After the game against the Seahawks, I wrote in my grades that Frank Gore’s 51-yard run was a weak-side lead, but it had a twist. The 49ers had two tight ends and two running backs on the field. Vance McDonald lined up next to Vernon Davis on the right side of the 49ers’ formation, and then McDonald motioned to the left. When McDonald has motioned in this way from this…
Here is my Tuesday column on the Seahawks-49ers rivalry. The 49ers and the Seahawks have the best rivalry in sports right now, and it isn’t even close. Here are the top five reasons why: 1. They are two of the best teams in the NFL. 2. They are in the same division. 3. Their head coaches hate each other. 4. Their players hate the other team’s coach. 5. Their players…
Here’s what Daniel Jeremiah, former NFL scout and current NFL Draft analyst for the NFL Network, tweeted before the draft about Eric Reid, Tank Carradine, Vance McDonald and Corey Lemonier. Jeremiah on Eric Reid: “5 game study and I can’t get excited about Eric Reid. Love size/speed but he misses too many tackles and he’s late off the hash too often.” 18 Mar “Teams are split on Eric Reid. He…
SANTA CLARA – Joe Staley spoke at his locker Friday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: The Seahawks have the third ranked defense in the league. What makes them so good? STALEY: Very, very fast. Their defensive front is the fastest in the NFL, especially those two guys on the edge (Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin). They want to get you in third-and-long situations, so we have to do a…
Let me start by listing everything that’s working against the 49ers this week. They are trying to win their third game in a row. They haven’t won three games in a row this season. Seattle’s crowd and home field advantage – the turf – will be tough for the Niners to overcome, even more so than last Sunday night. At least the Niners won’t face a time change and will have…
The 49ers play the Seahawks Sunday night in Seattle. In the meantime, I’ll break down the key matchups. To read part 1, click here. DE Bruce Irvin vs. OT Anthony Davis The Seahawks’ nickel rush, especially Irvin, will be tough to handle, especially on turf, especially with crowd noise. Offensive tackles are the last to move when offenses use the silent snap count, which the Niners will be using because…
On Sunday, the New York Giants defense sacked Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick 6 times, hit them 3 times and hurried them 18 times according to Pro Football Focus. On Thursday Night, the 49ers have to face an even better pass rush. Seattle’s defense has 19 sacks through 6 games. Chris Clemons has 7 sacks. Bruce Irvin, the nickel pass rusher, has 5 sacks and he’s played less that 50…
SANTA CLARA — Here’s what Greg Roman said about the Seattle Seahawks defense at his Tuesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Opening Statement: “Good afternoon. We’re back in the division. The Seattle Seahawks defense, I think, they’re ranked fourth overall statistically. Pretty high against the run, they play a lot of man coverage outside, their corners are doing a real good job. Their secondary has great length. They’re…
The 49ers play the Seahawks at Candlestick on Thursday night. In the meantime, I’ll break down a few key matchups every day. Right tackle Anthony Davis (6-5, 323 pounds) vs. Left defensive end Bruce Irvin (6-3, 248 pounds) Before the Giants game, Davis hadn’t given up a single sack through five games. But he gave up 3 on Sunday, as well as 1 QB hit and 6 QB hurries according…
Yesterday we broke down how the Niners match up with the Green Bay Packers. Today, let’s check out how they match up with their main NFC West rivals – the Seattle Seahawks. 49ERS DEFENSE VS. SEAHAWKS OFFENSE: Seattle signed Aaron Rodgers’ backup and Mike McCarthy’s newest quarterback protégé, Matt Flynn. Although he’s only started two games in his NFL career, he’s performed marvelously in both of those games and many…
