SB Nation - Dre Bly

Who would you take from the Philadelphia Eagles?

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:27:33 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

I got this idea from Andrew over at Revenge of the Birds. We have plenty of discussion about who we like on the 49ers, and who we fear on the opposing team. However, this post allows us to go off into fantasy-land a bit and decide who we might like from an opposing team. In doing this, you can approach it from a variety of angles. You can take a player just because you like that player, no matter what the 49ers current situation is at that position. You can consider who the 49ers might lose in the offseason or positions they need to improve. If you want to take into account the player's contract and look for "realistic" additions, you're free to do that. You can be as realistic or as fantastical (if that's even a word) as you'd like. For this week, here are some of the guys I'd enjoy having on the 49ers...

DeSean Jackson, WR: I'm guessing this selection won't shock anybody. I won't argue the 49ers should have drafted him because most every team had questions about him, thus his fall in the draft. Hindsight is 20/20 and it's too easy to argue they should have drafted him. However, given his development at the NFL level, he would like mighty fine in a 49ers uniform. The obvious is that he's a home run hitter as a punt returner. While he's not taking every punt to the house, he's put together some impressive numbers this year, leading the league in punt return average. The 49ers punt return game has been abysmal and he would rectify that right away.

Then you throw in his receiving abilities, which I think have improved since entering the NFL. Imagine a young trio of Jackson, Crabtree and Morgan? Add in Vernon Davis and you've got one of the best group of receivers/tight ends in the league, with some of the highest upside as well. Obviously an offensive line has to give Alex Smith time to pass, but this is definitely a nice first step towards a dominant passing game.

After the jump I look at a few more Eagles I'd take, and one that I'd pass on...

Asante Samuel, CB: The 49ers cornerbacks have shown some signs of developing and given their youth (Shawntae Spencer is 27 and Tarell Brown is 24), I'd like to think the best is yet to come. However, Asante Samuel is the type of shutdown corner this team could use. He's got 7 interceptions on the year, and at only 28 years of age, he's one of the money corners in the league. Seeing as Dre Bly is under a 1-year deal and the team has to look long term, Samuel makes sense. He signed a 6-year deal in 2008 and has not sloughed off in spite of the big money. Nate Clements has been solid for the 49ers, especially in the run defense, but Asante Samuel is the long-term shutdown guy the team could use.

Trent Cole, DE: Cole might actually be undersized as a 3-4 defensive end. Is it possible his pass rushing skills could translate over to outside linebacker? At this point the 49ers are actually looking much better in the pass rush from their outside linebackers, so I suppose Cole might not be a necessary addition. Nonetheless he has been fairly consistent as a pass rusher since his second season with sack totals of 8.0, 12.5, 9.0 and 9.5 thus far this season. The 49ers still don't know if they have consistency from anybody in the sack department at this point.

Stacy Andrews, G: The Arizona Cardinals didn't have any offensive linemen worth grabbing, but Philly has some intriguing options. Stacy Andrews can play guard and tackle, but has had some issues this season after coming off ACL surgery. The 49ers will likely send David Baas packing after this season so having Andrews around would certainly be a plus. Of course, McCloughan is a guy who doesn't spend a ton of money on guards, so this particularly guy would actually probably never see the light of day as a 49er.

One guy I didn't include was Donovan McNabb. McNabb has had quite a career in Philly and is having a solid year this season. However, given his age, and the 49ers own offensive line issues I'm not sure how much I'd want him. For a one and done type of deal I can see the value. But if I want to look long term, is he a guy you'd grab?

I also didn't include LeSean McCoy. He went in the second round and has moved into the starting lineup with Brian Westbrook's injury issues. He seems like a guy who could have provided more than Glen Coffee, but given Frank Gore's role (sometimes) in the 49ers offense and how much of the workload he carries, would McCoy be of enough value?

Max Unger Bullies Dre Bly as Justin Forsett Charges By

John Morgan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:14:36 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

It took a lockdown by Chris Spencer, a cut by Rob Sims and pancake by Max Unger to score Seattle's second touchdown.

Browse more photos »

As Fox would have it, my broadcast didn't start until the second quarter. It's Seattle ball, third and one on the Seahawks 22. As fate would have it, the Seahawks drove down the field and scored to pull ahead 14-7.

Max Unger mostly did yeoman's work. He started with a modest single block. The next play he pulled out with better release than previously shown and was able to cut across the field and lead block for Julius Jones on the right. Unger ran a long way but never did block anyone. On the third play of the quarter, he single blocked the left defensive end and again held his ground. Seattle had converted two firsts on three plays and gained 26 yards.

Unger was uncovered. Chris Spencer took on the nose and Ray Willis the left defensive end. Unger pulled out and attempted to block out Takeo Spikes, but Spikes started right of center and read and reacted to the play before Unger could pull out and engage him. Spikes capped the hole and took part in the tackle of Just Forsett after a gain of one.

He put a glancing block on the nose tackle when the Seahawks line shifted left. Matt Hasselbeck rolled right and released before Unger could factor further. Hasselbeck found Burleson for eight and a new set of downs. Forsett ran behind right guard on the following play, and Unger teamed with Spencer to turn the nose guard. Seattle fought hard for three.

Finally we see Unger get beat, but unlike previous weeks, Unger wasn't beat back, discarded, thrown or knocked over. Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin bested him off the snap, but Unger recovered, showing the tenacity he showed at Oregon, and getting stout when it mattered. Franklin pushed no further.

He double teamed the left defensive end on the next two plays. In the first, he attempted to slide off Isaac Sopoaga and block into the second level but never found his man. He held ground but didn't factor otherwise on the second play. Jones attempted a cut block on Manny Lawson, succeeded only in bouncing off Lawson, scrambled to his feet and caught Hasselbeck's outlet pass. The play went for -2.

Forsett curled, caught and unwound towards the end zone to score six and give Seattle the lead. He was in before a defender could touch him. Spencer pulled out immediately and wormed into Willis' body. Last season, Spencer slammed Willis but Willis slammed back, separating and tackling Jones after eight. This time, Spencer stayed with Willis, not attempting the knockdown block, but keeping on him, staying square and jogging the All Pro into the end zone. Sims pulled late but cut Mark Roman on a crucial backside block. Unger pulled cleanly, found Dre Bly and threw a schoolyard beatdown on the former Pro Bowler. He squared, coiled and blocked Bly into the air and onto his back. Touchdown.

Football Outsiders and the 49ers: Player Stats through Week 12

Florida Danny — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:00:23 -0000

Yesterday, I noted some pretty promising statistical improvements for the 49ers' OFF. Today, we'll see whether stats and rankings for the Niners' offensive players have also improved as one would expect; or perhaps the whole is greater than the sum of its parts? To this end, I'll be adding the same kind of change stats I've started presenting in my other posts this week. Again, it's the direction of change, not necessarily its magnitude, that's more important from my perspective.

This week, QBs need a total of at least 90 passes to qualify as having valid FO stats, RBs need at least 96 carries, WRs need at least 38 targets, and TEs need at least 18 targets. Therefore, the players I'll be breaking down this week are Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, and Vernon Davis. I'll also, of course, be presenting FO stats for the OL, the defensive front 7 (DF7), and the secondary.

QUARTERBACKS

Here are Smith's stats through 208 passes this season (bold = ranked 8th or better [top 25% of starters]; italics = ranked 25th or worse [bottom 25% of starters]):

	This Week		Last Week		Change
Statistic	Value	Rk	Value	Rk	Value	Rk
DYAR per Pass	0.20	24	0.20	25	0.00	+1
YAR per Pass	0.50	23	0.12	25	+0.38	+2
EYds per Pass	5.31	25	5.23	25	+0.08	0
Yds per Pass	5.78	25	5.81	24	-0.03	-1
DVOA	-7.9%	24	-7.9%	25	0.0%	0
VOA	-3.2%	23	-9.2%	25	+6.0%	+2

As you can see, the only things that have showed any meaningful improvement are Smith's unadjusted stats, YAR/P and VOA. Not surprisingly, the 49ers' unadjusted OFF Pass VOA is what showed meaningful improvement among their team stats. Obviously, Smith threw every pass against the Jaguars, so this is kind of a "duh" finding. However, the important point is that Smith and the Niners had a productive passing attack against JAX, but more than just "productive" is what was expected against the 31st-ranked JAX pass DEF. Nevertheless, you have to crawl before you walk, so Smith and the Niners' pass OFF need to pass well against bad pass DEFs before he/they can start passing well against good DEFs.

After the jump, I'll present and discuss the rest of the stats ...

RUNNING BACKS

Here are Gore's stats through 128 carries so far this season (bold = ranked 8th or better; italics = ranked 25th or worse):

	This Week		Last Week		Change
Statistic	Value	Rk	Value	Rk	Value	Rk
DYAR per Run	0.48	20	0.58	17	-0.10	-3
YAR per Run	0.30	25	0.48	20	-0.18	-5
EYds per Run	4.20	22	4.38	22	-0.18	0
Yds per Run	5.03	5	5.46	3	-0.43	-2
DVOA	3.3%	19	6.2%	16	-2.9%	-3
VOA	-0.9%	24	3.6%	18	-4.5%	-6

Interesting, eh? Gore's stats - adjusted and unadjusted - got worse across the board, yet, the 49ers' Rush OFF VOA improved after the Jags game and their Rush OFF DVOA stayed essentially the same. What gives?

Well, there are two phenomena at play here. First, realize that play-by-play efficiency as a team is compared to the average of other NFL teams, whereas play-by-play efficiency as an individual is compared to the average of other players at that position. So, it seems as though the Niners' running game is getting better relative to the rest of the league, but Gore's running is getting worse relative to other RBs. Second - and this should be far more obvious - Gore's not the only player carrying the ball in the Niners' run OFF. As it specifically relates to the Jags game, remember that Delanie Walker had an 11-yard carry on 2nd & 2, and Alex Smith had a 10-yard scramble on 2nd & 7, both of which are considered highly efficient plays according to DVOA.

So, keep these two points in mind as we move forward in the post. They're going to reappear a few more times before we're done.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Here are Crabtree's stats through 44 targets so far this season (bold = ranked 16th or better; italics = ranked 49th or worse):

	This Week		Last Week		Change
Statistic	Value	Rk	Value	Rk	Value	Rk
DYAR per Target	-0.43	67	-0.22	60	-0.21	-7
YAR per Target	-0.02	61	0.03	58	-0.05	-3
EYds per Target	5.16	71	5.47	67	-0.31	-4
Yds per Target	7.86	36	8.11	33	-0.25	-3
DVOA	-18.9%	69	-15.7%	62	-3.2%	-7
VOA	-13.1%	62	-12.3%	58	-0.8%	-4

Like Gore, we see decline across the board when it comes to Crabtree. However, you'll notice that each of his adjusted stats declined more drastically than his unadjusted stats. So, his stats display similar opponent-dependent characteristics to that of Smith. Hope you're sensing a theme here. Regardless, though, I'll say the same thing I did last week: I'm not worried about Crabs, no matter what the stats say.

Here are Morgan's stats through 51 targets so far this season:

	This Week		Last Week		Change
Statistic	Value	Rk	Value	Rk	Value	Rk
DYAR per Target	-0.41	65	0.16	55	-0.57	-10
YAR per Target	0.10	57	0.42	50	-0.32	-7
EYds per Target	5.67	67	6.56	54	-0.89	-13
Yds per Target	6.82	55	7.09	51	-0.27	-4
DVOA	-18.0%	66	-10.5%	55	-7.5%	-11
VOA	-11.5%	58	-7.3%	50	-4.2%	-8

OK. This is a little bit more problematic for me because these are massive declines across the board. It almost defies belief that Morgan's EYds/T can drop that much from targets 44 to 51 on the season. I still say that Morgan will be fine in the long-run as a productive #2 WR once he learns his new position. However, what his stats show is that, contrary to how the saying goes, a rising tide does not necessarily lift all boats. Having only 2 successful plays in 8 targets, and only 1 reception go for more than 10 yards, against the 29th-ranked pass DEF against #2 WRs pretty much defines inefficiency.

TIGHT ENDS

Here are VD's stats through 92 targets (bold = ranked 8th or better; italics = ranked 25th or worse):

	This Week		Last Week		Change
Statistic	Value	Rk	Value	Rk	Value	Rk
DYAR per Target	1.18	18	1.08	17	+0.10	-1
YAR per Target	1.21	18	1.10	19	+0.11	+1
EYds per Target	7.80	19	7.53	21	+0.27	+2
Yds per Target	7.28	19	7.24	22	+0.04	+3
DVOA	11.8%	18	10.4%	18	1.4%	0
VOA	12.2%	18	10.6%	18	1.6%	0

If I could call Alex Smith "the #25 QB in the NFL" last week based on the consistency of his rankings, then I can dub VD "the #18 TE in the NFL." Of course, that's far more tongue-in-cheek than my Smith evaluation. We all know VD's much better than his stats show, and, after last week's post, we should all know that the reason these stats are what they are is because VD's tied for 2nd-most-targeted TE in the NFL. So bottom line is, don't freak out.

What is accurately reflected in the table is the fact that the Niners' overall pass OFF improvement has ridden the wave of VD (Aside: Sorry for all the nautical references today. I'm trying to give the STD references a week off.). It's clear that, based on his number of targets, the pass OFF goes as VD goes; based on his increasing EYards/T, VD goes as his new downfield-passing QB goes; and based on his DVOA, the Niners' level of efficiency in the passing game goes as throwing the ball downfield to VD goes.

Finally, as this is my last chance to really mention it, I'll just also quickly note that the Smith did a really good job of spreading the ball around against JAX. Specifically, among the 3 pass catchers I've detailed today, VD had 9 targets, Morgan had 8 targets, and Crabtree had 7 targets. For sure, this is a pleasant development. Having 3 legitimate options in the passing attack definitely beats having 1, which seemed to be the case just 8 weeks ago.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Here's the OL's directional run-blocking chart (bold = top 8; italics = bottom 8):

In my enthusiasm over Adjusted BS Rate, I totally forgot to mention the fact that the 49ers' OL is now ranked dead last in the league. Granted, their actual ALY only dropped 0.02 yards per carry, but it's still an ignominious achievement. Once again, though, it's interesting to see how, although the Niners' Rush OFF DVOA has gotten considerably better since Smith took over at QB, the OL deserves very little, if any, of the credit. This doesn't really fit well with my theory related to the run-blocking benefits of increased shotgun, so I'm pretty much stumped. All I can think of is that perhaps (a) more of the rush OFF's short gains are ending up as "successful plays" because of the down and distance, and/or (b) adjusting line yards for the caliber of an opponents' DF7 is different than adjusting Rush OFF DVOA for the caliber of an opponents' rush DEF overall. In other words, it's déjà vu all over again in this post.

With respect to directional ALY, not much has changed. The OL continues to improve in LE ALY, but that's still most likely due to a regression to the mean; and the same thing probably goes for RE ALY given they don't run the ball in that direction very much either. Otherwise, the glaring problem remains. Jimmy Raye loves to run the ball up the middle despite the fact that his OL absolutely sucks blocking in that direction.

DEFENSIVE FRONT SEVEN

Here's the DF7's directional run-stopping chart (bold = top 8; italics = bottom 8):

The big changes here occurred on runs up the middle and behind RT. Essentially, the DF7 got struck by a triple whammy of (a) having JAX run the ball fewer times in those directions than the 49ers were previously accustomed to, (b) having those runs go for more yardage than the 49ers were previously accustomed to allowing, and (c) having those yards allowed come via the directions in which the otherwise-top-tier JAX OL were least proficient. Add those 3 things up and you have a DF7 whose C/G ALY ranking dropped 6 spots (up 0.40 yards per carry), and whose RT ALY ranking dropped 3 spots (up 0.13 yards per carry). At least in this instance the changes in player stats matched the changes in team stats: remember, the Niners' Rush DEF DVOA got 1.4% worse after the JAX game.

DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD

Finally, here's the chart showing stats for the secondary against various intended receivers (bold = top 8; italics = bottom 8):

Pretty much everything is the same here, including the fact that starting Dre Bly didn't seem to adversely affect the Niners' pass DEF against opposing #1 WRs. Of course, defending Mike Sims-Walker is just a tad bit easier than defending Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, and Greg Jennings. There is one descent-sized change, though: DVOA against receiving RBs. Another week, another game full of screen passes that gouge the 49ers' pass DEF.

BOTTOM LINE

OK, so through 11 games, we can draw the following conclusions about several players on the 2009 49ers:

Alex Smith: Still better than Hill, though not as instrumental in the pass OFF's improvement as you might think.
Frank Gore: Making the 49ers' run OFF better, but not making his own stats better.
Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan: Give them time.
Vernon Davis: Instrumental in the pass OFF's improvement.
The OL: Now officially the worst in the league.
The DF7: Great when not encountering triple whammies.
The secondary: Still better without Nate Clements; not better with Dre Bly.

Later this morning: 49ers-Seahawks game matchup.

**DVOA, DYAR, EYds, and ALY statistics used to produce this article were obtained from Football Outsiders.

Golden Nuggets: War Niners!

Ninjames — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 11:00:32 -0000

Hello folks! To explain the title, it's because I'm all jacked up on MMA right now (it's legal to be jacked up on MMA I think if not I'm probably fired) and that's how you root for your favorite fighter so... Why not, right? Anyway, I'm writing this a bit early so I can get some needed rest and be up in time to watch the game, kind of bummed out as usual for away games because I can't attend, though I'm seriously considering going to a road Seattle game next season. I have a good feeling the Niners can walk in there and come out with an impressive win, but everything has to be perfect. The Seahawks have looked deflated, but we never know which 'Hawks team will show up on any given day and Hasselbeck can come out and decide that he is in fact, not old and unreliable and light up the 49ers struggling secondary. Lets hope that doesn't happen though, shall we? Not sure what I have for you in the way of links but you know what to expect on game day. Lets do this, gents! FOOOOORRRRTYYYYYYY NIIIIIIIIIINERS! (Cookie to who gets the rather lame and nerdy reference.)

One of the best summations for what's going down on game day, Maiocco has some notes and a preview. (PressDemocrat.com)

TE Delanie Walker has been getting some press since last week--he deserves it, I've always thought he was a pretty dynamic player. He could present some problems for the Seahawks. (PressDemocrat.com)

Coach Singletary is putting his focus on the defense's tackling--yet again. I hate missed tackles more than almost anything else. The thought process is something along the lines of "Ok he has the ball, but (lets say) Spencer has the angle.. Alright, held them on thir--WHAT WHY DID YOU DO THAT YOU STUPID..." cut off for site decorum. (SFGate.com)

The team is getting ready for the loud noise of the Seahawk's stadium. (MercuryNews.com)

The 'Hawks have two running backs on the injury report... looks like it's up to the 49ers secondary to get the job done today. (SacBee.com)

It's a safe bet that the 49ers scouts had the SEC games on their TiVo yesterday. (SacBee.com)

LB Takeo Spikes will be a game time decision after appearing on the injury report again. (NFL.com)

Here's five 49ers with something to prove in this game. (SacBee.com)

Great stuff here... Clips of just about all the main things said about and from the 49ers (and the rest of the NFC West) per Sando's blog. (ESPN.com)

49ers-Jaguars: The World According to Madden

Fooch — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:27 -0000

Fooch's Note: This post was written by mountaindew77 and I am posting it for him.

Hello Niners Nation. After a hectic week last week, I was unable to get the Madden simulation done. Thankfully, we have our good man Ninjames and he was able to fill in and do it. But now I'm back and hopefully I will be able to get it done each week from here on out. So here is how this works. I make sure I have downloaded the most updated rosters, I check the injury report and only take out the players from the depth chart that are going to miss the game for sure. I also update the depth charts according to how they are in the real NFL.

The game is Madden 10 for the PS3. I set up this week's matchup in Madden with 14 minute quarters and 25 second clock run-off for a more realistic amount of plays. I set the difficulty on All-Madden, sit back, and watch the matchup and give you guys a play-by-play. Let's get this thing started.

1^st Quarter

Niners win the toss and elect to receive. Robinson returns from 5 yards deep in the end zone and gets it out to the 49er 20 yard line where the Niners will start their first drive. The first play from scrimmage is a pitch to Gore to the right who gets dragged down by Justin Durant for no gain. On 2^nd down Smith drops back and feels pressure quick, but dumps off to Gore on a designed screen and Gore makes the first tackler miss and has room breaks it for a 24 yard gain to the 44 and a Niners first down. Crabs and Morgan are lined up out left Gore is the single back on the next play. Smith drops back throws a short curl route to Morgan who gets tackled immediately for only a 2 yard gain. The next play we see Smith drop back out of a 4 WR set but gets sacked almost instantly and it's now 3rd and 12. Smith drops back and again almost gets sacked, but dumps off to Gore once again on a designed screen. Gore has room, gets a couple nice blocks, makes a spin move to make a guy miss, but gets dragged down just 1 yard short of the 1st and the Niners have to punt. Andy Lee kicks it into the endzone for the touchback.

David Garrard drops back on the Jaguars first play from scrimmage and delivers a nice pass to Mike Sims-Walker over the middle who has room to run and does for a 27 yard gain. Garrard found a hole in the 49ers zone defense. From his own 47, Maurice Jones-Drew gets the handoff on the stretch play to the right but Michael Lewis comes up from the secondary and stops him for only a 3 yard gain. MJD gets the ball up the middle for another 3 yard gain before he gets tackled by Isaac Sopoaga. 3rd and 4. Spencer with the very light coverage leaves Sims Walker able to catch an easy pass and run for a 15 yard gain and another 1st down to the 31 yard line. Jones-Drew up the middle bounces off a couple tacklers and fights for a 9 yard gain. MJD gets it up the middle again but this time Manny Lawson breaks through and stuffs him for no gain. A big 3rd and 1 coming up. Garrard drops back to pass and Marcedes Lewis is covered by Lawson who cannot keep up with him and Garrard finds him for a 19 yard gain and the Jags are at the 49er 3 yard line. Jaguars come out in the goal line formation. Rashad Jennings gets the handoff and appears to be stopped, but no one seems to want to tackle him. He cuts out to the right and runs in for the touchdown. 7-0 Jaguars

Coffee kneels down in the endzone on the kickoff for the touchback. Smith drops back on first down, gets all day to throw, doesn't like what he sees, and scrambles. But he slides down to avoid getting hit for a 2 yard loss and a Jaguars sack. Gore gets the ball up the middle, but finds nowhere to run, no gain. Niners come out in the Shotgun, 4WR set. Smith gets good blocking again from the line, but again cannot find an open receiver. He proceeds to chuck it down field, but gets hit as he throws. Gore almost catches the lob, but it gets knocked down. A three-and-out for the 49er offense.

Lee with a decent punt, but the Niners punt coverage cannot get to Witherspoon and he gets a 15 yard return. Ball on the 49er 47. Niners blitz one corner on each side, and Garrard can only throw the ball away. MJD up the middle on 2nd down, but Lewis stuffs him for just a 2 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 Garrard drops back feels almost immediate pressure from Manny Lawson, and throws it quickly to Torry Holt on the left side but Dre Bly with the blanket coverage knocks it down. A three-and-out for the Jaguars.

Adam Podlesh punts it into the endzone for a touchback and the Niners start on the 20. Niners once again line up in the Shotgun, 4WR formation, with 2 WR's on each side. The Jags drop back in zone coverage, Smith throws a bullet to Crabs on the quick read for an 18 yard gain and a 1st down. Out of the Singleback 3WR, Smith drops back splits the defenders, and finds Arnaz Battle on a crossing route over the middle for a nice 14 yard gain and a first down. Ball on the Jacksonville 48. Smith drops back again, gets great protection, but can't find a receiver and throws it away. On 2nd down Smith has Delanie Walker behind the defense, but throws a terrible ball way short and way behind him. Justin Durant turns around and picks it off with ease and returns it to midfield.

David Garrard drops back and throws it out to the left for Holt, but Bly has him blanketed yet again, he turns around and jumps for the pick! The Niners get the ball back right away.

Niners ball on their own 42. Gore up the middle, shakes off 2 defenders and runs for a gain of 4. Out of the Shotgun, Gore gets the draw, finds room out to the left, sheds a tackler, and has no one to stop him. He is finally met by Reggie Nelson, but he shakes him off too and is finally brought down at the 13 after a beautiful 41 yard run! What a way to end the 1st quarter!

2^nd Quarter

Gore gets the ball up the middle on the dive play for a 2 yard gain. Smith tosses out to Gore out right, but the Jags are not fooled and stuff Gore as soon as he catches it for a 5 yard loss. 3rd and 12 at the 15. Smith drops back, has Gore open on the screen, but gets hit as he throws and the ball falls incomplete. The Niners disappointingly settle for a Joe Nedney field goal. 7-3 Jaguars

Witherspoon catches the kickoff at the 3, and returns to the Jacksonville 34. Jones-Drew on the stretch to the left, but Takeo Spikes stuffs him for a 1 yard loss. Garrard feels pressure from Spikes on 2nd down and has to throw the ball away quickly. 3rd and 11. Garrard finds Holt on the in route for 11 yards, and after a measurement, it's a Jacksonville 1st down. Gotta love that 3rd down 49er defense. MJD finds a hole up the middle for a 10 yard gain and yet another 1st down. MJD with a run, cuts to the left and gets a 3 yard gain. Niners bring the house on 2nd down, and Garrard just gets the ball off before getting pummeled by Haralson. The ball floats downfield intended for Mike Thomas, but Dashon Goldson catches up to the lobbed pass and nearly makes the pick but it bounces off his hand. 3rd and 7 at the 49er 41. Garrard drops back, throws it to MJD on the screen to the left, and sees daylight. He gets all the way down to the 10 before getting brought down by Lewis. Garrard hands off to Jennings up the middle who gets stuffed by Spikes for no gain. Garrard drops back, and the Niners drop back in zone coverage. He thinks he has Thomas wide open for the TD, but he doesn't see Spikes drop back into coverage, and he picks it off at the goal line! He is forced to bring it out, and the Niners start at their own 3. What a drive for Takeo Spikes.

Gore with the stretch to the left for a 5 yard gain. Gore gets the handoff, cuts out right, finds a hole, shakes off Reggie Nelson, has no one in front of him, and never looks back! He... could... go... all... the... way!! Touchdown 49ers on the 91 yard run by Gore! 10-7 49ers

Witherspoon returns from the 1, and poor kick coverage yet again. Jaguars starts on their 35. MJD gets the hand off, but Sopoaga breaks through the line and stuffs him for a 1 yard loss. MJD with another run, and this time no one is there to stuff him and he gets an 8 yard gain. 3rd and 3 on their own 42. MJD gets the ball up the middle, sees a gap, but it closes quickly and Franklin/ Spikes drag him down for only a 1 yard gain. 4th and 2 and a three-and-out for the 49er defense.

Jones on the return gets the ball to the 24. 5 minutes remaining in the half. Smith takes a 7-step drop, stands in the same spot for about 7 seconds, and gets sacked by Terrance Knighton. Out of the 4 WR spread single back formation Smith drops back, Crabs has his man beat by a good 5 steps, but Smith feels the pressure and overthrows him by a mile. 3rd and 18 at the 16. Out of the Shotgun, Smith gets good protection again but cannot find an open man, so he dumps off to Gore who gets tackled as soon as he catches it for no gain. Three-and-out.

Jacksonville starts on their own 48. Garrard drops back, finds Marcedes Lewis over the middle for a 12 yard gain and a first down. MJD gets a nice 6 yard gain up the middle. MJD on the toss breaks a tackle, finds room and breaks it for an 8 yard gain and a first down to the 49er 26. The clock runs down to the 2 minute warning. MJD runs to the left for a 7 yard gain. Garrard drops back and sees Willis coming at him unblocked. Afraid for his life, he throws the ball away but still takes the hit from Bam Bam. 3rd and 3 at the 18. Garrard out of the shotgun finds Thomas on the quick pass for a 9 yard gain and a 1st down at the 9. Garrard drops back, Lawson sheds a defender, gets pressure on Garrard and he throws it out of the end zone incomplete. Lawson punished him though as the 49ers have been doing this whole first half. Jennings up the middle for 1 yard. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Garrard finds Thomas wide open in the back of the end zone who makes a nice leaping catch for the TD. 14-10 Jaguars

With 1:03 on the clock the Niners start on their own 25. They come out in a shotgun, and it appears they will try and get a quick score before the half. Smith hits Gore up the middle for a 13 yard catch. Smith gets hit as he throws and it falls incomplete. Smith overthrows Jones for an incomplete pass. On 3rd down Smith finds Battle down the left sideline, but he fails to get both feet in and it is ruled incomplete. 4th down and a three-and-out.

Jaguars start at their 30 with :33 left, and will run out the clock to the 2nd half with a handoff to MJD.

Halftime thoughts

So far it has been a back and forth game. Gore has had 2 huge plays and that is what has given the Niners all 10 of their points. The defense came up big in the red zone with that Spikes INT which likely would have been more points for the Jags. Garrard is feeling pressure almost every time he's dropped back to pass and has taken a beating so far. Despite that, the Niners defense cannot make plays on 3rd down when they need them and it has cost them the lead. On the other side, the O Line has been playing surprisingly well, but Smith has not taken advantage of it well enough. Gore has though, racking up 139 rushing yards already and 188 total yards. He is once again the one man offense of the 49ers.

3^rd Quarter

Jaguars get the ball to start on their own 31. The Niners special teams has played subpar today. MJD gets the ball up the middle, and Lawson finally brings him down after breaking 2 tackles and getting a tough 4 yard gain. Garrard finally gets some protection and time and finds Lewis out to the left for a 16 yard gain and they are at the 49er 49 yard line. Once again Lewis gets open and catches a 12 yard 1st down pass. MJD gets the toss to the right, but Willis is just too fast and chases him down for no gain. MJD up the middle and finds a huge hole for a 10 yard gain and yet another Jags first down. Ball at the 49er 27. Garrard splits two defenders with a pass to Holt, but he gets hit as he catches it and the ball pops out incomplete. Garrard drops back and hands off on the draw to Jennings for a 4 yard gain. 3rd and 6. Garrard gets plenty of time, and finds MJD on the streak route down the right side wide open and Spencer can't keep up with him and it's an easy catch for a TD. 21-10 Jaguars

Coffee gets hammered on the return and the Niners start on the 27. 3 WR Singleback set and Vernon Davis catches the patented pass over the shoulder for a nice 15 yard gain and a first down. The Niners spread out in a 4WR formation and Smith gets good protection which gives Davis time to get open on a deep post route and catches another pass, this time for 24 yards and the Niners are in Jacksonville territory. Ball on the 34. On the play action to Gore, Smith gets it out quickly to Moran Norris on a 4 yard catch. On 2nd down, Smith connects with Morgan who gets his first catch today on a short slant route for 6 yards and just enough for the first. Ball on the Jaguars 23. Another play action to Gore and on the same play, Norris gets another catch on the screen route and runs for an 8 yard gain. On 2nd and 2, Davis comes in motion to the right, Gore gets the handoff, breaks one tackle and sprawls the ball out across the first down marker as he gets dragged down. First down Niners and they are knocking on the door at the 13. Smith gets all day as the Jags only bring 2 rushers but he still cannot find a man and throws it incomplete on a pass intended for Gore on the curl route. Gore gets the ball on the draw, and finds a hole and fights his way for a 7 yard gain. 3rd and 3 at the 6. Smith on the play action stretch to Coffee, he rolls out to the right. He finds Davis wide open in the end zone... Touchdown Niners!!! It's called the Vernon Zone for a reason. The 9ers line up to go for 2, in hopes of bringing it within a field goal. In the I-Formation, Coffee gets the ball up the middle, gets met at the goal line, but he got the ball across the plane! 21-18 Jaguars

Witherspoon returns to the 21 as the Niners finally get good special teams coverage. MJD gets dragged down by Lawson and Willis for a 2 yard gain. Garrard takes a 3 step drop and throws to Sims-Walker on the hot read who runs for a 15 yard gain to the 37. Out of the shotgun, Garrard throws out to Thomas on the short slant, but he did not get 2 feet in and it's ruled incomplete. On 2nd down, Marcedes Lewis burns Michael Lewis and gets wide open and with some nice YAC, gets the ball to the 49er 35 on a 28 yard completion. On first down Garrard throws to Mike Thomas on the out route. He has a step on Haralson, but he under throws him and Parys jumps the route and picks it off! He then gets the ball back into Jacksonville territory to the 38. That is Garrard's 3rd interception thrown this game.

Niners in 4WR Shotgun formation, it's a draw to Gore who gets pummeled for a 5 yard loss. Smith gets hit as he throws on 2nd down and almost gets picked off but it's dropped. On 3rd down out of the shotgun, Smith has all day to throw, throws it for Battle, but it is a terrible decision as it's thrown into heavy coverage and Witherspoon picks it off, and no one is in front of him to stop him from going all the way and getting the pick-6. 28-18 Jaguars

Robinson on the return to the 27. Handoff up the middle to Gore who gets 8 yards. 2 WR set Smith drops back hits an open Walker out to the left for an 8 yard gain and a first down. With just 4 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Smith drops back and hits Battle over the middle in tight coverage who gets brought down right away for a 7 yard gain.

4^th Quarter

Niners out of the shotgun, 3 WR set and Smith hits Battle yet again who's wide open over the middle for a 12 yard gain. The ball is now on the JAX 37. Out of the shotgun, Smith throws to Crabs who has his man beat downfield, but it's underthrown and gets knocked down. Smith hits Battle over the middle again for an 8 yard gain. 3rd and 2 on the 30, Niners in Shotgun, Smith drops back, has Vernon downfield open, but he gets hit just as he throws and lobs it up and the ball gets knocked down by Reggie Nelson. Joe Nedney kicks, the ball hits the upright, and barely falls through. 28-21 Jaguars with 12:30 left in the game.

Witherspoon returns the kick to the 29. MJD with a 2 yard run up the gut. Garrard drops back, can't find a WR, and gets sacked by Lawson. On 3rd and 14, the Jags don't want to take any chances and give the ball to MJD who gets 2 yards and the Jags have to punt on the three-and-out.

Brandon Jones gets a 5 yard return to the 34. Gore rushes up the middle for 5 yards. Out of the Taser, Gore gets the direct snap and gets stuffed for 1 yard... On 3rd and 4, Smith throws into double coverage for Davis and it is nearly picked off. What would we do without that Taser?

Jacksonville starts on their 36. Garrard to Greg Jones on the flat route for 7 yards. MJD on the draw, but Lawson meets him 4 yards in the backfield for a nice stuff. 3rd and 7. Garrard out of the shotgun, has a man over the middle, but Spikes sneaks in there in the zone and bats it away for a much needed big 3rd down play. 7:25 remaining after the three-and-out.

Jones returns the punt to the 22. Gore up the middle, sheds 2 guys, and gets 6 yards. Niners in the bunch formation on 2nd and 4, Smith drops back, and it's a draw play to Gore. Gore fights his way for 4 yards and after a measurement, it's a Niners first down! About 6 minutes remaining. Ball on their own 33. Smith gets all day, steps up in the pocket, but holds on for entirely too long and gets sacked for a 4 yard loss. On 2nd and 14 Gore gets a hand off, sees no holes in the line, and breaks out to the right. He leaps over a downed defender and makes a nice gain out of nothing for 13 yards. On 3rd and 1, we see the Taser again. Gore with the direct snap up the middle, and he barely gets the first. Niners ball on their own 43. Coffee with a run on first down up the gut for 3. 3 WR Singleback, Coffee gets another handoff towards the right for a 1 yard gain. Only 3 minutes remaining and a big 3rd and 6 coming up. It's a 4WR set with Davis split out with Jones and Morgan out to the left and Crabs on the right. Play action to Gore, Smith rolls out left, throws a deep pass to Morgan who has his man beat... and he comes down with it! He gets tackled by Nelson as he does and it's the Niners ball at the Jacksonville 24 with 2:10 remaining. Smith drops back and throws it to Gore on the flat route to the right and he gets brought down after a 6 yard gain. That brings us to the 2 minute warning and the Niners are officially in the Vernon Zone. We see another 4 WR singleback set, Smith throws it to Morgan on the short out route, but he cannot get his right foot in bounds, and the refs rule it incomplete. 3rd and 4. Out of the gun, Smith hits Davis on the curl route, who appears about to be brought down short of the first, but he trucks the guy, runs, and trucks yet another defender and runs all the way down to the 3 where he is brought down! Davis comes up big in his zone. Niners come up in the hurry up, for some reason. There is still about 1:40 on the clock. Out of the gun, Smith tries to throw, but gets hit as he does and it falls incomplete about 1 yard in front of him. Clock stopped at 1:32. Niners in the Split back formation. Smith drops back, Jags with the blitz, but Smith sees Jones over the middle running free...and hits him for the touchdown!!! Joe Nedney hits the game tying extra point and it's all square at 28! The Jags still have 1:29 left on the clock though.

Jennings on the return to the 27. 1:23 after the kickoff and all 3 timeouts. Garrard drops back, hits Sims-Walker in tight coverage on the curl route for 12 yards and a first. In the hurry up, the Jags in shotgun, Garrard catches the snap over his head, nearly gets sacked by Willis, but he just got the ball off as it falls incomplete. 1:05 left on 2nd and 10. Garrard drops back, gets very good protection from his line, and throws a very deep ball. It's a lobber though, and the Spikes has time to get back and swat the pass intended for Thomas. 3rd and 10. Garrard throws a quick pass over the middle, Willis jumps the route, and nearly picks it off for what surely would have been a game winning INT. The Jags have to punt with :53 remaining.

Brandon Jones on the return. He trucks one guy and gets a decent return to the Niner 36 with :43 left. Do they play for OT or try and score? They do have all 3 timeouts. It appears they choose the latter as they come out in the shotgun. Davis in motion to the left... Alex throws it for Morgan who jumps up for the catch, but it bounces off his hands. 2nd and 10. Niners in shotgun again. Smith drops way back, throws it very deep before he gets hit, but just as Garrard's pass, it's a lobber and it gets knocked down. Intended for Battle. :32 remaining. Niners come out in the Gun again for one more try for this first down. Smith dumps it off to Gore over the middle, who gets stopped 6 yards short and the Jags call a timeout. Witherspoon returns the punt to the JAX 25.

On 1st and 10, it's a false start on the Jags. 1st and 15 from the 20, and they just hand off to MJD who gets stopped for no gain, and they let the clock run out and we're headed to overtime!

Overtime

The Jags win the toss and get the ball first. Witherspoon returns the kickoff to the 27. Garrard hits Sims-Walker on the quick pass for an 18 yard gain and they're on their own 45. Another quick pass this time to the right to Lewis, who has a 15 yard gain, another first down, and he has now passed 100 yards receiving on the day. Ball on the Niner 41. Out of the gun, Garrard throws the slant route to Jones who runs out of bounds after 6 yards. 2^nd and 4. Garrard dances around in the pocket, no pressure at all. After seeing nothing, he scrambles up the middle. But he doesn't slide, and instead he takes a HUGE hit from Patrick Willis, and he fumbles! Parys Haralson picks it up and the Niners have possession! Ball on the Jaguars 35.

Smith hands off to Gore up the middle for a 3 yard gain. Gore again up the middle for 5 yards. 3rd and a little more than 1 on the 44. Gore fights up the middle for a nice 3 yard gain and a first down. Gore up the middle for a 2 yard gain to the 49. 2nd and 8. On the screen play, Smith gets smashed as he throws and the ball flies up and nearly gets picked off by Daryl Smith. 3rd and 9. In the gun, Davis moves from the TE spot and motions out to the left next to Morgan. Smith takes the snap, has Crabs on a deep out post route, but he waited a bit too long as he catches it out of bounds. 4th and 9.

Lee punts it into the end zone. Play action to MJD, who goes out for a curl route, catches the pass, but then gets plowed by Bam Bam but holds on for an 8 yard gain. MJD up the middle on 2nd and 2 for 3 yards and a first down. Garrard with the fake to MJD, throws it out left, but Bly comes up and knocks it down. 2nd and 10. Out of the gun, Garrard gets the snap, has some time, and throws a deep ball. Thomas is the intended receiver and somehow got matched up with Parys Haralson who just can't keep up and has no help from a safety. Thomas comes down with the wide open catch on a perfectly placed pass, and has room to run, and he does. Touchdown Jags on the 69 yard TD reception. What a heartbreaker. Jaguars win 34-28

Post Game Stats

JAX - 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 - 34

SF - 0 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 0 - 28

Jacksonville -- Stat - San Francisco

448 - Total Offense - 423

95 - Rushing Yards - 197

353 - Passing Yards - 226

18 - First Downs - 16

4 - Turnovers - 2

7-12 (58%) - 3^rd Down - 5-15 (33%)

34:12 - TOP - 32:51

Alex Smith -- 65.6 RTG 22-42 (52%) 241 YDS 2 TD 2 INT David Garrard - 82.9 RTG 20-36 (55%) 359 YDS 3 TD 3 INT

Frank Gore - 22 ATT 195 YDS (8.8 YPC) | 6 REC 59 YDS Maurice Jones-Drew - 24 ATT 81 YDS (3.3 YPC) | 3 REC 61 YDS 1 TD

Arnaz Battle -- 4 REC 41 YDS Marcedes Lewis - 6 REC 101 YDS

Brandon Jones/Vernon Davis- 1 REC TD Mike Thomas -- 3 REC 86 YDS 2 TD

Manny Lawson - 5 TK (3 TFL) 2 Sacks Terrance Knighton - 5 TKL (3 TFL) 2 Sacks

Takeo Spikes - 4 TKL 1 INT 3 knockdowns Justin Durant - 8 TKL (1 TFL) 1 INT

Dre Bly/Parys Haralson -1 INT Brian Witherspoon - 2 TKL 1 INT (TD)

Post-Game Thoughts
Well this game definitely did not disappoint as far as exciting goes. These teams were back and forth all game trading blow for blow. But even 256 total yards from Frank Gore, containment of Maurice Jones-Drew for the most part, and 4 turnovers from Garrard could not lead the Niners to a victory in this one. The defense did not make plays when they needed to in key situations; mainly on 3rd down and the offense could not take advantage of the chances Garrard was giving them left and right. The big plays made the difference in this one, and the Jags had just one too many. Let's hope tomorrow brings us a different result.

49ers-Jaguars: Wednesday Injury Report

Fooch — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:16:48 -0000

Although tomorrow is Thanksgiving, the 49ers will be holding practice as normal this week, which means we get the normal injury report and coach press conferences. The most intriguing comment was that we might see Dre Bly starting over Tarell Brown. Brown struggled against the Packers so if he is demoted it's certainly a sign of accountability. Will we get to see an old school matchup between Dre Bly and Torry Holt?

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

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Arnaz Battle (ankle)
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
S Mark Roman (illness)
DT Justin Smith (not injury related)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Limited Participation in Practice
G David Baas (ankle)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
S Curtis Taylor (knee)

Full Participation in Practice
CB Tarell Brown (knee)
S Reggie Smith (abdomen)
T Adam Snyder (shoulder)
LB Patrick Willis (shoulder)

Jaguars
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Rashean Mathis (groin)

Did not Participate in Practice
RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee)
WR Mike Sims-Walker (knee)

Coach Singletary's press conference transcript after the jump...

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Walk-Thru November 25, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"[RB] Mike Robinson, stinger, day-to-day. [G David] Baas, ankle sprain, day-to-day. He is a lot better than we anticipated, but it is day-to-day. [WR Arnaz] Battle, same thing. [S Mark] Roman, rib contusion. Battle has a leg strain. [CB Tarell] Brown, knee contusion, coming along okay. [S] Reggie Smith, ab strain. [CB Marcus] Hudson, back spasm. [TE] Delanie Walker, forearm contusion. [LB] Patrick Willis, trap spasm. Most of those are fine and should not inhibit the game-day situation. There are just a few guys that are day-to-day."

On whether Baas has a high ankle sprain:

"No, I don't think so."

On LB Takeo Spikes' health:

"He is coming along. We are hopeful, but we don't know that yet. It will be a game-time decision, but we are hoping he will be okay. We are hoping for that."

On how many players will be game-time decisions:

"The rest of them are okay. The rest of them, so far so good."

On the importance of this game:

"The later it gets in the season, and when you are in November and December they are all important. I think going forward, the guys know how important it is, the coaches know how important it is. It is just a matter of getting out here and putting it all together, putting all three phases together - offense, defense and special teams. We need to stop killing ourselves. We just have to continue to work at that, continue to get better eliminating little mistakes here and there and we will get better."

On whether he would like the team to have more attitude:

"You know what, I think more so than attitude it is more of a - sometimes when you are in a situation where you put yourself in a hole, sometimes you get your back up against the wall and you kind of start looking around then, ‘Hey you know what? It's all in front of us.' Just settle down, continue to work on our technique, continue to do all the little things that we have to do because it is more about us than it is about anybody else we have played or are playing. As we continue to commit ourselves to eliminating those things that hinder us from putting a winning game together, putting a winning streak together, it will happen. I said it before and I talked to the team about that, it has to come soon. The guys are working hard; they are doing everything you ask them to do. We just have to eliminate some of the little things that come up at the worst opportune time in the game."

On the little things he was talking about that keep going wrong:

"Being a step off here, not being exactly where you are supposed to be on a particular drop and the quarterback finding that little window. Seeing things a little bit quicker and anticipating, getting there quicker, whether it be a linebacker or a DB. Those kinds of things. For me, detail is everything and it is just a matter of guys continuing to focus on those things. Making a call. We are getting in a situation where you are making the call but it is too late and the guy can't respond the way he needs to respond. Stuff like that. Nothing with effort, nothing at all with any of that kind of stuff, which is great. But at the same time, the end result costs you one way or another. We just have to continue working on those little things to play faster and play quicker and just get where we need to be."

On whether one of those things was when CB Tarell Brown missed a tackle against Green Bay that led to a touchdown:

"No, that's a big thing. That's a big thing."

On why the defense has missed so many tackles lately:

"I won't say fatigue. I think this past week, and really when you are in a situation where guys are tackling wide outs in the open field, sometimes that happens. We just have to continue to work on it, continue to get better at it."

On whether CB Nate Clements would be making some of those open-field tackles if he were healthy:

"The whole thing about Nate Clements is a whole other story. It has very little to do with tackling. Nate and I talked about that and discussed that back then and tackling was a small part of that."

On whether he will make any changes in the secondary:

"It is possible. We are just going to look at some things and see how it works out and go from there. We will look at it today and tomorrow and go from there."

On what he has told the defensive backs lately:

"Some of the things that I talked about earlier, it is just a matter of being on the same page consistently, making those little calls. To a secondary that has been playing together a while, you expect it to be quicker, you expect it to be. At times, it is not. We just have to continue as a secondary overall. We just have to continue to work better together and be on the same page, be sharper, be quicker, all those little things. It is not like they are covering the wrong guy. It is not like they are calling the wrong thing. I would just like for it to happen faster, that's all. We just have to play faster."

On whether he told his team he expects five turnovers every game after the Chicago game:

"I think for us as you get into the second half of the season, the Bears game was a combination of a number of things. That's why I don't get all tied into the stats of this team has done this and this team is there. I am always looking at the film and making sure we are where we are supposed to be and we are doing the proper technique because the better the team, the better you have to be on the back end. And if you're not exactly where you need to be, then it's going to catch you at times, and that's where we are. We're all about being exact, being exactly where we need to be. Our margin for error is very small. That's where we are."

On whether CB Dre' Bly will start in place of Brown or if he's looking at other changes:

"It's possible. It's possible."

On whether he means Bly for Brown:

"Yes sir. It's possible."

On how he would analyze the long pass play to WR Greg Jennings:

"I think there were two things happening there. When you see the play on film, Tarell Brown was behind the guy, chasing him, and I think [S] Dashon Goldson was seeing both of those things and anticipating that Tarell Brown was going to hit him and he had one shot to get him, and either you take it and take the risk of taking Tarell Brown out as well. So, you didn't. So yes, it was a bad angle, but I think that was the biggest reason for it. You had your own player in that same window."

On what he wants to see from QB Alex Smith and the offense this Sunday:

"All I want to see in our offense is just execution, just consistency in the execution. At some point in time, they'll have to put that together. I think they're getting better each week. I think Alex is getting better each week. I think the receivers - we just have to continue to work together, get the timing down. I think that something very special could be in the making in terms of getting everybody on the same page on offense, whether it be [WR Michael] Crabtree, whether it be [WR Jason] Hill, whether it be [WR Josh] Morgan. I think the guys are beginning to click a bit. The more we can be consistent, the more we can execute, I think that can be a good thing here in the second half of the season."

On whether the touchdown catch Crabtree made was indicative of the reason for drafting him:

"Absolutely. I think more so than anything else, when you saw him in college he was like a man amongst boys making plays. You're hoping that transfers at the next level. This game is certainly not too big for him. He is a rookie. He is working his tail off. He is doing some little things that he has got to get better at. But, I think everything that he's been able to do thus far has been really good. I know we are very excited to have him. When you have a guy like that, it takes your whole offense to another level."

On whether he will make any other personnel changes this week:

"At this time, we're just kind of looking at some things. I don't want to make any quick decisions, rash judgments. We're just kind of looking at some things."

On his thoughts on the Thanksgiving holiday and his traditions:

"Just try and get everything done that we need to get done here in terms of keeping the focus on performing well this Sunday and trying to come away with a win. And at the same time, taking that day to enjoy your family, finding the balance between the two. That's really it. I'm going to enjoy my family and encourage everybody else to do the same."

On whether he carves the turkey every year:

"I carve the turkey. I mess it up pretty much. My wife is still gracious enough to let me do it every year. Yes, I do. The biggest part I do is we just have a good time. It's my day to serve and try to get my wife to sit down somewhere. That's what that day is all about for me."

On LB Matt Wilhelm's performance in the Green Bay game:

"Well I'll put it this way, it's a work in progress. He got in there and he made some improvement based on what he's done before and some of the techniques that we teach. He tried to use those. Matt, he really is a work in progress. I think he can play the game. I think he can be a good linebacker. How good? I just think it's going to take some time. Going forward, we'll see how good he can become."

QB Alex Smith
Post Walk-Thru - November 25, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On having any plans for thanksgiving:

"Just staying at home and the in-laws are coming over so we are going to do thanksgiving dinner at our house."

On who does the cooking in preparation for thanksgiving dinner:

"My wife, I really don't have time to do much or really help out."

On his opinion on the state of the offense as a whole:

"Probably like most scenarios: some good, some bad, some in between. I think that, looking back, consistency is the key. We've lacked consistency in our execution, that's the one area that I really see."

On the difference in his offensive performance being under center rather than taking snaps in a shotgun formation:

"I don't know. I don't know the numbers. I guess, just imaging what they're like, it could be the concepts that we're doing that are different. We tend to do more play action pass when we're under center, taking shots maybe, I don't know. I don't necessarily think that whether the gun or under center has to do with it as much."

On throwing one pass under center in the second half of the game against Green Bay for an interception:

"Really? I didn't know that. I guess when I look at that, in that one example, I don't see the correlation there. I understand that's what the statistics say but that was a unique deal. I think back on what happened and the decision that I was making, and it was a unique thing specific to that play and not necessarily me being under center."

On whether the offense is still looking for a solid identity with him starting at quarterback:

"In a sense of figuring it out - yeah. I think it's because we've lacked consistency. I think it's because of that reason. At times when we're going and executing and doing what we need to do, we look good and at times we don't and I think that's because when you are struggling, you've got change what you're doing sometimes. So yeah, all of a sudden, if we're struggling doing one thing and we're changing it up, it appears that maybe we're looking, but I think that's the nature of this game. Good defenses are going to take away what they want one dimensionally. If the defense wants to overload the box and stop the run they can do that. You have to be able to adjust and throw the ball. That's what good offenses do, you have to be able to do that. I think that, especially when you come up and face good defenses, you can't always impose your will, you have to be able to adjust. Be balanced, be multi-dimensional."

On whether it's frustrating to figure out what a defense is doing and making adjustments:

"It frustrates me in a sense because I don't think that it's just the adjustment, it's us executing. That's the biggest thing, too. We have to go out and execute it, to take a half of a football like we did last week, yeah it is frustrating. We've got to get going. That's on all of us."

On scouting Jacksonville's defense:

"They are similar to a couple of the teams that we've played in the sense that they have 3-4 personnel going in and out of running the 3-4 and then 4 down. Then you're going to get different looks up front, so you definitely have to be sharp with the protection and the run game and where we're going. So, I think they're similar to teams that we've played in the last few weeks."

On whether he views Jacksonville being a sacking team on defense:

"That's not something that I particularly look at. I think that it's more when you look that personnel, if you play a team with a defensive end that's really causing a lot of problems is that something that you maybe have to adjust your game plan to. My job is to get out there and disperse the ball. You have to adjust to pressure and things they do like that. I'm not really thinking about d-linemen."

On his reasons why no passes were thrown downfield in the first half of the game at Green Bay:

"I think that there were limited opportunities. We only had a limited number of opportunities in the first half. I think just a combination of things, a combination of maybe not getting it off or it wasn't there."

Greg Manusky Approval Rating, Week 10

Fooch — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:22 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

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After enough requests, now seemed as good a time as any to roll out a Greg Manusky Approval Rating poll. We don't have a graphic for it yet, but I'll work on that.

For those who didn't know, Football Outsiders posts weekly DVOA ratings for offenses and defenses, and the 49ers are second in the NFL in total defensive DVOA. They stand third against the rush and eighth against the pass. Although there are certain areas where the defense can still improve (namely consistency), the swarming, aggressive nature of the defense seems to have them playing fairly well for the most part.

For this first approval rating, I'm curious what has caused the improvements in the defense? Obviously they've had some tough games, but overall, the defense is better than last season. The 49ers defense was ranked 14th last season when Nolan was fired, and finished the season ranked 18th. They were 20th against the pass and 17th against the run. Fairly middle of the road. In looking at the current depth chart, we've had a couple big changes, but really most of the defense remains the same in terms of personnel. The two biggest changes since day 1 are: 1) Dashon Goldson moving into the starting lineup in place of Mark Roman, and 2) Shawntae Spencer returning to the starting lineup ahead of Dre Bly (and Walt Harris since he was injured). The second change was more recently when Tarell Brown moved into the starting lineup over Nate Clements.

I think those changes have certainly impacted the defense, but enough to sit at the #2 position in all the league? I guess I'm wondering how much credit does Greg Manusky get? Aside from the big name coordinators, you don't hear a lot about your defensive coordinator. The offensive coordinators seem to get significantly more press, and it often seems easier to assess the OC as you're watching the game.

I remember there being some talk about how Manusky was never really completely free under Nolan, and that under Singletary he's been given a lot more latitude to run the defense as he wants. In general it seems like Singletary gets a lot of the credit for positives with the 49ers, while others take the blame. Given the improvements, who (or what) gets the credit for the 49ers general defensive prowess in 2009?

Poll

Do you approve of the job Greg Manusky is doing as defensive coordinator?

Yes

626 votes

No

17 votes

643 votes | Poll has closed

49ers sign CB Keith Smith, Release WR Micheal Spurlock

Fooch — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:04:20 -0000

The loss of Nate Clements meant the team needed some cornerback depth behind Dre Bly and Marcus Hudson. Today the 49ers made an initial move to shore up that depth by signing CB Keith Smith. To make room for Smith, the 49ers released much maligned KR/WR Micheal Spurlock.

Below are some details from the 49ers about the move. I was looking for some info and found some interesting stuff. Our Lions blog had some comments when Smith was released at the final roster cut:

Cornerback Keith Smith was released on Wednesday. Though Smith was injured for part of training camp and hadn't been great since he returned, this was an unexpected move. I personally thought Smith would make the team over Ramzee Robinson, albeit not by a very wide margin. This decision really just came out of left field, especially when news broke a few hours later that Cletis Gordon was claimed by the Lions to fill Smith's spot on the roster. Gordon is a cornerback who was cut by the Texans after spending only a few days with the team. Before that he was with the Chargers, where he spent three seasons and was a starter in one game last year.

The folks at mlive.com had some comments when Smith was released by the Lions at the beginning of the season:

Smith was Detroit's best downfield on-ball defender last year, but he never stepped up in training camp this season.

Smith (5-11, 191) was originally selected in the third round (73^rd overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. After spending five seasons with Detroit, he was released prior to the start of the 2009 season.

Smith has played in 71 career games (5 starts), registering 118 tackles, four interceptions, 14 passes defensed, one sack, one forced fumble and one touchdown.

A 29-year-old, native of Leesville, LA, Smith played collegiately at McNeese State.

Spurlock signed with the 49ers on January 23, 2009, after spending one season with the Arizona Cardinals and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He appeared in 11 career games (four with the 49ers) and totaled four receptions for 31 yards and 19 kickoff returns for 498 yards and one touchdown.

In addition, the 49ers have also released TE Carson Butler from the practice squad.

Tarell Brown to start at CB over Nate Clements

Fooch — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:36:28 -0000

Well then. According to Maiocco (as seen in this Chronicle article), Tarell Brown will start at left cornerback opposite Shawntae Spencer. Big thanks to kezarvet for mentioning this in the Pro Bowl Voting FanPost. I hadn't even noticed it yet.

According to the Chronicle article, Nate Clements will likely shift inside to a slot position when the 49ers are in their nickel defense, with Dre Bly now being the fourth corner. According to Maiocco this is a one-week demotion of Clements based on the belief that Brown provides a better matchup against the Colts big receivers.

Even if this is a one-week thing, it's still pretty huge news. Brown stated that it was a coincidence that this came just after he signed his contract extension, and I'm definitely willing to believe him. After all, if this was a money thing, Clements would still be the #1 guy this week. Instead the team is dipping their toe in the water with Brown in a pretty big game. Prior to his training camp injury Brown was making big strides, but was set back by that injury.

Given that the team will likely be in their nickel defense much of the game, I'd imagine Clements will still see plenty of playing time. Of course now, instead of facing Reggie Wayne, Clements will be covering Pierre Garcon or Austin Collie much of the time. This could be particularly interesting in the punting game as well. The team mentioned that Nate Clements (and Brandon Jones) could see some time returning punts, so why not go with Clements now that he's not going to be the #1 cornerback?

For those wondering, Clements does have a decent history as a punt returner, with two returned for touchdowns. His most prolific season was in 2004 when he returned 35 punts for 327 yards and a touchdown. Since then he's never returned more than 8.

Twitter mania: 49ers, Michael Lewis, Tarell Brown, Brandon Jones

Fooch — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:27:13 -0000

Fooch's Update 2:10pm - Adam Schefter is usually on the money, but just to make it official, the 49ers sent out their press release announcing the Tarell Brown contract extension.

I couldn't really think of a catchy title for this, so I just went for something simple. Twitter has provided us a potpourri of information for your discussion pleasure.

Tarell Brown
The 49ers haven't sent out the official announcement yet, but for now, Adam Schefter is reporting the 49ers signed CB Tarell Brown to a 3-year, $7.125 million extension that included a $2.5 million extension. Brown had injury issues that cost him time and likely a starting role this season. Dre Bly wasn't spectacular in camp but did enough to lock down the job for now. I'm guessing we'll see much more of Brown next season, assuming he can stay healthy.

Sunday Info
Maiocco reported on Twitter that first and foremost, Adam Snyder will start at right tackle and Chilo Rachal will start at right guard. I can't imagine folks can get all that excited about this given the struggles the line faced when those two were starting at those positions previously. The Colts bring a wicked pass rush, so this is just one more thing to be concerned about.

Maiocco also mentioned that Michael Lewis will be back starting at safety. As always, Lewis brings great run support help. Mark Roman had his issues last week, so let's hope we can have some greater consistency from the two safeties. The Colts offensive attack is no joke, so everybody is going to need to bring their A-game this week if the 49ers are going to spring the upset.

Finally, Brandon Jones will play and back up at split end. Given how much time Crabtree, Morgan and Bruce are getting, how much action will Jones really see? Say the team goes to a 4-WR, 1-RB offense. Vernon Davis is very likely to be one of those four players split wide. I suppose they could mix Jones in to the mix, but I just don't know. Unless they want to start fazing Isaac Bruce out of the picture.

We'll be back with an injury report later today, but in the meantime, feel free to discuss all things 49ers in this thread.