SB Nation - Jason Hill

Football Outsiders and the 49ers: Player Stats through Week 11

Florida Danny — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:06:28 -0000

I was looking through my previous posts and just realized that I haven't given you guys a full-fledged player stats article since the bye week. A lot's changed since then, especially on OFF, so it's just as well I've given the new additions enough time to give us a valid look at their performance. Nevertheless, consider this my atonement. It'll be informative...and short! That's definitely a win-win, no?

This week, QBs need a total of at least 83 passes to qualify as having valid FO stats, RBs need at least 88 carries, WRs need at least 35 targets, and TEs need at least 17 targets. Isaac Bruce has been relegated to "The Invisible Man," but his replacement, Jason Hill, doesn't have nearly enough targets (only 7) to qualify. Also, although Shaun Hill qualifies, it's kind of pointless to talk about his stats. Therefore, the players I'll be breaking down this week are Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, and Vernon Davis. I'll also, of course, be presenting FO stats for the OL, the defensive front 7 (DF7), and the secondary.

QUARTERBACKS

Here are Smith's stats through 167 passes this season (bold = ranked 8th or better [top 25% of starters]; italics = ranked 25th or worse [bottom 25% of starters]):

DYAR per Pass	Rank	EYds per Pass	Rank	DVOA	Rank
0.20	25	5.23	25	-7.9%	25
YAR per Pass	Rank	Yds per Pass	Rank	VOA	Rank
0.12	25	5.81	24	-9.2%	25

You'll notice that I've changed DYAR and YAR into "per-opportunity" statistics. Doing this (a) removes the advantage of having more opportunities to accrue yardage; and (b) allows us to, in a way, look at how valuable a player is to his offense each time his offense gives him an opportunity to show his value. I think that's pretty useful to know.

From the uniformity of Smith's rankings, we can rename him "25th best QB in the NFL." Although this doesn't look so good for him, I'll point out a couple of things that make Smith's glass half-full. First, keep in mind that Smith has a positive DYAR/P, meaning that he's actually more valuable to the 49ers' OFF on a per-pass basis than an average replacement would be. In other words, an average replacement would only be averaging 5.61 yards per pass (i.e., 5.81 minus 0.20), so it's good news for the Niners that Smith is the one out there taking snaps. Second, there are only 25 QBs in the NFL who have a positive DYAR/P, so you can say Smith is among the group of NFL QBs who should not be replaced by an average backup.

Third, keep in mind that, when Smith took over at QB, Shaun Hill had a negative DYAR/P of -0.48 (would currently rank 31st), and a much more negative DVOA of -27.1% (currently ranks 35th). Therefore, what we can say about Smith is that, although there's plenty of room for improvement, his stats provide ~~indisputable~~ evidence that Mike Singletary made the right move in making Smith the 49ers' starting QB. Of course, the move seems to have been about 7 weeks late, but that's a matter for a different day.

After the jump, I'll present and discuss the rest of the stats ...

RUNNING BACKS

Here are Gore's stats through 112 carries so far this season (bold = ranked 8th or better; italics = ranked 25th or worse):

DYAR per Run	Rank	EYds per Run	Rank	DVOA	Rank
0.58	17	4.38	22	6.2%	16
YAR per Run	Rank	Yds per Run	Rank	VOA	Rank
0.48	20	5.46	3	3.6%	18

The moral of the story in this table is three-fold. First, he's over half-a-yard more valuable to the Niners' OFF than an average replacement, who would be giving the team 4.88 yards per run instead of Gore's 5.46. Second, despite the fact that his yards are more valuable than those from an average replacement, he's still only the 17th-most valuable RB in the NFL right now, which goes to show you how minimized his role has become in the OFF.

Finally, and most importantly, it's clear that Gore's astronomical Yards per Run stat is a statistical mirage due to the fact that raw NFL stats assume every yard is created equally; which you should know by now is simply not true. One thing his raw rushing average totally ignores is the effect of game situation. To see what I mean, take a look at the discrepancy between his Yards per Run ranking and his EYds per Run ranking. EYds accounts for both game situation and opponent, but based on the small discrepancy between his DVOA and VOA - which only differ because of opponent adjustments -we can basically rule out strength of schedule as a factor. Therefore, game situation is the major adjustment factor that causes Gore's EYds per Run to be over 1 yard lower than his raw rushing average.

A second thing his rushing average ignores is the difference between a mean, a mode, and a median. In statistics, a mean is just the raw average of a set of numbers, a mode is the most-typical number in the set, and a median is the 50th percentile of the set (i.e., the number smack dab in the middle if you listed the set in ascending order).

Obviously, the mean of Gore's carries is just his raw rushing average of 5.46. To get the mode and median, I've taken the time, using play-by-plays, to find out the yardage Gore gained on each of his 112 carries this season. Much to no one's surprise, the mode and median expose his average's mirage. Specifically, the mode of Gore's carries this season (i.e., his most-typical gain on a given carry) is only 3 yards. Similarly, the median of Gore's carries this season (i.e., the yardage value smack dab in the middle of all 112 carries) is also 3 yards.

So, you see, Gore's rushing average is so high because it totally ignores the fact that he's had 4 carries of over 40 yards this season. In fact, if you take out those 4 carries, his raw rushing average decreases all the way down to 3.21, which, given Gore's mode and median, is a much more accurate reflection of what the 49ers' OFF can expect from him on a given carry. And just so you don't think I'm being unfair by replacing those 4 runs with 0 total yards, his average is still only 3.46 if I instead replace them with 10 yards each. Of course, now I'm probably being too generous because Gore has only 10 carries this season of 10 yards or more (aka only 8.9% of his carries).

Here's why this whole mean, mode, and median thing matters. FO's research shows that, all else being equal, a RB who's consistently "successful" from carry to carry is better for an OFF than a RB who's of the "boom or bust" variety. So far in 2009, Frank Gore has clearly been the latter according to his mode and median. That's because, based on the methods behind DVOA and years of football research, a 3-yard gain can only be "successful" on 2nd & 5 or less and 3rd & 3 or less. In every other down-and-distance situation, Gore's typical 3-yard run is an "unsuccessful" carry. And just in case you don't believe me, here's one more stat for you: Only 39% of Gore's carries this season have been "successful" given the down and distance in which they occurred, which ranks him - wait for it - 32nd among qualifying RBs.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Crabtree's our new #1 WR, so I'll present his stats first. Here they are through 36 targets so far this season (bold = ranked 16th or better; italics = ranked 49th or worse):

DYAR per Target	Rank	EYds per Target	Rank	DVOA	Rank
-0.22	60	5.47	67	-15.7%	62
YAR per Target	Rank	Yds per Target	Rank	VOA	Rank
0.03	58	8.11	33	-12.3%	58

Obviously, this doesn't look very good. I probably don't have to say this but, I'm not worried about Crabs in the least bit, regardless of what these stats say. And, basically, what they're saying is that he's (a) a rookie, and (b) he's been making a lot of pretty-meaningless catches this season. We've seen that he has the talent to be much better than what's displayed above; he just needs time and competent offensive technicians at OC and QB. So the key for me is seeing whether, and by how much, these stats improve as those things emerge. Averaging over 7 Targets per Game is a good start on the "time" front.

Here are Morgan's stats through 43 targets so far this season:

DYAR per Target	Rank	EYds per Target	Rank	DVOA	Rank
0.16	55	6.56	54	-10.5%	55
YAR per Target	Rank	Yds per Target	Rank	VOA	Rank
0.42	50	7.09	51	-7.3%	50

When last I gave you Morgan's stats, which were based on only 16 Targets, his DYAR/T was 2.27 (20th) and his DVOA was 17.2% (also 20th). To say that the last 27 targets have not been kind to him would be a gross understatement. Again, however, I wouldn't be too hard on Morgan right now. As was the case with Crabtree, Morgan's still a youngster, so one thing he needs is time. Furthermore, his last 27 Targets perfectly coincide with Crabtree taking his spot in the starting lineup, the byproduct of which was Morgan's switch from one WR position to the other. In other words, he's learning an entirely new WR position, so, for all intents and purposes, he's a rookie all over again. Honestly, irrespective of the stats, I'm more hopeful about the 49ers' WR corps than I've been at any time since the days of Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice.

TIGHT ENDS

Here are VD's stats through 83 targets (bold = ranked 8th or better; italics = ranked 25th or worse):

DYAR per Target	Rank	EYds per Target	Rank	DVOA	Rank
1.08	17	7.53	21	10.4%	18
YAR per Target	Rank	Yds per Target	Rank	VOA	Rank
1.10	19	7.24	22	10.6%	18

VD's stats are a good illustration of why looking at per-target stats is a more accurate way of going about things. That's because he's actually ranked 10th among TEs in total DYAR right now, but being the most-targeted TE in the NFL has given him an opportunity advantage over the competition. This is not to say that the per-target stats above are some kind of mirage like Gore's were. Rather, it just shows the importance of factoring out targets when looking at the stats; which I've done for you in the table.

The important thing to take away from the table is that VD's DYAR/T and DVOA are easily the best among skill-position players on the 49ers. His targets have been both valuable and efficient this season, and that's what matters most. His lower-than-expected rankings are just a byproduct of the fact that VD's been targeted over twice as many times as the average qualified TE. I'd say being that much of a focus in the game plan is as good a measure as any when it comes to how "valuable" VD is to SF's OFF. Oh, and one other thing, all of the stats in the table are higher than what they were when Smith took over in Week 7.

OFFENSIVE LINE

I already showed you yesterday how much the OL sucks based on their overall ALY, so all that's left is their directional ALY stats. Here's the now-familiar chart, except I've added the now-familiar italics/bold scheme:

Compared to what they were since the last time I presented them, the OFF has fallen even further in love with running up the middle, and the OL has improved considerably on LE runs at the expense of performance in all other directions. You already know my feelings about the "we <3 the middle" thing, but I have absolutely no clue why they're so good at blocking on LE runs when compared to other directions or about why they've improved so much in LE blocking. My only guess is that their RBs have only run to the outside left 13 times this season, so that small of a sample size means (a) their LE ALY might be skewed by a couple of long runs in that direction, and (b) there's a whole lot of volatility in the stat from one carry to the next. I welcome your theories in the comments section.

DEFENSIVE FRONT SEVEN

I told you yesterday that the Niners' DF7 is flat-out awesome. Below is a chart showing the DF7's awesomeness in specific run directions (bold = top 8; italics = bottom 8):

There are a couple of interesting things shown in this chart. First, when compared with the last time I presented them, the DF7 has gotten unbelievably better in all directions except RE, and are actually now in the top 8 on runs behind LT, where they used to be ranked 29th. Aside from the LT ALY, this is bona fide improvement. However, with LT ALY, this is as much a "regression to the mean" thing as it is bona fide improvement because the DF7 has, to date, still only faced 10 RB carries in that direction. Justin Smith couldn't have been that bad before, after all. Also, similar to what I said about VD, the fact that SF opponents have only run the ball 10 times behind LT says more about how valuable Justin Smith and Patrick Willis are to their run DEF than their LT ALY ever could.

Second, let's go back to that increasing RE ALY. Back when the DF7 was ranked #1 at stopping runs to the outside right, I made the point that it had a lot to do with Nate Clements' SS-like ability to help out in the run game. Therefore, to me, the fact that they've dropped 10 spots in the rankings since Week 5 seems wholly explained by its coincidence with Clements' absence. As much as I love Terell Brown, he - nor most any other CB - is even in the same universe as Clements when it comes to run-stopping ability. The good news is that they've only dropped 10 spots since Clements got benched/injured, and are still ranked in the top half of the league. Let's see if that continues with Dre "Premature Celebration" Bly taking Brown's place on that side.

DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD

Finally, here's the chart showing stats for the secondary against various intended receivers:

Speaking of Brown's demotion, it turns out that the Niners' secondary actually improved after he took over for Clements: they're now 13.6% more efficient against #1 WRs. Furthermore, they're now the #1 secondary in the league when it comes to defending their opponent's #2 WRs, and have moved up from 6th to 3rd in defending TEs. So, let me get this straight. After Brown replaces Clements, the secondary shows an across-the-board journey into ReallyDamnGoodLand, and the DF7 hasn't lost much in terms of stopping runs to the outside right. So what's the pressing roster move that needs to be made after the Packers loss? Benching Brown and promoting Bly, of course. Makes perfect sense. Seriously, as much as I realize that NFL coaches know more about football than all of the fans combined, it drives me absolutely insane when the stats so clearly show one thing, and they do the exact opposite.

Oh, and by the way, what I've just shown you about the effect of Clements' absence kind of proves my point after 5 games about perhaps moving Clements to SS in the future. It sure looks like the Niners' DEF hasn't lost much without him at LCB. How about letting him focus on the one good thing he's awesome at: stopping the run?

BOTTOM LINE

OK, so through 10 games, we can draw the following conclusions about several players on the 2009 49ers:

Alex Smith: Better than Hill.
Frank Gore: Victim of "up the middle for no gain."
Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan: Give them time.
Vernon Davis: The 49ers' OFF.
The OL: Still not "imposing their will."
The DF7: "Imposing their will."
The secondary: Better without Nate.

Later this morning: 49ers-Jaguars game matchup.

**DVOA, DYAR, EYds, and ALY statistics used to produce this article were obtained from Football Outsiders.

Golden Nuggets: No Bruce? hm....

Ninjames — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:00:20 -0000

Morning folks, James here. First off, here's to hoping your Thanksgiving went well, mine was a bit up and down but it recovered well! I hope all of you had a good time eating and watching football, and I'm hoping that LondonNiner didn't go too hungry without all that turkey! I'll have you all know our loveable Londoner wished us all a happy Thanksgiving without even a little bit of resentment, so he gets a shoutout in the Nuggets. (Lame prize I know, sorry.) Anyway.. we've got a game on Sunday, the Jaguars are coming to Candlestick and I'm hoping the 49ers have a good win coming their way. I know that last time I was told that if I exhausted my voice during the game we would win, well I couldn't talk for a day and I plan on doing it again as I'll be once again attending said game. I don't know how many links I have for you, but deal with it you ungrateful lot! Just kidding.. here's your links, folks.

49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye is urging the fans to give Alex Smith a chance. (SacBee.com)

Smith seems to have 100% of Raye's backing. Hm.. (PressDemocrat.com)

He says that his play has "tilted towards outstanding." Now I know we are watching different quarterbacks. Smith hasn't been outstanding since college. (PressDemocrat.com)

WR Isaac Bruce won't be active for the game on Sunday. I suppose he's done then, huh? More room for Jason Hill, I guess. (MercuryNews.com)

CB Dre Bly will be starting in place of Tarell Brown, who hasn't been playing up to par. Am I the only one who strongly dislikes Bly? Oh well, I guess. (PressDemocrat.com)

The move was made because, obviously, the 49ers passing defense hasn't played very well. (MercuryNews.com)

Here's a 49ers team report, a bit of an update on where the team stands at this point in the season. (Yahoo.com)

49ers-Jaguars: Thursday Injury Report

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

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

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

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)
OT Joe Staley (knee)

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Arnaz Battle (ankle)
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
DT Aubrayo Franklin (not injury related)
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Limited Participation in Practice
CB Marcus Hudson (back)

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

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

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

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

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

On which receivers play where with Isaac Bruce down:

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

On who starts where:

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

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

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

On whether the offense is in transition:

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

On Alex's next step:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Singletary "lunch money" transcript

Fooch — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:53:34 -0000

Folks were wondering when we'd get another great pearl from Mike Singletary and today we got one. Coach Singletary was talking about the need for a team to think like a champion and be able to overcome adversity. He indicated he didn't feel the team had enough guys who were there yet in that mentality. That was followed by this:

On why the team didn't think like that after starting 3-1:
"Well, that's what I'm saying. I can only relate it this way. It is like this kid who is going to school, and maybe some of you guys can relate, I know I can. But it is like this kid who is going to school and this guy is taking his lunch money every day. You are tired of this guy taking your lunch money. You are bigger than he is, you are stronger than he is, you can take this kid. But because this kid has been built up so much, everything you heard about him, they say this kid is better than you and you believe that. You are going to continue to give the kid your lunch money until one day you decide, ‘You know what, I'm done with that. I'm not giving you my money anymore and that's it.' That's the same thing in any situation whether it's football, whether it's life or anything else. I'll stop there because I don't want to be motivational."

The slogan for the 2009 49ers was don't tell me, show me. Unfortunately we've seen a lot of talk thus far, and only a modicum of "show me." I know there are a lot of folks who look at most of this as just talk. At the same time, is there any level of truth to the idea that the team is used to "getting their lunch money stolen" and they need to learn how to win? I know there are tangible reasons for the struggles (offensive line, play-calling, tackling, etc...), but does this idea of getting picked on for so long play into that?

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Press Conference - November 23, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. How are you doing? Just to go over some of the injuries: [RB] Michael Robinson has a stinger. That's going to be MRI'd today. [SS] Michael Lewis, quad strain - left quad strain. [WR] Arnaz Battle, right leg strain. [WR] Jason Hill, left ankle sprain. [TE] Delanie Walker, forearm contusion. [LG] David Baas, right ankle sprain. [LB] Patrick Willis just has a trap spasm. [CB Marcus] Hudson, back strain. We'll see how he looks today and MRI it this week. [CB Tarell] Brown, left knee contusion. [S] Reggie Smith, abdominal strain non-related to the groin injury.

Just to get into the game yesterday, a few comments about the game. No, it is a game that we did not play well, a game that we did not tackle well, a game that we did not execute very well - particularly in the first half. And, what I have to say about that is not going to be motivational, it's not going to be - it is going to be fact. It's just a matter of when you have a team and you know you have players that want to be a good football team, they want to be good football players, you just have to work harder to get there. As a coaching staff, we just have to coach better. We just have to coach better, smarter. All of the little things that we're striving to get done, we just have to get them done. It's as simple as that. Yes, I am confident that this season will be a good season. We've got six weeks left. We've got six games left. I am convinced that going forward, that we will play better. I am convinced that in a situation like this, we have to continue to make some changes, whether they're personnel changes or whatever, to continue to try and get the people on the field that can get us where we need to go. Other than that, it's disappointing that we did not play well yesterday. We did not start well. But, we just have to continue to get better. Now, your questions."

On what if he means making the playoffs when he says "good season":

"At the very start of this season, our goal was to win enough games to go to the playoffs. That is still our goal. That has not changed, will not change. We're a team, in my mind, we're good enough to do that. We're running out of games and we're running out of time, but we are better. That's just something that I will not try to go through the ‘ifs' and the ‘buts' or whatever. We just have to get it done."

On whether coaching smarter entails tailoring the offense to QB Alex Smith's strengths:

"I would think that as we continue to move forward and [offensive coordinator] Jimmy Raye and I, and [quarterbacks coach] Mike Johnson, Alex Smith, you have to continue to learn what his strengths are. It would be, from the very first game that he played in Houston after that game, it would be very easy to say, ‘Oh, that's Alex Smith. Let's put him out there,' not taking into any consideration that the defense may be a lot different. Maybe there's something that they're giving up. Not every time that you see it, that's what it is. We're continuing to learn his strengths. We're continuing to have him communicate to us what works for him and what doesn't. I think, as we go forward, we have to really look at what's working for him and what works for the offense and continue to do more of those things."

On whether running the spread offense might suit his strengths better at this time:

"When you say spread offense, can you explain to me exactly what you mean?"

He seems to perform better when he takes the snap in the shotgun formation with more receivers on the field.

"Well, let me ask you this, just to make sure that I'm clarifying. So, you're saying he seems to work better from a shotgun with more receivers on the field. What if he had the same number of receivers on the field but he was still under the center. Would that still be spread to you?"

No. I think he does better out of the shotgun.

"You think he does better out of the shotgun."

It appears the results are better.

"OK. Alright, that's fair. I would just say this: I think for him, when - and I just went back to look at all of his time from Houston to yesterday - he's done well whether he's under center, he's done well whether he's got two backs in the backfield, he's done well whether he's got two or - I think the biggest thing for him is having time. I think that's the most important thing for him. It's to have time. I think one of the worst things that we could do right now is to put Alex Smith in shotgun and say, ‘OK. Let's go get it guys. Here's what it is.' And just let him throw 40, 50 times a game and let's see where you end up. As I'm looking at Alex Smith right now, Alex Smith, to me, is throwing as well as any quarterback in the league right now - as I'm looking at him right now. He is as accurate as any quarterback in the league right now. I think the smartest thing for us to do continuing to go forward is not to take all of training camp, not to take all of what we have gone into this season and just throw it out and say we're going to go to shotgun. I think the smartest thing for us to do is to continue to open it up as Alex Smith allows us to, as he continues to communicate, but we've got to protect him as well, and not just throw him out there because the first time he gets an interception, the first time he gets a tipped ball it is, ‘Well, why are you doing that? Do you think you should open it up that much? Do you think you should expose him that much?' I think we have to be smart about what we're doing. I think we have a good thing going with him. Unfortunately, we haven't done that in the first half, but I think we have a good thing going with him in terms of just allowing him - to every game like he had yesterday, or hopefully on the other side of that thing will be a win, but every game that he has where he can throw like that, it's all of the time he's missed, all of the crap that he's gone through, it gives him that confidence going forward to know, ‘I can do this. I can get this done.' So, hopefully, that starts coming in the first quarter and the second quarter and going forward, maybe you can run a little bit more."

On whether you can just be a passing team:

"I think going forward, even if you look at the Indianapolis Colts, they aren't just a passing team. They may pass more, but depending on the team that they are facing and whether they need to slow the game down or speed the game up, whether they are ahead in the game, or whether they are behind in the game, whether this team has a great pass rush or they don't, I think all of those things become a factor in how many times you are going to throw the ball. I think if you sit down and talk to Peyton Manning, I think one of the first things that he would tell you is that he loves handing the ball off because it is one less interception that he has to take the risk of taking. I do want to have a balance because I believe that if you can run the football, it forces them to respect the pass. It makes them vulnerable and vice versa. Football will always be that way, and when you have a balance, when you can effectively create a balanced attack, then it makes you a better football team. You can go into the game and Alex Smith to me is becoming a complete quarterback. The thing that I'm thankful that he's not doing is crying about not throwing the ball more. I'm really thankful that he's not doing that because he can sit back and look at the number of passes that he's thrown in the game and sit back and look at how accurate he has been. Some quarterbacks would be saying that and that really haven't been as successful as he has been throwing the ball. Some of them might have been crying more about not throwing the ball, even in the media. He hasn't been doing that, which shows me more about who he is, but from what I'm seeing from him, I'm excited about him and there are still some things that he's missing. There's still some reads that he's not getting, which makes it even more exciting, but we are going to get the offensive side of the ball going. I'm talking to Jimmy Raye too much and Jimmy Raye is talking to Alex too much and Alex is talking to Mike Johnson too much and we are talking to each other too much for it not to get where it needs to be so we can have a successful offense. With all of the weapons that we have - our offensive line, that's a work in progress. Hopefully, they are just going to continue to get better and just give us enough time that we need for Alex to get the ball out and for us to have some successful runs and go from there."

On why it is impossible for them to go to a spread offense at this point:

"I think when you are talking about a team going to the playoffs who hasn't been to the playoffs in seven years, the No. 1 thing you have to have is consistency, and to develop consistency, you have to have a certain number of repetitions in something before you can be successful at something. When Alex drops back and he throws that eight-route or that route where the receiver runs and he comes inside. For him to go back and throw that pass and have confidence that pass is going to be there as he goes back and he's looking at that safety. For him to do that, he has to do it 100 times before he can have confidence of knowing he can throw it at this speed because this time I am throwing to Jason Hill. I can throw it at this speed because this time I am throwing it to Michael Crabtree. You have to know the receivers. You have to have a feel for how fast those DBs are going to close on it. It's all of those little things that go into throwing that football with the confidence and the zip that you need in order for it to get there. So if I'm going to open up the offense, every step that I take as a quarterback, if it's a three step drop, it takes time to get the rhythm down, just in the three step drop. If I'm just dropping back and my footwork isn't good and I'm trying to make sure that I'm timing it with the receivers that are going there and if he's not there or my footwork isn't good, it's going to be a pick. It takes time to get that. So instead of working on this 100 times, I'm working on ‘this'100 times, it's a big difference and if that's what you've been doing in training camp, it makes a big difference."

On whether he looks at the trend the league is leaning towards with passing teams being more successful:

"I think every year coming out of the first half of the season, you have teams that pass the ball a lot and they look pretty good right now, but at some point in time, when you start talking about the playoff teams, they are going to have to run the ball and they are going to have to find a balance somewhere to run the football because if they are going to pass - here's what you have a lot and this is interesting, I like this, but what you have a lot is sometimes those passing teams, wherever they may be, whether it's New Orleans, Indianapolis whoever they might be, as you begin to get closer and closer to the playoffs, then those defenses get better, and if you are going to throw the ball a lot nine times out of 10, they are not just going to line up and show you what they are playing. They are going to make that quarterback work and more often than not, the quarterback is not going to be wrong and I just think that as you really get into the second half of the season and you begin to talk about the playoffs and those kinds of things, you have to strive for a balance and those teams that are throwing the ball, they have to be able to run the ball at some point in time. Now, do I think Alex can do that? Yes, I do. Do I think he will be given the opportunity to do that? At some point in time, yes, I do. I think I've said that before. I don't care if we have to throw the ball 100 times in the game. I really do not. I don't care if we run the ball 100 times a game. Do I like that better? Yes. Why? Because if I'm throwing it 100 times a game, chances are there are going to be some picks in there. I don't want that. I don't want to give the team anything if I can, but I'm not opposed to that. The common denominator for me and ever coach and every player that we have is to win. That has to be the common denominator. If that's not it, then we've got the wrong people. So yes, absolutely, whatever works, whatever the formula is, yes, I want that."

On whether he is discussing any potential personnel moves:

"I'm still looking at the film, still looking at the film. I am confident that there may be one or two, but I am still looking at the film."

On which side of the ball he is looking to make changes:

"I don't want to get into that, but there are a couple."

On the factors that led to a low rushing total against the Packers:

"I think one of the biggest things is you are behind. That's the No. 1 factor. That takes you out of everything. It takes you out of your game plan. Now you almost have to be in a panic mode like, ‘Alright, let's get our best passing plays. The run, that's it. We have to try to make it a game again before we can run the ball.' Yes there was time on the clock, but on defense we were not playing great as well. They were holding the ball and we could not get off the field on third down. That made it difficult. Better to try and throw the ball and try to get somewhere where can try to make it a game again. Then we could have a chance to run the ball."

On whether the passing game may not click until next year:

"No, I won't say that. We don't have to wait until next year. I think it is a process going forward. I think after Alex played the Houston game, and maybe after the Indianapolis game, everyone wanted to see the spread. I think we have to continue to work on it because it is a work in progress, it really is."

On whether the team is still adjusting to Smith:

"I think everything worked out for a reason. Would it have been better for Alex if he had started at the beginning of the season? Absolutely, yes. For his maturation, the whole nine yards, would it have been better for our team? Probably not. Shaun Hill started the season and did a tremendous job managing the team, throwing the balls he needed to throw. But I think he took us to a place and that was about as far as he could take us and it was Alex Smith's time to get in. But I also think that Alex Smith really had a chance to grow some. I think Alex Smith, really for the first time in his career, had a chance to sit on the bench and look at another quarterback and be able to listen to the coaches and say, ‘Shaun, I wouldn't have made that throw. Shaun, I wouldn't have done this.' And he would be able to say, ‘Now how would I have done that?' Rather than it being him every year, maybe he wasn't ready, but that's all you got. I think that Alex grew some from that as well. I think for him, it was a win-win situation."

On his emotions on being 4-6:

"You know what, my first emotion is anger. It really is. Anger because it doesn't have to be like this. It did not have to be this way. But at the same time, excitement. Excitement because I am just thankful that we don't have a team where I am coming in here the day after, you are 4-6, you got your tail kicked the day before, and you know when look at that film, ‘We can't do any better than that. We can't beat that team.' And I am looking at that schedule where ‘we can't beat those teams either, we just have to build for next year.' No, that's not what we are. That's not what we are. Where we are right now is, we are still hurting ourselves. We are our own worst enemy. If we could just beat the enemy within, then we have a chance to go out and beat the one we are playing against. When you talk about a championship team, when you talk about changing the culture, when you talk about taking that next step - and we will take that step - when you talk about taking that step, there is more involved in it. Even if you start the season and you are 5-0, there is more involved in it because you have to deal with some of the mental psyche that is involved in it and helping guys understand that you have to see yourselves different, you have to think different, you have to think like a champion. When you walk on that field you have to know, this is my game. When you start thinking like that and you start acting like that, when things go bad on the field you are able to take a step back and go, ‘We are going to make this happen, it is not going to be like it was before. We are going to take that step and we are going to go to the next step. We are going to win this game. We are going to get over this, we are going to around it, we are going to go under it. Whatever it is, we are going to win this game.' When you start thinking like that, that's when you start winning those kinds of games we played in yesterday, when you start thinking like that, when you know that. We don't have enough of those guys there yet. But we will get there and we will get there this year."

On why the team didn't think like that after starting 3-1:

"Well, that's what I'm saying. I can only relate it this way. It is like this kid who is going to school, and maybe some of you guys can relate, I know I can. But it is like this kid who is going to school and this guy is taking his lunch money every day. You are tired of this guy taking your lunch money. You are bigger than he is, you are stronger than he is, you can take this kid. But because this kid has been built up so much, everything you heard about him, they say this kid is better than you and you believe that. You are going to continue to give the kid your lunch money until one day you decide, ‘You know what, I'm done with that. I'm not giving you my money anymore and that's it.' That's the same thing in any situation whether it's football, whether it's life or anything else. I'll stop there because I don't want to be motivational."

On how great he's doing with his analogy:

"No, I'm done."

On whether anyone ever took his lunch money as a child:

"Absolutely."

On how old he was when it happened:

"[Maybe] seven, eight, nine [years old]. I was the last of ten kids."

On whether there is a difference to Alex Smith taking snaps under center in the shotgun formation:

"I do think it makes a difference, but the point that I was making is that he's had success whether he's been under center or in shotgun, and to me, I think it just gets down to that it's one thing when you see it on film, when you talk to him he has to give you that feel for ‘you know what, I really feel better in the shotgun [formation] or I really feel better taking it from under the center.' I think he has mixed feelings about both."

On the possibility that QB Alex Smith maybe much better in the shotgun formation:

"Maybe."

On whether the team can run off of shotgun formation just as effectively as taking snaps from under center:

"Running out of the shotgun [formation] and running from under center is a lot different because particularly having someone like Frank Gore. When you have a running back like Frank Gore, he is a hit-the-hole-downhill guy. He's not a fidget to the right and then give him the ball. When you're in the shotgun, you've got to figure out some kind of way, you've kind of have to work together on how you step this way and he steps that way. It's not like you're under center, you're going back, he's going forward -he's hitting that hole and you've this other guy running around here wrapping around the edge. No, it's not like that. It's different, you guys see what I'm saying? So it's different for the running back. For the quarterback it's great, but it's different for the running back when you've got that kind of running back."

On whether he understands the postgame statements by TE Vernon Davis and WR Michael Crabtree about their abilities flourishing under the spread offense:

"I understand that they're excited. I understand that anytime that they have the opportunity to catch the ball, they know that they're in a spread situation, and particularly Vernon, he's excited anytime he gets a play called his way. If I were them I would get excited too, but if I'm Crabtree, I need to be a little more quiet because he just got here. He's just trying to figure out what day it is, he didn't go through all the other stuff and I'm kidding when I'm saying that. I just talked to him awhile ago and he is excited about the spread set, Vernon is excited, all of the receivers are excited. I'm sure that Alex is excited as well, but I think it's one of those things where that's why we coach because we also have to look at what's good for Frank. We also have to look at what's good for the offense as a whole. But we do want to honor what the players think about, particularly a playmaker - a quarterback and that's why we've been in so many conversations with Alex. You're right about the point that you're making, Alex is such a humble guy, a meek guy, don't how long he'll stay that way but it's a great thing to have a quarterback like that says ‘what do you think, coach? What do you want?' But for him to be doing the things that he's doing right now, I'm not sure how long we're going to have that, but it's a great thing to have right now and I do want him to take that next step and be like, ‘Hey, you know what, here's what I like, here's what is good for us. That would be good and I think that Alex is getting to a place of being more comfortable being able to communicate that way, and I think as we go forward, he will do that. He's certainly gotten better."

On the possibility of WR Josh Morgan returning kicks again in the future:

"That is a thought. Obviously we liked what we saw yesterday. Hopefully, if Josh Morgan is the kickoff returner, then hopefully he's not returning too many of them in a game so we don't have to worry about it too often. I just think that yesterday, he did a nice job when called upon. I don't know, but we'll have to look at that a little bit more."

On what the coaching staff can do to bring the level of intensity to the players higher:

"I think you keep working. If it were an easy answer, everyone would figure it out. I just think you keep working and you just keep believing it's coming. When I'm talking to the players, I'm looking at the players and also listening to the players. There are a lot of good things happening, but at the end of the day, I just know that we'll get there, sooner than later."

49ers-Packers: The World According to Madden

Ninjames — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:00:12 -0000

Aaaand, I'm back on for the Saturday Simulation of the Sunday games. Fooch sent me an email and my replacement er... needed a replacement, so you're back to reading my colorful commentary! Basically I put in Madden NFL 10 for the Xbox 360 and set it to All-Madden and spectate a game in its entirety and provide commentary. Now, Madden isn't a perfect simulation, but it is a step up from past installments and this is just an interesting take on things as opposed to a raw simulation.

The latest roster update for the game actually occurred either late last night or early this morning and I've got it. I took the liberty of moving a few players out of the lineup and switched around some of the depth to make it more accurate. For instance Nate Clements was still in the lineup, now he's off the depth chart. The WRs were a bit out of order but after #1 and #2 it's hard to distinguish who goes where anyway. Currently I have Isaac Bruce at #3 and Jason Hill at #4. Arnaz Battle will likely only see the field on returns.

Before I begin let me just express my gratitude to the folks who do the roster updates, the big guy Aubrayo Franklin got his second boost in as many updates! When Madden NFL 10 shipped Aubrayo Franklin was rated a measly 66 overall, the lowest starting NT in the game. An average starter is around 76-78. With the update a few weeks ago Franklin got some recognition and went up to 79, and much to my (awesome) surprise when I got on today Franklin was updated all the way to 88! Lets see how he performs...

49ers First Drive The Niners win the toss and elect to receive. Robinson takes it and downs the ball for a touchback. Alex Smith leads the 49ers out to the 20-yard line. It's a handoff to the right side and Frank Gore takes it with superb blocking 12 yards before being taken down. 1st and 10 and the team lines up in I formation. Gore takes another handoff and looks to be good for another ten yards but FB Moran Norris misses a block and Frank is dragged down after five yards bringing up 2nd and 5. From the offset I formation Vernon Davis motions to the right side and it's another handoff to Frank Gore... nope, it's a play action pass as Smith avoids a sack and delivers a high ball to WR Michael Crabtree who goes up and snags it between two defenders and gets a couple YAC. After the 30-yard gain the 49ers set up 1st and 10at the Packers 33 yard line.

The next play is a run to the left side but Gore is hit in the backfield for a one yard loss. On 2nd and 11 Vernon Davis motions out wide and Smith takes the snap. After about six seconds the coverage refuses to break down and Smith takes off running before getting hit and fumbling the ball! It's a pile and it takes a good ten seconds for everyone to get up to reveal Frank Gore at the bottom with the ball. The 49ers maintain possession which takes us to 3rd and 11. From the shotgun Smith takes the snap, stands in the midst of pressure and delivers a promising strike to WR Isaac Bruce .The ball is thrown perfectly and goes right into Bruce's hands... and right out of them. Incomplete pass, which brings on the 49ers field goal unit on the Packers 34 yard line. Kicking with the wind, Joe Nedney belts the 51-yard field goal and the Niners are up 3-0.

Packers First Drive Joe Nedney kicks off and the ball is taken in the end zone by Packers WR Jordy Nelson who gets it to the 28-yard line before being brought down by Marcus Hudson. Aaron Rodgers takes the Packers first snap and stands in the pocket, the 49ers get instant pressure but Rodgers still manages to find WR Greg Jennings who turns a 13-yard reception into a 19-yard gain bringing up a Packers 1st down. From 1st and 10 HB Ryan Grant takes the handoff to the right side and gets hammered in the backfield by LB Patrick Willis for a two yard loss. From second down, Rodgers hits WR Donald Driver on a quick inside slant for 15 yards and a Packers first down.

Once again on first down the Packers handoff to Ryan Grant who is hit first by Patrick Willis on the right side before being put on his back by LB Manny Lawson for a 3-yard loss bringing up 2nd and 13. At this point the 49ers secondary needs to make some adjustments. This play is another run, a HB draw which at first looks to be succesful before Justin Smith snags ahold of Grant and Takeo Spikes lays him out with a big hit after being wrapped up. With the 2-yard gain the Packers get to 3rd and 11.

Rodgers takes the 3rd down snap and hits TE Jermichael Finley on the inside slant. It is an 8-yard gain as he is tackled immediately bringing on the Packers field goal unit. They nail it, 51 yards the same as the 49ers and the game is tied at 3-3.

Next Possession The Packers kick off and once again HB Michael Robinson kneels for a touchback. From the offset I formation Vernon Davis motions to the right side and the Packers adjust their coverage, from the get-go it's clear the 49ers are running it and the Pack' throws extra men to Vernon's side knowing his blocking skills, but the 49ers run a misdirection and Frank Gore takes off to the left side, breaking tackles from both Collins and Harris he runs down the sideline 30-yards before being brought down from a good angle at the 50-yard line setting up a 49ers 1st down.

On the next play the 49ers go singleback with four wide receivers out on the field. Crabtree and Hill on the right side with Bruce and Morgan on the left, Alex Smith takes the snap. It's a pitch to Gore on the right side! Hill and Crabtree have already taken a few defenders with them to the left side of the field and Gore runs east and west for a few seconds to give... what?! RG Chilo Rachal time to run out and make a crushing block in space on a Packers defender at which point 21 turns upfield and looks to be gone before Atari Bigby makes an ankle tackle after 11-yards. The 49ers set up at the Packers 39-yard line.

Off of first down Alex Smith hits TE Vernon Davis in stride over the middle who takes off upfield on the left side being chased by two defenders. Once again the angle prevails and the Packers force him out of bounds. Davis took a 5-yard reception and turned it into a 24-yard gain. 1st and 10 at the Packers 14-yard line. The 49ers handoff to Gore on first down who pushes a pile of tacklers four yards bringing up 2nd and 6. The next play is a two yard run by HB Glen Coffee to the right side for some reason. 3rd and 4 to go now. From a two tight end set HB Michael Robinson is out on the field. Alex Smith takes the snap and has plenty of time. Vernon Davis is causing havoc in the end zone and Delanie Walker is blocking fiercly. WR Michael Crabtree is open for a split second and that causes the Packers SS to panic and strafe in that direction leaving... HB Michael Robinson open near the first down marker, whom Alex Smith promptly hits and leads out of bounds at the 4-yard line for a 1st and goal!

QB Alex Smith takes the snap and Frank Gore stays in and picks up a defensive end blitz. Smith has just enough time to find TE Vernon Davis between three defenders in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass. The extra point is good and the 49ers lead the Packers 10-3.

Next (Packers) Possession The ball is downed in the end zone after the kickoff and the Packers set up at their own 20-yard line. Rodgers takes the snap from the shotgun and once again makes use of the inside slant, this time hitting WR James Jones for 13-yards before getting a yard and tackled by CB Tarell Brown. 1st and 10 and Rodgers hands off the Ryan Grant from the I formation, who picks up three yards before being tackled by LB Takeo Spikes. The next play is a run to the left after motion goes that way, and Grant picks up one yard before being smothered by Justin Smith.

The next two plays are passes to WR Jones who gets the first down on the first pass on the right sideline with nobody around, and the second is a two yard gain before getting hit very hard by CB Shawntae Spencer. The Packers set up with 2nd and 8. With six seconds left in the quarter Rodgers takes the snap before his line completely crumbles and LE Isaac Sopoaga breaks through and gets the first sack of the game. Rodgers fumbles the ball, but it is picked up by the lineman Tauscher. At the end of the first quarter the 49ers lead 10-3.

2nd Quarter

Starting the quarter at 3rd and 9 Rodgers takes the snap out of the shotgun. As soon as the play starts I know they're going to pick up the first even before he throws the ball to Nelson for an 11-yard pickup over the middle. Ryan Grant gets his biggest run of the day on first down as he turns his total rushing yards of the game into seven with a 6-yard pickup to the left side. Grant then takes the ball up to the right inside of the line and looks to be just short of the first down. The chain gang comes out to measure and the Packers are about two feet away from the first down, bringing up 3rd and 1. Off of the play action, Rodgers makes short work of the 49ers secondary by, what do you know, a 13-yard gain on an inside slant to Donald Driver bringing up a 1st and 10. Make that 1st and goal after a ten yard reception by James Jones and the Packers are threatening to score.

Demetric Evans makes the stop on the first down run to Ryan Grant which goes nowhere. Off of the play action the Packers hit FB Kuhn on the flat who is immediately hit by CB Tarell Brown... who apparently forgets how to tackle and lets the FB score on a 4-yard touchdown. The Packers get the extra point and the game is tied again at 10-10.

Next Possession Michael Robinson takes this kick from the back of the end zone and gets to the 21-yard line before going down after not trying too hard to avoid a tackle. Alex Smith leads the offense out there once again and hands the ball off to Frank Gore who gets two yards on the right side on the run blitz. From the shotgun Smith hits Isaac Bruce for a couple of yards but the play is called back after Frank Gore is called for holding. The Niners now face 2nd and 18. Smith takes the snap and drops back, the protection is good but starts to break down, Smith steps up in the pocket and the line adjusts and keeps him protected. Smith has a man downfied and throws a bomb before getting hit hard. The ball travels about 50 yards through the air and is brought in by WR Isaac Bruce! Bruce didn't have his defender beat, he just had better hands. The Niners set up with 1st and 10 from the Packers 33 yard line.

The next play Alex Smith takes the snap and stares down a receiver. He looks good, and then remembers that he's Alex Smith and decided to pretty much throw a shovel pass right into the hands of Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly who gets the interception and goes down instantly. Amazing.

After The Turnover... From their own 36 yard line the Packers set up shop. Rodger takes the snap and throws a short pass to Lee for a 3-yard gain. The next pass is to James Jones for a five yard gain before being brought down by CB Shawntae Spencer. On the next play Ryan Grant picks up the first down on a four yard run. Rodgers calls an audible on the next play and yet another tackle is missed after FB Kuhn once again catches the ball. Dashon Goldson wraps up air and Manny Lawson is forced to drag him down from behind after the FB picks up 20 yards.

On the first down pass Driver gets 10 yards and another first down. After a short pass the Packers get 2nd down. On the next play Aaron Rodgers throws a pass right to S Dashon Goldson in the end zone who drops the pick! 3rd down with 8 to go. Lee once again gets a reception off the slant and the chain gang has to come and measure but the Packers get the 1st. Another 10-yard gain and the Packers get ANOTHER first down off the slant. 1st and goal.

Kentwan Balmer stuffs Ryan Grant for no gain on 1st down. On second down Rodgers throws to Driver in the end zone but he can't stay in bounds. On third and two it's FB Kuhn once again off the play fake in the flat... for a touchdown. Packers lead 17-10 with 2:25 to go in the half.

Next Possession The kick goes through the end zone and the 49ers set up at their own 20 yard line. Off the play action to Gore, Smith passes to the very same, Gore for 9-yards over the middle. After the two minute warning it's Isaac Bruce over the middle for a gain. Alex Smith from 1st down tucks it,, runs, and slides down... for a loss of one. 2nd and 11 with 1:40 to go. The next pass is incomplete and doesn't even go near a wide receiver. Alex was virtually unpressured on the play. 3rd down and 11 to go. On the next play it's WR Michael Crabtree between two receivers who gets the first down and more, taking it to the Packers 46-yard line before being tackled. The 1st down pass is complete, but for no gain as Frank Gore goes out of bounds. 1:11 to go in the game on 2nd down and it's... a false start on TE Vernon Davis. 2nd and 15 not from their own 49-yard line. On a big five step drop Alex Smith steps up into the pocket and delivers a huge strike through the air over the middle. He's got WR Jason Hill deep who is being covered by a linebacker, Clay Matthews. Jason Hill catches the pass in stride and runs in for the 51-yard touchdown. The extra point ties the game at 17-17.

Next Possession Joe Nedney kicks off and Jackson runs it out of the end zone and is tackled at the 21-yard line. With 58 seconds left and all three timeouts the Packers offense comes out to the field. Looking for some YAC, the Packers throw a short pass to Lee but he is brought down immediately by Patrick Willis. They let the clock roll down as they are going to receive at the half, but have to get another play in without a kneeldown. From the shotgun, Rodgers takes the snap with 12 seconds left and hits WR Greg Jennings for ten yards.. and then the Packers take a timeout? McCarthy doesn't seem to understand the concept of running out the clock but whatever, with five seconds to go Rodgers takes the snap and throws another pass to Lee, which is picked off by Patrick Willis who is brought down immediately to end the half.

HALFTIME Aaron Rodgers is playing great football, he didn't miss a pass in the first quarter and only threw three incompletions in the entire first half. Alex Smith posted a better QB rating though with more yards on less completions. They both has a 2:1 TD to INT ratio with Rodgers last second pick. The Packers, as I figured, have yet to get a running game going. Missed tackles are a huge problem for the 49ers so far with a FB shredding them like it's no problem and getting 2 TD to boot. The Packers are 6-7 on 3rd downs, almost all of them being converted on the inside slant. The 49ers will kick off to start the half.

2nd Half

3rd Quarter With another touchback the Packers again set up at the 20-yard line. Ryan Grant takes a handoff to the left side with a four yard run, followed by another of the same gain. On the inside slant... you guessed it, Lee picks up the first down, followed by ANOTHER first down to Donald Driver off of... an inside slant. Christ almighty the 49ers can't do anything against that pass. 1st and 10 at the 49ers 48 yard line. Or can they? Rodgers steps back and almost lazily throws a strike to James Jones over the middle. Patrick Willis looked to be dropping to the right side but had his eyes on Rodgers the whole time and steps up nicely in front of Jones for his second interception of the game. Rodgers saw Spikes initially on Jones and thought he'd be fine.

After The Turnover... The Niners are at their own 47-yard line. On the right side Frank Gore picks up six yards on the outside. The 49ers give up their first sack of the game on second down to Aaron Kampman. On 3rd and 10 Smith drops back, has plenty of time but the coverage refuses to break down. He is brought down from behind on what is technically a 1-yard gain and the 49ers set up to punt.

After The Punt It goes through the endzone for a touchback and the Packers handoff to Ryan Grant, who gets hit for a one yard loss by Justin Smith. The next play is a screen to Grant but he is blown up by S Dashon Goldson for a three yard loss. From their own 16-yard line the Packers go from 3rd and 14. From the shotgun, Rodgers forces a throw to WR Donald Driver but CB Shawntae Spencer jumps the route and snatches the high pass out of the air for the 49ers third interception of the game.

After The Turnover... With excellent field position Alex Smith fakes to Frank Gore to the left side before turning and hitting WR Michael Crabtree on the inside slant, who proceeds to break a tackle and get a few extra yards before being brought down at 1st and goal after gaining 23 yards. From 1st and goal the Packers stack the line and Smith is hit as he throws and it falls incomplete. 2nd and goal from the 4 yard line and it's another fake to Gore. Smith stands with pressure in his face and throws high to TE Vernon Davis who snags it in his huge hands for his second touchdown of the game. The extra point is good and the 49ers lead 24-17.

Next Possession Nelson returns the kick to the 22-yard line. Ryan Grant gets four yards on the left side run and then loses a yard on an even wider left side run bringing up 3rd and 7. On the third down pass Jennings catches an inside slant but is cracked hard by Patrick Willis and drops it, making it incomplete. The Packers line up to punt. Brandon Jones gets about eight yards on the return.

After The Punt From the 41 yard line Smith drops back to pass and throws a pass right to a Packers defender, but he drops it and it falls incomplete. On the run to the right side Frank Gore is hit in the backfield and breaks two tackles. What should have been a five yard loss ends up being a 2-yard loss, but a loss nonetheless. Gore make up for it after catching a pass over the middle and converting the 3rd down. On third, Alex Smith rolls out and panics--he clearly has at least one receiver open but he caves and tucks the ball for a 9 yard sack from two Packers defenders. The 49ers exchange punts.

After Yet Another Punt The punt again goes through the end zone and Aaron Rodgers handsoff at the 20 yard line, but holding is called and the Packers line up at the 11. Greg Jennings catches on two 49ers defenders and picks up the 1st down and nothing more. Grant breaks a few tackles on the next handoff and gets six yards. Michael Lewis almost picks off a pass and the Packers get 3rd and 4. Rodgers is pressured badly on the next play and throws a deep incompletion. The Packers again punt.The 49ers line up to block it and almost get there. Jones muffs the punt but picks it up and gets to the 27-yard line,

Punts Punts Punts The first play is a 5-yard completion to Isaac Bruce and closes out the third quarter.

4th Quarter Alex Smith is sacked on the first play of the quarter by Williams, bringing up a 3rd and 11. It's a handoff to Gore for some reason and it looses one yard. The 49ers punt. Nelson gets it to the 30-yarrd line.

OMG STOP PUNTING IT I'M BORED Ok, not really, I hope the Packers have to punt here but after the first play, an inside slant for nine and a half yards I'm getting worried. Grant gets the carry up the right side and the chain gang confirms the first down. I think it was a generous spot. Grant then gets his biggest carry of the game, nine yards on the right side. 2nd and 1. Rodgers then hits Jones over the middle bringing up another first down.

Spencer almost picks off this next ball, but it's incomplete. Rodgers is hit hard by Manny Lawson but his pass is caught on the ground by Donald Driver... for a four yard loss. Manny Lawson comes back on the next play on third down and gets his first sack of the game for a loss of six. Packers punt, the wind catches it and it goes out at the 28-yard line.

Scared Me A Bit There, Next Possession Alex Smith has great protection but the receivers can't get any seperation, he tucks it, runs and slides for five yards. The next pass is incomplete, and the third is... picked off by defensive lineman Johnny Jolly, who goes a couple yards before fumbling it but the Packers fall on it.

After The Turnover... The Packers have good field position and off a fake to Grant complete a pass to James Jones to bring up first and goal which is followed by a touchdown pass to WR Nelson. The extra point is good and the Packers tie it again 24-24.

Next Possession Robinson takes the ball out of the endzone to the 24-yard line. The 49ers offense goes out on the field with 6:42 left in the game. The fist pass is a 19-yard completion to Vernon Davis over the middle, followed by Josh Morgans first catch of the game for 11 yards. On the next first down Alex Smith throws a high pass to WR Michael Crabtree for another first down. The Niners are putting together an impressive drive.

Frank Gore breaks by my count four tackles before being brought down after a two yard run to the left side on first down. TE Delanie Walker gets his first reception, for 9 yards and a first down. From 1st and 10 Alex Smith takes the snap and throws a perfect pass right into the hands of WR Michael Crabtree who picks up his first touchdown on the season. It is a 21-yard TD. The extra point is good and the 49ers lead again 31-24.

Next Possession Jackson gets the ball to the 29-yard line on the kickoff. The Packers go out with 3:52. They pick up nine yards on the first down pass but Rodgers goes down to a sack on the second down pass play by Aubrayo Franklin. 3rd and 9 with 2:50 left in the game. Rodgers is under pressure and gets hit before checking down to Donald Driver who loses five yards on the pass. At 4th and 13 the Packers have no choice but to punt, trusting in their defense. Jones breaks a tackle and gets the ball to the 46-yard line.

After The Punt Frank Gore picks up seven yards on the first down run to bring up the 2-minute warning. FB Moran Norris gets the call on the next play and gets two yards. On third down Frank Gore goes up the middle and picks up the first down just barely. The Packers spend a timeout. Gore picks up three yards and the Packers spend another timeout. Gore breaks a tackle on his way to another first down and the Packers are defeated. WIth 1:30 left the 49ers take a knee and then lineup for another. At 45 seconds it's a run from frank gore and then a kneeldown on third down. The 49ers win 31-24.

Final Score - San Francisco 49ers 31, Green Bay Packers 24

49ers		Packers
403	Total Offense	299
102	Rushing	45
301	Passing	254
2 (+1)	Turnovers	3 (-1)
4-10 (40%)	3rd Down Conv.	7-13 (53%)
2-15	Penalties	1-10
18:58	Posession Time	13:02

QB Alex Smith 19/26 323 YDS 73%, 4TD, 2 INT, 122.3

QB Aaron Rodgers 30/39 269 YDS 76%, 3TD, 3 INT, 88.5

HB Frank Gore 18 carries, 99 YDS, 5.5 AVG

HB Ryan Grant 19 carries, 45 YDS, 2.4 AVG

WR Michael Crabtree 5 REC, 106 YDS, 21.2 AVG, 1 TD

TE Vernon Davis 4 REC, 50 RDS, 12.5 AVG, 2 TD

WR James Jones 7 REC, 79 YDS, 11.2 AVG

LB Patrick Willis 7 TKL, 1 TFL, 2 INT

DT Aubrayo Franklin 1 SACK, 1 TFL, 3 TKL

LB Aaron Kampman 3 TKL, 1.5 SACK

Player Of The Game Near the end of the game Madden picked LB Patrick Willis as the player of the game. Willis was consistently pressuring when not in coverage and had two picks and one tackle for loss as well as having 7 solo tackles and being in on another. Willis also forced two incompletions out of the hands of WR Donald Driver.

Post Game This game was a slugfest, it was high scoring but still managed to be a strong defensive matchup. The 49ers played like the 49ers and the Packers played like the Packers, which is always a good thing. Not saying this is how it will go exactly on Sunday but some players who I figured would play well played well. The 49ers played strong run defense but gave up a whole lot of first downs. Rodgers stood in the pocket, only rolling out once or twice and the 49ers defensive line played a great game. Crabtree had a breakout game and Vernon Davis showed why he is a huge endzone threat, both literally and figuratively. I said it'd be high scoring before, and it was to a decent degree. I hope you've enjoyed this sim and as always, GO 49ERS!

Panthers Watch/49ers-Packers Thursday Injury Report

Fooch — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:15 -0000

Thursday Night Football returns tonight with another riveting matchup: MIami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers. One has to wonder if we'll get a better performance this week than we saw with the 49ers and Bears last week. Either way, it's a big game since the Carolina Panthers are involved. The Panthers are 3 point favorites, and a loss would be huge for draft pick purposes.

It's going to be an interesting one for the Dolphins, who placed Ronnie Brown on IR yesterday. Ricky Williams will get the start, but what is particularly interesting is the fact that Kory Sheets will be the #3 running back and might actually see a little bit of action, given the Dolphins heavy rushing attack. I'm sure that will be of particular intrigued to many folks here.

If you don't feel like discussing the game, you have a variety of options at your disposal. After the jump I've posted the Thursday injury report, followed by the post-practice transcript from Coach Singletary. Additionally, if you missed it, Florida Danny is back with a vengeance with the 49ers' team rankings from FO. All sorts of goodness is available here at Niners Nation today.

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)
OT Joe Staley (knee)

Did not Participate in Practice
RB Michael Robinson (not injury related)
LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder)

Limited Participation in Practice
DE Justin Smith (back)

Full Participation in Practice
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle, elbow)
RB Glen Coffee (concussion)
WR Michael Crabtree (knee)
DT Demetric Evans (shoulder)
SS Michael Lewis (quadricep)
S Mark Roman (knee)
OT Adam Snyder (shoulder)

Packers
Did not Participate in Practice
LB Desmond Bishop (ankle)
DE Cullen Jenkins (ankle)
C Scott Wells (concussion)

Limited Participation in Practice
OT Allen Barbre (ankle)
DE Johnny Jolly (back)
LB Clay Matthews (jaw)
RB John Kuhn (hand)

Full Participation in Practice
LB Brandon Chillar (hand)
TE Jermichael Finley (knee)
LB Aaron Kampman (concussion)
OT Mark Tauscher (knee)
LB Brady Poppinga (quadricep)
CB Charles Woodson (hip)
LB Brad Jones (concussion)

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Practice November 19, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Good afternoon. We had a good week of preparation this week. I am excited about the opportunity we have this weekend on Sunday going to Green Bay against a good opponent. It was a little different this week coming off of the Thursday night game - our guys getting a little rest here and there. Our guys that are banged up are trying to get a little more treatment, and having an extra day to prepare this week, all of that went really well for us because Green Bay, on offense and defense, they do some different things personnel-wise. On defense it is not a true 3-4, so it was good for us on both sides of the ball to have that extra day of preparation. Other than that, I just think Green Bay is a team that is well coached, they are a very disciplined team and they are playing well together as a team. My thought process going into the game is to make sure we do the same things. We are working towards being that team that we want to be that does not beat ourselves, that can be disciplined and that can play like a championship football team. That is what we inspire to be. I am excited about the opportunity at hand."

On the extra days of rest:

"You get one thing on the positive side, yes you get a few more guys a little more rested and a little more energy, but at the same time it breaks the routine. So you have to make sure guys get back in the routine, back into the football awareness with their thought process. You gain something, but you lose something and they kind of balance each other out after that first day getting back."

On whether there will just be walk-thrus the next two days:

"Yes, there will different kinds of walk-thru, but yes."

On whether he is done with installation this week:

"For the most part."

On the benefits of having installation done a day early:

"I think for us, it is just a matter of guys having that extra time. Whenever you are getting ready for a game, especially when you are getting ready for a game like this where they do some extra things that you might need a little extra time to prepare for, it just gives the guys that extra film time, extra time to visit with their position coach or coordinator, and just get a feel for any little thing that may be there that you can possibly solve and get ready to go forward."

On trying to stop the Packers offense:

"I think we just have to execute. You are exactly right, they have a good quarterback that can run around a little bit. They have good skill people that can run after the catch. But I think it is really important for us to be where we need to be and do a better job tackling and just executing overall as a defense."

On LB Takeo Spikes' status:

"Well, it is still going to be day-to-day. We are hopeful. With a guy like that, you are going to get him everything he needs and hopefully before the game he is ready to go. We will just have to wait and see."

On whether WR Michael Crabtree is becoming the go-to guy:

"You know what, as far as the numbers are concerned, whether Mike is No. 1, or the go-to guy, or whatever that is, I think the most important thing is that we are in sync as an offense. Who gets the ball more, I don't really care about that. I just think it is important that they really understand their routes and they really understand what we are trying to do in that particular offensive play and get the most out of the down. As far as the other things, getting more specific about who is the No. 1 receiver, the go-to receiver, I think that kind of stuff really gets teams in trouble. You start thinking more about, ‘I'm the go-to guy.' And we don't want that. We want the team concept and we are going to keep that concept going forward."

On whether the offense needs WR Michael Crabtree to become a go-to guy:

"I think that Mike Crabtree, as he gains more confidence and he gets better in the route running, I would think that he would get more balls, but at the same time I would think that [WR] Josh [Morgan], he would expect more balls. I would think that [WR] Jason Hill, he would expect more balls. I would think that [TE] Vernon [Davis], he would expect more balls. The better they get, the more mature they get, and the better they get at running their routes and understanding what they have to do, then it just depends on who's open and who the quarterback sees and what defenses the reads and all those kinds of things go into it."

On whether he addresses the team regarding the importance of this game from a playoff standpoint:

"No, you know what? As far as the importance of the game, I think this game is just as important as the first game we played at the beginning of the season. Every game is important to me. Every game has playoff implications, and I think it's important for us to be mindful of another opportunity that we have at hand and just try and make sure that our team is constantly coming together, constantly focused on getting better and being the best football team that we can be, and let everything else take care of itself."

On whether he ever talks about the playoffs with the team:

"Really, one of the things that I really try to strive with them is to just understand that it does us no good to talk about playoff implications, or whatever, if we don't take care of this week. I think the most important thing for us to do is just stay focused on this week. I know that right now, everybody is talking about the playoffs and all the other stuff, but if we don't take care of business, it doesn't do us any good if we're not continuing to get better, to talk about the playoffs."

On whether there is motivation to get back to .500:

"You have to think about it, but it's not something that I stress. The biggest thing that I stress and the coaches stress is really continuing to get better because, I think I said it before, there are some teams right now that are winning, but it doesn't mean they're getting better. And, when it gets hot, those teams, for whatever reason, are not going to perform their best. I'm going to stay focused on are we getting better? That's the most important thing to me. Are we getting better? And, I'll let all of the other stuff take care of itself. That's the question that we have to answer each week."

On whether he sees anything in Green Bay's offense that is similar to when Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was in San Francisco:

"No, I think, in all honesty, I just think that Mike McCarthy is a good coordinator. He did a good job when he was here with what he had to work with. I think he's there, and he has more control over what he's doing there and trying to develop what he wants. But, in my mind, what we're doing right now is the 49ers offense, and it's continuing to evolve. Mike has been there, and he's trying to establish what he feels is his offense. We're just going to go out of the defense and do the very best we can against a good football team."

On whether the 2005 season influenced his philosophy in young quarterbacks:

"The only thing that season did for me was really help me understand how important it is that you have great coaches and you have great talent. That's the only thing - when I think back on it - that's the only thing I think about in that season that I really learned. You really have to have great coaches, and you have to have great talent in order to win."

On why that season taught him that:

"If you had asked me about another season, I would have said the same thing. Any season that I've had here - great coaches, great talent. We need all the talent we can get. We need the best coaches we can find in order to win football games. That's the thing I've learned more so than anything else."

On how concerned he is about the match-up problems Packers DE Aaron Kampman presents:

"The only concern I have going into the game is that we execute. I have no other concern. There's not an individual. There's not a quarterback. The only thing I'm concerned about is the 49ers going in there and executing our offense and defense flawlessly and going from there. That's the only concern I have."

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."

49ers 10 - Bears 6: 49ers day-after press conference

Fooch — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:00:40 -0000

Mike Singletary usually has an 11:45am press conference the day after the 49ers play. Today it was bumped up to 10:45 and I didn't get a discussion post up. I just received the transcript for the press conference and have posted it after the jump. If you'd like to read it while watching the actual press conference, you can watch the archived footage at 49ers.com.

There is a whole assortment of quotable info, but there is always some particular useful thoughts. In terms of injuries, nobody has been knocked out for next week's game. Michael Lewis had a stinger, Arnaz Battle a quad injury, Mark Roman a knee contusion, Adam Snyder an AC Sprain, and Takeo Spikes a hamstring sprain. The 49ers were brutalized with bumps and bruises in the Titans game, but they came away relatively healthy (all things considered) after this game. Having a few extra days of rest will definitely help.

As for yesterday's inactives, it sounds like Isaac Bruce will be back and active next week at Green Bay. Morgan has supplanted him in the starting lineup, but no word yet on how this affects Jason Hill's playing time. As for Glen Coffee, there's no word yet on whether he'll be able to play next week. I'd say err on the side of caution with concussions, particularly as this one seems a little more rough than the Michael Lewis variety.

We'll have a separate post at some point about him, but I'd like to point out Coach Singletary's comments about the defensive line in general, and Aubrayo Franklin in particular:

[NT] Aubrayo Franklin, I thought, had another great game. He's been, probably, the most consistent player that we've had this year thus far. Aubrayo has that low center of gravity. He is always working at just trying to get his body in the right position to make plays. The best thing about him is he's very unselfish, as with [DT Isaac] Sopoaga and [DT] Justin Smith as well. That's really how you're effective against the run. You have unselfish players who are willing to do their job, get in the gap and hold those guys so the linebackers can get where they need to go, and then the linebackers have to be very disciplined going downhill to make sure that they're fitting in those areas as well.

All things considered, are most folks happy, or at least satisfied with the play of the defensive line? The pass rush that they provide (on top of what the OLBs are supposed to be doing) can be a bit inconsistent, but I have to say that what has made Aubrayo Franklin such a force in the middle now is that he's showing more consistency. Last season he finally started putting things together, and this year he's carried it over on a week to week basis. I realize sometimes he's utilized in a limited role, but I think he's really stepped up for this defense. There are still issues on the defense, but for any improvements they've made, Aubrayo Franklin definitely deserves some credit.

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Press Conference - November 13, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Good morning. I'll talk about the injuries first. [SS] Michael Lewis just has a stinger. [WR] Arnaz Battle, quad. [S Mark] Roman, knee contusion. [RT Adam] Snyder, AC sprain. [LB Takeo] Spikes, hamstring strain, and that's day-to-day. None are so serious that they won't play next week. Spikes, we just have to really watch from day-to-day and see how that goes. [WR] Isaac Bruce, his ankle, I'm sure, will be fine. I think when he is healthy, [WR] Josh Morgan will be the starter.

It was a good game to win last night for many different reasons. The biggest reason is you have a four-game losing streak, and it's just great that it came last night. So, I'm very thankful for that. I think, as I look at the special teams, the biggest thing is we've got to make those kicks. [K Joe] Nedney has to make that kick, and he knows that, and we're trying to get late in the game that pooch kick from our punter. We've got to get that one. Those are things that we have to do going forward. Normally, they're good about those things. I don't know what it was. I know Nedney hooked that kick, don't know why. The only thing I saw, the snap was kind of a poor snap. It was on the ground. He had to pick it up and set it up, and I don't know if that had anything to do with it. We'll find out later today when I talk with them. I thought overall, our special teams, our coverage team did a good job getting down field and getting good field position. I thought we did a pretty decent job overall.

Defensively, I thought out defense, it did what we focused on. They did what we talked about all week, and that was creating turnovers. And, we have to continue to do that, getting our offense the ball. We've got to continue to work on our tackling. A lot more of that was on the perimeter where our DBs were tackling. We just have to do a better job at tackling. We'll continue to work on that.

[NT] Aubrayo Franklin, I thought, had another great game. He's been, probably, the most consistent player that we've had this year thus far. Aubrayo has that low center of gravity. He is always working at just trying to get his body in the right position to make plays. The best thing about him is he's very unselfish, as with [DT Isaac] Sopoaga and [DT] Justin Smith as well. That's really how you're effective against the run. You have unselfish players who are willing to do their job, get in the gap and hold those guys so the linebackers can get where they need to go, and then the linebackers have to be very disciplined going downhill to make sure that they're fitting in those areas as well.

[LB] Matt Wilhelm stepped in and did a nice job for Takeo, and the reason we wanted to go with Matt - not that [LB] Scott [McKillop] is a bad player or anything - Matt has experience. And, that helps tremendously. I think Scott was doing a great job on special teams, and really contributing there. Matt Wilhelm just stepped in and has a really good understanding of this defense. Some of the same things that we do here are some of the concepts anyways that he was familiar with in San Diego. It just made it very natural for him to step in and understand what we're trying to do right away and get it done.

I think our rush was effective. Even though we didn't record a sack, I think that had a lot to do with [QB Jay] Cutler being off balance and not quite seeing what he was hoping to see or trying to see. That, sometimes, can be just as effective depending on the quarterback. So, defensively, overall we did a good job. We've got to continue to do a better job on tight ends. I think the tight end had a few plays. He's a good tight end. He's got great speed and creates matchups; bad matchups for us. For the most part, I think our guys just have to be more consistent in terms of when we have a tight end that's a special guy with good speed, you have to figure out a way to handle that. I think [TE] Vernon [Davis] creates a lot of the same mismatches for defenses when he's going, when he's playing.

The offense, I thought [QB] Alex [Smith] did a good job. I thought our offense did what they needed to do in order for us to win the game. Yes, we would have like to have gotten more points, and I think that will come. The fourth-down play, the fourth-and-one, we were in the red zone. I felt, let's go for it. It was fourth and less than a one, less than one yard to go. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't. Maybe it was too early in the game, or maybe I was too greedy early on. But, the thing that I want my offensive line to know, and I talked to them after that play, is I want them to know that I believe in them and I believe that any time that we go for a fourth down, the only reason that I'm going for that is because I believe they can get it. That was my thought process, and letting them know that.

I thought we did a good job running the ball. We felt that we could be effective running the ball, and it showed later on. And, because I felt our defense would do a good job against their offense, it's the reason that later on in the game we decided to run the ball more and not take a risk in throwing the ball and run some time off the clock and put the game away. And, that's pretty much it."

On whether he would thinks not scoring more points off of turnovers is troubling:

"I wouldn't say troubling. It's something we have to get better at. Whether you can complete the first down that we had the opportunity to get and continue to go, even though that wasn't on a turnover, I just think we have to do a better job overall in our offense. When we get on the field after a turnover, we have to have the thought process of converting. We've got to convert something, field goals, touchdowns - something. We just have to do a better job of that."

On whether QB Alex Smith's interception in the second quarter prompted him to be more cautious in the second half:

"I don't like any time there's a turnover or an interception. If you're going to get one, hopefully it's like a punt. But, on that particular play, I can certainly understand it. I just think Alex threw it more outside, and it should have been more inside, just a little bit inside. But, when the safety was coming over like he was, I just think it was a tough throw to make. You had to be right on the money to make that throw. Maybe his body position wasn't just right to do that."

On the reason for the penalties:

"I don't know. That bothered me a bit, and I will address that today. From a standpoint of, to me, you're going to have some offsides, and, to be honest with you, going into the game, because of some of the things Vernon said during the week, I think he had a penalty or two jumping offsides. Plus, getting ready to go in after pregame, and the guy coming over talking to him, I think he got in his head a little bit early on, and he wanted to make sure that he got the best of the guy. And, so that's the kind of stuff you don't want to get into because it makes it about you. Vernon and I talked about that before and after the game. I just think some of the other things are just inexcusable. The penalty on [CB] Tarell Brown, I talked to him just a bit after that and we're going to talk about that today. To me, they're what you call selfish penalties. That was a selfish penalty, when it becomes more about me and how tough I am and I'm going to show you I'm not going to take that. You put the team at risk. You put the team in a very difficult situation, particularly, that was a key situation. That just can't happen. It won't happen. So, we will deal with that today but we will not have those kinds of penalties in the game. It happened last night, but that's the last time this year that you will see us have those many penalties because that's one of the things we can't do. We're not the kind of team that - we are a disciplined team and we've got to do a much better job of that. And, we will."

On what Smith did well:

"I think he managed the game. I think he did a good job managing the game. I think he did a good job buying time, trying to make and getting outside of the pocket and trying to keep it going. I think there were times when guys were breathing down his neck and he found a way to make a play. I thought he did a good job there."

On the player's weekend schedule:

"We met about that this morning, talked about it. Tomorrow they will have off. Sunday they will have off. Then we'll come back next week and we are starting on Monday and we will work some on Monday. Then we will work the rest of the week and we will get ready to go."

On whether other teams think they can bait Davis before the game to throw him off:

"I just think what Vernon has done up to this point is really fantastic. I think going forward, he just has to remember that the Vernon that got him to this point is the Vernon that just goes out there and gets it done. If anyone comes up and talks to him or whatever, you just keep going. After the game you can stand there and talk, and maybe that's a good time. I think Vernon has grown up, and I don't think he really understands or he really knows how important he is to this team and how the team responds to him. He is just a gut who has a lot of energy, that is really what it boils down to. He has so much energy and is a very emotional guy. You want guys like that because you have to have guys like that to win championships, and he possesses that. The more we talked about it yesterday, he knows as we are going forward that he has to do a better job of being one of the leaders of this team. And he will do a better job."

On why he didn't call a timeout late in the second quarter to get his team into a two-minute situation:

"That's why I didn't do it, because the fact that they did convert it. That would have just given them that much more time to work with and I didn't want to do that. I felt that if we got the ball back, we will take a shot or do whatever. But I just didn't want to take that risk. That's all."

On WR Isaac Bruce's role the rest of the season:

"He is still going to play. He is still going to play. We just think that the time has come with Josh Morgan where we want to see what he can do as the starter and let him take that lead and let's see what he can do with it. Isaac Bruce is still going to mentor. Isaac Bruce is still going to play. He is still going to make plays, but he is just not going to start. His time will be a little bit limited there. That's all."

On having a successful defensive game plan despite the short week:

"First of all, it is huge for [defensive coordinator] Greg Manusky and his staff to just really work their tails off and try and figure out, not just yesterday but week-in and week-out, try to put in a game plan. Some games you have a feel for what the offense is going to do, what the quarterback is trying to do and some tendencies he might have. When that happens, and it happened a few times this year, when that happens, it really makes it nice for our defense because now you go into a game and it takes a lot of the guessing out of it and you can anticipate more. I think as you go into a game defensively and you can begin to anticipate early in a game, and some of those things you are anticipating are being called, that makes you play that much faster. There are other times you go into a game and they kind of change those tendencies. When teams change those tendencies, it makes it more difficult to have a bead on them. I think overall defensively, week-in and week-out, Greg and his staff do a great job of trying to put the guys in position to win."

On S Mark Roman's long interception drought before last night's game:

"I was aware of the drought and very happy to see him get a turnover, get an interception and be able to run with it a little. That was great to see."

On whether having multiple guys step up can become a staple of the defense:

"I would like to think so. Going forward, I think we just have to continue working and we just have to continue to study and the coaches will continue to do a good job getting our guys in a position to win. I think for us as a team, getting into that second half of the season and knowing that sense of urgency that we have and where we are trying to go and the things we are trying to do, it is very important that we continue to play fast, continue to do all the little things that help us win football games. Going forward, hopefully we can do that."

On whether Nedney's early miss played a role in his decision to punt late in the game:

"Yeah, it played a role. But not only that, but it was really windy at that time and I felt if you try to kick a field goal you could get one of those where the ball is held in the air and they have a chance to return it. You don't want to be in that situation. I just felt it was a great opportunity to get a punt and pin them inside the five, or something like that. It just didn't work out."

On whether Bears CB Nathan Vasher's long touchdown return from several years ago was on his mind:

"Yes. Yes. Absolutely."

On whether this game could boost S Michael Lewis for the rest of the year:

"Yeah, Michael Lewis can be a big-play guy. He is a big hitter and I am just glad we have him. He is just a steady guy back there trying to make plays and his leadership - he is the guy who leads by example. So that was really good to see."

Mining Your Way to Fantasy Gold - Kiss the Rings Edition (Week 10)

Andrew Davidson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:30:31 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Browse more photos »

It's game day, and I'm taking a different approach to my regular fantasy article this week. Aside from the fact I did horribly last week in recommending my sit/start suggestions (although if you benched Colston you're welcome), no one really chirped me about it so I figure I don't have to remind anyone about it (in detail at least). I'm going to take a deeper look into the San Francisco 49ers fantasy impact for this game against the Chicago Bears, as well as having my regular sit/start forecasts (on Saturday). This time I'll try to be accurate, so let's see how our boys stack up against Da Bears.

Frank Gore - Bears Rush Defense: 21st in the NFL, 119.5 rypg (171.3 last 3 games, 182 last week vs. Arizona). It should also be noted that the Bears Run D has allowed 0.9 TDs per game, and averages 115.5 rush yards allowed while on the Road. This is a favourable match-up for Gore, as our stud RB has had a TD in each of his past two games with 292 total yards (174 rushing). Last week against the Titans, Gore had a solid game gaining his yards in steady chunks (his longest run was 13 yards) instead of a huge chunk coming on one big run (like in weeks' past). He also added 7 reception for 75 yards and seems to have put his ankle injury behind him. Forecast vs. Chicago: 100 rush yards, 1 TD; 5 receptions, 40 yards, 0 TD (5 Rings Baby!)

After the jump, see how many rings Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Alex Smith and the San Francisco Team DEF...

Vernon Davis - Chicago Pass Defense: 12th in the NFL, 206.5 (187.7 last 3, 256 last week vs. Arizona). Chicago allows an average of 202.8 pypg on the road, and 2 TDs per game to opponents (2.2 on the road). On paper, it looks like a pretty solid match-up for VD tonight, but the Bears have been pretty good at limiting TE yardage production. Chicago has only allowed two TEs to top the 50-yard mark (Will Heller - DET, Tony Gonzalez - ATL). Where the Bears have struggled is defending TEs in the red zone, yeilding 6 TDs to TEs on the season, including 2 last week against the Cardinals. Davis had 10 catches for 102 yards last week against the Titans, but was held out of the end zone; on the season he's tied for the NFL lead with 7 TDs. I think he'll do just fine tonight, seeing as the Bears Defense is 31st in the league in Red Zone defense, allowing opponents to score 74.1% of the time. Forecast vs. Chicago: 6 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD (4 Rings)

Michael Crabtree - You saw the Chicago pass defense ratings already, so you know Crabtree stands a chance at catching a TD and getting a decent amount of yards. The 10th overall draft pick really let me down against the Titans, so I'm going to temper my expectations for tonight. I don't expect Jason Hill to put up 2 TDs a game, or the team to ignore Crabtree in the end zone. The Bears have allowed 5 WRs to have 100-yard games against on the season; all five of those performances came from the oppositions #1 WR. While I don't think Crabtree will score, I do think he has a chance to do some damage and get some decent receiving totals. Forecast vs. Chicago: 5 receptions, 80 yards, 0 TDs (3 Rings)

Alex Smith - Chicago is ranked 19th in the league, allowing QBs to complete 62.4% of their passes against the secondary (Warner completed 68.8% last week). The Bears are also ranked 18th in the league with a sack percentage of 6.1%, while sacking the QB just 16 times total. Another promising stat? The Bears have allowed teams to complete 42.2% of third down opportunities, good news for a team that struggles with 3-and-outs. Chicago has intercepted opposing QBs 8 times on the year, so it actually looks like Alex Smith stands a chance. However, the Bears have yet to allow a 300-yard passer, so don't look for #11 to light up the Fantasy Scoreboard indefinitely. Forecast vs. Chicago: 220 Pass Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 25 rush yards, 0 FL, 3 times sacked (3 Rings)

San Francisco Team DEF - Chicago Total Offense: 22.5 PPG, 332.4 Total Yards Per Game (90.4 rypg, 242 pypg), 46.4% Red Zone Scoring, 39.6% Third Down Conversions. Chicago's offense certainly isn't the scariest the 49ers have faced this season, but the team did allow 34 points to the Titans (after allowing just 18 to the Colts?). San Francisco has been allowing an average of 21.8 PPG (tied for 17th) on the season. The 49ers have a solid red zone defense, ranked 9th with opponent's successful just 47.8% of the time. Unfortunately, the 49ers struggle on Third Downs, allowing opponents to convert 40.2% of the time (ranked 23rd). San Francisco's pass defense is struggling with just a 5.6% sack rate, while allowing 241 pypg (and an opponent completion rate of 60.8%). This isn't a very favourable match-up (well for the Bears it is), and things could go either way. I'd leave the 49ers defense on the bench, as I expect this game to be an offensive co-ordinator's delight. Forecast vs. Chicago: 20 Points Allowed, 2 Sacks, 1 INT, 0 FR, 0 TD, 0 BLK Kicks (2 Rings)

The Rest of the Squad

Despite his 2-TD performance against the Titans, I'm against people running out and grabbing Jason Hill off the waiver wire. It's nice to see him produce and get playing time, but let's stay off the bandwagon for the time being. If his performance continues this week, I say go ahead and snipe him off waivers in the deep leagues. I would then say go ahead and question why he's been stuffed on the bench up until now. If you're in a league with IDP (Individual Defensive Players), I think you may want to look at adding Tarell Brown and giving him a go against Cutler. The Bears QB has thrown 10 of his 12 INTs on the road, and while I don't see the 49ers picking him off a bunch, I see Brown getting the lone INT tonight. And for the record, 49ers 23, Bears 20.

Note: All Team Based-Stats are courtesy of TeamRankings. All other stats provided by Yahoo!.

Special Note: This post was brought to you by the fine people at S-Mart. Shop Smat, Shop S-mart. Right now if you buy one chainsaw, you'll receive a boomstick at half-price and a free necronomicon decoder.

Fooch, I hope you don't mind me taking sponsorship without your permission. Hail to the Rings, baby.

Golden Nuggets: Win or bust

Ninjames — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:17 -0000

Mooorning, folks. I'm writing this a couple hours early as I have to get plenty of sleep for the game today. I'll be showing up quite a few hours early, as usual, just long enough to actually begin thinking positively for this game. Don't get me wrong, I haven't given up on this team and I don't think I ever will, but I just don't feel so good about this season anymore. Still, as always, I should be yelling until my throat gives out. I want it to be like the Rams game or the Seahawks game, when not only could I not speak but I also found it hard to grip anything--the guys surrounding me give pretty vicious high fives, ya know? On Sunday I didn't get many opportunities to do that, my hand was left un-fived. I'm getting more and more tired so I'm just going to get to your links.

Ex-49ers offensive coordinator and Rams head coach Mike Martz isn't sold on Alex Smith or Shaun Hill as good quarterbacks for the future of the Niners. (SacBee.com)

Isaac Bruce wont be suiting up today--but WR Jason Hill will. Bruce allegedly hurt his ankle in practice, but methinks the 49ers just want Hill. (PressDemocrat.com)

Some good notes, quotes and a preview of today's game from Maiocco. (PressDemocrat.com)

Today's game will speak louder than Vernon Davis' words. (PressDemocrat.com)

I don't really follow how this is getting weird, but I guess it is. I sort of figured confidence was a given before a game? Guess not. (SFGate.com)

Vernon Davis' comments have him on the defensive now. (ESPN.com)

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

The 49ers are prepared for the spotlight. (49ers.com)