SANTA CLARA – Here is what Vic Fangio said about the 49ers defense at his Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. How much is it a luxury for you to have all four linebackers locked up for at least three more seasons after this one? “I think it speaks well for the organization that they’ve been able to in this age of salary cap. And it’s not always…
NEW ORLEANS — The 49ers just beat the Saints 31-21. Here are the grades for the 49ers defense and special teams. Defensive line: B+. Justin Smith had 1.5 sacks – he’s coming on at the end of the season, just like he did last year. Ray McDonald almost sacked Brees on the first play of the game. McDonald didn’t do much the rest of the game. And Isaac Sopoaga was…
The 49ers play the Saints Sunday at the Superdome. In the meantime, I’ll break down five key matchups. TE Jimmy Graham vs. LB Patrick Willis and SS Donte Whitner This is the one matchup the 49ers will not win. Jimmy Graham is too tall and too athletic. Drew Brees frequently throws the ball up and gives Graham chances to make great catches. He made a bunch of great catches against…
Vic Fangio held a press conference Thursday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers defense, courtesy of the 49ers. It looked like LB Patrick Willis had a really good game in coverage on Monday. Is that typical? Is that what you expect from him? “He did. Yes, he did have a very good game in coverage. Particularly, [RB Matt] Forte’s a tough back to handle. They went to…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers destroyed the Chicago Bears 32-7 Monday night. Here are the grades for the 49ers defense and special teams. Defensive line: A. They held the Bears rushing attack to just 3 yards per carry. Justin Smith got consistent pressure on the quarterback for the first time this season. Ray McDonald tackled Chilo Rachal in the end zone for a safety. Linebackers: A. NaVorro Bowman had a…
SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh is having a minor procedure today at Stanford University Hospital for an irregular heartbeat. Here’s what the 49ers public relations director and Patrick Willis said about it today in the media tent. P.R.: “Some of you may have noticed Coach Harbaugh isn’t here today. Coach Harbaugh is not at the facility today under doctor’s orders. He’s having a minor procedure done today at Stanford University…
NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell spoke on the Murph and Mac Show Thursday morning. Here’s what he said about Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. Q: What warts are you seeing on the 49ers defense? COSELL: We can start by throwing out a few numbers. If you subtract the Arizona game – Arizona’s not a very good offense – they played in the other three games New York (Giants), Seattle and…
SAN FRANCISCO — The 49ers tied the Rams 24-24. Here are the grades for the 49ers defense. Defensive line: D. Isaac Sopoaga was a liability at nose tackle. He actually got planted on his back by Steven Jackson in the first quarter. Sopoaga was briefly benched for Ricky Jean Francois. Ray McDonald was flagged for a 15-yard helmet-to-helmet hit on Bradford. Justin Smith finished with eight tackles and two pressures….
SANTA CLARA – Carlos Rogers spoke in the media tent Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers defense. Q: You guys are ranked No.2 against the pass right now. How have the defensive backs stepped up this season? ROGERS: It’s our second year in the system. Guys are stepping up and taking on the challenges. Our defensive line and linebackers do a good job stopping the run, so…
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 fellow inside linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. Q: I’ve heard it said about you that you’re under the radar in large part because of what the inside linebackers here are doing. What are your thoughts when you watch Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman….
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…
The 49ers are halfway through their season. Today, I’ll give midseason awards for the best offensive and defensive players Best defensive player – Patrick Willis. Willis started the season slow against the Green Bay Packers, recording six tackles – low for him – and giving up four completions while playing man coverage. He’s been on a tear since that game, racking up 59 tackles, breaking up 6 passes and forcing…
Here are the grades for the 49ers defense from their 24-3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Defensive line: A. They completely shut down the Cardinals run game, holding it to 7 total yards. The defensive line often tackled running back LaRod Stephens-Howling five yards behind the line of scrimmage. Justin Smith got consistent pressure on a quarterback for the first time this season. Linebackers: A. The outside linebackers had dominant…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers beat the Seahawks 13-6. Here are the grades for the 49ers’ defense. Defensive line: C+. Marshawn Lynch rushed for 103 yards on this group, which has given up 100-yard rushers two weeks in a row. However, when Lynch came Justin Smith’s way, Smith stopped him most of the time. Smith finished with a team-high 9 tackles, but he did get planted on his back by…
Tuesday morning on 95.7 The Game, Matt Millen called out Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman for their performances against the New York Giants on Sunday. “That’s the worst I’ve seen those two play,” Millen said. As you may remember, Millen played inside linebacker for the 49ers in 1989 and 1990. Before that, he played inside linebacker for the Raiders from 1980 to 1988. He was a good inside linebacker, but…
SAN FRANCISCO — Here are the Week 6 grades for the defense and special teams. Defensive line: D. They got zero pressure on Eli Manning. They held Ahmad Bradshaw to 23 yards on 11 carries in the first half, but they gave up 93 yards on 16 carries to Bradshaw in the second half. At one point in the fourth quarter they gave up almost 70 rushing yards on 7…
SANTA CLARA – Patrick Willis spoke at his locker Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: Did your offense surprise you at all against the Bills? WILLIS: We got out here and practice every day and we see the way those guys practice. For them to go out there and put up the numbers that they put up, they were extraordinary numbers. We never underestimate our offense. We know that…
The 49ers play the Giants on Sunday at Candlestick. In the meantime, I’ll break down a couple of key matchups per day. TE Martellus Bennett (6-6, 265 pounds) vs. Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Donte Whitner With Dashon Goldson and Chris Culliver taking away the deep passes, Eli Manning probably will have to throw short and over the middle against the 49ers. That’s where Martellus Bennett comes in. We know…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers blew out the Bills by 41 points, but the game was close late into the second quarter. With a minute until halftime the Bills were losing by seven points and they had the ball. They had just put together an 80-yard field goal drive against the 49ers elite defense. They were fighting and they were having some success. But then Patrick Willis stripped Scott Chandler,…
Here’s the second installment of the 49ers team MVP standings. To read the first installment, click here. Vernon Davis: The best player on the team, but he isn’t even the leading receiver. That’s Michael Crabtree, who has been targeted 31 times by Alex Smith. Still, Davis has caught 4 touchdowns in just 22 targets, and he’s an elite blocker. NaVorro Bowman: The best linebacker in the NFL. He’s giving up…
