SB Nation - Adam Snyder

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

5 days ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, left, avoids the tackle of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. Marshall had 21 receptions for 200 yards in the game. The Colts defeated the Broncos 28-16. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Christmas is coming - and I, for one, am hoping for a much more joyous holiday season than I experienced last December. All I got for Christmas last year was the Broncos' historic collapse, and all I had to give was the one scenario that could possibly be worse than the season-ending Chargers game (it involved hypothetically cutting an apple, slipping, and stabbing myself in the groin WHILE watching that game).

I'm not much for moral victories, but today in Donny Deutschland, I will talk about why I feel better about Sunday's loss than I have about any Broncos loss in years. There's no time to waste, so let's not waste any time. Out of the echo chamber, and into the fire, y'all. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. I learned on Sunday that what I suspected was the case, was in fact, the case. That is, the Broncos can play with Indianapolis, at Indianapolis. It happened a little differently than I thought it would, but the Broncos competed, and got back in the game after getting down in really ugly fashion. Consider these statistics, as I pretend that I care about statistics for a moment. The Broncos outgained Indianapolis 357-312. They held the ball for 31:27, versus the Colts' 28:33. They won the turnover battle 3-1. The Broncos advanced into Colts territory on 8 of 12 posessions. These measures would tend to indicate victory, but in this case, the Broncos fell a little short.

For next time, we can internalize a few thoughts:

a. The Broncos have the players and schemes to cover the Colts receivers, pressure Peyton Manning, and generally disrupt their offense.

b. The Broncos have the players and schemes to move the ball at will against the Colts defense.

c. As a fan base, we all mistakenly thought to ourselves "Here we go again" when the Colts got up 21-0 after four possessions. We can take this game as a lesson that the past doesn't indicate the future. Those Broncos teams which got their doors blown off by the Colts passing game are definitely not these Broncos.

One general concern is that the Broncos could have run the ball better, and will need to next time. I felt the run scheme was too zone-heavy and horizontal, and it played into the Colts' plan to run-blitz the gaps. A smaller, faster team needs to be man-blocked with a vertical scheme. Those are guys you don't necessarily want moving laterally, because they're comfortable doing so.

The other concern is that at money time, Dallas Clark needed more and better attention. Josh Barrett needed to be on the field manning him up, because he's the best guy in the NFL at covering TEs man-to-man.

All in all, I am proud of the way the Broncos stayed in the game, despite some reasons that lesser men would take to quit. This was really a game which turned on a few plays, and I am pleased to know that the Broncos can compete with Indianapolis, unlike in past years. This week, it's the Raiders, and luckily, JaMarcus Russell will be under center again. Expect Elvis Dumervil to get some shots at him. The Broncos can take care of business at home, and position themselves well to make the postseason. Happy Raiders Week, friends.

2. Information From My Eyes, Broncos at Colts:

a. Andre' Goodman got beat on a crossing route by Pierre Garcon on the first offensive play of the game, and in the moment, I wondered if there was a major speed mismatch. Goodman settled down to play Garcon spectacularly the rest of the game, breaking up four well-thrown balls. Goodman has been terrific all year, but I'd call this his best game as a Bronco.

b. When the Broncos drafted Darcel McBath, I'd never heard of him. I'm very impressed with his play as a rookie, though, and he had a fantastic game Sunday. He separated Dallas Clark from the ball on a 3rd down, and also baited Peyton Manning into his third interception. It's a real bummer that he broke his forearm and is gone for the season, but he showed well when he got the opportunities. I look for him to make a serious run at Renaldo Hill's starting job next season.

c. I really "misunderestimated" the Colts' DTs, Daniel Muir and Antonio Johnson. They both played fantastic, and drove the Broncos' interior players backward consistently.

d. Ryan Clady didn't play very well in the running game, which was a departure from what we've been seeing lately. He got pushed backward several times when he lost leverage, and he misread a few run blitzes, and didn't hit the right guy. He's young and growing, and we can only hope he learns from this game.

e. Brandon Marshall was spectacular, of course. It's obvious that Kyle Orton really trusts him to make plays at this point. I wish he trusted Eddie Royal a little more, though. The truth is, though, Royal hasn't come up with some plays when he's had chances to do so.

f. I was happy to see Jabar Gaffney back in the mix this week. He's a pro's pro, and the Broncos offense is better when he is involved.

g. I was pleased with what I saw from Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil, despite the Broncos' lack of sacks. Both played well against the run, and generated pressure against Manning.

h. Peyton Hillis isn't a very good lead blocker, and I think a key part of the trouble the running game had was with the loss of Spencer Larsen. Larsen has been knocking heads the last two weeks, and he wasn't there this time, obviously.

Hillis is a good RB, but he's a true HB, not a FB. The truth is, he is where he should be on the depth chart; the third RB for the Broncos. Zappa said that some DP posters were calling for Knowshon Moreno to be benched, and Hillis to get the starting job. That's not going to happen, and frankly, it's asinine. Hillis could get more opportunity to make plays, but he deserves to be behind Moreno and Correll Buckhalter. There's no question in my mind of that.

i. The Colts' last drive was enabled by missed tackles by Vonnie Holliday (first play of the series) and Mario Haggan (3rd down inside the Broncos 10).

j. Oh, Dallas Clark. Ty Law did a good job on him, but he often was assigned to cover Austin Collie. Wesley Woodyard is a good zone player, but he can't cover a Clark in man-to-man. That 4th-and-4 was badly schemed, because Brian Dawkins shouldn't be manned up on Clark, either.

Finally, at the end of the game, the approach should have been to look at the formation. The power was left, and the only receiving threat was Clark, playing with his hand down on the right side. You need somebody to drive him straight into the ground, so he can't get out in the pattern. That's how I would coach that situation, anyway. Tackle him when he pretends to block, without getting called for holding.

k. D.J. Williams had a very good game, except for the one stupid penalty. Darrell Reid got (another) one of those too, while we're at it.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games

a. I thought Thursday's Browns-Steelers game was pretty riveting, and I almost wish I went (but not quite). Several of my friends tried to get me to go, because everybody in the world was trying to dump their tickets. It was 12 degrees, with 50 mph winds, and felt negative-7 in Cleveland that night. That's a recipe for freezing your hind-parts off, as Omar would say.

The Browns are changing for the better, and I wonder if it saves Eric Mangini's job. They're doing some very interesting things, like using Mike Furrey at FS. He's played both ways in his career, but has been more of a WR in the NFL, and caught 98 passes for the Lions in 2006, which was second in the NFL.

He did some nice things at Safety in the game, and it reminded me of Troy Brown playing defense for the Patriots, though, as I mentioned, Furrey has played defense at the professional level. You have to be impressed with a player doing what it takes to help his team win.

b. A guy who I have always liked, who the Browns found for free is Matt Roth. He got on the wrong side of Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami, and they put him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list, and then waived him in November. The Browns smartly claimed him, and he's played very well for the Browns thus far. The Sam position in a 3-4 is pretty hard to fill, because it's a unique skill set. Lamarr Woodley and Mario Haggan are both very good at it, and Adalius Thomas used to be, but like RT on offense, there are a lot more average 3-4 Sams than there are good ones. Roth is a good one, because he sets the edge well, and generates a good pass rush when he's called upon to do so. Finding a guy like him in-season is what a bad team has to do.

c. Two unheralded guys who the Browns have discovered on offense are RB Chris Jennings and TE Evan Moore. Jennings won a Grey Cup recently with the Montreal Alouettes, and looked like the best back on the Browns roster last Thursday. He ran with power and explosion against an excellent run defense.

I meant to mention Moore last week and forgot; but I know a football player when I see one, and he's a player. He was a big WR at Stanford for 4 years, and also played basketball for his first 2 years. His fluidity, body control, and overall athleticism jump off the screen, and really remind me of Antonio Gates. I don't know if he's as fast as Gates, but he looks to me like he could definitely be a Brent Celek-caliber receiving TE. He's been key to Brady Quinn's recent improvement, because Quinn does his best throwing work inside the numbers.

Jennings and Moore are two players who the Browns can be very excited about, as they figure out what their program is during the offseason. Like Roth, they came with no significant cost. Now the Browns just need to nail their offseason.

d. I had a friend who is a Steelers fan ask me what was wrong with his team, and I think I may have disappointed him by not having a real definitive answer ready. It's kind of a tough question to answer, really, because Mike Tomlin had it exactly right when he said it was a function of struggles in all three phases of the game.

The defense really misses Troy Polamalu, who I think might be the most irreplaceable defensive player in the NFL. No safety plays with the speed of Polamalu, and the Steelers are much more conservative in their blitz packages without him. Their CBs are also playing pretty poorly over the last five games. On offense, I think the Steelers play-calling has been suspect. Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as a good RB, and the Steelers seem reluctant to commit to letting him run. I'm not surprised at the rumblings Sunday that some offensive coaches are likely going to get whacked after the season.

e. Now, on to why the Browns won Thursday. There were two reasons. One reason is that Joshua Cribbs is a great football player, and he carried his team on offense and special teams. The other is that the Browns covered the Steelers' receivers at a shockingly high level. ST&NO Favorite Brandon McDonald was fantastic. He might have had the best coverage game I have seen from a CB this year (although Andre' Goodman was awesome on Sunday, too). Eric Wright was strong on the other side too, though he gave up a few completions to Santonio Holmes. As has often been the case with the Broncos this season, the coverage allowed the pressure to get to Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 8 times.

f. It was another annoying weekend when almost every game was early, including the Broncos. I had the Chicago-Green Bay game on at the same time as the Broncos game,. and as I watched some of it, I was struck by the fact that neither team showed me anything that I didn't already know about them. Aaron Rodgers continued his recent run of getting sacked less, and the Packers defense was strong again. The Bears had some flashes, but self-destructed at key times.

The only real takeaway from this, to me, is another reminder why I don't really like fantasy football. The number one player in the Official MHR League this year has been my QB, Rodgers. In real football terms, he played fine on Sunday. He completed 16 of 24 throws for 180 yards, and lost a fumble on a blind-side sack. His team won the game, so no worries, right? Well, in fantasy terms, he tanked. Not only that, I am playing Zappa in the playoffs this week, and he has Ryan Grant, who had a monster game with 137 yards and 2 TDs, because the Bears were playing coverage to prevent big plays in the passing game.

g. Speaking of guys who tanked on my fantasy team, Randy Moss, this skunky, warm Miller High Life is for you. One catch for 16 yards, and a lost fumble? Really? He really looked like he wasn't trying hard, too; it was a total flashback to the Oakland days. Good thing I had Brandon Marshall and the Eagles (TD scoring) defense.

h. I think the Patriots are in trouble, and that their culture needs an adjustment. I read Bill Belichick's sending tardy players home as a clear indication of that. Adalius Thomas lipped off in the media, and got benched for it, and Randy Moss did it with his play somewhat on Sunday. I wouldn't be shocked if both are gone after this season. Thomas is gone for sure, and Moss is a possibility. The Patriots have a lot of draft assets with which to restock the WR position, and they're pretty solid at LB anyway, with guys like Tully Banta-Cain and Rob Ninkovich making positive contributions.

It was pretty interesting how Tom Brady and Bill Belichick came to Moss's aid on Monday, after he clearly was dogging some pass routes. Michael Lombardi had a good point on NFL Network that Moss has done that his whole career, and that the Patriots probably weren't too alarmed by it. I think it's pretty bad, personally.

i. Scary moment in Arlington, Texas, when DeMarcus Ware was carted off the field with a neck injury. The Chargers had a false start, and then went right down the field in two plays to score the deciding TD afterward. Reports on Monday were that Ware would miss the next two weeks, which would really handicap the Dallas defense. Most casual fans think of Ware as just a pass rusher, but he is a rare player who stars against the run, and in zone coverage too.

j. I alluded to this thought last week, but it was well-articulated by Michael Lombardi last night; Dallas's struggles have nothing to do with what month it is. The same can be said of the Chargers and their success in the month of December. If you're playing in a lot of places where there's bad weather, then maybe the month is a semi-meaningful data point, but neither Dallas nor San Diego particularly qualifies. I know somebody is going to say that a game in December is a pressure game, but even that's not true a lot of times. San Diego has tended to be healthy in December, and Dallas has tended to be banged up. San Diego has tended to play weak late-season schedules, and Dallas has tended to play difficult ones. Don't get caught up in things which Peter King would incorrectly call a factoid.

k. That Radio Shack commercial with the sleeping scruffy dude saying "Dance, Sugar Plum Fairies" is bizarre. It makes no sense at all to me, and I can't imagine how it would make anybody want to shop at Radio Shack, or buy that craptastic phone from Sprint.

l. NBC lucked out with a great game on Sunday night between the Eagles and Giants. Neither defense looked particularly good, but both offenses lit it up. The difference in the game was a defensive TD from Sheldon Brown, and a punt-return TD from DeSean Jackson. Those plays also provided the difference in the Shallow Thoughts team beating Zappa's Sactown Beavers in the playoffs.

m. I would never let Jackson get off the line of scrimmage without getting hit. Teams just insist on letting this guy run free through their secondary, and he kills them. Little, fast guys like him must be re-routed off the line, and then you want over/under coverage on him after that. He's not the typical big, physical number-1 WR like Brandon Marshall, but he does need double-team attention, or at least Cover-3 behind him, so he can be hit at the line with confidence.

n. Brandon Jacobs, to me, is like a 98-mph fastball that's a little too straight, and rarely misses bats. Jacobs has been running harder lately than he was early in the season, but he doesn't make anybody miss. He takes so many hits, and this year, he's going down more easily than he used to. I think the Giants offense is better when Ahmad Bradshaw is getting more carries than Jacobs at this point, even as Jacobs has been better lately.

o. Speaking of the Giants, I want to share some ST&NO light with a Giants fan, because I've coincidentally been listening to his music as I wrote this part of the column. If you like hip hop, you ought to check out Nickel at his website www.SpotMeANickel.com. He's got a couple albums worth of MP3s available for free download there. I went to high school with the guy at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT, and it's cool to see him doing well, and making good music.

p. As always, I watched 5 games on Monday night, and the one I learned the most from was the New Orleans-Atlanta game. Very simply, New Orleans deserved to lose the game, and I haven't seen or heard anybody acknowledge that. I take that as a reaffirmation that my effort is worth the time.

Brent Grimes got called for two horrible pass-interference penalties, on plays where he reached around his man to play the ball. Those two plays directly led to 14 points being scored, and the Saints won by 3. The officials bogusly penalized ST&NO Favorite Thomas DeCoud on an even better play in the fourth quarter too, but Garrett Hartley subsequently missed a Field Goal, so it didn't affect the scoreboard. The Saints are a very good team, and they don't need any bonus help, but apparently you can't breathe on their receivers. It reminded me of the 2006 NBA Finals, when Dwyane Wade got "fouled" practically every time he touched the ball, and it disgusted me just as much to watch.

q. Jonathan Vilma deserves credit for sealing the win for New Orleans. He intercepted Chris Redman with 3 minutes to go in the game. Then, after the Saints arrogantly tried a fake field goal, rather than taking the points and going up 6, Vilma tackled the formidable Jason Snelling cold in the open field, a yard short of the first down on 4th and 2. He made the plays that were there to be made.

r. While I'm on the topic of the Saints, here's an E! True Hollywood Story for you. Or maybe it's a Letterman-style Top 2 list. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Top 2 Things Ted Bartlett Currently Doesn't Give A Damn About (And Al Roker's Forecast Calls For No Change:)

1. Whether or not the Colts or Saints go 16-0, and on a related note, whether or not they rest their starters.

2. Who wins the NFL MVP Award.

Going 16-0 doesn't matter to anything. All it would do is create something which Peter King would someday mistakenly call a factoid (even though it's actually a fact). The only thing that matters is going 3-0 (or 4-0) in the Playoffs. Plus, the whole thing puts Mercury Morris back in the spotlight, and he's a jerk who doesn't deserve it.

As for the MVP Award, really, who cares? I may start caring if somebody other than a QB or RB can win, other than the rare Lawrence Taylor in 1986. (Since the AP award began in 1957, only DT Alan Page, K Mark Moseley, and Taylor have won the award from positions other than QB or RB. Taylor is the only winner for the Pro Football Writers Association award, which began in 1975. This is an absolute farce.)

Remember ST&NO Rule #1: If reporters vote for it, and decide it, it's usually not particularly worth paying attention to. That includes any and all power rankings, the NFL All-Pro team, all season-ending awards in all sports, and membership in all Halls of Fame. Reporters often mean well, and they add some value to the overall football discourse, but the value they add ends when they're not asking questions, finding things out, and reporting those things. When you ask them to judge something, most can't get past the very obvious, or what other people tell them, and nearly all are biased by what they consider to be the most interesting story. While that's understandable, given the fact that they're in the interesting story business, it's also self-serving, and represents noise rather than a reflection of truth.

s. The more I watch Chad Henne, the more I like his mechanics, all the way through the process of playing QB. I most especially like the way he carries out his fakes after he hands off the ball. You can tell that he's very well coached, both at the collegiate level and the professional level.

t. Speaking of good coaching, if Head Coaching jobs were being handed out based only upon excellence as a coordinator, Mike Mularkey would be looking pretty good for a shot at another job. People who know things about offense, and pay attention, know that Mularkey has been getting a lot of production out of some pretty marginal talent the last two seasons. It's equal parts scheme, knowing the capabilities of his players, and getting his guys to execute, but Atlanta's offense overachieves. Remember - Mularkey didn't get fired in Buffalo; he resigned in 2006 because he didn't see eye-to-eye with the recently hired Marv Levy. He's up there with Houston's Kyle Shanahan on offense, and the Broncos' Mike Nolan, Cincinnati's Mike Zimmer, and Arizona's Bill Davis on defense as guys who I think are adding a great deal of value to their sides of the ball.

u. I tend to dislike University of Texas players, because they have a well-known reputation for being coddled in Austin, and often coming into the NFL as soft players. A limitation of making evaluations from a distance is that you sometimes have to rely on information which may or may not be meaningful, such as the fact that coaches are prohibited from cursing at players at UT. That's pretty absurd in my opinion, like the urban legend about stress cards in basic training.

I didn't take to Brian Orakpo much coming out of college, partially due to the UT factor. Turns out, he's very good, and he's brought a lot to the table for Oakland. He has had a very good rookie season, but he was dominant on Sunday against the Raiders' bad offensive line and indecisive JaMarcus Russell. I still prefer Knowshon Moreno to Orakpo for the long haul, and I still think the Redskins should have taken Michael Oher (after the Packers should have taken Michael Oher). Orakpo was a good choice though, and is a good player, so I missed on that one.

v. I said a couple weeks ago that I was pretty sure that the Chiefs didn't regret acquiring Matt Cassel, and he's proceeded to have the two worst games of his career the last two weeks. His ability is very clear, so I still don't think they regret it, but he needs to step it up, and buy Todd Haley and Scott Pioli some cover. Kansas City has an aggressive local sports media, led by Adam Teicher and Jason Whitlock. Whitlock has already renamed Pioli as Scott Egoli, so it would be mighty helpful to this regime if they and Cassel could finish the season stronger than they've been showing, and feel like there's something to build on.

w. A vital part of a 3-step drop passing play is that the outside blocker on the throw side (usually the Tackle) needs to cut the Defensive End and get him on the ground. The 49ers RT, Adam Snyder, failed to cut Darnell Dockett twice in the first half Monday night, resulting in an Interception by Dockett, and another deflection by Dockett, which Alex Smith caught himself, and promptly was tackled for a 6-yard loss. Neither play was Smith's fault; his job is to get to the top of his drop, and let the ball go. Snyder's job is to clear the throwing lane.

x. Speaking of guys clearly not doing their jobs (and jumping back to the Dallas game because of the topic), Tony Dungy was right on when he was asked if coaching was the problem in Dallas. He said that he knows Terence Newman has been coached to jam a WR and re-route him in Cover-2, and that coaching definitely wasn't the problem on the big Vincent Jackson 39-yard catch on 3rd and 12 (right after the aforementioned Ware injury).

That was the key play of the game, and Newman didn't make it. As the play happened live, I yelled out "Where's the f$%^&* jam, 41?" I was glad Dungy called him out, although I bet he wasn't moved to profanity like I was. I've always thought Newman was highly overrated, by virtue of being a Cowboy. It comes with wearing the blue star, I am afraid.

y. Usually, when a defensive lineman is drafted highly, you expect him to be a big sack guy. The Bengals once drafted Justin Smith fourth overall, in 2001. His career high in sacks, mostly as a Right DE in a 40-front, was 8.5 in his rookie season. He had 6.5, 5, 8, 6, 7.5, and 2 in his next five seasons, which are respectable numbers, but not for an open-side DE drafted that highly.

Smith signed a 6-year $45 million deal with San Francisco in 2008, and moved to 5-technique in a 30-front. It's the role he should have been playing all along, because he's always been a physical, block-defeating player more than a speed-rushing player. It's not too different than the highly drafted Derrick Harvey from the Jaguars, or Jamaal Anderson for the Falcons (who moved to DT eventually). Their skill sets are just better suited to playing with physicality than with speed. (Harvey got only his second sack of the year Sunday, and Anderson has 0.5).

Anyway, Smith was dominant on Monday night, and consistently held the point of attack, while often penetrating and disrupting the Cardinals offense. It sure seemed like he is earning his money. I was also very impressed with the pass-rushing skills of Ahmad Brooks, who used to be just a MLB.

z. Another rookie I criticized for seeming to be soft was Beanie Wells, and he continues to play like he isn't. His TD run early in the 4th quarter Monday night was a man's TD run, all second effort. He did fumble later in the 4th quarter, but it was on a kill-shot by Dashon Goldson, who had a couple of those in Monday night's game.

aa. Genetics are a funny thing. In my family, we have something called the Bartlett Calves. My dad and all his siblings have them, and all my siblings and I have them, even my 8-year old half-sister Abby. The Bartlett Calves are notable for being disproportionately muscular and large, compared to the rest of our bodies. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 235 pounds, and when flexed, my calves are 18 inches around, which is 3-4 inches bigger than the average man's calf, and an inch bigger than the average man's neck.

I bring up this genetic oddity, because it makes me feel a certain kinship with Frank Gore, who has thunder thighs like whoa. He's found out a way to make good professional use of his thighs, because they're what give him such impressive power in traffic. Mine don't really come in too useful as an accounting manager and blogger.

ab. The jury is in as far as I am concerned for San Francisco. The 49ers are on the right track, and ST&NO Favorite Alex Smith has definitely emerged as their long-term QB. They have 2 first-round picks this season, which are both going to be in the 10-15 area. They need a CB and an offensive lineman with those picks, or maybe even two offensive linemen. This team is not far at all from the playoffs, and they're not even going to miss by much this season.

ac. The Cardinals are still legitimate championship contenders, but they got their hind parts kicked Monday night. The result of the game was more a reflection of good play by the Niners than it was of bad play by the Cardinals. The bright spot for Arizona was the excellent Adrian Wilson, who baited Smith into a dumb INT, and was around the ball constantly, the whole game.

4. I couldn't agree more with TJ Johnson's piece about deferring the option yesterday, and a smart analyst got out ahead of me before I wrote about it, which happens once in awhile with a Tuesday slot. I'm always glad to see an in-house MHR guy do it. Big up TJ! If you haven't read his article, you should. So should Don Banks (and Dan Fouts.)

From Banks:

• Did I hear that right, the Broncos won the coin toss to start their game at Indy and deferred to the Colts? And Peyton Manning? Why exactly would you give Manning the chance to get the ball in his hands any more than you absolutely have to? What were you thinking, Josh McDaniels? That's a dubious, rookie-like call for the Broncos new head coach. I do believe McDaniels was guilty of overconfidence in his defense.

My two cents was going to be that each team gets the ball kicked to them to start one half, and there's no way around that fact, so if you consider just this fact, it's utterly meaningless which half a particular team gets their opportunity to receive. TJ goes much further, and finds that there is actually evidence that teams who get the ball to start the second half tend to experience more success. Very interesting stuff.

5. That first-rounder from the Bears is looking really good right now. Chicago fell to 5-8 Sunday, and I like them to finish 6-10. They play at Baltimore and home against Minnesota before finishing at Detroit. For the Broncos' playoff chances, I'd like to see the Bears beat the Ravens, but I doubt it happens. A 6-10 record is probably good for a pick in the neighborhood of 9th or 10th overall. I gave a cursory look at the remaining schedules of every team with a losing record, and this is what I came up with for season-ending records, and way-too-early possible picks.

1. St. Louis 1-15 Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

2. Tampa Bay 1-15 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

3. Detroit 2-14 Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

4. Kansas City 3-13 Eric Berry S Tennessee

5. Cleveland 4-12 Russell Okung T Oklahoma State

6. Oakland 4-12 Carlos Dunlap DE Florida

7. Buffalo 5-11 Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

8. Washington 5-11 Trent Williams T Oklahoma

9. San Francisco ~~Carolina~~ 5-11 Joe Haden CB Florida

10. Seattle 6-10 Anthony Davis T Rutgers

11. Denver ~~Chicago~~ 6-10

12. San Francisco 7-9

13. Pittsburgh 7-9

14. Houston 8-8

15. Tennessee 8-8

With a 10th or 11th pick, you can get yourself a difference-making defensive player like a Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, or Brandon Spikes. You could also go outside the box, and draft a guy like C.J. Spiller from Clemson, who projects as a major home-run threat, a la Chris Johnson, at the NFL level. You have to admit, he'd make a nice tandem with Knowshon Moreno. My move, though, might be to try to trade down, and enjoy some of the depth of this Draft. (I say try, because you can't always do it.) I am treading kind of lightly with this line of thinking, because I am a well-known believer that players are better than draft picks. (A player is a real asset, and a draft pick is a derivative asset; when you're needing to operate now, it's better to have a barrel of oil than a contract guaranteeing the delivery of a barrel of oil at a future date and price.)

To me, the Broncos could get back once or twice to #20 or so, and take someone like either Mike or Maurkice Pouncey from Florida, if they elect to enter the draft. (Incidentally, I think Florida is going to lose a bunch of underclassmen.) Both are 6-5 320-pound interior offensive linemen, and would fill what I think is the Broncos' biggest roster need. The overall point, though, is that it's good to be in the position the Broncos are in right now, with this pick coming in higher than their record would earn. For those who were sure the Broncos erred in trading their own pick rather than Chicago's, I'd hope they remember that you don't know how things are going to play out until they play out.

6. Bad news emerged for QB-needy teams yesterday that Washington junior Jake Locker will return for his senior season. It was not altogether unexpected, but I believe that Locker would have been the first QB selected, and maybe the number-1 overall pick. His talent as a thrower and runner is way ahead of the other guys in this class. The guy who benefits is Sam Bradford, because if he checks out healthy, his size and arm are both a bit better than Jimmy Clausen's. I, personally, am not in love with either guy. Bradford looks like a young Matt Hasselbeck to me, while a comparison for Clausen doesn't come to me so easily. Clausen is short, average athletically, looks like he needs to get a lot stronger, and has an average arm. He looks a bit like a young Drew Brees, before Drew worked so hard to become what he became. I am reluctant to make that comparison, but it's the best one I can come up with.

7. Retired for John Elway.

That's all I have for this week. We'll be back next Tuesday with more Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Until then, have a fantastic Raiders Week, and Go Broncos!

Anatomy of a Game Changing Fumble Recovery

John Morgan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:00:07 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

A routine play punctuated by hustle made this amazing pass possible.

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I hit on the staggering consequences a dropped route and blown block can cause when Nate Burleson indirectly assisted a forced fumble by the Dallas Cowboys. Seattle hustled its way into a fumble and fumble recovery in a similar fashion this last Sunday. Fumble recovery is not luck, strictly speaking; it's just unpredictable. Luck implies a lack of skill, whereas fumble recovery is a skill, just one that is exceedingly hard to measure.

The play didn't look too exciting at the onset. Seattle broke in a nickel package against the 49ers two-tight end, power formation. David Hawthorne knifed into the backfield but lost Frank Gore when Gore followed his lead blocker left. Jordan Babineaux followed but overpursued. Bad things were about to happen. Seattle was in nickel against a run, and two of its three run stuffers, the linebacker and strong safety, were behind and out of the play. Bad things were about to happen for the 49ers.

Darryl Tapp anchored against tight end Delanie Walker and forced Gore to cut back inside. Tapp slowed Gore and ankle tackled him into and onto prostrate non-entity Craig Terrill. Terrill, through no achievement of his own, played an essential part in the play. His was the body that kept Gore from being down.

Here's where hustle gets its due: Wilson started the play just outside the tackle box and in position to be blocked by a pulling lineman. And so he was. Right tackle Adam Snyder pulled out and put a body on Pistol, but Pistol didn't quit. He went high on Snyder and yanked him aside by the shoulder pads. Back in the scrum, Babineaux recovered and punched out the fumble. Gore was attempting to wrestle his ankle free and somewhat atop Terrill. The ball bounced forward and toward no team in particular before a streaking Wilson looped into the action and recovered for 43 yards.

It was the single most important play of the game, worth 30% of win probability, worth more than Matt Hasselbeck's late strike to Deon Butler, and more than the field goal that won it. It ended a menacing looking drive by San Francisco that had advanced into Seahawks territory and flipped field position. Seattle took the lead on the ensuing drive. It wasn't the better team all game, it isn't the better team on paper, but it mustered all the character Tim Ruskell saw in it and granted him his parting wish: Win.

49ers-Seahawks: Final Injury Report

Fooch — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:00:31 -0000

We've got the final injury report with one somewhat surprising addition. RB Justin Forsett was a full participant in practice today but is now listed as questionable because of a quad injury. Julius Jones is certainly no scrub, but given recent performances, if Forsett is limited or out on Sunday I'd be a much happier camper. Even when Forsett was shut down in the rushing attack at Minnesota, he still contributed big as a receiver. I'm glad the former Cal star is developing into a solid NFL running back, but I'd prefer he take a week off and not burn the 49ers.

After the jump we've got Coach Mike Singletary's post-practice press conference transcript.

49ers
Out
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Doubtful
OT Joe Staley (knee)
DT Kentwan Balmer (shoulder)

Questionable
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Probable
WR Arnaz Battle (ankle)
LB Ahmad Brooks (thumb)
WR Brandon Jones (thumb)
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
DT Ray McDonald (shoulder)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
OT Adam Snyder (shoulder)

Seahawks
Doubtful
LB D.D. Lewis (knee)
DT Cory Redding (concussion)

Questionable
RB Justin Forsett (quad)
DE Lawrence Jackson (groin)

Probable
RB Julius Jones (chest)
C Chris Spencer (thumb)

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Practice - December 4, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Good afternoon. In terms of injuries, [CB] Marcus Hudson, questionable; [LT] Joe Staley, questionable; [CB] Nate Clements, out. I think everybody else is about what it was."

On LB Takeo Spikes' status:

"Takeo, game-time.

[Bob Lange: ‘It's actually doubtful.']

Singletary: Did I say doubtful?

[Lange: ‘You said questionable.']

Singletary: Doubtful. Sorry."

On how Staley is progressing:

"He's working. Working out and squatting. He's getting excited. So, hopefully it all works out."

On whether it gets more difficult because opposing teams are expecting more of a spread look:

"I think it really comes down to executing. You can change to any kind of offense you want to be, but if it's not effective, than it's not going to force it to be any more difficult for them. I think when you execute running the ball, when you execute throwing the ball, now that's when you make it more difficult for coordinators and teams to prepare."

On whether he gets the sense that opposing defenses are still keying RB Frank Gore as the No. 1 priority:

"I would think so. I would think if you look at Frank and what he's been able to do when he has been able to run, the possibility is always there, and you don't want to really let him get started. So, I would think that would be the first thought."

On whether the players understand the sense of urgency going into a must-win game on Sunday:

"We'll see on Sunday. We'll see Sunday. I think they do, but we'll find out."

On whether Seattle being healthier now presents more of a challenge than earlier this season:

"As you go through the year, guys are hurt, guys are up. We still have guys hurt. So, that's the nature of the game. You just go out there and play the game as best you can, and, hopefully, the No. 2 guys that you have, when they do have to play, that's what it's all about. The 53 guys that you have, they're supposed to be the best that you can get. So, hopefully, that next group of player that you have in there, you don't make excuses and say, ‘Well, we didn't have this guy. We didn't have that guy.' It's part of the game."

On whether it's frustrating as a coach that you can't practice tackling during the week:

"Tackling is more of an attitude than anything else. I believe that if you want to tackle somebody, you can, and you'll find a way to get them down. And, that's really what it comes down to."

On whether he is at a point where he is looking at the standings and trying to figure out what he needs to do to get to where he wants to by the end of the season:

"I'm just looking at winning. That's all. I don't try to be real good at math, I just try to really focus on what's really important because to me, if you're playing well, that's vitally important that you begin to - it's that team at this time of the year that begins to gain the momentum, begins to play better and begins to have a sense of urgency when they're playing. It's that team that's going to make it anyway. It's very important that you focus on winning games and being consistent down the stretch. I think that's what we're focused on. All of the other stuff about who wins and who loses and how many wins do we need, if we're focusing on that, then that's not good."

On how he felt about the week of practice:

"I felt it was a good week. It wasn't great. But, I don't think it's ever great, but it was a good, good week."

49ers-Seahawks: Julius Jones vs. Justin Forsett

Fooch — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:30:13 -0000

I forgot to get yesterday's practice report posted yesterday afternoon, so I've posted it after the jump, along with the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator press conference transcripts. I actually wanted to use the injury report to raise an issue about the 49ers defensive challenge this Sunday. As the practice report indicates, Seahawks RB Julius Jones has been a full participant in practice the last two days. I'd imagine at worst he'll be listed as probable when the injury report is published later today.

For fantasy purposes, the folks at Rotoworld seem to think this will likely end up as some kind of time-share in the backfield. In looking at that, I'm curious if this might end up benefiting the 49ers on Sunday. For the last three weeks, former Cal RB Justin Forsett has been the #1 running back for the Seahawks. If you check out his game log, he's had two fantastic games, and one solid game in terms of receiving:

Week 10 - @ Arizona - 17 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD, 5 rec, 26 yards
Week 11 - @ Minnesota - 8 carries, 9 yards, 1 TD, 8 rec, 80 yards
Week 12 - @ St. Louis - 22 carries, 130 yards, 2 TD, no receptions

And Julius Jones? He's gone over 100 yards once in nine weeks, and over 50 yards two other times.

For the 49ers this weekend, it will basically come down to containing the running game and seeing what you can get by with against TJ Houshmandzadeh and Nate Burleson. Does a running back by committee, or even Julius Jones as the clear #1 guy give the 49ers defense an advantage? Or does it really matter? I've read around where Jim Mora has said he'd go with the hot hand, which would seem to indicate Forsett. But what will really come of this?

After the jump, check out the injury report and the OC/DC press transcripts...

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Did not Participate in Practice
DT Kentwan Balmer (shoulder)
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
S Mark Roman (not injury related)
DT Justin Smith (not injury related)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)
T Joe Staley (knee)

Limited Participation in Practice
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)

Full Participation in Practice
WR Arnaz Battle (ankle)
WR Brandon Jones (thumb)
DT Ray McDonald (shoulder)
T Adam Snyder (shoulder)

Seahawks
Did not Participate in Practice
DE Lawrence Jackson (groin)
LB D.D. Lewis (knee)
DE Cory Redding (concussion)

Full Participation in Practice
RB Julius Jones (chest)
C Chris Spencer (thumb)

Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky
Post-Walk Thru - December 3, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On his expectations for this week:

"Every time we go into a game plan, we want to go out there and perform to the best of our abilities and come out of the game with a win. I don't care how we get it, that's what we need to do."

On what he sees in Seattle going into Sunday's game:

"I think new offensive coordinator, Greg Knapp. I think the timing and the rhythm is there that they've had when he was in Oakland. Now, they feel a little bit more comfortable with the timing and the execution with the quarterback. It's a little bit quicker pace. That's what I see."

On how the team can improve its tackling:

"I think every time that, especially in team periods, you've got guys tagging off. I think that's the most important thing, make sure they come to balance and try to get their wheels underneath them and tag the runners off. We've been preaching that all week. We have all training camp, all OTAs, all regular season. We've just got to understand that we've got to take better angles to the ball carrier and make the plays when they're there."

On S Dashon Goldson's tackling:

"I think it's a little bit of his angles coming to the ball carrier. We've just got to keep on swarming as a defense. Sometimes, if you have a missed tackle, at least you have a chance to have other guys make it. So, if we're swarming, it's always better."

On whether Goldson gets into the mindset of wanting to really crush someone:

"I think sometimes you do. If you have a bead on him and you want to go out there and try to smack him as hard as you can, sometimes you've got to break down and let the posse come. And then other times, I think you've got to take your shot. So, it depends on the play."

On how Goldson has played this year in his first year as a starter:

"Very good. It's a long season. For any player that's out there as a rookie or a second-year player or a third- or fourth-year player, the first year that you start, it's a long season and you've got to keep on trying to get better each and every week, which he has at times."

On holding opponents to field goals:

"I think, especially from last week with our offense being up, it was good to have a lead. And, going into that situation, even though they got some yardage, we stopped them in the red zone. That's one of our primary goals every year, and I think we're doing a pretty good job of that."

On LB Ahmad Brooks starting in the nickel:

"Yes, he'll be starting this week in place of [LB] Manny [Lawson]. We're giving Manny a little bit of rest, but Manny will be switching in and out with [LB] Parys [Haralson] and with Ahmad. It's like a three-man rotation in there."

On how to correct Brooks not getting off the ball as quickly:

"Just looking at the ball. I think that's the most important thing. He just needed to time up the snap a little bit better and watch the ball being snapped and take off like he normally does in practice."

On whether Brooks was looking at the ball last week:

"No, I think he was. I just think he was tentative at times."

On whether he was happy with CB Dre' Bly's first start:

"Yes, he performed very well. He's a veteran player and we're looking for him to do the same thing this week."

On whether you've seen leadership from Bly in the starting role:

"Definitely, yesterday, and hopefully today. He'll make plays. He did a little bit yesterday in practice. It's good to see a veteran guy come out and take grasp of it and really go with it. So, we're excited about it."

On whether Lawson is viewing Brooks' start as a demotion:

"I don't think so. It's a long season. I'm going to rely on everybody, especially in pass rush situations. The more guys that you have, the better off you're going to be. I don't think it's a negative at all because he'll still be in there at times as well."

On CB Nate Clements' status:

"Looking forward, I don't know exactly what his status is. You've got to talk to the trainers about that. For right now, I guess he's been doing well. He's been in the meetings since he's gotten hurt. I'm looking forward to getting him back as well."

On whether he has a date for Clements' return:

"I don't know the status of where he is right now."

Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye
Post- Walk Thru - December 3, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the tandem of WR Michael Crabtree and RB Frank Gore on offense:

"I think that it's a continual growth of the young players that we have, the further maturation of the process of QB Alex Smith and the familiarity with the skill players that he is surrounded with. It's kind of an on the job training deal with the way it has unfolded because, as you know, a lot of those people weren't here early on when we were doing the same things that we are now doing in the games."

On the whether the change in formation and personnel can be an advantage going up against Seattle:

"I would think so based on where we have grown since the third week of the season or whenever we played them before. They cannot disregard the runner, so it gives us somewhat of an advantage that we have the contingency to take care of whatever defense they decide that they want to play."

On how WR Michael Crabtree and WR Josh Morgan complement each other:

"I think that it's an ongoing process. It's not spit-shined and polished by any stretch of the imagination, but I think that the growth has been good. I think that Michael continues to learn in every game. I think last week, even though the numbers statistically didn't bear out, Josh Morgan played his best game. I think he was sudden and fast. He is a strong player without the ball and he added on very well. I thought it was his best performance to date."

On the attributes that make WR Josh Morgan excel without the ball:

"I mean he plays all phases of the game: backside, convoy blocking, onside, or blocking when the plays are coming at him, helping the other receivers after the catch and blocking the people around him. I thought that he did a very good job of that."

On the importance of the WR blocking in the spread formation to make way for RB Frank Gore:

"Yes, it is important because you don't have a lead blocking fullback. I really don't like the term ‘spread', that a total misnomer to what we do, but you don't have a lead blocker, orwhen you're in the gun and the quarterback is taking the ball in the direct snap with a single back deal, so the wide receiver, particularly the ‘F', who plays the slot position or is the add-on guy in the 3-by-1 or 2-by-2 has to be a strong player without the ball."

On what is the actual term for the offense that resembles a spread offense:

"I guess it's the spread, I don't know. What we do is what we've been doing since I've been here. It's a formation shotgun for us. We don't have a quarterback running the spread offense in college like Tim Tebow. To me, that's what spread is and I'm not going to debate the merits of what it's called. If that's the name that's been given to it by the media then it's the spread."

On whether he prefer his offense called the shotgun:

"Yes, we just get in the ‘gun'. We're in the gun with either two backs or we're in the gun with one. We run the same offense that we ran with three wides as we run with two backs and I'd be interested what you'd call it when we put the two halfbacks in the game like we did last week. We're still in the gun- is that spread or not? I don't know."

On the offensive terminology of simply spreading out the WR in the ‘spread' formation:

"I guess. If it works, yes. I mean we opened the Chicago Bear game with [TE] Vernon Davis split out wide and two wide receivers away from him in the slot with two backs. Is that ‘spread'? I guess it's a play on words, so, ‘spread' is fine. We have fun with it inside because we don't know what that is, we just do what we do."

On what he thinks when he sees the reaction to the defense on what the 49er offense shows them:

"It's huge because he's an add-on guy and it makes a huge decision as we plan in the matchups. If they match us with their base defense, or like Tennessee chose to do and go nickel, what he brings on the field in Green Bay to the sub-personnel package of the team that we're playing or whether they stay base determines a lot about the plan going forward of what we do. We have a contingency for both, but it is a big part of what we do because he is a run-blocking tight end that has wide receivers skills. So, they have to make a decision or they, most of the time, make a decision either to stay with their base personnel, run-down personnel, or they sub and put in an extra defensive back, which gives us - as we think of it - five DBs on the field and one less run-stopping defender."

On whether Jacksonville was in base personnel most of the game:

"Jacksonville decided to play base, yes."

On whether that decision enabled Walker to be matched up on a linebacker at times:

"At times it did. It either got him on a linebacker or a safety, a down safety that's not used to playing out of the middle of the field or in the middle of the field. So, he is an important part of that, as opposed to being in 21, where it is [FB] Moran Norris."

On whether Walker can have a major impact on the game even if he's not catching passes:

"Yes, he should, particularly if they're going to play with five DBs and take one of the linebackers or down linemen out. We should have an advantage, in terms of he is masked as a run blocker against a defensive back, as opposed to a fullback blocking a linebacker."

On whether he envisioned his offense to look like this when the season started:

"I don't think I can remember as far back as September."

On the offense trying to do different things at the start of the season:

"I think the cast of characters were totally different. And, I think I said this when we started that the diversity of the offense that we install was to be able to take care of the contingencies of the defense. So, we haven't invented something here in the middle of the season that is different than what we did when we came and started. The evolution of what we've done has been based on the injuries, the changes, the personnel - all of that. But, in terms of what we are doing offensively, we didn't dream this up over the bye or start this three weeks ago. The contingencies of the offensive plan that we have in place the ability to plug in people with different abilities and different styles when it is warranted, in terms of being able to do what it is that we were trying to do, in terms of the plan."

On the offense taking a different direction than originally thought:

"You mean me personally?"

On how the offense's direction has changed:

"Yes, I would say so. I think we won three games with the offense that we started with, and we've won two with the one we're in now. So, yes, I would say we're going in a different direction."

On whether he has a good grasp on what QB Alex Smith can and cannot do:

"Yes. What happens is the feel and the flow of the play caller's purpose and understanding of where he is and where he's most comfortable through what he says or how he reacts in practice and in the install, you learn the internal feel of and you try to eliminate as much anxiety in the total plan or the calling of the game for the quarterback. That's a process that's going. I wish it was a year down the road. When we were starting, he and I, with eight months already under our belt, it would be a lot better I think because the exertion that he's shown and the way he's played, if that had been apparent in July and August, I think we'd be having a different discussion."

On what WR Michael Crabtree understands that most rookie receivers don't:

"He's a natural football player. He's a wide receiver that's a very good football player. He has a fundamental understanding of how to play football. He just happens to also have a great gift of exceptional hands, and he's learning how to become a stand-up, single, outside route runner in his maturation. But, I think the biggest thing is he has a natural intellect for the game. Instinctively, he's a good football player."

On whether RB Frank Gore can fit into a spread offense:

"I think most coaches would think Frank Gore is a pretty good fit for most offensive systems. I think the way the games have unfolded has led people to believe that he is not a part of it or he has been eliminated. You have to remember that the second half of the Green Bay game, the score was 23-3. And, in the last game that we had, the Chicago game, we were doing the same thing and he had close to 90-some yards rushing and a total offense, I don't know what it was, but Frank will still get his touches. The way that we play offense, they'll just come in a different style without a lead blocker in some cases, though we haven't totally gone away from that. Most backs and most quarterbacks relish a wide receiver complement that can unlock the box and slow the pass rush and give them some freedom to operate. I think, as we go forward, I think you'll see that happening. I would think his combined - Frank, the ball was thrown to Frank in the last game more than any other player that we have. He had 10 attempts that went toward him. The run total will complement that in terms of the touches that he has, based on the game and how the down and distance markers are turning. But, he will be very successful, in my opinion, in the offense that we're running that is being referred to as spread because it won't really change what he does. The only thing that basically is changed is he's not running into the line with a lead blocking fullback in front of him. The runs are basically the same, but they come out of a non-lead fullback arrangement."

49ers-Seahawks: Wednesday Injury Report

Fooch — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:16:01 -0000

The two biggest things that I see in today's injury report are first, that Joe Staley is no longer "definitely out." He's not expected to play this week, but maybe he'll get some time in practice tomorrow or Friday. Second, Julius Jones is a full participant in practice. Justin Forsett has been playing really well, so maybe getting Jones back in the mix can help slow down the Seahawks rushing attack. Just a thought...

I've posted Mike Singletary and Alex Smith's post-practice press transcripts after the jump.

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Limited Participation in Practice
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)

Full Participation in Practice
WR Arnaz Battle (ankle)
WR Brandon Jones (thumb)
DT Ray McDonald (shoulder)
T Adam Snyder (shoulder)

Seahawks
Did not Participate in Practice
DE Lawrence Jackson (groin)
LB D.D. Lewis (knee)
DE Cory Redding (concussion)

Full Participation in Practice
RB Julius Jones (chest)
C Chris Spencer (thumb)

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

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Walk Thru - December 2, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Good morning. Just a couple of the injuries: [LB Parys] Haralson, thumb contusion; [DT Kentwan] Balmer, shoulder sprain; [WR Josh] Morgan, hip contusion; [WR Arnaz] Battle, leg strain; [RB Michael] Robinson, stinger; [WR Isaac] Bruce, ankle. We're getting excited about this week. We've got to have another great week of preparation to get ready to go up to Seattle and try and win a football game against a very good football team."

On whether FB Brit Miller's call-up is an indication that Robinson and Battle are iffy to play:

"No, I just think with [S] Curtis [Taylor] having his injury and going down, we just thought it would be a good move to bring him up. Brit has been working his tail off. We have an award for the special teams player of the week, whether it's offense, defense or special teams. And, he's the guy who has won them all. You could name him every week. So, I just think he's a guy who could really help us on special teams going forward."

On whether the noise of Qwest Field will impact the difficult of calling the snap in the shotgun:

"No, I don't think so. But, you can still run the spread and get him under center, however it works out. But, as far as the noise is concerned, that's just something that we have to continue to work on. Everybody that goes in there has to do the same thing. Thankfully, this isn't the first game that we've been in a situation like that. We just have to do a good job of managing it this week."

On how he can improve his team's tackling:

"It's just something that's an ongoing thing. We just have to get enough guys to the ball. Guys on the back end have to understand that we have to tackle. We just have to tackle. It's not that you've got a guy - I think I said before - like [S Dashon] Goldson. It's not a matter of him not wanting to tackle. It's a good problem. He wants to come up and knock everybody out, but he has to come up and settle down and tackle a guy. Going forward, it's just something that throughout the rest of the year, we just have to continue to focus on."

On whether the team still practices with pads:

"No."

On when that ended:

"A couple of weeks ago."

On whether that was because at this point in the season it's unnecessary:

"Negotiating with a couple of players. That's all that was."

On whether not practicing with pads has anything to do with the tackling issues:

"No. No, not at all."

On whether the players approached him or he approached the players:

"Both. I think one of the most important things in anything you do is relationships and communicating. I'm constantly looking for any type of hindrances or anything that can keep us from getting where we need to go, anything that might come up trying to head them off. I'm all about being proactive. I don't want to ever hear, ‘Well, coach, at that particular time, this was happening. You just didn't know it.' I don't want to hear that. I want to make sure that I'm asking, and, at the same time, I'm inviting them to talk to me, not that I'm going to agree with everything, not that I'm going to concede to everything. It's just a matter of, if that makes sense, then let's look at it. If not, then we won't do it."

On how he hears from players' grumbling and how he adjusts to make sure that everyone's voice is heard:

"I think, first of all, I'm always around the players. I'm always talking to the players. I think, when you have captains on the team, when you have leaders on the team, I talk to everybody, whether they're practice squad guys or not. Like I said, it really is all about seeing. Just opening your eyes and opening your ears and trying to see things and really reading body language. That's a huge thing. I just try to be proactive that way."

On whether cutting back on the padded practices was a discussion about wear and tear on the players' bodies:

"Yes. I think when guys come out here and they have the pads on, it's more of a psychological thing than anything else. The pads, how much to they weigh? They weigh a couple of pounds, but the fact that you have them on brings on the fact that you might hit. So, if the guy has sore shoulders, it's just a matter of when you don't have those things, you have the shells on, you just feel a lot better mentally. So, it's more psychological than anything else."

On whether any of the running backs have approached him about their concern of having lesser role in a spread offense:

"Absolutely. I think any great player, any great player that I've been around, whether it's Walter Payton, whether it's a great receiver, Jerry Rice - whoever it might be. When they're not getting the ball, they feel like they're not contributing. They feel like they're not a part of it. I've talked to all of our guys and had them understand that we need to understand that, going forward, everybody will have their part in the success. Everybody will have their part. It's really important that we're for one another. It's really important that we might as well, if we really want to win, If we really want to do this right, we need to be happy about the other guy. When somebody else has the ball, instead of me being upset about me not having the ball, go find a block and help free him up. So, whatever the situation, it's just important that at this particular time of year, not everybody is going to be happy. Once again, we talk about a family. I don't know one family anywhere in America or in the world for that matter where everybody is happy. I just think that it's all about being a team player. It's all about doing your best when you have the opportunity. But, I think everybody needs to know that the common denominator must be to win. It must be that. If it's not that, than we're thinking the wrong thing. We're going in the wrong direction. I think everybody understands that, but it doesn't take away the fact that I don't feel totally great if I don't feel like I'm making a contribution."

On whether RB Frank Gore has expressed with concerned:

"I've met with all of our guys. I've met with all of our offensive guys, just had some open dialogue about it going forward. Everybody is on the same page, including Frank, and I understand full-well when that happens. It's like when I was playing. If I didn't get 10 tackles, I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, ‘Daggumit. Man.' Somebody else got two or three picks, another linebacker, thinking, ‘I'm glad we won, but I've got to do a better job. How do I get another pick?' He's excited about it. I want to be excited about it. I can be excited about it for him, but at some point in time, I'm going to think about, ‘Wow, I need to do a better job to contribute more.' So, to me, that's what that is."

On whether Gore is more concerned with winning or his statistics:

"Frank is a team guy. But, it's like anything else. I don't know if you've ever been in a situation where it may be a family member, it may be a team member and somebody else does something great. You want to be happy for them, but it's a natural thing. You can't take away from the fact that you want to do well too. You want to make sure that you're doing everything that you can to make sure that you're a part of that. I don't think it's any more than that, but to ask someone not to be natural, to ask someone not to be human, I just think it's just a matter of everybody understanding where we're striving to go. It has to be family. It has to be team, knowing that not everybody is going to happy all of the time."

On whether the competition from wanting to do more is helping or hindering the offense:

"No, I think there's nothing like competition. You want a situation where guys are saying, ‘Man, I've got to do more. I want the ball.' If I've got receivers that don't want the ball, then something is wrong. If I've got a running back who doesn't want the ball, then something's wrong. But, I think there's a limit to it. There's a point to being competitive and wanting to contribute and being selfish. There's a thin line there somewhere, and everybody has to find that for themselves. But, I just think it's important that we all understand that in order for us to get where we need to go, everybody has to be on board. I do know that, and I think they understand that. Frank is not going to lose his mind if he doesn't get 100 yards because I think, at the end of the day, it's all about winning. He may be upset at the moment, but I know he's going to come back the next day and say, ‘Hey, you know what? I'm glad we won. I know I did contribute.' The thing I want them to understand is, if you're a running back and you've got wide outs that are making plays, that makes it easier. That makes your job easier. If you're a wide out or you're a quarterback, that makes your job easier. Everybody needs to understand that I don't care about that game. If you didn't shine that game, you're number is going to be called, but just understand that everybody makes everybody else's job better. So, to me, that's really the bottom line that they understand that."

On Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck:

"I'm sorry, who's this now?"

On whether Hasselbeck looks different on film since the last they faced him:

"No, he is still throwing the ball on the money. He is still doing a good job throwing the ball. The timing has been great. Hasselbeck is Hasselbeck. He sits back there and if he has time, he is going to get the ball out and he is going to hurt you. I don't see anything different."

On whether the offense will change week-to-week based on the opponent:

"Obviously, I would like to see more carry-over. But, where we are right now, I think the most important thing is you want to go into every game just like every other offense. You are going to go into the game thinking that you want to be balanced. You have a game plan, but if you are running the ball better, then maybe you are going to run 60-40; if you are throwing the ball better, maybe you are going to throw 60-40. I think you have a tendency, coordinators, they can't help it. You don't want to outsmart yourself. If your team is doing something well against that particular defense, then you want to try to do it."

QB Alex Smith
Post-Walk-Thru - December 2, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On whether he is concerned that everyone on offense is happy:

"No, absolutely not. I am kind of a firm believer that you have to do whatever it takes to win the game. A lot is made out of stats in the NFL, with all the stuff that goes along with it and fantasy and things. Sometimes it can be easy to get sucked into that, but winning is winning. That's it."

On whether he has talked to RB Frank Gore about his comfort in the shotgun:

"I haven't talked to him specifically about that. My opinion of him is a guy who can do virtually everything out there. He is a guy who can run through the tackles in I-formation, can do a lot, can run out of one-back stuff, is a great receiver out of the backfield. Some of the great things about Frank is that he can do everything, very versatile."

On dealing with the crowd noise in Seattle:

"It kind of takes an extra level of focus, it does. You have to work with it through the week. You can't just dismiss it, but at the same time you have to deal with crowd noise everywhere you go. It is loud there, but I think it is just something you have to take into note, deal with it all week in practice then be sharp on game day."

On how he developed his quarterback voice:

"I guess you just kind of imitate it. You certainly don't want to go up there with a high-pitch voice or anything, so you try to lower it down as much as you can. I think it is something you kind of develop. You get practice in high school and especially when you go off to college. It is something you change as you go along. In different systems you have different cadences and different ways of using them, so it is something you have to switch to and be in tune to."

On whether he worked on calling plays louder when he entered the NFL:

"A little bit. Hopefully you aren't dealing with too much crowd noise in the huddle, the play hasn't even began and it gets louder as you approach the line. Even playing in really loud places in college, I can remember a lot of times playing in loud places and playing out of the shotgun and still using cadence, not going silent count very much. Now I get into some places, playing indoors in the NFL a lot, and all of a sudden, even under center, you have to use a silent count. To me, that seemed pretty bizarre when I first got to the NFL."

On what works best to simulate crowd noise throughout the week:

"In my opinion, I kind of just think pumping the noise out there works best. It is the most similar to the game situation - the guys really can't hear, it is loud, you have to focus without your ears. I think that simulates the game-time scenario the best."

On what he remembers about the last time he played in Seattle:

"I remember it has always been loud up there. I think it is similar to most places you go, especially indoor-type places. If you are in the gun, you are obviously going to be in silent count a lot. Under center, I think usually you can get away with it in times of big situations that might be difficult. If you are down in an end zone type, or a big short yardage situation, it can be difficult under center sometimes with things like that. I know last year I didn't make the trip and we had some problems up there with the crowd noise. I wasn't there, so I was kind of unfamiliar with that."

On how comfortable is he with the offense pertaining to his style of play:

"I don't know, I guess I have no idea. I take pride in making good decisions, throwing the ball accurately, and keeping us in good situations. Those are the things that I try to do and hopefully that shows up on film."

On how much the film on Seattle is useful being that QB Shaun Hill started that last game and that the offense now uses a spread formation:

"It's still very useful, they are a divisional opponent. The first game is always important. You see the different things they did to try to take away the first time, their opinion of you the first go-round, things that they had success in, things that they didn't, and things that might influence the second time. So, that's still definitely something important to look at."

On what TE Delanie Walker adds to the offense:

"Yeah, he's another playmaker and I think that he can be a challenge sometimes personnel-wise on how you treat him. To come in as the second tight end, you can treat him as a receiver, as a tight end, we can do a lot of blocking stuff with him as well, so I think that he's kind of a personnel match-up problem for a lot of teams as to how they view him."

On how Walker compares to TE Vernon Davis in terms of straight line speed:

"I'll let them answer that. I would be stirring up something if I said something there. They are both really fast, each would probably claim that they would win the race, but I don't know. I'll leave that one alone."

On how opposing defenses try to match-up against Delanie Walker:

"Teams have done different things. Some teams have treated Delanie in base when we brought him on and some teams don't match up as well in base and they bring a corner on and played nickel, so we've seen both for him."

On whether he would expect Seattle to defend the spread offense as they did against Indianapolis:

"I don't know, I guess we'll find out. We've got some good stuff on film with different looks. I guess a little bit of it is going to be just wait and see. We have to prepare for everything and just wait and see how they're going to defend us because the first game, I forget what we rushed for, we rushed for quite a bit against them and did a lot of good things in the run game. I still think that it's there to think about and that we've done some different things the last couple of weeks personnel-wise and formation-wise. But, I think that they will have a lot to think about."

49ers 20 - Jaguars 3: Hidden Nuggets

Fooch — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:28:23 -0000

I suppose that when you win games, the "hidden nuggets" are not quite so hidden. We remember the positives and forget some of the negatives. Nonetheless we'll keep people's spirits up with some of the positive minutiae from today's game. Also, after the jump we've got a whole assortment of post game press conference transcripts.

Vernon Davis
Not so surprisingly we're starting with The Disease. The tainted twosome (Davis and Crabtree) has been running wild lately, and Davis continues his breakout season. With his 3-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, Davis tied the franchise-record for most touchdown receptions in a season by a tight end (9). With 6 catches on the day, Davis set a new single-season career-high with 57 receptions. His previous single-season high was 52 receptions in 2007.

Pass Rush
The defense certainly found it's groove against a Jaguars team that just couldn't get out of its own way today. The 49ers defense registered a season-high 6 sacks on the day, all in the second half. This marks only the second time since sacks became an official stat in 1982 that a 49ers defense notched 6 sacks in a half (vs. St. Louis on 9/8/96). Manny Lawson sacked and stripped David Garrard, with the fumble being scooped up by DT Justin Smith. Lawson now has 4.5 sacks on the season as well as 3 forced fumbles, which tied a franchise record for most forced fumbles in a season by a linebacker. Lawson became the first 49ers linebacker to register 3 forced fumbles in a single season since LB John Johnson and LB Larry Kelm each recorded 3 forced fumbles in 1993.

Additional random nuggets:

The 49ers offensive line did not allow the Jaguars defense to sack QB Alex Smith on any of his 41 attempts. This marks the first time that the 49ers did not allow a sack since November 10, 2008, at Arizona (QB Shaun Hill - 40 attempts).
QB Alex Smith set first half career-highs in attempts (29), completions (18), yards (169) and he tied a career-high for touchdowns in the first half with 2.
The 49ers were only flagged for 1 penalty on the day for 5 yards. It was the first time the 49ers only committed 1 penalty a game since December 2, 2001, vs. Buffalo. Only 4 other teams have committed only 1 penalty in a game this season, which is the fewest in the single game in the NFL this season.
RB Frank Gore extended his career-long streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to 5 with a 4-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. He is the first 49er to score a touchdown in 5 consecutive games since WR Terrell Owens from November 4, 2001, through December 2, 2001.

Don't forget, after the jump we've got post-game press conference transcripts.

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Game Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
FINAL

Opening Statement:

"First and foremost, I'm very thankful. I thank God for our guys, I really do. I'm very thankful for how they continue to fight. I was very excited about this game simply because of the way we prepared this week. The thing that we wanted to accomplish - the thing that we have not done all year - is put a collective win together, where the offense is doing the things that they have to do, taking time off the clock, the defense holding them, or trying to get turnovers, trying to get something. Special teams did their part. I think today collectively it was getting headed in the right direction in terms of the way we have to win. It has to be a total team effort. We can't have the defense playing lights-out and the offense not executing. We can't have the offense doing a good job and our defense giving up big plays. We just have to continue to work together and, I guess, really come up with the team effort. That's what we're really preaching right now. That's the thing that we've got to have - a team effort. So, very excited about what happened today and our guys are working."

On whether if his season-long goals are still within reach:

"You know what, for me, all I know is everything is in front of us and we have an opportunity to continue to week-in and week-out just to try and win football games, just to try and find our formula as we go offensively and get in a rhythm. The best thing that happened this week... The absolute best thing that happened this week was I saw leadership on the offensive side of the ball in terms of, ‘Coach, this is what I think would work. This is what I think we need. Can we do this? Can we do more spread? Can we put it on us, the receivers. Not that we're going to lose our minds and throw the ball every down, but can we do that direction?' To me, that's leadership. That conversation could go to the parking lot, it could go in the bathroom, it could go to their homes, but it came to us. It came to me. [Offensive coordinator] Jimmy [Raye] and I sat down and talked about it, the offensive staff, the entire team, about what we need to do going forward. I think we just have to find our balance each and every week depending on what that team does. I thought today... I thought the offense handled it well. I thought our offensive line did a good job blocking for [QB] Alex [Smith], giving him the time that he needed. I thought our receivers did a good job. We just have to continue to learn how to finish, just close it out, close the game out."

On whether the 49ers are a better passing team than a running team:

"I would say, right now, I would think as far as the run is concerned, I think we have more playmakers in the passing game. I think for the first time in a long time we have a lot of playmakers that we can throw the ball to, as well as [RB] Frank [Gore]. I think if we continue to do that, the run will still be there. Like I said, week-in and week-out we have to find a balance that works for us and not go out there and lose our mind and put it all on Alex and the receivers and say, ‘Let's go get it done.' So, I think we have to be smart and every week to figure out exactly what we have to do to win football games."

On who was showing leadership on offense:

"Well, [TE] Vernon [Davis] would be the number one guy, Alex a close second. Even the young kid, as much as I hate to say it, [WR Michael] Crabtree. I keep telling him he needs to be quiet, but he's getting there. Good kid. Those guys are leading the pack."

On RB Frank Gore's value as a pass-receiver:

"Well, I think Frank definitely has good hands and he can catch the ball and hopefully more times than not he can make that first guy miss and make extra yardage. I think you when have to look at a [WR Michael] Crabtree and [TE] Vernon Davis and [WR] Josh Morgan down the field, then it certainly opens up an opportunity for Frank coming out of the backfield in check-down situations. So, I just think it all works together and our offensive line continues to be a work in progress. But we will be able to run the ball. Before this season comes to an end, we will be able to run the ball and we're working on it. But right now, we're trying to open it up as much as we can right now so there's not an overload somewhere else and make it work."

On TE Vernon Davis tying TE Brent Jones' record today:

"Vernon has been spectacular all year. You know, today, last week, week before that. I mean, pick a week. Vernon continues to work his tail off. He continues to stay after practice and do all of the extra work. He's still an excellent blocker. The thing I like about it is he's not all of the sudden becoming a good go-to guy. He also continues to work on his craft in terms of blocking. And, to me, he's still the best blocking tight end in the league. So, I'm very excited about where he's going."

On QB Alex Smith's performance today:

"I thought he did a good job. I mean, obviously, there are some plays he'd like to take back. It's a work in progress, but I'm very proud of what he's been able to do and the decisions that he's been able to make. He and Jimmy Raye continue to work together, continue to build a relationship. Alex continues to let Jimmy know, ‘Hey, this is what works. This is not as good.' So, I'm excited about that, because the more that relationship develops, the better our offense is going to become. So, I'm excited about that."

On how players are developing on defense:

"You know what, I do [see that]. [LB] Manny [Lawson] stepped up. I hate he missed the one ball. He had it, he was running before he had it, obviously. But we have a few guys on defense that are playing well. [LB] Takeo [Spikes], it was good to see him back this week. He adds a lot to our defense, he really helps [LB Patrick Willis], great mentor, but he's the guy on that defense that really makes it go. So I'm very excited about what he was able to do. [CB] Dre' Bly I thought did a nice job today. You know, a lot of experience, he has a better grasp of our defense. Going forward, he adds a lot to what we're doing."

On whether the defenses' season-high sacks were due to the hard work this year:

"You know, it happened for a number of reasons. Yes, those guys upfront have been working their tails off. I think [defensive coordinator] Greg Manusky, [defensive line coach] Jim Tomsula, [pass rush specialist] Al Harris, everything that comes down to the pass rush and trying to figure out the protection and how to get guys to the quarterback. They just continue to work at it. I think they have a great system in place, breaking down protection. [LB] Ahmad Brooks, I think, you'll see more and more of, getting him in the mix. It was great to see Manny Lawson just come off the ball and explode and make the play he did in the fourth period. [LB] Parys Haralson has been applying pressure all year. But I'm excited about what we're able to do and the other thing that makes it great is our offense was able to chew up the clock so our guys were fresh when they were going out there and that makes all the difference in the world."

On whether [LB] Ahmad Brooks has replaced [LB] Manny Lawson as starting nickel-pass rusher:

"He did start today, but it's one of things where you wanted to see what he had as a starter and I think it'll go back and forth. They'll both play a lot at that position."

On how good the 49ers defense was today:

"Well, obviously when you have a team like Jacksonville and they have three points coming in here with a lot of confidence, I think the defense did very well today. Of course, going forward, we want to continue to keep the pressure on and do all of the little things we have to do to keep them from marching down the field, and clamping down later on. I thought the defensive plan was really good today."

On whether the line judge didn't see him when he was trying to call timeout:

"I was going to go all the way to the huddle. I tell them that, ‘Whatever I have to do...' I mean, I'm yelling on the sideline and they always say, ‘Mike, just come all the way and do whatever you got to do to get our attention.' So, I was sprinting out there. So, whatever I have to do to do that, I'll do it every time."

On the Arizona Cardinals loss:

"That is very exciting. One of the things that I don't want our team doing is looking at what Arizona is doing, but you can't help but... If a situation works out like that, that's fantastic. We just have to make sure that we earn the right to look at what they're doing and we've got to take care of business on our side."

CB Dre Bly
Post-Game Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On his first start with the 49ers:

"It felt good. The first half, I didn't get much action or get dirty. I wanted to get going, just get a tackle to get going. But for the most part, it was good. Defensively, we played well. We were flying around, pressuring the quarterback, forced turnovers-and that's the 49ers defense that everybody have seen. And that's the defense we expect to be. We played well."

On the difficulties of playing the Jaguars offense:

"They had long drives, and they were trying to keep us off-balance, going no-huddle and trying to catch us in different personnel defensively. And throwing screen plays, getting the ball into [Maurice] Jones-Drew's hands, those little bubble screens to the receivers-all those things were trying to keep us off-balance. But, when our backs were against the wall...this is what you want as a defense, when your backs are against the wall, don't fold. We were able to keep them out of the end zone when they got close, and unfortunately for them, they missed that field goal-fortunately for us. The key is, trying to keep them out of the end zone, we did, and giving up three points-that's reaching all defensive goals at the end of the day. I don't know what the yardage looked like, but we have to feel good about the points we let."

WR Michael Crabtree
Post-Game-Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On being able to spread the offense against Jacksonville:

"We really did the same plays that we did last week, we just did a good job of executing our plays and just came up big when it was time to make big plays."

On talking to WR Isaac Bruce on the sidelines when the offense was making adjustments:

"Isaac is like my big brother on the field so I'm always going to talk to him about anything, every play, and every release that I did. I'm always going to be talking to Bruce.

On what he felt he contributed to adding to the team leadership on the field today vs. Jacksonville:

"Just by playing fast at practice is something that I preached to my teammates in college, so I just carried it on and brought it up to the NFL and it's working."

On describing the team's intensity and execution in today's game:

"I think that all three sides of the ball played good today. That's what it takes for a team to win and we did a good job."

On whether he feels that the team is in the playoff hunt with a 5-6 record:

"We just have to take one game at a time. This next game we really need to be focusing on that and trying to win. One game at a time."

TE Vernon Davis
Post-Game Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On the performance of the offense:

"Our playmakers made plays-we got the ball in the hands of our playmakers. And we've got a lot of them-you could see [TE] Delanie Walker made some plays. And that's what it's all about. Green Bay, when we played them, I saw how they got the ball in their playmakers' hands. Everybody had some nice stats. That's what you need in order to win."

On if he senses a change in the offense:

"I am, I am. But I still think we have to run the ball-we have to keep Frank [Gore] involved, because he is one of our playmakers as well. Everything will be all right from there."

On the playoff picture:

"We have five regular season games left. Our goal is to win each and every game. We can only do that by practicing hard and staying together. It's not over, we're still in it. Anything can happen."

On going for it on fourth-and-1 play in the second quarter:

"Coach [Singletary] believes in us. We always talk about how good our offense is, and we believe in him. So, it's fourth-and-1, he called a play. Then we have to go make it."

LB Parys Haralson
Post-Game Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On whether that was the cleanest game the team has played:

"I don't know if that was the cleanest game, but I know that we won and that's all that matters to me."

On whether it was the most mistake-free game:

"I guess it was a mistake-free game. Like I said, we've emphasized that during the week, not beating ourselves. We always emphasize that, creating some turnovers and not turning the ball over, getting off the field on 3rd down even though they are making some plays on us and basically just keeping them out of the end zone on defense and the offense scored some points to win the game."

C Eric Heitmann
Post-Game-Quotes November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On starting fast offensively:

"We talked this week about being more explosive as an offensive unit. We did spread it out a little more and put the game in the hands of the playmakers and they did some amazing things for us today. They made some really big plays for us. As an offensive line, we knew we had to pass protect. We knew they were going to be coming, going to be blitzing and we had to give Alex [Smith] time to get the ball into the playmakers' hands. Everybody stepped up today. It really was a great win all the way around."

On holding a large lead at halftime:

"We had a nice cushion going into halftime, but when you come to halftime you know that any NFL game can turn. So for us, the score was 0-0. We knew we had to come out in the second half, be physical, run the clock, make some more plays. I think we did that. The defense played great, the special teams played great and it was a great win."

On the importance of not turning the ball over:

"You have to play mistake-free, flawless-execution football if you want to win in the NFL, and turnovers are huge. If we are going to be successful as an offense, you cannot turn the ball over and we did that today. That's one of the main reasons why we won this game."

QB Alex Smith
Post-Game Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On if he felt that today was his most complete game ever:

"I don't know about that. Probably the best I felt out there. I guess I don't know, specifically speaking, it was the best I felt out there. Seeing things, reacting to it, making good decisions, and being accurate."

On his role as a leader:

"Yeah there's always been open communication, especially with [Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye]. I've always said that from the beginning. I think, it's just one of those things, the more you play the better grasp you have on what we're doing. As the quarterback, there is a little more insight that you can put in to talking with Jimmy on what we're doing and what I like and things like that."

On specifically what he likes:

"I mean we're talking details here, of things, you know, things we have in the game plan. Whether or not they're up or down and what situation you may like them in or not, things like that."

On his confidence level from earlier in the year:

"I was confident that, and this the NFL, confident that my opportunity was going to come at some point. That's just the way it works. I didn't know when it was going to come, how it was going to happen, the circumstances of it. I was confident that, yeah, this is the NFL and at one point or another I'm probably going to step out on the field and help the team win. I didn't know when it was going to happen but the important thing is that you're constantly ready, constantly standing ready because you don't know when it's going to happen."

On the plays:

"I don't know. I don't know if it's my bad, I think it's the open communication. You know, it's not that I'm marching up there like, ‘hey this is how...' it doesn't happen like that. It's just open dialogue. You're talking, ‘I feel a little better about this, and maybe that.' It's not like I would walk up there with a list of things I don't want."

On whether not he told Raye he wanted to emphasize certain plays:

"No, not like that. It's always changing. You know? It's based on what we see on film and what we like. It's a fine line there. Ultimately it's my job to go out there and play well. The little input I can have, that's up to Jimmy whether or not he wants to."

On if he backed Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye into a room:

"No, I can sense that and that's not how it happened. I can definitely tell you."

On if he felt that his input was well received and used:

"Absolutely. No question. Jimmy's always had an open door and I think, like I said, it's a combination of the more I play the more we're growing as an offense I think that the more input you have. The more comfortable you feel talking to him about things. Whereas before you're just trying to get your job done."

On whether or not he's more confident than before:

"Absolutely."

On why and how he shows his newfound confidence:

"I just feel better about seeing what I see out there. Understanding it, trusting it and pulling the trigger. If that makes sense, you know. Reading and reacting. What are they doing? Seeing it and pulling the trigger. Before, when I was younger, sometimes you don't see things clear, don't trust it and hold on to the ball a little longer. You're tentative, things like that. I have a better grasp of seeing things, reacting to them and cutting loose."

On how this resembled his days in college:

"I'm getting there. I look back on college and it's different. I think you're headed there. That feeling you get when you're in the center of, people talk about things slowing down but, for me it's really understanding what you're seeing, trusting what you're seeing and cutting the ball loose. Not second guessing yourself, not hesitating and trusting what you see and letting it go."

On how he'd like to play the offense the rest of the season:

"I'm a pretty firm believer that there is no formula, like that to win. You got to do what it takes to win the game and each week is different. Next week we might come out of I formation and run the ball forty times to win the game. If that's what the defense is giving us and that's what we think we can expose them doing then we got to do that. We've got to do what it takes to win the game on offense and I don't think you can say, concretely ‘this is what you have to do every single week to win a game.' Every defense presents different problems and we have to find a way to attack them and expose them where we think we can."

On the cause and affect between your input and the game plan:

"I don't think so. No."

On what Jacksonville's defensive did that dictated this style of offense:

"We just thought - we felt like that. Their starting corner was out, [Rashean] Mathis was out. We knew they were banged up back there with some young guys, and we felt like we could do some good things throwing the ball. No doubt about it."

On what he thought about TE Vernon Davis' catch and run on fourth down and the play call:

"I love both of them, looking back. I love it. I think that's the mentality you start to grow into on offense too. The more comfortable as a unit we get, the more confident we are. We want it. Let's throw the ball on fourth-and-short. Let's get after it. Vernon made a great play, a great play on the sidelines. That's this offense growing and being more confident."

On whether he smiled when he received the game plan earlier this week knowing the offense was going to be more wide open:

"We talked about it, but you still don't always know what that's going to look like come game day, how things are going to unravel, how the play calls are going to come out and the circumstances you might be in. I thought we did a great job today, top to bottom. I thought [Offensive coordinator] Jimmy [Raye] called a great game. We did a lot of good things out there. I still think we left a lot out there. That's for us to take a look on film and improve on."

On how much stringing wins together counts with Arizona losing today:

"To be honest, it's not really about putting - it's about winning one game at a time. You can start getting ahead of yourself thinking about streaks and doing too much. We were thinking about beating Jacksonville. I think that singular focus, that's one of the reasons I think you saw success today. When you start looking down the line in this game, you're in trouble I think. So, now it's move on. We've got to learn from this game and we play Seattle. So, it's moving on from there."

On whether he feels either meek or humble:

"I don't feel meek. I think that's a good thing to be humble, in my opinion. I don't think that's a bad thing. I don't want to be cocky, if that makes sense. You want to be confident, step out on the field and play the game, feel good about what you're doing. But, I'm always going to be humble. I've been through too many ups and downs to understand what it takes to win games in this league, and it's not about you. A lot of things have to go right. There are a lot of pieces in place around you to have a chance at success. You learn that along the way."

On how it feels to be starting again:

"It's been great playing again, no doubt about it. To sit out the amount of football I did, you lose that feeling. You forget it. You miss it, what it's like to go out there and compete on game day, to work together all week as a team for one goal on Sunday to go out there and play well and to be tested every week. You miss that feeling, so it's great to be back out there."

On which was his best throw today:

"It's hard to say from where I was at."

On which throw he was most proud of:

"I don't know. It might not have even been a completion. I thought maybe the ball in the corner - I didn't get to see it very well - the ball in the corner to Michael Crabtree. I got it up on time and I thought I put it in a good place. At this point, it's hard to say."

On whether he was hit at all today:

"No idea. No idea, handful of times I guess."

On whether the players comfortable telling the coaches what they see during a game:

"I think it's a fine line there. Coach is a coach. Player is a player. That's a big deal. That's what it is. I think, this week, you maybe saw some guys go up there and voice their opinion, but in the end, we're not putting the game plan together. We didn't call the plays. It's out job to go out there and execute them and make them work. It's that partnership, that relationship, that I think leads to success. I think you saw we had some more input this week, but in the end, I think it's our job as a unit. Coaches have got to put their game plan together and what they think we can do best to go out there and win. And, we've got to go out there and make it work. As players, it's our job to go out there and play well, in the end. As much input as we have, it doesn't mean anything if we don't make it work."

On having no sacks, no interceptions and throwing crisp passes:

"Well, I think it's a part of the growth of this offense. In the NFL, you have to be balanced. You have to be able to do it different ways to find ways to win. You're never going to be able to always impose what you want to do on a defense. You play good defenses in this league, and if they want to take away one thing, they're probably going to be able to take it away. You've got to be able to find another way to get it done. That's just the way it is. So, you have to be balanced. You have to be able to do things, have multiple looks, different personnels and you have to be able to attack defenses a lot of different ways in this league. I think that's part of the growth of this offense. I think we're taking a step, be able to throw the ball a lot , ball control and make good decisions and execute better in the passing game."

On whether this team could have done this in the season opener:

"I don't know. I have no idea. I wasn't back there. That would probably be a better question for Shaun [Hill], but I think we're fully capable of it. There's a learning curve with it. First year together doing things there's always going to be some type of learning curve."

On what he was thinking on the fourth-down play:

"Exciting, thinking about where I was going to throw the ball. To come up in the look they gave us, bringing pressure. They had a man on Vernon [Davis]. We took the shot. We liked the call. Obviously, at the time, I liked the call and I was going to be aggressive."

DT Justin Smith
Post-Game-Quotes November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On picking up a game in the division:

"We just have to take it one at a time. We can't really control what happens with them, we can only control what we do. Now we have to come back and get ready for next week."

On the defensive effort today:

"They just went to their no-huddle offense. Usually anytime a team goes to that you play a little deeper and they are able to move the ball. They did move the ball but when we really had to, we made the plays. They are a talented offense and we were able to get off a couple times and make them pay for it."

On the pressure the team applied on QB David Garrard:

"I think everybody got pretty decent pressure today. We mixed it up a little bit, but the biggest thing was getting them into predictable situations where we knew they were throwing the ball and that a screen or draw probably weren't a possibility, which have hurt us all year. So that was good."

T Adam Snyder
Post-Game-Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On the offensive line playing together in unison against Jacksonville:

"It's nice to have the ball in your hands at the end of the game and be able to kneel on it. It's something that we haven't been able to do the past eight or nine games, so to finish it out like that was nice."

On QB Alex Smith's performance against Jacksonville:

"I thought that he played great. He stayed clean and got the ball out when he needed to and we did well up front protecting him. Our backs were also good in protection. That's what we have to keep focusing on which is to keep getting better as an offense."

On the offense not beating themselves with penalties and turnovers:

"Those are huge when you win the game, you can see how it affects it when you don't have many penalties and turnovers. You get to keep the ball in your hands and keep moving the chains. It's a good thing for the offense."

LB Takeo Spikes
Post-Game Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On the pressure they were able to get on [QB David] Garrard:

"We had the opportunity to beat the 1-on-1s. We got 1-on-1s a lot and that's what it boils down to. All sacks are not going to come free so we have to beat the 1-on-1s."

On the team's mentality knowing that Arizona lost:

"It's truly a one at a time mentality. One eye is focusing on the next game and the other eye is focusing on the big picture. If we continue to do that, I think at the end of the day when we look back in December it's going to take care of itself, I guarantee you that."

LB Patrick Willis
Post-Game-Quotes - November 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On what led to the win:

"Our coaches during the week put in a good game plan. We knew that No. 9 [QB David Garrard] and No. 32 [RB Maurice Jones-Drew] basically ran their offense. We knew that we had to tackle well against No. 32 when he gets the ball and we knew they were going to try to come in and run it on us because that is what they like to do. We knew we needed to stop the run and once we stopped the run our offense started putting up points and we knew they had to throw the ball then."

On LB Takeo Spikes' post-sack dance:

"That means we are out there having fun. When he did that, I just knew the game was almost over. It is something the coaches talked about, don't go out there saying, "We have to win we have to win.' Go out there and have fun and let the chips lay where they are going to lay. Just go out there and have fun and that's what we were doing."

On tackling Jones-Drew:

"He is stout. When you tackle him you have to grab him. If you can get to his legs and stop his legs then you have him, but if you grab his upper body and have no leverage he is just going to keep on running."

49ers-Jaguars: Final Injury Report

Fooch — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:00:13 -0000

Not a whole lot of shockers in the final injury report, although we get confirmation that Michael Robinson will more than likely miss out on the game. Doubtful means 75% chance the player won't play. Safe to say no Robinson. So does that mean we'll get a bit more Josh Morgan in the return game? I've attached Coach Singletary's press conference from yesterday, but there's no mention of the return game.

For those wondering, Morgan does have some return experience back in college. His senior year he returned 16 kicks for 276 yards (long of 34). It's nothing spectacular, but better than nothing. We'll see how this plays out on Sunday.

49ers
Out
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)
OT Joe Staley (knee)

Doubtful
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
RB Michael Robinson (concussion)

Questionable
WR Arnaz Battle (ankle)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Probable
G David Baas (ankle)
CB Tarell Brown (knee)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
S Reggie Smith (abdomen)
OT Adam Snyder (shoulder)
S Curtis Taylor (knee)
LB Patrick Willis (shoulder)

Jaguars
Out
CB Rashean Mathis (groin)

Probable
RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee)
WR Mike Sims-Walker (knee)

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Practice - November 27, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the status of LB Takeo Spikes:

"It's going to be a game time [decision]. He tried to practice a little bit today. We didn't have him overexert himself, but he looked pretty good. We'll see come game time."

On who takes over the leadership role on defense when Spikes is not in the lineup:

"I think [LB] Patrick [Willis] is doing a much better job. I think that Takeo and Pat work really well together, and I think that when Takeo is not there, that Pat has to pick it up a bit. [LB] Matt Wilhelm is still trying to get used to doing it, but hopefully this week Takeo steps up and is ready to go. I'll keep my fingers crossed for that."

On whether having Takeo Spikes out against Green Bay constituted to the yardage gained by Packers RB Ryan Grant:

"I'm sure that it had something to do with it, a little bit. I wouldn't go there and say, ‘well, he wasn't there,' no, I wouldn't go there. Certainly, continuity is big and Takeo really helps Pat out a lot, he really does, so he's a great asset to us."

On the challenge of containing Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew:

"It's a big challenge because you've got a huge offensive line, and next thing you know, he just comes out of nowhere. He hides really well behind them, so we really have our work cut out for us this week. They are a power team and he's a powerful runner. He's an effective guy, so we definitely have our hands full this week."

On whether he recollects having problems tackling diminutive runners when he played in the NFL:

"I would say for me - I was kind of small too, so it wasn't a big problem for me. For the linebackers, it shouldn't be a big issue. For our guys, we don't have huge guys, I think that Pat and Takeo should be just fine. The defensive linemen have to bend a little bit more to find him."

On Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew performance in short-yardage situations:

"He's a good back aside from being a shorter guy. I would say that's the only difference - he's a shorter guy, not a smaller guy. He's really compact and he keeps his legs moving behind that pile, and I'll tell you what now, the offensive line does a great job of pulling him forward. So I think that we have to reevaluate that rule before the game, but the offensive line does a great job of pulling him right along with them so that helps too."

On whether a sneak play against Green Bay should have been raised as an issue with the league:

"It should have been. The whole sneak thing when guys are pulling you forward - it should be, but I guess they don't enforce it that much, but we'll have to look at that."

On any other personnel moves to be made prior to Sunday's contest against Jacksonville:

"No."

On talking to the referees pre-game concerning the sneak plays:

"It's not really a big thing, we just have to mention things that could possibly come up in a game. Things that you see on film, those are just little things that you communicate to the referees before the game so they can look at it prior [to the game]."

On whether sneak plays are done by hitting a runner forward or pulling him forward:

"There are time when it's kind of like rugby - he's in there and they're just pushing, shoving, pulling, and the whole nine yards. They do a good job of blocking, it's not like they're cheating.They're working and they're doing what they have to do. I think that it's going to be up to us to do everything that we can do to stop them, but they do a good job of blocking for him."

On whether he agrees with offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye's assessment of QB Alex Smith maturation and assertiveness:

"Oh yeah, I think that I've been saying the same thing. I haven't quite gotten to excellent yet, but I would say that only because I haven't used that word. But I think that Alex Smith is making really good progress. I think that we're all thankful that he's making the progress that he's making, so hopefully we just continue to go forward with that. If he can continue to get better from week to week, it helps us that much more trying to get where we need to go."

On what hasn't Alex Smith done in order to make progress:

"I would say, if I had to point to one thing, whenever you look at a quarterback, it's all about winning. I think that you could say that it's kind of like your team, ‘Whoa man, we're playing hard, we're doing this, we're doing that....did you win the game? No. Well, end of conversation.' So it's kind of like the same with the quarterback. We've had some good quarterbacks come through this league, but they didn't win, so we don't know a whole lot about them. So for Alex, I think that he just has to continue working, and also our team and everything else, and we just have to bring that thing together and win."

On his comments on Alex Smith being ‘meek' and how an NFL quarterback can be successful with that quality:

"It's kind of the whole thing with leadership. You hit that point, I just want to answer that question and make sure that I define him right. Are leaders born or are they made? I think both, but when I think about Alex Smith, when I was talking about meek, I should have used the word humble. He's a guy, he doesn't want to cause any problems. To me, he doesn't have the typical mentality of a quarterback, which is, ‘Hey, this is what I want.' He's not like that and that's thing that I like about him and I'm sure going forward, I'm see more and more assertiveness, I'm seeing more and more, ‘Coach I like this, I don't like that,' and those kinds of things so I think it's a tremendous asset for him to be a guy that is still willing to be molded, still willing to listen and it's not all of a sudden, he throws a couple of touchdowns and he's not all of a sudden the greatest quarterback in the world. He's still listening and I think that's great so going forward I think he's going to find his balance. We are on this side of it saying, ‘Come on, give us the information, let us know where you are, let us know what you are thinking,' and I think he has been on the other side saying, ‘I don't want to cause any problems, I don't want to make this about me, I want it to be about the team, I want it to be about the offense,' and I think that's been his mentality and that's been great and we are saying we love that, but come on, be the guy that says ‘this is what I want,' and we'll say, ‘Okay, we are going to go here, we're going to do that and this.' Now we are where we need to be in the communication area and I think we are getting there, I just think he needed permission to say, ‘That's okay for me to say, this is what I want, this is what I need.' The answer is absolutely yes. We need to know exactly what it is and he's doing that."

On that ‘jerk' quality in most quarterbacks:

"For lack of a another word, yes, I would say that, but there are some that I know that are, I would say are very clear and concise about what it is that they want and the great thing about Alex is I think he's such a bright guy that he can do a number of things and I think he's still finding out some of those things that he likes better than others because he hasn't played as long. To me, I think it's a tremendous advantage for him and us going forward, so he's not set in his ways and so I think that's a good thing."

On whether it's hard for the quarterback not to be the natural leader of the team given he is the only one talking in the huddle:

"The way that Alex Smith is thinking right now and all that I've seen, I think Alex Smith understands that at some point in time it has to be about his point of view, but from a team aspect."

On what kind of a challenge the Jaguars defense present for their offense on Sunday:

"I guess for me, when I look at their defense, you look at those big guys up front and they come off the ball, they do a good job and are big physical guys. Their DBs look like they are communicating well on the backend, I just think that we have to go out and just do what we do. I don't think that we have to try and think up anything else, just go out and execute the offense and hopefully, we can put it together early, hopefully we can execute early and find our niche, find our balance and just kind of move forward with that."

On whether he would like to see his cornerbacks play more aggressively this week:

"We have to. Last week, for whatever reason, there were times when we were way too far off and gave them a lot more cushion than we had talked about during the week. So, yes, definitely get up there and challenge them a lot more than we did last week."

49ers-Jaguars: Thursday Injury Report

Fooch — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:57:39 -0000

Hope everybody is having a good Thanksgiving. We've got our Thanksgiving open thread if you want to chat about any of today's games. I wanted to get this posted before the food coma completely overwhelmed me. We've got the injury report here, followed by OC Jimmy Raye's post-practice press conference transcript.

We had some interesting comments from Jimmy Raye, including the fact that Isaac Bruce will not be active Sunday and Brandon Jones will be. Jones will be backing up Crabtree at the X position, but will also be the spot guy when Morgan comes off the field. Also, the third question addresses the shotgun statistics. I'm curious what people will have to say about that.

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)
DT Aubrayo Franklin (not injury related)
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Limited Participation in Practice
CB Marcus Hudson (back)

Full Participation in Practice
G David Baas (ankle)
CB Tarell Brown (knee)
S Reggie Smith (abdomen)
OT Adam Snyder (shoulder)
LB Patrick Willis (shoulder)
S Curtis Taylor (knee)

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

Full Participation in Practice
RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee)
WR Mike Sims-Walker (knee)

OC Jimmy Raye's press conference transcript after the jump...

Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye
Post-Practice - November 26, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On which receivers play where with Isaac Bruce down:

"Basically, it gives Josh Morgan a transition when we go three-wide and that would bring Brandon Jones as the spot player. He would back up X. Jason Hill would be the back up Z. [Michael] Crabtree would stay at X. So, we would get the addition of Brandon Jones."

On who starts where:

"[Michael] Crabtree starts at X, [Josh] Morgan starts at Z. Jason Hill backs up Z. Brandon Jones backs up X. Then three wides, Josh transitions from Z to X and Jason Hill becomes the Z."

On why the statistics are better from the quarterback in the shotgun:

"I don't think that it is a coincidence. I know the time we did it, the score was 23-3. The quantity of the yards and quality of the yards has to be measured by the score and the time in the game. I don't think the formation per se had a whole lot to do with it. The fact that we were in a semi-rally mode because we were down by four scores had something to do with it. We converted third downs, which meant we got more plays. After the first drive in the game, we went three-and-out three straight times, and when we looked up, the score was 20-3, which totally changed the complexion of the game and the thought process and plan of the game. Then, the play prior to the two-minute warning, we could have kept them off the field on 3^rd-and-7 and we didn't convert. Then they went back and got another score to make it 23-3. So, there wasn't really any reason to be in ‘21' personnel and having the quarterback operating from under center. So, the score of the game and flavor of the game kind of dictated that. If you recall in that game, the first drive in that game, we were 3^rd and less than one in a position to score, and none of those plays were out of the gun. We missed and opted to kick the field goal to make the score 3-3. From that point on, offensively, it was downhill."

On whether the offense is in transition:

"I think this offense has been in transition since I've been here. You name a week that we haven't been in transition, from an injury standpoint, from a runner standpoint, a receiver standpoint, an offensive line standpoint. The thing we have been is in transition. I don't know what exactly your question is, in terms of this offense being in transition, but in terms of continuity and players, it's been a constant flow of transition."

On Alex's next step:

"I think Alex so far, his maturation in the 14 quarters, has been very good. I would anticipate going forward that as we improve in other areas of our play offensively, his growth will continue. He's become a little more assertive. You've got to remember that as he and the offense become more compatible and friendly, I think the less anxiety he'll have as he anticipates and knows the players he's playing with, and not thinking about the calls he makes, but he has internalized that. I am hopeful his growth and maturation will be something that will be very good."

On what he means by Alex being assertive and whether he tells him what he likes:

"I don't think that's a measure of assertion. He [Alex] plays and we coach. He has the opportunity to ‘red line' his wish list. The quarterbacks get a wish list at the beginning of every week. They get to list in priority the things they like and the things they don't like. They get to red line things they don't want or don't feel comfortable with, or they can suggest things they'd rather have. As I tell them and all of the players, it's democratic, but it's not 50-50 because they don't spend as much time looking at it or preparing as we do. So, their suggestions are all listened to, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll all be used. That's not just him, but that's all of the offensive players. His mannerisms and assertion, in terms of his leadership with the players he's in the huddle with, and his presence in the meeting room and film sessions, all of that has been a win-win. Alex is a very bright individual. As he gains confidence, the more his intelligence plays to his physical ability. I hope that is what we're witnessing. Only winning and time will tell that."

On the percentage of plays Alex red lines during the week:

"It varies. There are some things that are lengthy call-wise or protection-wise that may be a little queasy that when we worked them in practice, he didn't get the look that we had shown him or he anticipated or he didn't feel as good about dialing them in the game, as he does some other things. It's not a vast change. It's nothing like John Brodie, where he was going to run what he wanted to run and the hell with the plan because he called his own plays back then. It's enough to know and have a feel for what calms the anxiety in certain calls and where he feels most comfortable with things. We try not to have a whole lot of variance of new things so he doesn't have the anxiety of that."

On whether he can recognize body language from his viewpoint during the game:

"Sure. I'm learning him. I know this having coached long enough and called plays enough to know when you go 1-to-1 pass, you're an accident waiting to happen. So, if any play caller, even with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, you start dialing the pass repetitively, 1-to-1, something is going to happen. You have to try to sense the protection and sense the spacing in the passing game I'm speaking of. Whether he's getting hit because getting hit is more difficult for a quarterback than getting sacked. So, you have to gauge the protection, and if he's getting hit, you have gauge the coverage element and how much pressure you're getting by down and distance and how close you are to 1-and-1 and try to keep him out of a situation where something bad could happen, as far as turning the ball over. So, yeah, I can sense that."

On when things will click for Alex and the team waiting for the quarterback for everything to come together:

"I think if the team is waiting on the quarterback, then they have missed the boat. If they're waiting on the quarterback, then we're way off whack. The quarterback play has been very good, and at times, has even tilted towards being outstanding. So, if that is what the team is waiting on, the quarterback, then we're going down the wrong road. The team, as we're going forward in this drive and in this run to win the game this Sunday, the team needs to do the best that they can individually and the pieces will fit if we execute, and it won't be because of the quarterback."

On Alex Smith showing signs that he can be good player in the NFL:

"I think that he has demonstrated that. What you have to understand, if you go back and look at the development of some of the outstanding quarterbacks in this league, he's in his fourth or fifth year with a two-year hiatus where he didn't play at all. He's had four or five different systems, but he demonstrates in portions of games. You don't find many quarterbacks that throw three touchdown passes in second halves of games, be it behind or be it in the league. Once you do that, you do it. It has nothing to do with the score or the team or the opponent or if they're playing bend don't break or any of that. Once you do that, you do it and he has demonstrated on several occasions that he is capable of scoring points with the ball and that's the function of the position and throwing it. So, I would say that yeah, he's well on his way if his maturity and all of the other things that it takes to play the position - he's tough enough, he has escapabilty, he can ad-lib a play, he kept a play alive in the third quarter- got a first down with his feet and legs running the ball - so he has those things. It's his confidence that we're continuing to expand to let him be the best that he can be. Now, whether that will be good or in the upper echelon of the NFL, I don't know, but he certainly has a chance to be good enough."

On his observation of Smith's performance against Green Bay defense in the second half:

"Well, I think that they were trying not to give up the strike over the top ball, but became vulnerable to the deep ball with the style of secondary coverage that they were playing. Then they had to shift gears and try to pressure him and see if they could get the ball to come out quicker to negate [TE] Vernon Davis' speed and [WR Michael] Crabtree's verticalness up the field, so they tried to pressure him. When they tried to pressure him, he hit them. When they tried to defend, he hit them. So, then they got to a point where they mixed the pressure and mixed the coverage and he was still able to move the ball and I think that the last score that we went in on, there was 5:48 left in the game and they were in a different mode on their boundary - totally different, because they hadn't figured out a way to curtail what he was doing."

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."

Random 49ers Roster Facts and Figures

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

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

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

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

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

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

Most NFL seasons: WR Isaac Bruce – 16th

Most Consecutive starts: 133, DE Justin Smith

Most Consecutive Games Played: 133, DE Justin Smith

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

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

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

Shortest 49er: RB Frank Gore – 5-9

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

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

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