49ers, here’s your man

This is my Wednesday column. I don’t get you, Jed. You say you know what you’re looking for and you still can’t find it. I asked you Monday what qualities the next head coach of the 49ers should have. You were prepared for that question. Right away, you said, “I want a teacher. I think what made Bill Walsh so successful is that he was a great teacher, whether that…

December 30, 2014
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49ers pass defense by the numbers

The 49ers run defense has been outstanding the past three games, allowing just 61 rushing yards per game — second-best in the league behind the Seahawks over that span. The 49ers pass defense hasn’t been outstanding the past three games. 49ers defensive stats and NFL ranks over the past three games: Opponents’ passer rating: 87.1 (20th-best in the NFL) Opponents’ completion percentage: 63.36 (22nd) Opponents’ yards per pass attempt: 6.7…

December 30, 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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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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Cosell breaks down the QB prospects in the draft

Greg Cosell recently broke down the draft’s quarterback prospects on Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner podcast. Here’s his breakdown. Q: What do you think of Geno Smith? COSELL: There is no question he has an NFL arm. He’s an NFL talent. Now, he’s got some other issues. First of all, he’s got some footwork issues. I think that can be corrected. He plays almost exclusively from the shotgun. He’s a bit of…

March 7, 2013
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Cosell on Kaepernick: “I thought he did a really good job of stepping up in the pocket.”

Greg Cosell spoke on KNBR on Monday and Tuesday. Here’s what he said about the NFC Championship game. Q: How do you think Colin Kaepernick performed as a passer against the Falcons? COSELL: I thought he threw the ball exceptionally well. I thought he did a really good job of stepping up in the pocket, which younger quarterbacks – particularly ones that run – sometimes struggle to do because as…

January 23, 2013
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Matt Ryan vs. Alex Smith

If you were an NFL general manager, which quarterback would you rather build your team around – Matt Ryan or Alex Smith? Ryan is a year younger than Smith. Ryan probably has a better arm, too. He made a couple of perfect deep passes in the first half against the 49ers. Alex Smith struggles to complete those passes consistently. On the other hand, Matt Ryan threw two second-half interceptions in…

January 22, 2013
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Harbaugh on Kaepernick: “He’s a man for all seasons. Tremendous football player, basketball player, baseball player.”

This is the transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Monday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.   “Good to see everybody back. You guys made it back safe.”   You made it back safe? “Yes.”   And what was that trip like? “Happy flight. That was a happy flight.”   Were you able to watch live television during the flight? “Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, there were TV’s on the plane. Got to…

January 21, 2013
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Fangio on Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers: “They’ve been running through tackles and running people over.”

SANTA CLARA – This is the transcript of Vic Fangio’s Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.   Just the matchup, the two wide receivers, how do those guys rate or compare or how difficult it is to prepare for those two guys as opposed to a lot of receiver combinations you guys have faced? “Well, they’re certainly up there as one of the best tandems in the league, if…

January 17, 2013
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Heath Evans: “Atlanta’s just a front-running team. I think they’re soft when need be.”

NFL Network analyst and former NFL player Heath Evans spoke on KNBR Thursday morning. Here’s what he said about the 49ers and the Falcons. Q: The 49ers are a four-point favorite on the road over the Falcons. Does this stun you? HEATH EVANS: No. Not at all. I was talking with Darren Sharper the other day, and I’m telling you – anyone that is picking Atlanta is either biased because…

January 17, 2013
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Cosell: “Crabtree has become a big-time NFL receiver.”

Greg Cosell spoke on KNBR Thursday morning. Here’s what he said about the 49ers and the Falcons. Q: Was Kaepernick’s record-breaking performance aided by an awful Packers defense? COSELL: I think that’s fair. I think the numbers reflect that. He had three scrambled in the first half for 53 yards. All of them came against man-to-man coverage concepts. Two of those plays they doubled Michael Crabtree. I think that playing…

January 17, 2013
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Justin Smith on the Falcons: “They have two really good running backs and they run the ball exceptionally hard.”

SANTA CLARA – Justin Smith spoke in the media tent Wednesday afternoon. Here’s a transcript of his press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.   How did you come out of the game? How did you feel Sunday? “I think it felt pretty good for the most part, just getting use to it and playing with it. It should be even better this week after going through it, knowing how it…

January 16, 2013
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Dilfer: “What do you load up to stop when you’re playing the 49ers right now with Colin?”

Trent Dilfer spoke on KNBR Tuesday morning. Here’s what he said. Q: What did you think of the 49ers victory over the Packers? DILFER: I’ve never been happier to be wrong than I was this weekend. Man, I was really scared for the Niners. I just didn’t know if they had an answer for Aaron Rodgers, I didn’t know how Kap would respond. I’m not one of these guys that…

January 15, 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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Brent Jones says the 49ers will eat the Falcons alive

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. This is what he said about the 49ers’ upcoming matchup against the Falcons. Q: Are you worried about the Falcons? BRENT JONES: “I am feeling very confident. The Falcons are paper falcons. Let’s call them that. I think physically, the 49ers are going to intimidate.  I don’t think it’s going to be close in the physical matchup. “I think as far as mental…

January 15, 2013
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Harbaugh on the Falcons: “They’re solid in every regard.”

SANTA CLARA – This is the transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Monday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.   How did DT Justin Smith make it through the game? “Good. Played well. Came out of the game as clean as possible.”   And did you expect him to kind of pick up where he left off? “It looked good in practice and the feedback that we were getting from him was…

January 14, 2013
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Steve Young on Kaepernick: “They cannot put him in a situation where he’s deep in a hole.”

Steve Young held a teleconference Wednesday and spoke about the NFL playoffs. Here’s what he said, courtesy of ESPN.   Q.  I wanted to ask you about Atlanta and how this team seemed pretty easy to dismiss or forget about, the Falcons and obviously they have not won a playoff game with Matt Ryan and they almost lost some of the easier games at home this year.  How do you…

January 10, 2013
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Prediction: Falcons will beat Seahawks

The Seahawks were my pick to win last week in DC, but I don’t see them winning this week in Atlanta. They have another long road trip, plus fatigue from their game on Sunday, and that injury to Chris Clemons – he tore his ACL and he is out. I think the heat really is on the Falcons, especially offensively. Matt Ryan is the toast of the town, but has laid…

January 10, 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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