SB Nation - Jeff Ulbrich

Maiocco: Jeff Ulbrich to retire

Fooch — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:07:51 -0000

Matt Maiocco is reporting that Jeff Ulbrich has decided to retire from the NFL after 10 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Ulbrich suffered a particularly bad concussion October 11 against the Falcons and eventually was placed on injured reserve when he couldn't shake some of the concussion symptoms.

It's certainly a shame to see a career cut short by injury, but it's probably for the best for Ulbrich to retire given the issues concussions can raise in terms of long term health. Ulbrich was a special teams standout for the 49ers and they'll certainly miss him. According to Maiocco, Ulbrich is looking to pursue a career in coaching, but would prefer it be in the college ranks.

I remember when Ulbrich was at Hawaii I was watching a bowl game he was playing in. He had the big mustache even back then, and I always thought he looked considerably older than your general college student. However, he definitely stood out to me. When the 49ers first drafted him I think my expectations were a bit high. He was never going to be a standout linebacker in the league, but he made his bones doing the gritty work that is not often appreciated by many fans.

Although Ulbrich is retiring, I definitely plan to continue following him as he pursues his coaching career. I'll do my best to keep everyone updated here as to how he progresses. Part of the reason he wants to go the college route is because, as Maiocco put it, there is a built-in conflict of coaching former teammates. According to Maiocco, Ulbrich wants to get on the new staff that will be taking shape at San Jose State University. One has to wonder if down the the road, as he gets older and his teammates have retired, Ulbrich potentially returns to the NFL as a coach. We'll see.

Golden Nuggets: Guess I gotta face it sometime..

Ninjames — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:00:29 -0000

Good morning, folks! Sorry I've been sketchy on the links but I've been keeping busy, to be sure! Thanks to Fooch again for covering for me. Still, I had to sleep early for a good cause. If you're wondering what it is, make sure to come on over to this site tomorrow morning at 7 AM PT, I should have my post up by then. All I can say is it was a very positive experience for me. That being said it has been nice to be deterred from say, the current 49ers team but I suppose I have to look at this season at some point. I'm done crying over it, to be honest. This team needs to finish strong, someone told me that over the phone yesterday, and it's true. Very true, I'm looking for as strong a finish as possible and improvement from Alex Smith so we know what we have going into the 2010 season. This isn't a bad team we've got here, we have too many good players to just waste that talent. Best I can do is look forward to Monday Night and hope I don't leave Candlestick disappointed. That would seriously suck. Here's your links.

And so retires my favorite 49er of the last ten years--Jeff Ulbrich. He has nothing left to prove for 49er fans, a great player and a great guy. (PressDemocrat.com)

So it seems Great America is suing the city of Santa Clara, claiming the stadium deal is illegal as per their agreement with the theme park. (ESPN.com)

The 49ers placed Kentwan Balmer on IR and signed a replacement, Baraka Atkins. As previously a huge fan of the MK series, man this guy is setting himself up to make me very disappointed. Still, I actually think he could be good. (PressDemocrat.com)

The 49ers are the only team that can stop the Cardinals from getting into the playoffs now. Not sure that it will happen... (NBCBayArea.com)

There was plenty of reasons the 49ers released Allen Rossum, I fully support the release. I don't, however, support using Arnaz Battle on them. That man is useless. I want him gone, forever. Am I bitter? Heck. Yes. (SFGate.com)

Alex Smith is seizing control down the home stretch. I certainly hope he's changed for sure. (SacBee.com)

Maiocco has his every-player review from the loss against Seattle. (PressDemocrat.com)

"Drops Drop 49ers From Playoff Race." How creative. (SFGate.com)

Well this is depressing. 49ers playoff drought is among the longest in the NFL. (MercuryNews.com)

A look ahead at the Monday Night game against the Cardinals. (49ers.com)

Coach Singletary is taking the blame for the fumbled punt return. (SFGate.com)

He also has a list of grievances for the NFL. (SFGate.com)

Andy Lee: Hitting His Stride. (49ers.com)

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

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

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Really? I mean... honestly?

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

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

A spade is a spade.

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

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

San Francisco 49ers vs. Indianapolis Colts: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:37 -0000

Well, as some of you pointed out, we've truly come full circle. Alex Smith makes his first start in two years, but more interesting is the fact that he made his first career start in the last matchup between these two teams. Smith was 9/23 for 74 yards, 0 TDs and 4 interceptions in that start. Let's hope for something just a little bit better than that.

The 49ers travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts in what will be the 42nd meeting between the two teams, dating back to 1953. The last time San Francisco traveled to Indianapolis was in 2001, when they defeated the Colts, 40-21. QB Alex Smith made his first NFL start the last time the two teams squared off in San Francisco, in 2005.

The 49ers look to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to the Texans, 24-21, in Houston last week. After trailing 21-0 heading into the second half, Smith entered the game and sparked the 49ers offense in what was his first action in 28 regular season games. He completed 15 of 22 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, all of which were
caught by TE Vernon Davis, who set a career-high with the three scores and became the first 49ers tight end to record 3 receiving scores in a game. Davis now leads the NFL in touchdown receptions with six.

The 49ers have a perfect 3-0 record against division opponents this season and enter this week’s game having won 8 of its past 13 contests, dating back to 2008.

49ers-Colts Connections
Coaching Connections
• 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye coached alongside Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck with the Los Angeles Rams in 1991.
• Colts Senior OL Coach Howard Mudd was OL Coach for San Francisco in 1977 while Raye was WR coach. Mudd played for San Francisco from 1964-69.
• Special Teams Coordinator Ray Rychleski served as the position coach for TE Vernon Davis at Maryland (2003-05).

Players
FORMER COLTS - Offensive line coach Chris Foerster served as tight ends coach for the Colts from 2002-03 ... Secondary coach Vance Joseph played with the Colts during the 1996 season ... Director of college scouting David McCloughan was drafted in 1991 by the Colts with the 69th pick overall in the NFL Draft ... Director of Pro Personnel Tom Gamble was a college scout for the Colts from 1998 - 2004.

FORMER 49ERS - Colts DB Terrail Lambert spent training camp with San Francisco after being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009.

INDIANA TIES – 49ers WR coach Jerry Sullivan served in the same capacity at the Indiana University in 1983 ... 49ers tight ends coach Pete Hoener was an offensive coordinator at Indiana State from 1978 –1984. Hoener also served as offensive line coach at Purdue University from 1989 – 1991 ... 49ers QB Nate Davis played at Ball State in Muncie, IN.
from 2006-08.

CALIFORNIA TIES – Colts DB T.J. Rushing played for Stanford University from 2002–05.

TARHEEL BRED – 49ers CB Dre’ Bly played and Colts C Jeff Saturday were teammates for two seasons at the University of North Carolina (1996-97).

TROJAN TIES - 49ers G Chilo Rachal and Colts DT Fili Voala were teammates at Southern California from 2005-07.

PANTHER PRIDE - 49ers LB Scott McKillop played with Colts LB Clint Session at Pittsburgh from 2004-06.

Series Highlights
Matchups: 41
Series Record: Colts lead series 23-18
49ers Away Record vs. Colts: Colts Lead Series 1
First Meeting: 11/29/53, 49ers win, 38-21
Last Meeting: 10/9/05, Colts win, 28-3
Current Streak: Lost 1
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 5 (10/26/69-9/10/89)
Longest Colts Win Streak: 13 (11/4/62-10/13/68)
Most 49ers Points: 45 (12/13/53), 45-14, at San Francisco
Most Colts Points: 45 (11/22/59), 45-14, at Baltimore
49ers Shutouts: None
Colts Shutouts: None

INDIANAPOLIS 28, SAN FRANCISCO 3
At San Francisco, CA, October 9, 2005

The San Francisco 49ers stayed on par with Indianapolis for three quarters of the game before a 14-point 4th quarter pulled the Colts to a 28-3 victory. Rookie QB Alex Smith made his first start, finishing with 9 completions and 4 INTs. He was also sacked 5 times and lost a fumble on one of the sacks in the 4th quarter. The first of his three 1st half INTs was returned 24 yds. for a TD by LB Cato June early in the 2nd quarter. Head Coach Mike Nolan did credit Smith’s mobility as a factor in the 49ers ability to open up the running game. RB Kevan Barlow paced the 49ers with 99 of the team’s 133 yds. on the ground.

Indianapolis took its first possession and marched 72 yds. in 7 plays before RB Dominic Rhodes scored on a 6-yd. run for a 7-0 lead. The Colts had a chance to go up 14-0 early in the 2nd quarter, but LB Jeff Ulbrich forced Rhodes to fumble at the 1-yd. line. The ball rolled into the end zone where S Mike Adams recovered for a touchback. Smith was intercepted on the 49ers next three series, including June’s 24-yd. TD return. Down 14-0 with just over two minutes to play in the 1st half, LB Derek Smith intercepted a QB Peyton Manning pass to give the 49ers a first down at the Indianapolis 47-yd. line. The 49ers scoring threat ended when Smith was intercepted by the Colts when he attempted to hit WR Arnaz Battle at the Colts 15-yd. line.

The 49ers tried to swing the momentum in the 2nd half with a successful onsides kick that was recovered by RB Terry Jackson at the San Francisco 41-yd. line. A 2-yd. run by RB Frank Gore on a 4th-and-1 play from the 50-yd. line, combined with a 20-yd. run by Barlow, helped set up a 30-yd. FG by K Joe Nedney for the 49ers only points of the day. The 49ers failed to convert their second attempt at an onsides kick on the kickoff following the FG, allowing the Colts a first down at the San Francisco 39-yd. line. CB Bruce Thornton stayed step-in-step with WR Marvin Harrison on the next play and intercepted a pass in the end zone to prevent a TD. Alex Smith threw his 4th INT of the game on the next series after the 49ers reached the Indianapolis 37-yd. line. The Colts scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to put the game out of reach. RB Edgerrin James scored on a 4-yd. run to start the 4th quarter, and then Manning connected with WR Troy Walters on an 18-yd. TD pass to make it 28-3.

2009 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		COLTS (rank)
3-3 (2nd NFCW)	Record	6-0 (1st AFCS)
22.2 (t-17th)	Points per game	29.8 (2nd)
272.0 (29th)	Total Offense	402.5 (4th)
98.3 (22nd)	Rushing Offense	91.7 (27th)
173.7 (24th)	Passing Offense	310.8 (1st)
29:32 (18th)	Possession Avg	28:57 (22nd)
20.3 (15th)	Points allowed/gm	12.8 (2nd)
291.7 (14th)	Total Defense	324.8 (9th)
88.8 (6th)	Rushing Defense	111.8 (19th)
179.8 (21st)	Passing Defense	236.0 (6th)
13 (t-20th)	Sacks	16 (t-8th)
47.6 (5th)	Punting Avg (Gross)	44.5 (17th)
+4 (t-8th)	Turnover Differential	+4 (t-7th)

Golden Nuggets: Was pretty fast..

Ninjames — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:01:06 -0000

Morning, morning. If we weren't through our bye week yesterday, we certainly are today. Finally, I assume we can get back to having a good number of links. The last two or three days have been the first times all season (I think) in which I didn't get to make the jump. I think I even repeated one or two articles. Now we can officially look ahead and begin previewing the upcoming game against the Texans. Big news is that WR Michael Crabtree looks to be starting, taking the place of Josh Morgan. In sadder news the Niners lost Jeff Ulbrich for the season to a concussion--I hope he can return, he's one of my favorites. Anyway, I'm in kind of a hurry at the moment so I'm going to jump right into the links.

WR Michael Crabtree is preparing to start, getting ready. (PressDemocrat.com)

Coach Mike Singletary says that Crabtree looks ready, after having impressed just about everybody in practice. (SacBee.com)

It was pretty fast, actually: the decision to elevate Crabtree to starting status. I have to wonder what exactly he did right, or what even that Josh Morgan could have done wrong. (MercuryNews.com)

LB Jeff Ulbrich is out for season with a concussion. Here's to hoping he is able to return next year, considering he's always been one of my favorites and a huge contributor on special teams. (SFGate.com)

Chilo Rachal and Adam Snyder will rotate at RG to see who will be the starter. Tony Pashos is taking over at RT. (MercuryNews.com)

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

Here's more on the loss of Ulbrich and how it affects some of the other players on the team. He will be missed. (49ers.com)

49ers look for power switch: both literally and figuratively. Literally because the power was out at some point yesterday, figuratively because the offense needs to a spark of something to get going. (PressDemocrat.com)

49ers place Jeff Ulbrich on IR; sign LB Matt Wilhelm

Fooch — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:49:09 -0000

It looks like LB Jeff Ulbrich's post-concussion issues were a bit too much bear at this point. The 49ers placed him on injured reserve and signed free agent LB Matt Wilhelm. I don't have a scouting report at this point on Wilhelm, other than to say he'll be playing inside linebacker, but in reality, probably mostly on special teams.

Wilhelm (6-4, 245) has seen action in 71 games (21 starts) since being drafted in the fourth round (112th pick overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers out of Ohio State. He spent six seasons with the Chargers (2003-08), totaling 247 tackles, six interceptions, two sacks, 13 passes defensed and 41 special teams stops. Wilhelm spent training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009, before being released prior to the season. He is a native of Oberlin, Ohio.

The big issue this raises is one of special teams. Ulbrich was a stalwart on special teams and will definitely be missed the rest of the season. If this marks the end of Ulbrich's career, it is a sad day. While he was never the most talented player on the field, he's definitely busted his butt his entire career, lasting ten years as a San Francisco 49er. Let's hope for the best for Jeff, whether he plays again or not.

Golden Nuggets:I hate bye weeks

Ninjames — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:53 -0000

Morning folks, James here with your Nuggets. Sorry I've been gone of late, and sorry again for not informing Fooch of my absence so he could get them up every day I missed. Still, I'm back now but as far as my commentary on what's been going on in Ninerland--I don't have much. I've been up and down on the 49ers for the past few days, not sure if I have high hopes or low hopes or any kind of expectations for this team right now. Mostly because I haven't kept up with the 49ers the past couple days aside from a few disheartening posts concerning Jeff Ulbrich, one of my favorite players, Michael Lewis and Kory Sheets. I suppose I'll just get to the links instead of just yammering on about the fact I have nothing to yammer on about.

WR Michael Crabtree is studying hard--getting ready. (MercuryNews.com)

Crabtree will make his NFL debut against the Texans next Sunday. I honestly can't wait to just see him there in uniform. (Yahoo.com)

More on that, and some other notes. (SFGate.com)

Here's a look at the bye week injury report. (PressDemocrat.com)

QB Alex Smith took the first team reps in practice as Shaun Hill is a little banged up. When I first read the headline I was worried--I don't want Smith anywhere near our starting QB position, I just think he's bad. Plain bad. (ProFootballTalk.com)

It appears S Michael Lewis will be readily available to play against the Texans... I mean, until he gets another concussion. (MercuryNews.com)

Focus remains high during bye week.. This is good, I hope Singletary doesn't let the loss loom over the team. (49ers.com)

Roger Goodell has warned Deion Sanders about his involvement with a couple of wide receivers. (SFGate.com)

The 49ers offense needs to catch on soon, I've been stalwart in my support but I'm cracking. (SFGate.com)

Maiocco had a review of every player from Sunday's loss to Atlanta. (PressDemocrat.com)

It seems Arnaz Battle is back on punt returning duties--and I'm not happy at all. Not a little bit, this is the most maddening thing about this team to me is our return game right now and I feel like it's being overlooked. (PressDemocrat.com)

The 49ers had to take their practice indoors. (49ers.com)

Khalif Mitchell is back on the 49ers practice squad, as an offensive lineman. (49ers.com)

Golden Nuggets: Rossum, Lewis/Ulbrich concussions and a bad Sunday

Fooch — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:55 -0000

And the Nuggets are back. After Sunday's hideous loss, while some may have missed the links, I can't imagine they would have been all that riveting. When I used to work for the A's, we would get daily links sent to us every day and I almost never read them after losses. It was just too depressing.

It's safe to say most people can predict what today's links are all about. A good chunk deal with either the release of Allen Rossum or the concussion issues of Michael Lewis and Jeff Ulbrich. Yahoo is reporting both Lewis and Ulbrich could potentially be out for the year, with both men having to even contemplate retirement as an option. We discussed the concussion issue yesterday and everyone can agree that as much as it would stink to lose two solid 49ers, their health definitely comes first. We'll keep you updated on that. On to the links.

49ers Blog and Q&A: Week off after weak performance (Barrows)

49ers release returner Rossum (Barrows)

49ers notes: Sanders says agent was his source (Barrows)

Singletary loses cool, 49ers lose to Falcons (Barrows)

Matthew Barrows: It all unravels for 49ers (Barrows)

We've got a bunch today, so most are after the jump...

Kawakami: In 49ers blowout loss, coach's blowup bears watching (SJ Mercury News)

Everything goes wrong for 49ers (SJ Mercury News)

Sanders says agent was source of earlier Crabtree revelations (SJ Mercury News)

Singletary’s 49ers smash-mouth script goes way off-kilter, and so does he (SJ Mercury News)

Singletary, Bly hit rewind on 49ers’ 45-10 loss Falcons (SJ Mercury News)

49ers try to sort through rubble of blowout loss (SJ Mercury News)

49ers release return man Allen Rossum (SJ Mercury News)

Singletary speaks, Bly apologizes, another boring 49ers Monday (SJ Mercury News)

Atlanta forces Hill into worst day as a 49er (SFGate.com)

More doze than bulldozer (SFGate.com)

DB Lewis hit with another concussion (SFGate.com)

49er flop (SFGate.com)

Singletary's teachable moment (SFGate.com)

Niner Insider : The day after (SFGate.com)

Niner Insider : News of the day (SFGate.com)

Bly apologizes for fumble, showing off (SFGate.com)

Total debacle (Maiocco)

Sticking with my 49ers grades (Maiocco)

Maiocco Video (Maiocco)

Bly apologizes; Rossum released (Maiocco)

49ers Release Rossum; Lift Crabtree Roster Exemption (49ers.com)

49ers Regroup After Atlanta Loss (49ers.com)

Ellison Named Kelly-Moore Paints HS Coach of the Week (49ers.com)

The Wrap Up: Atlanta Falcons (49ers.com)

Singletary's Notebook: Oct. 12 (49ers.com)

Singletary: "I wish I had more coaching etiquette, ok?" (Pro Football Talk)

Coffee hurt in humbling 49ers loss (Pro Football Talk)

Niners dump Rossum (Pro Football Talk)

49ers defenders Lewis, Ulbrich could be out for remainder of season (Yahoo! Sports)

Two 49ers with concussions could be done (Yahoo! Sports)

Concussions could stop San Francisco 49ers' Michael Lewis, Jeff Ulbrich (ESPN.com)

On second thought, 49ers CB Bly sorry for his showboating (NFL.com)

Concussions could end season for Niners' Lewis, Ulbrich (NFL.com)

Singletary vows 49ers will improve; Bly apologizes (NFL.com)

Roster shuffling in the NFC West (ESPN.com)

Silver linings: 49ers vs. Falcons (ESPN.com)

Countdown Daily: 49ers at the Bye - ESPN Video (ESPN.com)

49ers have a lot of holes to patch during their bye week (49ers Examiner)

Bruce Jenkins' Three Dot Blog: Morgan Got Off Easy (SFGate.com)

49ers Celebrate Alumni Weekend (49ers.com)

2009 San Francisco 49ers: Contenders or Pretenders? (49ers Webzone)

49ers-Falcons: Final Injury Report

Fooch — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:57:54 -0000

We've got the final injury report for the week and the only big change is several probable players for the 49ers. Having seen the practice reports, and now seeing this lit, probable players really end up being no big deal. However, it sounds like with Marques Harris and Reggie Smith out, Curtis Taylor supposedly might be activated this week. It sounds like it would be primarily for special teams work, but maybe he'll get a chance out in the secondary.

49ers
Out
RB Frank Gore (ankle, foot)
S Reggie Smith (groin)
LB Jeff Ulbrich (concussion)

Questionable
LB Marques Harris (hamstring)

Probable
G David Baas (ankle)
WR Arnaz Battle (hand)
LB Manny Lawson (illness)
CB Allen Rossum (back)
LB Patrick Willis (abdomen)

Falcons
Out
S Antoine Harris (knee)

Probable
K Jason Elam (left hamstring)
RB Ovie Mughelli (hamstring)

Mike Singletary Approval Rating, Week 4

Fooch — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:15:21 -0000

Last week when I ran the Mike Singletary approval rating, my biggest concern was how the team would rebound from the devastating loss in Minnesota. Mike Singletary is a great motivator, but even many optimists had to be concerned following the loss.

Well so much for those concerns. The team rebounded to paste the Rams 35-0. One might initially argue that the team obviously struggled out of the gate, only leading the Rams 7-0. Offensively the struggles were certainly there. The offensive execution was a little less than stellar in the first half. However, given prior offensive struggles, I don't see that as an issue of coming out flat after the previous game. I say that in part because the defense was flying all over the field in the first half. They absolutely shut down the Rams throughout the game and were playing at an extremely high level.

The defense is certainly talented, but I'm willing to give credit where credit is due. Mike Singletary has been masterful with this team from a psychological edge. The team made some additions to the roster this offseason, but they're really not a whole lot different from last year's squad. The major variable in all this has been Mike Singletary. Bill Walsh will always be the coach on the Mt. Rushmore of 49ers legends. And yet, while it's still early, Mike Singletary seems to be on his to securing his own little spot in 49ers lore. We'll certainly have to re-address this in the future, but consider me happy so far.

I've attached Coach Singletary's Monday press conference after the jump, but I wanted to point a couple more things that jump to my attention about his actions with the team. I found his thoughts on halftime particularly interesting. It showed the level to which the players are truly buying in to the message:

On whether players have begun to take ownership of his message and he can take a step back at halftime and let the players carry on his message:
"I thought yesterday I saw a lot of guys disappointed in the way the first half went. Like I said, there were no shouting matches, it was just a matter of, ‘Guys, just remember what we said we needed to do.’ They kind of took it from there. ‘Yes, we’ve got to go out and we’ve got to do this. And, we’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to execute better.’ The coaches didn’t really have to talk a whole lot. Whenever you have that situation, you know you’re going in the right direction."

On whether he wants the players to carry out his message:
"The less I have to say the better. The less I say, the better I feel because I’m going to say what has to be said and hopefully they beat me to it all the time, so we can stay on the same page."

The team has bought into the Mike Singletary philosophy hook, line and sinker (to steal Danny's VD metaphor). This is not a team that will be quitting on their coach anytime soon. The team never seemed to quit on Mike Nolan during the down times, but in my opinion this is a different kind of buy-in. It's more of a playoff mentality (ironic enough given Mike Nolan's "Win the West" mantra!)

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Press Conference – October 5, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:
"Good afternoon. To start with, I’m very thankful that we came out of yesterday 3-0 in our division. I’m very proud of our guys and the way they played. To talk about some of the injuries, we still have [RB] Frank Gore and [S] Reggie Smith. They will be out. From last week, it’s just carry-over. [LB] Marques Harris has a hamstring strain. [LB] Jeff Ulbrich, concussion. [FS Dashon] Goldson just got the wind knocked out of him. He’s OK. [LB] Manny Lawson just got hit in the nose. He’s fine. Other than that, I think we’re in pretty decent shape.

Overall, our guys played hard. I think, offensively, the best thing that we did was just protect the football. I think going into every game, if that’s something, if that’s the mindset going into the game, just protect the football, I think we have a chance of being in it – as long as we don’t take ourselves out of it. I thought [QB] Shaun [Hill] did a good job spreading the ball around. He got the ball to several different receivers. I thought [RB Glen] Coffee, his first start, I thought he ran well. I thought he ran hard. He’s just going to have to continue to get in a grove and really understand exactly what he needs to do on every down. I thought our receivers did pretty well, for the most part. Obviously, there were some passes that we dropped that we have got to catch. [WR] Josh Morgan, I thought, did a good job coming back after missing the first ball, the deep ball, and coming back and catching a touchdown. That was good. Shaun just went right back to him. I thought our tight ends did a good job. [TE] Vernon Davis did a good job continuing to mature and staying involved in the offense, and I think Shaun is doing a good job of developing a rapport with him. [TE] Delanie [Walker] did well. He’s just continuing to do the things that we need to have him do, getting involved in the offense and creating mismatches. The plays like the reverse that he had, I thought he did a good job.

The o-line, we just have to continue to get better. [Offensive line coach] Chris [Foerster] and I have to sit down and look at some things we need to do in terms of what’s going to help our offense, but at the same time, there are a couple of guys who are doing a good job. [C Eric] Heitmann is working his tail off. Every down, he’s battling somebody. Thankfully, we have a center because everything wants to be from the inside out. So, if that’s where it starts, if you don’t have a problem at center, that’s a great problem not to have. I think [LT Joe] Staley is continuing to mature and get better. I think the right tackle situation, those guys are continuing to work it out over there, working together and taking plays here and there. Overall, they did a pretty solid job yesterday. I think we just have to get better overall, and we will.

Defensively, when you look at the film, the first thing that jumped out at me when I looked at the film was just guys running. Every time you looked at a play, guys were running to the ball. So, when we talk about being relentless, obviously, that’s what you see on the film. I think we had a couple of missed tackles here and there, but a lot of times, guys were just taking their shots. They were just coming in and just getting in there. That’s something that we have to continue to do a better job on. On defense, that’s something that we pride ourselves on. We have to be a good tackling football team. I think it’s very nice when you turn the film on and you see 11 guys sprinting to the ball. That’s the best thing that we have going right now. Obviously, [LB] Pat [Willis] had a nice game. He went out there and he just continues to get better. Any time you have a game like he had yesterday, that’s a great thing to see this early in the season. [LB] Takeo Spikes, also, I thought Takeo did very well, had a very nice game. Did all the fundamentals and the details of the position, did it very well. Our outside guys, [LB] Parys [Haralson] and Manny Lawson … thought they did a good job. [LB] Ahmad Brooks, continuing to come back from the knee scope, after being out a little while there are still some things that he has to get down, but he’s coming and coming fast. On the back end, we did a pretty decent job. [SS] Michael Lewis had a great game. He had several tackles, I think a couple for losses, a couple hits on the quarterback. I thought he did a nice job. So, defensively, it was a great day, and I think all of the guys get a game ball, simply because of the zero, the shutout.

Special teams, [LB] Scott McKillop, I thought, he came up big getting the ball in the end zone and scoring a touchdown. [RB] Michael Robinson, [P] Andy Lee and [CB] Tarell Brown did a nice job, in terms of special teams. [WR] Arnaz [Battle] fumbled one of the punts. We’ve got to work on that. It was his first time being back there in a while, and that’s just something that we can’t do and we have to get better at."

On the reason why KR Allen Rossum was inactive:
"My thinking was to get another linebacker up, a defensive player so that Parys and Manny – rushing the quarterback as much as they have to – giving them a break. And, Ahmad coming back from the knee, not giving him too many reps and hurting ourselves in the long run. So, getting Marques up and Ahmad so they could go in, as well as play special teams, just taking some of the load off. That’s really the biggest thing there."

On whether he’s thinking about personnel changes on the offensive line:
"It could. Hopefully not. Hopefully, we’re able to work it out because we do feel that our best five guys are on the field, but if it comes to that, it could. But, right now, hopefully not."

On whether he is unhappy with the offensive guards:
"I would just say that they did not play up to par. I know that whatever it is, we’ll just have to figure it out. [LG David] Baas could still be banged up a little bit. I don’t know. Sometimes, if you know a guy, when you’re playing on the offensive line, it’s just one of those things where, ‘Yes, I can go.’ But, at the same time, you’re not 100 percent. We’ll get to the bottom of it and find out exactly what it is because both of those guys, we have to have the whole offensive line in sync, and we’ll get there."

On whether it is his aim to have a 50-50 run-to-pass balance on offense:
"That’s always – that has always been, from the very beginning. I say we want to be able to run the ball, but I say we want to be able to run the ball when we have to run the ball. So far, we haven’t been able to do that, but I always want to have a balanced offense. I think people interpret what I said previously, thinking I want to be three yards and a cloud of dust. That’s not me. That’s not what I want. [Offensive coordinator] Jimmy Raye understands that, and I think our offense understands that, and that’s something that we’ll strive for. Obviously, in every game, sometimes you’re not going to be able to run as much as you want. Sometimes you’re not going to be able to pass as much as you want. The No. 1 thing is you want to be able to win the game, and we’re going to do whatever we have to do to win the game, but the goal is to be able to have a balance and do both."

On whether players have begun to take ownership of his message and he can take a step back at halftime and let the players carry on his message:
"I thought yesterday I saw a lot of guys disappointed in the way the first half went. Like I said, there were no shouting matches, it was just a matter of, ‘Guys, just remember what we said we needed to do.’ They kind of took it from there. ‘Yes, we’ve got to go out and we’ve got to do this. And, we’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to execute better.’ The coaches didn’t really have to talk a whole lot. Whenever you have that situation, you know you’re going in the right direction."

On whether he wants the players to carry out his message:
"The less I have to say the better. The less I say, the better I feel because I’m going to say what has to be said and hopefully they beat me to it all the time, so we can stay on the same page."

On who those guys are that are beating him to it now:
"Well, you can pick any guy on defense. The leadership on the defensive side of the ball has really picked up, whether it’s [DE] Justin Smith,[LB] Patrick [Willis], [LB] Takeo [Spikes], [S] Michael Lewis, all those guys are talking. On the offensive side of the ball, primarily [QB] Shaun Hill has really stepped up and has been a real bright spot in terms of the leadership and, ‘Hey guys, we have to do this, we have to do that. This is what we said we were going to do and let’s do it.’ So that’s great to see. On the offensive line, [T] Joe Staley and [C Eric] Heitmann, it’s great to see those guys step up and they will continue to do so because we will continue to get better."

On how close he thinks the team is to being one of the best teams in the NFL:
"I think we are a ways away. I won’t even go there and try and be philosophical about it. We are a ways away and I only say that because sometimes you’ll say, ‘Well, we are about this much away,’ but when you really measure that, it’s a ways away. I’m always looking at the tape and looking at other teams and looking at where I think we are compared to some of the better teams in the league. Right now, we are just trying to get better each week and that’s really the bottom line and as we go forward, that is the goal, is to go out and get better in practice, just get a little bit better in practice each day and each game we play, just get a little bit better in some area and at some point in time, it’s going to come together, but obviously right now we are a ways away from it and we are continuing to work to get there."

On what he sees in this defense:
"The No. 1 thing that I see in this defense in unselfishness. That is the number one trait in this defense. These guys don’t care who gets the credit. You don’t have guys arguing about, ‘Now, wait a minute I got that sack.’ You don’t hear that. These guys are excited, they play together, they get along together, they sit in a room together and talk about the game plan, they talk about who’s doing what. It’s just a joy to be around and normally guys that are playing defense sometimes are a little more selfish, but not these guys. That is amazing to me. Defensive line, linebackers, DBs, there’s a lot of unselfish guys. So that lets me know right now that we are going to have a great defense. How great? Some guys just have to continue to mature and get there, but its coming."

On how much credit Mike Nolan gets for the way things are now:
"It’s the big thing that I talked about last year. It’s amazing. Any success that we have here, I always attribute a large part of that to Mike because I know what he was trying to do and I know where he was trying to go and it was just a matter of guys really understanding it, guys really believing it and stepping into it this year and just taking it to the next level."

On how he has turned the team into one of the league leaders in turnover differential this season:
"One of the things we talk about as a team is not losing football games. Making other teams earn every point they get. When you turn the ball over, it is a formula for disaster, and our guys understand offensively. Our guys understand that defensively. It just takes the breath out of you. The more turnovers you get, the more it lessens your opportunity to be successful."

On the approach he will take towards Atlanta:
"When I look at Atlanta, and I have not looked at them yet on film, I am still looking at our film and trying to dissect that a little bit more, but everything I know about Atlanta, they have great personnel on offense and defense. Defensively, they are flying around. They have good rush outside linebackers. They have good inside guys. Their defensive ends, John Abraham, they are coming from everywhere. On the offensive side of the ball, they have the young quarterback Matt Ryan, who was a huge success last year. They have good receivers and good running backs. So we are going to have our hands full once again. I think when the guys talked about the week we played Minnesota, and maybe there was a difference in me. Any time we have an opportunity to get better, any time we have an opportunity to measure ourselves, I think if you’d ask them there was also a difference in me for the first game. Each and every week there are different challenges for our team. This past week, yesterday, that was a mental challenge. That was a character challenge, in terms of where are we. Are we mature enough to be able to go into a game where we are supposed to be nine-point favorites? You have a young team just starting to develop a mindset of winning, are we mature enough to go into a game like that and win and play well and continue to get better? So we have to answer something every week, and I think yesterday, that was huge for us for different reasons. So each and every week we have a challenge. When I look at the film of Atlanta, we’ll look at the challenges we have there."

On whether he considered playing QB Alex Smith at the end of the game:
"No. Not really. Probably, the biggest reason why, is I want Shaun to get all that he can right now because he needs it. And I think it would be different if he had started for a couple of years and had a lot of games under his belt, a lot of success under his belt. I think right now, he needs to see all the looks he can get because it is going to serve him well down the line."

On the hits Hill took yesterday:
"They came from, sometimes, the safety inserted late in the game. Sometimes it was just a rush from the outside. But for the most part, it was definitely too many hits. Once again, the offensive line, some was due to them. And some, Shaun got no protection-wise, where not to go after the ball is snapped. It is getting better, but is too much. We will have to keep working on it."

On whether the team needs WR Michael Crabtree:
"Same answer. Same answer. I am going to say it again Any guy that can play and that can help us win, I am never going to say no, we don’t need him."

On whether Crabtree is perhaps a diva:
"You said the key word: perhaps. I don’t know that. I don’t know that for sure. Why say no to someone who may be one heck of a kid? Like I said, I met him, I talked to him and I had a good feel for him. I haven’t been wrong too often. I think he is a great kid. But this is your rookie year, you’re just coming into the NFL, all you know is what they are telling him."

On whether he has any indications that Crabtree will sign soon:
"I just hope he is right. It would be great."

Poll

Do you approve of the job Mike Singletary is doing as head coach?

Yes

1116 votes

No

9 votes

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