SB Nation - Tony Pashos

Random 49ers Roster Facts and Figures

Fooch — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:33:14 -0000

I'm sitting here in Seattle at Sea-Tac International Airport waiting for my shuttle bus and I thought I'd roll out a random post for you. Well first, normally I'm a fan of San Francisco International Airport. It's nice looking, easy to get to on BART, and all around an ok experience. My problem with them is their lack of Internet, or more specifically, FREE Internet. I don't travel a ton, but SFO is on a short list of airports without free wifi. The ones that do have it? Las Vegas, Portland, OR, Oakland (as I found out today) and Seattle (actually only free until January 15 in a holiday deal with Google, but it's free while I'm here, so there!). Anyways, SFO needs to get with the program. The good news is I've been able to get some posts schedule in case I have any Internet issues over Thanksgiving.

For now though, I was putting together the Prospector's Guide for tomorrow, which is culled from the weekly game release the 49ers send out. It includes a whole bunch of random information on every random topic you can imagine. I might try to upload them to the site at some point for folks to check out if they're bored. But I noticed something today I had missed in the past. A small little part with roster facts and figures. I know some folks like to blow friends away (or possibly scare them) with their amazing 49ers knowledge. So, here are some random facts and figures about your 2009 San Francisco 49ers.

Oldest 49ers player: K Joe Nedney, 36, Born 3/22/73

Youngest 49ers player: QB Nate Davis, 22, Born 5/5/87

Most seasons as a 49er: LB Jeff Ulbrich (IR), TE/LS Brian Jennings - 10

Most NFL seasons: WR Isaac Bruce – 16th

Most Consecutive starts: 133, DE Justin Smith

Most Consecutive Games Played: 133, DE Justin Smith

Most Playoff Experience: 9 games, WR Isaac Bruce and S Michael Lewis

Heaviest 49er: G David Baas, DE/DT Isaac Sopoaga– 330 lbs.

Tallest 49er: T Adam Snyder, T Tony Pashos (IR) - 6-6

Shortest 49er: RB Frank Gore – 5-9

Former 1st round draft picks: 10 – DE Kentwan Balmer, CB Nate Clements, WR Michael Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis, LB Manny Lawson, QB Alex Smith, DE Justin Smith, LB Takeo Spikes, T Joe Staley and LB Patrick Willis

Pro Bowlers: 9, CB Dre’ Bly, WR Isaac Bruce, CB Nate Clements, RB Frank Gore, TE/LS Brian Jennings, P Andy Lee, S Michael Lewis, LB Takeo Spikes and LB Patrick Willis

Coaches who played in the NFL: Mike Singletary, Greg Manusky, Mike Johnson, Vance Joseph, Johnnie Lynn, Tom Rathman

The 49ers RT: Niners Nation looking into the Future

Andrew Davidson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:03:54 -0000

Quick Note: I wrote this article prior to this past weekend's heart breaking loss to the Titans. The fact that we are 3-5 doesn't mean we should give up on the season, and focus on the offseason, I just wanted to get some names out there that we can track through out the remainder of the season.

Things can't get much worse (at RT) in Ninerland with Tony Pashos being out for the season. While Pashos didn't get a lot of time to get comfortable in the offense, it leaves the 49ers with plenty of problems heading forward at the RT position. We get to see just how good Adam Snyder can be in an everyday role from here on out, without someone breathing down his neck for playing time. You can thank Joe Staley's injury for that, as Barry Sims is our starting LT. I'd be much happier discussing the notion of Sims and Snyder rotating at RT than having both guys as our starting OTs. The team may get a chance to see what Alex Boone has, but I think long term wise, Boone is depth at OL and not a future starter.

With two drafts picks in the 2010 first round, the 49ers will likely have a chance to land one of the better OTs in the class. On top of that, there are three potential free agents at RT that could interest the 49ers. It depends on how much of a splash the 49ers want to make, and how well the players will perform through out the remainder of the season. I'm going to take a look at those 3 free agent possibilities, and also run down the Top 6 OT prospects. Also, if you haven't checked out Drew K's fanpost, do so, because he's got the entire draft class ranked. While it may be too early for some to start thinking about next year's draft, it's never too early to track the talent of future 49ers.

I'll be following the three potential Free Agent RTs, as well as the top 6 OT prospects, but I encourage you to do the same. I'm also curious to know if Niners Nation would rather see the team draft the "Right Tackle Of The Future" or sign him via free agency. Again, we've got two first rounders, and I'd love to see an edge rusher come out of that round, but I'll never be unhappy when the team finally decides to spend a draft pick to bolster our LOLine. Spending money on a RT is risky, and there's only one guy I'd really love to see the team sign - in other words, if they don't get him, I'd rather they go address it in the draft.

After the jump Atlanta's Tyson Clabo, Tampa Bay's Jeremy Trueblood and Philadelphia's Winston Justice, followed by a rundown of some of the offensive tackle draft prospects...

Football Outsiders Note:

Adjusted Line Yards (ALY): Statistic which attempts to, even to a small extent, separate the ability of a running back from the ability of the offensive line. Adjusted Line Yards begin as a measure of average rushing yards per play by running backs only, adjusted in the following way:

0-4 yards: 100% strength

5-10 yards: 50% strength

11+ yards: not included

runs for a loss: 120% strength

Each play is also adjusted based on game situation as well as quality of opponents faced. Adjusted Line Yards can be listed as total or broken down by direction to attempt to isolate ability of specific linemen. [The full explanation is here at FO]

The Free Agent Right Tackles

1. Tyson Clabo, RT, Atlanta Falcons - I wasn't too vocal about it this past offseason, but I wanted Clabo to sign with the 49ers badly. Clabo was a Restricted Free Agent, and I would've been more than happy to see the 49ers give up a draft pick to get a beast RT like Clabo. In Atlanta's power run game offense, this guy is a mauling run blocker and started all 16 games in 2008. Clabo took the job over 5 games into the 2007 season and has 34 career starts at RT after Week 8. On to some rushing stats...

The Falcons run 24% of their run plays to the right side, in Clabo's direction (RT - 13%, RE - 11%). Atlanta's Adjusted Line Yards on the runs to the RT are 4.4 (12th in the NFL); the runs to the RE are 5.66 (4th in the NFL). On the left side of the line (which they run a total of 26%), the LT (15%) averages 3.52 (20th) while the LE (11%) averages 5.35 (7th). In english, The Falcons have greater success running at the right side despite the similar frequency in plays run compared to the left side. The success of runs to LE & RE are a testament to how well the Guards can pull, and how well the Tight Ends can block.

Atlanta also has an 82% power success (3rd) and just a 17% stuffed rate (6th); they have a low 19% 10+ yards plays. This trend indicates that the Falcons rely on their Offensive Line to get the running game going, and don't depend on the RBs to break off bigs to help boster the rush attack. For example, the 49ers have a 37% 10+ yards rate proving that our LOLine is banking on Gore to rip off the runs. In conclusion, the Falcons have a dominant O-Line and the better part of that dominance is in Clabo's direction. While Atlanta is just 17th in the NFL in rush yards per game, it's not because the big RT isn't doing his job.

Bottom Line: Tyson Clabo is a beast and would be a great RTOTF for this franchise. Back a dump truck up to his house in the offseason and pay the guy. Atlanta would be wise to extend this player before the 2010 FA period begins, let's hope they do not. Age: 28, Height: 6'6, Weight: 314

2. Jeremy Trueblood, RT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - What can I say about Trueblood, who seems to be an underrated RT on an otherwise terrible Buccaneers football team. The Tampa Bay big fella started all 16 games in both 2007 and 2008, and 13 in his 2006 rookie season. His total games started at RT after week 8 now sit at 52, and he's two years younger than Clabo. Trueblood is schedule to be an Unrestricted Free Agent should the Bucs not sign him before the FA period begins in 2010. Let's look at Trueblood's juicy stats...

Tampa runs 20% of their rush attempts to the right side in Trueblood's direction (10% RT, 10% RE). The Bucs have the 4th ranked ALY at RT averaging 5.18, while averaging 1.74 at RE (ranked 30th). To the left side of the line, Tampa Bay runs 19% (11% LT, 8% LE) and has the best ALY to LT at 5.78, but the 30th to LE at 2.69. Despite having the 24th ranked rush offense in yards per game, Tampa has great success running at the tackles, but also lacks the help of a solid blocking Tight End (see: Kellen Winslow).

The Buccaneers do not boast a high power success rate, sitting 22nd in the league at 60%. Their 20% rate of 10+ yard plays has them ranked 12th while a 24% stuffed rate is "good" for 28th in the league. There aren't exact numbers to back up this claim, but the fact that Tampa Bay has the 31st ALY (3.03) in the Middle/Guard direction leads me to believe most of the stuffs aren't coming at the RT or LT's expense. I'm concluding that the Buccaneers are solid at the tackle positions, but need improvement in the interior line (and Kellen Winslow stinks at blocking). In other words, Jeremy Trueblood is worth looking at come FA time in 2010, and certainly worth tracking the rest of way in 2009.

Bottom Line: If/when the Falcons re-up with Clabo, I would have no complaints about seeing Jeremy Trueblood join the 49ers O-Line in 2010. He's durable, he's reliable, and he's huge. I may actually endorse this signing more than Clabo based on contract value, but Clabo is such a mean, angry, mauling beast. Age: 25, Height: 6'8, Weight: 320

3. Winston Justice, RT, Philadelphia Eagles - Justice is on this list because of his smooth transition from LT to RT in 2009. For the better part of 2007 and 2008, Justice was an ineffective LT on the verge of being labelled a bust. The Eagles 2006 draft missed his entire rookie season and never got acclimated to the position as a pro. Enter 2009, where Justice has emerged as a pleasant surpise starting all 7 games at RT for the Eagles. By all appearances, Justice looks the part of an NFL-caliber starting RT. The reflection of Justice in statistics...

Perhaps Justice has been pleasing the Eagles because they only run plays to RT at 7%, but the team runs to RE at 21%; that's 28% that the Eagles team is running in Justice's direction. Comparatively, Philadelpha runs to the left side 28%, the difference being 14% at LT, and 14% at LE. In terms of Adjusted Line Yards, the Eagles are fairly mediocre with a 3.61 average running towards RT (26th), and 3.7 at RE (18th). Plays directed towars the LT are much more effective at 4.61, good for 5th in the league; Philly's LE rate is middle of the pack, averaging 4.08 (16th). Winston Justice isn't the best lineman on the team, but he's certainly not terrible.

The Eagles have the 14th ranked rushing attack in the NFL averaging 115.4 yards per game, quite impressive considering the nagging injury problems that plague Brian Westbrook. Even more impressive is Philadelphia's 83% power success (2nd in the league) combined with a 24% runs of 10+ yards (7th in the league). The Eagles also have the league's 2nd ranked stuffed percentage, which is pretty stellar 14%. While Justice's numbers aren't quite as impressive, it definitely shows that the team's O-Line is successful as whole, thanks in part to Justice's play at RT. If it came down to Justice being a targeted FA acquisition, it would mean both Clabo and Trueblood are off the market.

Bottom Line: If does come down to Justice as a FA target, I think I'd rather have the team address RT in the draft. Not that Justice's play isn't impressive, his 7 total starts at RT (and likely 16 by year's end) don't justify a big FA deal in my opinion. Age: 24, Height: 6'6, Weight: 320

Note: All RB % and ALY stats provided by FootballOutsiders.com; All games started data provided by PFR & CBS; All Team Rushing Date provided by TeamRankings.com; All stats are based on statistics prior to this past weekends games.

The Offensive Tackle Draft Prospects

Note: All due respect to the potential underclassmen, but for the purposes in this list, I'm going with strictly seniors who will be in the 2010 draft undoubtedly. My apologies to Bruce Campbell (Maryland), Bryan Bulaga (Iowa), and Anthony Davis (Rutgers). Click on Scouting Report to get a deeper look at each prospect.

1. Russell Okung, Oklahoma State, Scouting Report - Projected Pick*: Top 5, Projected 40yd Dash*: 5.22, Height*: 6'5 Weight*: 305

The Rundown: Starting LT for the OSU Cowboys, and arguably the top OT prospect in the draft. Some underclassmen could dethrone Okung, but it's likely that the first OL off the board in 2010 will be Okung. The Cowboys have rushed for 20 TDs this season, and QB Zac Robinson has been sacked just 5 times in 228 pass attempts (through 9 games). Texas fans may scream about Okung being a cheapshot artist, but check this video out and see him simply toss Freshman Alex Okafor to the turf (before he takes a crack at Keenan Robinson). Doesn't every lineman need a nasty streak? Yep. The 49ers will likely have to trade up in the draft to get Okung, and Staley would have to move back to RT in such a scenario. Since Okung has very few flaws in his game, the Niners would possibly have to acquire the Number 1 selection (and his talents are much deserving of that slot).

2. Charles Brown, Southern California, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Top 20, Projected 40yd Dash: 5.06, Height: 6'6 Weight: 296

The Rundown: Another LT prospect, Brown is the starter for the USC Trojans. I think the idea that Brown is a Top 20 pick is certainly debatable, but not far-fetched either. He'll likely have to bulk up when he makes the transition to the pro game as he may be too "svelt" to be an NFL-caliber LT. The Trojans QBs have been sacked 11 times in 225 pass attempts, while the team has rushed for 18 TDs (through 8 games). I found this video on Youtube, that takes a glimpse into Brown's HS coach and the relationship they developed. To say the very least, Brown seems like a professional and off the field issues seem highly unlikely. I can definitely see the 49ers selecting Brown in the late teens, early twenties in the draft, and asking him to make the switch to RT at the next level.

3. Trent Williams, Oklahoma, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Round 1-2, Projected 40yd Dash: 5.27, Height: 6'5 Weight: 315

The Rundown: While Williams is the starting LT for Oklahoma, it's very likely he'll be a RT for which ever NFL team drafts him. The Sooner had an extremely productive 2008 season, but opted to remain in college for his senior season. In 2008, Williams played RT, which will help him if he has to make the switch back in the pros. The Sooners on the season have rushed for 12 TDs and allowed 7 sacks in 298 pass attempts (through 8 games). One knock on Williams is that he doesn't have enough nastiness when run blocking, which hopefully can be addressed by pro coaches. It's likely that the 49ers would have to reach for Williams in round 1, and not be high enough in Round 2 to have a shot at him (well assuming the 49ers don't fudge the mattress the rest of the way).

4. Ciron Black, Lousiania State, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Round 2, Projected 40yd Dash: 5.27, Height: 6'5, Weight: 320

The Rundown: Black is the starting LT for the LSU Tigers, but is another prospect that will likely end up as RT in the NFL. He also has the versatility to play guard, which will make him no worse than a second round draft choice in my opinion. Black is a powerful run blocker, but struggles in pass protection at times (sounds like he'll fit right in). The Tigers have allowed QB Jordan Jefferson to be sacked 23 times in 210 pass attempts, and have 12 Rush TDs in nine games thus far. After passing up on Phil Loadholt last year, I'll find it hard to agree with the 49ers passing on Black if he's available when the Niners are on the clock in Round 2. While I love the extra 2010 first rounder, it's time to address RT before the 2011 offseason.

5. Jason Fox, Miami, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Round 2, Projected 40yd Dash: 5.10, Height: 6'6, Weight: 310

The Rundown: Ok, so the trend stops from being college LT = NFL RT in this case, as Fox is the starting LT for the Hurricanes, and projects as an NFL LT. In fact, Fox has been Miami's starting Left Tackle since his freshman season. Miami's QB Jacory Harris has been sacked 25 times in 264 pass attempts through nine games, and the team has rushed for 15 TDs. Since Fox is likely to be an NFL LT, it would be hard to see the 49ers take him. Should Black be off the board in Round 2, but Fox is ripe for the picking, it would be wise at that point for the 49ers to entertain trade offers. That is, unless the team was absolutely comfortable having Joe Staley move back to RT in order to shift a second round rookie in the starting LT role.

6. Selvish Capers, West Virginia, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Round 3-4, Projected 40yd Dash: 4.91, Height: 6'6, Weight: 289

The Rundown: Capers is the Mountaineers starting RT, while some scouts envision him as a possible NFL LT. By the time he's drafted and ready to suit up, it's likely he'll remain in his natural position. However, should a team be able to land him in round 4, it's easily a possibility that an NFL team try and convert Capers to LT. The West Virginia spread offense has seen QBs sacked 12 times in 251 pass attempts, while plundering opponents with 21 rushing TDs (9 games). If the Niners haven't addressed offensive tackle by round 3, they'd jump on Capers if he's available, and not bank on him slipping to Round 4. I don't think I can stress enough how important it will be for the team to get a RTOTF before the start of the 2010 season. And for fun (since I couldn't find any other videos), Capers waves a pretty mean flag.

* - projected data provided by WalterFootball.com (as of Oct. 24, 2009); NCAA team stats courtesy of Yahoo!; NOTE: The USC and Oklahoma games were not completed while this article was written.

That wraps up my first take on the 2010 offseason prospects at Right Tackle. While I'd certainly be happy with Tyson Clabo or Jeremy Trueblood coming over via free agency, it could be wiser to have the team draft it's big grinder. I'm wondering what Niners Nation thinks, should we sign a RT or draft a RT? Certainly we need a RT for 2010, there's no denying that (unless your Kool-Aid has cyanide in it).

49ers-Titans Thursday Injury Report and coordinator transcripts

Fooch — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:23:59 -0000

The only significant change today was that Jevon Kearse did not practice. He's been banged up and relatively ineffective this season (minus a sack in the opener), so we'll see if we see him on Sunday.

After the jump we've got the Thursday transcripts from Greg Manusky and Jimmy Raye.

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)
DE Demetric Evans (shoulder)
OT Joe Staley (knee)

Did not Participate in Practice
DT Aubrayo Franklin (not injury related)
LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder)

Full Participation in Practice
SS Reggie Smith (groin)

Titans
Did not Participate in Practice
OT Mike Otto (knee)
RB Javon Ringer (back)
DE Jevon Kearse (knee)

Limited Participation in Practice
S Vincent Fuller (groin)
CB Nicholas Harper (forearm)
OT David Stewart (hamstring)
LB David Thornton (hip)

After the jump we've got post-practice transcripts for both coordinators.

Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky
Post-Walk-Thru November 5, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On what worked well against the Colts:

"I think it was the d-line and the linebackers and secondary working together. They were pretty focused all week on the calls we had, even in the no-huddle situation and the muddle-huddle. We repped that in practice pretty much the whole week and they were concentrating and they did a good job."

On whether he can use aspects of the Indianapolis game plan in the future:

"I think every time you play a different opponent, you take it for what it is worth. If you can pull some things from one team, then yeah. If you can't, then that is what is it is usually from week to week."

On the communication in Indianapolis:

"[QB] Peyton [Manning] got us one time substituting in there, and we kind of knew that going into the game - that he has chances to get the guys running off the field and running on. He got us one time but we're always trying to get the communication down the best we can from week to week from the coaches to the players and then the players to the other players. But it worked out OK last week."

On why they have done so well defending the run:

"I think it is mostly the d-line guys and the linebackers working together, spending the extra time in the meeting rooms and going through the stuff, along with [defensive line coach] Jim Tomsula and [outside linebackers coach] Jason Tarver and [inside linebackers coach] Vantz Singletary working hard to get those guys ready to play each and every week."

On Titans RB Chris Johnson:

"A talented back, he has great speed, he has great vision. He sees the things and can react fast. He breaks a lot of tackles. He is a very good back, he is explosive. He sees the hole and he can strike and run."

On Johnson's assets:

"Body-frame wise, he is an elite back that has a lot of capabilities to break tackles and hit it fast. We have to bottle him up as much as we can. I doesn't matter if it is first, second or third down because he is an explosive player."

On whether Johnson is like Vikings RB Adrian Peterson:

"Yeah, I think he has great sight lines and good vision. He can plant, stick and drive. He takes it and sees the hole. He is an elite back in the league."

On whether the team is aware that Johnson said he wants to rush for 2,000 yards this season:

"I don't want him to get 2,000 yards against us."

On whether the good performance of the secondary last week was set up by stopping the run:

"We knew going in that he was going to get yardage. It's not like you are going to go into Indy and stop Peyton cold. We knew we were going to give up some of the plays that we did, but we kept on rallying. We stuck to it and the plan seemed to work pretty well. We could have defended some other things a little bit better, but that is what we tried to do."

On preparing for a mobile quarterback like Vince Young:

"He has a very good arm and he can also run the ball. You have to get around him, you have to swarm him, and you have to plaster your receivers on the backend. It is just a different threat. It is another threat when he has the ball in his hands, so we have to take him away as well."

On whether LB Patrick Willis will spend time matched up on Young:

"Yeah, you try to get your best athletes out on the field and have them matched up on certain guys. That is what you kind of want to do."

On whether he has looked at Young's game film from 2007:

"You look a little bit at it and see things that he has done in the past, of course, just like any player that is new. You try to take a look at him and see what he does."

On whether he plans to mix DTs Kentwan Balmer and Ricky Jean Francois into the rotation:

"Ricky and Kentwan, or probably Ricky, will be up. Kentwan will be getting a little more reps. We just want to rotate the best we can inside to keep the guys fresh. That is what Jim Tomsula and myself are trying to do each and every week."

On the play of Balmer:

"Doing well, he is doing well. He is progressing. He keeps on getting better and better each week and we are trying to get him more and more playing time and as many snaps as we can."

On whether Balmer isn't playing much because the starters are playing so well:

"Yeah, I think it is a great competition up front. I think when you always have that competition it is the best thing going into a season."

On CB Tarell Brown's game against the Colts:

"T. Brown played pretty good. It was his first start of the year and he performed well. I'm expecting big things from him now that [CB] Nate [Clements] is down right now. He will pick up his performance each and every week and get better at it."

On how Brown is different than Clements:

"I'm not going to compare guys, but T. Brown has the nod now and I expect big things from him."

On why LB Parys Haralson's sack total is down this year:

"I think the quality of quarterbacks we have played the last couple of weeks and the quick release of the quarterback, getting the ball out, is also a factor. But from our standpoint, I don't know any numbers from any other outside linebackers in the league, Parys is consistently doing what we ask him to do. At times, other guys get chances to get sacks because of what he is doing, so that is a good thing."

Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye
Post-Walk-Thru - November 5, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the amount of confidence that he has in T Barry Sims being inserted into the starting lineup:

"I better have a lot. Barry is a pro, we've had previous history together over across the other side of the bay. I'm confident that he'll go in and give us his best effort and I think that his best effort will be good enough for us to do what we need to do."

On the progression of the teams run blocking:

"It's coming along, but as we start to make progress then we get another hiccup, and there is no way to anticipate or expect on the first play of the game that you lose your starting left tackle, so the continuity thing has been slow. So, we're managing and it's slowly getting better because if we can get the guy that we've got to the second level, he can go home with the ball. It's encouraging. It hasn't been as fast as we'd like, but it's getting better."

On whether the offense leaves a defender unblocked too many times:

"I don't think so. I think that it's hard to judge when you only have 18 rushing attempts. I wouldn't evaluate the running game on unblocked guys, on 18 rushing attempts when our lead ball carrier got 13 rushes in the game. What happened last Sunday, I was fine with. I thought that we ran for 118 yards or so, but one of those was a break out of 64 yards which [RB Frank Gore] is capable of doing. I wouldn't put a negative on it based on the number of rushing attempts that they had and the opportunities to get in the game."

On whether he's seen a running back with a disparity of yards gained and attempts like RB Frank Gore throughout his career:

"No, I haven't really. The only two other guys that I recall having a bunch long runs had different styles. [RB] Earl Campbell was a ricochet runner who made long runs, but his yards after contact, where most guys would go down, he made more yards on runs that would've been two or three yard runs because of his size. [RB] Eric Dickerson was a homerun hitting guy, but very seldom did he have negative runs on one of the best lines in Ram history. When those two guys come to mind, and Earl because of his ability to gain yards after the contact, he didn't have as many negatives but a normal guy would have, along with the long ones that he had."

On whether he feels comfortable with the offensive personnel going into shotgun and spread formations in a game through the latter part of this season:

"No, not at all. We're the same bunch that four weeks ago, were talking about how we were going to play. We haven't changed that. If that was in fact true that we were going to take this deal and flip it 360, and all of a sudden become a shotgun and wide open, and throw the ball 48 or 52 times a game, then we would have to do an awful lot of changing. We could mix that, which we have and intend to do. But as a steady diet of that, I think that the confusion that people look at the extremities of what they perceive to be the talent at the extremities and make a judgment that is not founded or even grounded at all. The quarterback has played six quarters to date and people are now starting to refer to his history and his offense in college which is five years removed. Right now, I don't delight in that prospect. Going forward, if it manifests itself into something that will help us, we will gravitate toward that. But as of now the answer to that question would be no."

On whether the additions of QB Alex Smith and WR Michael Crabtree to the starting lineup leads him to look at the options of using elements of a spread offense:

"Yes, we would think of that a little bit more. It is difficult because we're still into certain things - trying to get him to line up in the right place. There are more elements to it than just the physical body of the people that we have. There are a lot things that go into that before we say, ‘okay, we're going to switch gears and go in another direction.' We can gravitate toward that in a plan and make due because of what we see out his natural ability. But, nuances and the fine tuning of all that still takes some time in the process and then there is the exposure of the offensive line. When you take away the run threat and you're trying to block [DE] Dwight Freeney every down and your left tackle is hurt on the first play, you've got to reevaluate what you're trying to do."

On whether WR Brandon Jones is part of the evolution of his offensive scheme and will see more playing time as the season goes on:

"I don't know what evolution that you're referring to, but Brandon is in the mix of guys, from a perimeter standpoint, that we would like to get snaps. As we go forward with the four or five guys that we have, if he brings an added dimension that would help us, if that's what you're referring to from the evolution standpoint, then he would be considered in the mix."

On whether it is easier for the team to run out of 11 or 12 personnel:

"The element of the 12 personnel and the 11 personnel, it doesn't lock the box in some cases. But there aren't many defensive coaches we face, where if we eliminate the lead blocker, where we have seven they have eight, so if we go to six they have seven. So you still have the same problem. They are not going to let you outnumber them in the box. They know full-well also, if you go to a spread deal and eliminate the fullback and go to a wide receiver to try to get them into a box-count you can block with the five you have and turn somebody loose. If you go to an empty or spread look, they are going to add one on. So the numbers are the same, except you don't have a lead blocker and you are in a two-for-one situation where if you don't have enough hats to account for the people in the box, if you run back and you have five blockers and the ball carrier, they are going to have six. Or if you have seven, they are going to have eight. We are not a stretch zone team, that's not what our guy does. We are not an outside stretch zone team and run away from the overhang of the last player. We would have to make another transformation in order to do what perceptively everybody thinks we should be doing."

On whether the offense is executing the way he wants it to:

"In some areas, yes. Basically offensively, what we would like to do is we try to strive and achieve balance to be able to score points. We haven't done that in any abundance. We have been efficient in certain areas of it. We do a very good job with the stuff we have in the red zone. We haven't had the consistency in the run or the pass that we would like, but the pass part of it has appeared to be better with the change and the addition of the people we have. So, I guess the answer would be yes and no. But there are some things we do pretty well."

On what needs to improve in the run game:

"The efficiency of four-yard runs on first down. That coupled with the fact that we get an overloaded box, as was mentioned before, when we are in a 21 personnel group, we see more gap control and more eight-man fronts than we would normally like to see. When we started back then, we were more interested in the quantity of runs rather than quality because we were trying to control the clock and put it together and win in the fourth quarter. Somewhere along the way in the last two and a half weeks, that has kind of gotten lost."

On the lack of consistency on first down:

"If you want to go back chronologically, part of it, we changed the right side of the line. Part of it, we lose the back for a while. There are all kinds of symptoms as to why it is. The basic answer would be the lack of continuity and familiarity and a consistent approach with the same people who are getting comfortable playing with each other, more than anything I think."

On whether the pieces are still there to execute his offense:

"It's not the same pieces, but we have people in place. We lost [T] Tony Pashos, and then we turn around a week later and lose [T] Joe Staley, so there are some differences. I'm not using an alibi or making excuses, but this is different than what we started with over in Arizona six, seven weeks ago."

On what needs to be changed for the offense to run like he wants:

"I don't think you can talk to any, maybe other than [Saints coach] Sean Payton, any offensive coach in the league, but you never really hit that mark that you are looking for and become a juggernaut. What we need to do is continue to improve in the areas that we are lacking in the run and the pass and the pass protection. Hopefully, we can get to the place where when we possess the ball, we have a minimum of seven plays every drive. So, you get a first down every time you get the ball before you have to punt the ball. Then, the better you are on third down, the more opportunities you give yourself and the run quantity increases because you have more opportunities. But when you only have 56 snaps in the game, like we did last week, it is kind of difficult."

Mike Singletary press conference: Injury updates

Fooch — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:02:18 -0000

Mike Singletary conducted his weekly Monday morning press conference earlier today. After the jump I've posted the transcript. The injury information is probably the bigger info. As was indicated, Nate Clements and Joe Staley are both expected back at some point this season. Staley has a sprained knee that apparently is NOT an ACL tear, so he should be back sooner rather than later. When we get a better idea of things we'll get info up.

As for Clements, it's possible his injury is similar to that of Brandon Jones, as opposed to the broken scapula of Tony Pashos. Jones missed a month and a half, although his timing was worse because of training camp. If Clements could in fact rehab this injury in-season, he seems to be in a better position to get back on the field and make a legitimate contribution (instead of fielding a punt at the 5-yard line!). Singletary indicated they would want Clements back in time for the playoffs, so it's also possible this is longer term than Jones' injury, but shorter than Pashos. Either way, Singletary was quick to say he thinks Tarell Brown is ready to start.

The other big discussion was of course around the offense. Someone pointed this comment out, and I thought it was worth pulling out:

There's not one iota that I'm wavering here or there, whatever. Jimmy knows there are some things going forward that he has to learn about our players, what they can and cannot do. At the same time, look at our plan in terms of, ‘This is who we are as an offense.' It's a work in progress and we just need to keep moving forward, keep getting there.

There's one other comment I wanted to get some thoughts on. Singletary was asked about the offensive line and he specifically complimented the right side of the line. I'm curious what people thought overall. I know there were a variety of comments about the o-line, but I suppose we could focus them in here. Smith faced a decent amount of pressure, but he also was able to expand the pocket a bit and buy some time. Maybe that makes the line look a bit better, I don't know.

After the jump is the complete transcript...

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Press Conference - November 2, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Hello ladies and gentlemen. To start with, we have [T] Joe Staley, sprained knee. We will know more about that later on today. [CB] Nate Clements, fractured scapula. We will have to learn more about that toward the end of the day. [DT] Demetric Evans, that is a shoulder, a sprained shoulder. We will see more about that as well as we go on today. Anything other than that - obviously it was a tough game. We felt that was a game we had prepared to go on the road in a tough environment and come away with, obviously did not. It is more the things we did than the things they did, which is what we talked about. We had to execute. There were too many things that happened during the game. The penalties, you can't do that on the road. It's just not being smart. The thing with [WR] Josh [Morgan] in the end zone, I didn't know about. I saw the touchdown, I saw [TE] Vernon [Davis] doing something and I walked and turned and started talking about something else. Next thing I knew there was a penalty and I said, ‘Wait a minute, you have to be kidding me.' But, I didn't see all the others taking pictures and all that. That's just not very smart. So that's on us, that's on me. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't see, I probably would have overreacted or something. That is just something we can't do. Yesterday was a classic case of an immature team shooting themselves in the foot. We are a good football team, it is those games - and we have had two for sure, three, but I really don't count that last week - it is just one of those things when you are playing those kinds of games, those teams have experience, those teams know where they are going, they know exactly what the heck they are doing and they are executing. We have to get to that point and we will. We will because where we want to go, we have to. It is a simple as that. I will open it up for questions."

On whether his familiarity with broken scapulas helps him guess how long Clements will be out:

"You know what, the only thing I can say about that is everybody is different in their healing process. [WR] Brandon Jones actually came back a little quicker. He came back maybe in six weeks, something like that. He was probably really ready in five. Everybody is different, everybody heals different. The crack could be one degree or another and I really don't know enough about it to answer that question intelligently, so I am going to stay away from it. I don't know. We will just have to wait and see."

On whether he still expects to make the playoffs:

"Absolutely."

On how much it would help if Clements is around while he is injured:

"We will not put him on IR. We will not do that because, Lord's will, if we are in the playoffs I want him to play. He has earned the right to play."

On whether CB Tarell Brown is ready to become a starter:

"Oh yeah, he is ready. He is ready."

On whether he thinks he should have opened up the playbook more:

"Obviously when you look at the game, or when you look at any game, and I'm being very honest about it, I'm not trying to be funny, you can go back and say, "Maybe we should have done this, maybe we should have done that.' But when we looked at our game plan going into the game, once again there were some things execution-wise that did not take place and didn't happen. When you are dealing with a quarterback making the first start of the season, when you are dealing with a wide out that is going to be a great wide out at some point in time that maybe every now and then has a mishap here and there, when you are dealing with an offensive line still trying to gain continuity, that whole thing, when you are dealing with a new coordinator - we are still coming together. It's not quite halfway through the season yet, but hopefully here real soon, those things, we will get a handle on it. We are not there yet, obviously. You saw it yesterday. It is too easy to sit back and say, ‘Well man, the answer was: just go ahead and put him in the spread and let him go.' It's not as simple as that. I'm sure people are talking and I'm sure everybody has a bit of advice here and there. But at the end of the day, I think the most important thing is we know where we want to go, we know what we have to do in order to get there and I know yesterday was frustrating. It is frustrating for us as coaches. It is frustrating because the execution just was not there. When you start looking, not only was the execution not there, some of the little penalties, some of the little setbacks here and there, it's a frustrating thing. You think it is frustrating for you to watch? Try being a coach and coaching it. It is very, very frustrating. But at the same time, I am very confident. Yesterday's game, okay, we lost a game. But at the same time we know why we lost the game. We're not sitting here talking about guys moping and complaining. We don't have those issues. We are not complaining about guys not hustling, not giving 100-percent effort. We don't have those kind of problems. We have problems, not problems, issues, where guys want to do it and they want to be there, but it takes time. It takes a little bit of time when you have that quarterback and you put him in there for the first time. Continuity means something and we just have to get there."

On the criticism that offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye is getting and whether he supports him:

"I 150-percent back what he's doing, absolutely. There's not one iota that I'm wavering here or there, whatever. Jimmy knows there are some things going forward that he has to learn about our players, what they can and cannot do. At the same time, look at our plan in terms of, ‘This is who we are as an offense.' It's a work in progress and we just need to keep moving forward, keep getting there. I do believe that we got better yesterday in certain areas. I think when our players look at the film, they will be very frustrated themselves because it is everything about what we did. The reason that we didn't win that game was because the San Francisco 49ers, we shot ourselves in the foot. It had very little to do with the Indianapolis Colts. And when our team, being as young as they are, when they look at that, they are going to be frustrated walking away from it and come back and be man enough and be the team that has character enough to say, ‘Okay, that's enough of that. At some point in time you just get, ‘Okay, that's enough of that, let's go. Enough of this, enough of that, let's go.' Hopefully, we are at that point right now, where we are ready to take that step and eliminate the foolish plays. Hopefully we are ready to step into the next realm. If we want to be a playoff team, which we do, if we want to be that team, then okay, it's on us. It's not the other team. It's us, so we have to make that decision to make sure that we do everything that we can as players and coaches to say that's it, let's go, let's play the game, let's execute, let's win."

On whether they talked about running spread formations in the second half more and why they didn't use it:

"I think there were a number of reasons. The first reason is when you go into a game with a game plan and I think obviously in two minute situations, some teams have a two-minute situation where it's a great two minutes whether it be [QB] Brett Favre, whether it be [QB] Peyton Manning or however the thing goes, but at the same time it's the amount of exposure that the coaches have had to [QB] Alex Smith. It's the amount of exposure that Alex Smith has had to the offense, leading the offense. You don't want to put him in a situation where, ‘Okay, is Alex really ready to do that?' You take a step back. ‘Is our offensive line really ready to do that?' Once you do that then there are some things that are not happening, which you say, ‘Well, maybe it's the core of your offense.' I think going forward, there's a trust issue there and there's also using wisdom and making sure that if we are going to put them in that situation, why are we putting them in that situation, when do we put them in that situation and is Alex really ready for that? Do we do something to hurt him? That's not something that I want to do. I think Alex, what he's doing right now, he's taken advantage of some opportunities that are there and we are finding out more and more, what routes he throws really well, what he feels really comfortable with. I think as we go along here in the next week or two, it gives us a better idea, when we see in practice, what he can and cannot do, what he really feels comfortable with. Sometimes a guy looks comfortable doing something and it looks so easy, but at the same time, we just want to make sure that this time around, we want to do everything that we can to put Alex in the best situation to be successful because it looks like he is developing very quickly into that quarterback that can be a special quarterback. We are excited about that. We are excited about what we are seeing, but at the same time, don't want to lose our minds. At the same time, we don't want to get greedy, but we want to make sure that he is playing his best football and we want to put him in the best situation to do that."

On his evaluation of Smith's game based on the film:

"I thought Alex did very well. I was very pleased to see him make some throws. I was very excited and anticipated this game for him because I knew the rush was going to be coming at him. I knew that it was just a situation where he wasn't going to sit back there and be comfortable and he got outside of the pocket a few times and he made some good decisions, made some really nice throws. Outside throws, up the field throws, post throws, I thought he made all the throws that he needed to make and he just needed to be more consistent. I thought he handled himself very well in pressure situations and I thought he did a good job."

On whether he was surprised at how much Indianapolis targeted [CB] Shawntae Spencer:

"Not really. I think in this situation, when I look at Shawntae, No. 85 [WR Pierre Garcon] was a guy that they've been going to more and more, becoming more and more a part of their offense and you look at the guy on the other side, [WR] Reggie Wayne. Reggie Wayne's been hurt a bit. He didn't practice a whole lot last week. So I think you are going to go towards the healthy guy."

On whether the next two home games are as must-win as they get:

"In my mind, every game is a must-win. Obviously, we haven't done that, but every game is a must-win because in the final analysis, it's very frustrating to have lost the four games that we have, but I don't look at, ‘Well, the next two games, we've got to...' No, I don't look at it like that because when you do the math, it just comes down to winning the games that we need to win in order to win the division, that's our first goal. I'm not going to lose my mind and say, ‘If we lose the next two, we're done. We might as well pack it up and go home.' I'm not going to say that. I don't anticipate losing the next two. What I anticipate is us staying where we are and staying together and continuing to move forward, getting better each week. We didn't win yesterday, but I know we did get better. For me, it's just very important to stay focused on the goals. For us, ‘Oh, man we've got to win this game. Don't start getting tight.' I don't do that. Just focus on this game that we have this week, the Titans. I'm not going to go into all the other stuff. We have the Titans coming in here this week. Let's go out and do the very best that we can to win the game."

On whether he does the math to determine how many wins this team needs to win the division:

"I do a lot of math on my own when I am sitting in my office, but I'm not going to go in there to my team, to a bunch of young guys that haven't been to the playoffs in seven years and say, ‘Guys we have to get these next two or we are done. These are must-win games.' No. No. I know what we have to do, the coaches know what we have to do, but to a young team, this is all they need to look at: the Titans. Let's look at that. Let's take where we have been so far and sketch it out here to help them understand exactly where we are and the opportunity they have at hand. That is all they need to focus on. Guys, let's win this one, and we will move on from there. And as we move along the road and we mature from there, our guys can continue to see some of those things we talk about come to pass, which they have. As you start to see those things we can talk more of a big picture. But right now, we just have to be focused on the Titans as a team."

On whether the offensive line got better against the Colts:

"I thought our offensive line did better, particularly the right side. I thought the right side of the offensive line did a much better job communicating. They practiced that way this week and I thought it showed in the game against a defensive line that was coming. I thought that [RT Adam] Snyder and [RG] Chilo Rachal did a good job."

On whether or not the team might be geared more toward becoming a passing offense:

"I look at it this way, when I say that I want to be a physical team I want to be a physical team running the ball and I want to be a physical team throwing the ball. I want our receivers to be knocking the snot out of somebody. I want our offensive linemen running down the field hitting somebody. To me, that's physical. I have always said, throwing the ball last year, when [former 49ers offensive coordinator] Mike Martz was here I'm okay with throwing the ball as long as we're not throwing it to the other team, I'm okay with that, but it has to go to our guys and we have the confidence in our quarterback, and our quarterback has confidence in our offensive line, and has confidence in a relationship with the receivers to throw that ball, I don't care about that. I care about winning, that's important to me. I'm not tied up into ‘well, I'm this,' no, I'm not. I want to do whatever we have to do to win and that's what I'm looking for everyday. So that's where I'm at with that."

On whether he is disturbed about the progression of the running game at this time:

"No, I'm not disturbed. I think that rather than coming out of that game being disturbed about that running game, I'm really encouraged by the quarterbacks play and his decision-making, I'm encouraged by our offensive line and the ability to lose probably our best offensive lineman and still compete and do a good job against a very effective pass rush. I'm encouraged that our receivers did a pretty decent job catching the football. I'm encouraged that our defense, even though we didn't get off consistently on third downs, I'm encouraged that our defense played pretty decent in holding a quarterback that will probably maybe in the running, if you check on it, for the MVP of the year. I'm encouraged that four times that [Colts quarterback Peyton Manning] gets into the red zone, he's not scoring a touchdown. I'm encouraged about a number of things coming out of yesterday, but once again I want you to make sure that you understand that I am not in any form or fashion talking about moral victories. You asked me a question and I'm just answering that question. I don't get discouraged. The only thing that I'm discouraged about yesterday - more frustrated than discouraged, is some of the little silly things that we did on our behalf to shoot ourselves in the foot that inhibited our chances of winning a football game on the road against a good football team."

On whether WR Isaac Bruce is one of the best eleven players on the field at this stage in his career:

"I will put it this way: Right now, Isaac Bruce is one of the guys that we count on to win. As far getting into is he one of the best eleven and all of those things, I'm going to say that he gives us a chance to win and in certain situations he is one of the best eleven on the field, and in other situations he isn't. That goes for a number of our receivers and I think that we just have to continue to evaluate our team and our talent and this team right now is going through some changes. You're seeing new guys step up and young guys stepping up and some other guys stepping back and it's going to continue to be that way. I believe in the best eleven guys on the field and whoever that is, that's who is going to be out there."

On LB Patrick Willis' play improving without having the helmet radio:

"Absolutely, I think that if you ask him that I'm not quite sure what he would say, but I think that it certainly allows him to go out there and play and handle what's in front of him rather than trying to get the calls behind him, particularly in a game like that when the quarterback goes down the field so much. Little details and little things like that you have to have that can make tremendous difference in the game so I think it freed him up a bit."

On how S Dashon Goldson did with the use of the radio helmet:

"I thought that he did fine. For the most part, I thought that he did fine."

On whether CB Nate Clements was injured on the punt return:

"He did, I did talk to him last night about that, yes."

On how the offensive line will be affected with the absence of T Joe Staley:

"Obviously, we're going to miss Joe Staley, but in terms of how it is going to affect our offensive line, which in essence is how it is going to affect our offense, you find a way to win. You find a way to work around it. But obviously he will be missed because we think a lot about Joe Staley. I'm hoping he will be back real quick because he helps us tremendously. But at the same time, I know our offense will continue to get better and we just have to continue to work around it and do whatever we have to do."

On the progression of [WR] Michael Crabtree:

"Crabtree right now, I think he is finding that not being in training camp, he can understand now some of those things. He has such an incredible desire to do great, but at the same time his body is still trying to catch up, but he is getting there. He is a work in progress. Every now and then something comes up, there is maybe one play a game, or something like that, where he is a little bit off here and there and uncertain. But overall, I think he has been tremendous overall."

Lambasting the cheaters: More from Colts win over the 49ers

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:23:32 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

about 1 month ago: San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary watches from the sidelines in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Browse more photos »

Well gosh, it looks Colts radio announcers Bob Lamey and Will Wolford weren't the only ones who caught the San Francisco 49ers cheating on Sunday. From Niners Insider, the San Francisco Chronicle's special section devoted to 49ers football, and their writer Kevin Lynch [emphasis mine]:

Colts Drive: Joseph Adai just threw a TD pass to Wayne. Great play by Wayne with a diving catch which looked good and the 49ers aren't challenging. Manning missed on the two-point conversion. Jeff Ulbrich made the trip. Nate Clements is out with a shoulder contusion. The last time they said shoulder contusion, it was Tony Pashos who's on injured reserve with broken scapula. The 49ers might have just faked a cramp by Parys Haralson to prevent being in the wrong defense

...

Colts drive: Another fake of a cramp, this time by veteran linebacker Takeo Spikes. Big pass play to Dallas Clark, 40-yarder. The Colts did the same thing that the Texans did last week on a 42-yard TD pass to Owen Daniels - play action with a throw across the field. This time Clark just beat Michael Lewis on man coverage I believe.

I wonder if some of the same people who were "disappointed" with me and others in this thread will saunter on over to Kevin Lynch's place and tell him he shouldn't write such things unless he has full, definitive proof... like, I guess, a signed confession from Mike Singletary, or a player acting as a "Deep Throat" informant, providing quotes from the early week meetings: "OK guys, if Peyton and their offense start getting on a roll, we want you to CHEAT!"

Honestly, folks. That's now two separate sources, both covering two different sides of the game (one the Colts announcers, the other a writer for the SF Chronicle) who saw the same thing: Cheating. If you need more proof than that, then I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you think the Earth is flat as well.

Mike Singletary is a cheater. Thousands of fans at Lucas Oil saw him cheat, and booed. Three members of the media are on record as seeing him do it. He did it. He tried to cheat to win a football game. Say that to yourself, and if you are STILL defending the actions of the 49ers head coach, then you are someone who lacks any kind of moral compass.

Obviously, if the "cramps" were real, then I will apologize to Singletary and the 49ers and take my lumps accordingly. However, the "cramps" didn't look real to me. They didn't look real to thousands of fans at The Luke. They didn't look real to Lamey and Wolford. They didn't look real to the SF Chronicle.

Here at Stampede Blue, we have no tolerance for cheating. None. And I defy anyone who says "It's part of the game." No, it isn't. People who cheat belittle and demean the game. Cheaters spit in the faces of John Unitas, Bart Starr, and the greats of the great. More importantly, we fans do not pay over $100 a seat, $30 for parking, and ungoldly amounts for hot dogs, popcorn, beer, and soda just so we can watch cheating.

We pay to watch football. REAL football. And real football does not involve cheating, like what we saw Singletary attempt Sunday.

Again, if you don't have the stomach to read this blog when we call a spade a spade, read something else. I'm serious. I am not someone who will hold your hand and softly explain why we chose to call an NFL head coach a "bum." If you don't get the reasons by now, I really can't help you. At this blog, we call it as we see it. We don't hold back, ESPECIALLY when cheating is involved. And since Kevin Lynch saw what Lamey and Wolford saw, 49ers fans can't simply dismiss the claim, saying "it's only the other side that's saying it." Hell, I heard even one commenter say that it wasn't Singletary who cheated, but it was likely the 49ers defensive line coach.

Really? I mean... honestly?

Make no mistake about it people, and loyal readers of this blog know this is true, if Jim Caldwell had tried to do what Singletary did during this game, I would call him a bum as well. I'd call my friends at West 56th Street and scream at them "WHEN DID IT BECOME OK TO HIRE BUMS AS THE HEAD COACH!"

Thankfully, Jim Caldwell is not a bum. He is someone who believes in the integrity of the game. Mike Singletary doesn't. Throw him in the same category as Bill Belichick, a man we Colts fans lambasted for years because he used to do the same cheap tactics with the New England Patriots. If Belichick was a cheater for doing that (and other things), then so is Singletary. If Belichick is a bum for instructing Willie McGinest to take a dive in the 2003 regular season game at Indy, then Mike Singletary is a bum for doing the same (or allowing the same) to happen yesterday with Takeo Spikes.

A spade is a spade.

Don't like it me writing that? Read something else. We call it as we see it here. If you'd prefer something else on the Internet that dodges or glances away from the truth, kindly venture to Google.com, type in "Colts blog," and have fun. I'm sure you'll find something that suits you. For everyone else here, we prefer our truth honest and without pretense. No sugar coating. No white washing. A spade is a spade.

And yes, Mike Singletary is indeed still a bum. Go Colts!

Colts 18 - 49ers 14: Yet another tough loss in a season full of them

Fooch — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:36:10 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

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Stop me if you've heard this one. The 49ers battle a quality opponent down to the wire, but come out on the short end of the stick once again. I didn't get home and start watching the game until 6pm due to a prior school-related engagement. I had a self-induced information blackout, leaving my cell phone off and making sure nobody told me anything. Rarely does that work out, but this time I was able to get home without hearing a thing about the game. Now, I'm really not sure which would have been worse: watching the game live, or what I ended up doing. I say this because given how close the game was, I was oh so tempted to skip to the end. But I held out and was treated to another tough ending.

This is a tough game to divide into black and white "good versus bad" performances. Given the mix of good and bad, one could even argue for handing out a whole bunch of Cs for this performance. For example, the pass rush. Peyton Manning was sacked two times through Indianapolis's first six games. Today, the 49ers sacked him three times. Ray McDonald managed some nice, quick pressure on one, while other times the pass coverage was more responsible for a given sack. At the same time, it was hard to maintain a consistent pass rush as there were numerous instances of Manning having all sorts of time to wait for his receivers get open.

A whole heap-load more after the jump...

Another prime example of good and bad was the offensive line. On the one hand Alex Smith was sacked four times and aside from his big 64 yard touchdown run, Frank Gore had 12 rushes for 27 yards. The TD was huge, but there were a lot of times where the rushing game just could not get going. Alex Smith was partially responsible on some of the sacks (particularly the one early on where he tripped), but there were times the offensive line just could not contain the Dwight Freeney/Robert Mathis express. It's funny because after Joe Staley went down, Barry Sims was actually looking really impressive. The announcers mentioned this at one point and it got me thinking, well, with all the injuries, maybe Barry Sims wouldn't be such an awful answer at right tackle for now? Of course, a play or two later, Dwight Freeney blew threw him for a sack. But it still has me wondering about Sims.

The playcalling was another mixed bag, although it tended towards bleh. On the one hand, you saw a simply spectacular touchdown drive shortly before the half, in which Alex Smith was 6/7 and picked apart the Colts defense. The last game and a half, Alex Smith has done some good things when the offense spreads out (whether you want to call it a spread offense or not). The team utilized that on occasion, but it didn't seem to be frequently enough. The 49ers offense had some impressive moments, but the second half was rather abysmal.

Alex Smith
Given how big a story it was that Smith was getting the start, I've decided he deserves his own post. Accordingly, I'm planning on getting a post together for tomorrow morning about Alex Smith. So feel free to discuss Smith in here now, but know that another post will be arriving around 8am pacific tomorrow.

Injuries
The injury situation certainly was one of the low-lights of the game. Joe Staley got knocked out early on after Frank Gore rolled up on him. Staley will get an MRI on Monday, but it sounds like he's probably going to be ok. Nate Clements may not be so lucky. Clements fractured his right scapula (shoulder blade) and had to leave the game. Tony Pashos suffered a broken scapula and was placed on IR. Maiocco indicated the team will have to assess the nature of it and decide from there whether Clements can return. Either way, he won't be back anytime soon, so that one-time promotion of Tarell Brown will last for the foreseeable future.

Once we get further word on Clements, we'll have a front page for discussion of his future. In the meantime though, I'm going to hold off speculating.

Looking ahead
So what does all this mean? Well, we're gonna roll a small bit of Panthers Watch 2009 into this post in adding some Panthers-Cardinals discussion to the looking ahead. After all, the Panthers pulled off a huge upset on the road over the Arizona Cardinals due to a combination of a phenomenal Panthers rushing attack, and an equally atrocious Kurt Warner performance (6 turnovers). That loss, coupled with the 49ers loss and a Seahawks loss, leaves the top three in the NFC West exactly as they were before, a game apart from each other. Throw in a Rams win, and suddenly the Seahawks aren't so far from the cellar.

While the 49ers (and we, the fans) obviously wanted a W in Indy today, the Cardinals rather stunning loss eases the sting just a bit. Now the 49ers head home to face the Tennessee Titans, coming off their first win of the season, while the Cardinals head to Chicago to face a Bears team that managed a bit of life against Cleveland.

We'll have plenty more on the 49ers-Titans matchup, but it's definitely gone from looking like a tough and probable loss, to a game the 49ers simply have to win. The Titans have struggled all year, but things get interesting with the Vince Young QB switch. No matter what people think of Young, this is now a different Titans team with him at the helm instead of Kerry Collins. We'll have plenty more on that in the days to come.

Tomorrow morning we'll have a more Alex Smith-specific thread.

Golden Nuggets: Liking the extension

Ninjames — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:15:16 -0000

Morning folks. Once again we have a good bit of news coming out of 49erland. The Niners made some changes and I did nothing all day but sit and reflect on said changes. Unfortunately right now I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'll keep my amazing and thoughtful commentary to a minimum. The most notable of the news concerns CB Tarrell Brown, who received an extension despite doing... well, nothing this season. Still, he's my favorite defensive back on the team and I've been clamoring for him to get more playing time so we'll see what happens. I've got more news for you concerning the safeties and of course some articles about quarterback Alex Smith and more than likely a couple more concerning WR Michael Crabtree. So without further ado, how about some links?

Maiocco feels that his initial prediction for the 49ers may not hold up. He's definitely second guessing himself. That prediction? That the 49ers would go to the playoffs. Ouch. (PressDemocrat.com)

The 49ers signed OT Chris Patrick to the 53-man roster and also signed a TE to the practice squad. (49ers.com)

CB Tarrell Brown got an extension, it was for three years and a good amount of money. Good luck to the kid. (49ers.com)

Here's yesterday's edition of Singletary's Notebook. (49ers.com)

Alex Smith has been waiting patiently for his chance to start. He is more confident and mature these days. Call me unconvinced. (Yahoo.com)

He's got unfinished business. Well, I certainly hope he can finish it. (49ers.com)

FS Dashon Goldson will be wearing the radio helmet on Sunday, not Patrick Willis. Interesting choice, if you ask me, but I'm suspicious by nature. (MercuryNews.com)

Because I'm awesome, I recapped some of the recent 49ers moves, find it here. (NFLTouchdown.com)

Were the 49ers better off with Allen Rossum on the team? Well he's a [site decorum] sight better than Micheal Spurlock and Arnaz Battle, that's for sure. (Examiner.com)

Be sure to check out the game center for Sundays game. (NFL.com)

The offense is striving for balance as a unit. (49ers.com)

Could Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree be the revival of the 49ers this season? I hope so, I'm about to lose a whole lotta hope. (CBSSports.com)

Here's Maiocco's player-by-player review, along with dispelling some myths about the team's performance. (PressDemocrat.com)

Hey, it's the guy who scares the crap out of me: Dwight Freeney, and he's got a fastball. (SacBee.com)

I hate linking to this guys' articles. I don't know if he even knows what he's talking about because I never read beyond the first few sentences, I learned better than that a long time ago. Still, I suppose some of you might like him. Something or other about Alex Smith. (SFGate.com)

The Niners defense is riding on a Smith as well as the offense--Justin Smith. (SFGate.com)

Some of the 49ers players made their World Series picks. Baseball is about the only sport I don't really pay attention to. (49ers.com)

Once again if you have any questions for Colts fans head over to the thread here, and check out the thread over there and answer any questions they may have for us. (StampedeBlue/NinersNation.com)

How about um.. an injury report, to finish? (NinersNation.com)

Arizona Cardinals Fly Around the NFC West and Watch the Turmoil

Hawkwind — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora,quickly passes the torch to Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt the Hawks lost 27-3. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Browse more photos »

The Arizona Cardinals stumbled out of the gates but they've seem to find their stride in the past three weeks while the rest of the NFC West is crumbling all around them. The Niners have lost two straight (with bye sandwiched in the middle) by a combined 38 points while the Hawks dropped a game to the Cardinals after what they hoped was a momentum building blowout against the Jaguars. Meanwhile the Rams are still looking for their first win and their current losing streak has been stretched to 17 games.

San Francisco 49ers: The Niners had two big news items this week with Alex Smith being re-inserted into the starting lineup after a mind blowing second half against the Texans that included three touchdown passes to Vernon Davis and they also lost their new starting right tackle, Tony Pashos, for the rest of the season. The good news with Pashos is that he didn't have a very good first start anyways but of course the bad news is that former starter, Barry Sims, (who lost his job for a reason) is most likely moving back into the starting lineup. Coming off back to back losses to the Falcons and Texans, the Niners' road won't get much easier as they travel to Indianapolis to take on Peyton Manning and the undefeated Colts. Needless to say it's very likely that their losing streak won't end this week. But it's not all bad news for the Niners because they're keeping a close eye on the Carolina Panthers (they own their first round pick next year), so they might actually become Cardinals fans this week.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seabags have had a long bye week to savor the 27-3 beatdown at the hands of the Cardinals and our buddies over at Field Gulls have used that time to turn their attention to the future. You can find stories on why they want Jason Campbell, a full breakdown of Washington Huskies QB Jake Locker and other colliegate prospects that they're targeting for next April's draft. One thing is clear, these guys know that their team isn't going anywhere this season. They've got problems at running back, center, left guard and left tackle and those problems won't be fixed anytime soon. With Dallas, Arizona and Minnesota making of three of their next four opponents, I would expect that they haven't hit rock bottom just yet.

St. Louis Rams: As we all know the Rams are in the midst of a complete tear down and rebuild and injuries aren't helping them at all. They've traded away another veteran player (Will Witherspoon) and they've had to put four guys on IR during the past month, including three starters. Things can't get much worse for a team that averaged over 11 wins from 1999 to 2003 but at least they play another team mired in a tremendous losing streak this week. Both the Rams and Lions have lost 17 of 18 games and 25 of their last 27.

Golden Nuggets: Looking for an o-line, any o-line..

Ninjames — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:57 -0000

Well, maybe not the Packers o-line. Anyway, the 49ers made some moves yesterday, though I'm not sure how to take them. Or rather, I'm not sure how I feel about losing T Tony Pashos to IR. I mean of course it's never good to see somebody hurt but at the same time I feel that he wasn't playing so well at RT and his promotion to starter came because he was simply there. Still, does this mean Barry Sims gets the start? If so, I doubt I'll even watch the Colts game because I have zero faith in him whatsoever. Still, the team did promote a certain linebacker to the active roster, a certain linebacker that I happen to think can be really good when it all comes down to it. So I've got some links for you, should be a good day news wise but I'm still not optimistic about the game on Sunday and I doubt I will be at any point.

The 49ers lost Tony Pashos to injured reserve yesterday with a shoulder injury. (PressDemocrat.com)

They then signed a tackle from the Chief's practice squad who I've never heard of. (SacBee.com)

LB Marques Harris was released yesterday as well, and the 49ers elevated Diyral Briggs from the practice squad. This move I have a small bit of optimism for, seeing as how I believe Briggs can be a great LB of the future. (49ers.com)

Here's a look at the 49ers wide receivers, or rather, who the receivers will be for the future of the franchise. (SacBee.com)

There are those who think QB Alex Smith can play. There are those that think he will be very good. Then there are those like me and well.. I'll not get into it. (NFL.com)

I mean, it really will be hard for me to adjust. Can Alex be a different quarterback this time around? We'll see. (SFGate.com)

How about some Insight on Indy? A look at the team that the 49ers are playing on Sunday. (49ers.com)

Here's The Wrap Up for last Sunday's game against Houston. (49ers.com)

QB Shaun Hill says fellow signal caller Alex Smith has improved over the four years he's seen him. (PressDemocrat.com)

The team seems to be playing it safe with S Michael Lewis, which is a good thing to me. He's a good player with good instincts and I'd hate to lose him for the season and possibly his career by throwing caution aside. (SFGate.com)

What all do the 49ers have to worry about? A lot more than just the quarterback situation, it seems. (MercuryNews.com)

There's a bit of an update on the 49ers new stadium, but I didn't take the time to read this article, I confess. I just don't follow it with much interest, is all. (MercuryNews.com)

Why don't you head over and answer any questions Colts fans have for us Niner fans at SBNation's resident Colts blog? While you're at it, if you have any questions for them head over to their thread at NN here. (StampedeBlue/NinersNation.com)

Why not head over to NFL.com and do some pro bowl voting? Of course if you feel like any 49ers deserve it, vote for them, I try to keep mine realistic. I voted for TE Vernon Davis, ILB Patrick Willis and C Eric Heitman. I hate this though, how early this voting is. It's pretty much a joke at this point, but oh well. (NFL.com)

49ers Make Roster Changes; Pashos to IR

Ninjames — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:24:35 -0000

The San Francisco 49ers today announced that they have placed T Tony Pashos on the Injured Reserve List. Pashos suffered a fractured scapula in Sunday’s game at Houston. Pashos was signed by the 49ers on September 7, 2009, and went on to appear in five games, starting for the first time this past week at Houston.

They have since signed T Chris Patrick from the Chiefs practice squad to fill his roster spot. As for who will get the start at RT, nothing has been stated as of yet.

The team has also announced that they have released LB Marques Harris and promoted LB Diyral Briggs to the active roster from the practice squad. Briggs spent the first six games of the regular season on the 49ers practice squad, after being signed as an undrafted free agent by San Francisco in 2009 out of Bowling Green.

Harris was signed by the 49ers on April 30, 2009, and appeared in four games this season