Kaepernick’s foot faults

Here is my Saturday column on Colin Kaepernick. Watch Colin Kaepernick’s feet this Sunday. The 49ers play the Cardinals in Arizona and the game means very little to the Niners. Win or lose, the 49ers will make the playoffs. They’ll be a wild-card team if the Seahawks beat the Rams, and the Seahawks probably will beat the Rams. And the 49ers probably will beat the Cardinals. You already know the…

December 28, 2013
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Return to the NFL winner’s circle

Here is my Sunday article on the last great moment at Candlestick Park. This article runs in the Press Democrat’s Sunday sports section. SANTA CLARA — A few days before the last game ever played at Candlestick Park, Vernon Davis walked off the practice field talking to Frank Gore after a morning walkthrough. Davis had agreed to do a one-on-one interview after the walkthrough about the last great moment at…

December 22, 2013
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Scott Tolzien deserves better than to leave on a fade route

Here is my Wednesday column. Scott Tolzien is no longer a 49er. He deserves a proper goodbye. The 49ers’ third-string quarterback the past two seasons got cut on Monday. He was a terrific quarterback at the University of Wisconsin, the Johnny Unitas Award winner in 2010, but no team drafted him after his senior season. His arm wasn’t strong enough for the NFL then, it isn’t strong enough now and…

August 28, 2013
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Pre-training-camp playoff and Super Bowl predictions

We have nine more days to kill before training camp starts, so let’s predict which 12 teams will make the playoffs and which team will win the Super Bowl. I’m not looking to start a fight, just a discussion. I reserve the right to change my predictions as many times as I want before the season starts. NFC West: Seattle Seahawks. They won 11 games last season, and with the…

July 15, 2013
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Which NFL quarterbacks will have passer ratings better than 95 this season?

Last season, 10 quarterbacks finished the regular season with passer ratings better than 95.0. Those quarterbacks were: 1. Aaron Rodgers: 108.0 2. Peyton Manning: 105.8 3. Alex Smith: 104.1 4. Robert Griffin III: 102.4 5. Russell Wilson: 100.0 6. Matt Ryan: 99.1 7. Tom Brady: 98.7 8. Colin Kaepernick: 98.3 9. Ben Roethlisberger: 97.0 10. Drew Brees: 96.3 Which quarterbacks do you think will have passer ratings better than 95.0…

June 30, 2013
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Which team is the Super Bowl sleeper?

I know most of you think the 49ers are going to win the Super Bowl this season. For the sake of discussion, let’s say they don’t. In that case, which team would be your Super Bowl sleeper? Here’s what NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah tweeted last night: “Just talked to an exec about the upcoming season…Both of us agreed the NFC > AFC…His SB sleeper? Saints.” The Saints are a good choice….

June 27, 2013
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Kaepernick vs. the QBs on the 49ers’ 2013 schedule

49ers fans and Bay Area residents are hyper-aware of Colin Kaepernick’s excellent 2012 season. He took Alex Smith’s starting job Week 10, started the final-seven games of the regular season and was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over that stretch. I thought it would be interesting to compare Kaepernick’s final-seven regular season games to the final-seven regular season games of each of the quarterbacks the 49ers will…

May 20, 2013
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Whitner on the Falcons’ offense: “When they come in the middle of the field, we’re going to be extremely physical.”

SANTA CLARA — Donte Whitner held court at his locker Tuesday morning. Here’s what he said about the Atlanta Falcons’ offense. Q: You guys have had success against the best quarterbacks – Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees. How will translate against Matt Ryan and the unique challenges he presents? WHITNER: First and foremost, when you play the top quarterbacks in the league, you have to understand that pre-snap is…

January 15, 2013
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49ers-Saints matchups: Part V – Jimmy Graham vs. Willis and Whitner

The 49ers play the Saints Sunday at the Superdome. In the meantime, I’ll break down five key matchups. TE Jimmy Graham vs. LB Patrick Willis and SS Donte Whitner This is the one matchup the 49ers will not win. Jimmy Graham is too tall and too athletic. Drew Brees frequently throws the ball up and gives Graham chances to make great catches. He made a bunch of great catches against…

November 24, 2012
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Saints-49ers matchups: Part IV – Darren Sproles vs. NaVorro Bowman

The 49ers play the Saints Sunday at the Superdome. In the meantime, I’ll break down five key matchups. RB Darren Sproles vs. LB NaVorro Bowman When the 49ers front-seven has struggled against running backs this season, they’ve struggled against big, tough running backs. Sproles is a small, quick back who catches passes more often that he carries the football. He is Brees’ go-to possession receiver. When Brees needs six yards,…

November 24, 2012
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Saints-49ers matchups: Part III – Bushrod and Grubbs vs. Aldon and Justin Smith

The 49ers play the Saints Sunday at the Superdome. In the meantime, I’ll break down five key matchups. LT Jermon Bushrod and LG Ben Grubbs vs. Aldon and Justin Smith These two O-linemen are over matched. They will not be able to stop either Smith one-on-one, and they will not be able to handle the T/E Stunt. They couldn’t handle it in the playoffs last season. The two Smiths racked…

November 24, 2012
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Fangio says the Saints offense is “pretty proficient and explosive.”

Vic Fangio held a press conference Thursday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the Saints offense, courtesy of the 49ers.   What are your initial thoughts on the Saints offense? “Pretty proficient and explosive. Any time you’ve got a quarterback of [QB Drew] Brees’ ability and stature playing in the same offense now for six or seven years with a lot of the same guys around him and with all…

November 22, 2012
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Kaepernick cracks Berry’s top-10 fantasy QBs

ESPN’s fantasy football guru Matthew Berry just posted his top-10 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 12. They are: 1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Peyton Manning 3. Robert Griffin III 4. Matt Ryan 5. Tom Brady 6. Andrew Luck 7. Drew Brees 8. Colin Kaepernick 9. Cam Newton 10. Andy Dalton Who’s not on the list: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, Alex Smith.

November 21, 2012
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Alex Smith says arm strength is overrated

Mike Florio interviewed Alex Smith on Pro Football Talk Live Friday morning. Florio asked Smith what is the biggest difference between playing quarterback in college and in the NFL, and here’s what Smith said. ALEX SMITH: “For one, decision making. It starts there. You have to be able to make the decisions. You have to be able to process fast. There’s so much more volume offensively and defensively. You have…

November 2, 2012
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Tolzien: “I’ve got a long ways to go before I’m Drew Brees.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Scott Tolzien was on the side of the field at Candlestick Park signing autographs today when Donte Whitner officially dubbed him “Baby Drew Brees.” A few writers walked over to Tolzien afterward and he was happy to talk. He had a big smile on his face and he answered each question with earnest humbleness. Here’s what he said. Q: How do you think you did against the…

August 12, 2012
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Donte Whitner nicknames Scott Tolzien “Baby Drew Brees”

SAN FRANCISCO – Donte Whitner spoke to the media in the middle of Bill Walsh Field after Fan Fest on Sunday. Someone asked him a question about backup quarterback Scott Tolzien, and this is what Whitner said. Q: What is it about Scott Tolzien that makes him effective? WHITNER: I call him “Baby Drew Brees.” I remember the other day, (Brian) Tyms ran a fade in the back of the…

August 12, 2012
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Alex Smith saves the day (Lowell column)

My dad wrote his column on Alex Smith. In it, he gives the quarterback his due – Smith did what almost everyone said he couldn’t. He won a shootout. He led not one but two game-winning touchdown drives. And he did all this in a playoff game. To read the column, click here.

January 14, 2012
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The Niners beat the Saints 36-32: Grades

Here are my divisional playoff grades for the Niners, who beat the Saints 36-32 and will play in the NFC Championship game next weekend. Alex Smith: A+. Let’s get the negatives out of the way first – he didn’t play well in the middle of the game. Ok, now that we’ve established that, let’s talk about the positives. He made two plays to win the game. The first was the…

January 14, 2012
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Steve Young on the Niners defense: “They’ll figure out a way to keep that score 24 or less.”

Ralph Barbieri and Tom Tolbert interviewed Steve Young on the KNBR this afternoon, and here’s what Young said about the Niners’ upcoming matchup with the New Orleans Saints. TOLBERT: What’s Alex Smith going through this week? What was it like for you your first home playoff game as a starter? YOUNG: “Well, way different from me, Tom, because I’d been around so long.  I think we had nine playoff games…

January 11, 2012
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Justin Smith breaks down the Saints offense

SANTA CLARA – Justin Smith spoke at the podium in the Niners media tent today, and this is what he said. Q: The Saints have two Pro Bowl guards (Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans). Are those the toughest two guards you’ve faced this year? JUSTIN SMITH: Yeah, absolutely. Those guys are really good at what they do. They’re big guys. They move their feet – all the things you want….

January 11, 2012
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