Regular season award predictions

It’s late June, and that means it’s prediction time. Today we’re predicting who will win the big regular season awards this year. I’ll go first. MVP and Offensive Player of the Year: Peyton Manning. Yes, Manning lost Eric Decker. But the Broncos replaced him with Emmanuel Sanders and Cody Latimer. That’s an upgrade. And Manning gets back Ryan Clady, the All-Pro left tackle who missed all but two games last season. Defensive Player…

June 28, 2014
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Raiders go all in to win now

This is my Friday column on the Raiders. 49ers fans — feel free to skip this. I wrote off the Raiders 15 minutes after free agency began, wrote them off as soon as general manager Reggie McKenzie let franchise left tackle, Jared Veldheer, sign with the Cardinals. The Raiders will be lucky to win five games next season, I wrote. Since then, the Raiders have signed 11 new starters. All…

April 4, 2014
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Ranking the top QBs in the NFL

Who are the best QBs in the NFL? I’m going rank them by tiers. You’re free to rank the QBs however you see fit. TIER ONE: GREAT QUARTERBACKS. QBs who can carry a team even if it lacks a good defense or key offensive personnel. 1. Peyton Manning 2. Aaron Rodgers 3. Tom Brady 4. Drew Brees TIER TWO: GOOD QUARTERBACKS. QBs who lack one or two qualities the great ones have. QBs…

March 3, 2014
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Odds are against 49ers winning Super Bowl. Should they worry?

On Thursday, Steve Young said the 49ers may have missed their best opportunity to win a Super Bowl with Colin Kaepernick. Young believes NFL defenses will adjust to the Pistol formation and the read-option plays which Kaepernick executes so well. Is there anything to Young’s comments? NFL defenses may or may not adjust to the Pistol – we’ll find out next season – but history seems to support Young in…

February 9, 2013
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Steve Young on Flacco: “Joe is Eli Manning. It’s a compliment, but it’s a back-handed compliment.”

Steve Young spoke on KNBR Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Joe Flacco. Q: What do you think of Joe Flacco? YOUNG: Joe is Eli Manning to me. It’s a compliment, but it’s a back-handed compliment. There is no question that Joe can get hot like last week and the week before. Eli would get hot in the worst scenarios – 10 below at Lambeau – and it’s like,…

January 31, 2013
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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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Harbaugh: “We’ve just been using Colin as an added weapon. We feel like we’re getting plenty of everything from Alex Smith.”

SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh spoke in the defensive meeting room Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers 26-3 loss to the Giants. Q: How do you think Alex Boone did at left tackle after Joe Staley got hurt? HARBAUGH: Did fine. I don’t think any of us had our best day. It certainly wouldn’t be very human if it didn’t hurt today. But there’s no time. You’ve…

October 15, 2012
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Justin Smith on Eli Manning: “He’s definitely one of the top three, four quarterbacks.”

SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Justin Smith said about Eli Manning Friday afternoon. Q: How good is Eli Manning? JUSTIN SMITH: He’s a good quarterback. A lot of people don’t give him the respect he deserves. I think he’s definitely one of the top three, four quarterbacks in the league. It’s going to be a tough game. He’s going to do what he comes here to do, and that’s move…

October 12, 2012
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Fangio on the Giants offense: “They haven’t had Nicks for three games and they haven’t missed a beat.”

SANTA CLARA — Vic Fangio spoke in the media tent on Thursday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the New York Giants offense, courtesy of the 49ers.   Can you point to some of the major differences with the Giants offense from when you played them nine months ago? “There’s not much difference. No sense for them to change a successful formula. They have a real good offense, starting with…

October 11, 2012
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Willis on Alex Smith: “Now he gets to enjoy the fruits of his labor.”

SANTA CLARA – Patrick Willis spoke at his locker Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: Did your offense surprise you at all against the Bills? WILLIS: We got out here and practice every day and we see the way those guys practice. For them to go out there and put up the numbers that they put up, they were extraordinary numbers. We never underestimate our offense. We know that…

October 10, 2012
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Goldson on Eli Manning: “He can pull a rabbit out of a hat at any time.”

SANTA CLARA – Dashon Goldson spoke in the media tent Wednesday afternoon and he wore Patrick Willis’ jersey as he answered questions at the podium. Here’s everything Goldson said. Q: How much of a threat is Eli Manning? GOLDSON: Eli’s a very good quarterback, very accurate, tough guy. We faced him twice last year, and what I got out of those games is he’s really tough. He’s tougher than he…

October 10, 2012
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Coughlin on New York Giants: “We haven’t gotten much pressure this year.”

SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Tom Coughlin said to Bay Area reporters about the New York Giants Wednesday morning on a conference call. Q: How much of the success of your defense is related to your abilities to get pressure on the quarterback with just four guys? COUGHLIN: That’s always been our strong point. We haven’t gotten much pressure this year comparatively. Obviously it’s something we’re trying to regenerate. Hopefully…

October 10, 2012
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49ers-Giants matchups: Part IV – Willis, Bowman and Whitner vs. Bennett

The 49ers play the Giants on Sunday at Candlestick. In the meantime, I’ll break down a couple of key matchups per day. TE Martellus Bennett (6-6, 265 pounds) vs. Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Donte Whitner With Dashon Goldson and Chris Culliver taking away the deep passes, Eli Manning probably will have to throw short and over the middle against the 49ers. That’s where Martellus Bennett comes in. We know…

October 9, 2012
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49ers-Giants matchups: Part III – Culliver vs. Hixon and Randle

The 49ers play the Giants on Sunday at Candlestick. In the meantime, I’ll break down a couple of key matchups per day. CB Chris Culliver (6-0, 199 pounds, 4.36 40-yard dash) vs. WRs Domenik Hixon (6-2, 197, 4.39) and Rueben Randle (6-3, 208, 4.43). When the 49ers played the Giants Week 10 last season, Culliver mostly matched up man-to-man against Mario Manningham, who caught 6 passes for 77 yards and…

October 9, 2012
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49ers-Giants matchups: Part II – Victor Cruz vs. Carlos Rogers

The 49ers play the Giants at Candlestick on Sunday. In the meantime, I’ll break down one key matchup a day. CB Carlos Rogers vs. WR Victor Cruz When the 49ers and Giants played last season, Rogers covered Cruz on almost every pass play. That’s because the Giants like to line up Cruz in the slot in three-wide receiver formations and the 49ers counter with their Nickel defense, in which Carlos…

October 8, 2012
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Is Eli Manning the next Joe Cool? (Lowell column)

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat just posted my dad’s Tuesday column on the Super Bowl. Before the Super Bowl he asked if Tom Brady was as good as Joe Montana – the greatest quarterback of all time. Now, we know that he ain’t. So, in this column my dad asks a new question: Could Eli Manning be the closest quarterback to Joe Cool in the NFL right now? To read…

February 6, 2012
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Why the Niners would have beaten the Patriots in the Super Bowl more easily than the Giants did

Here’s my other Super Bowl XLVI observation: The Niners would have beaten the Patriots more easily than the Giants did. Here’s why: First, the defense would have held Brady and the Pats’ offense to fewer than 17 points. They’re better than the Giants defense. They would have shut down BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, the Patriots running backs, with no more than six players. Then, the Niners could double team…

February 6, 2012
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Cosell clarifies

Greg Cosell expanded on his NFC championship commentary Thursday morning on KNBR’s The Murph and Mac Show. Here’s what he said. Q: For everyone who didn’t read your blog, tell us your evaluation of the game. COSELL: “Let me just start with this: It was 49ers football. They played true to their character. It’s a run-based offense. It’s a high percentage of two backs, two tight ends, two backs and…

January 26, 2012
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Harbaugh says Alex Smith is a Pro Bowler and the Niners’ long-term QB. Really??

SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Jim Harbaugh said about Alex Smith during his Tuesday press conference. Read it, and then I have a few questions for you below. Q: The turnover differential – is that something you’ve harped on with Alex Smith since day one? HARBAUGH: “Well, coached it. And Alex has a great understanding. Veteran player, experienced player who understands situational football and good football and the difference between…

December 20, 2011
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Carlos Rogers on his hands: “I didn’t have surgery done to them.”

SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Carlos Rogers said this morning at his locker. You should know that he was wearing an Adidas track suit, a diamond necklace, and a watch with a diamond bezel. Q: Your first pick – did the Giants run the same play as they had run the play before? ROGERS: (Laughs) The same one. The play before I played off and he kind of gave me…

November 14, 2011
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