SAN FRANCISCO – Here are my Week 13 grades for the 10-2 NFC West Champion Niners, who beat the 2-10 Rams 26-0 this afternoon. Quarterback: A. This was almost an A+ performance for Alex Smith, but the sheer awfulness of the Rams holds his grade back. Here’s his final stat line: 17 of 23 for 274 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 picks, and a 142.3 rating. Two of his incompletions were…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s the transcript of Alex Smith’s Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Is there any flipside to a short week in that the next week you actually have more time to prepare for a team and you could put more into your playbook? “Yeah of course. Definitely, both sides, rest-wise and game plan-wise, film. For sure, it’s kind of like a little, mini BYE week. Get…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what backup running back Kendall Hunter said at his locker today. Q: Now that you’ve been around Frank Gore for a few months, what have you learned from his game? HUNTER: Frankly, everything. The way he runs, the way he blocks. He helped me with some of the techniques he uses and what he looks for and stuff like that. Q: Can you feel the difference…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s the transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Monday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. How are you guys treating the extra day this week? Another game planning day for the Rams? “Yes. Players will be in today lifting and getting treatment. Coaches (are) game planning. We’ll view the Ravens game and preview the Rams.” The fact that you can clinch on Sunday, does that affect the way you…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Alex Smith said at his locker this morning. Q: How close was your offense to making big plays on Thursday? ALEX SMITH: I think when I turned on the film, there were some opportunities I think to push the ball down the field a few times. Get those one-on-one matchups down the field and try to take advantage of them. I think that’s definitely what…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Frank Gore said at his locker this afternoon. Q: Is the short week going to be a little bit of a test for you? GORE: Coach is doing a great job with us. I feel that a short week for everybody it’s kind of tough. You’ve got to be smart. Q: How much game plan have they been able to put in? GORE: They’re doing…
Here’s what Friday’s injury report looks like: 49ers: Questionable: CB Tarell Brown (knee), RB Frank Gore (knee), DT Ray McDonald (hamstring) Probable: LB NaVorro Bowman (neck), WR Michael Crabtree (foot), CB Chris Culliver (shoulder), WR Braylon Edwards (knee), CB Shawntae Spencer (toe) Cardinals: Out: LB Joey Porter (knee), S Kerry Rhodes (foot) Questionable: CB Michael Adams (hamstring), T Jeremy Bridges (back), TE Todd Heap (hamstring), TE Rob Housler (groin), T…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s the transcript of Greg Roman’s Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Opening Statement: “We’re working hard on this Arizona defense. They had a coordinator change this year. Their defense is a Pittsburgh Steelers scheme. They brought in their defensive coordinator who had been with the Steelers for quite awhile. They play extremely hard. They’re getting much better, playing with much more confidence and expertise within…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Frank Gore said in the locker room today. Q: You missed practice yesterday. Was that related to the knee or were you getting some midseason rest? GORE: Rest. Q: The knee’s fine? GORE: Yeah, it’s fine. Q: Are you going to practice today? GORE: Yeah, I’m going to practice today. Q: So you’re expecting to play Sunday? GORE: Yeah I’ll play. I’ll play good. Q:…
Here is what New York Giants’ defensive end Justin Tuck said about Alex Smith Thursday to the New York media. TUCK: “He (Smith) is a guy who they are trying to keep out of position to win the football game. Obviously, with a back like Frank Gore and an O-line keeping them in third-and-short situations, and even if it is third and six or seven, they still feel that they…
SANTA CLARA – Here is the transcript of Frank Gore’s Thursday Q&A from the Niners locker room. Q: You considered going to Ole Miss to play college football? GORE: I was looking at wanting to play early. I thought going to Ole Miss I had a chance to start. But, you know, I had my mom situation. And coach CJ (Curtis Johnson), the receiver coach from New Orleans, and coach Kiel,…
Here’s what Wednesday’s injury report looks like. 49ers Limited Participation in Practice: LB NaVorro Bowman (shoulder), WR Michael Crabtree (foot), CB Chris Culliver (shoulder), WR Braylon Edwards (knee), RB Frank Gore (ankle), DT Ray McDonald (hamstring), RB Moran Norris (fibula), DT Justin Smith (not injury related) Full Participation in Practice: S Dashon Goldson (knee), RB Kendall Hunter (ankle), CB Shawntae Spencer (toe), TE Delanie Walker (knee), S Donte Whitner (thigh)…
SANTA CLARA — Here is the transcript of Eli Manning’s Wednesday afternoon conference call with Bay Area reporters. Q: When you come to the line of scrimmage how long is it going to take you to try to find No. 52? E. MANNING: (Laughs). Not very long. You usually have a pretty good idea of where he’s lined up. Me and Patrick, we go back a long way, back to…
Here’s the transcript of New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin’s Wednesday morning conference call with Bay Area reporters. Q: What kind of challenges do the 49ers offer for your team? COUGHLIN: (Laughs) They offer a lot of challenges. You’re talking about a team that’s 7-1, that has outstanding special teams play, defensively they’re ranked in every category you can think of that’s important – points allowed, red zone, they…
Running backs coach Tom Rathman spoke to a group of Bay Area reporters yesterday at the 49ers practice facility. I was on a plane during this interview, but the Examiner.com’s Sam Lam very generously passed the transcript along to all the writers. Thank you, Sam Lam. Here is Rathman for you reading pleasure. Q: What did you see from the scout film on Bruce Miller and what was it like…
I was flying back from Washington D.C. this morning so I was not in Santa Clara. However, the Associated Press’ Janie McCauley was and she generously passed along a few transcripts of group interviews to me, so I pass them along to you. Here’s Frank Gore. Q: Do you know anything about Joe Perry? Ever speak to him? GORE: No, I don’t know much about him. Q: Are you going…
I was flying back from Washington D.C. this morning so I was not in Santa Clara. However, the Associated Press’ Janie McCauley was and she generously passed along a few transcripts of group interviews to me, so I pass them along to you. Here’s Bruce Miller first. Q: How many messages did you get last night? MILLER: “I had a few of them; just friends and family back home watching…
Here is my Week 9 NFL pick. You might notice I’m using the singular “pick” instead of the plural today. That’s because I’m putting myself on a one-week timeout from picking games other than the Niner game. You see, I picked the Broncos to beat the Lions last week, and that was probably the worst pick in the history of picks. So, timeout for me. 49ers @ Redskins: 49ers. The…
SANTA CLARA – Bruce Miller spoke second this morning, just after Frank Gore. Here’s what Miller said. Q: How much has Frank Gore helped you? MILLER: I had very little knowledge of what to do and where to go. So especially early on he’s helped out a lot with different tips, reminders, alerts here and there. Q: Alerts? MILLER: That’s a big part – him alerting me of different things….
SANTA CLARA – Frank Gore was the first 49er to speak this morning in the locker room. Here’s what he said. Q: Did you envision this season going like this for you? GORE: I just take it one day at a time, one game at a time and try to go out and do the best I can for my team. I know I can play football and, you know,…
