Tag Archives: Patrick Willis

Week 2 49ers MVP standings

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Grant Cohn

My Week 2 Power Rankings, in tiers. Tier 1: The 49ers. Tier 2: Empty. Tier 3: Empty. Tier 4: The Texans and a few other teams. Tier 5: It doesn’t matter. No team ranks anywhere near the 49ers right now. … Continue reading →

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Letter to Jim Schwartz, not pertaining to The Handshake

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Grant Cohn

Dear Jim Schwartz, You want to call a running play against the 49ers, but it doesn’t exist. Il n’existe pas. Justin Smith will stop it while thinking of other things. Take your running plays and throw them away. They’ll only … Continue reading →

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Harbaugh on The Handshake: “There’s nothing I can possibly add.”

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Grant Cohn

I was in an airplane somewhere above Nebraska or Colorado when Jim Harbaugh spoke to the media in Santa Clara Monday afternoon. He reiterated all the good things his players did against the Packers on Sunday, and he spoke about … Continue reading →

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Week 1 grades: The 49ers upset the Packers 30-22

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Grant Cohn

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Here are my grades for the 49ers, who upset the Packers 30-22 at Lambeau Field in the season opener. QUARTERBACKS: A. Alex Smith may have played the best game of his life, even better than his … Continue reading →

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Aaron Rodgers on Alex Smith: “I think he plays the position pretty well.”

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Grant Cohn

SANTA CLARA – Aaron Rodgers spoke to Bay Area reporters this afternoon on a conference call. He spoke about the Justin Smith, NaVorro Bowman, Alex Smith and the term “game manager.” Here’s a transcript. Q: What makes the 49ers’ defense … Continue reading →

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Packers-49ers matchups: Part II

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Grant Cohn

The 49ers play the Green Bay Packers in four days. In the meantime, I’ll break down two key matchups a day. WR Randy Moss: 6-4, 210 pounds, 35 years old, 4.40 40-yard dash vs. CB Tramon Williams: 5-11, 191 pounds, … Continue reading →

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Preseason Week 3 grades

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Grant Cohn

Here are my grades for the 49ers preseason game against the Denver Broncos. QUARTERBACKS: B. Alex Smith and the first-team offense was 1-for-4 on third down and 0-for-1 in the red zone (Peyton Manning was 2-3 on third down and … Continue reading →

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Five questions for the defense

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Grant Cohn

SANTA CLARA – Tuesday was a defense-dominated day in the 49ers’media tent – Vic Fangio, Larry Grant and Ricky Jean Francois all spoke at the podium, and I spoke one on one to Chris Culliver in the locker room. I … Continue reading →

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Preseason Week 2 grades: The defense and special teams

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Grant Cohn

Here are my preseason Week 2 grades for the 49ers’ defense. DEFENSIVE LINE: B+. The starters didn’t get much pressure on the quarterback, but they mostly shut down Arian Foster and the Texans’ great running game – Foster gained most … Continue reading →

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Training camp report: Thursday, the good – Vernon Davis and Josh Johnson

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Grant Cohn

SANTA CLARA – Thursday’s practice was the last 49ers practice open to the media this season. It was a light practice – the players wore shorts and went about half speed. Alex Smith mostly played against the scout-team defense, but … Continue reading →

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Top five performers: Week One

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Grant Cohn

Here are the top five performers in training camp at the end of Week One. Justin Smith – The defense has dominated the offense for most of training camp, and Justin Smith is a big reason why. He’s almost too … Continue reading →

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Fangio says the defense can be as good or better than last year, “but it might not show on paper.”

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Grant Cohn

SANTA CLARA – Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio talked about what makes NaVarro Bowman and Carlos Rogers so good, the Niners cornerback competition and how good the defense can be this year. Here’s a transcript, courtesy of the 49ers. What are … Continue reading →

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Training camp report: Monday, running backs

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Grant Cohn

SANTA CLARA – Here’s what I saw from the running backs at Monday’s practice: It’s interesting to watch Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James. They’re about the same size. They’re both quick, shifty running backs. Some people thought James might duplicate … Continue reading →

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