SAN FRANCISCO – Here is the complete transcript of Vernon Davis’s postgame press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. What did you think of QB Colin Kaepernick? “Colin is the man. I think Colin did a great job. I’m very proud of him. I take my hat off to him because he stepped up today. He did some great things out there to help us win this game.” After…
SAN FRANCISCO – Here is the complete transcript of Colin Kaepernick’s postgame press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. When were you told that you were going to be a starter? “Last night was when they officially told me.” Did you have an inkling that was the way it was going as the week went on? “I started getting more reps on Friday and Saturday. We really didn’t know…
SAN FRANCISCO – Here is the complete transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s postgame press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. At what point did you know that you weren’t going to have QB Alex Smith for this game? “Monday morning, today.” How had the reps been distributed throughout the week to get QB Colin Kaepernick ready? “We were giving him more reps on Wednesday and Thursday. And then I believe…
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…
The 49ers play the Bears Monday night at Candlestick. In the meantime, I’ll break down five key matchups. LB Brian Urlacher and LB Lance Briggs vs. TE Vernon Davis Briggs and Urlacher are two of the best linebackers in the NFL, but they are not fast enough to keep up with Vernon Davis. The Bears play a Tampa 2 defense, so their linebackers – Briggs and Urlacher – will match…
NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell spoke on the Murph and Mac Show Thursday morning. Here’s what he said about the Bears defense and Vernon Davis. Q: What have you seen from the Bears defense? COSELL: “I think the Bears defense is as fundamentally sound as any defense in the National Football League. They would probably be viewed by coaches as not being that complex to play against, although they do…
SAN FRANCISCO — The 49ers tied the Rams 24-24. Here are the grades for the 49ers offense. Offensive line: B. They gave up five sacks, but not all were their fault. In fact, four of the sacks were due to Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick holding on to the ball for too long. On the fifth sack, Anthony Davis got beat by Chris Long, who sacked Kaepernick as he was…
SAN FRANCISCO – Here’s what Vernon Davis said in the locker room about Colin Kaepernick after the 49ers tied the Rams 24-24. Q: How do you think Colin Kaepernick fared? VERNON DAVIS: I think he did a great job. Colin is talented, so talented. He wants to do well. He wants to make plays and help this team. I would give him a B+ for going out there and taking…
SAN FRANCISCO – Vernon Davis caught four passes for 30 yards Sunday against the Rams. The Pro Bowl tight end has not caught more than four passes in a game since Week 5 against the Bills. I just asked Davis in the locker room how he feels about his current role on the 49ers. Here’s what he said. ME: The last few weeks, Greg Roman has approached you after games…
What do you think Greg Roman’s motivation is for featuring Michael Crabtree over Vernon Davis and Mario Manningham in the 49ers pass game? Is it: Roman believes Crabtree is the best receiver on the team and one of the best receivers in the NFL. People in the organization are invested in Crabtree’s success. They drafted him in the first round in 2009. The people who drafted Vernon Davis in 2006…
The 49ers play the St. Louis Rams Sunday at Candlestick Park. In the meantime, I’ll break down a couple of key matchups every day. CB Cortland Finnegan (5-10, 188 pounds) vs. WR Michael Crabtree (6-1, 214 pounds) Finnegan is the kind of cornerback that gives Crabtree problems. But regardless of matchup, Greg Roman wants to feature Crabtree in the 49ers pass game. Crabtree has received at least five targets in…
NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell spoke on the Murph and Mac Show Thursday morning. Here’s Cosell’s take on the Vernon Davis issue. Q: Vernon Davis’ catches have decreased a little bit this year. What are you seeing on film? Are defenses taking him away or is Alex Smith just not looking for him? COSELL: It’s always hard to say whether a quarterback’s looking for someone because I don’t know what’s…
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,…
In the past, Anthony Davis needed help from tight end Vernon Davis in pass protection. This season, Anthony Davis is the best pass blocking offensive lineman on the 49ers. Now it’s Joe Staley who’s getting occasional blocking help from Vernon. Anthony Davis mostly is holding his own. He gave up three sacks against the New York Giants in Week 6, but he hasn’t given up a sack in the other…
The 49ers rushing offense ranks No.1 in yards per game and yards per carry. That’s great, but the offense is scoring half-a-point less per game than last season. Why is that? One of the reasons is Greg Roman. He doesn’t get the ball enough to his best skill player and biggest scoring threat – Vernon Davis. Davis scored 4 TDs the first three games. He has scored zero since then…
The 49ers are halfway through their season. Today, I’ll give midseason awards for the best offensive and defensive players. Best offensive player: Runner up – TE Vernon Davis. It’s not his fault offensive coordinator Greg Roman has preferred calling pass plays for the 49ers wide receivers this season. Davis is the best receiver on the team and the best tight end in the NFL. He has been underutilized in the…
SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh held a press conference Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Vernon Davis. HARBAUGH: “There’s some things that some defenses are doing, there’s no question about it. Just look at the tape, look at the action. They’re focusing a lot of attention on Vernon Davis. Even before he gets into a route, defensive ends are disengaging on their pass rush and making sure that they…
SANTA CLARA – Vernon Davis spoke at his locker Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about his disappearance from the 49ers passing offense. Q: Could we talk? VERNON DAVIS: Let’s talk about how we can get me involved (laughs). No, I’m just messing with you. Q: You had just two catches yesterday, but to see other guys in the passing game pick up the slack, does that make it easier…
Here are the grades for the 49ers offense from their 24-3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Quarterbacks: A. Alex Smith played one of the best games of his life. He only attempted 19 passes, but he completed 18 of them, and Delanie Walker dropped the one incompletion. That’s a 95 percent completion percentage. Smith broke Fran Tarketon’s record for the most completed passes in a game in which he threw…
As you know, I’ve criticized offensive coordinator Greg Roman for Vernon Davis’ disappearance from the 49ers passing attack three-of-the-last-four games. Many of you have argued on Roman’s behalf, praising the way he’s used Davis to open up other players on the offense. I guess I just come from a different school of thought. In baseball, for example, you can intentionally walk or pitch around a batter, and there is not…
