SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Jim Harbaugh said Thursday about the Arizona Cardinals. Do you get the sense that the Cardinals are, have been or are a big-time rival for the 49ers? “Division opponent, I really believe that your next game is your most important game and that’s how we’ve approached it around here.” What habit do you need to keep when you’re defending Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald?…
SANTA CLARA — 49ers’ right cornerback, Tarell Brown, spoke in the media tent Thursday afternoon. Here’s how he explained the 49ers’ pass defense being ranked No.1 in the NFL. Q: Do you think you guys have improved covering the deep ball? There doesn’t seem to be very many deep passes against you. BROWN: Yeah, I think so. We really focus on that during the week. Our coaches stress it, as…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Tarell Brown said Thursday about the Arizona Cardinals offense. Q: How do the Cardinals use Larry Fitzgerald? BROWN: He’s their X receiver (split end), so I think I’ll get him most of the game. They move him around a lot. They do a great job of putting him in the slot, putting him in the three-receiver slot as well. I think we’ll all have an…
SANTA CLARA — Aldon Smith spoke Thursday afternoon in the 49ers media tent. Here’s what he said about the defense’s No.1 ranking against the pass and the state of the pass rush. Q: You guys are ranked No.1 in pass defense right now. How much do you guys take pride in that? ALDON SMITH: We all take pride in it. That’s all of us working together – safeties covering, corners…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Aldon Smith said Thursday about playing every down as opposed to just passing downs this season. Q: Is it a big transition for you this season playing every down? Are teams still playing you the same way? ALDON SMITH: I play every down now, so maybe I get more double teams than maybe I would have. Really it’s all football. Some teams play their game…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Aldon Smith said Thursday about the Arizona Cardinals. Q: How do you view this game against the Cardinals? ALDON SMITH: It’s the next game. It’s a big game. It’s a Monday night game. It’s a division opponent. Q: Calais Campbell said he hates the 49ers with a passion. Do you guys share the same feelings toward them? ALDON SMITH: I’m sorry he feels that way,…
SANTA CLARA — Alex Smith spoke at his locker Thursday afternoon. Here’s what he said about his injured finger, and the perception that he has lost confidence. Q: After the Seahawks game, there were a couple of national stories written about you and your confidence. ALEX SMITH: How’d they say it is? Q: Not good. ALEX SMITH: Oh, OK. Q: They said your confidence was shaken in that game. What’s…
SANTA CLARA — Alex Smith did not throw a pass to Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis last Thursday Night. Here’s what Alex Smith said about that Thursday at his locker. Q: You didn’t throw any passes to Vernon Davis last week. How important is it for you to get him involved in the offense early and often? ALEX SMITH: He’s a key for us. He’s a great player, a…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Alex Smith said Thursday afternoon about the 49ers upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals. Q: Do you hate the Arizona Cardinals with a passion? ALEX SMITH: Hate is a strong word. They’re a division opponent. Obviously, there’s a lot of history there – we play them twice a year. Great rivalry. Hate is a word I wouldn’t use. Q: Every time you go there it…
NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell spoke on KNBR’s The Murph and Mac Show Thursday morning. Here’s what he said about the 49ers’ game plan for their upcoming Monday night match up against the Arizona Cardinals. COSELL: “I think the 49ers will approach this game the exact same way [they approached the Seahawks]. I don’t think they’ll feel that the Cards can score very much. They’ve got a got a quarterback…
Here’s what NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell said about Alex Smith Thursday morning on The Murph and Mac Show. COSELL: “I don’t know what’s in Jim Harbaugh’s head. I don’t know what’s in Alex Smith’s head. I can tell you my sense watching the tape was that Alex was concerned about throwing interceptions. He checked down fairly quickly – if the primary read was not there, he checked it down….
Here’s how Greg Cosell explained Vernon Davis not catching a pass against the Seahawks Thursday morning on The Murph and Mac Show. COSELL: “First of all, I don’t think their pass game was very dynamic. I don’t think it was very multidimensional this week. Watching the film, I definitely got the impression they felt this would be a low-scoring game. They were going to run the ball. “I don’t think…
Here’s what NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell said on The Murph and Mac Show Thursday morning about the Seattle Seahawks cornerbacks’ rough play against the 49ers wide receivers last Thursday night. Q: Did your film study show the Seahawks DBs were too physical with the 49ers? COSELL: “Clearly there were plays when you watch the film, you say, ‘Boy, that probably should be a pass interference penalty.’ [Jim Harbaugh’s] concern…
First Pete Carroll responded to Harbaugh’s claim that the Seahawks’ cornerbacks were too rough Thursday night. Now one of the cornerbacks in question, Richard Sherman, has fired back at Harbaugh as well. Here’s what Sherman told the Seattle Times Wednesday: “Sometimes, man, when the bully gets bullied, that’s how that happens. He’s the same guy who said the other guy was irrational and ignorant for talking about the refs.” Richard…
Patrick Peterson spoke to Bay Area reporters on a conference call Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers. Q: In terms of this being a rivalry game, what kind of buzz is going on in the locker room, and what sense are you getting from the veteran guys about how important the Niner game is? PETERSON: This is a huge game. One, it’s on Monday night and two,…
Here’s what Cardinals cornerback and punt returner Patrick Peterson said about returning punts Wednesday afternoon to Bay Area reporters on a conference call. Q: The 49ers did a good job limiting your punt returns last year. Do you remember what they did and how much punter Andy Lee had to do with it? PETERSON: Andy Lee, he’s probably the best punter in the National Football League right now, but those…
Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt spoke to Bay Area reporters Wednesday morning on a conference call. Here’s what he said about the 49ers. Q: Calais Campbell was talking on the radio yesterday about how much he and Darnell Dockett hate the 49ers. Does that represent your whole team’s view of the 49ers? WHISENHUNT: I certainly can’t speak for the whole team, but I think one of the things I…
Here’s what Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said about his team to Bay Area reporters Wednesday morning on a conference call. Q: How is your schedule this week impacted by the Monday night game? WHISENHUNT: We just did a normal week Monday-Tuesday, so we’re going to have the extra day of practice today and then our normal routine Thursday. That’s the schedule that we’re going with since we played…
Let’s rank the top-5 head coaches in the NFL and see why Jim Harbaugh, with all due respect, doesn’t yet make the cut. I base my rankings on productivity and evaluation and utilization of personnel in good times as well as bad. Who gets the most out of what they have and who can motivate the players to be the best they can be even when times are tough or…
There’s been a lot of debate lately about whether the 49ers should pass the ball more to Vernon Davis. Here are some stats to help inform the discussion: Last season, the 49ers targeted Vernon Davis on 21 percent of their passes. They targeted Michael Crabtree 25 percent of the time. This season, Crabtree is still receiving a quarter of 49ers the targets, but Davis’ target percentage has dropped to 17…
