Michael Crabtree (calf) and Anthony Davis (hamstring) miss practice

The 49ers just announced their first injury report of the season:

Did not participate in practice:

Michael Crabtree (calf)
Anthony Davis (hamstring)
Marcus Martin (knee)

Do you think Davis and Alex Boone will start on Sunday, or do you think Jonathan Martin and Joe Looney will start?

Are you concerned about Crabtree’s calf?

Here is the Cowboys’ injury report:

Did not participate in practice:

Anthony Spencer (knee)
Darrion Weems (shoulder)

Limited participation:

Terrell McClain (ankle)
George Selvier (shoulder)

Full participation:

Tony Romo (back)

This article has 199 Comments

  1. I think Crabtree will play no matter what. It’s an audition for him to Jerry Jones when he becomes a UFA.

    If AD does not practice tomorrow then I doubt he plays this weekend.

    Key matchup of the game, whoever covers Jason Witten. Reid, Willis, or Bethea?

  2. S-o-o-o …

    Tony Romo has a weak back, huh ?

    I suppose you’ll tell me that ..
    he’s had it since …
    a week back … right ?

    (bad joke, I know .. but I couldn’t resist)

    but to answer yer question …
    nope … not concerned about Crabs’s calf ..
    just as long as the cow keeps givin’ the milk ..
    we’ll be ok … besides …

    we got The Duke !

  3. If Crabtree is a question mark, will they keep all 4 of Crab, Boldin, Johnson and Lloyd active on Sunday, even though none of them play STs?

    1. good question, scooter …
      what would be your guess ?

      I’m thinking Boldin fer sure .. maybe Lloyd as well..
      but I’m excited to see what Ellington can do

        1. To keep all 4 active they’ll be short on STs.

          Couldn’t they sit an extra backup on the OL Scooter?
          It’s also a possibility that they could have James sit out and just list Ellington as the third RB. It’s a risky move, but this coaching staff has been known to take that kind of gamble.

          1. Maybe I missed it, but I don’t recall reading anything about Ellington taking a single snap at RB during training camp or in the preseason. I don’t think the 49ers’ coaching staff has ever been known to take that kind of gamble.

            1. That we know of Claude. Remember there are some practice sessions closed to the media. I’m not saying that it’s likely; I’ve just learned to not be surprised at what Harbaugh’s crew puts on the field. And you got to admit that having Ellington playing RB would throw the Cowboys for a loop.

            2. I seem to remember mention of it briefly, none the less, Duke Ellington lined up everywhere in college, including running back….

              1. Which is part of why it wouldn’t surprise me to see Ellington listed as a RB on Sunday. That and the fact that both Harbaugh and Roman love to get fancy.

          1. If Mr. Crabs doesn’t play, Patton or Lloyd replaces him and the other is inactive I imagine. What do you think? Duke Ellington is inactive? James is really the PR/KR?

            1. I think Crabs will play, but we’ll know more later in the week. I’d like to see Lloyd suit up and get a bit of playing time, but if he does then one of Johnson or Patton likely needs to be inactive. And Patton was playing on STs coverage units in preseason. So I think it really comes down to one of Johnson or Lloyd as the #3 WR.

              I agree with AES that James will suit up, going into the game with just 2 RBs active would be too risky. And if he suits up he’ll probably get a handful of touches. But not sure who will be the return man. Ellington was listed as the #1 PR and KR, so he might get the gig, but it could also have been a result of James still coming back from injury.

          2. Scooter,
            I believe that he not only suits up, but that he has about 5 touches for positive gains.

            Dallas’ defense isn’t very good especially up front, so the 49ers will pound them up front with Gore and Hyde. But a little COP featuring LMJ may keep their defense from loading the box.

          3. I think LMJ suits up regardless of whether he’s returning Punts as there is no way Harbaugh would go into a game with 2 active RB’s imo. Not unless they have dramatically changed the offense to a pass oriented system without anybody knowing.

  4. As long as Kaepernick is playing and healthy, he’s going to have a huge day against Grant’s Cowboys….

  5. The report on Crabtree doesn’t go into detail which may be a good sign.
    If Crabtree played at less than 100% when he came back last year, I don’t see him missing this game – especially in Texas.

  6. No way Crabtree misses this game.
    .
    Boone plays but doesn’t start.
    .
    Davis is out.
    .
    I’m most concerned with Iupati.
    .
    This is the regular season when games count–you can’t be a turnstile, buddy!
    .
    .
    .
    *ALOHA*

  7. Anybody else watching America’s Game: The Super Bowl: 2013 Seahawks?

    Sherman on CK and Crabtree: everything we talk about all last year. You guys should watch it! Stings but it’s all true.

    1. Sherman is a mouthpiece, instigator, and rabble-rouser, and has no credibility. Don’t take him seriously, prime.

    2. Dude’s a massive tool!
      .
      Sick of his sh*t talking already.
      .
      Can’t wait for somebody to smack the taste out of his mouth.
      .
      .
      .
      *ALOHA*

    3. I’m so sick of hearing and seeing nothing but Richard Sherman. Turn on the TV and there he is. Throw the TV out the window, go to the store and there’s his ugly mug on games and a creepy cutout. Disinfect the store by torching the ‘merchandise’ with a flamethrower, then go for a walk, and have some dunderhead in a Richard Sherman jersey come up to me and start talking smack. SMACK said dunderhead, rip off his jersey, and feed it to German Shepherd being walked by his master.
      Okay, so none of this actually happened, but I can definitely say that this is the first time that I have ever wanted to cleanse i.e. damage mine and the public’s property.

        1. No so much Mary. I think Sherman would grind on my nerves regardless of the uniform. He’s this generation’s T.O. in my opinion.

          1. No not at all and he’s a great mentor/teacher to our up and coming corners. Who do you think will win tonight’s game?

            1. Seattle. Their front seven is better than the one Green Bay has and will be the difference.

            2. I’ve always had this sneaky suspicion that Mary was formerly known as DS. Only difference is Mary may now be taking her meds. I can think of no other reason why a fan of the Seahawks would frequent a 9er blog so often unless they were formerly a 49er fan. For anyone to glorify Richard Sherman, even if he is on your team, is simply ignorant. The guy epitomizes everything wrong with sports today. He is all about himself and he denigrates opponents to glorify himself. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The guy is articulate so the racists find him “refreshing.” He’s a delta bravo of the highest order. I was talking to a guy who played in the NFL in the 70’s and 80’s a few weeks ago and he said in his time Sherman would have been dealt with on the field. Someone would have taken him out and his teammates would have understood thats the price one pays for being a jerk. No questions asked. There is something to be said for on field justice. It doesn’t have to be dirty but a few cut blocks at the right time or a nice peel back blindside can be accomplished to send a message. I saw Andre Johnson send a message to Richard Sherman last year and like most of those types of guys Sherman backed down and stayed as far away from Johnson as he could get the rest of the game. I think Richard Sherman can expect a season of WR’s looking to get a nice hit on him after he’s been such a loudmouth. It will be interesting to see how he reacts.

              1. Houston: Well, you’re dead wrong on all accounts. Neal actually picked up on something, he called me Maria and that is my real name.

                Ghost accused me of being a man again and I think that’s b/c I’m sexually uninhibited. But think what you will — and I am done with explanations. Go Hawks.

  8. even if Crabtree suits up,
    please, please, please….
    no more of the postgame presser silliness
    with Crabtree and Boldin propping up the
    so-sorta-cool-but-he-be-needin’ help Kaepernick.

    Tell the starting QB that he must handle his business
    in the interview room (like every other pro QB in the league)
    That heavily colloquial, laconic ” 3-man-cru” gimmick was
    a mistake. They all looked foolish/immature/juvenile.
    ….aka “hip”….? Spare us. Save it. Grow a pair. Kaep.
    Face the media alone like a genuine team leader, willya?

    1. Save it. Grow a pair. Kaep.
      Face the media alone like a genuine team leader, willya?

      This coming from a self-proclaimed Monkey hiding behind the keyboard of his mommy’s computer. Go into the light Monkey Boy. No, seriously. Go. I want you to melt.

    1. ya kno, Razor …

      I’d really like to help “Mud” (above you) … out ..

      if only …
      you could tell me …

      which way he came in ?

      1. Step out the back, Jack
        Make a new plan, Stan
        Don’t try to be coy, Roy
        Just set yourself free
        Cuz you’re useless to us, Russ
        Your posts are just duds, Mud
        Make a break for the door
        How can we miss you, Ray
        If you won’t go away?
        (with abject apologies to Paul Simon)

    1. Jack:

      I guess Goodell also is failing to meet his moral obligation.

      Outside of Kawakami, Killion and Grant, is anyone calling for the 49ers to suspend McDonald before they have all the facts?

      1. Claude,

        John Middlekauf over at 95.7 has been all over it, and so is Bruce Jenkins. Not sure on Ratto.

        1. Thanks. Now that you mention Ratto, I think I saw a Kawakami tweet which suggested that Ratto shared his view.

          So, do the callers for rash action (thanks Rog) amount to 25% of the local football writers/radio personalities? 33%? 50%? Is there anything like a consensus building?

          1. I didn’t really listen to any of it today.

            My take is this situation is very similar to the Crabtree deal. I don’t remember anyone taking this type of moral stand back then.

          1. The problem with most of the articles I’ve read is they have already decided the fiancee is a victim and McDonald is likely in the wrong. Any judgement made with that belief is flawed from the beginning.

            Things aren’t always as they appear.

      2. If McDonald is proven to have committed a crime in this instance, he could very well become the first player to be slapped with a six-game suspension under the conduct policy. However, it appears it will be some time still before Goodell would have to levy that punishment. I’m sure that Goodell is doing the right think. If Ray Mcdonald is found guilty of the charges, I think Goodell might make Ray an example in the league and he’s going to lay down a heavy penalty on Ray Mcdonald.

      3. They are not asking that he be SUSPENDED – just not played. Very reasonable position to take. I would not be meeting with clients if this were me, I’d be in a back office and off the playing field until the situation was resolved.

        1. I disagree. He hasn’t violated any team policy that we know of and therefore should be allowed to play.

  9. It’s funny that Romo said the 49ers will double cover Bryant, because I expect the Cowboys will be forced to double cover VD with McClain & Church. That would leave Boldin and Lloyd(If Mr. Crabs is a no go) on the outside, meanwhile Gore/Hyde should run rough shot right over those Cowboys….

  10. Does Crabtree start or even play? Who covers Dez Bryant? How is the offensive line going to look for the Niners. Which of the Niner’s WR will be active? Who cares! What we really want to hear about is Sams status.

    1. thanx, claude .. I’m lovin’ it ! ..

      Too bad its Aikman and Joe Buck callin’ the game, tho ..

      MidWest .. Hope you’ve got a DVR

      1. Unfortunately not MWN. I’ll have to try and catch the replay of it. It’s all good.

        Too bad its Aikman and Joe Buck callin’ the game, tho ..

        It could be worse; Michael Irvin could be part of the idiots calling the game.

        1. Joe Buck sucks donkeys!
          .
          He’s NOTHING like his Dad.
          .
          I’m cool with Aikman though…he doesn’t play anymore, so…
          .
          And Irvin’s always been a douche.
          .
          .
          .
          *ALOHA*

  11. My guess is that Boone will start but not Davis. Crabtree’s calf injury is a concern given the injury history involving his legs, but I also believe he will play as well.

  12. Funny comment Rotoworld made about Adam Snyder recently:
    “Snyder was released by the 49ers on Saturday. The 32-year-old has made 87 career starts, but has generally been bad for the past half-decade.”

  13. “concerned about Crabtree’s calf?” I’d me more concerned if I didn’t already have a bad case of roster vertigo.

    Missing are Bowman, Aldon Smith, Hunter, Dorsey, Marcus Martin… and Boone and Anthony Davis might not play either. Not a single regular season snap has been played.

    Don’t like the roster? Wait 5 minutes.

  14. Note to Coach Harbaaw:

    with or without Michael Crabtree…
    you MUST beat the Cowboys.

    with or without __________ (fill in the blank)…
    you MUST bring home Lombardi trophy #6.

    Your butt is on the line, sir. Make it happen.
    No excuses ‘ this year ‘….(could be your last)

  15. I listened to Jerry Jones blab on the radio 2 days ago. He said the NFL will see a healthy and much improved version of Tony Romo. Jerry’s yakkety yak went on for 20 minutes and the fool never once mentioned the 49ers, neither did the idiot host on Dallas radio!
    Jerry likes his chances this year…Lol.

    Well Jerry……Like Mike Tyson said (when he was dominant)
    “everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

    1. I would love a blowout by the 49ers to put a hush over the journalistic experts that believe this team will take be taking a step back…..

      1. Razor my pal……It’s “fools gold” bro! ….These media nitwits will change their tune about the Niners after week 4, when we spank Philly to go 4-0.

        1. You kidding Crab? The most the media will do when that happens is this:

          NINERS TOOK ON THE EAGLES AND BEAT THEM TO MOVE TO 4-0 ON THE SEASON. NOW LET’S SPEND THE REST OF THE SHOW TALKING ABOUT TEAMS THAT DON’T MATTER!

  16. I think Green Bay wins tonight. Close game, I think final score 23-20. The entire NFL will be closely watching how the refs are calling this one.
    For the last two years teams playing at the Clink had to deal with the 12th man ( ironically deafening crowd was penalized ) and they had to deal with defensive holding not being enforced.
    If the refs call it straight I don’t think Sherman will be as dominant as he thinks he is…..

    1. What’s the over/under for number of defensive holding, illegal contact, hands to the face, defensive PI calls tonight? I say 12. As Rodgers is a poised pocket passer, there should be a flurry of illegal contact flags.

      I also predict a game time of 3 hours, 45 minutes.

      I also agree with bay on the Packers win.

    2. I don’t see GB winning but I hope they do. It would put some doubt into the repeat mantra right out of the gate and help the Niners win the division at the same time.

      PFT made their predictions yesterday and not one of them has the Niners making the playoffs. CBS has most of their writers predicting no playoffs or one and done. Lots of disrespect out there which is right where this team likes to be.

      If any of you haven’t joined CFC’s pick ’em game on yahoo do so before tonight. It’s a lot of fun and takes about 5 minutes each week or however long it takes you to complete your dart board.

  17. Seahawks steamroll the Packers tonight. Like every year, defenses dominate the first couple weeks of the season til offenses find their rhythm. The Hawks have the best corner and the best secondary in the league. Rodgers is good but Seattles defense is better.
    Seattle 24
    GB 10

  18. I AM READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!! Can’t wait for tonight, although I think the Seahawks are going to thrash the Packers. Either way, I win. Can’t stand either team. I put a couple bills on the Hawks in this one. The spread is WAY too low for this game in Seattle. First game since they won the superbowl. The Hawks will be pumped. The fans will be pumped. It’s going to be ugly in my opinion.

    On another note. Grant you will be happy to know that my son got Tony Romo in his automated fantasy football draft last night. He was upset but I told him how a very knowledgeable sports writer in the Bay Area loves Romo and he really should expect to win his league with Romo leading the way in fantasy points. : )

    1. Sorry Houston,
      I stopped reading when I got to ” a very knowledgeable sports writer”. I haven’t read anything football related generated by the blog writer in a while.
      We have become more content to fight for ratings with The Maury Povich Show. Maury’s show headlines, ” I’m not your daddy”, Grant tries to one up them with, ” I punched your pregnant momma in the belly”.
      Does it bother no one else that it’s Thursday and we still don’t have a legit football article written for the week?

      1. Then stop comin on here and be done with it. You are such a cry baby in every sense of the word. Always complaining about something! Maybe you are really Mary?

        1. Sorry Prime but i have to agree with Bay. This blog has become more like an episode of Maury Povich than a sports blog. I also read Barrows and Miaocco and they have covered the McDonald situation but not the total saturation that Grant has. Writing like this is why i stopped reading senior Cohn’s column

          1. Houston being that it was the first week of college football it was alot more luck than research but still a nice way to start the season. I used the same 6 picks in a season long pool so i’m off to a good start there too. I hate to root for seattle but with GB’s O line experiencing injury issues seattles noise advantage will be too much to deal with. So good luck to the both of us.

          1. So when you are on here telling us that you are “sexually uninhibited” or that you watched your plumber install a water heater, how is that keeping it to football exactly?

            1. Look Spacemagnet if I’m not mistaken all of you started the high drama in here for a solid 2 days amounting to 256 comments. Quit whining you’re like a bunch of children.

          2. If this site has changed it’s b/c you all get off topic.

            That’s pretty funny coming from someone who visits a blog about the 49ers and repeatedly posts links to stories about the Seahawks.

            1. Razor, now you’ve done it, lol. I’m sure the call-to-arms has gone out to the 12th man horde on Bleacher Report to come to this blog to battle in retribution for such a brazen act of destroying the Seahawk logo!

          3. In case you didn’t notice Mary, we never stick to just football. And that’s what makes this blog such a great place to visit. The diverse personalities, topics, and opinions make it one of the best.

            1. MWD: I know you don’t . So listen up everyone who is complaining, this site is like BR, PFT and NinerNation: everyone intermingles with their comments.

    2. Houston I could’nt agree more. I believe this is a get healthy early game. I got my bet down at -5.5. This game should get me off to a very healty start along with a very nice 6 game parlay last week.

      1. Wow OC. A 6 game parlay? That must have payed well. I’ve never hit a parlay like that. The best I’ve ever done was a 4 game parlay in the Divisional round of the 2009 playoffs. That paid EXTREMELY well. The only way to win a 6 game parlay is some research and ALOT of luck – especially early in the season. Very nice.

    3. I don’t get it. Romo had over 4000 yards. 31 TD. 10 int last season. For fantasy. He’s a steal

      1. I was giving Grant a hard time. His stats last year were good for a fantasy QB. After the back surgery and the problems the Cowboys have I don’t expect Romo to make it thru the season. The guy is already sitting out practices to save his back. The big X Factor for fantasy owners is that Romo is throwing to Dez Bryant who is the best WR in the league in making big plays out of nothing in my opinion. Bryant could make Romo’s season.

      2. You would think so Adam, but he gave me nothing but headache after headache when I drafted him last season. The term ‘Romo Roller Coaster’ is not a joke.

  19. I’m thinking 27-17 Packers based on how they got screwed by the refs last time these two played. This all depends on whether the refs call the game straight and the Hawks don’t get away witht their cheating ways.

  20. I would love to be a fly on the wall when the rules committees get together in the off season. I am sure that the tweaking of rules has to do with a combination of fan experience and television revenue.
    Over the last two years, there are more false starts for opposing teams at the Clink than any other stadium. It bares to logic that if your team can hear their signals and the visiting team can’t, then the team that can hear has the advantage. The only issue is, that it’s a penalty by rule in the NFL. Even today. So why isn’t it enforced?

    http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/timing

    Last year we saw several teams complain about Seattle’s defensive holding strategy. Teams complained to the league last year but nothing was done. The strategy seems brilliant as long as the refs allow you to carry it out. Maintaining contact beyond five yards was a strategy that was regularly employed by the Hawks. I heard several times this offseason that the NFL did not call the penalty because it would prolong games.

    Basically the Hawks when playing at home employ two illegal tactics that catapulted them to huge success in the NFL. I still think the noise is a bigger advantage than the holding. The noise I don’t think the NFL will do anything about, but the holding I’m hoping gets fixed starting tonight.

    1. Bay,

      They don’t want to diminish the fan experience and there’s no going back in Seattle. It’s a clear advantage but teams have to deal with it in a number of stadiums. I think it’s become more psychological than anything. The Niners dealt with it much better in the NFCCG last season, so hopefully that continues this year.

      1. Remember when they used to stop the game until the crowd was quiet enough for the QB to hear and if the didn’t settle down a penalty 10 or 15 yards was inacted?

        What happened to that rule?

      2. I think we’re over the psychological intimidation factor of Seattle’s stadium. We nearly won that game and probably should have won that game. All things being equal I want to meet them in the playoffs in San Francisco, but if we have to go back up there, fine.

  21. It’s interesting, but it seems to me that the media is (mostly) doing a groupthink exercise on Ray McDonald. At first I thought it was just Tim K, Grant, and Ann Killion. Now I’m reading tweets from Brian Murphy (KNRB Murph and Mac show), and I heard Gary Radnich on the radio this morning saying the same stuff. In contrast, Larry Krueger took the position of many on here in the blog and stated it pretty eloquently.

    The arguable flaw in the Kawakami/Killion/Cohn argument is that temporarily suspending Ray is so that SF can take a PR stand, regardless of whether a presumed innocent man’s reputation, career, and standing in a locker room suffers. Since this is another arrest, after a slew of (mostly) Aldon Smith arrests, something has to be done….immediately…for PR sake…regardless of innocence. The due process rights and innocence of one man are to be sacrificed for the greater good of PR, “looking moral,” and appeasing media judges. The underlying assumption is even uglier.

    This is when I think the 49ers should take the NFL lead. If Ray is charged and convicted, the 49ers should immediately work with the NFLPA to suspend in concordance with the CBA, and then when allowed to do so, trade or release him. At that point he cannot and should not play for the 49ers. I also think if Ray’s charges are dropped or never brought and he is still innocent, Tim K, Ann Killion, and Grant Cohn should write columns of apology to Ray and praise the 49ers for showing level-headed judgment in the face of pressure.

    1. Adusoron,

      Well said, but don’t hold your breath waiting for an apology to be written by any of them.

      This is nothing more than columnists wanting to be a part of the story by publicly advocating for a meaningless PR move that doesn’t make any sense.

      What does sitting McDonald accomplish other than appeasing the vocal talking heads? It doesn’t change the fact they don’t know the truth yet, or help his teammates win a game. I have no idea how anyone can come to the conclusion that allowing somebody who hasn’t been convicted of anything to play, is somehow morally wrong.

      Imo, you punish the player when you know he’s guilty; not because it looks like he could be guilty.

          1. He’d never make it in the media at all Claude. There’s no such thing as a balanced view when it comes to the news anymore. It’s either way to the left, way to the right, or tabloids.

        1. I agree with this, Jack. I know I said earlier that he’s innocent until proven guilty and so shouldn’t be benched, but this post of yours got me thinking that a professional athlete should be willing to accept going to the bench if the DA brings a charge. He would owe that to his team mates and the organization. Jounalists like Grant, TK, and AK should be willing to restrain themselves absent a charge. The Harbaugh press conference disturbed me greatly. There was Jim defending a basic principle of US law, and there were the media like sharks in a circle attacking prey. People like them sicken me when they do that. It’s amusing to me that they are usually the first to caution that arrests of black men should be subject to special review, but not in this case, I think because he’s a high-paid athlete and the team is the Niners.

    2. Also, it’s extremely interesting that Roger Goodell has told the 49ers that he will not act until the legal process has run its course. (http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/goodell-no-rush-pass-judgment-49ers-mcdonald) The ongoing argument of Kawakami/Killion/Cohn has been that this is not a criminal due process issue but a “take a stand issue” for the 49ers (impliedly due to the Ray Rice debacle, PR nightmare, and aftermath). They state the NFL is a private employer and does not have to follow criminal due process rules and cite various private administrative leave examples.

      It seems to me if the person in charge of this specific private employer’s disciplinary arm has said that “due process” should play out, and that he’s not going to act until that has worked its way out, unless the 49ers have clear smoking guns that indicate charges and a conviction are almost certainly coming, they should let Ray McDonald play and let Roger do his job when due process has run its course.

  22. “….Tim K, Ann Killion, and Grant Cohn should write columns of apology to Ray and praise the 49ers for showing level-headed judgment in the face of pressure….”

    Adusoron … back in the day .. when there was such
    a thing as “journalism” .. (sports and otherwise) .. whenever a story
    was published which turned out to be wrong ..
    an apology was published ..

    Sure it was always a tiny paragraph at the bottom of
    page 6 … but it was there .. but ..

    today, we have the TMZ form of “journalism” to deal with ..
    The credo seems to be something like ..
    “who can be the the worst kind of shock-jock ?”

    and when they do publish wrong and hurtful articles..
    and .. when they’re proven wrong …
    the apology is never published !

    (I never read an apology when everyone ran with the
    “Kaep-in-Miami” … non-story)

    Real “journalism” is still out there ..however .. those in
    the business, today .. don’t care to have the ability ..
    to define it..

    (or practice it .. for that matter)

    1. MW,

      Grant and the others aren’t “journalists” as we know them. They are opinion-mongers. They are same as us posting here, just a little higher on the pecking order As such, in the internet-age, having an opinion also means never having to acknowledge it if it’s proven that opinion is based on faulty assumptions. After all, it’s just an opinion, and everyone has one.

    2. Nancy Grace never apologized to the Duke lacrosse team who she personally crucified on her show week in and week out.
      Real champions persevere and transcend the petty minds of their lynchers.

  23. Forgot who said it yesterday but I fully agree. I expect V-Mac to have a big game. Romo wants to talk about his receiver being double covered. Pick your poison Dallas. Crabs? Vernon? Boldin?V-Mac? Miller?
    I am so fired up for Sunday. I hope we don’t lay an egg. I won’t be able to face those folks at AT&T stadium if we lay an egg…

  24. Actually the whole incident is about protecting the “Brand”. It’s pretty easy to stay out of situations that would jeopardize the brand. A large percentage of NFL players never have a single run in with police. Steve young, Alex Smith, Jerry Rice are all notable examples.
    Iprotecting the brand isn’t some impossible task that requires luck and stealth. It only requires maturity, responsibility, and good decision making. Every player s counseled prior to the start of each and every season and then again throughout the season as the poor decisions of others are marched on parade brought the media.
    Let’s not start burning candles for the perpretrators

      1. You must be referring to the massage parlor that had no arrests made. He wasn’t arrested and the only thing that gave the story legs was Jerry Rice was there.

        1. Matt,
          those were different times. The media still respected teams. Certain players were above reproach. And there weren’t outlets dedicated to digging for dirt in players personal lives.
          Don’t be naive. Jerry wasn’t arrested because law enforcement chose not to arrest him.

          1. Thank you Bay. I had never heard of the incident before you brought it up. I agree with you. Those were definitely different times.
            Thank you for educating me on this with respect and taking the high road when it would have been easy to display my lack of understanding to your point.

    1. If I read your comment correctly “The Brand” >>>> one individual’s presumption of innocence, right to a fair trial with all facts, and a vetting of the evidence? The PR needs of the many outweigh the due process rights of the one?

      I cannot agree.

      1. Protecting the brand Is not for you to agree with. It’s a position each NFL player agrees to when they sign their contract.
        The whole due process that you throw out like it raises you above reproach is misunderstood. It has already been addressed above. Due process only affects your rights in regards to court, bail, and trial. It does not protect you from the scrutiny of the public or protect your employment in an at will position of employment.
        The due process allows inmates to show up to trial in dress clothes and not prison uniforms. The due process allows the accused to have a bail. The due process allows the accused to present to a jury that they are free and not in custody until the outcome of a trial.

        1. So fair enough, Due process is to ensure he has a fair “trial”, as it pertains to the legal process of prosecution. That is a concrete and just part of the constitution. I don’t think that has ever been in question.

          Where is the line between fair reporting/commenting and a witch hunt? (a wonderfully salient phrase to use when talking about incidents like these) So far (amongst others) we have had Kaep condemned by a decent sized portion of the media for being in/close to the same hotel room as a naked crazy chick. Aldon is still being condemned by many for making a bomb threat at LAX, despite nobody knowing what was actually said.

          I don’t object to due process and how that affects the timeline of events, but the speed at which the people who are firstly reporting on, and then the secondary reaction from commenters crown those caught in these situations as monsters (by media, and by everyday folks hiding behind their keyboard shield) is, unfair and wholly wrong.

          The only way I can explain it to myself is that people want to be part of the event, (whether its through reporting or commenting on reports or blogging etc etc,) they want to be able to have an opinion. And the sooner that they can formulate that opinion the better. So we get Grant’s column, and all the other columns, we get reporters bombarding Trent and Jim with questions that any idiot would know wont and can’t be answered yet. We get commenters saying cut him, trade him, condemn him to the fiery eternity of hell. We live in a world where everything is focussed on now, now, now. Never mind carefully considering the details and making a considered judgement (ignoring the fact that 99% of people will NEVER have access to enough information to make a genuinely considered judgement) we are pushed by society to blurt out the first thing that comes into our poorly informed heads.

          Apologies, this turned into a relatively aimless ramble, but as you may have noticed, I absolutely despise the increasing sensationalism that is prevalent in todays media/society.

          1. Bravo! A robust rant. It’s good for you, LOL, and in this case I don’t disagree with a thing you posted.
            Good to hear from you DClark; the Faithfull Tribe is gathering. Let’s get this party started.

    1. That is a good article. Read it yesterday since we have nothing football related to read on this site.
      Difficult part is that there are theories, but no one knows the answers. Is it the QB? Is it the system? Is it the OC?
      I was struck by a comment that Kaep made last year after the Sherman Int. That was the matchup we got. When we get that matchup we go there.
      Once again, does Kaep have the autonomy to go where ever he wants on a play like that? Or was it drawn up for him to go there if he got the desired matchup?

      1. I think Kaep meant anytime you get a one in one that’s sometimes as close as you’re going to get as far as an open receiver. I believe it was Montana that said the same thing. He has to get comfortable in making throws to guys who have a defender on them.

      2. I’ll add this: I read somewhere that Richard Sherman has had his best success defending sideline/fade routes. It only makes sense since he plays a ton of cover defense (off coverage), he’s very tall for a CB, and has pretty decent athleticism for a guy as tall as he is. I agree generally with Kap that he should go for the 1 on 1 matchup because that means his guy is open, but in Sherman’s case, it might make sense to avoid throwing sideline routes at him unless it is clear the WR has beaten him.

        In contrast, there are other routes on which Sherman has clearly struggled and a 1 on 1 matchup is a very good one to take.

        1. It’s hard to say he shouldn’t have made that throw. Many have forgotten that ball was tipped before Sherman got his hands on it. It that balls not tipped I believe that outcome is different.

    2. Agreed, it was a very good article. I’ll post the conclusion which was extremely well stated.

      “If you go back and watch Kaepernick on tape, you can portray him in just about any light that you want to. It’s all there. Plays where he climbs the pocket and finds the third receiver in his progression and plays where he hesitates to pull the trigger on his first option and takes off running. Plays where he stands in the pocket with pressure on the way and delivers the ball on the money to a receiver down the field and plays where he leaves the pocket unnecessarily and misses an open receiver. If you have a particular Colin Kaepernick narrative in your head, you can find the plays to confirm that narrative.

      This issue is consistency. In a series of tweets a couple weeks ago, the aforementioned Chris Brown pointed out the most important questions to ask about a quarterback are, 1) Do they make NFL difficult throws? and 2) Does the quarterback find secondary and tertiary receivers? Kaepernick can and has done both of those things and to suggest otherwise is simply misleading. Doing them on a more consistent basis is what Kaepernick must do to raise his game to the next level.

    3. Excellent article. Thanks for the link Claude. It pretty well hit the nail on the head with everything it mentioned. I think the biggest area that Kaep needs to more consistent at is going through his progressions. Despite the bad play of the OL throughout the preseason (looking at you Iupati), I noticed some improvement in this area and look for it to carry over up to the Super Bowl.

    4. Well, that didn’t have the result I expected. If everyone is going to post thoughtful, measured comments, then what’s the point? That’s what I get for linking to a well-researched and balanced article. Let’s see what Kawakami wrote today.

  25. Thanx for the links, claude, MidWest, and everyone ..but
    if you keep it up ..
    you’re gonna make me too lazy to go look for stuff
    myself :-)

    1. Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t the bunch of us trademark the name Johnny Moron and sell tshirts on the internet. I’m half serious. Someone will do it and make some jack.

        1. The lawyers screw up everything.

          From Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 2:

          Dick:
          The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.

          Cade:
          Nay, that I mean to do

  26. Good idea, George ..

    Back in the ’80s I contemplated going into the bottled water
    business …

    yeah .. the label woulda said ..

    “From a hidden spring on the mysterious island of Tap”

    … but I was told the Brand name wouldn’t sell

      1. Thanx, George …

        old jokes fer sure.. but when told to a new audience…
        they aren’t old anymore ;-)

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