This is my Wednesday column on the Seahawks’ passing game. Don’t blame Russell Wilson. People say the Seahawks’ passing game is spiraling counter-clockwise down the toilet because Wilson is in a slump. No. It might be more accurate to say that Darrell Bevell, the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, is in a slump. “His passing game appears chaotic and out of sorts,” said a former NFL offensive coordinator. “Some weeks, Bevell is…
This is my Thursday column on the difference between the 49ers and Panthers. SANTA CLARA – The 49ers face a version of themselves this Sunday. If the 49ers are a “Bob,” the Panthers are a “Roberto.” For the most part, the 49ers and Panthers are the same team: Excellent, hard-hitting defenses. Quarterbacks who run and throw. Offenses built around running the ball. And coaches who are the sons of coaches…
Here is my Thursday column on the Cam-Kap conundrum. SANTA CLARA – “Merrill Feuerborn was adamant that we had to get Cam Newton and he was the future of the NFL,” Jim Harbaugh said at a recent press conference. Who in the world is Merrill Feuerborn? He is Harbaugh’s father-in-law. “You’ve got to give him credit, he saw it,” said Harbaugh, grinning. “I think the whole football world saw it…
In July 2011, HBO Real Sports did a feature on the Harbaugh brothers. At the time, they did not air a clip of Jack Harbaugh talking about the moment his son, Jim, told him he was going to draft Colin Kaepernick. Here is that clip, and a transcript as well. JACK HARBAUGH: “Jim, can you tell me? Tell me. Tomorrow you’re going to draft a quarterback. Who’s it going to…
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…
This is about Jim Harbaugh’s football pedigree, how he became who he is. Specifically, it’s about his father Jack, a legendary football coach who instilled Harbaugh-tude into his kids Jim and John, both groomed to be coaches. To pursue this theme I phoned former NFL and college coach Fred von Appen. Fred coached 49ers special teams under Bill Walsh from 1983-88 and was Walsh’s defensive coordinator at Stanford from 1992-94,…
