Slow Rush: Methodical Niners Stop Lions In Primetime, 27-19

Lions' John Wendling Fined For Hit On Alex Smith

Detroit Lions safety John Wendling was fined $7,875 for his hit on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.

NFL Debrief: Cardinals, Saints Shock The World For Very Different Reasons

The Cardinals beat the Patriots in New England, the Saints are 0-2 and we have another postgame handshake incident. All that and more in this week's NFL Debrief.

Steady As We Roll: Are Dominant 49ers NFL's Best Team?

It was a good weekend for the Jim Harbaugh coaching tree, with the 49ers and Stanford winning. But let's not forget David Shaw. That, two ways to look at the Eagles, and the rest of the weekend in the Monday Morning Jones.

Lions Vs. 49ers, Week 2: Pride Of Detroit Reacts To Narrow Loss

The Detroit Lions came within an onside kick of having a chance to tie the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, but they ultimately fell to the defending NFC West champions, 27-19. There were some positives for Detroit in the loss -- namely that it was neck-and-neck with what should be one of the best teams in the league -- but there was also a number of disappointing developments. Sean Yuille of Pride of Detroit breaks those down:

On the one hand, the Lions stayed within one possession of what may be the best team in the NFL, and they did this on the road in a hostile environment without 75 percent of their starting secondary. On the other hand, Stafford looked shaky yet again and the Lions allowed little mistakes like penalties and their inability to get a key stop on third down to derail their chances of pulling off an upset. It certainly wasn't a well-played game by the Lions by any means, but then again, it could have been a lot worse.

The Lions will have it a bit easier in Week 3, when they visit the Tennessee Titans. But their loss to the Niners showed them precisely what they need to fix in order to ascend past the first round of the playoffs.

For more on the Lions, check out Pride of Detroit or SB Nation Detroit. For more on the 49ers, visit Niners Nation or SB Nation Bay Area. For more news, notes and analysis from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Lions Vs. 49ers, Week 2: San Francisco Fans Pleased With Solid Victory

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions, 27-19, on Sunday in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the final score suggests. The Lions were held to just 296 yards of total offense and did not score a touchdown until the final two minutes of the game, while a balanced offensive attack by San Francisco secured the win.

It wasn't the prettiest of wins, however, with the 49ers committing several uncharacteristic mistakes created more problems than San Francisco should have had to deal with.

David Fucillo of Niners Nation was pleased with the "workmanlike" win, stating that those aforementioned mistakes created a interesting ending to a game the 49ers mostly controlled.

Although the receivers, running backs and tight ends were struggling at times, there were big plays from all three types of receivers. I think the star of the game alongside Alex Smith has to be Michael Crabtree. As Alex said after the game, Crabs didn't get the touchdowns, but he was the work-horse on offense. Crabtree finished the game with six receptions for 67 yards. What is spectacular about that performance is that five of the six catches resulted in first downs, and the last three were all on third down. Vernon Davis had the high profile plays, but Crabtree was absolutely crucial to the team's success.

In reality this game should not have been this close. While Calvin Johnson made some plays, the 49ers controlled this game. Some hiccups in execution were the difference between a game that came down to an onside kick, and a game that could have been a three score difference. I know we'll see improvement, so I can live with those problems tonight. For now, the 49ers are 2-0 and the NFC West just went 4-0 with some incredibly impressive victories!

The 49ers head to Minnesota next Sunday to take on the Vikings, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET on Fox.

For more coverage on the San Francisco 49ers, be sure to check out more from Niners Nation.

49ers Vs. Lions Game Recap: Alex Smith, Defense Lead San Fran To 2-0

The San Francisco 49ers didn't win the NFC in 2011, but they sure seem hell-bent on rectifying that cosmic slight in 2012. Two wins over two playoff teams in the first two weeks of the 2012 NFL season, including a 27-19 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday night, have the Niners looking like a Super Bowl contender.

Matt Ufford of SB Nation Studios reviews San Francisco's triumph, which only turned into an eight-point game after a late Detroit touchdown. Patrick Willis and the Niners' defense have allowed just three touchdowns in two contests to the high-powered Packers and Lions, but the real revelation of the Niners' season may be Alex Smith, who is flourishing under Jim Harbaugh.

Meanwhile, after a close win over the Rams in Week 1 and a struggle to score against San Francisco in Week 2, are the Lions taking a step back from 2011?

For more coverage of Sunday night's game, check out Lions blog Pride Of Detroit and 49ers blog Niners Nation. For all your pro football needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Alex Smith Is Being Creeped Upon

Lions Vs. 49ers Final Score: Defense Propels San Francisco To 27-19 Victory

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions, 27-19, at Candlestick Park on Sunday night. San Francisco's defense stifled the Detroit offense for much of the night and a methodical fourth-quarter touchdown drive led by Alex Smith helped to put the game away. For most of the game, kicker Jason Hanson was Detroit's only offense -- the veteran hit four field goals to keep the Lions in the contest well into the fourth quarter.

Related: What Happened Here, Matthew Stafford?

Hanson's final field goal brought Detroit to within eight at 20-12 with over nine minutes remaining in the game. Following that score, San Francisco essentially iced the game with a methodical touchdown drive that spanned 13 plays, 79 yards and more than six minutes. Detroit answered that with a touchdown drive of its own, but that proved to be too little, too late.

The 49ers got the scoring started with a touchdown strike from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis in the first quarter. Detroit answered with a pair of field goals but went into halftime down 14-6. The two teams traded field goals in the second half until that final, decisive touchdown drive by San Francisco.

The big winner: San Francisco's defense

The 49ers did a great job stalling Matthew Stafford and the Detroit passing attack all night. The Lions were limited to just 19 points and Stafford, who was one of the league's most prolific passers in 2011, had trouble establishing any sort of rhythm in the opening half.

The big loser: Matthew Stafford

Stafford had a dreadful first half, as he was just 7-16 for 67 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. He was able to throw the ball more efficiently in the second half, but he wasn't productive enough to deliver the win.

Odds: San Francisco covered the spread, which had the Niners favored by anywhere from 6.5 to 7.5 points.

Fantasy outlook: Vernon Davis

The San Francisco tight end accounted for both of his team's touchdowns on the night and finished with 73 receiving yards on five receptions. That's the kind of performance that will make any fantasy owner happy.

What's on the schedule?

The Lions face the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, and the 49ers will meet the Minnesota Vikings.

For more coverage of Sunday night's game, check out Lions blog Pride Of Detroit and 49ers blog Niners Nation. For all your pro football needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's NFL hub.

VIDEO: This Replacement Ref Wants A WHAT?

Vernon Davis Takes A Different Approach

Close Up Shop, We've Got The Final Word On Replacement Refs

What Happened Here, Matthew Stafford?

Earlier we highlighted a terrific touchdown pass from 49ers' Alex Smith to Vernon Davis.

Now we lowlight an awful pass from Lions' Matthew Stafford. Look at this below. I don't even...

I mean, what is that? What happened there? Replays showed that the ball came out of his hand strange, almost as if he released the ball too early. It floated its way up there, giving the 49ers enough time to pick it off. The closest Lions players was several yards away so the pass really wasn't even close. The 49ers defense is good enough on their own that they don't need Stafford helping them out. This is the worst pass of the night until further notice.

The 49ers were able to capitalize on the turnover, turning it into a touchdown.

Be sure to check out Pride of Detroit for more Lions coverage and Niners Nation for more on the 49ers. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

This Is Why You Go For The Strip

Sometimes the best offense is a good special teams unit.

The Detroit Lions stripped the San Francisco 49ers on a kick return and recovered the fumble, creating a big turnover early in the game.

That's a great play right there. A lot of players are taught to go for the strip in a situation like that. Once the player is going down or being tackled by your teammates, the defender should go for the ball. Great execution by the Lions on that play, something that will make Jim Schwartz happy.

The 49ers defense is very, very good so starting with the ball on their side of the field is a major bonus. The Lions weren't able to fully capitalize on the series but still kicked a field goal to make it 7-6.

Be sure to check out Pride of Detroit for more Lions coverage and Niners Nation for more on the 49ers. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

Alex Smith To Vernon Davis Is Beautiful

Not even three minutes in and the San Francisco 49ers have jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night football. The touchdown came on a beautiful 21-yard pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis, which you can see below.

Say what you want about Smith and the game manager label but that pass was spot-on. On this play Smith actually audibled out of the initial call. The TV broadcast picked up Smith yelling "Kill! Kill! Kill!" which means he was swapping the play, actually sending a player in motion as well. He ended up picking the right play call, hitting Davis in stride for the game's first points.

Be sure to check out Pride of Detroit for more Lions coverage and Niners Nation for more on the 49ers. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

The First But Not The Last Harbaugh-Schwartz Handshake Reference

Hey, look! Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz shook hands without incident!

This will definitely not be the last time you see the handshake referenced. In a game last year between the Lions and 49ers, Harbaugh took his excitement a little too far and gave Schwartz a hard shake and a bump after the game, which the 49ers won. Schwartz obviously didn't like that, reacted and the handshake has been a thing ever since.

Be sure to check out Pride of Detroit for more Lions coverage and Niners Nation for more on the 49ers. Head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

Lions Vs. 49ers Inactives: Chris Houston, Bill Bentley Among 7 Players Out For Detroit

Heading into their huge showdown with San Francisco on Sunday Night Football, the Detroit Lions will once again be limited defensively as corners Chris Houston and Bill Bentley were among the seven players ruled out for Week 2, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Detroit's two injured cornerbacks were joined by Louis Delmas, Jason Fox, Corey Hilliard, Kellen Moore and Travis Lewis on the team's official inactive list. Lewis, a first-year linebacker out of Oklahoma, continues to nurse a quadriceps injury and did not practice during the week.

Unable to practice himself since having knee surgery on Aug. 7, Delmas, a fourth-year safety, remains the biggest loss on the back end for the Lions at the moment. Facing off against an explosive San Francisco offense featuring a handful of big-play threats, the Lions will now be forced to use the inexperienced group of Jacob Lacey, Drayton Florence, Jonte Green and Kevin Barnes on the outside.

Be sure to check out Pride of Detroit for more Lions coverage, and head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.

49ers Vs. Lions Inactives: A.J. Jenkins, Ted Ginn Out For San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions will meet for Sunday Night Football this evening in what promises to be an exciting NFC showdown. With kickoff about an hour away, the 49ers have announced their inactive players for the game.

Rookie wide receiver A.J. Jenkins will not play. Ted Ginn is out again with an ankle issue, as is rookie tailback LaMichael James with a foot problem. Brandon Jacobs will not play due to a knee injury. Joe Looney is inactive as he recovers from a Lisfranc fracture. Garrett Celek and Ian Williams are also out for Sunday's game.

Fortunately for the 49ers, they have stayed relatively healthy up until this point in the season, although the loss of Jenkins, Ginn and James, who are all skilled playmakers in the open field, could slow their offense down a bit.

Kickoff from Candlestick Park is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.

Pride of Detroit has all your Lions news and analysis, and Niners Nation is your place for everything 49ers. SBNation's YouTube channel has all sorts of NFL analysis.

Lions Vs. 49ers: What To Watch For (Besides The Handshake)

The Lions and 49ers meet on Sunday Night Football and hopefully the two coaches can execute a postgame handshake without shoving each other.

Lions Vs. 49ers: Game Time, TV Schedule, Odds And More

The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers meet on Sunday Night Football this week in an important, early NFC contest.

Detroit Lions Vs San Francisco 49ers: Betting Odds, Preview and Pick

Detroit is winless in 10 trips to San Francisco over the past three decades and they are underdogs this time too. But are the Lions a good bet as 7-point road dogs? Some say yes.

NFL Picks Week 2: Lions Vs. 49ers

After their impressive 30-22 upset victory in Green Bay, the San Francisco 49ers return home to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. Both teams made the playoffs last season and started this year 1-0, but most NFL analysts are picking the 49ers.

All seven ESPN NFL analysts picked the 49ers, only two of which picked San Francisco last week. Jason Cole, of Yahoo! Sports, also went with San Francisco after he picked against the 49ers last week. Of the eight CBS Sports NFL analysts, seven picked the 49ers to win. Only NFL blogger Ryan Wilson is picking the Lions this week.

Detroit opened its season with a 27-3 win against the St. Louis Rams and had success on the road last season, going 5-3. The two teams played last year, with San Francisco coming away with a 25-19 win in Detroit. The Lions had the ball last with a chance to win, but were unable to score and the 49ers held on for the road victory.

For more coverage of the San Francisco 49ers, visit Niners Nation and SB Nation Bay Area. For all your Lions news, visit Pride of Detroit.

Week 2 NFL Odds: Lions Vs. 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers will host the Detroit Lions this weekend, and OddsShark has them favored by 7.