This is the opening to my Monday sidebar on Vernon Davis. ATLANTA — The Falcons wanted to stop Colin Kaepernick from running, and they accomplished that. Kaepernick rushed just two times for 21 yards. The Falcons wanted to stop Michael Crabtree from scoring, and they accomplished that, too. Crabtree caught six passes for 57 yards and no touchdowns; he fumbled at the goal line. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they forgot…
ATLANTA – The 49ers beat the Falcons 28-24. The 49ers are going to the Super Bowl. Here are the grades for the 49ers’ offense. Offensive line: A. Mike Iupati gave up a sack and was flagged for a holding penalty, but the other four offensive linemen played almost perfectly. Collectively, they helped the 49ers average 5.1 yards per rush. Running backs: A. Frank Gore got the 49ers’ offense going in…
According to KTVU Bay Area Channel 2, who cites an unnamed source in the San Francisco Police Department, Michael Crabtree is being investigated for an alleged sexual assault. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the alleged assault took place the morning of January 13th hours after the 49ers’ victory over the Packers, and Crabtree has not been detained or arrested. I will keep you posted on further developments as they unfold….
The 49ers play the Falcons Sunday at the Georgia Dome. In the meantime, I’ll break down the key matchups. The Falcons’ secondary v. Michael Crabtree The Falcons play good team defense. They ranked fourth in points allowed (19.2 per game), and they gave up only 14 passing touchdowns in the regular season – the fewest allowed in the NFL. The 49ers’ defense gave up 19 passing touchdowns – tied for…
Greg Cosell spoke on KNBR Thursday morning. Here’s what he said about the 49ers and the Falcons. Q: Was Kaepernick’s record-breaking performance aided by an awful Packers defense? COSELL: I think that’s fair. I think the numbers reflect that. He had three scrambled in the first half for 53 yards. All of them came against man-to-man coverage concepts. Two of those plays they doubled Michael Crabtree. I think that playing…
SANTA CLARA – This is the transcript of Colin Kaepernick’s Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. [Head coach Jim] Harbaugh mentioned last week that you were really picking up the game plan, a savant-like game he said. Did you feel like it was like another level for you, that the mental part was really picking up? “I think it’s just something you have to do in this playoff…
SANTA CLARA – Delanie Walker spoke at his locker Wednesday afternoon. This is what he said. Q: Is it going to be important to establish you and Vernon in the passing game against the Falcons? WALKER: Most definitely. Crab’s been doing that, so I’m pretty sure they’re going to have to stop Crab. And that’s going to give everybody opportunities to make plays. Q: You guys do a lot of…
On KNBR Tuesday afternoon, Trent Dilfer said Mike Nolan likes to take away an offense’s fast ball. What do you think Nolan will consider the 49ers’ fast ball? Do you think he’ll double team Vernon Davis or Michael Crabtree? Do you think Nolan will load the box with eight defenders, or do you think he’ll play a two-deep zone and attempt to stop Frank Gore with seven defenders? I’m curious…
SANTA CLARA – This is the transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Monday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. How did DT Justin Smith make it through the game? “Good. Played well. Came out of the game as clean as possible.” And did you expect him to kind of pick up where he left off? “It looked good in practice and the feedback that we were getting from him was…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers massacred the Packers 45-31 on Saturday night. Here is the grade for the 49ers offense. Offensive line: A. Joe Staley gave up the one and only sack. He injured his arm in the game and did not play particularly well. But the other four offensive linemen sure did. Mike Iupati, Alex Boone and Anthony Davis all were terrific run blockers. Jonathan Goodwin only had one…
This is the opening for my Sunday sidebar on Michael Crabtree. SAN FRANCISCO — This used to be Frank Gore’s offense. He’s still good — he rushed 22 times for 119 yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers — but Saturday he wasn’t even the 49ers’ best running back. That was quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who rushed 16 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Now, Gore is one…
SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh spoke in the media tent Wednesday afternoon. Here’s a transcript of his press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Have you made a decision on your kicker yet? “No. Not one that we’ll have made or announce yet.” Will you not announce it until an hour and a half before the game? “That’s possible.” I was on a conference call with former 49ers…
SANTA CLARA – Michael Crabtree spoke at his locker Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: You struggled in the NFC Championship game last season. It seems like you’ve really blossomed this season. What do you attribute that to? CRABTREE: It was last year. I don’t really know what happened. We talked about opportunities, I said something about that after the game last year, and I meant it. I’m a…
Greg Cosell spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Michael Crabtree. Q: Where is the Packers’ defense vulnerable? COSELL: I think they’re vulnerable inside with their linebackers. I think that it will be very interesting to see how the 49ers use Michael Crabtree. One of the things they’ve done effectively is, in base personnel, spread the field and have Crabtree inside. Crabtree is really, really effective working…
Jim Harbaugh spoke on KNBR Wednesday morning. Here’s what he said about Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree and A.J. Jenkins. Q: What did you think of Colin Kaepernick and Michael Crabtree’s performances against the Cardinals? HARBAUGH: Really impressed watching the game in person, and then I watched the TV copy when I got home, but the coaches’ film copy was even better. The two of them really deserve to be highlighted….
SANTA CLARA – The 49ers’ first round pick, A.J. Jenkins, did not catch a pass in the regular season. He was not a contributor. This afternoon, Jim Harbaugh was asked if Jenkins can contribute in the playoffs. Here’s what Harbaugh said. Q: Where is A.J. Jenkins in his development? Can he contribute in the playoffs? HARBAUGH: Do I think he can? Yes. Do we need him to? Yes. We need…
SAN FRANCISCO – We learned a few things about the 49ers today – some good and some not-so-good. Here are those things. The Good The 49ers earned the No.2 seed and a first-round Bye with the win and the Packers’ three-point loss to the Vikings. The Packers and Vikings play again next weekend. If the Packers win, they play the 49ers at Candlestick in two weeks, on Saturday, January 12th…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers stomped the Cardinals 27-13. Here are the grades for the 49ers offense. Offensive line: B. They gave up hardly any pressure this week, which was impressive because the Cardinals defense is ranked 10th in the league in sacks. The 49ers’ offensive line did not create much running room, though, and that’s becoming a trend. The Niners gained 129 yards on 37 carries – just 3.5…
There are two reasons why this game against the Arizona Cardinals matters deeply to the 49ers. First, there are playoff implications. If the 49ers win, they’ll be 11-4-1. They’ll get the No.2 seed and a first-round Bye if the Packers lose to the Vikings. If the Packers beat the Vikings, the 49ers get the No.3 seed and they would not get a Bye. They would play the No.6 seed at…
Steve Young spoke on KNBR Wednesday afternoon. This is his take on the 49ers’ blowout loss to the Seahawks and what the Niners should be doing on offense. STEVE YOUNG: They got beat up. They got pounded. I was disappointed. Late in the year, great teams don’t allow that. Earlier in the year, I can see championship teams having struggles in September and early Octorber – just get obliterated in…
