SB Nation - Barry Sims

San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:29 -0000

vs.

The 49ers come down the final stretch of their season with nothing to play for but pride. Ok, that's not entirely true. The 49ers may be eliminated from playoff contention this season, but the building and learning process does not end with two games to go in the season. The 49ers are still assessing their offensive "identity" and what the current mix of players and playcalling can do on the field. And of course, the team is looking to get to .500 for the first time since 2002. Some folks would prefer the high draft pick, but I'll take the psychological value of getting .500 (at least my own psychological value).

The 49ers host the Detroit Lions in what will be the 63rd meeting between the two teams, with San Francisco holding a 34-27-1 advantage in the series. The last time the two teams matched up was in 2008 when San Francisco defeated Detroit, 31-13. The 49ers enter this weekend’s game with a 6-game win streak against Detroit.

San Francisco has won 8 of its past 10 games played at Candlestick Park, outscoring opponents 235 to 161 in those games (+74). During that span, the 49ers defense has allowed the fewest passing touchdowns (5) of any NFL team at home, while ranking fourth in league with 25 takeaways. Head coach Mike Singletary is undefeated in the month of December when playing at Candlestick Park, notching three wins dating back to 2008.

The 49ers defense enters this week’s game ranked 5th in rushing defense, allowing only 96.5 rushing yards per game. The 18 forced fumbles by the defense this season rank tied for 2nd in the NFL and are tied for the most by the team in a single season (1996 - 18), dating back to 1992.

49ers-Lions Connections
Coaching Connections
• 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye and Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham coached together during their time with the Kansas City Chiefs. Both served in the same capacity during the ‘98 season. Raye remained in the same position during the next two seasons (1999-2000) when Cunningham was promoted as head coach.
• 49ers WR coach Jerry Sullivan and Lions special teams coordinator Stan Kwan coached together on the San Diego Chargers staff from 1992-96 and on the Arizona Cardinals staff when Sullivan was WR coach/offensive coordinator and Kwan was an assistant special teams coach.
• 49ers QB Shaun Hill was coached by Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan from 2002-05, when Linehan served as offensive coordinator/QB coach, for the Minnesota Vikings.

FORMER LIONS - Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye served as RB coach for the Lions for two seasons (1978-79) ... WR Coach Jerry Sullivan served in the same capacity for Detroit from 1997-2000 ... RB coach Tom Rathman served in the same capacity with the Lions from 2003-05 ... CB Dre’ Bly played for four seasons with the Lions 2003-06 ... FB Moran Norris played through the 2008 season with Detroit.

FORMER 49ERS - LB Julian Peterson was originally drafted in the 1st round (16th overall) by San Francsico in 2000 and played six seasons with the 49ers (2000-05) ... DT Joe Cohen was originally drafted in the 4th round (135th overall) by the 49ers in 2007 ... WR Bryant Johnson played for the 49ers during the 2008 season ... TE coach Tim Lappano served as RB coach with the 49ers from 2003-04 ... Regional scout Cary Conklin played QB for the 49ers in 1995.

LIONS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS - FB Zack Follett a native of Clovis, CA, played his college ball at Cal-Berkeley ... P Nick Harris played at Cal-Berkeley ... Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham held several coaching positions at the collegiate level in Northern California, serving as DB coach in 1977, LB coach in 1978, and defensive coordinator/DL coach from 1979-80 at Cal-Berkeley. Cunningham’s previous experience was at Stanford, where he coached the DL from 1974-76

PLAYER CONNECTIONS
• 49ers T Barry Sims and Lions QB Daunte Culpepper were teammates with the Oakland Raiders during the 2008 season. Sims also played with Lions CB Phillip Buchanon in Oakland from 2002-04.
• 49ers QB Shaun Hill and Lions QB Daunte Culpepper were teammates with the Minnesota Vikings from 2002-05.
• 49ers LB Takeo Spikes and Lions RB coach Sam Gash were teammates during the 2003 season with the Buffalo Bills. Spikes started all 16 games at linebacker while Gash was the starting fullback on Buffalo’s offense.

Series Highlights
Matchups: 62
49ers Home Record vs. Lions: 49ers Lead Series 21-10-1
First Meeting: 10/8/50, Lions win, 24-7, at Detroit
Last Meeting: 9/21/08, 49ers win, 31-13, at San Francisco
Current Streak: Won 6
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 6 (12/23/96 - Prsent)
Longest Lions Win Streak: 6 (9/23/62 - 12/13/64)
Most 49ers Points: 55 (12/19/93), 55-17, at Detroit
Most Lions Points: 48 (11/14/54),48-7, at Detroit
49ers Shutouts: 2, Last: 10/1/61, 49ers win 49-0, at Detroit
Lions Shutouts: 1, 11/6/60, Lions win 24-0, at San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO 31, DETROIT 13
At San Francisco, CA, September 21, 2008

The San Francisco 49ers scored over 30 points for the second consecutive week to improve to 2-1 with a 31-13 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions. RB Frank Gore gained 130 yards on the ground, and QB J.T. O’Sullivan threw 2 touchdown passes to lead the 49ers to the win. The 49ers offense chalked up 370 yards of total offense, including 182 yards on the ground, while San Francisco’s secondary shut down the Lions big receivers in front of the home crowd at Candlestick. Detroit gained just 124 yards in the air, and receivers Roy Williams (two catches for 18 yards) and Calvin Johnson (four catches for 40 yards) were non-factors.

The 49ers scored on three straight possessions to take a 21-3 halftime lead. A 33-yard run by Gore positioned the 49ers for O’Sullivan’s 6-yard TD pass to WR Isaac Bruce for a 7-0 first quarter lead. An 18-yard run by WR Arnaz Battle on a reverse on the next possession helped get the 49ers in Detroit territory, where they took a 14-0 lead on a 4-yard TD run by Gore. After spotting the Lions a FG, O’Sullivan connected on a 25-yard pass to WR Bryant Johnson, followed by an 18-yard pass to WR Josh Morgan and then a 24-yard TD pass to TE Delanie Walker for a 21-3 advantage.

The only scoring in the 3rd quarter was a FG by Detroit to close the lead to 21-6 before the 49ers had a 10-point 4th quarter to seal the victory. The 49ers moved to the Detroit 1-yard line early in the 4th quarter and were faced with a 4th-and-1 situation. Head coach Mike Nolan elected to go for the TD rather than attempt a field goal. 11-year veteran CB/PR Allen Rossum took a handoff and scored a TD on a 1-yard run for 28-6 49ers lead. Detroit responded on the next series when QB Jon Kitna scrambled on a 4th-down play to help set up a 34-yard TD pass to RB Rudi Johnson. The Lions attempted an onsides kick on the ensuing drive that Battle picked up and returned 28 yards to the Detroit 12-yard line to set up a 25-yard PK Joe Nedney FG for a 31-13 lead. DE Justin Smith intercepted a Lions pass with 1:50 left to play to seal the victory for San Francisco.

2009 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		LIONS (rank)
6-8 (2nd NFCW)	Record	2-12 (4th NFCN)
20.1 (t-18th)	Points per game	16.6 (27th)
286.6 (28th)	Total Offense	296.1 (25th)
99.4 (26th)	Rushing Offense	100.1 (24th)
187.3 (24th)	Passing Offense	196.0 (22nd)
29:28 (17th)	Possession Avg	28:47 (22nd)
19.8 (t-8th)	Points allowed/gm	31.2 (32nd)
344.6 (19th)	Total Defense	396.1 (32nd)
96.5 (5th)	Rushing Defense	127.6 (24th)
248.1 (28th)	Passing Defense	268.6 (32nd)
34 (t-8th)	Sacks	23 (29th)
47.9 (2nd)	Punting Avg (Gross)	43.1 (19th)
+4 (10th)	Turnover Differential	-11 (30th)

49ers-Eagles: Final Injury Report

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:00:28 -0000

The 49ers had their last bit of practice today and I believe are heading off to Philly at some point today. I'd think leaving today could help with that early Sunday start, but we'll see. After the jump I've posted what was a very brief post-game press transcript. Staley will definitely be starting on Sunday, and Arnaz Battle will be returning punts, so we'll all get to collectively hold our breath for small chunks of Sunday's game.

49ers
Out
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Doubtful
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)

Questionable
T Barry Sims (knee)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)

Probable
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
RB Moran Norris (toe)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
T Joe Staley (knee)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Eagles
Out
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Questionable
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)

Probable
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Practice - December 18, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"We had a good week this week, a couple of days of good practice. It is more about getting mental work this time of year. We are trying to get our guys healthy, fresh and ready for the game. As far as [T Joe] Staley is concerned, we are glad to have him back. He will start. [T Barry] Sims will back up."

On what he saw in Staley this week:

"Actually, even the last couple of weeks, he has been talking about how good he was feeling. Of course I keep a rapport with the trainer, Fergie [Jeff Ferguson], and Fergie kept giving me updates here and there and said he was doing great. He possibly could have gone last week, but I wanted to give him another week simply because we just really wanted to make sure he was ready and didn't want to take any steps backwards because he has been doing so well. He has looked great. He looked good last week in the things he did and I am very excited to see how he does."

On how well Sims filled in for Staley:

"Outstanding. I don't think anyone really knew what to expect. Last year, he played some right tackle and did a good job last year, but I think this year he exceeded that by far. He held up and just did a really nice job."

On who will return punts Sunday:

"[WR] Arnaz [Battle]."

On whether taking Wednesday off had the desired effect on the players:

"You really won't know that until Sunday, but I think so. I believe so."

49ers-Eagles Thursday Injury Report/Coordinator Transcripts

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:41:51 -0000

The 49ers had their normal Thursday practice session and I believe will be heading out to Philly tomorrow. In the meantime, the practice reports would seem to indicate that Joe Staley will be back in his spot at left tackle on Sunday against the Eagles. Barry Sims banged up his knee on Monday and has been out since then (even though today is technically the only practice of the week). With Sims looking likely to be on the shelf on Sunday, the return of Staley turns into a pretty important storyline. The team has done a solid job keeping Alex Smith on his feet, and a nice chunk of that has been due to the impressive play of Barry Sims off the bench. The question now is how injecting Staley into the lineup might affect that.

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

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
T Barry Sims (knee)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Full Participation in Practice
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
RB Moran Norris (toe)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
T Joe Staley (knee)

Eagles
Did not Participate in Practice
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)

Limited Participation in Practice
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Full Participation in Practice
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)

After the jump check out OC Jimmy Raye and DC Greg Manusky's transcripts from after practice today.

Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky
Post-Walk Thru - December 17, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the Eagles use of screen passes:

"I think with the athletes that they have across the board with the wide receivers and the running backs, it is part of their game and we have to play the call and defeat blocks and feel the screen and get to them."

On why the team has struggled against the screen this year:

"Maybe situations, also the linemen have to feel it. I think the screen game is a team thing from a defensive standpoint where you have to hustle to the ball and make plays. That is what we have to try to focus on and get it done in practice."

On defending WR DeSean Jackson:

"You just have to make sure you have somebody on top of him. He has great speed, a vertical threat. He catches the ball very well and the quarterback throws to him. Basically, that is what you have to do."

On what he meant by "have somebody on top of him":

"Have a safety on top of him."

On S Dashon Goldson's range:

"He has some range. That's why we drafted him where we did. He did a good job last week making plays on the deep balls and also coming up and filling in in the run game. He has had some good games in the last couple of weeks, so that's good."

On CB Shawntae Spencer's season:

"That's why we made our decision early on after camp was over to make him the starter. At first we were a little bit tentative because we didn't know where he would be, but it has worked out for us with him coming back from that injury."

On Spencer's speed now compared to before his injury:

"Like I said during training camp, he is very clean. He had a clean training camp and he has been playing well the last couple of weeks. That's what he is."

On whether this is Spencer's best season:

"So far, yeah. I think so for the years I have been around. I don't know about the years prior to when I was here, but he is playing very consistent and steady football, which we like."

On whether Spencer is a leader in the secondary:

"I think all those guys take the lead. Shawntae does his job and he does it well. He is a professional at it and it is good to see that things are working out for him."

On whether Spencer has stepped up more since CB Nate Clements became injured:

"Yeah, he goes out there and does his job. He's not a big talker, at least I don't hear him out on the field talking. He matches up against some good wide receivers and he goes out there and plays week-in and week-out and he has had a fine season thus far."

On whether LB Ahmad Brooks has Lawrence Taylor-type ability:

"He has ability. I played against LT, never offensively, but he had some moves. Ahmad is a good, talented player. He has a lot of physical talent, and if we can just hone those skills like we did last week and keep getting better each and every game and each and every practice, the sky is the limit for the guy."

On why he moved Brooks to the outside linebacker position:

"I think during training camp and OTAs, particularly last year during the season and stuff, his ability to come off the edge and rush in the scout team stuff and against our tackles we saw something there. We made the decision this past offseason to move him strictly to that position and it has benefitted him."

On what Brooks needs to become an every-down player:

"Reps. That is the most important thing, seeing the picture over and over and over again. For players that haven't played outside or played inside and are trying to make that conversion at times is hard. For him, it is always a process. Even for guys coming out of college who are defensive linemen who get to stand up and pass rush, it takes them a little bit of time to figure it out and the body leans and everything and get those pass-sets and feel where the set-point is. His progress is good."

On what he meant by "body lean":

"Feeling the offensive body lean, if he is over-set and you are under-set."

On the hostile environment in Philadelphia:

"We have to play the game. We get paid to play, and same thing with the players, they have to go out there and perform. Even though we are going back east, there are always obstacles and things in your way, I think we just have to keep on focusing on us and just play the game."

On whether this is the most diverse offense he has faced this year:

"Yeah, they have some different people that they put in in different packages. We will have a plan for them."

On why the turnovers have come in bunches this year:

"It is kind of like a feeding frenzy sometimes. When one guy gets one you feel... I remember when I played when I used to get one, it just kind of builds on itself. I think that is what happens, so hopefully we will get one early in Philly."

Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye
Post-Walk Thru - December 17, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the difference between QB Alex Smith dropping back and being in the shotgun:

"I think we're over-analyzing this thing way, way, way too - we're just playing football. We're just playing football. This isn't an exact science, and Alex's progress has been very good from the time that I arrived here back in February and to the time he's been able to get on the field and play. The problem, I guess, that I have with qualifying that is I don't have the previous history that you all observed from before. I didn't go study that and don't know the nuances of what took place, but he has been effective under, as he was in Houston, threw three touchdown passes in the second half of that game, and he's been effective from the gun. But, as it goes forward, the mixture of that as the offense finds its level of consistency repetitively, I think the way he's playing and the way the people around him are playing and the continuity continues, I think that will be a good fit."

On whether he's seen enough of Smith to determine if he's the 49ers starter for 2010:

"When you say ‘our,' are you including me? I think you can only judge that by how he has played to this point, and if he continues to win games, which I think he will, and I think he will continue to improve as he gets more familiar with playing the game itself within the constraints of the offense. I would think, for this organization, that he would be their quarterback in 2010, yes."

On whether he is planning on coming back in 2010:

"I don't think that question was about me. I think it was about Alex Smith in 2010."

On whether he's planning on being a part of the decision making process for Smith in 2010:

"Yes."

On whether the type of run-pass ratio from Monday Night Football is the type of balance he was hoping for:

"In terms of the quantity of run selection and pass selection it was, if you take the last three kneel downs out of it. I would like to lean a little bit - I think the balance would not be 50-50. I'd like to lean a little bit more toward the pass. I think we're in pretty good shape when we're in the plus 28-, 32-run category - when we get to that point. The numbers favor us if we're in the plus 28-32 run ratio to pass attempts. I think that favors us, and if we take care of the ball in that process, I think it breeds very well for us."

On whether the range was 28-32 runs:

"Yes."

On the desire to run 60 percent of the time at the start of the season and now looking for 60 percent pass:

"You've got to understand, guys, that when we started we had a different group of people than when we started. To me the balance, the 65-35, or the 60-40 balance is where you'd like to be, and with the change in quarterback and the addition of [WR Michael] Crabtree and the emergence of [TE Vernon] Davis and the development of [WR] Josh Morgan, I think it tilts the scale just a little bit the other way. That is the proportion of balance that you're striving for, and if it happens to be 60-40 run, I think that would be OK. If it happened to be 60-40 pass, ideally 65, if it was 55-45, those numbers would be in an ideal situation, though I don't think, other than last week, that would be possible to achieve on a weekly basis based on the defense that you play."

On whether the flexibility in offensive styles is a benefit because defenses must prepare for various looks:

"If it causes the defenses that we're going to play more preparation time because of all of the packages that we're in and the problems that we present, then it's a real benefit to us, provided we're efficient in them. We've done a pretty good job in 11 personnel, 12 personnel, and as we've gone forward, 22 group has kind of moved ahead of the 21 group - but that has been dictated by the defense that we're playing. All of the things that we have available to us in those personnel groups means that it's something they can't hone in on and get really specifically good at, so that's a positive for offense and allows us to stay in attack mode."

On his personnel group philosophy on first and second down:

"I don't know the reference to last year, what that means. We would like, from the quarterback standpoint, the feeling as we practice and prepare the plan, the feeling of being able to put him in the things in that particular package that have run-down and pass-down features to it, without people running in and out of the huddle constantly helps him settle and anticipate the call of what we practiced and what we anticipate seeing by down and distance, and hopefully, those things are fluid enough that we can do them as well out of 11 as out of 12 or 22 and 21. The thing that has been a little bit what you haven't seen and the thing that has hurt us a little bit in terms of being able to do that and maintain the fluidity of that is we lost [RB] Michael Robinson, who is kind of a back hybrid like [TE] Delanie Walker is a tight end hybrid guy. We haven't had that available to us because of injury, but that allows you - the 21 package - to be as fluid as the other packages if he's available because he has pass receiving skill, run blocking skills and can line up in the backfield. So, the personnel groups that we play through and out of, as I said way back early on in the spring, is that you'd like to have offensively the things that you're doing by the people in the game, the ability for the personnel on the group and the plays to be able to take care of the contingencies of the defense, and then they have to defend all of those things and matchup the personnel that's in the game. That would be ideal. It doesn't happen very much, but that's ideally what you're looking for."

On whether the QB Alex Smith's hard count is a part of the offense:

"That's a big part of the offense. We practice that. It got us there in the end on the one play in the four-minute deal where the right tackle hitched. It is a part of what we do, the cadence and when we start it. We have mandatory cadence sessions in practices where we use the hard count and we have the clown cadence. I don't want to tell everything that we do to the people that we play, but that is a part of what we do."

On FB Moran Norris' strong play on Monday night gives him more confidence to go with the 22 package:

"Yes it does, he played well. The 22 is a little bit heavier package, so he plays the same position in 21. But, 22 is a little bit heavier package. We think of it as a little bit heavier of a package. The thing you have to understand is that [RB] Frank [Gore], the runner has a real feeling of security when [No.] 44 is in the game as a lead blocker, different than some of the other personnel groups that we have. When he plays well, that helps all of us, in particular the guy that is important is that it helps [No.] 21."

49ers-Eagles Wednesday Injury Report

Fooch — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:18 -0000

The 49ers actually gave the team an extra day off this week and did not practice today. The schedule is thrown a bit out of whack due to the Monday Night game, but part of the reason for the day off is the team is a bit banged up following the victory. Even though the 49ers didn't practice, they have provide a practice report, so we have basically a projection for what would have happened had they practiced. Tomorrow will probably give us a better idea of things when we get a real practice report after a full day of practice.

Also, we don't have any coach transcripts today, but Maiocco has posted some comments about his conference call earlier today with Eagles coach Andy Reid, and Eagles QB Donovan McNabb.

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

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)
T Barry Sims (knee)

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
FB Moran Norris (toe)

Full Participation in Practice
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
OT Joe Staley (knee)

Eagles
Did not Participate in Practice
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)

Limited Participation in Practice
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Full Participation in Practice
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)
LB Tracy White (shoulder)

Mike Singletary Tuesday afternoon press conference

Fooch — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:25:28 -0000

I completely forgot about Mike Singletary's day after press conference today. Consider it a side effect of not having a computer in front of me. Fortunately I have the transcript from said press conference and thought I'd attach it here. Coach Singletary had a few interesting comments, particularly at the end in relation to the team's punt return woes. Many of you might enjoy the last Q&A:

On whether there are any regrets about releasing KR/PR Allen Rossum:

"No, absolutely not. None."

Even if there are regrets, I'm fairly certain Mike Singletary would never say that at this point. Singletary was asked about why Brandon Jones was not back returning punts yesterday but his answer was a bit confusing. He does acknowledge there are problems, but his answer is that he hopes they can simply work it out.

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Press Conference - December 15, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statement:

"Good afternoon. First of all, with the injuries: [RB] Mike Robinson, stinger, day-to-day; [WR Michael] Crabtree, hip contusion, he should be fine; [LT] Barry Sims came in today with a little bit of knee pain. We'll get an MRI on that to see how that is sometime today. [LT] Joe Staley had a good workout on Sunday. We thought it was a good idea to rest him, give him a little more rest time and see how he responds this week. He's doing fine, a day-to-day situation.

The game last night, I'm very excited about the win and the way our guys responded. On the defensive side of the ball, I thought we attacked them most of the night, came up with some big plays, and I thought that was the result of our d-line really getting off the ball and making [QB Kurt] Warner move, which was part of the game plan going in. And, I thought the other part of that was our DBs really getting their hands on the receivers and being physical that way at the line of scrimmage. I thought that made a big difference. Our linebackers, for the most part, were going downhill and really did a pretty decent job against the run, for the most part, reading their keys. The thing we have to work on is continue to work on tackling. The big back [RB Beanie Wells], the kid got outside a few times and ran very well, ran hard. Our d-line, I thought our d-line did a good job for the most part. It was very nice to see [LB] Ahmad [Brooks] really step into his own last night on the national scene. That was great for him. Ahmad and [DT] Justin [Smith], [LB] Parys [Haralson] [LB] Manny [Lawson] - all the guys really got after the quarterback. They kind of took their turns and continued to make him move.

On the offensive side of the ball, I was pleased to see our offense really strike a balance. At the beginning of the season, we were a more run-oriented offense, and here as of late, we've evolved more into a passing offense, and I think last night, for the first time, we really struck a nice balance with the run and pass. I thought [QB] Alex [Smith] did a nice job. The two turnovers, the first one, the guy [DT Darnell Dockett] made a nice play getting his hands up and making an athletic play on the ball. The second one, the throw to [TE] Delanie [Walker] on the inside, a miscommunication in terms of whether Delanie was to go inside of the DB or on top of him. Alex read that he was going to go inside of him and threw the ball, and, obviously, the guy made a nice play and just kind of stood there and got a pick. [RB] Frank [Gore], I thought Frank did a nice job running the ball. The o-line did a very nice job blocking and opening up some holes and Frank ran strong and had great vision. It was great to see him smiling last night after the game. So, overall, I thought it was a nice win for us going forward. We've got a big game this week, and we just have to get our guys rested after a physical game like last night and get ready to go in Philly."

On whether the lows of losing are greater than the highs of winning:

"No. When you win a game, you're excited, but I must admit that if you had seen the locker room, you would have seen the difference. But, I think for me, it's just a matter of as soon as you win a game, right away you're thinking of the next game - at least for me. And, I have also learned that you enjoy that win for that evening, and then for me, it lasts for a few hours and then you start thinking about the next challenge and getting on to that. So, that's all it was, but as far as the lows are concerned, trust me, last week was really low. It was really frustrating for many different reasons, but at the same time, if you stay in last week, you're going to play like last week, so it was very important for our guys to move forward and make the most of the opportunity that we had last night and very important for us to win the game and continue to get ready for next week."

On what his message to RB Frank Gore was last week:

"You're talking about Frank Gore? Just knowing that he is a huge part of our offense and we're trying to figure it out. Just be patient and know that it's coming. In order for us to win, we need you to run the ball. Just give us a chance to strike that balance. It's coming, and it was good to see that [offensive coordinator] Jimmy Raye and I have been talking about it, making sure that we found that combination of getting him the ball and making sure that we had the right personnel to do that, and I thought Jimmy did a nice job of accomplishing that."

On whether the trio of LB Ahmad Brooks, LB Manny Lawson and LB Parys Haralson can be the answers to a consistent pass rush:

"We'd like to think so. You never have enough of them, but it was good to see that combination of just coming off the ball and those guys being able to continue to apply pressure, continue to have the offensive tackles try and adjust to Ahmad's speed and Parys' strength and Manny's speed. It was a constant mix. That was really good to see. Ahmad really makes a difference when you begin to think about him as a pass rusher and really what he brings."

On how far away Brooks is being from a full-time linebacker:

"I don't know. I think it's one of those things that is a next-offseason question. He's certainly in the mix, and I think when you look at Parys and you look at Manny and those guys continue to get better, Ahmad is definitely going to compete, and that's the best situation that we have there in order to compete."

On whether he has taken Brooks under his wing:

"I think the whole coaching staff has. I think [defensive line coach] Jim Tomsula has done a tremendous job with him. I think we work on different levels. [Outside linebackers coach] Jason [Tarver] has done a great job with him. [Pass rush specialist] Al Harris has done a great job with him. I think we all just have a piece in that. I think Ahmad is one of those guys that, when you think about it, he came to us as an inside linebacker, not really a rush guy. But, you begin to see the skill, the speed, the ability to come off the edge, and you go, ‘Wow, we need to do something different here.' And, you put him on the outside and you think that might be the fit, and of course, on the sub situation with him coming in and getting down as a rush end, that certainly works. I think he's found his niche. He is such a talented guy, I think for me, when you see someone like that, you just want them to succeed. You want them to have some success because that's a rare talent. He really is. It was just helping him see that. I'm very excited that he's got a grasp of it now."

On whether he has spent time with him managing the reputation he had of being a character risk off the field:

"I think Ahmad, like a number of guys in the league, they just have been in other situations where maybe there wasn't as much structure, or maybe the coaches didn't have the time or the players didn't really have the - he's very fortunate being surrounded by the guys that he's surrounded by. Each and every one of those guys -- [DT] Justin [Smith] and Parys and [NT] Aubrayo [Franklin] - those guys rally around him and they're like big brothers: ‘Hey, you need to do this. You need to be on time. You need to make sure that you're getting this done.' When he walks in that room, not only are the coaches on him, but those players are on him, ‘Hey, well, wait a minute. What are you doing on this play? You need to be...' It's like he's got a lot of big brothers around here. I think when you come into a situation like ours where there are so many supportive guys, it really is a great situation for a young player to come in, and if he has a chance to make it, here is a great place to make it."

On how much of last night was staying with the offensive game plan and how much was adjusting to what the Cardinals defense was doing:

"I think last night, and really for maybe the last three weeks, really has been trying to get a handle on what we're going to do. Since we've been evolving, like I said at the beginning of the year, it's one of those things where we're saying, ‘OK, we're going to run the ball, and we're going to pass more if the quarterback allows us to.' All of a sudden, you've got a different situation, so we're going to pass. We're going to run depending on how we figure out what set we need to run out of. How does Frank adjust and what works for him? I think this week, coming into last night's game, it was just a matter of thinking, after talking to Jimmy Raye, this is what it looks like. I think this is what it is, and so we're going to go with that. I think it's just having a plan going into it, and it certainly helped playing them before and having a better idea of how they might adjust to certain things and just feeling that you could go with certain personnel groups and win with that. Run with this one and pass with this one, more with that one and give them different looks. It just kind of worked out that way. I think we did what we said we were going to do during the week."

On what he has seen from QB Alex Smith in the base offense versus other personnel groupings:

"I think Alex is fine. I think Alex is a guy that can certainly play in the base. I think right now, if you were to ask him what is he most comfortable in, he would probably say more of a spread situation. But, I think he knows in order to be the player that he wants to be, and to be more of a well-rounded player, I think he wants to be able to have that base situation where it's two backs and a tight end, be able to get underneath the center and do that as well and feel comfortable in that. I think, as we go forward, he's played maybe a month-and-a-half or so, I think as we go forward, you're going to see him settle down a bit more and be comfortable in anything that we're running and just kind of settle in and become more consistent as a quarterback overall."

On what the challenge is for him in the base offense:

"I just think it's more of a timing thing. Obviously, if you're in the shotgun, you have a little more time. You have a chance to see your matchups right away. Everybody's out. This guy is on that one. So, now you have a pretty good idea of what they're going to play. If you have a really fast guy over here, and you have a slow guy on him, chances are they're going to play a zone defense because that guy can't stay with him. And, all of a sudden, if you move this guy from over here to the other side and you get a guy matching him over here wherever he goes, chances are they're in man. So, as a quarterback, it helps me tremendously when I've got these guys running around and I know what matchups work, and when we set, I have a pretty decent idea what it is. When you're in a spread situation and you're off the ball in the gun, then you see a lot more and you get a lot more information. Whereas, when you're in a base situation when you've got two backs and a tight end, it's harder to tell. Those safeties really have to speak to you then. If they have a lot of experience, they're not going to tell you the truth until the ball is snapped and you only have so much time. So, now it's up to the offensive line."

On whether it's nice to hear a vote of confidence from Team President Jed York:

"Yes, I know that every year every head coach in the league has an evaluation with ownership, but I think what's really important for me is not so much after the season a sit-down with Jed and Dr. [John] York and say, ‘How did I do?' I think it's important for anyone that's doing a job to know that, you know what, I'm putting the best that I can into it and to know that that has to be enough. And, if it's not, then you go from there. So, I don't really think about, ‘Well, what are they thinking about what I'm doing? How am I doing?' It's just a matter of knowing that how I deal with the coaches and how I deal with the players and making sure that every day I challenge myself to be the best that I can be and go from there."

On whether having an offense that evolves throughout the season is an advantage because opposing teams have to prepare for different things:

"It can be an advantage for you if you do those things well. It can be an advantage. If you go into a game and they know you're in a particular set and you're going to try and take advantage of them passing the ball and you're going to spread it out and they're vulnerable that way, yes it can be an advantage and visa versa. I think every team knows that, let's say for instance, for us as an offense, if we go into a game and we know that they're really good in an under defense or an over, but they're playing a 3-4, that means that the confidence may not be there. So, it also sends another message. If you're not steady in what you're doing and you don't have a set deal, then it sort of lets the defense know, or an offense know, that you're not really confident in what you're doing week-in and week-out. It is important to have some stability and say, ‘This is our staple. This is who we are. This is what we're doing, and we're coming at you and you just have to stop it.'"

On whether QB Alex Smith should get a lot of credit for the win:

"How much of the credit goes to Alex Smith? Now you're talking about the whole team thing to me. A quarterback can sit back there and look really smart and look really poised and really look great if he's got time. That's why I have a hard time when people talk about, ‘Well, this is how many games the quarterback has won. This is how successful the quarterback has been' because if he's getting the crap knocked out of him, I don't care how good he is, he's not going to be very good. So, I think Alex Smith, the offensive line - I think the offensive line deserves a lot of credit from yesterday. I think they've really matured, particularly from the first time we've played those guys. I think our guys have grown up quite a bit. So, I just think that it's hard for me to just say, well, it's Alex Smith. I would say that our offense is continuing to gain confidence as a whole. Our receivers and Alex are still trying to get on the same page. They've been playing together for about a month-and-a-half. There are some quarterbacks that have those receivers for a year or two and they're still not on time. So, I just think that it's just a credit to the offense and the coordinator."

On how much QB Alex Smith played a part in drawing players offside against the Cardinals:

"I think it's great that Alex would be able to do that. Our guys were poised enough to stay onside. Doing that on the first drive, I think it was a great thing to do because it really settled Arizona down and had them a little hesitant about jumping off and trying to get ahead of the snap count."

On the miscommunication on the second interception and whether it was Alex Smith's fault:

"To say Alex read it incorrectly - I couldn't say one way or the other. That's the way he saw it. When I look at the film, I can easily see why he could read it that way. I could also understand why [TE] Delanie would say, ‘I read the safety, going up high or staying low, so I tried to go up high.'"

On whether it's black and white:

"Not exactly."

On whether it's a relief to know they have the tiebreaker against Arizona if it comes down to a tie:

"Once again, in all honesty, all I know is, if we win out we have a chance. Maybe a small chance, but a chance, and I don't really care about the other stuff and the tiebreakers - I don't really get into that. I'm not smart enough for that. I just know if we win out, we just have to sit back and let's see what happens."

On the problems in the punt return game:

"We've got to work through it. That's all we can do. We've got to work through it."

On whether the pieces are there:

"I certainly hope so because hopefully, we just make better decisions. Hopefully, we'll get it done and we just have to figure it out more and more. We know with one guy, [WR] Brandon Jones, we know he's going to catch the ball. [WR] Arnaz [Battle], you know that he's more experienced at it. We just have to work through it."

On whether they can take that chance with the playoffs still a possibility:

"What do you suggest we do?"

On getting a guy that can catch the ball:

"We've got a guy that can catch the ball."

On who that is:

"Brandon Jones."

On why he wasn't returning punts yesterday:

"Because when you get a punt, the one thing that you want to try and do in a game like that, and it's not that Arnaz can't catch the ball. He's only missed one ball and I think that was in the Houston game. That's one ball."

On the one yesterday:

"The one yesterday, I thought the ball hit the ground first, then he tried to do something with it. That's different than muffing it. Muffing it is when it comes out of the air and it hits you and you don't catch it. That's a different thing. That's a bad decision that he made. That's a bad choice, but he didn't muff it."

On whether he is comfortable with it:

"No, I'm not comfortable. I'm not comfortable with any of that stuff. I'm not comfortable any time a guy is back there, catching the ball, catch the ball. That's your job, catch the ball. So no, I'm not comfortable, please don't think for one second that I'm comfortable with that, but at the same time, I want to make sure that if that's what we have, then we have to make the best decision and maybe give the guy better parameters and say, ‘If the ball is coming here, if the ball is going to hit the ground, just get the heck away from it.' Hopefully, we get that figured out and we'll go from there."

On whether there are any regrets about releasing KR/PR Allen Rossum:

"No, absolutely not. None."

49ers-Seahawks: Seattle opens as 1 point favorite

Fooch — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:50:41 -0000

Since both Seattle and the 49ers played already, the folks at Scores and Odds already opened the line, and have installed the Seahawks as 1 point favorites. We'll have plenty more to discuss about this game, but it's not surprising the oddsmakers consider the 49ers slightly better. The Seahawks get their 3 points for being at home, so this knocks it down a notch. Honestly, I don't think I would be surprised by any result next Sunday. Sure I would be angry with certain results, but even though the Seahawks are struggling, the 49ers have been so inconsistent that I'm preparing myself for just about anything.

I thought it was also worth noting that the Cardinals-VIkings game is off the board at this point, and I'm guessing it's because of Kurt Warner's lingering concussion issue. Apparently he's planning on seeing an opthamologist this week about continued post-concussion symptoms. On the one hand I want to win this game, on the other hand I certainly hope Kurt Warner ends up ok. I'm thinking Warner can take a few weeks to get better. After all, concussions are a serious thing so we wouldn't want him on the field potentially aggravating the issue.

After the jump I've posted the transcript from Coach Singletary's Monday lunch press conference. We'll have plenty more of this to discuss in tomorrow's Mike Singletary Approval Rating.

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Press Conference - November 30, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Good morning. I'm very pleased with the victory yesterday, obviously. The guys played hard. The guys practiced hard all week. We had a good week's practice and we talked about playing like we practice, and that's kind of what we did on both sides of the ball. On the defensive side of the ball, I think, for the most part, we did a good job. I thought we went into the game thinking that we would attack a little bit more, particularly in the first half. We just have to continue to do a better job on the back end, tackling and the angles that we approach the tackles and the whole nine yards. We're doing a great job running to the ball and all of those things, but we just have to do a better job tackling overall. I think we've got to do a good job getting off the ball. There were a couple of times where we just didn't get off the ball for whatever reason. Maybe guys standing up versus getting down in the three-point or whatever, particularly a guy like [LB] Ahmad [Brooks]. He's normally standing up, and I think playing on third down, there were a couple of times if he had just gotten off. So, we'll do a better job there. He's only going to get better going forward.

I think, technique-wise, on defense, just a little thing that, going forward, in order to be successful we have to continue working on our technique across the board. Other than that, I think our defense did a good job. I think we went into the game and the No. 1 thing on our minds as we approached this game was to really stop the run. I think our guys did a great job of doing that. You talk about a team effort. I think the fact that our offense was able to create some first downs and move the chains and those sorts of things, that helped our defense stay off the field and get a little break here and there, and I think that went really a long way to helping us to be successful against the run.

On the offensive side of the ball, I thought our o-line, our o-line continues to work and get better. It's a work in progress, and I think on the right side, [RG] Chilo [Rachal] and [RT Adam] Snyder, for the most part did a better job passing off things, and that was very good to see. I think [LT] Barry Sims, and what he's been able to do to step in, there are a lot of guys, a lot of tackles - as a matter of fact, we were trying to look around and find some tackles that could come in in a back-up situation. And, a lot of backups don't want to come in and play. They want to come in and say, ‘Now, what do you expect of me?' Well, if something happens, I want you to play. ‘Well, really? How about I be your third tackle?' Here's Barry Sims, a guy who's been in the league a while, and he's excited about starting. He's a guy that's excited about playing. To have that, I really appreciate his effort and his work ethic, as well as the whole line. I think Chilo and Snyder, we talked about those guys a number of times, and that process of trying to work together and communicate amongst each other, I think they're really doing a good job. So, that's good to see.

[TE] Vernon [Davis], I think is having a tremendous year. He continues to get better. The thing I like about him most, I think the better he gets, the more he continues to stay after practice and work on his craft, both blocking and catching the ball. Of course, he had a couple of drops yesterday that, I guess for a regular tight end, you say, ‘Vernon, just do a better job.' But, I told him yesterday, I said, ‘The great tight ends catch those balls. It's a simple as that.' And, I know that's what he wants to be. He's having an outstanding year, but it's those things that I want to see him do a better job of is some of those other tight ends that are out in the league that are supposed to be great tight ends, Vernon is an outstanding tight end, and I just want every opportunity that he has. There should be no excuse for him not making the Pro Bowl this year because he is definitely, in my eyes, far and beyond any tight end in the league.

No. 15, [WR Michael] Crabtree, he's continuing to grow and mature. He dropped a touchdown yesterday. I think he's still asking himself what the heck happened. He has great hands and prides himself on plucking the ball out of the air, and I think he needs to join Vernon as well after practice and just continue to work on catching the ball. He does a good job, but sometimes he can get off track.

The other receiver, yesterday, I thought really did a great job. He did everything across the board, and that's Josh Morgan. Josh caught the ball well. He's blocking downfield well. He's doing a number of things. He's good with or without the ball. I'm really excited to see him continue to grow and mature.

[QB] Alex Smith, I thought, did a very nice job. I thought he took a big step yesterday. This is an offense that he talked about and envisioned and was able to step in and not just talk about it but produce, find receivers, have a blitzing linebacker or end coming right at him and still focus downfield and make a throw. He made some really nice throws yesterday. The one throw to Vernon on the fourth-and-one was outstanding. He didn't even break stride. Of course, the possible touchdown to Crabtree, that was an outstanding throw. So, he's really doing some things that are very nice to see.

I just feel like going forward, it's just a matter of continuing to look at our offense and look at what helps us win. I think there are a lot of philosophies out there. I'm hearing a lot about, well, the philosophy should be to throw the ball more. Sometimes, it's run the ball. The only thing I can say is this: My overall philosophy is to win. It's to win. I think that's the thing that I've said from the very beginning. I want to win. I think it's one thing when you look at this is what I'd like to do, but I think you have to look at what you have and go with that, make the most of it, and be excited about having it. To me, that's what I am. I talked many times about when we run the ball, I want to run the ball. I don't want to tip-toe. I don't want do any of those things. I want to hit people. I want to go forward and I want to run the ball. When we pass the ball, I want to do the same thing. I want to see our receivers going downfield and adding on, hitting somebody. Don't just look at the guy. Run with the ball. Go hit somebody. To me, that's what it's all about. That's football. So, that's not going to change. Any questions?"

On whether he is disappointed that it took this long to have such a complete performance:

"No, sometimes things take time. I know there are some coaches that have been waiting two or three years and it still has not happened. I think the thing I am thankful for here is all of the great coaches that we have and more so than anything else, the players. It is not just the talent, but it is the attitude of the players we have. These guys continue to go out week-in and week-out and believe. They are just working their tails off, they are doing whatever we ask them to do. Once again, the best thing about this week, or this past week, was for the first time since I have been here, there were a group of players, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, who stepped up. In the midst of all the different coordinators, there is a trust factor that has to be in place for a player to come forward and say, ‘You know what Coach, I think this would be a good idea. I think if we try this, that would be great. I think we would win.' That to me is very, very important because at the beginning of the week, one of the things we talked about was leadership. We talked about ownership and one really can't come without the other. The trust factor on the coaches' behalf, for those guys to step up early in the week and say, ‘This is what we feel. This is what we like.' For Alex Smith to echo those things, that lets you know something very exciting is on the verge because they believe. ‘If we can do this and that, we can win.' It's not: ‘If we could have a better offensive line. If we had a guy that could throw the ball, we could win. If we had another receiver, we could win.' No, we have it here. If we can do this, I think we can win. There is a big difference."

On how the players gave the coaches their input:

"During the Green Bay game, the guys got excited in the second half. Vernon came to the sideline and said, ‘Coach, I'm telling you, this is exciting. This is fun. I know we can do this. This is who we are.' Then, of course, we come in early last week and I had different guys in the office, just talking to them about what they felt. I talked to Alex Smith, even last weekend prior to the Green Bay game, and talked to him about what he was feeling and what he was thinking and told him how important it is to convey those thoughts to Jimmy Raye, not anyone else, not even me. Go to Jimmy Raye and sit down and say, "Jimmy, Coach, if I may, I'd like to express some ides, some thoughts.' I think those kind of things are extremely important and as the week went on, there was no town meeting, there was no rally, there was no boycott. The guys just basically said, ‘Coach, this is what we like. I think this would help.' The thing that I have been talking about all year is ownership. When you talk about ownership, that is a huge word, it comes with a lot of responsibility. If you are willing to ask for something, if you are willing to come up with a solution, then it is on you to make sure that you carry through with that. That's what leadership is. Leadership is not stepping up every week and saying, ‘Hey, I don't like this; I like that. We could do a better job if we did that.' That's not leadership. That's just a bunch of opinions. But, when you have players stepping up saying, ‘I believe if we did this, we would get the results that we want,' that's leadership. Now it's up to the coaches and the people in charge to make those decisions and go from there."

On the benefits that come from Smith talking to Raye directly:

"I have always believed all of my life that if someone has something to say, be man enough to convey it. Don't come to me and tell me, ‘Coach, I don't like this; I don't like that. Jimmy is doing this; he is doing that.' That's not going to fly. All that is going to do is get me upset because that concerns me that you are not man enough to do that. The most important thing to me is we have 53 men, not a bunch of boys, not a bunch of guys sitting in there waiting for something to happen. I went to Alex, he didn't really come to me. I went to him because I know what he has been through. Sitting down and just asking him, ‘What do you think about this? How do you feel about that?' To hear those ideas and to hear those thoughts, that is great. That is outstanding. Now we'll tell Jimmy. I didn't want him to tell anyone else, just go tell Jimmy because that relationship is critical. I don't want to go to Jimmy and tell Jimmy, pull a ‘I'm the head coach, you're the coordinator. Just do what I tell you to do.' That's too easy, that's easy to do. I want Alex to do the difficult thing, to go in there and take a risk and say, ‘This is what I like. Can we do this?' because that is where the relationship is. That is where the team gets better other than me pulling a power card. That's no good in the long run."

On the challenge of keeping good practices going from week to week:

"The practices have been good. It's just a matter of - there's a difference in when you go out and practice, it's not like you don't believe in something. Jimmy Raye has a great plan. Every coordinator, if you were to sit down and talk to every coordinator, defensively or offensively, he's going to have an array of plays that are just outstanding. You look back and you go ‘Wow, look at those plays, we could do this.' Okay, look over here and say, ‘Hmm, we can just eliminate all of that. This is what we have here and this is what we have to do.' That's the difficult part. So, I think when you look at our offense, Jimmy has just kind of been putting things here and you've got a tackle that goes down over here, maybe your best offensive lineman, he goes down and you've got another one over here and he's going to - he's down. Okay, now your running back is - and by the way you've got a quarterback change. Every time you turn around, I'm trying to put another piece up here. So that's where he's been. I tell Jimmy week-in and week-out, ‘I'm really proud of you for what you've been able to do. I'm proud you haven't run over me in the parking lot,' because I go to him and say, ‘Jimmy, I think we have to think this way,' and he's done nothing but doing what I've asked him to do. So, I think that's the interesting thing about this team. I think that's the best thing about this team. You have a lot of unselfish players, as well as coaches, where the bottom line is to win and that's why I'm excited about this team."

On whether there is time to get what he wanted to get done given everything that's gone on with the team:

"I told the players last week, it's all in front of us. Everything that we want is in front of us. I don't want our guys to start looking around, thinking about this and hoping that. We had a game yesterday that we had to win against a good football team. We go out there and we win the game and by the way, Arizona loses the game. That's pretty cool, but guess what, we've got to do the same thing next week and the week after that and the rest of the season. So forget about anything else. I think we have the time to get done what we need to get done."

On the difference in Chilo Rachal from September to now:

"Maturity, experience, working together, relationship. I mean it's huge when you talk to that guy and you trust that guy. It's one thing to say, ‘This guy does that and then you and I have to switch off,' and when that call is made you have to make sure that you have each other's back and I think that's a work in progress. That's why the offensive line anywhere in the league, if they are a good offensive line, chances are they are very close. When you see one, you are going to see all of them and I think our guys are just continuing to gel, continuing to spend time together and watch film together and do all of those things. Now, they also have to interact with the quarterback as well because they can do a great job here, but if that quarterback is stepping right where he's not supposed to, then they can do a great job, but they look awful because the quarterback just jumped right in the way. So, it's vitally important that all of those pieces come together when you have an offensive line and a quarterback that trust each other and that's really the biggest difference, time."

On why the defense has played so erratic:

"I think you start the season, you have a formula in place that you are going to win by. You have the running back in place and you have the quarterback in place. So, the defense knows that the way we are designed, our offense is going to eat up the clock because we are going to make first downs. So the offense goes out and we're not turning the ball over. That's the formula, we're not turning the ball over, there's not a whole lot of opportunity to turn the ball over. We are going to run the ball and we are going to let Shaun Hill dictate to us, how much we are going to throw the ball. So the defense over here, we are playing 45-50 plays, maybe 55. Now, you change that formula and you've got another quarterback in and those tackles that were there in place to allow you to run the ball the way you were trying to run it, now they're not there so you are changing it a bit, so now you have to throw the ball more or you're not getting as many first downs, you're not eating the clock the way you were, so now you are playing about 80-85 plays. So that's almost like playing two games. So, when you look at the defense, there's a lot that goes into it. You kind of get sloppy after awhile. We're not at that place yet. One day I hope to be in a place where we are a dominant defense where it doesn't matter what the offense does. They can go out there and throw an interception. We are going to go out there and one, two, three out. We may even get you the ball back. We're not at that place yet. So, when I'm talking about technically and all of those things, it's just a matter of guys, just like that offensive line playing together, the defense, they have to play together and have people in place and just be sound technically across the board."

On the Atlanta game and how the defense was still having problems even with Shaun Hill as the quarterback:

"That's when it became apparent to me that a change had to be made because we were not moving the ball - In order for me to talk about the defense, I have to talk about the offense because if I don't talk about the offense and just talk about the defense, solely, then I need to go to the games where - as far as tackling, we have to do a better job tackling, it's as simple as that. Not that it's horrible, but for where we want to go, it's not good enough. It's simply not good enough. Our angles to the ball, we've got a lot of guys flying to the ball, that's the one thing that we pride our defense on. Guys are relentless on going to the ball, but we have to take better angles of getting to the ball and we will do that because guys are working at it, we will do that."

On his evaluation of watching the development and maturation of the team during the season:

"I think that guys have matured a lot this season, I just think that we've been through a lot together and it seems like we've been through a lot early. The most important thing that we've done is we've continued to stay together and grow through it. Adversity only brings you together or it tears you apart and I think that it brought us together and when guys have to overcome things and still be in the fight, it builds a lot of character- that's the things about this team that's very exciting."

On the technique of S Dashon Goldson's playing style:

"Two things about that - the one thing that it tells you about Dashon is that he is a headhunter. The guy just wants to annihilate everything that's back there and the thing that I want to get him to do is that he's got great speed and he wants to hit everything that moves and it's just a matter of ‘okay Dashon, let's settle down a bit, gather yourself and make the play,' and he will do that. That's a great problem to have for a DB because most of them may run 4.3s or 4.4s but they are awfully slow getting to that tackle. That's another problem that you have with a guy that doesn't want to tackle and we don't have that issue."

On figuring out the team's offensive system while contending for the playoffs:

"The thing that's exciting to me is that I think in the next five weeks, really in the next couple of weeks, a lot of those questions will be answered. That's why it's so exciting to be 5-6 and still be in the hunt, still be in the chase. You are right. There are things that are out of our control, but the fact is that there are five games that remain and we still have a chance to do things that we want to accomplish. I believe that to the core of my being."

On being able to accomplish team goals without making it to the playoffs:

"I'll hold off on that one. Because coming into the season - I'll just hold off on that one, I'll answer that in a couple of weeks."

On whether T Barry Sims is one of the best five offensive linemen, even after the return of starting T Joe Staley:

"Ok, now you're talking about the left side of the line versus the right side of the line and I won't go there for right now but I will say that I think that [RT Adam] Snyder and [RG] Chilo [Rachal] on the right side are very solid right now and they're working together and they're getting things done. When Staley comes back, Staley is the left tackle and those will be our five best guys."

On whether he expects T Joe Staley back in time for the Monday Night Game vs. Arizona:

"Possibly, hopefully he'll be running this week, lifting, squatting, and doing some things like that. But hopefully he will be back."

On the status of CB Nate Clements return:

"Nate Clements, in all likely hood, would be back maybe the last game of the season."

On Player Injuries:

"One thing that I neglected to do - did I go over the injuries? [WR] Josh Morgan: Hip contusion, taking it day-to-day he should be fine. [DT] Kentwan Balmer: Right shoulder sublex, his shoulder went out, went back in and that's day-to-day. [LB] Parys Haralson: thumb contusion, I have no idea what the heck contusion is. It just sounds good, and [S] Curtis Taylor is having an MRI today: hip strain."

On elaborating on his coaching philosophy:

"If you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers from last year, you don't have to go very far to know that is a physical team. They're a running football team first, but they couldn't run the ball last year and if they couldn't run the ball and if everyone else was saying ‘well, they've got to be able to run the ball' or they started saying in maybe mid-season ‘if they can't run the ball well then they're not going to go to the super bowl.' Okay, they were in the Super Bowl and they didn't run the ball, so they got there. What was the philosophy: to win. Tony Dungy goes from Tampa Bay, where they were a run oriented team, Tony's philosophy is ‘guys look here, we're going to run the ball on offense, we're going to eat up the clock.' That's the same kind of thing that I believe here in my core because I'm a defensive guy. Tony goes to Indianapolis - does he take [QB] Peyton [Manning] and sit him down, bring somebody else in and get a better line and say we're going to be physical? No. you take one of the best quarterbacks of all time and leave him back there. If that's what you do, then that's what we're going to do. Tony wanted to win and I think that it's important - being stubborn can be a good thing, but I think most of the time it's a foolish thing. I do want to win, but it's not about me. It's not about what I think and feeling like I've got to go back on my words. The most important thing that I want for this team is to win. I want this team to win and to win big, so in order for me to do that the most important thing is that I'm always true to the personnel and we'll go from there."

Niners at Green Bay Packers: 5 Questions With Niners Nation

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

by Michael Conroy - AP

View full size photo »

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.

Golden Nuggets: Well, Morgan it is then

Ninjames — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:17 -0000

Morning everyone. Today I've got more links for you than I did yesterday, but I'm in a huge rush after a rather bad day. The first of the previews for Sunday's game against the Packers are rolling in as well as some articles concerning the 49ers wide receivers and who will be starting. Other than that, I don't think I have a whole lot for you. As I'm in a hurry I'll just get to your links.

WR Josh Morgan is now the starter instead of Isaac Bruce. (SacBee.com)

Wilhelm and Willis made a nice combo when Takeo Spikes was out with an injury, I suppose it's good that the backup performs well--but I'll take Spikes over any other TED linebacker in the league any day. (SacBee.com)

Singletary wants the 49ers to commit less penalties. I hadn't noticed too many really, but looking at the numbers I suppose there's too many. (Yahoo.com)

Mike Singletary says LT Barry Sims is playing "outstanding football." I never thought I'd say that. (49ers.com)

Here's more about Josh Morgan and how he hopes to progress as a wide receiver. (SFGate.com)

What does everyone here think of the Crabtree-Morgan receiving duo? (MercuryNews.com)

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

Hm.. what do you think of Kentwan Balmer? I'm not convinced, I think he's a bust and a terrible draft choice. Maybe that's just me. (PressDemocrat.com)

Sunday Alex Smith gets his chance to show that he was the right choice over Aaron Rodgers. Keep dreaming, Alex. (Scout.com)

Here's a decent preview of Sunday's game. (49ers.com)

Here is even MORE on Josh Morgan. Kids in the spotlight, I guess. (SacBee.com)

Over at NFL.com they have a week eleven preview, which of course includes the 49ers game. (NFL.com)

49ers-Packers: Mike Singletary/Alex Smith post-practice trascripts

Fooch — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:19 -0000

The 49ers returned to practice today, and as usual we had post-practice press conferences. There's nothing too shocking to report, although a few notable comments worth at least discussing.

On the injury front, Glen Coffee will be back. I'm not sure how big a difference that will make, but it's at least worth mentioning. Also, Takeo Spikes remains day-to-day, and if he can't go on Sunday Matt Wilhelm would start at the Ted linebacker position. Spikes had to leave Thursday's game and Wilhelm was quite solid as his replacement, finishing with 5 tackles, including 1 for a loss.

In terms of playing time, it sounds like Isaac Bruce will be playing, but he's definitely fallen down the depth chart. It sounds like Bruce is now the #4 receivers, although that's not 100% clear. He's definitely not the 1 or 2 though. Singletary spoke with Bruce about this and Bruce seemed reasonable about it:

On how Bruce reacted:
"When I talked to Isaac about the change, he was very positive about it. He said, ‘I feel that Josh Morgan is ready. He's ready for this.' He's been working hard, and Isaac has been working with him to get better. I didn't expect anything different from Isaac. He's a class individual, and he's all about the team."

Given his play, I guess there wasn't much else Bruce could do in the situation, but at least he's handling it with a certain level of class. He has to realize his playing days are quickly coming to an end. He's a free agent after this season, and while I don't think the 49ers will be re-signing him, I'm curious if he gets any other interest around the league.

The transcript is after the jump...

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Walk Thru - November 17, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"As far as the injuries are concerned, [CB] Nate Clements will be out, [LT] Joe Staley will be out. [DT] Demetric Evans will be up. [LB] Takeo Spikes is still day-to-day, and if Takeo can't go, [LB] Matt Wilhelm will start. As you know, [WR] Isaac Bruce will not start. [WR] Josh Morgan will start. So, that's what we're doing there going forward.

[QB] Alex Smith, in terms of our offense right now, I think through everything that our offense has been through, the loss of the tackles, loss of [RB] Frank [Gore] for three-and-a-half weeks and just trying to settle in, Alex Smith playing 14 quarters - I think the offense is continuing to come together, continuing to find its identity right now. You're asking a guy, Alex Smith with 14 quarters, to come out and execute the offense, get the timing down, know the receivers, know the offensive line and then be successful - as well as deal with some of the other things. It's not like he's a rookie. He's been here before to deal with some of negative tone or whatever. Going forward, I think he's handled everything well. I think he's just continuing to take steps forward. I think [offensive coordinator] Jimmy Raye and [quarterbacks coach] Mike Johnson continue to work with him, and good communication and good dialogue going forward. I'm very excited about Alex Smith and what he brings to our offense, and I think going forward, he's going to do just fine.

When you look at the Packers offensively, they're a smart football team. They're a tough football team. They're offensive line is tough. Their running back is a downhill guy, runs tough, and they've got good receivers. The quarterback is playing well, playing smart football. They don't have many turnovers. He hasn't thrown many interceptions - I think five so far. They're doing some good things on offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, it's a very aggressive defense. They really do a good job with the turnovers. I think they're No. 1 in the league with turnovers. Their d-line is very active and come off the ball. Their linebackers are very active. The DBs do a good job. They blitz. [CB] Charles Woodson is having a great year creating turnovers and harassing quarterbacks. It should be a great challenge for us. I'm very excited for the opportunity to go to Lambeau. I'm looking forward to the opportunity."

On whether RB Glen Coffee will be available for the game:

"Yes."

On whether WR Isaac Bruce will be the No. 3 receiver behind Jason Hill:

"As of right now, it depends on what type of package starts. It depends on the package that goes in. We'll see. I know he's not starting. Whether he's No. 3, No. 4 or No. 5, I don't know right now. It just depends on the package."

On whether he's talked to Bruce about the change:

"Yes."

On how Bruce reacted:

"When I talked to Isaac about the change, he was very positive about it. He said, ‘I feel that Josh Morgan is ready. He's ready for this.' He's been working hard, and Isaac has been working with him to get better. I didn't expect anything different from Isaac. He's a class individual, and he's all about the team."

On QB Aaron Rodgers being able to pick apart a defense if given time:

"You're exactly right. He will pick you apart if he has the time, most quarterbacks will. Hopefully, he doesn't have that much time. We're just going to have to continue to play better on the back end, and I think continue to try and put pressure on the quarterback."

On whether the 49ers starting outside linebackers having only 2.5 sacks bothers him or whether he's more interested in pressures:

"I always want to get sacks. You settle for pressures. Sometimes, pressures can be very effective as well. But, I just think those things will come in time. I think, more and more, offenses are doing more max protecting. I just think we just have to continue to have to do a better job there."

On whether he's ever considered starting LB Ahmad Brooks:

"No, not at this point. Ahmad Brooks is continuing to learn the system, continuing to learn how to be a consistent pass rusher. I just think that he's still getting his feet underneath him, but he's coming in and he's coming fast."

On the benefit of having a couple extra days following the Thursday night game:

"I think any time you have an extra day or two for guys to get their legs back underneath them, some of the pounding that they've taken, to heal and use it wisely, I think it can do nothing but help us."

On whether he's talked to the team about playing at Lambeau Field:

"I think the biggest thing that I told our team is we're going on the road, once again, to play a very good football team. It is a tough place to play, but we control some of that. I think it's very important for us to really focus on executing, focus on doing the things that we need to do and let everything else take care of itself. I didn't really talk a whole lot about Lambeau."

On how long he thinks it will take before QB Alex Smith is comfortable:

"I think he's comfortable right now, I really do. I think he's comfortable right now. I just think that the nice thing about where he's at is, first of all, he's a bright guy. Second of all, it's one of those things where the system that we're running is not so different. I think Norv Turner had a lot of similarities to the system that we're running now, so it's not totally different than the Turner system he had good success in. But, I think the thing that's really good for Alex is he's stepping in. He never really got out of the groove, and what I mean by that is he just continued to work. He just continued to work on his own, so when he did get the chance, it's not like he had to shake a lot of rust off. I'm excited about where he's at and the conversations that I have with him going forward are just continuing to ask him what does he need in order to be successful and trying to surround him with those things, whether it's more time, whether it's more detail, whether it's more meeting time, whether it's more route running out here with the wide receivers - just making sure he gets all of the things he needs so that he can feel as comfortable as he can during the game."

On whether he has everything he needs to be successful:

"I don't think you're ever going to have everything you need and you want and all of the other things, but I think that we're listening and trying to provide him with those things. I think he's being very reasonable about what he's asking for. Some of those things you kind of have to pull out of him because he doesn't want to change the offense. He doesn't want to change things around, but at the same time, I continue to reassure him that when I'm asking these questions, I really want the answers so that we can help him all we can."

On the things Smith has asked for:

"First is just a little more detail, getting into the offense and really just going back through some of the things that - we've gone forward here with [QB] Shaun Hill and some of those things. So, it's going back and kind of looking at some of the detail of those things and how that looks for him because when you have one quarterback, you're working with some of the changes that they need, when another quarterback may not need those changes, but they may need something else. So, it's just making sure that you kind of backtrack over those things and make sure that's cleaned up going forward. So, little things like that."

On how he would assess the play of LT Barry Sims:

"Outstanding. It's a pleasant surprise. I think he's done a great job. I'm really excited about what he has been able to bring to that position. I think he's done a phenomenal job."

On whether he would consider leaving Sims in the starting lineup when LT Joe Staley comes back:

"I may consider it, but I don't think it would happen because I think Joe Staley is our left tackle. Unless he comes back, and he's just really not ready or something like that, but Joe Staley is our left tackle."

On whether he would switch Sims to the right side:

"Probably not. [RT Adam] Snyder is doing a good job on that side."

On WR Josh Morgan's play:

"I talked to Josh Morgan the other day and just let him know that I liked what he's doing. I like the progression. I just want to see it faster. I want to see when Josh Morgan and [WR] Michael Crabtree line up, the [the defense] has issues on both sides. It's not, ‘We'll take away one, and you deal with the lesser' because I think Josh Morgan is extremely talented. He's extremely physical. There are just a lot of things that he can do and present a lot of issues for a defense. So, I'm just looking for the time that, and hopefully soon, where he presents a lot of issues over there."

On whether a lack of experience in a passing offense in college is part of Morgan's development;

"Yes it is. It's a difference in being a receiver and being in an offense where you have to be really detailed. Some offenses, the receivers don't have to be as detailed. They're not asked to run specific routes, and I think in our offense, [wide receivers coach] Jerry Sullivan really stresses that. It's extremely important for receivers to be exactly where they're supposed to be because it makes the quarterback better."

QB Alex Smith
Post-Walk Thru November 17, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On having time off over the weekend:

"Yeah it was kind of nice. I got kind of a mini second bye week."

On what he did with the time off:

"Nothing real eventful. When you are this busy and you finally get your time off, you find that doing nothing sometimes is the most enjoyable thing."

On whether there was any work to be done over the weekend:

"We came in here, but I think for the most part just recovery - getting fresh. We got a jump start on Friday, just to recover and get back to it."

On what he tells the coaches he needs:

"There are different things, little things here and there, things I might think I need or we need. It just kind of depends on the situation. We talk pretty often, so it has been a lot of different things. Nothing real major though. Usually it is small things, whether it be a little extra time this week with the receivers or whatever it might be."

On whether he has ever had a coach ask him what he needs before:

"Not like that, no. I've never had that question posed to me before as far as a quarterback. It kind of makes you think a little bit."

On whether he looks forward to facing QB Aaron Rodgers:

"I do look forward to it. Yeah I have gotten to know Aaron since then. I got to know him throughout that whole year with the college stuff, the awards and the draft process. I have stayed in touch with him since then. I had the opportunity to play them a couple of times in preseason and the regular season. Yeah, I look forward to it. Through all that process, Aaron was a great guy. I appreciated that when we were going through all that competition and things got hyped up and worked up, he never seemed liked it ever got to him. It didn't change him."

On playing at Lambeau Field:

"This is my first time going, so I look forward to it. There is a handful of places now I have never been and this is one of them. I look forward to it and I am excited for it. I have heard a lot about it."

On Rodgers' career:

"I think he is doing a great job there. I think he has done some really good things. I look at their offense and what they are doing. I think they give a lot of problems to defenses. They spread people out, they have a lot of weapons and he takes advantage of it. So of the little I've seen, you don't get to study many offenses, I think he is playing well."

On whether he knew how far Rodgers slipped on Draft Day in 2005:

"I didn't find out until a little later what was going on. It's a long process, the first round takes forever. So you are kind of doing the circuit then getting filled in about what was going on, who went where. So yeah, a little bit."

On whether he felt bad for Rodgers:

"No question, to be back there in the green room is uncomfortable. Every single pick, there is a camera sitting on you seeing your reaction, and to have to sit there that long would be really difficult I would imagine."

On whether he feels that in some way he is competing with Rodgers:

"I don't. I understand that we will forever be connected because of that. But I don't at all feel like I am competing with him in that sense. I am competing with him to win the game on Sunday. But I put the statistics and all that stuff aside, I'm not paying any attention to it."

On whether he thinks about how things would have turned out if the 49ers selected Rodgers:

"Who knows what would have happened? I don't really think about that. There are a million different scenarios you could probably play out that could have happened if things went differently. But this is the way it went and here we are meeting up five years later. We have both taken different routes, but I look forward to it."

On the differences between his and Rodgers' journey:

"I haven't spoken to him about that. The few times I have had to see him and talk to him over the years has been pretty quick. It would be interesting to talk to him about it. We both have taken very different routes to get to where we are now."

On whether Rodgers has told him what it was like to play behind Brett Favre:

"I haven't talked to him about that. I haven't. Most of our conversations have been pretty quick, a little, ‘How are you doing?' I didn't get into things like that."

On Green Bay's defense:

"They are playing really well. They played really well on Sunday against the good offense that Dallas has. I think they are a good test for us. I think they are strong across the board. I don't think there is a standout position group that is playing better than others, I think they are all playing well. They are stout up front, the linebacking corps is playing really well, they have a lot of depth there, and they are a really veteran group in the secondary. They make a lot of plays. I think they lead the NFL in takeaways, so I think it will be a really good test for us."

On whether he has to focus extra on his accuracy this week:

"I guess you always hope to be precise and accurate. I think it goes more into the decision making, if that makes sense. You have to be very sharp about your decision making, where you are going with the football, what you are doing against what they present, because they do present a lot of different looks. You have to be able to make decisions and then it comes down to throwing the ball."

On WR Josh Morgan starting:

"It is a great opportunity for Josh and I am excited for him. He always works extremely hard. He worked extremely hard this offseason and worked hard last year to get to where he is. I think he has improved a tremendous amount. This is a big opportunity for him and it's a big opportunity for us. I feel really good about Josh being out there."

On how much time he has spent throwing to Morgan:

"Not a ton of time. I missed last year, but all this offseason he was here and we worked out quite a bit. We went through camp together, and obviously now we are in whatever week we are in the season. So we had a little bit of work."

On the importance of chemistry with the receivers:

"It is crucial. I think it is crucial to any offense to have that trust between each other that he is going to be where he is supposed to be and I am going to put that ball where it is supposed to be and that it is going to work out. You have to have that trust and you have to be accountable to each other. I think that is vital to any passing game."

On the development of WR Michael Crabtree:

"He just continues to keep working. I think every week he is here he is just going to keep getting better and better. He has still only been here a short time when you think about it, but he has so many tools. I think he is a very gifted player. I think he has a very natural feel for the game. So I think it is just going to get better and better for him."

On whether he feels comfortable throwing jump balls to Crabtree and Morgan:

"I feel real good with all our guys, but those two have a great feel for the ball. They are competitive when the ball is in the air. They are both big-body guys who catch the ball with their hands. So yeah, I definitely feel good about that."

On developing an identity on offense:

"I think it will always be like that over the course of a season. You are going to have cycles and go through things - things you are doing well and things you aren't - when you are finding out who you are. You want to set that identity to a certain extent, but it kind of evolves as you go along. You continue to adjust it to the personnel you have and the things we are doing well."

On the advantages of running out of the shotgun:

"I think it helps us at least present a balanced formation to the defense. Traditionally thinking, when you line up in the shotgun, it is predominantly pass, so to be able to run the ball out of the shotgun at least allows us to stay balanced."

On his input to the coaches during games:

"If something came to me, I would definitely have the freedom to say it. Usually, I don't really think like that though. I am busy playing. I don't really think like a coordinator, per se, or something like that. I don't always have the best view. Sometimes when you are out there, things look differently. If I do see things I definitely say them. I don't hesitate to say them, but I don't know how much of that actually goes on."

On the play of T Barry Sims and how coach Singletary has said he's playing outstanding:

"I think just that, he stepped right in and hasn't missed a beat. He has played really well. That's hard to do, come in and play left tackle in this league where you are getting matched up every week against big-time pass rushers, and to play the way he has, has been great. I don't think twice back there, I trust those guys up front."

The 49ers RT: Niners Nation looking into the Future

Andrew Davidson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:03:54 -0000

Quick Note: I wrote this article prior to this past weekend's heart breaking loss to the Titans. The fact that we are 3-5 doesn't mean we should give up on the season, and focus on the offseason, I just wanted to get some names out there that we can track through out the remainder of the season.

Things can't get much worse (at RT) in Ninerland with Tony Pashos being out for the season. While Pashos didn't get a lot of time to get comfortable in the offense, it leaves the 49ers with plenty of problems heading forward at the RT position. We get to see just how good Adam Snyder can be in an everyday role from here on out, without someone breathing down his neck for playing time. You can thank Joe Staley's injury for that, as Barry Sims is our starting LT. I'd be much happier discussing the notion of Sims and Snyder rotating at RT than having both guys as our starting OTs. The team may get a chance to see what Alex Boone has, but I think long term wise, Boone is depth at OL and not a future starter.

With two drafts picks in the 2010 first round, the 49ers will likely have a chance to land one of the better OTs in the class. On top of that, there are three potential free agents at RT that could interest the 49ers. It depends on how much of a splash the 49ers want to make, and how well the players will perform through out the remainder of the season. I'm going to take a look at those 3 free agent possibilities, and also run down the Top 6 OT prospects. Also, if you haven't checked out Drew K's fanpost, do so, because he's got the entire draft class ranked. While it may be too early for some to start thinking about next year's draft, it's never too early to track the talent of future 49ers.

I'll be following the three potential Free Agent RTs, as well as the top 6 OT prospects, but I encourage you to do the same. I'm also curious to know if Niners Nation would rather see the team draft the "Right Tackle Of The Future" or sign him via free agency. Again, we've got two first rounders, and I'd love to see an edge rusher come out of that round, but I'll never be unhappy when the team finally decides to spend a draft pick to bolster our LOLine. Spending money on a RT is risky, and there's only one guy I'd really love to see the team sign - in other words, if they don't get him, I'd rather they go address it in the draft.

After the jump Atlanta's Tyson Clabo, Tampa Bay's Jeremy Trueblood and Philadelphia's Winston Justice, followed by a rundown of some of the offensive tackle draft prospects...

Football Outsiders Note:

Adjusted Line Yards (ALY): Statistic which attempts to, even to a small extent, separate the ability of a running back from the ability of the offensive line. Adjusted Line Yards begin as a measure of average rushing yards per play by running backs only, adjusted in the following way:

0-4 yards: 100% strength

5-10 yards: 50% strength

11+ yards: not included

runs for a loss: 120% strength

Each play is also adjusted based on game situation as well as quality of opponents faced. Adjusted Line Yards can be listed as total or broken down by direction to attempt to isolate ability of specific linemen. [The full explanation is here at FO]

The Free Agent Right Tackles

1. Tyson Clabo, RT, Atlanta Falcons - I wasn't too vocal about it this past offseason, but I wanted Clabo to sign with the 49ers badly. Clabo was a Restricted Free Agent, and I would've been more than happy to see the 49ers give up a draft pick to get a beast RT like Clabo. In Atlanta's power run game offense, this guy is a mauling run blocker and started all 16 games in 2008. Clabo took the job over 5 games into the 2007 season and has 34 career starts at RT after Week 8. On to some rushing stats...

The Falcons run 24% of their run plays to the right side, in Clabo's direction (RT - 13%, RE - 11%). Atlanta's Adjusted Line Yards on the runs to the RT are 4.4 (12th in the NFL); the runs to the RE are 5.66 (4th in the NFL). On the left side of the line (which they run a total of 26%), the LT (15%) averages 3.52 (20th) while the LE (11%) averages 5.35 (7th). In english, The Falcons have greater success running at the right side despite the similar frequency in plays run compared to the left side. The success of runs to LE & RE are a testament to how well the Guards can pull, and how well the Tight Ends can block.

Atlanta also has an 82% power success (3rd) and just a 17% stuffed rate (6th); they have a low 19% 10+ yards plays. This trend indicates that the Falcons rely on their Offensive Line to get the running game going, and don't depend on the RBs to break off bigs to help boster the rush attack. For example, the 49ers have a 37% 10+ yards rate proving that our LOLine is banking on Gore to rip off the runs. In conclusion, the Falcons have a dominant O-Line and the better part of that dominance is in Clabo's direction. While Atlanta is just 17th in the NFL in rush yards per game, it's not because the big RT isn't doing his job.

Bottom Line: Tyson Clabo is a beast and would be a great RTOTF for this franchise. Back a dump truck up to his house in the offseason and pay the guy. Atlanta would be wise to extend this player before the 2010 FA period begins, let's hope they do not. Age: 28, Height: 6'6, Weight: 314

2. Jeremy Trueblood, RT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - What can I say about Trueblood, who seems to be an underrated RT on an otherwise terrible Buccaneers football team. The Tampa Bay big fella started all 16 games in both 2007 and 2008, and 13 in his 2006 rookie season. His total games started at RT after week 8 now sit at 52, and he's two years younger than Clabo. Trueblood is schedule to be an Unrestricted Free Agent should the Bucs not sign him before the FA period begins in 2010. Let's look at Trueblood's juicy stats...

Tampa runs 20% of their rush attempts to the right side in Trueblood's direction (10% RT, 10% RE). The Bucs have the 4th ranked ALY at RT averaging 5.18, while averaging 1.74 at RE (ranked 30th). To the left side of the line, Tampa Bay runs 19% (11% LT, 8% LE) and has the best ALY to LT at 5.78, but the 30th to LE at 2.69. Despite having the 24th ranked rush offense in yards per game, Tampa has great success running at the tackles, but also lacks the help of a solid blocking Tight End (see: Kellen Winslow).

The Buccaneers do not boast a high power success rate, sitting 22nd in the league at 60%. Their 20% rate of 10+ yard plays has them ranked 12th while a 24% stuffed rate is "good" for 28th in the league. There aren't exact numbers to back up this claim, but the fact that Tampa Bay has the 31st ALY (3.03) in the Middle/Guard direction leads me to believe most of the stuffs aren't coming at the RT or LT's expense. I'm concluding that the Buccaneers are solid at the tackle positions, but need improvement in the interior line (and Kellen Winslow stinks at blocking). In other words, Jeremy Trueblood is worth looking at come FA time in 2010, and certainly worth tracking the rest of way in 2009.

Bottom Line: If/when the Falcons re-up with Clabo, I would have no complaints about seeing Jeremy Trueblood join the 49ers O-Line in 2010. He's durable, he's reliable, and he's huge. I may actually endorse this signing more than Clabo based on contract value, but Clabo is such a mean, angry, mauling beast. Age: 25, Height: 6'8, Weight: 320

3. Winston Justice, RT, Philadelphia Eagles - Justice is on this list because of his smooth transition from LT to RT in 2009. For the better part of 2007 and 2008, Justice was an ineffective LT on the verge of being labelled a bust. The Eagles 2006 draft missed his entire rookie season and never got acclimated to the position as a pro. Enter 2009, where Justice has emerged as a pleasant surpise starting all 7 games at RT for the Eagles. By all appearances, Justice looks the part of an NFL-caliber starting RT. The reflection of Justice in statistics...

Perhaps Justice has been pleasing the Eagles because they only run plays to RT at 7%, but the team runs to RE at 21%; that's 28% that the Eagles team is running in Justice's direction. Comparatively, Philadelpha runs to the left side 28%, the difference being 14% at LT, and 14% at LE. In terms of Adjusted Line Yards, the Eagles are fairly mediocre with a 3.61 average running towards RT (26th), and 3.7 at RE (18th). Plays directed towars the LT are much more effective at 4.61, good for 5th in the league; Philly's LE rate is middle of the pack, averaging 4.08 (16th). Winston Justice isn't the best lineman on the team, but he's certainly not terrible.

The Eagles have the 14th ranked rushing attack in the NFL averaging 115.4 yards per game, quite impressive considering the nagging injury problems that plague Brian Westbrook. Even more impressive is Philadelphia's 83% power success (2nd in the league) combined with a 24% runs of 10+ yards (7th in the league). The Eagles also have the league's 2nd ranked stuffed percentage, which is pretty stellar 14%. While Justice's numbers aren't quite as impressive, it definitely shows that the team's O-Line is successful as whole, thanks in part to Justice's play at RT. If it came down to Justice being a targeted FA acquisition, it would mean both Clabo and Trueblood are off the market.

Bottom Line: If does come down to Justice as a FA target, I think I'd rather have the team address RT in the draft. Not that Justice's play isn't impressive, his 7 total starts at RT (and likely 16 by year's end) don't justify a big FA deal in my opinion. Age: 24, Height: 6'6, Weight: 320

Note: All RB % and ALY stats provided by FootballOutsiders.com; All games started data provided by PFR & CBS; All Team Rushing Date provided by TeamRankings.com; All stats are based on statistics prior to this past weekends games.

The Offensive Tackle Draft Prospects

Note: All due respect to the potential underclassmen, but for the purposes in this list, I'm going with strictly seniors who will be in the 2010 draft undoubtedly. My apologies to Bruce Campbell (Maryland), Bryan Bulaga (Iowa), and Anthony Davis (Rutgers). Click on Scouting Report to get a deeper look at each prospect.

1. Russell Okung, Oklahoma State, Scouting Report - Projected Pick*: Top 5, Projected 40yd Dash*: 5.22, Height*: 6'5 Weight*: 305

The Rundown: Starting LT for the OSU Cowboys, and arguably the top OT prospect in the draft. Some underclassmen could dethrone Okung, but it's likely that the first OL off the board in 2010 will be Okung. The Cowboys have rushed for 20 TDs this season, and QB Zac Robinson has been sacked just 5 times in 228 pass attempts (through 9 games). Texas fans may scream about Okung being a cheapshot artist, but check this video out and see him simply toss Freshman Alex Okafor to the turf (before he takes a crack at Keenan Robinson). Doesn't every lineman need a nasty streak? Yep. The 49ers will likely have to trade up in the draft to get Okung, and Staley would have to move back to RT in such a scenario. Since Okung has very few flaws in his game, the Niners would possibly have to acquire the Number 1 selection (and his talents are much deserving of that slot).

2. Charles Brown, Southern California, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Top 20, Projected 40yd Dash: 5.06, Height: 6'6 Weight: 296

The Rundown: Another LT prospect, Brown is the starter for the USC Trojans. I think the idea that Brown is a Top 20 pick is certainly debatable, but not far-fetched either. He'll likely have to bulk up when he makes the transition to the pro game as he may be too "svelt" to be an NFL-caliber LT. The Trojans QBs have been sacked 11 times in 225 pass attempts, while the team has rushed for 18 TDs (through 8 games). I found this video on Youtube, that takes a glimpse into Brown's HS coach and the relationship they developed. To say the very least, Brown seems like a professional and off the field issues seem highly unlikely. I can definitely see the 49ers selecting Brown in the late teens, early twenties in the draft, and asking him to make the switch to RT at the next level.

3. Trent Williams, Oklahoma, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Round 1-2, Projected 40yd Dash: 5.27, Height: 6'5 Weight: 315

The Rundown: While Williams is the starting LT for Oklahoma, it's very likely he'll be a RT for which ever NFL team drafts him. The Sooner had an extremely productive 2008 season, but opted to remain in college for his senior season. In 2008, Williams played RT, which will help him if he has to make the switch back in the pros. The Sooners on the season have rushed for 12 TDs and allowed 7 sacks in 298 pass attempts (through 8 games). One knock on Williams is that he doesn't have enough nastiness when run blocking, which hopefully can be addressed by pro coaches. It's likely that the 49ers would have to reach for Williams in round 1, and not be high enough in Round 2 to have a shot at him (well assuming the 49ers don't fudge the mattress the rest of the way).

4. Ciron Black, Lousiania State, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Round 2, Projected 40yd Dash: 5.27, Height: 6'5, Weight: 320

The Rundown: Black is the starting LT for the LSU Tigers, but is another prospect that will likely end up as RT in the NFL. He also has the versatility to play guard, which will make him no worse than a second round draft choice in my opinion. Black is a powerful run blocker, but struggles in pass protection at times (sounds like he'll fit right in). The Tigers have allowed QB Jordan Jefferson to be sacked 23 times in 210 pass attempts, and have 12 Rush TDs in nine games thus far. After passing up on Phil Loadholt last year, I'll find it hard to agree with the 49ers passing on Black if he's available when the Niners are on the clock in Round 2. While I love the extra 2010 first rounder, it's time to address RT before the 2011 offseason.

5. Jason Fox, Miami, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Round 2, Projected 40yd Dash: 5.10, Height: 6'6, Weight: 310

The Rundown: Ok, so the trend stops from being college LT = NFL RT in this case, as Fox is the starting LT for the Hurricanes, and projects as an NFL LT. In fact, Fox has been Miami's starting Left Tackle since his freshman season. Miami's QB Jacory Harris has been sacked 25 times in 264 pass attempts through nine games, and the team has rushed for 15 TDs. Since Fox is likely to be an NFL LT, it would be hard to see the 49ers take him. Should Black be off the board in Round 2, but Fox is ripe for the picking, it would be wise at that point for the 49ers to entertain trade offers. That is, unless the team was absolutely comfortable having Joe Staley move back to RT in order to shift a second round rookie in the starting LT role.

6. Selvish Capers, West Virginia, Scouting Report - Projected Pick: Round 3-4, Projected 40yd Dash: 4.91, Height: 6'6, Weight: 289

The Rundown: Capers is the Mountaineers starting RT, while some scouts envision him as a possible NFL LT. By the time he's drafted and ready to suit up, it's likely he'll remain in his natural position. However, should a team be able to land him in round 4, it's easily a possibility that an NFL team try and convert Capers to LT. The West Virginia spread offense has seen QBs sacked 12 times in 251 pass attempts, while plundering opponents with 21 rushing TDs (9 games). If the Niners haven't addressed offensive tackle by round 3, they'd jump on Capers if he's available, and not bank on him slipping to Round 4. I don't think I can stress enough how important it will be for the team to get a RTOTF before the start of the 2010 season. And for fun (since I couldn't find any other videos), Capers waves a pretty mean flag.

* - projected data provided by WalterFootball.com (as of Oct. 24, 2009); NCAA team stats courtesy of Yahoo!; NOTE: The USC and Oklahoma games were not completed while this article was written.

That wraps up my first take on the 2010 offseason prospects at Right Tackle. While I'd certainly be happy with Tyson Clabo or Jeremy Trueblood coming over via free agency, it could be wiser to have the team draft it's big grinder. I'm wondering what Niners Nation thinks, should we sign a RT or draft a RT? Certainly we need a RT for 2010, there's no denying that (unless your Kool-Aid has cyanide in it).