It’s the morning after Super Bowl XLVI, I just woke up and I have two points to make. Here’s the first: The NFL is an NFC-dominated league once again. They’ve won three Super Bowls in a row. Three years ago it was the Saints beating the Colts. Last year it was the Packers beating the Steelers. Now, the Giants beat the Patriots for the second time in four years (Before…
As you may have heard, Alex Smith accepted the AP Coach of the Year Award for Jim Harbaugh on Saturday. Here’s what Smith said, courtesy of the SF Gate: “I was trying to think what Coach Harbaugh would say if he was here. He would probably say that he doesn’t deserve this. It’s just the type of guy he is. He’d give all the credit to the players, to the…
Alex Smith finished third in the voting for the A.P. Comeback Player of the Year Award. He received 7 out of 50 votes. The Lions’ QB, Matthew Stafford, finished first and received 21 of the votes. This gives you a sense of how the country views these two quarterbacks. On the west coast it seems like this season was predominantly about Alex Smith and to some extent Tim Tebow. The…
Jim Harbaugh has won the 2011 A.P. Coach of the Year Award. It is well deserved. What Harbaugh did this past season was unprecedented and unfathomable – turning a 6-10 into an NFL powerhouse with no off season, and with Alex Smith as the quarterback. Before the season, I said Harbaugh would coach the Niners to nine wins, a division title and a loss in the first round of the…
As a prelude to the Super Bowl, my dad wrote a column comparing Joe Montana and Tom Brady. If the Patriots beat the Giants in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Brady will have won just as many Super Bowls – 4 – as Montana. Would they be equals? To read my dad’s column on the subject, clicker here. Also, I’ll be blogging during and after the Super Bowl, so come…
The NFL gave Jed York and the 49ers $200 million in support Thursday for their new stadium in Santa Clara. York spoke on a conference call this afternoon, and this is what he said. Q: How much of a shot in the arm is this 200 million dollar amount that was approved today? YORK: This is something that the owners worked on – to put together the G4 facility. There…
This year the beat writers voted Donte Whitner the Garry Niver award winner for the player most accommodating with the press. Garry Niver covered the championship 49ers teams for the San Mateo Times. He died in the early ‘90s of a heart attack. My dad knew him very well and says he was a lovely man. The award is named in his honor. Whitner was a great choice for the…
Here’s my list of the top five and bottom five 49er moments from the 2011-2012 season. The Best Moments 5. Justin Smith’s forced fumble v. Jeremy Maclin in Philadelphia to beat the Eagles in Week 4. The Niners’ record was 2-1, and although they had just stormed back from a 17-point deficit to take a one-point lead late in the fourth quarter. The Eagles had plenty of time to drive…
Some readers were upset with my father this morning over his Sunday column, and you expressed your feelings here since it’s tricky leaving comments over there at the Cohn Zohn. So, he’s responded and I’m linking it for your convenience. He discusses the charges of holding a grudge against Jim Harbaugh, being old and needing a laxative, among other things. To read the response blog, click here.
I gave you my season grades for the 2011-2012 Niners, now read my dad’s wrap up column. He starts by reviewing the team’s astonishing accomplishments and then he discusses where the team needs improvement, starting with head coach Jim Harbaugh. To read my dad’s column, click here.
This is a blog about Stanford tight end Coby Fleener, but first, some context. According to Matt Maiocco, Dashon Goldson is the Niners’ top candidate for the franchise tag. Franchising Goldson would cost the Niners $6.2 million in 2012, while it would cost them $10.6 million to franchise their other top free agent, Carlos Rogers. So, Goldson most likely will be a Niner next season. But, will Rogers? He wants…
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…
The 49ers, as currently constructed, are probably talented enough to play in the Super Bowl right now. But, if they add a big, No.1 wide receiver this offseason they could be big preseason Super Bowl favorites for 2012, even without an elite quarterback. They’d have a complete juggernaut of a roster. Their biggest weakness would be Alex Smith, and he’s not weak. So, which wide receiver should they add? He…
Here are my full season grades for the 2011 49ers. Alex Smith: A-. He’s a ‘B’ quarterback who had an ‘A’ regular season, an ‘A+’ divisional playoff game against the Saints and a ‘D’ championship game against the Giants. The ‘D’ performance knocks his overall grade down to an ‘A-’ for the season. You can’t finish flat like that and get an ‘A.’ Here’s what we know about Smith: He’s…
Greg Cosell’s latest blog is up at NFLfilms.com, and it’s on the 49ers performance in the NFC championship game. He argues that Alex Smith was the goat of that game, not Kyle Williams. He says the coaching tape shows numerous plays where Smith failed to throw to wide open receivers. To read the article, click here.
Here’s the article I wrote for the Tuesday’s Santa Rosa Press Democrat. It’s about the Niners free agency situation. They believe they’re a Super Bowl team, so what they want to do is keep what they have and resign their core players. Pro Bowlers Carlos Rogers and Dashon Goldson are two of their most key guys, and they’re going to want a lot of money. The Niners may be able…
Instead of posting the complete transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Monday press conference, here’s my dad’s column instead. It covers all the key issues from the presser, plus it adds a few new levels of insight into the Niners’ head coach. To read my dad’s column, click here.
SANTA CLARA – The Niners free agent cornerback Carlos Rogers spoke at his locker this afternoon and here’s what he said. Last night in my grades I said I didn’t think the Niners would resign him. After listening to Rogers speak today, I’ve changed my mind. I think he’ll be back. Q: Why was Victor Cruz so effective in the first half? ROGERS: “That man runs around so much. He…
SAN FRANCISCO – Here’s a transcript of what Michael Crabtree said in the locker room after the loss to the Giants Sunday night, courtesy of the 49ers. Did the weather affect the game a lot today? “No, it couldn’t be the weather. The other side of the ball was catching the ball.” Did you feel like you were open? “Half the time you aren’t going to be open. That’s why…
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat just posted my sidebar on poor Kyle Williams, who’s been getting death threats on twitter since he fumbled the NFC championship away. I feel sorry for Williams. He’s sixth months younger than I am and now he’s the Bay Area’s Bill Buckner. I’m not friends with him but I’ve gotten to know him over the season and I think he’s a nice guy, and I…
