SB Nation - Allen Rossum

Golden Nuggets: Guess I gotta face it sometime..

Ninjames — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:00:29 -0000

Good morning, folks! Sorry I've been sketchy on the links but I've been keeping busy, to be sure! Thanks to Fooch again for covering for me. Still, I had to sleep early for a good cause. If you're wondering what it is, make sure to come on over to this site tomorrow morning at 7 AM PT, I should have my post up by then. All I can say is it was a very positive experience for me. That being said it has been nice to be deterred from say, the current 49ers team but I suppose I have to look at this season at some point. I'm done crying over it, to be honest. This team needs to finish strong, someone told me that over the phone yesterday, and it's true. Very true, I'm looking for as strong a finish as possible and improvement from Alex Smith so we know what we have going into the 2010 season. This isn't a bad team we've got here, we have too many good players to just waste that talent. Best I can do is look forward to Monday Night and hope I don't leave Candlestick disappointed. That would seriously suck. Here's your links.

And so retires my favorite 49er of the last ten years--Jeff Ulbrich. He has nothing left to prove for 49er fans, a great player and a great guy. (PressDemocrat.com)

So it seems Great America is suing the city of Santa Clara, claiming the stadium deal is illegal as per their agreement with the theme park. (ESPN.com)

The 49ers placed Kentwan Balmer on IR and signed a replacement, Baraka Atkins. As previously a huge fan of the MK series, man this guy is setting himself up to make me very disappointed. Still, I actually think he could be good. (PressDemocrat.com)

The 49ers are the only team that can stop the Cardinals from getting into the playoffs now. Not sure that it will happen... (NBCBayArea.com)

There was plenty of reasons the 49ers released Allen Rossum, I fully support the release. I don't, however, support using Arnaz Battle on them. That man is useless. I want him gone, forever. Am I bitter? Heck. Yes. (SFGate.com)

Alex Smith is seizing control down the home stretch. I certainly hope he's changed for sure. (SacBee.com)

Maiocco has his every-player review from the loss against Seattle. (PressDemocrat.com)

"Drops Drop 49ers From Playoff Race." How creative. (SFGate.com)

Well this is depressing. 49ers playoff drought is among the longest in the NFL. (MercuryNews.com)

A look ahead at the Monday Night game against the Cardinals. (49ers.com)

Coach Singletary is taking the blame for the fumbled punt return. (SFGate.com)

He also has a list of grievances for the NFL. (SFGate.com)

Andy Lee: Hitting His Stride. (49ers.com)

49ers return game: Putting the "special" in special teams

Fooch — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:00:28 -0000

Hopefully nobody takes offense to "special." I came close to posting a short bus graphic because that's how far Brandon Jones and Arnaz Battle have pushed me. As ugly as yesterday's game was, the biggest momentum change aside from Gore's fumble was probably the screwed up reverse attempt on the first quarter punt. The 49ers had the Seahawks on the ropes and could have sent them to the canvas on that drive. Instead, the drive doesn't even start and Seattle gets the shortest of fields to convert a touchdown.

As much as that reverse bugged folks, the special teams woes go beyond just that one bad play call. Special teams encompasses kicking, punting, returning, and coverage associated with all of that. For the purposes of this post, we'll ignore kicking and punting, because Andy Lee is God and Joe Nedney is sufficiently reliable as the kicker. Rather, I wanted to focus on the return game. I don't even know if you could call it a return game when you're either losing yards or fumbling the return.

Before getting into the ugly, I would like to say that I think Josh Morgan could be on the verge of entrenching himself as one of the team's primary kickoff return men. He's only returned 5 kicks, but he's put together a solid early body of work. His five returns have resulted in 174 yards, good for an average of 34.8. One return was for 76 yards, but his remaining four returns have still been solid enough. While touchdowns in the return game are great, it's really simply a matter of getting some decent starting field position. Thus far, Josh Morgan has done that on a consistent basis. The final four games will hopefully help us determine if he can become a long term return option.

The same cannot be said for the punt return game. I don't think it's even good enough to call it bad. At this point, the best term would probably be abysmal. Arnaz Battle did have a 31 yard return, but it was negated by a block in the back call against everyone's favorite pariah, Mark Roman. The 49ers final punt return numbers yesterday? 5 punts for -3 yards. Really?

I know people have been complaining about the release of Allen Rossum. While he was awesome last year, clearly the team saw a reason to get rid of him, and were somewhat justified by the Cowboys also releasing him. That's not the best reasoning, but it'll have to do for now. However, the point of this post is to consider how the 49ers can improve their punt return game going forward. Battle struggled mightily yesterday, but part of that was due to not getting much in the way of blocking in front of him.

I'm not arguing for bringing Battle back in 2010, but I also think there are other issues to consider. Rather, it seems like the team needs an influx of talent that goes beyond just the return men. Would that be a few low profile signings in free agency? Guys that excel in special teams work (aside from returners) tend to be rather low profile, so I can't see the signings generating a lot of buzz. Honestly, I'm not sure how the team can best go about approaching this in the offseason. Any thoughts?

Horse Tracks 11/24/09 - Dawkins projected as questionable for Thursday night; McBath would start in his place

Douglas A. Lee — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:41:16 -0000

DB - Weekly Press Release - Patrick Smyth

DPP - It's time for Broncos to prove critics wrong - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Light day of work designed to help players recover - Lindsay Jones & Jeff Legwold
"With quarterback Kyle Orton (ankle) healthy enough to play, the injured player of note this week is safety Brian Dawkins, who left the game against the Chargers in the second quarter...Dawkins likely will be listed as questionable against the Giants. Rookie Darcel McBath, a second-round draft pick from Texas Tech, would start at safety with Hill if Dawkins is unable to play Thursday."

DPP - Offense at top of Broncos' fix-it list - Mike Klis

DPP - Analysis: When push comes to shove, Marshall wrong - Mike Klis

DPP - Q&A: Back off on playing Brandstater so soon - Jeff Legwold

DP - Broncos Mailbag: What happened to this team? - Mike Klis

LTC - No denying it: Denver’s in dire straits - Brian Howell

DP - Broncos still mixing in zone blocking - Jeff Legwold

CSG - Broncos look to quickly regroup - Frank Schwab

DPP - Spotlight on Broncos DT Marcus Thomas - Lindsay Jones

DB - The Morning After: Week 11 - Chris Gentilviso

DB - Turnovers, Penalties, Make for Tough Day - Mark Cooper

CBS4 - Elway Sounds Off On Broncos Decision To Bench Chris Simms - Jesse Sarles

KDVR - Broncos bomb; Raiders, Chiefs surprise - Chris Tanaka

DP - Miracles happened in Keyworth's career - Irv Moss

Giants News

NYT - Under Josh McDaniels, Broncos Are Always Brash - Joe LaPointe

FH - Return to Denver Stirs Powerful Emotions, Memories for Giants' Veteran - Thomas George

NYDN - With Manning stepping up, Giants defense must take game to next level on Thanksgiving - Tim Smith

NYDN - Giants face Broncos on Thanksgiving, hope defense can shut down Denver's offense - Ralph Vacchiano

NYDN - Ex-Bronco D.J. Johnson helping Giants get familiar with Denver's schemes - Ralph Vacchiano

NYDN - Giants co-owner John Mara can't complain about NFL Network's TV schedule - Bob Raissman

NYP - Giants plan dash for Denver - Paul Schwartz

NFL Results

NFL - Tennessee Titans 20 at Houston Texans 17

FOX - Young rewarding Titans' owner's faith in him - Alex Marvez

SI - What we learned from Tennessee Titans win over Houston Texans - John P. Lopez

AFC West News

SDUT - Cromartie under scrutiny in bar incident - Debbi Baker
"Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie is being investigated for suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a victory celebration at Pacific Beach bar early Monday morning turned into an altercation, police said."

SDUT - Keeping that drive alive

SDUT - Blackout policy a turkey for S.D. - Nick Canepa

KCS - Chiefs get shot of confidence from win over Steelers - Adam Teicher

SFC - Short week means long hours for Raiders - David White

NFL News

NFL - Bills reach out to Cowher about becoming coach - Jason La Canfora

NFL - Bucs’ Morris to take over defensive play-calling
Another humbling time for former Broncos DC Jim Bates...

NFL - Rams QB Bulger out 3 to 6 weeks with broken leg; Boller will start

NFL - Lions could be without QB Stafford, WR Johnson on Thanksgiving

NFL - Big Ben should play vs. Ravens despite head injury

NFL - Browns coach Mangini curious if Lions' injuries were stall tactic
There were similar accusations when the Broncos came to NJ and smoked the Jets last November...

NFL - Niners drop Crabtree tampering charge vs. Jets

NFL - Phillips: Romo 'feels a lot better,' should play Thursday for Cowboys

NFL - Whisenhunt 'optimistic' that Warner might play in Cards' next game

NFL - Packers will try to move on after losing Kampman, Harris for season

NFL - Redskins ravaged by injuries; Betts, Rinehart latest to go down

NFL - Ravens CB Washington likely out for season with knee injury

SN - Cowboys release kick returner Allen Rossum

NFL Opinion

NFP - The Monday Tavern - Mike Lombardi
"The Broncos started fast and might be dying fast. They’re not very effective on either side of the ball right now. There are three potential wins on their schedule, but they better hope 9-7 can get them in the door."

NFL - Thanksgiving week means best football still lies ahead - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Coaching carousel: think before acting - Robert Boland

CBS - Bubbling up? Handicapping wild-card contenders - Clark Judge

CBS - Prisco Grades: Week 11

SN - Skid Row: Jets, Falcons, Broncos Hit Hard Times - The Trenches

FOX - The Day After: Moment of silence for AFC North - John Czarnecki

NFP - Aaron Rodgers’ revenge - Andrew Brandt

SI - Matthew Stafford will make Lions good again; bench Jay Cutler - Jerome Bettis

NYT - Former Quarterback Dilfer’s Take on Cutler’s Struggles - Judy Battista

PFW - Cutler could attract coaching talent - Nolan Nawrocki

NFP - Al Harris: ‘I’ll be back in 6 months’ - Jack Bechta

Y! - Collier 'at peace' with aftermath of shooting - Jason Cole

SN - NFL Power Poll: Jags quietly slip into playoff contention - Clifton Brown

The VRR: Cowboys Must Get Back in Saddle after Pulling off Squeaker over 'Skins

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:48:58 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Tony Romo has to take his bumps and bruises from Redskins to Raiders in just a few days.

Browse more photos »

The 7-6 victory over the rival Redskins did little to boost fans' confidence in the Cowboys' struggling offense. Running the ball 33 times - including six straight called in the first quarter - may have made the playcalling seem more "balanced", yet it produced no points.

However intriguing it is to see Felix Jones break the double-digit carry barrier for the first time in his career, or to see Marion Barber come up a yard shy from hitting the century mark, the scoreboard is still dependent on Tony Romo to pull that big, fat "0" down.

Heck, even Nick Folk failed (again) to get the team on the scoreboard prior to the end of the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the defense again refused to let that other side of the scoreboard be lit up.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys will be a bit more banged up heading into the shortened Thanksgiving week. Nothing major, but there are some bumps and bruises that must be played through as the team hosts the Raiders on Thursday. Making it through this week unscathed can be a real asset, as the team will get a few extra days to rest up before the Week 13 road game against the Giants.

More VRR after the jump.

Here's the latest on who's hurting:

QB Tony Romo - back (11/22) The quarterback injured his back in the first quarter when he was kneed in the backside while making a tackle. Romo never missed a snap against Washington, but he was limited in practice on Monday. Romo received a pain-relieving shot after the game Sunday, but told reporters he expects to play. Wade Phillips told the media Monday the quarterback was feeling better, but hinted that backup Jon Kitna might have to take some precautionary reps in practice.

TE Jason Witten - foot (11/22) Despite playing the entire game Sunday, Witten didn't practice Monday because of a foot injury. The All-Pro tight end caught two passes on the Cowboys' game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

LB Keith Brooking - ankle (11/22) The veteran linebacker was limited in Monday's light practice with an ankle injury he suffered near the end of Sunday's win over the Redskins. Brooking said on Monday he expects to play this week.

CB Mike Jenkins - elbow/head (11/22) Jenkins got "banged up" in the Redskins game, according to head coach Wade Phillips. The cornerback was already battling the elbow injury from the Packers game but suffered the head injury late in the game when making a tackle. He did not practice with the team on Monday in the light workout.

Despite the blow to the back, Romo impressed in the end and sounds good-to-go for Thursday's game.

"That's Romo being Romo," Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. "We had guys wrapped around him, and he still escaped. He's a tough sack."

And a tough guy. Romo bruised his back in the first quarter tackling cornerback DeAngelo Hall after he picked up a Marion Barber fumble in the red zone.

"I must have asked Tony 10 times, ‘Are you OK?'" Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said. "You could tell he was hurting, but he kept grinding."

Romo said he never considered leaving the game.

"I've always felt you can play as long as it's not something like a broken bone," Romo said. "With the adrenaline of the game, you can always do it. It only hurts right before the snap and right after."

The Redskins' injuries were much more severe. RB Ladell Betts and OL Chad Rinehart will be placed on IR and miss the rest of the season.

Along with Coach Phillips' aggressive blitzes, Keith Brooking credits DeMarcus Ware for his career-high four sacks.

Brooking has taken advantage of all the attention opponents pay the NFL’s reigning sacks leader in pass protection. He said his sacks often come on "hug blitzes," when he’s in man coverage against a running back and rushes when the back stays into block. When the back goes to chip Ware, that often leaves a lane for Brooking.

"The majority of my sacks, just to be dead honest with you, come from I'm just running scot-free and a lot of times the backs are sliding toward No. 94," Brooking said. "As I said yesterday, I'd do the same thing if I was in the backfield trying to block that guy. I'm just taking advantage."

Anthony Spencer was almost credited with a sack, but getting the game-winning INT proved much more rewarding.

It was Spencer's first career interception. The theft made up for a review taking away what he thought was his first sack of the season.

Late in the first half, Spencer chased Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell out of bounds for an apparent 5-yard loss. But a replay showed Campbell had released the ball just before stepping out.

"I gave the ref a little mouth about it," Spencer said. "But I'd much rather have the interception. It's a relief for the simple fact I've been around so many opportunities to make plays. It's good to see it come to fruition."

Bradie James on winning ugly:

"We have been sexy," linebacker Bradie James said. "We have been trying to be glamorous. And teams have come in and beat us. They have us ugly. What’s wrong with ugly? We won. That’s all that matters. Now we’ve got Oakland. We are concentrating on winning and getting ready for the stretch drive in December."

Coach Phillips squashed the media's attempt to get more info on the Campo-Newman argument.

If you haven't read it by now, LaRon Landry called Roy Williams "scared". Landry didn't get all Xs-andOs about it, but did imply that Williams' play was "scared".

"Certain pass concepts they had," Landry continued, by way of explaining how he knew Williams was scared. "Certain routes he ran, you could tell he didn't want any part of it."

A good area of focus on both offense and defense will be third-down conversions.

With the short week, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips might not have an opportunity to address the team's struggles with their third-down offense and defense.

"We just haven't played well enough on third downs, and we need to take a look at it."

Nick Folk knows he's in a "funk", and will stay patient.

"A little funk," Folk said Monday. "I got to work my way out of it right now."

Folk said he's not too concerned because he's hitting the ball well. On the 46-yarder he missed on Sunday, Folk said he hit it well, but it just stayed right. The last kick he missed, a 38-yarder in Green Bay the previous week, Folk said he just missed it.

"I feel good, I hit the ball really well, it stayed a little to the right," Folk said. "I dont know I got to go look at it. it felt good coming off my foot had a good week of practice."

Patrick Crayton has worn many hats in his football career. Did you know he can kick? Well, sort of.

Patrick Crayton was once the emergency kicker on his college team.

"Make that the emergency-emergency kicker," he said, smiling. "If it had ever come down to me, we probably would have gone for two."

Even then, at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Crayton had a strong leg. Once, on a bet, Crayton surprised himself.

"I made a 50-yarder," he said, again smiling. "You never know when it comes to kicking."

After waiving KR/PR Allen Rossum, the Cowboys re-signed CB Cletis Gordon to the active roster.

The Buccaneers sure like the Cowboys' practice squad players. They've already plucked rookie CB Mike Mickens off there, now they've signed QB Rudy Carpenter as well.

Matt Mosely is shopping Shanahan. If the Cowboys were to part ways with Wade Phillips after this season, he thinks Mike Shanahan could be a good fit.

I think Jones would do just about anything to win another Super Bowl but you have to question his decision to stick with Wade Phillips after a disastrous ending to the '08 season. The fact that it was partly a financial decision makes you wonder if Jones would be willing to outbid his little buddy Snyder.

Golden Nuggets: Worse than a blowout

Ninjames — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:15:27 -0000

Good morning to you all, I'm here and I suppose I need to be laughed at just a little bit. I was confident all week and I did nothing but talk up my Niners and how they would win. My gut was wrong, which, and not to brag here, doesn't happen a lot. The 49ers came out and played themselves a sorry game fraught with bad decisions and bad play. The team forgot how to tackle, Alex forgot how to throw and everybody seemed to move in slow motion. The Packers offensive line decided they knew how to block and somebody forgot to tell Green Bay's secondary that they have no business NOT being washed up. It was such a disappointing game, with what's been going on in my life lately I swear I was gonna be borderline smashing my computer into the wall, fortunately I had a very good night so I'm at least feeling a little better. Still, we cannot ignore the problems with the 49ers.. I'll be putting together a huge post on one of the sites I write for concerning the future of this team.. until then check out some links and be around at 7 AM PST for the Nate Davis post Fooch is putting together. Thanks. Here's your links.

Yeah, the 49ers lost yesterday, and they were beaten by the QB they passed up. And also by the QB they eventually took. (SacBee.com)

I completely agree with this--the coaches screwed this game over with a terrible gameplan. I fail to see how McCarthy of all people outplanned us. Ugh. (SacBee.com)

I'm sick of all these close losses. Just blow us out again so I can stop being confident, ugh. (SFGate.com)

Yeah, one big problem that I just KNEW was going to be an issue (quote me on it)... This team still hasn't found a replacement for Allen Rossum. (SFGate.com)

Michael Lewis was back to his tackle-happy self, which is a good sign. (SFGate.com)

WR Michael Crabtree says the spread offense is the way to go. (SacBee.com)

Should the 49ers adjust to Alex Smith's skillset? (SFGate.com)

I suppose it's good that Aaron Rodgers isn't gloating about beating the 49ers. (MercuryNews.com)

I'm sick of the "late rallies" that always come up short--especially when the coaching is to blame at times. (MercuryNews.com)

Did the 49ers start to come back due to the spread? (PressDemocrat.com)

Maiocco has a report card for the 49ers. It almost seems like the man is drunk and upset as he writes this one. I suppose it's better than the report card I'd put together, it'd just be a wadded up piece of paper with spit on it. (PressDemocrat.com)

The DBs didn't answer Singletary's challenge. (PressDemocrat.com)

Here's another game review from the official website. (49ers.com)

And here is Maiocco's post-game. (PressDemocrat.com)

Niners at Green Bay Packers: 5 Questions With Niners Nation

Brandon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:15:11 -0000

by Michael Conroy - AP

View full size photo »

Fooch runs the fantastic SB Nation site for the 49ers, Niners Nation. I asked him 5 questions about the 49ers.

Brandon: So are you an QB Alex Smith believer, or won't he ever live up to his No. 1 overall status? His 2009 stats look very similar to his 2006 stats.

Fooch: I remain, unfortunately, somewhere in the middle. I think he has sufficient talent to turn into a quality NFL quarterback. The last two seasons he was knocked out by injuries and so he never really had a chance to continue a normal progression. At the same time I don't know if he'll ever be a franchise quarterback for this team. The upside to his promotion this season is that 49ers fans can finally get some kind of idea of what Smith can bring to the table. I think the 49ers will finally get their answer by the end of the season and can finally decide whether to fish or cut bait with him.

Brandon: Usually a high ankle sprain lingers, but RB Frank Gore seems to have gotten over it and he's looked great over the past 3 weeks. Is he 100%? How about your other injuries - are CB Nate Clements and LT Joe Staley going to be out on Sunday? Who's filling in for them?

Fooch: Gore is more or less 100%. For the last few weeks he's been practicing like normal and carrying the load. In fact, this past week their primary backup was out and the 49ers went with two running backs (and one fullback), with Gore getting plenty of touches.

As for the other injuries, Clements and Staley are out for several more weeks, so there's no chance they'll be active on Sunday. The 49ers promoted Barry Sims to left tackle and he's been playing really well. In fact, it's been surprising how well he's played to date after struggling much of last year. As for Clements, the 49ers actually demoted Clements to the #3 cornerback against the Colts, with Tarell Brown starting in his place. Clements was injured that game and hasn't played since. So right now the 49ers are rolling out Shawntae Spencer, Tarell Brown and Dre Bly as their 1, 2, 3.

Brandon: The Packers special teams have been awful this season. Especially their kick and punt coverage. Do the 49ers have a dangerous return game that could cause them some problems?

Fooch: The 49ers return game is rather dreadful. Since cutting Allen Rossum, the 49ers have not had anything remotely resembling an explosive return game. RB Michael Robinson has been their primary kick returner and WR Brandon Jones has been their primary punt returner. Robinson hasn't been too bad, but nothing spectacular. And Brandon Jones? Well he's been pretty atrocious.

Brandon: Football Outsiders has the Packers D ranked No. 1 and the 49ers D ranked No. 2. I'm surprised by it since the Packers pass defense has allowed 17 passing TDs (4th worst in the NFL) and only recorded 18 sacks. Are you surprised by the 49ers high ranking? What is the biggest problem area on their defense?

Fooch: I'm not shocked by the ranking, although it certainly wasn't something I expected so quickly. The 49ers have a swarming defense that has been very solid against the run, while a bend-but-don't-break style against the pass. The biggest problem with the 49ers defense is consistency. They've had issues with the pass rush at times, and they've had issues with the secondary (particularly the safeties) at times. And yet, through all of this, they've had games where they put together impressive performances. For example, they held Peyton Manning without a passing touchdown in Indy. The problem is the consistency. If they could generate a solid pass rush, and get solid help from their secondary on a consistent basis, they could have an amazing defense.

Brandon: The Packers have surrendered a league leading 41 sacks. The 49ers have only recorded 17 sacks. Something has to give here. How are the 49ers going to attack the Packers pass protection? Do they have any speed rushers off the edge, or is their defensive line just going to bring the bull rush?

Fooch: The 49ers pass rush is questionable at best. Their two outside linebackers were meant to be the big sack guys, but those two have combined for 3.5 sacks. At the same time they've done a solid job at times getting pressure and forcing quicker throws, so it's possible they could break through for some sacks against Rodgers this week. The defensive line will force pressure as well, although again, it's not the most consistent in the world. One guy to keep an eye on throughout the game is NT Aubrayo Franklin. He's quietly put together a very solid season. He's a bigger threat in stopping the run, but he can get to the quarterback on occasion as well.

Cowboys Injury Update

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:53:05 -0000

Here is the report on who practiced and who didn't yesterday for the Cowboys.

Marc Colombo, OT - No Practice (Ankle)
Ken Hamlin, S - No Practice (Ankle)
Allen Rossum, CB - No Practice (Hamstring)

David Buehler, K - Limited Practice (Toe)

Marion Barber, RB - Full Practice (Thumb)
Mike Jenkins, CB - Full Practice (Elbow)
Gerald Sensabaugh, S - Full Practice (Thumb)
DeMarcus Ware, LB - Full Practice (Foot)

Make the jump for the Redskins' injury report.

Chris Cooley, TE - No Practice (Ankle) - OUT
Clinton Portis, RB - No Practice (Concussion)
Albert Haynesworth, DT - No Practice (Ankle)
Mike Williams, OT - No Practice (Ankle)

Stephon Heyer, OT - Limited Practice (Knee)

Ladell Betts, RB - Full Practice (Ankle)

Football Outsiders and the 49ers: Team Stats through Week 10

Florida Danny — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:03:32 -0000

After a bit of a hiatus for the purposes of working on my actual dissertation (as opposed to my weekly Niners Nation ones), I'm back in the saddle for the rest of the season. To some of you, this will bring great joy; to others, great consternation. Either way, expect to be seeing a lot of posts from me for the next 7 weeks (and more?).

Before I get started with the team rankings, I just want to give you guys a heads up on my new and improved posting schedule, which results from (a) the fact that all of Football Outsiders' (FO) stats now have a high enough sample size to be considered trustworthy, and (b) trying to cut down on the length of my aforementioned dissertations. Here's the new schedule that will begin after this week's Packers game:

Day	Description	Stats Presented
Wednesday	Singletary's Formula for Success	Interceptions & Fumbles (Total Ball Security) Total, OFF, DEF, & ST DVOA (Execute) 1st Quarter DVOA (Execute) OL & DL ALY & ASR (Dominate the Trenches) Inside-the-20 DVOA (Create Great Field Position) ST Units DVOA (Create Great Field Position) DANLOLS (Create Great Field Position) 4th-Quarter DVOA (Finish) Late & Close DVOA (Finish)
Thursday	Team Stats & Rankings	Pass OFF & DEF DVOA Rush OFF & DEF DVOA Down, Distance, & Type of Play DVOA Home/Road DVOA Score Gap DVOA Game-by-Game DVOA Chart
Saturday	Player Stats & Rankings	QB, RB, WR, & TE DYAR & DVOA OL & DL Directional ALY Secondary DVOA vs. Different Receivers
Sunday	DVOA Game Matchup	Strength vs. Weakness DVOA Matchups Against the Upcoming Opponent

As I said, this schedule begins next week. Hopefully, it'll accomplish my two stated goals of (a) providing you with more - and more-relevant - statistical information about the 49ers, and (b) cut down on the length of each individual post.

As for this week, I'm just going to do this team rankings post (without any of the situational splits) and the game matchup post (with some of the situational splits). The game matchup post will be up on Friday so you have two full days to argue about how the 49ers are going to win because of the matchups or how the 49ers are going to win despite the matchups.

OK, housekeeping is done. Vamos!

After the jump, I'll present the 49ers' stats and rankings through 9 games...

TEAM RANKINGS

Here are the 49ers' overall team DVOAs and rankings (bold = top 8 in the NFL; italics = bottom 8):

Total	Rank	Offense	Rank	Defense	Rank	Special Teams	Rank
-0.8%	20	-12.9%	24	-13.0%	2	-0.9%	22
Total VOA	Rank	SOS	Rank	Variance	Rank
-5.9%	21	1.4%	14	9.4%	11

Since last we spoke (after Week 7), the 49ers have improved by 5.5% in overall efficiency. However, what might come as a surprise to you is that this improvement has come entirely on the back of the DEF, not the OFF. Indeed, whereas the OFF has actually gotten 2.0% worse since Alex Smith became the starter, the DEF is now 6.9% better than they were after 6 games. A lot of this has to do with the fact that the Smith-led pass OFF didn't do much of anything against the 22nd- and 28th-ranked pass DEFs in the NFL (Bears & Titans, respectively), while the Niners' pass DEF basically shut down the #4 pass OFF (Colts) and took care of business against the #22 pass OFF (CHI). So basically, strength of schedule (SOS) plays a big role here.

Speaking of SOS, you can see its recent effect on team efficiency via 2 other stats in the table. Directly, the Niners SOS has gotten more difficult since Week 7, going from an average of 0.5% to the 1.4% shown in the table. More indirectly, however, the effect of SOS reveals itself in the difference between TOT DVOA and unadjusted TOT VOA. Whereas SOS (and game situations) positively affected the Niners' TOT DVOA by only 2.7% after 6 games, there's now a 5.1% difference between their TOT DVOA and TOT VOA.

In other words, the Niners would be a better-looking team than they've shown - albeit still only an average one - if they'd been playing an easier schedule through their first 9 games. Don't fret, though. Help is on the way. According to FO, the 49ers' opponents over the remainder of their schedule currently average -5.0% in TOT DVOA, which gives them the 7th-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL.

Finally, in case you're wondering, the 49ers are ranked behind the Dolphins (13th) and the Jets (19th) among the five 4-5 teams. In addition, among NFC West teams, they're ranked below the Cardinals (10th), but above both the Seahawks (23rd) and Rams (29th).

OFFENSIVE RANKINGS - OVERALL

Here' how the offensive rankings look overall and by type of play (bold = top 8 in the NFL; italics = bottom 8):

OFF	Rank	Pass	Rank	Run	Rank	Variance	Rank
-12.9%	24	-6.5%	23	-6.7%	26	4.4%	7
OFF VOA	Rank	Pass VOA	Rank	Run VOA	Rank
-8.8%	24	-0.7%	22	-4.6%	23

Overall, the OFF has pretty much remained a well below-average unit. However, what's most interesting about these stats is the seeming effect of Smith's ascension to starting QB. Namely, it's pretty clear from the stats that Smith has actually helped the run OFF more than he has the pass OFF: when compared to their stats after 6 games, the pass OFF is now 12.1% worse while the run OFF is now 14.2% better.

How can this be? Well, as reluctant as I am to do so, I have to give props to my you're-not-a-real-Niner-fan-if-you-draft-Cardinals-Seahawks-or-Rams-in-fantasy-football friend; the one I've mentioned before on NN with whom I have to sit through every Niner game (and dodge flying objects as they're hurled past me towards the TV screen). The whole time Shaun Hill was starting, he'd repeatedly tell me that the Niners couldn't run the ball because opposing safeties were giving no respect to the threat of a deep pass. He'd point out to me that opposing safeties were constantly lining up 10 yards or closer to the line of scrimmage because Hill couldn't throw the ball farther than that on any given play, and that that was the reason the OFF couldn't run the ball worth a damn. "Put in Alex Smith, already, so we get these safeties playing honest!" he'd say. "Brotha, it's just that the OL sucks!" I'd retort...

And then Smith got put in against HOU. The effect was almost immediate. We literally watched as the Texans safeties started lining up the usual 15-20 yards downfield, and this phenomenon has continued for the past 3 games. Needless to say, I've eaten my share of crow on this one - in addition to the crow I'd already eaten for drafting Larry Fitzgerald. So, consider me a convert. I really believe that starting Smith, and changing the OFF to more of a Smith-friendly shotgun spread look, has opened up the running lanes for Frank Gore because (a) the safeties have to actually worry about the deep pass now, and (b) increased use of the shotgun formation has eliminated Jimmy Raye telegraphing Gore's carries. Now if they could just get the whole "passing out of a passing formation" thing down, they'd be on their way to GoodOffenseLand.

I know I said I wasn't going to include any situational splits in this post, but it's relevant to ~~my friend's~~ my argument here to show the shotgun vs. non-shotgun splits through 9 games, and see how they compare with the same splits through 6 games:

% of Plays

in Shotgun

Rank

Shotgun

DVOA

Rank

Non-Shotgun

DVOA

Rank

Difference

Rank

37.1%

-2.1%

-17.7%

15.6%

With Smith at the helm, the 49ers' OFF has moved up 4 spots in the %-of-Plays-in-Shotgun rankings, going from 34.7% to 37.1%. Furthermore, compared to their stats after Week 7, their Shotgun DVOA is now 4.6% worse, their Non-Shotgun DVOA is now 1.6% worse, and their Shotgun-vs.-Non-Shotgun Difference is now 3.0% lower. Although it might seem counterintuitive, these stats actually reinforce my argument: The Niners' OFF has used the shotgun formation a lot more with Smith, which has made the overall OFF worse, but only because it's the run OFF (i.e., the part of the OFF weighed less heavily in DVOA), not the pass OFF, that has benefitted from more ~~cowbell~~ shotgun. In the comments section, let me know whether you agree or disagree. Circle gets the square.

DEFENSIVE RANKINGS - OVERALL

Here' how the defensive rankings look overall and by type of play (bold = top 8 in the NFL; italics = bottom 8):

DEF	Rank	Pass	Rank	Run	Rank	Variance	Rank
-13.0%	2	-7.2%	8	-20.4%	3	8.0%	24
DEF VOA	Rank	Pass VOA	Rank	Run VOA	Rank
-3.5%	11	9.6%	16	-20.4%	3

There are only a couple of bits of commentary required here. First, and most obviously, dang that Niner D is awesome!!!

Second, we can really see in this table how well the DEF has performed given the high caliber of opponents they've faced. Specifically, SOS has had a 9.5% effect on their DEF DVOA and a whopping 16.8% effect on their Pass DEF DVOA. Basically, the 49ers' DEF has played a killer schedule when it comes to defending the pass: their opponents' average Pass OFF DVOA this season is 20.6%, with an average ranking of 13th. Furthermore, they've played 4 teams (HOU, IND, Vikings, & ARI) that are in the top 8 in pass OFF efficiency, with an average Pass OFF DVOA of - totally not joking here - 46.6%!!!

My third comment has to do with the peculiar timing of the pass DEF's improvement. Basically, I have to wonder if it's a coincidence that, when compared to the first 6 games, the pass DEF has improved by 10.0% in the past 3 games, and that Nate Clements got injured in the Niners' 7th game. In other words, the pass DEF's improvement eerily coincides with Clements' being removed from the field. Now, I know it's way too simplistic to reduce the reasons for improvement down to only one thing, and I know my thinking is probably clouded by an ~~anti-Nate bias~~ over-reliance on statistical evidence, so I welcome your theories in the comments section.

Finally, looking at the table, dang that Niner D is awesome!!! Oh wait, I already said that.

SPECIAL TEAMS RANKINGS

Below are the Niners' ST DVOA stats broken down by unit:

ST	Rank	FG/XP	Rank	Kickoff	Rank	Punt	Rank
-0.9%	22	-1.2	20	-0.1	20	10.5	1
ST VOA	Rank			Kickoff Return	Rank	Punt Return	Rank
-0.6%	23			-4.1	24	-7.9	31

Since Week 7, the ST has improved slightly overall (+0.9%), and has improved a lot on kickoff coverage (+2.6 total points of field position). And, of course, Andy Lee - aka our hero - and company have retaken their rightful place as the best punt coverage unit in the NFL. However, a rash of missed FGs by Joe Nedney, a revolving door at kick returner, and having a punt returner that doesn't seem to want to actually, you know, return a punt, have all conspired to make the FG, kickoff return, and punt return units decline in recent weeks. I never thought I'd say this, but, I long for the days of Allen Rossum.

BOTTOM LINE

OK, so through 9 games, we can draw the following conclusions about the 2009 49ers:

Mediocrity still rules the day.
The biggest beneficiary of Smith's promotion seems to have been...Frank Gore.
Dang that Niner D is awesome!!!
The biggest side of effect of Clements getting hurt...improved pass defense.
The Niners have played a brutal schedule thus far, but their remaining schedule is a piece of cake.
Memo to Brandon Jones: You're back there to actually field and return punts, not watch them bounce and roll inside the 20.

Remember, game matchup post this Friday. ~~Argue with~~ Talk to you then.

*DVOA statistics used to produce this article were obtained from Football Outsiders.

Poll

Which of the following is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT reason for the Niners' improved pass defense over the past 3 games?

Nate Clements getting hurt

21 votes

The pass offenses they've faced (well, at least TEN & CHI)

115 votes

An improved pass rush (well, at least in terms of pressures)

82 votes

The promotion of Tarell Brown (which was before Clements' injury)

93 votes

The re-emergence of Mark Roman (whoever votes for this one, please see me in the comments section)

12 votes

Other (specify in the comments section)

9 votes

332 votes | Poll has closed

Cowboys at Green Bay Packers: 5 Questions With Blogging The Boys

Brandon — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:33 -0000

by Donna McWilliam - AP

2 months ago: Dallas Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin, left, cornerback Terence Newman (41), cornerback Mike Jenkins (21) and linebacker Bradie James (56) celebrate Newman's interception that he returned for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. The Cowboys won 21-7. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

View full size photo »

Blogging The Boys is one of the best NFL sites on SB Nation. I had the chance to ask their editor, David Halprin, 5 questions about the Cowboys. He did the same, and my answers are posted over at Blogging The Boys.

Brandon: I read a comment recently that the Cowboys pass defense has been playing better in recent weeks, but then I look back two weeks ago and saw that QB Matt Hasselbeck had a pretty good game against them. Are they having problems with their pass rush or pass coverage? Or have there been signs of improvement?

David: Hasselbeck didn’t have that good of a game. He threw for under 250 yards and had 2 TDs, but one of them was in garbage time after the outcome was pretty much decided. They also passed a lot because the running game was weak, so he had a lot of attempts but not a great yards per attempt average.

The pass defense has improved as the year has gone on, part of the reason is the pass rush has come on strong after a slow start. We sacked Hasselbeck three times and got McNabb three times, plus a whole lot of pressures. In addition, CB Mike Jenkins is really starting to play well, and having Gerald Sensabaugh back from injury helps solidify the safety position. After a very bad start on defense, the Cowboys have been steadily improving each week.

Brandon: What's the over/under on sacks of QB Aaron Rodgers? Who's do you expect to be lining up over the left tackle? (He should expect to have 2 to 5 sacks in this game).

David: I’ll let you guys set the over/under on sacking Rodgers, you have much more experience watching Green Bay’s offense. I will say the Cowboys have been getting a very good pass rush recently and sacks are a big part of the defensive game-plan. Wade Phillips is a "pressure" defensive coordinator. The Cowboys will flip-flop DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer depending on strong and weak-side formations, but sometimes if they find Ware is winning a particular battle consistently, they leave him in place. If LT is your weakness, then I’m sure the Cowboys will try to get Ware that matchup as often as possible.

Brandon: Patrick Crayton should have a good game returning punts against the Packers' awful punt and kick coverage, but how about Felix Jones? Will it be Jones having a big day on kick returns or will they hand those duties off to Kevin Ogletree?

David: We’ll have to see but it looks like the Cowboys want to get Kevin Ogletree involved more. Last week we saw him catching a few screens and other short patterns and this week, he and Tashard Choice might be the guys on kick returns. At this point were not sure.

Brandon: In the last two weeks, the Packers have allowed 5 TD passes in the red zone. Who is the Cowboys best receiving option in the red zone?

David: Before the emergence of Miles Austin, a lot of the Cowboys TDs were coming by way of the running backs. A lot of the time on the ground. The Cowboys modus operandi seems to be spread the ball around and hit big plays in the passing game for TDs, but when in close try to use the backs and the offensive line’s size. So really, there isn’t a top target in the redzone. Miles Austin has the bulk of the receiving TDs, but a lot of his scores have come from long-range.

Brandon: It appears that Andre Gurode and Ken Hamlin will play on Sunday. Are there any other notable injuries? Or anyone else playing through them?

David: Right now, the only guy not expected to play is return-specialist Allen Rossum, who we signed mid-season but immediately got injured and has been out for a few weeks. Other than that, we’re pretty healthy.

Friday Injury Report: Cowboys at Green Bay Packers

Brandon — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:00:31 -0000

It's a long injury report for the Green Bay Packers. Despite the fact the Cowboys have 5 starters on their injury report, all of them are expected to play. Only ex-Packer KR Allen Rossum is out.

The Packers have 4 players out, including starters LB Aaron Kampman and RT Mark Tauscher. I'm not a fan of LB Brady Poppinga, but he's out too. Also, TE Jermichael Finley will miss his 3rd game in a row.

The good news is that the other 10 players on the injury report should all play. LB Brandon Chillar underwent hand surgery a couple weeks ago for a broken hand, but Mike McCarthy said Chillar will play with a club on his hand. It's unknown whether Chillar will replace LB A.J. Hawk or just play part of the game.

With Kampman and Tauscher out, rookie OL T.J. Lang will move over from the left side and play for the first time this season at right tackle, and rookie LB Brad Jones should start on the left side. Some high praise from defensive coordinator Dom Capers, as he compared Jones to a young Chad Brown (both fellow Buffaloes).

Complete injury list after the jump.

Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Jake Allen	WR	Quadricep	Full Participation	Probable
Allen Barbre	T/G	Concussion	Full Participation	Probable
Brandon Chillar	LB	Hand	Limited Participation	Questionable
Chad Clifton	T	Not Inj. Related	Limited Participation	N/A
Jermichael Finley	TE	Knee	Did Not Participate	Out
Korey Hall	FB	Calf	Full Participation	Probable
Cullen Jenkins	DE	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Aaron Kampman	LB	Concussion	Did Not Participate	Out
Derrick Martin	S	Concussion	Full Participation	Probable
Jordy Nelson	WR	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Brady Poppinga	LB	Quadricep	Did Not Participate	Out
Aaron Rodgers	QB	Feet	Full Participation	Probable
Mark Tauscher	T	Knee	Did Not Participate	Out
Charles Woodson	CB	Hip	Full Participation	Probable