SANTA CLARA -- After starting the first three games of the season, Gerald Hodges was benched in the 49ers' 24-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Michael Wilhoite started in Hodges’ spot and played all 76 defensive snaps. Even after NaVorro Bowman went down with what is feared to be a season-ending Achilles injury, the 49ers inserted Nick Bellore at linebacker.
“We were trying to get Wilhoite involved a little bit,” 49ers coach Chip Kelly said. “He’s played really well for us in practice and in games and just trying to get Mike in there as the will linebacker. He’s really worked very hard in practice and that’s what we thought we were going to go. That was a decision we made early in the week, to get Mike out there with NaVorro.
“Bellore is always the back up mike, so that’s kind of how that works. So Nick plays the backup mike. Gerald and Mike play the will position and (Bowman) and Bellore play the mike position.”
Hodges did not play any snaps on defense and saw eight plays on special teams.
Rookie Rashard Robinson started at right cornerback in place of injured Jimmie Ward. Keith Reaser replaced Chris Davis as the team’s nickel back. Robinson played 67 snaps, while Reaser was on the field for 24 defensive plays.
“He (Robinson) just had a really good week of practice,” Kelly said. “We kind of put it on practice and then the other thing is we asked Reaser to play some nickel.
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“With Rashard, we just left him at one spot and obviously like we said we were going to watch how the week of training went and he did a really nice job in the week of training. We felt like he deserved the opportunity. I thought he stepped up and did some really nice things today.”
Here’s how the 49ers divided their playing time on offense, defense and special teams on Sunday in their 24-17 loss to the Cowboys:
Offense
53 snaps
53 -- QB Blaine Gabbert, LT Joe Staley, LG Zane Beadles, C Daniel Kilgore, RG Andrew Tiller, RT Trent Brown.
51 -- WR Quinton Patton, WR Torrey Smith
47 -- WR Jeremy Kerley
44 -- RB Carlos Hyde
39 -- TE Garrett Celek
17 -- RB Shaun Draughn
9 -- WR Aaron Burbridge
5 -- TE Blake Bell
2 -- WR Rod Streater
Defense
76 snaps
76 -- FS Eric Reid, LB Michael Wilhoite
74 -- CB Tramaine Brock, SS Antoine Bethea
70 -- DT DeForest Buckner
67 -- CB Rashard Robinson
65 -- LB Ahamd Brooks
52 -- DT Arik Armstead
47 -- LB NaVorro Bowman
45 -- DL Mike Purcelle
37 -- DB Jaquiski Tartt
30 -- LB Eli Harold
29 -- LB Nick Bellore
28 -- DL Quinton Dial
24 -- CB Keith Reaser
21 -- LB Tank Carradine
12 -- DL Glenn Dorsey
7 -- DL Ronald Blair
2 -- CB Chris Davis
Special teams
22 -- Shayne Skov
21 -- Bellore
18 -- Dontae Johnson
17 -- Marcus Cromartie, Burbridge
16 -- Tartt
13 -- Draughn
12 -- Purcell
11 -- Robinson
10 -- Bradley Pinion
9 -- Carradine, C.Davis
8 -- Gerald Hodges, Buckner, Dial
7 -- Kyle Nelson
6 -- Patton, Bell
5 -- Mike Davis, Kerley, Brooks, Reaser
4 -- Phil Dawson, Celek, Reid, Wilhoite
3 -- Joshua Garnett, Staley, Beadles, Tiller, Brown, Streater
2 -- Brock
Did not play
QB Colin Kaepernick
C Marcus Martin
TE Je’Ron Hamm
Not active
QB Christian Ponder
WR Keshawn Martin
CB Jimmie Ward
DT Tony Jerod-Eddie
TE Vance McDonald
OT John Theus
DL Taylor Hart
