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The shotgun formation . . . it's not just for third downs anymore.
When the 49ers line up in the shotgun Sunday against the Packers, it is no longer a sure sign a pass play is forthcoming.
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.
Somewhere, some dude is trying to peddle a computer with files and files of old 49ers articles and information that only I can decipher.
My replacement computer is on the way after my original was so rudely removed from my parked car outside a S.F. restaurant after Thursday's game. But in the meantime I'm borrowing my wife's laptop to address some topics that have been of particular interest to those who have Tweeted me in recent days.
The 49ers snapped their four-game losing streak thanks to Jay Cutler's five interceptions. And the 49ers needed every one of them. Michael Lewis' game-clinching pick came in the end zone on the final play of the game.
Quarterback Alex Smith and rookie receiver Michael Crabtree spent extra time together after practice Wednesday. Crabtree said there were some timing issues on the interception in the game against the Titans. Smith admitted to throwing the ball late to Crabtree at the sideline. The pass was tipped and intercepted. "We talked about it and hopefully we're getting better on that," Crabtree said.
Here's a portion of Crabtree's group interview session Wednesday:
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Niners tight end Vernon Davis said he wasn't trying to "call anybody out" or "put anybody down" on the Chicago Bears' defense. He said he was just expressing his confidence with his comments Tuesday.
On Tuesday,
Today,
Since 2006, Lee ranks third in the NFL with a 46.9 gross average and second with a 39.7 net average. The only NFL punter who clearly has better numbers during that time is Raiders punter Shane Lechler.
Lee and the punt-coverage unit face a major challenge tomorrow night when the 49ers play host to the Chicago Bears and Devin Hester, who has 12 touchdowns on returns in his four year career.
Quarterback Alex Smith did not have much time to peruse the game film from the 49ers' game Sunday against the Titans because there's a game coming up three days earlier in the week than usual.
Smith joined me for a podcast today before the 49ers hit the practice field for one of their two practices to get ready for the Chicago Bears on Thursday.
Chicago Bears linebacker and
That deal fell through. But Briggs, who was a scheduled free agent in 2008, knew he would sign with the 49ers. He said his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told him. But just prior to the start of free agency, Rosenhaus informed Briggs that the 49ers were no longer going to sign him.
Briggs said the 49ers were pulling out at the last minute. Briggs spoke this morning with 49ers reporters on a conference call.
Of course, we all know what happened. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled the 49ers had violated the league's anti-tampering policy. The 49ers had to forfeit a 2008 fifth-round draft pick and were forced to swap third-round picks with the Bears as punishment.
After a decade out of the game, Mike Singletary and his wife, Kim, decided the time was right for him to pursue a coaching career. Understandably, he made contact with the Chicago Bears to see if the organization would be interested.
Singletary, a Hall of Fame linebacker with the Bears, called then-Bears coach Dick Jauron as a courtesy.
As he recalled today during his weekly press conference, Singletary told Jauron, "I'm not asking for a job, but I'm telling you this year or in the very near future I will be coaching. (I) don't know where and don't know when."
Jauron responded, "Mike, let me get back to you and see what's happening here.'"
This game was all about turnovers. Quarterback Alex Smith threw three interceptions and lost one fumble. The Titans did not turn it over. Not surprisingly, the 49ers lost 34-27.
"It's very obvious what happened," coach Mike Singletary said. "I'm sure there are a lot of other things you could come up with as to why we lost. The bottom line is turnovers for us."
When Singletary was asked about Smith's performance, he said, "I saw a quarterback throwing the ball pretty effectively."
Can those two things be true? Yes, the turnovers were costly. And, yes, Smith threw the ball well. But the problem wasn't Smith's arm. His problem was his eyes.
The 49ers have a quick turnaround, which might be a good thing after a game like this. The 49ers lost to the Tennessee Titans 34-27. They fell two games behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. The 49ers have lost four in a row and five of six.
Yes, ordinarily, it's a good thing to come right back after having four turnovers lead to 24 points. But the 49ers have some injury concerns now.
Tight end Delanie Walker has just four catches for 68 yards on the season, but he's not complaining. "As long as
A year ago, the 49ers took defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer in the first round of the draft. This year, they selected Ricky Jean-Francois in the seventh round. Neither will be in the starting lineup Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, but both will be in uniform.
Today, I spoke to Jean-Francois for a podcast:
The 49ers' run game is about quantity, not quality, 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said. That's why he said it's difficult to draw any conclusions about the run game from the 49ers' loss to the Colts. In that game, Frank Gore had just 13 rushing attempts.
I asked Raye today about the spread offense and the fact that the run game has not been consistently successful this season. The 49ers are not going to become a "spread" team. But Raye said there might be more of those elements added to the team's offense as the season progresses.
Vince Young vs. Alex Smith.
That's the matchup Sunday at the 'Stick when the Titans visit to play the 49ers. Young and Smith are former high draft picks who lost their starting jobs for various reasons.
Now, both are trying to remake their careers with their original teams. Both made their first starts of the season a week ago.
Young, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 draft, lost his starting job to Kerry Collins. With mostly Collins at the controls, the Titans went 13-3 but lost in the first round of the playoffs.
But when Young was playing, the Titans have always been effective. In fact, Young's regular-season record as a starter is now 19-11 with last week's 30-13 victory over the Jaguars. (It didn't hurt matters that running back Chris Johnson gained 228 yards on 24 rushes).
This is Jeff Fisher's 16th season as a head coach in the NFL. During that time the former 49ers assistant has faced
"As I told our team this morning, this is a team that we know nothing about," Fisher said this morning a handful of Bay Area newspaper reporters during the weekly conference call with the opposing coach.
When I asked Mike Singletary yesterday why the 49ers did not employ the shotgun/spread in the second half (other than third-and-long situations) after having success with it at the end of the first half, I did not fully understand his answer.
He spoke in vague terms about the coaches not having exposure to the players and Alex Smith not having exposure to the spread offense.
Then, I spoke to Smith about it, and I think I have a better idea of what Singletary meant.
I was running late today, as I had to hustle home from
Nate Clements was not in the 49ers' starting lineup today, and it might be a while before he returns. Clements sustained a fractured right scapula in today's game against the Colts. At this point, it is unknown whether it's a season-ending injury.
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