The southwest corner

SANTA CLARA — For what it’s worth, the Niners really like each other. They may or may not man up against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Monday night – I think they will – but regardless, they get along. Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati are best friends. Parys Haralson and Aldon Smith act like brothers. Colin Kaepernick and Bruce Miller joke around with everyone. But there’s a cool section of the…

December 18, 2011
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Joe Staley breaks down his Monday night availability and the Steelers outside linebackers

SANTA CLARA – Joe Staley made himself available to talk at his locker this afternoon. He spoke to a group of reporters and this is what he said. Q: Where are you in your process of being cleared for Monday night? STALEY: It’s all protocol. You’ve got to go through the steps and I’ve been passing all the steps and doing well, but it’s still in the doctors’ hands. I…

December 17, 2011
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Week 15 NFL picks: Why the Niners will beat the Steelers 9-6.

Here are my Week 15 NFL picks. 49ers vs. Steelers: 49ers 9-6. The Steelers should struggle to score points. They won’t be able to run the ball – not against this front seven. So they’re going to pass, their offensive line is mediocre at best, and one of their best linemen, center Maurkice Pouncey, has a high ankle sprain and he’s questionable for Monday night. Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Ray…

December 17, 2011
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Roman: “We’ve had some looseness on a couple occasions on the interior blitzes.”

SANTA CLARA — Here are quotes I selected from the transcript of Greg Roman’s Friday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Opening Statement: “Getting ready to play a really good Pittsburgh team. They’re ranked really high against the run and pass. Starting with their D-Line, really start with their nose tackle there in the middle, Casey Hampton has been there for a long time, knows the defense. He’s very stout,…

December 16, 2011
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Fangio: “With Roethlisberger, you always have to defend two plays.”

SANTA CLARA — Here’s the transcript of Vic Fangio’s Friday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Coach, how do you prepare for the Steelers team when you don’t know if Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is going to play or not? “Well, mainly you just prepare for their offense. Their running game’s not going to change a bit, no matter which quarterback is playing, and I don’t think their passing game…

December 16, 2011
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Highlights from warmups

SANTA CLARA — Here’s what I observed during today’s warmups. Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh’s father, Jack, having a serious conversation in the middle of the practice field. Patrick Willis gingerly high stepping hurdles. I would be extremely surprised if he plays this Monday night. Joe Staley jogging back and forth across the field with a backwards cap on his head. I doubt he plays this Monday night, either. Aldon…

December 16, 2011
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Why did Gore only get 10 carries against AZ last Sunday? “It was the game plan,” he says.

SANTA CLARA – Both Greg Roman and Frank Gore answered questions this afternoon regarding the measly ten carries Gore received last Sunday against the Cardinals. Here’s what they said. Q: Last Sunday against the Cardinals, you guys went up 19-7 in the third quarter. A lot of us were thinking you were going to turn to your running game at that point. It didn’t happen that way, and now everyone’s…

December 16, 2011
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Thursday’s injury report: Gore isn’t injured

SANTA CLARA — Frank Gore wasn’t on Thursday’s injury report. So, he got only 10 carries against the Cardinals on Sunday either because of a strategic choice from Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman – a choice that didn’t work – or he was dinged up during the game and now he’s fine. Either way, they’ll need to give him more than ten carries to win the game on Monday night….

December 15, 2011
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Harbaugh: “Know this – we’re trying to score touchdowns.”

Here are some quotes I selected from Jim Harbaugh’s Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. If his Monday theme was “man up,” his Thursday theme was “embrace challenges” – specifically scoring touchdowns on offense and beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. Has T Joe Staley been cleared to practice? “He’s been cleared to do some walk through, but no, he’s still going through a series of – as…

December 15, 2011
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The Harbaugh interviews: USMC Col. Jim Minnick

Hey, folks. Phil Barber here, with permisison from the talented Grant Cohn. I recently produced a story on Jim Harbaugh for the premiere issue of NFL Magazine, and I got some great interviews with people who have played with or for him at other stops. I plan to post excerpts from the better interviews here, starting with USMC Colonel Jim Minnick, one of Harbaugh’s oldest friends.

December 15, 2011
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Alex Smith on the Steelers D: “They’re all very skilled at reading routes, reading the QB, especially the two safeties.”

SANTA CLARA – Here’s the transcript of Alex Smith’s Thursday press conference from the media tent. Q: Jim Harbaugh just said that you guys are going to spend more time on red zone offense this week in practice than you normally do. Do you think that will be beneficial? ALEX SMITH: Yeah, I think you find some little things here and there. Obviously with more time down there, there’s more…

December 15, 2011
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Delanie Walker: “This week we’re going to hurry up to the line of scrimmage and get set.”

SANTA CLARA – Adam Snyder had to take a phone call, so he was unavailable for comment this afternoon. Frank Gore walked into the locker room at 12:50, a group of reporters crowded around him at his locker, the P.R. director said, “Frank, show them how you break through the line!” and Gore walked through the reporters to leave the room and go to meetings. Vernon Davis walked out five…

December 15, 2011
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Steve Young explains the over-my-dead-body quality in great quarterbacks

Here’s one more excerpt from yesterday’s Steve Young interview on the Razor and Mr. T show. Ralph Barbieri asked Young about Tim Tebow, and he replied in general terms about what makes great quarterbacks great. Q: What’s your explanation for Tim Tebow’s success? YOUNG: “There’s no question in my mind that there’s a relentlessness to his personality. All of the great quarterbacks – I always would see Dan Marino and…

December 15, 2011
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Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden break down Alex Smith

Somehow I didn’t know about the conference call with Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden yesterday. Thanks to Cam Inman, here’s what they said. Q: Ron, you’ve talked on previous broadcasts, even a Monday Night broadcast, about Alex Smith’s mechanical problems early in his career. What kind of improvements has he made early this year and how do you explain his emergence? JAWORSKI: “Well, I’ve once again studied and am studying…

December 15, 2011
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Greg Cosell: “You can’t always line up and just run the ball and then throw off the run game.”

Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffrey interviewed NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell this morning about the Niners upcoming Monday night matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here’s the transcript. MURPH: These are the No. 1 (the Niners) and No. 2 (the Steelers) scoring defenses going against each other. When you look at this matchup, is that the overriding theme – that these are two incredibly stingy defenses, and that will control the…

December 15, 2011
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Steve Young on quarterbacking in the red zone: “Be the artist and create something to get the ball in the end zone.”

Steve Young spoke with Tom Tolbert and Ralph Barbieri on KNBR Wednesday afternoon. Here is the part of interview I found most interesting. TOM TOLBERT: How do you cure Alex Smith – I shouldn’t say Alex Smith, I don’t know if that’s fair – but the Niners of their red zone woes? Can you make someone take more chances when he’s not a risk taker by nature? Some of the…

December 14, 2011
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What I want to see from the Niners

The Niners are going to have to be creative and efficient to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. Here’s what I want to see from them. It’s a given the Steelers are going to blitz, blitz, blitz the Niners offense. They will bring extra rushers up the middle and other times they’ll overload the right side of the Niners’ O-line – the Anthony Davis side – and run four-man…

December 14, 2011
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A look ahead at the Niners next three games

If the Niners win the last three games on their regular season schedule, these past two losses over the last three weeks will mean bupkis. They’ll be the No. 2 seed and they’ll get a first round Bye. If they have to play the Saints, they’ll get to play them at Candlestick Park. I think the Niners can win all three of their last regular season games, but it won’t…

December 13, 2011
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49ers and the media – an explanation

I’ve gotten some cogent and fascinating comments from readers of this blog on an impassioned piece I wrote on Monday called, “Will the Niners man up?” Someone who uses the handle Big Cheeze, a new commenter on the blog, questioned why the players have to answer to the media after a loss. Big Cheeze said they’re only answerable to each other and the coaches. Big Cheeze raises an important point…

December 13, 2011
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