive game plan to be centered around targeting Robinson. He was constantly targeted and constantly beat by Arizona’s receivers. Robinson notably gave up a would-be touchdown catch to Andre Ellington, a running back, who spun Robinson around on a comeback route.

The entire league and its fans know Robinson is getting picked on by opposing quarterbacks, and he needs a game to get his confidence level back up to play like the player he was last season.

Unfortunately, this Sunday he faces a tall task in defending Indianapolis Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton, one of the league’s premier speed receivers. However, and fortunately, Jacoby Brissett, and not Andrew Luck, will be under center for Indianapolis when the 49ers come to town.

Not to discredit Brissett, but the former third-round pick is not as much of an offensive threat as Luck is, and although he can beat defenses with his legs, his arm is not the greatest. I have noticed that he has struggled with his deep-ball throws, giving Robinson an easier task of covering Hilton’s go routes.

I am almost positive Hilton will get opportunities while facing Robinson. He will get beat, but Brissett’s errant accuracy will give enough time for Robinson to recover and force incompletions.

Last week against Arizona, wide receiver John Brown beat Robinson on a go route for a would-be touchdown, but Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer underthrew Brown, forcing the receiver to slow down and for Robinson to recover and bat the ball away. One thing that Robinson does have is great recovery speed, and if he puts that to use on Sunday to limit Hilton’s opportunities to make an impact on the game, he will be the X-factor to guide the 49ers to their first victory of the season.

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If Robinson does indeed lock down Hilton, he would have the knowledge that he shut down a top receiver in the league. This knowledge could be the X-factor to the rest of his season, lifting his confidence to return to the dominant trash-talking player that he was known for last year.