Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said the 49ers have to do to make up for the loss of Kendall Hunter. Q: What do the 49ers do with Kendall Hunter out for the year? BRENT JONES: “That’s the thing. Frank carried the ball 23 times on Sunday, and he’s been more of a 17-to-18-carries type of guy. “Somebody’s going to have to step up. Is it…
SANTA CLARA – This is what LaMichael James said at his locker Tueaday afternoon. Q: Do you feel like you’re game ready? JAMES: Yeah, I feel like I can go out there and help the team, which I prepare for each and every week. Hopefully I can pull out a spark. Q: What have you been doing the past two weeks in practice? JAMES: I pretty much do everything on…
SANTA CLARA – Frank Gore spoke at his locker Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about LaMichael James. GORE: LaMichael is still learning. I see that he got better from when he first got here to now. I see a lot of improvement. Q: In what areas? GORE: Running in small spaces. He got better in small spaces. When you watch his film from college, it’s a lot of big…
Greg Cosell spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers 16-13 overtime loss to the Rams on Sunday. Q: What do the Rams do defensively that gives the 49ers fits? It was tough for the 49ers to go down the field and to run the ball. COSELL: “I think the running part was probably the biggest issue. They ran well in the first quarter, and after…
SANTA CLARA – This is what Jim Harbaugh said about Colin Kaepernick at the Monday press conference. Q: You said after the game that you’re not going to make a change at quarterback. After watching the film, did that reinforce your stance? HARBAUGH: Yes. I still feel that way. There were a lot of positives in the game, definitely a tough loss. And specifically with Colin, especially after the fumble-touchdown,…
When the 49ers drafted A.J. Jenkins in the first round and LaMichael James in the second round, all we heard was how the 49ers didn’t need those guys this season. The 49ers are so deep and talented, those two high draft picks could afford to “red shirt” their rookie seasons, just lift weights and learn the system. Forget all of that. The 49ers need Jenkins and James right now. James…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers lost to the Rams 16-13. Here are the grades for the 49ers offense. Offensive line: D. They were dominated by the Rams defensive line all game. They gave up constant pressure when Kaepernick dropped back, and they could not open holes in the running game. They also were flagged for numerous penalties. Running backs: D. Frank Gore – 23 rushes for 58 yards, and one…
The 49ers are going to absolutely handle the Rams in St. Louis on Sunday. The Rams offense is going to come out running, like it did a few weeks ago against the Niners. That strategy worked for the Rams the first time. It will not work on Sunday. The 49ers will shut down Steven Jackson and Daryl Richardson from the beginning of the game. As a result, the Rams offense…
Kendall Hunter will miss the rest of the season due the left ankle injury he sustained against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, according to USA Today. Update: Hunter tore his left Achilles according to Matt Barrows. How big of a blow is this for the 49ers. How much does it affect their Super Bowl odds? Brandon Jacobs, Anthony Dixon and LaMichael James will have the opportunity to step up and become…
NEW ORLEANS – The 49ers just beat the Saints 31-21. Here are the grades for the 49ers offense. Offensive line: B-. These guys gave up pressure all game, but did not surrender a single sack because Kaepernick escaped every time. Anthony Davis was flagged for a hold which negated a beautiful throw by Kaepernick and a beautiful catch and run by Michael Crabtree which would have been a 35-yard gain….
The 49ers will beat the Saints 41-27 on Sunday. Colin Kaepernick will play even better than he did against the Bears. The loud Super Dome will not faze him. He will torch the Saints terrible defense with his arm and his legs. The 49ers offense will demoralize the Saints defense early. It will be clear in the first quarter the 49ers offense can do whatever it wants. The Saints are…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers destroyed the Chicago Bears 32-7 Monday night. Here are the grades for the 49ers offense. Offensive line: A. They opened holes and gave Kaepernick plenty of time to throw in the pocket. They only gave up one sack, and that sack was Kaepernick’s fault – all his receivers were covered and he didn’t throw the ball away. Running backs: A. Frank Gore had 78 yards…
Yesterday I broke down the matchup between the Bears rushing attack and the 49ers run defense. Today, I’ll break down the opposite matchup, the one between the 49ers run game and the Bears run D. The 49ers run game should be favorable against the Bears if the Bears continue to feature their Tampa 2 scheme. The Bears may have to drop a safety down in the box and play the…
SANTA CLARA — Here is what Alex Smith said at his locker Wednesday afternoon, courtesy of the 49ers. You talked to Peter King about WR Randy Moss’ influence on the team. Have you seen his work ethic rub off on the other receivers? Have you seen his influence in action? “All of our guys work hard, I didn’t mean it in a sense like that. Here’s a guy that’s,…
SANTA CLARA – St. Louis Rams inside linebacker James Laurinaitis spoke to Bay Area reporters on a conference call Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers offense. Q: You say your defense needs to force more turnovers. Is that more difficult this week, because the 49ers generally don’t turn the ball over? LAURINAITIS: Yeah (chuckles), it’s extremely hard. You have team that’s very good with ball security. You…
Now that we’re halfway through the season, there’s a book on how to beat the 49ers. We know it, the 49ers know it – it’s their job to know it — and the rest of the NFL knows it. Let’s explain that game plan and list the teams that can pull it off. Stop the run with seven defenders. If you can do that, you can beat the 49ers. You…
SANTA CLARA – Frank Gore spoke at his locker Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: How does your body feel going into the second half of the season? GORE: I feel fresh still. I’m healthy. I’m ready for the second half. It’s a blessing I’m not nicked up. I’m just having fun running through the big holes they’re giving me. Q: How are your ribs? GORE: A lot better….
Pro Football Weekly just announced their midseason All-Pro team. Considering how good the 49ers defense is, you’d expect a few those players to make it. They didn’t. Surprisingly, two players on the offense made the team – Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis. Punter Andy Lee also made it. PFW named Aaron Rodgers the midseason All-Pro QB, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch the running backs and Rob Gronkowski the tight end….
Frank Gore is having a very good season. He’s on pace to rush for 1,300 yards and 8 touchdowns. He runs behind the best run blocking offensive line in the NFL. Still, he’s looked like a premier running back at times. He sealed the win over the Packers with a beautiful 23-yard touchdown run. He also sealed the loss against the Vikings with a fourth-quarter fumble. He can no longer…
Some of you may be wondering why Frank Gore and Alex Smith were not finalists for my midseason offensive player awards. Afterall, they are both having the best seasons of their careers. First, I’ll address Gore. He’s excellent, but he’s benefitting big-time from the 49ers offensive line. He’s regularly running through gaping holes at the line of scrimmage. He’s averaging 5.5 yards per carry, and that’s impressive, but Kendall Hunter…
