SB Nation - Shawntae Spencer

49ers-Cardinals: Thursday Injury Report

Fooch — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:35:19 -0000

Since the game is a day later than normal we're rolling out the injury reports a day later. Nothing huge here, other than Joe Staley getting back to some limited practice. He's still hoping to play on Monday, so we'll see how his practice reps play out. I've posted Mike Singletary and Alex Smith's post-practice press transcripts after the jump. In his intro, Singletary addressed Frank Gore's contributions to the offense going forward, and had several comments about the secondary given the Cardinals impressive receiver trio.

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

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
DT Justin Smith (not injury related)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Limited Participation in Practice
SS Michael Lewis (quadricep)
OT Joe Staley (knee)

Full Participation in Practice
WR Brandon Jones (thumb)

Cardinals
Out (Definitely Will Not Play
LB Will Davis (knee)

Did not Participate in Practice
RB Jason Wright (illness)

Limited Participation in Practice
DT Alan Branch (ankle)
P Ben Graham (left groin)
RB Tim Hightower (thumb)
DE Kenny Iwebema (thumb)
RB Dan Kreider (thigh)
K Neil Rackers (right groin)
TE Stephen Spach (knee)

Full Participation in Practice
OT Mike Gandy (pelvis)

Coach Singletary and Alex Smith press conference transcripts after the jump...

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Walk Thru - December 10, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Good morning. I'll talk about injuries here, try to get that clear. Of course you know, [DT] Kentwan Balmer had surgery yesterday - just basically repaired a torn labrum. [CB Marcus] Hudson, back is a little sore. That will be day-to-day. [CB Nate] Clements, shoulder, is out. [LT Joe] Staley will practice today only in the individual period - just kind of bring him back slowly and see how it goes from day-to-day, and we'll go from there. The other day, just in case anybody asks a question about the officials and all that other stuff, in my mind, Seattle's done. I'm done with them. I'm done with the officials. I'm done with all that stuff. I've said what I said. I stand by what I said, but I move forward, on to Arizona, and that's what I'm going to talk about for the rest of the time.

When I look at our defense, the thing that we have to do this week in order to be successful is we have to be able to put pressure on [QB Kurt] Warner. We have to be able to make him move. He can't sit back there and just throw the ball to his receivers. On the other side of that, our DBs have to make sure that we're physical with their wide outs. We have to get our hands on those receivers to allow our guys time to get there. When they have great success, the quarterback is just able to drop back in 7-on-7, as we do out here, and just throw the ball to receivers. It's all timing, and Kurt Warner is a really bright guy, really smart. He knows where those receivers are going to be. He has the confidence in them. They have a good rapport, and those receivers do a good job of getting open, and he does a great job of throwing to them open. So, for us, we just really have to focus on making sure that we do those two things.

On the other side of it, some of the changes that I've seen in their offense since the last time we played them, they're really trying to focus more on a balanced attack. They're not there yet, but they're trying to focus more on a balanced attack. Both of those running backs are running hard. They're running downhill and they're doing a good job being physical, finishing their runs. I think that's where they are right now as an offense.

For us offensively, we continue to run the offense that we've been running the last couple of weeks and try to include [RB] Frank [Gore] going forward to create balance for us. Maybe that balance doesn't mean 50-50. Maybe it's 35-65, whatever it might be. 70-30 or whatever. But, we're going to go forward with it and continue to have [QB] Alex Smith do the things that he's been doing, trying to continue to get the timing of the receivers down, getting a rhythm for our offense, finding out what is the right balance, finding out - and we really won't know what that is until we get into the game and find out how Arizona plans to attack what we're doing. The first time we played them, their front really put a lot of pressure on our guys, particularly the three-technique, No. 90 [Darnell Dockett]. He got off the ball and really applied a lot of pressure. I think the rapport between [RG] Chilo [Rachal] and [RT Adam] Snyder is better. Hopefully, this time around we do a better job. I just think it's important for us across the board on the offensive line of scrimmage to really communicate well, and we're at home, so the noise will not be a factor. Let's get out there and do a better job and do the best we can to control their front."

On who has the role of stopping WR Larry Fitzgerald this week:

"It may be [CB] Dre' Bly. It may be [CB] Shawntae Spencer. We'll figure it out before game time, and, you're right, [CB] Nate [Clements] has done a great job anytime we've played Arizona. But, I think it's important to see our guys step up, whoever is on him, whether it's Fitzgerald, whether it's [WR Anquan] Boldin, and get our hands on them, do a good job and let's see if we can control what they do."

On whether he thinks the 49ers cornerbacks have the ability to play the press coverage and be physical:

"I think the last couple of weeks we've done more man coverage. I think we've done more in challenging the receivers since the Green Bay game. I don't think they've played off as much. Do you mean the last couple of weeks as well?"

On the press coverage in the Green Bay game:

"OK. I think our guys are better at pressing than they are at playing off. I think the last couple of weeks, I think have shown that. We'll continue to do the things that I think will help us be successful in the game, and really, we have to mix it up. You can't get up there and put your hands on them all the time. We just have to make sure that in the game, at those times we feel we can do it, we've got to get up there when we're up there and do a good job."

On whether Bly or Spencer can play that type of coverage:

"They have to. It's not a matter of can they do it. They have to because if we don't, we'll get run out of the stadium. We have to get up there. Any team that does not play physical on their receivers and not get their hands on the receivers will not be successful winning the football game. So, we have to."

On what he saw on film from Arizona last week disrupting Minnesota QB Brett Favre:

"I think for Arizona, I think they really did a good job scheming and blitzing Brett Favre. I think they did a good job at times of just really mixing up the coverage, being disciplined in their coverage and making Brett Favre work a little bit more, realizing he is a veteran-type guy. They just got after him. I think the other thing is they really controlled the running game pretty early and made Brett Favre a little more predictable."

On whether he has to redefine the goals for the team for the final quarter of the season:

"I think the goal that I had for our team at the very beginning of the season was to be the best team, at this time of year, that we could possibly be. I think, in terms of redefining the goal, in my mind it's not over until it's over. So, we're going to go out Monday night, and as far as the playoff hopes, yes, it's very frustrating where that is. It's nobody's fault but ours. For our guys, it's just a matter of going out there Monday night and let's just play the best game that we can play. We're not going to sit back and, ‘If we win, if we lose.' No. We're going to go out, and we're going to play. So, for me this time of year, the most important thing is we're playing our best football, and that's really what I want to strive to do before the season is over."

On whether he's close to doing that:

"I think we're better. I think the closest we came to it was the Jacksonville game, and I think last week we took a step backwards simply because of the penalties, simply because of the turnovers. That's something that we have to do a better job at. This time of year, really any time of the year, the thing that I really want to strive for our team to be, is a smart football team and a team that does not turn the ball over, and we didn't accomplish that last week. Hopefully, the next four games, starting this Monday night, we can reestablish that, what we came out of Jacksonville with, and go forward with that."

On how many of the drops from last week he holds the receivers responsible for:

"Because this is the professional level, I think any time that a ball is in the area of a receiver, he needs to catch it. Hopefully that answered your question."

On whether the Seahawks going away from CB Shawntae Spencer's side was a sign of respect:

"I don't really know. If it's respect, it's great. If they felt they could go at Dre' Bly more because of [WR T.J.] Houshmandzadeh, that matchup - if they felt they could get more over there. I thought Dre' held his own pretty well. I think Shawntae has done a pretty decent job all year, and, hopefully we can finish that way."

On whether the best defense against Arizona's offense is to keep them on the sidelines:

"I think the biggest thing for our offense is to go out and execute. I think if we just execute, whether we're passing the ball, whether we're running the ball, I think we'll be fine in this game. Certainly, we want to continue to move the chains. Certainly, we would like to keep their offense on the sideline. But, I just think the biggest word this week for us is execution, on both sides of the ball."

On whether the fact that Arizona can clinch the division with a win is a part of the talking points this week:

"No, the only thing I'm talking to our team about is winning. It's not about all the other stuff. They can clinch, they can - no. We're just going to go out and do the very best job we can of winning the football game."

QB Alex Smith
Post-Walk Thru - December 10, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the offense using more ball control as a game plan against Arizona:

"Absolutely, I think that ball control comes in many different forms. I don't think that it necessarily means grinding it in on the run. I think that ball control is about moving the chains, so whatever way you can get that done, getting first downs run or pass, that's what is going to keep the opposing offense off of the field."

On the teams poor third down completion percentage in last week's game at Seattle:

"There's probably not just one thing, it's probably a lot of things, lack of execution. We did put ourselves in some difficult third downs at times. In a few of those backed-up situations, you're kind of limited on third down as well. It was probably a number of things to why that statistic ended up coming out like that."

On whether the third down statistic got his attention when looking at the stat sheet at the end of the game:

"That jumped out at me, absolutely. In fact, I didn't even necessarily get that impression out there on the field. I guess I really had no idea. It felt like we were moving the ball well at times. I know that we struggled there a little bit in the third quarter, but didn't realize that it was that bad."

On looking to prove critics wrong from his last Monday night game at Seattle in 2007:

"To tell you the truth, I haven't really thought about it. Every week is such a big week in the NFL. The fact that, all of a sudden, this one is a little different in the sense that this one will be played on Monday, so the weeks change. But other than that, I haven't put much thought into it. We played a couple of weeks ago on Thursday night, and we already had a taste of the national TV spotlight so to speak. We're just trying to go out there and play good football."

On his past issues concerning his throwing fundamentals and how he has improved since then:

"I think that there were a lot of things going on at that time. I think that there was a lot of compensation going on throughout that whole process and the weeks leading up to that with me. So, absolutely, I guess that looking back, there probably was a lot fundamentally that wasn't right, but I didn't necessarily go back and study it or anything. I think moving on from there, it was a matter of getting healthy and getting right. I imagine looking back that it wasn't right, you start to compensate, so you start to adjust, and things change."

On working with different QB coaches throughout his career:

"You start there from building your fundamentals and when you take a chunk of time off from throwing and you come back in a controlled environment and come out here on the practice field and get to really start from scratch and you get to build those fundamentals and basically start over from there."

On whether his fundamentals are where he wants them to be at this point:

"I'm getting there. I think I've definitely improved in some areas. You're never finished with it. It's one of those things you're constantly working on. Either they're improving or they are getting worse. It's one of those types of things, you constantly have to work on and harp on it to keep those fundamentals where you want them."

On whether he considers himself a different player than before his injury:

"Yes, absolutely - I'm the same player but there's been a lot of growth and change since then. I've learned a lot, I've been through a lot. I think I see the game better. A lot of things that we've talked about, I feel like I react better. I have improved in a lot of areas out there."

On finally finding somewhat of a groove and tempo to his game:

"Yes, I think so. I really felt that I was heading in that direction a couple of years back and yes, got sidetracked and in a roundabout way to where I am now. I definitely am seeing things the best that I have ever seen them, reacting to them, understanding what I am getting, what it is that we're trying to do, all of those things that go into playing quarterback and decision making. This is probably the best that I've felt."

On whether production is what it really comes down to:

"Yes it is, and that's something that you want to look at, productivity and statistics, but at the same time, you're not living in the statistical world either. In the end, it's about going out there, playing football and trying to win a game. I think if you get caught up in the stats too much, it can actually be harmful."

On facing Arizona's defense for the second time this season and the concerns:

"They're pretty solid all the way around, I think. They have a lot of good players across the board. The thing I see on film is that they play tremendously fast. They give a lot of different looks in the secondary. They disguise well. I think they are very solid up front. They get off the ball and I think both corners are playing pretty well right now. I think they are a good test for us. I think they're going to challenge us and we'll have to challenge them as well."

On the team's concern of Arizona winning the NFC West with a win on Monday night:

"At this point, it's a must win anyway, so it doesn't really change anything. I guess that comes secondary to the fact that we've got to win the game."

On how a quarterback builds in a game when throws are dropped:

"I try not to get into it. I try not to think about it. Those are things outside of your control. That's one thing

you learn over the years. It does no good, especially during game situations, to really worry about things like that. Do your job to the best of your ability. Go out there and try to execute it. Give your team a chance to win, give us a chance to score some points. Those things are going to happen, dropped balls are going to happen just like errant passes are going to happen. You try to minimize them as much as possible."

On whether he is aware of how he reacts to a dropped pass:

"I guess sometimes you don't always realize what you might do, but as a quarterback, obviously, you are always trying to keep good body language out on the field."

On the offense scheme changing throughout the season and similarities to Arizona's offense:

"I don't know, I guess I haven't had time to really compare. I think that if you looked at the run-pass ratio the last couple of weeks, teams might say that. But I think we're striving to be unique in our own way. I think, and I go back to this it really needs to be balanced to do what it takes to win, do what it takes to score points, to be productive."

On saying anything to the WR on the sideline after dropping a pass:

"If I say anything at all, it's encouragement. Those guys have enough to think about. They make plays and catch balls sometimes that shouldn't be caught so, I know they're working at it and they don't need to hear anything from me, as far as catching the football. They know, we're all professionals, they know when they made a mistake or should have made a play."

On why TE Vernon Davis has become a more productive tight end this year and how vital he is to the offense:

"I think time is probably a good answer. He's had time to grow and understand and develop his game and he's worked hard at it. Over the course of that time, as he's made plays, you get more and more confident ok about what he can and can't do. I think right now, he's playing really well, playing fast, making a lot of plays for us. I think you gain that confidence by doing it, and that does take time."

On whether the only way the team can achieve balance is by forcing the defense to go into nickel:

"Potentially, it's the same the other way. If you're running the ball, and you're heavy run, you're running enough to get them to overload the box, you can throw the ball. It's either way, and it changes over the course of the game depending on the situation, third down, red zone - all of those types of things constantly change over the course of the game. It's a give and take, absolutely of what you're doing."

Who would you take from the Arizona Cardinals?

Fooch — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:00:17 -0000

by Paul Connors - AP

View full size photo »

Fooch's Note: Head on over to Revenge of the Birds to see what 49ers they'd grab.

I'd like to thank Andrew over at Revenge of the Birds for passing along what I think is a great idea for a game-week post. We have plenty of discussion about who we like on the 49ers, and who we fear on the opposing team. However, this post allows us to go off into fantasy-land a bit and decide who we might like from an opposing team. In doing this, you can approach it from a variety of angles. You can take a player just because you like that player, no matter what the 49ers current situation is at that position. You can consider who the 49ers might lose in the offseason or positions they need to improve. If you want to take into account the player's contract and look for "realistic" additions, you're free to do that. You can be as realistic or as fantastical (if that's even a word) as you'd like. For this week, here are some of the guys I'd like. Also, at the end I thought I'd throw out some thoughts on the guy I did not choose that many of you might choose...

Larry Fitzgerald, WR: Ok, so this is certainly an obvious choice. But if you're going to take a player off this team, why not take the best? The 49ers have some solid talent at wide receiver, but it's still young and has a lot of room for growth. Imagine a team with Larry Fitzgerald as the #1 receiver, Michael Crabtree #2, and Josh Morgan #3? One reason I like this is the fact that Fitzgerald's contract expires after the 2011 season. Fitzgerald would still be in his prime, but you could conceivably let him walk as your young receivers would hopefully have grown into specific roles. Anyways, I think this is more of a flashy option.

The remaining three are after the jump...

Antrel Rolle, FS: One could say Antrel Rolle has been fire and ice all season long. After struggling a bit as a cornerback, Rolle has transitioned rather nicely over to the free safety position. The 49ers have been looking to Dashon Goldson for ball-hawking skills, but Rolle could be a nice replacement there at free safety. It's still early to completely judge Goldson, but in this instance Rolle could certainly work well.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB: I like some aspects of the 49ers secondary, but to have a young guy like DRC in the lineup would certainly provide some long term stability. Right now, the 49ers don't completely know what their long term plans are. Shawntae Spencer has one of the jobs right now, but he's not getting any younger, and is always an injury risk. Nate Clements was demoted before getting injured and might not even be a 49er next year. And Tarell Brown has shown some improvement, but also been inconsistent at times. DRC has his ups and downs, but has done enough in a season and a half to impress me.

Beanie Wells, RB: This was a tough one for me. At this point Tim Hightower actually has better rushing numbers, but Beanie has much more upside. I was hesitant on this one because of Frank Gore. Sure the 49ers want a complementary back to Gore, but I don't know if Wells would fit that role. He and Hightower have split the workload almost right down the middle (119 carries for Hightower, 121 for Wells), and Gore seems to work better as the primary back (when he's actually getting his numbers in). However, I couldn't pass up a talented running back at this point, so that's #4, giving us 2 defensive players and 2 offensive players.

So why didn't I take Kurt Warner? Obviously the 49ers were interested in him this past offseason and I'm sure plenty of you would like to have him on the 49ers roster. However, I chose to not include him for a couple reasons. First, is the development of Alex Smith. He's no Kurt Warner, but he's certainly shown some solid development this season. Second, and more importantly at this point, is the fact that the 49ers offensive line has been rather abysmal at times. Kurt Warner has never been an especially mobile quarterback, and if he was behind this 49ers offensive line, I can't even begin to imagine the type of damage he'd have incurred on sacks.

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

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

vs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2009 Statistics

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

Max Unger Matures or Fattens on Home Cooking

John Morgan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:56:18 -0000

Max Unger ended the quarter with great block that helped convert the first. It wasn't flashy. Unger did not leave a trail of 49ers in his wake. It was simply good guard play.

Seattle and San Francisco battled to a standstill. Neither team could construct a drive in the third quarter. The 49ers couldn't battle back from bad field position and Seattle stubbornly attempted to establish the run.

In his first two plays, Unger pulled well but missed Takeo Spikes and landed only a glancing blow on Patrick Willis. He engaged and lost Ray McDonald and the drive ended in a three and out.

Unger was even less involved in the next series. He shifted left and controlled his zone, but otherwise did not factor. The play call was a line motion left, bootleg right with a pass to Justin Griffith. Greg Knapp needs the rushing attack to build his playbook off of and Seattle spent much of the game smashing into the pile, hoping Julius Jones could bust free. Unger pulled clean but did not factor on the next play and was beat back but cleared for Matt Hasselbeck. Hsselbeck rushed for four on third and eight.

Seattle completed its third three and out of the quarter before Unger could break a sweat. He occupied the left defensive end, Ray McDonald, and Jones hit the pile for five. He pulled and blocked out Willis and Jones narrowly turned the corner for four. Third and one, and as close to constructing a drive as they would be all quarter, Matt ran what looked like a designed roll out-run. The line moved left and Hasselbeck rolled right, but braced for impact before the first down marker. He didn't have a clear target and didn't want to run, so broke off his roll out and doubled over and dropped his shoulder. Dashon Goldson obliged and brutalized Hasselbeck behind the line.

Plays like this evidence just how desperate Knapp is to establish the run. He shifts the pocket constantly and throws on clear rushing downs, because he is attempting to stretch the linebackers vertically and horizontally -- anything to keep opposing linebackers from crashing the line. It all fails in turns. The deep pass doesn't work. Deion Branch single-matched against Shawntae Spencer turns into a duck dive bombing the left hash mark. Michael Boulware would have been all over that pass. The run doesn't work and so play action rollout passes to the fullback are sniffed out and `sploded. The deep pass and play-action fail, the linebackers continue to crash the line and even good blocks go wasted.

Chris Spencer teamed with Unger to blow back McDonald three yards and allow Spencer to pull and pop the next man in his way. It was a ripping hole that vanished. Jones missed the cutback lane, the cutback lane closed an instant later, and Jones sunk his shoulders and smashed into the pile as he's wont. Willis was credited with the tackle after two. It's a shame for such a pretty block to go wasted, but it's progress. On the next play, Unger was blown back by McDonald and that forced Jones to string the rush wide. Parys Haralson ripped through John Carlson and Jones went wider, and wider until he stepped out for a loss of three. That's on Unger.

It took Seattle until the end of the quarter to achieve a first down. It wasn't pretty. San Francisco blitzed and Gold and Red swarmed the edges of the pocket and threatened to swallow Hasselbeck during his backpedal. While the line caved around him, Unger held strong, standing up McDonald and giving Hasselbeck a crack to step into and find Nate Burleson for 23 and the first.

Now, maybe playing at home gave Unger that split-second needed to win off the snap. Maybe young Unger is growing stronger, or better timing his launch, or has improved his hand-fighting. I don't know. I do know that if Unger can continue holding ground against stouter defensive tackles, continue pulling cleanly, and continue teaming with Spencer to double out the nose tackle, the Seahawks run game could come alive.

Niners at Green Bay Packers: 5 Questions With Niners Nation

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

by Michael Conroy - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg Manusky Approval Rating, Week 10

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

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

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

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

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

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

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

Poll

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

Yes

626 votes

No

17 votes

643 votes | Poll has closed

Mike Singletary press conference: Injury updates

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

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

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

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

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

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

After the jump is the complete transcript...

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

Opening statements:

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

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

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

On whether he still expects to make the playoffs:

"Absolutely."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On whether the offensive line got better against the Colts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the progression of [WR] Michael Crabtree:

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

Tarell Brown to start at CB over Nate Clements

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

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

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

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

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

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

49ers-Colts Thursday Injury Report and practice transcript

Fooch — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:32:00 -0000

A day later and the Colts non-practice list continues with a couple of small additions. No further word on Reggie Wayne, although Colts President Bill Polian said he still expects Wayne to start on Sunday. This will make tomorrow's final injury report all the more interesting. I still see no reason not to expect Wayne on the field, but it's something to pay close attention to. We'll definitely have some kind of update tomorrow afternoon. After the jump we've got post-practice press conference transcripts for Manusky and Raye.

49ers
Did not Participate in Practice
SS Reggie Smith (groin)
LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder)
DT Aubrayo Franklin (not injury related)

Limited Participation in Practice
DE Ray McDonald (ankle)

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

Colts
Did not Participate in Practice
RB Donald Brown (shoulder)
DE Dwight Freeney (knee)
DT Eric Foster (shoulder)
WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee)
CB Marlin Jackson (knee)
K Adam Vinatieri (right knee)
WR Reggie Wayne (groin)
TE Jacob Tamme (hamstring)
LB Ramon Humber (illness)

Remember to check out Manusky and Raye transcripts after the jump...

Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky
Post-Walk Thru - October 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the assignment of facing the Colts:

"Peyton [Manning's] a very good player, has been for a number of years. He's like a coach out there. He knows exactly what he's doing. We've got to do our job."

On Manning:

"Just from quarterback-wise?"

On how Manning plays:

"All those Pro Bowls. He's a talented guy. I have the utmost respect for him. He's played a lot of football in this league. He's like a coach, actually. He's out there coaching up his guys, and he's doing a good job of it week-in and week-out. He's been doing that since his second year in the league."

On preparing for all of Manning's signals and changes pre-play:

"I think you've got to kind of just sit back and watch what he's doing and take it from there. He's seen thousands of looks, and we're just going to try to play our defense and hopefully everything will work out."

On how much of the signals are for show and how much are actual adjustments:

"I'll tell you the truth, I'm not in their meetings. I don't know. Maybe it's show. Maybe it's not. He continues to do that, and it gets defenses a little bit flustered because they think one thing is coming and another thing is coming. He does a good job of it. He handles the pace and execution pretty well."

On whether he warns his guys to stick with the play and not pay attention to those signals:

"I think you've got to. He'll change calls at the line of scrimmage, which he always has. Everybody knows that. You've just got to adjust and overcome it."

On whether he anticipates being in nickel or dime often:

"Yes, pretty much because of their 11 personnel package that they have."

On whether all those adjustments happen after the helmet radio is turned off and whether the team has to counter-adjust on their own:

"Yes, I think Peyton has been with Tom Moore there a long time. They feel comfortable with Peyton taking control of it and rolling with it. I don't know how much they use the headsets. Peyton needs to look and see what he's looking at on the field and then go on from there."

On whether FS Dashon Goldson will counter what Manning does at the line, in terms of adjustments:

"You've got to move around. You've got to move around the safeties and show them - you can't show them. You've got to play your defense though. That's what you've got to do. You've got to go in there and have confidence in what you're playing and going through with it each and every snap."

On what changes with Goldson having the green dot on his helmet and calling the plays in the huddle:

"I think it just helps him out a little bit on the back end from a communication standpoint. [Secondary coach] Vance Joseph will be talking to him a little bit about certain situations. I think that will help us out, at least on the back end."

On who talked to LB Patrick Willis:

"Vance."

On the writing on his arm on game day:

"It's just is for personnel and stuff, personnel that they put in the game and sometimes they don't signal. So, I don't know where else to put it. I don't have another place so I just put it one my arm."

On whether that's something he's always done:

"Yes. Pretty much."

On whether you can fool a quarterback like Peyton Manning or whether you have to out-execute him:

"I'd love to fool him. I think both. I think you've got to out-execute him. He's a talented quarterback. He's seen all the looks. He knows what Cover 2 looks like. He knows what Cover 4 looks like. He knows what man looks like. He's pretty good at it and he's talented. He's been doing that for a long time. So, I'd love to."

On the Colts playing in 11-personnel most of the time:

"A little bit of 12, a little bit of 11, some 22 as well. They're mostly 11 personnel, I think, for the majority of the game. That's what we're going with."

On 11-personnel:

"Three wide receivers, one tight end and one back."

On 12-personnel:

"Two tight ends and two wide receivers."

On whether he gives the play to Vance Joseph, who then calls it in to the player:

"Yes."

On how that is different than hand signals:

"I think it's a situation where you can give them a little bit more information, ‘Be alert to such and such' based upon situations that teams have had in the past. So, you can give them a little bit more information. With [LB] Patrick [Willis], taking that out of Patrick's hands and putting it into Dashon's gives Pat a little bit more freedom to get the closed call, get all that thing settled down and playing the game. Letting Dashon do it is a good thing."

On LB Takeo Spikes' status:

"We'll see today. We don't have practice until later on today, but it seems like he'll be going."

On why CB Shawntae Spencer guarded Texans WR Andre Johnson last week:

"Well we just played left and right. That's what we did. We played left and right and the majority of the time, [Spencer] was on that side. So, that's how it kind of worked out."

On who is grading as the team's best pass rusher:

"I think [LB] Parys [Haralson] is a violent guy. [LB] Manny [Lawson] - I'm just talking from a linebacker's perspective. [LB] Ahmad [Brooks] looks like he's been picking up his game. We'll try to get a little bit more reps out of him. [DT] Justin [Smith] is a pretty good guy inside. Across the board, the more we can get pressure on the quarterback, that's what we're looking for."

Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye
Post-Walk Thru - October 29, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On whether the offense has changed philosophically with QB Alex Smith:

"None."

On whether that was a no:

"None."

On whether quarterbacks with different talents change the offense at all:

"No."

On what WR Michael Crabtree does for the offense:

"Well, I think he played well in his first outing last week. I think he was somewhat of a - he had some chemistry with Alex Smith, obviously, because he had been here the week during the bye and they had thrown together, and he demonstrated an ability to catch the ball when he's in close confrontation with a defensive back. He has good burst off the line of scrimmage. I think it will help our perimeter game, which will, going forward, be necessary because of the effectiveness of the tight end inside. So, I think what he showed or demonstrated in the game Sunday will help us on the edge and the horizontal stretch of the defense will give us another avenue, another outlet to be able to get the ball and make them defend the whole field."

On whether the team becomes more pass-oriented with Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis:

"I think so. I don't want to give you a misguided opinion that - what we were striving to do all along is to create balance. More passes or more of a running, whatever that connotation is, I think the apt description of where we would like to go with the changes that we've made, which will take some time to achieve more balance."

On whether the team will go with more of a spread look:

"Maybe, but if you remember the game, that's what we opened the game in Sunday with [QB] Shaun Hill. We opened the game against Houston in three wide receivers, a tight end, one back and spread. We went three-and-out and punted the ball. We could. I think it depends on the opponent that we're playing. We're not going to be stubborn and try to jam a square peg into a round hole. But, that would be something that we would mix in because of the people that we have. We would mix that, and it wouldn't only be the way it has been in the past, only a third-down part of what we do. It could become a part of what we do early on as we see the opponent that we're playing, if it fits the plan that we have going forward."

On whether the implication of "square peg and round hole" is not trying to force the run:

"Yes."

On if he believes the team can still run the ball against eight-man fronts:

"Yes, I still think there are some elements of the run that you can still have. I think that the illusion of what happened in the second half of the Houston game has everybody, or most people, thinking that we've discovered this new Mecca or utopia kind of deal. I have to remind you, Alex Smith has been here all along, and the direction that our intent was to go was to help that position and our team with [RB Frank Gore]. That hasn't changed to the extent that we would become a one-back football team and create some other problems for ourselves that, outside of the locker, we are aware of that may not be apparent to the defensive teams that we're playing."

On what QB Alex Smith changed in the game when he came in:

"He was the life. What he did, what he infused in the psychic of the team offensively, the way he threw the ball and the way Frank was able to, in the second half, get some openings in the running game, I think we have to be careful to understand the structure and the circumstances of it was a 21-0 ball game when he entered it. His first drive, and maybe even his second drive, went for scores. Then we had a backed up situation and we had to punt. Then the third time he was in it went for a score. Then we had the ball with 1:38 and one timeout and a chance to put the ball in and get the game into overtime or win it. There was a foul on the preceding kick and we started at the 5-yard line, which made it a little more difficult. The things that he did, have to be weighed a little bit with the score and the time of the game. Not minimizing what he did, because that is a half of football that most quarterbacks in the NFL would love to have."

On what Smith brings that Hill did not:

"He is more comfortable in a drop situation, throwing the ball to all areas of the field, horizontally and vertical. I don't know if they knew that before they saw him play because they didn't have any tape on him to prepare for him because all they had seen was Shaun. To flip the script and go play different than they had practiced in preparing for Shaun Hill, all of a sudden they were playing with a guy that is comfortable reading out their entire play and playing to his strengths, which is throwing the big ends, throwing the ball up in the vertical crease and throwing the ball to the boundary. It was a little bit different for them."

On whether he would like continuity at the quarterback position the rest of the season:

"It seems like since we started there has been a different back, a different wide receiver, a different quarterback, a different tackle, a different guard. There has been a different something all the time. I think continuity, different form the way you all think and the way you all see it, continuity is very important to playing offensive football. Familiarity and continuity are things you are striving to get. So to answer your question, I would like to see us get to a point where we have a functioning five guys that have played together and are working cohesively together, a healthy situation in the backfield, wide receivers who have been here and have some cohesiveness and coordination with the quarterbacks. Going forward, that is what we hope to achieve. That would be nice."

On what the Colts defense presents:

"They present a defense that prides itself on rushing the quarterback. They play the run on the way to the quarterback. They are structured and built to play with the lead and they are in a building where they have an advantage with the noise and the snap count, so it has a bunch of problems that it creates. They have two defensive ends that are truly outstanding rushers. They have a perennial Pro Bowl guy on our offensive left and they play on the artificial surface inside where they have a little bit more of an edge because of that. So, we'll have a bit of a challenge ahead of us trying to be able to negate and slow that down and do the things that we want to do to attack them the way that we'd like to."

On whether it is a priority to get QB Alex Smith acclimated with two minute situations because of the delay of games during the Houston game:

"It was a problem on Sunday, yes. He wasn't the only problem. He hadn't had a competitive two-minute situation since awhile back because during this time of year, you get one on Thursday and a half of one Friday, you have to let the starting quarterback get those, but also in there, was a wide receiver that had no idea, that had not been in a two-minute situation before. He didn't know the alignments and calls and had to be coached through some things. Some formation things got screwed up, but we have addressed that this week and hopefully going forward, we will be a little bit better operating in that situation, but it was a problem last week because there were some people there that hadn't physically, even though they'd heard the words, hadn't physically been in that situation before and Alex hadn't had one - if I had to go back and check, I think since probably the week that we played Dallas, in the exhibition season."

On the final delay of game and the timeout was called:

"Critical. That's the mechanics of it. If you notice, [Coach] Sing on the sideline, asked the official for the timeout and I think Alex saw that and turned to walk and didn't turn himself to Mike Carey and asked for the timeout and this official, if you don't turn and get your hands over your head and ask for it, you didn't get it. So that was a critical point. At that point, there was 47 seconds to go. On third down we clocked the ball on the chunk play. Prior to that, we were operating in a three down deal with one timeout. It was third-and-six that went to fourth-and-six that went to fourth-and-11, which was the difference between us converting and being able to add on and get the ball in a position to kick. We should have used the timeout because the time was more important at that point than the timeout. The coach asked for the time from the boundary which he's allowed to do and that wasn't acknowledged and then when Alex saw the clock and turned and saw Mike doing [timeout signal] to the official, he didn't turn to Mike Carey and ask for it, so we got a five-yard delay and that five was big because now you are trying to convert fourth-and-11 as opposed to fourth-and-six."

On them taking a chance downfield on 4th-and-11:

"Yes, you had to throw it. You had to try and get in the air and hope to make a play. Then we would have been in another clock situation and then trying to get to the boundary to be able to get into range that we could get our kicker on the field."

49ers-Falcons: The World According To Madden

Ninjames — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:19:13 -0000

Tomorrow the Atlanta Falcons travel to Candlestick Park to take on our San Francisco 49ers in what should be a rather good matchup. Still, all these previews I see aren't good enough, I most certainly need more. A couple weeks ago before the Seahawks game I posted an article much like this in which I simulated the game on Madden NFL 10 for the Xbox 360--the game picked the 49ers to win it, and wouldn't you know it, it happened. I also did this last week for the Rams game but issues with the internet prevented me from posting the article. Either way I'm back now and it should be interesting to see how the 49ers do.

Interesting because there was a large roster update yesterday, in which at least seven people on the 49ers got increases in overall rating. One player in particular, DT Aubrayo Franklin got a huge boost--he was the lowest rated starting DT in the game and he jumped up 12 whole points in overall rating to now be just above average. Other increases go to the likes of Patrick Willis (who now has a 99 OVR, the highest possible) and Shawntae Spencer as well as Justin Smith and Nate Clements.

If you're wondering how it goes it's pretty simple--I make sure the rosters are good, take out injured players and then I spectate an 8 minute game on All-Madden difficulty. I watch the entire game and provide commentary and stats. Madden is by no means an amazing simulator by any standards but it sure is interesting to see how it plays out, no?

1st Quarter

49ers First Drive: The 49ers win the coin toss and elect to receive. Allen Rossum takes the kick at the 2-yard line and brings the ball out to the 26. Shaun Hill, fresh off an overall boost leads the team out on the field. The first play is a four yard run by HB Glen Coffee--Frank Gore was removed for injury. The next play is another run to Coffee.. no! It's play action, and Shaun Hill turns his vision upfield where he hits Isaac Bruce for 15 yards, who proceeds to turn it into 20 yards before being tackled. First down 49ers. On the next play Hill hits Josh Morgan for a quick 7 yards over the middle just before on second down when Glen Coffee pounds the ball in for a first down. On the next play Coffee is stuffed at the line bringing up a 2nd and 10.

Shaun Hill takes the snap on second down and pitches it to Coffee, right side. It looks bad, Atlanta safety Erik Coleman breaks through the line no problem and has a straight shot at Coffee who... puts him on his [site decorum] and picks up the first down before being pushed out of bounds. I wouldn't expect the Falcons to fall for another pitch but lo and behold Shaun Hill takes the snap, spins and pitches it to the left side this time and starting S Decoud on the Falcons is right there... before Glen Coffee breaks the tackle and proceeds to pick up 23-yards and is brought down just short of the end zone for a 1st and goal.

From the three-yard line Shaun Hill takes the snap and shoves the ball in the gut of number 24 HB Michael Robinson. At least that's what the guy who was supposed to be covering the right corner of the end zone thought before letting WR Isaac Bruce snag a beautiful pass for a touch down off the play action! I say beautiful, even though the pass was high, wobbly and not very well thrown--I don't care. It was beautiful. With a Joe Nedney extra point the 49ers lead 7-0.

Falcons First Drive: The ball is brought to the 29-yard line on the kickoff and Matt Ryan leads the Falcons offense onto the field. The 49ers defense comes onto the field, eight of its starting eleven players having received overall boosts in the last roster update. Ryan hands off to Michael Turner who gets three yards before DT Aubrayo Franklin makes the tackle--which is followed by a five yard run to bring up third down. This is followed by a two yard run for a first down. On 1st and 10 Ryan throws a pass directly into the hands of SS Michael Lewis, who decides to drop it, bringing up 2nd and 10. This is followed by a 1-yard run by Michael Turner before Isaac "Ice" Sopoaga punishes him with a huge tackle. 3rd down with 9 to go.

The first down is picked up with a thirteen yard completion to WR Michael Jenkins, the Falcons are on the 40-yard line. Well, the 42 yard line as on first down Justin Smith completely obliterated Turner for a two yard loss bringing up 2nd and 12. Turner then gets three yards before being tackled again, bringing up another 3rd and 9. Ryan takes the snap, feels the pressure, avoids a sack and throws a pass over the middle, but before it gets anywhere it's broken up by Manny Lawson bringing up a 4th and 9.

The Falcons punt the ball the Rossum but it sails into the end zone and the team lines up on the 20-yard line. Coffee is stuffed for no gain on the first play and the 1st quarter comes to an end. 49ers lead 7-0.

2nd Quarter

One 2nd and 10 Coffee picks up one yard which is followed by an incompletion bringing out the 49ers punting unit. Andy Lee booms one big but Brent Grimes breaks two tackles on his way to the 44-yard line.

The first play for the Falcons is a three-yard run. Which is followed by a four yard run and by my count, five broken tackles on a single play. The Falcons line up 3rd and 3. Turner picks up the first down on the next play. On the next play TE Tony Gonzales gets 11-yards on a completion over the middle. Follow this with two more runs by Michael Turner and the chain gang comes out to measure--the referee signals 3rd and inches and Matt Ryan converts rather easily with a completion over the middle putting the Falcons at 1st and goal on the 1-yard line.

On the next play Matt Ryan runs what looks to be the exact same play as the 49ers had run in the end zone minus the play action, trying to hit WR Roddy White in the corner of the end zone but the ball is picked off by CB Nate Clements who gets a touchback, setting the 49ers up with possession on the 20-yard line. 49ers still lead 7-0.

The first play of the 49ers drive is a 9-yard run from Glen Coffee, followed by a no-gain on second down, bringing up 3rd and 1. On the next play Hill takes the snap and gets great protection from the left side of his line before having to avoid pressure from the right and throwing up a wobbly pass 10 yard downfield which is caught by TE Delanie Walker for the first down. The next play on first down is a pitch to Coffee who is brought down behind the line for a 2-yard loss bringing up 2nd and 12. Scratch that, 3rd and 4 as Coffee breaks a big run. True to 49ers and Jimmy Raye form the Niners once again call a run play, and it comes up short bringing up 4th down.

With 1:25 left in the first half the 49ers take their time with the punt before Andy Lee booms a kick that bounces at the 8-yard line before rolling and stopping at the 1-yard line where it is downed. The Falcons start with 52 seconds left on the 1-yard line. Matt Ryan easily moves out, however with a 25-yard completion over the middle before taking a timeout with 44 seconds left. Another 11 yards are gained on the next play and another timeout spent. Two yards is picked up on the next pass before the clock is stopped when the receiver goes out of bounds. On 2nd and 8 Patrick Willis breaks up a pass over the middle, dropping what would have been an interception. 3rd and 8 with 29 seconds to go. Matt Ryan goes 4-wide from the shotgun and picks up yet another 1st down, the Falcons burn their last timeout.

The Falcons pick up six yards and rush to get another play off. Ryan goes with a fake spike before dumping it off to Michael Turner to close the half. 49ers lead 7-0.

3rd Quarter

Joe Nedney kicks the ball to the end zone and it is taken out by Norwood who finds a seam and brings it out to the 39-yard line. I'm still waiting for Michael Turner to get his increase since he's broken maybe one tackle this season thus far, but alas, on Madden he stands to be some unGodly force to be reckoned with as he sheds about five tackles on his way to a 1st down run on 1st down. Sopoaga continues to have his number however, stopping him for a 3-yard loss on the next play bringing up 2nd and 13.

Matt Ryan takes the snap and fires a laser over the middle to the right side. The ball is cut short however as CB Dre Bly intercepts it, creating the second turnover for the 49ers defense and setting the Niners up with the ball on their own 43-yard line. Niners lead 7-0.

On the first play Shaun Hill takes the snap and has all the time in the world. The 49ers receivers struggle to get open and after about five seconds Hill forces the ball--right into the hands of a Falcon defender who looks to be gone for a pick six before being dragged down at the 1-yard line. Hill commits his first turnover of the game and the Falcons set up 1st and goal.

On the first play Manny Lawson drops yet another perfect interception and now I have to wonder about his catch rating on this game because it happens rather frequently with him. Either way it's 2nd and 10. On the next play Ryan hits Finneran in the flat for a touchdown, tying the game 7-7.

Allen Rossum takes a knee and the 49ers start at the 20. Vernon Davis hauls in a 7-yard reception on the first play of the drive and Glen Coffee runs for 1 yard on the next, bringing up 3rd and 2. Shaun Hill throws a terrible pass which goes nowhere near any players while not under any pressure bringing up a rather deflating 4th down. The Niners punt and the ball gets to the 34-yard line.

On a pitch Turner proceeds to truck through three more defenders on a six yard run, followed by a one yard run on a draw play. Off of play action on the next play Ryan tosses the ball to WR Roddy White, who once again finds his hands empty after CB Nate Clements intercepts his second pass of the game. The 49ers create their third turnover and find themselves on the 49-yard line. 7-7.

The first down pass attempt is broken up with a dropped pick and Hill proceeds to hand the ball off to Glen Coffee for a 2-yard run. On 3rd and 8 Shaun Hill is sacked after HB Glen Coffee fails to pick up the blitz. On 4th and 15 the 49ers punt and the Falcons get a touchback.

With 2:20 to go in the third the Falcons start their drive the same way they always do--with no less than three broken tackles and a five-yard gain by Michael Turner, which is followed (as always) by a stuffing at the line by Justin Smith or Isaac Sopoaga, or in this case, both. On 3rd and 5 Atlanta runs the ball again and Aubrayo Franklin stops it at the line. Allen Rossum takes the punt and brings it to the 37-yard line.

Once again the 49ers set up shop, looking for the momentum they had on the opening drive. Another first down run goes for nothing and another second down run goes for nothing. 3rd and 8 as the 3rd quarter ends.

4th Quarter

Tied at 7-7 the 49ers come out in what is likely a crucial third down, needing a conversion. Shaun Hill is hit as he throws however, and the team is forced to punt, going three and out. The ball is brought back to the 20 and Atlanta takes over. Turner picks up six yards on the first down run and then three yards on the second down run, bringing up 3rd and 1. He gets the call again before getting blown up by Justin Smith for a one-yard loss. The teams exchange three-and-outs.

The punt is almost blocked and the ball sails out of bounds at the 50-yard line. The San Francisco 49ers need to take advantage of this good field position with 6 minutes left in the game. Coffee picks up four yards, then no yards as the Niners continue to run for some reason. On 3rd and 6 Shaun Hill takes the snap from the shotgun and hands the ball off AGAIN to Glen Coffee who runs to the outside and gets one yard. At this point I have to think even Jimmy Raye wouldn't be running it this much. On the last three or four drives the 49ers have ran the ball every single play.

4:47 remains and the Atlanta Falcons line up at the 23-yard line. Justin Smith stops Turner for two yards on first down and Patrick Willis tackles him for a one yard loss on second. On third down the 49ers seem to blitz everybody including safeties which doesn't make any sense and the Falcons complete a touchdown pass to WR Marty Booker. There was literally nobody near him and he runs effortlessly to score. The Falcons are now up 14-7 with 3:25 to go in the game.

The 49ers set up at the 24, getting nothing on the first down run but Shaun Hill completes a pass to Josh Morgan for the first down on second down. 1st and 10 and it's Morgan again for a 12-yard gain over the middle. The game goes to the 2 minute warning, the 49ers on the 47 yard line. The next play is a pass broken up intended for WR Brandon Jones. On second down Glen Coffee gets a dumpoff and turns it into a first down. Moran Norris gets his pass broken up oin 1st down and on 2nd down another pass is broken up, bringing up the most crucial third down of the game.

On 3rd and 10 WR Brandon Jones picks up exactly 10 yards over the middle and on the next play drops the pass bringing up 2nd and 10. On 2nd down Shaun Hill throws to the end zone from the 24-yard line and Arnaz Battle brings down the catch but fails to land in bounds. On another 3rd and 10 the pass is thrown to TE Vernon Davis who gets past the line but is dragged two yards back. Madden, having very poor forward progress detection sets the 49ers up with 4th and 2. On the 4th down pass play Coffee drops a pass and it is called a fumble--the 49ers struggle but maintain posession with 49 seconds to go they are set up 1st and goal on the 10-yard line.

The first down pass is incomplete and the second down pass is perfectly caught by TE Delanie Walker for a touchdown. The 49ers tie the game 14-14. With 32 seconds to go the Falcons set up shop at the 32-yard line. The Falcons gain eight yards through the air before taking a timeout. On second down they go back to Finneran again for his fourth catch of the game and a first down, burning their second timeout. The next play is a pass to Jenkins but Nate Clements dives and breaks it up bringing up 2nd and 10. Atlanta gets 3rd and 2 as a receiver gets out of bounds on the next play. On 3rd and 2 Matt Ryan drops back and fires a laser.. right into the hands of Patrick Willis who stepped up and has room to run! He takes it-all-the-way-to-the-house for a TOUCHDOWN! The 49ers win the game with no time remaining on a Patrick Willis interception beating the Falcons 20-14!

Final Score - San Francisco 49ers 20, Atlanta Falcons 14

49ers		Falcons
168	Total Offense	310
68	Rushing	69
120	Passing	241
1 (+3)	Turnovers	4 (-3)
2-9 (22%)	3rd Down Conv.	7-11 (63%)
0-0	Penalties	0-0
14:06	Posession Time	17:54

QB Shaun Hill 12/23 127 YDS 52% 2TD 1INT

QB Matt Ryan 15/23 241 YDS 65% 2TD 4INT

HB Glen Coffe 20 carries, 68 YDS, 3.4 AVG

HB Michael Turner 21 carries, 71 YDS, 3.3 AVG

WR Josh Morgan 3 REC, 40 YDS

WR Marty Booker 4 REC, 114 YDS 1TD

CB Nate Clements 1 SOLO, 3 INT

LE Jamaal Anderson 1 TFL, 1 INT

Post-Game: The 49ers performed less than stellar on offense and it was a close game throughout. The Falcons outgained the Niners but the defense still came up strong, forcing four turnovers. What the game came down to is exactly what I expect it to come down to tomorrow-defense defense defense. The offense did just enough to put a few points on the board and Manusky's unit came up big. I'm not saying that Matt Ryan is going to come out tomorrow and throw four picks, but I am saying if the 49ers win it, it could be on the strength of a Nate Clements of Patrick Willis interception. It isn't out of the realm of plausibility that the Niners dominate on defense and take a close game as I just watched on Madden. Should be a good game tomorrow.