SB Nation - Patrick Willis

Who Would You Take From The San Francisco 49ers?

Andrew602 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:01:25 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Adding Patrick Willis to the Cardinals would bring more leadership and vastly improve the Cardinals run-defense.

With the Monday night match up not far ahead, we can start preparing to face the San Francisco 49ers. It may sound difficult to want any players from a division rival on the Arizona Cardinals, but in all honesty, the 49ers are filled with talent. Their 5-7 record may not show it, but the 49ers have one of the best defenses in the league and are starting to gel on offense. Remember that who you pick can be a young or older player, a starter or a back up, etc. You can also take their current contract status into consideration, as if we were actually signing the player. Also look at who may be leaving our team after this season. Here are some of my picks.

Before you look over the list, head over to Niners Nation to check out who they have interest in taking from our very own Cardinals and make sure to voice your opinion if you feel they're overlooking some certain players.

Patrick Willis, LB: This had to be the easiest/most obvious pick from the 49ers. He's a tackling machine(123 tackles leads the league) and has really developed to be one of the best linebackers in the league. Willis is a smart defender that can play the run(as their 5th ranked 95.4 rushing yards per game shows), and he's improving in coverage(6 PD, 2 INT). The former rookie of the year is only 24 years old, and with the uncertainty of Karlos Dansby returning next season, adding Willis would fill a tremendous need.

Vernon Davis, TE: As much as it pains me to say, I would like to have Vernon Davis as a Cardinal. He seems to have turned a new leaf this season and it's showed on the field. Already being a dominant run-blocker, Davis has turned it up a notch at the receiving end and is currently tied with Larry Fitzgerald with a league-leading 10 receiving touchdowns on the year. Adding Davis would surely fix our tight end situation and give us a young receiving/blocking tight end for years. Doesn't it seem like most teams have better tight ends then the Cardinals?

Aubrayo Franklin, DT: Franklin has gradually developed into one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the league. He's also one of the more underrated defenders on the 49ers. The 49ers have had much success stopping the run and much of that stems from Franklin's ability to fill the defensive gaps. He seems to be ever-improving all facets of his game, as he's recorded 2 sacks on the year and also has 1 interception. With Bryan Robinson's age becoming a liability, and the uncertainty of Alan Branch and Gabe Watson, adding Franklin would leave no Cardinals fans worried about the defensive tackle position.

Joe Staley, OT: Staley returns to action this upcoming Monday and the former 1st round pick has been missed by the 49ers. Although Barry Sims has filled in with solid play at tackle, he's not as well rounded as Staley has been the last two seasons. He's still developing but his pass-protection would be greatly welcomed in Arizona. In the seven games this year, Staley has only allowed 2 sacks and hasn't committed any penalties. With how Levi Brown and Mike Gandyhave fared this season, adding Staley would fill a large void.

Honorable mentions: Nate Clements, Justin Smith, Manny Lawson

Ok so that's my list for this week. Don't forget to see what the Niners fans are saying and who they'd pick over at Niners Nation. Who would you take from the 49ers and why?

One Right Guard's Journey Towards Respectability

John Morgan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:51:14 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

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Part of being a consistent contender is team health. Abstractly we can understand that for most teams, the starters will play better than their backups. When a team loses starters to injury it is less likely to win. What is much less understood is how game-to-game, even snap-to-snap health impacts players that are starting or contributing.

Ray McDonald was fully healthy in week two. He walked over Max Unger. McDonald was "probable" last week. He was listed with a "shoulder". Could that shoulder have sapped enough power to level the competition? Unger, much to his credit, has not appeared once on the NFL injury report.

Maybe Unger improved, maybe McDonald regressed, maybe McDonald was injured, maybe home field factored and Unger was faster off the snap or more willing to stretch the rules. It's impossible to know. We can be sure that Unger played better and his improved play was vital to Seattle winning.

In the first drive of the fourth quarter, Unger pulled twice and factored once. On his second pull attempt, Unger missed his assignment and that assignment, linebacker Takeo Spikes, tackled Julius Jones after six. Matt Hasselbeck ended the drive by attempting to pull out from the pile again and doing so again sacked himself by running into a defender.

Unger was the best man on the line at holding ground and protecting the pocket on Seattle's first play of its second drive. He then turned his man on a rush play and contained his man on the following pass play. That turned out to be pretty damn important in the interconnected world of Football.

For most of the season, Chris Spencer protected Unger. If a man was aligned over Unger, Spencer would typically turn right and double the defender. Rob Sims was the reliable guard. He was left to fend for himself. Unger proved capable of controlling his man and that allowed Spencer to read and react. It proved critical.

Lock was badly beat around the end by Manny Lawson. Sims controlled his man and Spencer stood free in his center zone. Spencer turned that freedom into a crucial freeing block. He doubled Sims man and the two dominated him so completely that Sims was able to pull free and pick up Locklear's blown assignment. What looked like a sack turned into a fifteen yard completion.

Unger was satisfactory on his final two plays of the drive. The play that preceded those was a heartening sign. Seattle, for the nth time all game, hit the 49ers nose tackle and short-spaced down linemen and moved out the middle in impressive fashion. Moving out the middle linemen, be it nose, defensive tackles or 3-4 ends, is a harbinger of a building run game. Justin Forsett missed the hole, but it was a beauty. Behind Seattle's center three a crease ripped open that would have harbored the rusher deep into the 49ers second level. Forsett cut left and into Manny Lawson for a loss of three. John Carlson was discarded in routine fashion.

Unger was steady, steady throughout the game, steady in crunch time, and reliable enough to make those around him look better. A steady Unger makes the entire offensive line better. He started the season weak at the point and unreliable snap to snap and is ending stout at the point and forgettable on most downs. That's good progression and return on a second round guard prospect. It's also a boring end to a series.

On the first play of Seattle's second to last drive, Unger put it all together. He helped force back the 49ers left defensive line and then shot into the second level. There, just as Jones approached the right edge, Unger inflicted a punishing cut block on Patrick Willis. Jones turned and sprinted up field into the 49ers open right side. Willis wasn't there to hit him. He wasn't there to stop the play short. Willis was just another spectator, watching Jones turn the corner and run for 11.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:00:32 -0000

vs.

While this game lost a lot of its luster with the Sunday's 49ers loss and Cardinals win, it still should provide an entertaining football experience. As folks were trying to develop a legit 49ers-Seahawks rivalry, the 49ers quietly developed a rivalry with the Arizona Cardinals. Even though there have been numerous sweeps of the series, the games usually are highly competitive, if not going down close to the wire. Even if the 49ers are all but eliminated from playoff contention, this game provides a chance for the team to take a step forward in execution and build towards 2010.

The 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals in what will be the 37th meeting between the two teams, with San Francisco holding a 20-16 advantage in the series. In the season opener earlier this year, the 49ers defeated the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium, 20-16.

San Francisco enters the upcoming game following a 20-17 defeat in Seattle. In that game, QB Alex Smith connected on 27 of 45 passes for a career-high 310 yards, which included a 33-yard touchdown pass to TE Vernon Davis for his 10th receiving touchdown on the year (tied for 1st in NFL and a new single-season record among 49ers TE’s all-time) and a 22-yard touchdown reception by WR Josh Morgan to mark his third score of the season. It marked the second week in a row that the 49ers defense had posted at least 5 sacks in a game, having had 6 sacks against the Jaguars before notching 5 sacks against the Seahawks.

The 49ers have won 7 of their past 9 home games and have a 38-24 overall record on Monday Night Football.

49ers-Cardinals Connections
Coaching Connections
• 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was a teammate of Cardinals assistant head coach/OL coach Russ Grimm with the Washington Redskins from 1988-91. Manusky played linebacker, while Grimm played offensive guard.
• 49ers TE coach Pete Hoener has had coaching stints with the Cardinals in both St. Louis (1985-86) and Arizona (2001-03).
• 49ers WR coach Jerry Sullivan spent 3 seasons as the Cardinals offensive coordinator from 2001-03.
• 49ers special teams coordinator Al Everest coached in the same capacity for the Cardinals from 1996-99.
• Cardinals LB coach Billy Davis was the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2005-06.

FORMER CARDINALS - 49ers K Joe Nedney spent three seasons with the Cardinals from 1997-99 ... 49ers G Tony Wragge was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cardinals in 2002. Wragge spent 2 seasons (2002-03) with Arizona.

PANTHER PRIDE - 49ers CB Shawntae Spencer and Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald were teammates at the Univ. of Pittsburgh from 2000-03.

FORMER 49ERS - Cardinals DE Chike Okeafor spent the first 4 years of his career with the 49ers after being drafted in the 3rd round (89th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft.

HAIL THE VICTORS - 49ers G David Baas played at Michigan alongside Cardinals DT Gabe Watson, DT Alan Branch and WR Steve Breaston.

CARDINALS NOR-CAL CONNECTIONS - Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington played 2 seasons at Cal.

Series Highlights
Matchups: 36
Series Record: 49ers lead series 20-16
49ers Home Record vs. Cardinals: 49ers Lead Series 11-8
First Meeting: 11/15/51, Cardinals win, 27-21, at San Francisco
Last Meeting: 9/13/09, 49ers win, 20-16, at Arizona
Current Streak: Won 1
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 5 (9/14/80-10/18/87 | 10/24/93-12/21/02)
Longest Cards Win Streak: 4 (10/6/74-12/2/79 | 10/2/05-12/24/06)
Most 49ers Points: 50 (12/7/03): 50-14, at San Francisco
Most Cardinals Points: 34 (Two Times): Last (10/6/74), 34-9 at SF
49ers Shutouts: None
Cardinals Shutouts: None

SAN FRANCISCO 20, ARIZONA 16
At Glendale, AZ, September 13, 2009

Head coach Mike Singletary delivered a very simple message to his team in advance of their season opening matchup against the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals … "Believe." His players did just that as they battled through a tremendously physical game highlighted by impressive defensive efforts from both squads. After being stymied on offense for more than 3 quarters, the 49ers embarked on a 15-play, 80-yd. drive that consumed 7:26 of clock time en route to a 3-yd., go-ahead TD pass from QB Shaun Hill to RB Frank Gore. On the drive, offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye scrapped the run game that he had dialed up all afternoon and left the contest to Hill’s right arm. The QB responded going 9 of 13 for 72 yds. and the TD to Gore. On the series, Hill utilized his playmakers, including TE Vernon Davis who hauled in 4 passes for 35 yds.

The 49ers opened the scoring in the 1st quarter after All-Pro LB Patrick Willis intercepted a QB Kurt Warner pass to set his team up at the ARZ 36. Six plays later K Joe Nedney connected on a 37-yd. FG. Nedney later connected on a 50-yd. FG to give the Niners a 6-0 lead entering the 2nd stanza. The Cardinals finally got some offense going in the 2nd quarter as K Neil Rackers drilled a 44-yd. FG on their first possession. As the 49ers run game continued to struggle, Hill aired the ball out to All-Pro WR Isaac Bruce on a 50-yd. bomb, setting the offense up at the 6-yd. line. With a tired Arizona defense, the 49ers called on Gore the very next play. He hit pay dirt plunging through a massive hole into the endzone.

With the momentum in their favor, CB Nate Clements capitalized on another Warner mistake, as he hauled in his first interception of the year. Clements’ effort, and those of his defensive backfield mates, limited one of the game’s best WR tandems in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, to a combined 8 recepts. for 90 yds. and 1 TD. The 49ers were unable to capitalize on Clements’ pick, as Hill was sacked and forced to fumble on the next series. The Cardinals jumped on the opportunity, posting another Rackers’ FG this time from 29 yds. San Francisco left the field at the half with a 13-6 lead.

The Cardinals carried momentum into the 3rd quarter, and on their 2nd possession, Warner led his team on 69-yd scoring drive that resulted in a 5-yd. TD pass to Fitzgerald, knotting the score at 13. After a 49ers 3-n-out, Arizona again moved the ball to post points, a 43-yd. FG by Rackers just seconds into the 4th quarter, for the Cardinals final points of the game. The Niners would then embark on their game-winning drive and back it up with a defensive performance that paralyzed the Cardinals.

2009 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		CARDINALS (rank)
5-7 (t-2nd NFCW)	Record	8-4 (1st NFCW)
20.4 (19th)	Points per game	24.8 (9th)
285.4 (28th)	Total Offense	360.9 (10th)
91.3 (28th)	Rushing Offense	94.1 (26th)
194.2 (22nd)	Passing Offense	266.8 (5th)
28:55 (20th)	Possession Avg	30:41 (12th)
19.4 (t-10th)	Points allowed/gm	19.5 (12th)
346.4 (20th)	Total Defense	362.6 (24th)
95.8 (5th)	Rushing Defense	104.8 (12th)
250.6 (27th)	Passing Defense	257.8 (30th)
30 (t-7th)	Sacks	35 (3rd)
48.3 (2nd)	Punting Avg (Gross)	47.4 (3rd)
+1 (t-11th)	Turnover Differential	-3 (t-21st)

Max Unger in the Trenches; Josh Wilson on the Sideline

John Morgan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:49:27 -0000

It's hard enough to get a read on a corner in quarter, but when that corner subs out, it's impossible. Jordan Babineaux played left cornerback and Marcus Trufant right. Lawyer Milloy substituted for Babineaux at safety. So it was for most of the quarter. Josh Wilson made one important play, contacting Josh Morgan on a short pass on third and 10, and throwing Morgan out bounds to end the drive and stop the clock.

Unger didn't have anymore big moments during the half, but at least he was getting snaps. He single blocked twice to open the next drive. He held on both plays and on the first, finished by chucking his man right. Power, the missing component in Unger's game. He moved left with the pocket on the next play and controlled the left defensive end. Unger struck the nose tackle, lost the block, recovered and buried him on a run up the middle that went nowhere. Chris Spencer helped double the nose on Matt Hasselbeck's long pass to Nate Burleson, a pass that fell one yard short of awesome and one yard long of interception.

Unger has improved as a pull blocker. He is no longer driven back. He doesn't struggle to release or release too late. Unger pulled forward and engaged Patrick Willis, but Willis stood tall and kept the struggle in the hole. Justin Forsett ran left for five.

The 49ers blitzed on the next play, and with superior numbers and overloading the edges, caved the exterior pocket and threatened a group sack. Unger let Ray McDonald achieve a stride on him. McDonald slashed around Unger's right shoulder and towards Hasselbeck, but as the pocket warped and collapsed around him, Hasselbeck stepped forward and negated the entire rush. Unger shadowed McDonald and cleared as Hasselbeck stepped up and scrambled for 23. Moments like this remind that Seneca Wallace may have the legs, but smarts make smart quarterback scrambles.

The entire Seahawks line surged left and Spencer blew back Aubrayo Franklin. Unger never got a chance. The cutback lane tore open to the offensive right, but Julius Jones skipped the hole and hit the pile. The run went for two.

Hasselbeck pumped and scrambled himself into pressure on the next play. It was ugly all around, but Unger kept his head in it and his quarterback clean.

The drive ended with Unger reading and picking up a defensive end stunt. To his left, Michael Lewis exploded through the line untouched and forced a fumble. It was a curious play to say the least. Spencer pointed left, identifying the blitzer. Then Hasselbeck looked like he was audibling and Forsett shifted from left to right. It's the second time we've seen Forsett on the wrong side attempting to pick up a blitz. The announcers commended him for it the first time. He didn't luck into a recovery this time.

There wasn't much more of the quarter to speak of. Seattle regained possession, but managed little before running out the clock. Unger released well on the screen attempt right, but the rest of Seatle's line was AWOL. Jones slipped out of bounds for a loss of two. Unger controlled his man on another nice looking deep route by Deion Branch, but the pass sailed nowhere and luckily to no one. Unger finished with a good block on McDonald. McDonald, you might remember, owned Unger in week two.

The Ten from The Last Ten - 4, 3, 2, and 1

The Ghost of Jay Cutler — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:39:08 -0000

The list kicks off here. She continues here. And now, she will come to her glorious end. Numbers four through one are pretty predictable, so I'll cut the intro short and dive right in.

NUMBER FOUR

Dexter McCluster - APB - Still on roster- Do you remember Dexter McCluster's first game? I do. He scored our first touchdown of the 2006 season on a Hugh Freeze classic gadget play. He tallied 268 all-purpose yards--fourth all time in school history for a single game. He lined up at halfback, wideout, punt returner and kick returner. And he did it all as a scrawny, mildly-recruited true freshman out of Largo, Florida. From that game on, I knew Dexter McCluster would do great things for our football team, but I never imagined him being as unstoppable as he can be at times.

In our four SEC wins from this season, only one--Vanderbilt--didn't see a offensive Dexplosion (get it?). It is hard to argue that, without Dexter McCluster, we would have defeated Arkansas, Tennessee, or LSU. Over those three games, he had 777 offensive yards. The Rebels, as a team, had 1,471. Crunchify those numbers and you'll see that the three biggest wins of this season saw Dexter McCluster personally account for 53% of the Ole Miss offense.

After seeing what he has done this season and what he was able to accomplish last season, I posit that there isn't another Ole Miss Rebel more responsible for our first back-to-back traditional New Years Day bowl appearance than Dex.

Oh, and he's a great guy, to boot. Anyone who has met Dexter McCluster can attest to his positive attitude, friendly demeanor, and pure love for the sport of college football. He is one of those guys who truly makes you proud to be an Ole Miss Rebel fan.

NUMBER THREE

Deuce McAllister - HB - 2001 - Deuce McAllister is a ballertron. Even though he was a two-time pro bowl selection in the NFL, casual NFL fans will never know just how good McAllister was at his prime. Deuce finished his college career at Ole Miss with 616 carries for 3,060 yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. He is also the only Rebel to score a touchdown five different ways: rushing, receiving, passing, returning a punt, and returning a kick. But even all of that doesn't really tell the story. Before Deuce's knee(s) went out, he was impossible to bring down and super-fast. After his knees went out, he was just impossible to bring down. If only we had seen the NFL career of a completely healthy Deuce McAllister, the nation would know just how good he was.

Maybe more than his immediate impact, Deuce carried our program on his shoulders, to some extent. He and Romaro Miller, in terms of skill players, were the two players that brought Ole Miss out of probation and onto a real stage. Deuce McAllister got people to talk about our program and school at a time when we could have completely fallen off the face of the college football landscape. Sure, we're no powerhouse now, but we're also not Kentucky. If Deuce hadn't injured himself his senior year, he would have been a serious candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

He is also a fantastic individual who, through his entrepreneurial efforts and philanthropy, does an excellent job representing his alma mater and home state.

For all of that, Deuce McAllister deserves this #3 spot. He's the greatest running back to play for Ole Miss in the modern era.

NUMBER TWO

Eli Manning - QB - 2004 - I remember when Eli Manning signed with Ole Miss. I wasn't anywhere near an avid fan of Ole Miss at the time, but I remember it. Immediately, Ole Miss fans had visions of Peyton Manning 2.0, since Eli was supposed to have all the skill with a stronger arm. Opposing fans pointed to the fact that Eli played at a small private school and wouldn't be anywhere near Peyton's ability (ed: an argument which makes no sense--all of the Manning boys went to Isadore Newman, right?).

In many ways, both parties were wrong. Obviously, Eli Manning was a phenomenal college quarterback, but he never lived up to the Peyton Manning level of hype. He had a solid impact on our program, but he wasn't even able to get us to Atlanta, despite staying until he was a fifth year senior. Still, Eli holds every significant passing record at Ole Miss, and I would guess that most of his records will stick for quite some time. The impact he had on our program was also phenomenal. Because of him, Cutcliffe was able to recruit a fantastic offensive line, serviceable receivers, and running backs just good enough to give Eli a decent threat on the ground. He brought the most media attention our school had gotten in decades, and was even a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

I remember watching Eli Manning in the Cotton Bowl of 2004 against a creative Oklahoma State defense. Over and over again, they would disguise blitzes until there were five or six seconds left on the playclock only to see Manning audible or pick up a hot route to completely dissect what the defense was sending. That was a special performance to watch which, although one of many, is one I will always remember.

As you all know, Eli is currently the starting quarterback for the New York Giants. He's done some good things for them.

NUMBER ONE

Patrick Willis - MLB - 2007 - I know that Eli, Deuce, and Dex likely did more for Ole Miss in terms of wins and losses. I also realize that Eli, Deuce, and Dex also have done more for our program with regards to national sports media spotlight and perception. But, I do not think that those factors serve as enough to usurp Patrick Willis from this number one spot.

There has perhaps never been an Ole Miss Rebel which perfectly embodied his position as well as Patrick Willis did. He is big. He is strong. He is fast. He has incredible football instincts and fundamentals. He is effective on the blitz or back in coverage. He never takes a play off. He is damn near flawless. Even despite having a broken hand, a tweaked knee, and a nagging foot injury during various points in his career, he was an effective tackler.

The reason that folks will be so quick to throw Eli, Deuce, or Dex above Patrick Willis on a list like this is simply because the only winning season Willis experienced was his freshman campaign--a season in which David Cutcliffe's foolish seniority-based depth chart kept PWillie on special teams and in a reserve role. No, he didn't play on defenses which won many games, but the fact that he brought some national attention to our program, became a consensus All-American, and won the Butkis trophy all while playing for an absolutely horrible football team says more about him than stats or anecdotes ever will.

While not nearly as well known as Michael Oher's, Patrick Willis' "rags to riches" story is just as revealing to the extent of the young man's character. Born and raised in hardscrabble, rural west Tennessee to drug addicted and abusive parents, Patrick Willis could have easily been yet another young life wasted. But it was not to be. Essentially raising his siblings on his own, Patrick worked odd jobs, bounced among several foster homes, and stayed in school until he was finally taken in by his high school basketball coach. He stuck through the hard times off the field with an endurance, patience, and demeanor few of us could ever possess.

And, as with many folks on this list, nobody who ever met Patrick Willis had an ill word towards him. He is a hard worker in everything he does, polite, respectful, and humble. He is that all-too-rare combination of stellar athleticism and fantastic personality.

Currently, Patrick Willis is terrorizing the NFC West as the starting Middle Linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. During his rookie season, he led the NFL in tackles, was named the Defensive ROY, and punched his ticket to Honolulu as a member of the NFC's Pro Bowl team. Yeah, it's safe to say that the guy hasn't skipped a beat.

So while he may not have the wins and losses other people on this list may have, Patrick Willis is, as we see it, the single greatest football player to wear an Ole Miss uniform in the past ten years, if not ever.

You're makin' all of us proud, PWillie.

Matt Hasselbeck Slings to Deon Butler for 32 and Game Winning Field Goal Range

John Morgan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:15:19 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Matt Hasselbeck's pass to Deion Branch bent like a curveball and sought like a missile.

Browse more photos »

Matt Hasselbeck gets the game ball.

The NFL Draft is designed to assist weaker teams and create parity. Bad teams get better players and become better teams. The very worst teams can pick any player to help rebuild their franchise around. That intent has been disputed by research conducted by Massey and Thaler. Common wisdom is that rookies are overpaid and the strict salary structure punishes bad teams by awarding them potentially crippling investments.

Two things are true: High salaries in the top ten punish bad teams by increasing how much is risked. The best players are usually drafted early.

The San Francisco 49ers started eight picks selected in the top fifty: Alex Smith (1), Vernon Davis (6), Michael Crabtree (10), Patrick Willis (11), Manny Lawson (22), Joe Staley (28), David Bass (33) and Chilo Rachal (38). It took a lot of ass football to assemble that cast. If not for the 90s Niners spilling into the early 2000s, San Francisco would have a dog in the race for worst team of the new millennium.

Smith looked like a competent if unsexy quarterback. Dilfer with a better arm. He's 25.

Davis ran a 4.38 forty. Match him against Aaron Curry on a crossing route and Curry is probably going to get burned.

Crabtree is athletic and explosive and-Oh shit! Lawyer Milloy!

I won't continue fawning. My point is that Seattle beat a better team than itself today. It beat a younger team with far greater resources invested in that youth. It beat that team because the 49ers are better than Seattle, but not significantly.

Josh Wilson was the best all around cornerback playing today. He is a fiend against the wide receiver screen, aware and responsive to his surroundings like a Shaolin Monk. Wilson isn't a stride-for-stride, Asomugha-like shutdown corner. He's a zone corner, but a hell of a zone corner, and drafted to play in a zone scheme. He was supposed to be Ronde. He's supposed to bury the screen, intercept the bounce, jump the route and find the fumble and fly.

Brandon Mebane is an incredible machine. He's a backloaded piston; a battering ram shaped like candy corn. The day Mebane synced to NFL snap counts he became a great young defensive tackle. Mebane is quick, powerful and hard to block. Seattle doesn't need Suh to showcase Mebane, just someone better than Rocky Bernard, Colin Cole, Craig Terrill and the whole sick crew. Like, motile matter -- ambulatory would be an upgrade.

Jordan Babineaux is a young, cheap and functional free safety.

Tim Ruskell never did rebuild but he added some talent while the core rotted. Seattle's next GM inherits a heck of a fine position. I hope he realizes it.

. . .

Two years ago I faced the Shaun Alexander dilemma. Alexander was no longer a good running back. On his best days rushing, he was still a liability as a receiver and pass blocker. But he was beloved even by we who hated watching him. I never feared a miraculous recovery disproving all my theories. I cringed because others saw a miraculous recovery every time he rushed for five.

Hasselbeck isn't there. Quarterbacks do not fall like running backs fall. Losing a little arm strength is not like losing the first gear that got you the job. Hasselbeck can toss a nice pass when he needs. The bender over the defender to Deion Branch was indefensible pass at its best. He threw another high-arcing bomb to Branch that Branch lost behind the defender. It was pretty for a second. Real pretty.

Unlike seeing Shaun sprinting for fourteen, I never cringed seeing Hasselbeck spark to life. It was thrilling. Hasselbeck was never a great quarterback. Well, screw that. Matt Hasselbeck is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play American football. Any quarterback that's made a Pro Bowl can claim that. Hasselbeck is not Manning or within the discussion. He's not Fouts or Unitas or Tarkenton or Marino or-

But HE's THE BEST GODDAMN QUARTERBACK WE'VE EVER HAD!!

Game ball guy. I hope you find a team to make your last few millions in the league with. And I hope that team is not the Seattle Seahawks.

Golden Nuggets: Those penalties hurt..

Ninjames — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:00:30 -0000

G'morning. That was a rather.. boring Thursday night game, but oh well. Was anybody expecting it to be better? I regret not watching the Oregon game, but what are ya gonna do? Football is football I suppose. Anyway, moving on from that I have a good amount of links for you again today. We've got some previews and some long looks at the Seahawks. I don't know how I feel about this game, I'm a little bit nervous because nobody really knows how the Seahawks are going to play and well... nobody knows how the San Francisco 49ers are going to play either, you know? It could go either way but I'm looking for the 49ers to keep the hope alive and put a stomping on them, in all modesty. Still, I've got some other articles, another piece about Ahmad Brooks for some reason and even more about the spread offense. I haven't read any of 'em yet, but here you go. Enjoy your links folks. Or at least, you better enjoy them. Or else.

The game Sunday represents a crossroads for both teams. I'm OK with leaving the 'Hawks at theirs so long as we blow past 'em for a win. (ESPN.com)

A look at the players who have drawn the most penalties in the NFC West... I'm really bothered to see Vernon Davis on there, but I guess he's producing in a very good way. (ESPN.com)

LB Ahmad Brooks is looking for a fast start. (PressDemocrat.com)

The Seahawks got themselves a new GM, at least in an interim role... Let's hope he can't lead them to any kind of victory. I mean that with um, respect and stuff. (FieldGulls.com)

Patrick Willis thinks the Seahawks will be looking to get revenge on him, not for their loss last time, but for the loss of their QB, Matt Hasselbeck when Willis hurt his ribs. (Yahoo.com)

Here's some 49ers and Seahawks injury updates. (PressDemocrat.com)

OC Jimmy Raye says the "spread" offense is a misnomer. (MercuryNews.com)

Hey there is nothing wrong with a stingy defense--I hope it continues throughout the rest of the season. I do not want to be friends with this defense. I don't want this defense to lend me five dollars. I want to fear this defense.(49ers.com)

Here's some conference calls concerning the Seahawks. (49ers.com)

Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan both bring stability to the WR position. (Yahoo.com)

The offensive line will be facing a big test against the Seahawks pass rush at Qwest Field. Oh and apparently Chilo Rachal is playing good now? I somehow doubt it. (PressDemocrat.com)

Frank Gore can be the answer to any offensive system. (PressDemocrat.com)

TE Vernon Davis is on the verge of breaking the 49ers franchise record for TE touchdowns in a season. (MercuryNews.com)

Make sure to check out the NFL game center for Sunday's game. (NFL.com)

Upset probabilities in the NFC West. (ESPN.com)

Where the Arizona Cardinals Stand in the NFC Pro Bowl Balloting (Part II)

Hawkwind — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:40:18 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner offers a signed football or full sized helmet to anyone and everyone who votes for him to go to the Pro Bowl so GO VOTE!! (AP Photo/Matt York)

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The NFL has released it's second update (check out the first one here) on the fan voting for the Pro Bowl and the Arizona Cardinals still have quite a few guys in the top five at their respective positions. As we all know the fans don't get the final say, in fact their input accounts for just a third of the overall process, but it's nice way to judge the popularity of players on a national level. We've started a segment here campaigning for some deserving Cardinals (check out Dockett's, Warner's Fitz's and Graham's story) and we've got more to come but for now we all need to go vote, early and often.

Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Wilson: Nothing's changed with these two guys as they both lead their respective positions and Fitz is still among the top five overall vote-getters. Both Fitz and A-dub seem like a lock to represent the NFC as starters again this season.
Antrel Rolle: Rolle actually dropped a place to third among NFC free safeties.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: DRC still sits fourth among NFC cornerbacks.
Darnell Dockett: Nine-0 remains unchanged, at fourth, despite racking up six sacks and 15 tackles in the past four games.
Kurt Warner: Ole Grey Beard moved into the top five and currently sits at fourth overall.
Ben Graham: The Aussie punter is finally getting some recognition as he's moved into fifth overall among his NFC counterparts.

It still seems like Anquan Boldin and Karlos Dansby have the chance or at least ability to make some headway in the voting but neither rank in the top five at their position so far. LaRod Stephen-Howling is also starting to get some recognition among NFC special teamers, but it should be noted that rookies are rarely rewarded at this position.

If you're looking for something to brag about to any fans of NFC West teams, the Cardinals have seven players who rank among the top five at their postions while the 49ers have three (Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Patrick Willis), the Rams have just one (Steven Jackson) and the Seahawks have a big, fat goose egg. Don't get too cocky though because this weeks opponent, the Vikings, have 23!

2010 Pro Bowl Ballot: Your 49ers need you

Fooch — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:00:14 -0000

Consider this your daily reminder to vote for your San Francisco 49ers on the 2010 Pro Bowl ballot. Remember that you can vote for as few or as many positions on the ballot as you want. So if you just want to vote for Vernon Davis, Aubrayo Franklin, Patrick Willis, and Andy Lee among others, it's quite simple to do. Most days it will be a simple FanShot, but for today I thought I'd put together the cases for a few of our favorite 49ers. I realize most people aren't all that interested in the Pro Bowl game itself, but national recognition is always welcome, especially when the players truly deserve it.

Vernon Davis: Davis continued his breakout season with 6 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville. On the season, Davis has 57 receptions, 670 yards and 9 touchdowns. Those numbers in the NFC for respectively third, first and first. Davis also has 10 catches for over twenty yards, which is also good for first in the league. There are bigger national names (Gonzalez and Witten), but I really think Davis is having the best year of any NFC tight end.

Patrick Willis: What else needs to be said about Mr. Consistently Great? Even as the defense around him improves, Bamm Bamm continues to put up obscene tackle totals, while make big plays across the field, all game long. Among linebackers, Willis is second in the NFC with 107 total tackles, tied for eleventh with 3 sacks (tied for most among NFC ILBs), tied for first with 8 pass deflections, second in interceptions, is one of two NFC ILBs with a touchdown, and also has forced a pair of fumbles. The man remains an absolute playmaking beast.

Andy Lee: Andy Lee for MVP indeed. Lee's leg is a freakish weapon for the 49ers. We'd all like more offense, but if the offense stalls out, we know Lee will more likely than not pin a team back. Jacksonville even elected to take a 5 yard penalty at the end of a return rather than let Lee have a second chance to pin them deep. Among NFC punters, Lee is first in gross and net average, and this comes on a league-leading 66 punts. Not a great stat for the offense, but it shows an amazing level of consistency from Lee. He's second with 10 downed punts, and fourth with 20 punts inside the 20. On returns, opposing teams are only getting 5 or so yards per, showing an ability to not out-kick his coverage.

Aubrayo Franklin: Franklin has quietly (outside of the Bay Area it's quiet) put together an immensely entertaining season. A nose tackle in the 3-4 is expected to do a lot of the dirty work, but Franklin has stepped up to become a playmaker for this defense. It's hard to truly assess his work because a lot of time his play involves opening holes for the inside linebackers to make plays. Individually, Franklin has 28 tackles (5 for a loss), 2 sacks and a huge redzone interception against Chicago. However, on top of that is the fact that one could argue he's been a key in the 49ers ability to stuff the inside run. The 49ers have given up 3.6 yards per carry (tied for 2nd in the NFL), and most rushing damage has come outside the tackles. Franklin has either plugged up the middle, or provided space for Willis and Spikes to shut down the middle. Some argue it's a walk-year performance, but he really began building this early last season.

One guy I didn't include, but probably deserves more recognition than he gets is Justin Smith. Smith has 40 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles on the season but doesn't get much publicity for the Pro Bowl. The problem for him, like a guy like Aubrayo Franklin, is that a 3-4 defensive end isn't exactly a glamor position. However, every game Justin Smith does something that stands out as a huge play. I think he's a guy worth including on your Pro Bowl ballot. So, when you get a chance, head over and submit your Pro Bowl ballot, multiple times if you'd like. Remember that you don't need to fill out every single position.

As I Look For Hope: I See None: The Oakland Raiders Are Terrible

saint — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:24:03 -0000

More photos » by Mike Stone - AP

Oakland Raider Head Coach Tom Cable ponders how to NOT RUN THE BALL!!!(AP Photo/Mike Stone)

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Tom Cable can say that he is seeing improvement until he is blue in the face, I am NOT buying what he is selling anymore.

He talks about Gradkowski's passes being a foot here or there away from being complations as if that is some great thing. The reality is that his starting quarterback is missing throws at least a foot, when good-great quarterback miss, if at all by inches.

After this last loss he said that the big plays were JUST some players missing their assignments. JUST SOME PLAYERS MISSING THEIR ASSIGNMENTS!?!?! Does Ray Lewis miss assignments? How about Patrick Willis?

I am sick and TIRED of the bar being held so low that a quadrapalegic with hydraulics on his wheelchair could leap it 9 times out of 10!!!

THIS IS THE NFL!!! Either perform or get to the bench!!! PERIOD!!!

Darren McFadden is NOT as bad as his numbers and we all know that Michael Bush is a 1,000 yard back on nearly ANY other team, yet, neither will even sniff their potential in the current Oakland Raider system.

How is it, TOM, that you pass more than you run? Even when you have the lead?

There is NO accountability for Tom Cable's dumb play calls. NONE!!!

Some will argue that teams are stacking the box, or that we need to pass to set up the run. I say, BALLDERDASH!!! What if the Cleveland Browns were scared of an 8 man front so they only gave the ball to Jim Brown 7 times a game!?!?! GIVE ME A BREAK!!!

This franchise is completely broken. The mystique is still there, but the winning has left the building!