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Something clicked with 49ers nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin in the second half of last season. He finished strong once the 49ers went exclusively to a 3-4 defensive scheme. And he has picked up this season where he left off.
Here's an interview I conducted with
Generally, nose tackle is not a position that stuffs the stat sheet. However,
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Unlike most practice weeks when the 49ers finish the bulk of their preparation on Friday, the club wrapped up their significant on-field work today.
The 49ers will now have two walk-through practices - short review sessions -- before hitting Lambeau Field for Sunday's game. The club will have a walk through tomorrow morning in
It's rare these days in the NFL for a running back to play as much as Frank Gore. But there's a reason he's always on the field. Of the team's running backs, he's the best runner. He's also the best pass-catcher. And he also handles all of the blocking chores that come along with it as well as anybody.
Gore must be on top of his game Sunday in all three of those areas against the Packers. Here's an interview I had with Gore:
Linebacker Takeo Spikes was the only 49ers player who did not practice today due to health concerns. He sustained a hamstring strain last week against the Bears and looks questionable for Sunday's game.
Rookie Scott McKillop immediately entered the game to replace Spikes late in the first half. But veteran Matt Wilhelm took his place at the start of the second half. Wilhelm signed with the 49ers on Oct. 19 when the club placed veteran Jeff Ulbrich on injured reserve.
The 49ers are on Day 2 of practice-field preparations for Sunday's game, while the Packers hit the field for the first time in
The 49ers' coaches got a nice head start for preparing to face the Packers. Jimmy Raye did a lot of film study before sitting down with his big-screen high-def TV to watch the Packers face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Here is a portion of the conference call . . .
We'll get to the news of the day, but first we'll start you off with a helping of Kentwan Balmer, the 49ers' first-round pick in the 2008 draft.
Balmer has not been able to crack the starting lineup ahead of Justin Smith, Aubrayo Franklin or Isaac Sopoga, but he gets action at left defensive end and some at nose tackle in the defensive-line rotation in base situations.
When he has gotten on the field, Balmer has done a pretty good job. Like most defensive linemen in this scheme, he is never going to put up huge statistics. But the team has been pleased that the level of play does not noticeably drop off when he gets on the field. And, from what I've seen, his commitment and hustle has never been an issue.
So, here's my interview with Balmer from earlier today . . .
The two quarterbacks are forever linked. After 4 ½ seasons in the NFL, the past three weeks are the only times they have both been starters for their respective teams at the same time.
On Sunday, the 49ers face the Packers in a game with huge NFC playoff implications. The time seemed right to dredge up the 2005 draft again.
I went back into the archives to see what I wrote about these guys on back-to-back days in the lead-up to the 2005 draft. Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers visited the 49ers on back-to-back days. The 49ers did a good job of creating intrigue around the 2005 draft. Many thought they would select Rodgers. (That's what I thought, too, until the final week before the draft.)
Since the beginning of the season - and definitely during the 49ers' four-game losing streak - my opinion was that the 49ers' only route to the playoffs was to overtake the Arizona Cardinals and win the NFC West.
Looking at the schedule a couple weeks ago, that prospect looked extremely difficult.
But after perusing the NFC standings, I've arrived at a different conclusion: There is no question the 49ers are right in the middle of the playoff race, and they're actually looking pretty good.
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