The 49ers dismissed the Rams 31-17 in St. Louis Monday night. Here are the 49ers’ grades. KAEPERNICK: A. His best game this season. The Rams stopped the 49ers’ run game and forced Kaepernick to win with his arm. He did. His deep 80-yard touchdown pass before halftime hit Brandon Lloyd in stride. On the opening drive of the second half, Kaepernick converted a third-and-12, anticipated an opening downfield and fired…
SANTA CLARA — Here is the transcript of Greg Roman’s Friday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. Opening comments: “Afternoon. We’ve got a division game against the Rams. We know them well, they know us. [Rams defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams is back there as the d-coordinator. We have a lot of respect for him. He’s doing a great job with that defense. And, it really starts up front…
SANTA CLARA — Colin Kaepernick was interviewed by Bay Area reporters in the 49ers’ locker room Thursday afternoon. Here’s a transcript courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. Are you going to get next in ping pong? “I don’t want to beat anyone right now.” Are you a pretty good ping pong player? “Hold my own.” Did you play a lot as a kid or more in college? “At…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s the complete transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. What do you see when you’ve looked at the Rams here? The last two weeks couple of close games coming off of a win before that. What kind of challenge do they pose to you guys? “Big challenge. Have always had knock-down, drag-out games with the Rams. Expect this to be…
SANTA CLARA – The 49ers eked out a 22-17 win over the Chiefs Sunday afternoon. But the 49ers should have lost. The Chiefs gave away the game. With four minutes and 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter Kansas City committed one of the stupidest penalties you ever will see: Fourth-and-2 at the Chiefs’ 36-yard line. Phil Dawson was on the field to attempt a 54-yard field goal and, if…
This is my Saturday column. Alex Smith is better than Colin Kaepernick. Face it. Jim Harbaugh picked the wrong quarterback. The 49ers never should have traded Smith, never should have benched him in the first place. Remember how it went down? Harbaugh was so eager to bench Smith, Harbaugh broke an unwritten rule, an NFL tradition – a player does not lose his starting job if he gets hurt. Alex…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s the transcript of Greg Roman’s Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. Opening comments: “Afternoon. I think everybody saw the game on Monday night and saw the type of opponent that we’re getting ready to play. Very good on defense. Lead the league in a lot of different categories or up at the top. Very good at creating turnovers. A combination of very good…
SANTA CLARA – Alex Smith was interviewed by Bay Area reporters on a conference call Wednesday afternoon. Here’s a transcript. Q: Is it weird it to be game planning and studying the 49ers’ defense as an opponent? AS: It is and it isn’t. It’s so far removed. I feel like a lot has happened since then and we played them last year in the preseason. A lot has gone on….
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh was interviewed by Bay Area reporters Wednesday afternoon. Here’s a transcript courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. Is this different, just the preparation in any way, facing somebody at the quarterback position that you know so well? “To some degree it is. I think about it. When we start talking about the scouting report and it’s [Chiefs QB] Alex [Smith]. So, yeah, in some ways…
SANTA CLARA – The 49ers beat the Eagles 26-21 Sunday afternoon. Here are the 49ers’ grades. KAEPERNICK: B-. Made both of the 49ers’ touchdowns happen. On the first one he scrambled left, drew the Eagles’ entire defense and threw back to the right, across the whole field to Frank Gore who was wide open. One of the most thrilling plays you’ll see. Next, Kaepernick scrambled to the left and threw…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s a transcript of Colin Kaepernick’s Wednesday interview, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. How tough does the Eagles defense look to you? “Very good defense. Do a lot of different things and do a lot of things well.” Do you think that the offense right now is grappling in any way with an identity issue? Are you guys a power-running team? Are you a spread-it-out…
This is my Tuesday column on the 49ers’ offense. Who are these guys? The 49ers’ offense used to have an identity. It was a power-running offense. It was a rhinoceros. It had a metamorphosis last week and now it’s a bug. The 49ers rode the rhinoceros to three consecutive NFC championships and one Super Bowl appearance. Twice, the rhinoceros trampled the Arizona Cardinals last season – 49ers halfbacks carried the…
GLENDALE, AZ. – The 49ers lost 23-14 to the Cardinals. Here are the 49ers’ grades. KAEPERNICK: A. Gained 290 of the 49ers’ 318 total yards. Ran 13 times for 54 yards and completed 78.4 percent of his passes. Passer rating was 103.3. The entire offense was Kaepernick. Hard to win in the NFL with a one-player offense. RUNNING BACKS: D. Frank Gore carried the ball 6 times and gained 10…
GLENDALE, AZ. — This is the transcript of Colin Kaepernick’s post-game press conference. Q: You may have answered this before and I apologize but the offense plays better in the first half than the second. Why? KAEPERNICK: I did answer that and it’s execution. Q: Does that mean you execute better in the first half than the second half? KAEPERNICK: We have so far. Q: Do you understand why? Do…
Before we move on to Week 3, one more thing about Week 2. I question Greg Roman’s play call on the 49ers’ final play against the Bears. The 49ers were at the Bears’ 17 yard line with 1:17 left and it was fourth-and-9. Roman called a play where Michael Crabtree ran a post route and ended up in the end zone and Anquan Boldin ran a hitch-and-go double move and…
This is my Thursday column on Colin Kaepernick. When Colin Kaepernick says he sees pass coverages, does he really see pass coverages? It is the essential question about him as an NFL quarterback. The question might have seemed impertinent before Sunday night. But, at his postgame press conference, Kaepernick kept bringing up the Bears’ coverages without being asked about them. He was coverage-obsessed. This after he had thrown three interceptions….
On the 49ers’ final offensive play Sunday Night — the fourth-and-nine from the Bears’ 17-yard line, the incomplete pass intended for Michael Crabtree, the loud thud on the end zone grass — Colin Kaepernick claimed the Bears’ defense was in Cover 3. His exact words were, “They had Cover 3, we got the look we wanted, we just have to make that play.” The Bears were not in Cover 3. The Bears…
SANTA CLARA — This is a transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Monday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. When Carolina Panthers DE Greg Hardy was inactive for the Panthers, did that cause you guys to reevaluate DT Ray McDonald’s situation at all whether he’d play or not? “No. We didn’t compare the two situations.” You talked last night about QB Colin Kaepernick making good throws. When you look back…
Here is a transcript of Colin Kaepernick’s post-game press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department. Colin, how do you evaluate your personal performance in the game? “Terrible.” Turnovers…Were you trying to do too much you think maybe? “I mean, I made the throws I wanted to but they made plays on the ball.” Your two interceptions to your left, what did you see on those two passes? “We had…
SANTA CLARA – The 49ers lost 28-20 to the Bears Sunday Night. Here are the 49ers’ grades. KAEPERNICK: F. His worst game since two games ago. Looked like Tony Romo looked last week. Committed four turnovers – one fumble and three interceptions. Would have been five turnovers but one of the interceptions hit the grass before a Bears’ defensive back caught it. Also committed a delay of game penalty on…
