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49ers to have reunion with tight end Vernon Davis in Week 6 versus Redskins

By Peter Panacy

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 29: Tight end Vernon Davis #85 of the San Francisco 49ers walks out onto the field before the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 29, 2013 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 23-20. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 29: Tight end Vernon Davis #85 of the San Francisco 49ers walks out onto the field before the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 29, 2013 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 23-20. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The San Francisco 49ers face the Washington Redskins in Week 6, and that means facing off against former Niners tight end Vernon Davis, whom the team traded in 2015.

2017 has been something of a reunion tour for the San Francisco 49ers.

A week ago, the Niners squared off against their former running back, Frank Gore, while visiting the Indianapolis Colts. And in Week 6, San Francisco pays a visit to former Niners tight end Vernon Davis, now a member of the Washington Redskins.

Davis, as we know, was traded away to the Denver Broncos midway through the 2015 season after 10 seasons in San Francisco.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers’ first-round pick from the 2006 NFL Draft spent only a short time with Denver but managed to win a Super Bowl that year, as the Broncos went on to beat the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium.

Davis, who signed with the Redskins as a free agent in 2016, has experienced something of a resurgence this season. Despite a downward trend in stats with both San Francisco and Denver in 2014 and 2015, respectively, the 33-year-old veteran now has 160 receiving yards and a touchdown through four games, on pace to have 640 total yards this season.

While these numbers aren’t exactly indicative of the production seen from Davis during his high point in San Francisco, it’s worth pointing out he’s more than capable of creating mismatches within opposing defenses.

Like this play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4:

“It feels great. It’s been a while since I’ve ran into the San Francisco 49ers,” Davis said, via the Redskins website. “It’s going to be great. I look forward to it. It’s going to be great to see some of the people that I had an opportunity to cultivate relationships with when I got drafted, so that will be nice. I can’t wait for that.”

For the Niners, whose defense ranks 28th in the NFL with 1,832 yards allowed, Davis presents a formidable challenge.

Covering him will largely fall upon the shoulders of linebacker Eli Harold and safety Jaquiski Tartt.

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Harold’s coverage skills this season haven’t exactly been superb, as his Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 44.7 indicates. But Tartt, who owns a 90.0 coverage grade here, might present the more likable matchup.

This will certainly be one to watch for San Francisco and Davis, who gets to square off against his old team for the first time after the 2015 trade.

Next: NFL power rankings: Chiefs stay hot, 49ers stay low in Week 6

The 49ers and Redskins square off at 1 p.m. ET from FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.