Anquan Boldin to the 49ers

By Kalen Patrick

Today the 49ers have pulled off a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire Anquan Boldin for a 2013 6th round draft pick (insert picture of smiling Colin Kaepernick). The 49ers had 2 draft picks, their own and also owned the Miami Dolphins 6th rounder too. I'm guessing the 49ers gave up the Dolphins pick (earlier pick) but the details have yet to be announced.

BOLDIN IS NOW A 49ER

So what does this move mean for the 49ers? Well for one, to me it confirms 100% that Randy Moss will not be back. It also means that currently injured Wide Receiver Mario Manningham will have to take a pay cut if he wants to remain on the roster.

The 49ers current Wide Receiver depth chart looks like: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Mario Manningham, Kyle Williams and AJ Jenkins. Now that is a very talented group of receivers, and when you throw in talents like Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, LaMichael James and Kendall Hunter, the 49ers and Colin Kaepernick are in a great position.

Specifically looking at this trade, I feel it is a very low risk/high reward trade for the 49ers. Anquan Boldin is a vocal veteran leader, amazing work ethic (someone AJ Jenkins can emulate) and still very productive. While Boldin does not provide much in terms of a speed threat, he is a big body receiver and very sure handed and can make plays after the catch. The 49ers hope and expect AJ Jenkins to be the deep threat they need. Ultimately, this is another great move by GM Trent Baalke, demonstrating why he is so highly regarded in NFL circles.

Over and Out

49ers - A Look Ahead (Offense Edition)

By Kalen Patrick

I am still not, and probably never will be over the devastating loss in the Superbowl. No more perfect record in the "Big Dance", not hearing Colin Kaepernick utter the words "I'm going to Disneyland!" and so on and so forth. That is definitely the glass half empty look at the 49ers. However, I will be focusing on the positives. Imagine if 4 years ago I told you that the 49ers would make the NFC Championship Game and then the Superbowl in back to back years. You would have called me crazy. Back then I would have gladly accepted an 8-8 season. We have been spoiled so quickly. Now it's time to take a closer look at how I feel the 49ers will be approaching this offseason.

The Offense really doesn't need much tinkering with, some of the bigger question marks are:

1. How are Kyle Williams and Mario Manningham recovering from their injuries?
2. How well is AJ Jenkins progressing?
3. Will Delanie Walker return?
4. Who's the long term answer at Center?

THE 49ERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE AJ JENKINS MAKE SOME PLAYS IN THE REGULAR AND POST SEASON IN 2013

Both Williams and Manningham are young receivers, so I really don't question their ability to return 100% for the upcoming season. I would make an educated guess that AJ Jenkins got a serious wake up call when he didn't even catch a single pass as a 1st round rookie. I expect a bigger role for him in the 2013 season, but how big a role remains to be seen. How Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh handle the WR's in the offseason, whether through draft or free agency will go a long way in giving us a clearer answer to Questions 1 and 2.

Delanie Walker, I really have a love/hate relationship with him. I love his versatility, his ability to make plays and get open. I hate his knack for dropping passes/fumbling in crunch time and critical situations. I would like to see him back, but I feel another team lacking a receiving threat at TE will probably throw more money at him than the 49ers will. In this case I would be very happy drafting a TE somewhere between rounds 3-5 who is more sure handed.

49ERS OFFENSE IS IN GOOD HANDS WITH THEM

Jonathan Goodwin is a very solid Center and I honestly can't poke too many holes in his game. He gets the job done and has a good grasp of the Offense. The big question will come down to value. What does Goodwin think he is worth in comparison to what the 49ers think he is worth. I personally would love to have him back but it depends on the price tag. The 49ers have been grooming players like Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney for this role. It's also possible the 49ers draft a Center early and hope he can step in and perform well immediately.


Ultimately the 49ers are in very good shape going forward on the offensive side of the ball. Kaepernick is a young and incredibly talented QB who will benefit from a whole offseason as the starter, all the experience he gained last season and more playing time. The 49ers have a ton of young talent at the Offensive Line (Staley, Iupati, Boone and Davis), a bunch of talent at RB with Gore, Hunter, James and Miller. Kaepernick also has some real nice options in the passing game primarily with Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. The return of Manningham and Williams, along with the development of Jenkins and possibly further offseason additions will only help significantly.

You may have noticed a lack of Alex Smith talk, don't worry, I will be going in to that in a whole other post. That about sums up the Offense. A Look Ahead Defense + Special Teams Edition will be coming soon.

Over and Out.

49ers vs Bills Recap

By Kalen Patrick

Last Sunday the 49ers probably played their most complete game of the Jim Harbaugh era, this may be hyperbole, but that may have been the most complete game in 49ers history. The 49ers thrashed the Bills by a score of 45-3. As much as I would love to go in to a deep analysis of the game, simply put the 49ers straight up dominated the Bills from start to finish. The 49ers set an NFL record for having over 300 yards of Passing AND Rushing.

From the get go, the 49ers passing game was in rhythm when Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis on a deep pass for 53 yards on the opening drive which led to a David Akers Field Goal. All game long Alex Smith was hitting his targets, he had 2 very impressive passes for TD's to both Kyle Williams and Michael Crabtree. Not to be outdone by the impressive passing game, Frank Gore led the 49ers rushing attack which seemingly picked up huge chunks of yards with each carry.

49ERS KYLE WILLIAMS CELEBRATES AFTER SCORING A TD

All in all it was a dominating performance, one which I have not seen in a very long time if ever. Alex Smith finished with near perfect QB numbers, a 156.2 QB Rating and a 99.2 QBR, 3 TD's and 0 INT's. The Offensive Line showed why it may be the best in the NFL last Sunday too, 0 sacks allowed and in the run game the 49ers AVERAGED a staggering 8.2 Yards Per Carry. The total yards gained was the highest in franchise history, yes, above anything that the Joe Montana or Steve Young led 49ers ever had in a single game.

This video contains all the 49er Highlights from last Sundays game: 49ers vs Bills Highlights

ALEX SMITH LED THE 49ERS TO THEIR BIGGEST OFFENSIVE GAME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY

Looking at the defense, it is just amazing how dominant it has become, only 3 points allowed in the previous 2 games and 10 points allowed in the previous 10 quarters. The combined scores of the last 2 games is 79-3 (you think they took that loss to Minnesota personally perhaps?) It really is near impossible to play better over a span of 2 games. A player to watch on the defense going forward is CB Chris Culliver, 2nd year man out of South Carolina. He had an INT on Sunday and I could absolutely see him being the 49ers #1 CB going forward. He is commonly lined up against the other teams #1 Receiver and always does a very solid job.

This Sunday the 49ers will play host to the New York Giants and will be looking for redemption for the NFC Championship game back in January. You know that Kyle Williams has had this day marked on his calendar since the schedule came out, I look for him to be very involved and have a real solid game. I will have a much more thorough Preview of the 49ers vs Giants game coming up before Sunday.

Over and Out.

Recap of 49ers vs Lions

By Kalen Patrick

In a very convincing manner, the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 27-19. If you had read my Preview for the game I had predicted a 27-17 victory for the Niners so I would say I wasn't too far off. Similar to the Packers game, I feel the score was a lot closer than the actual game. Stafford lead a late desperate TD drive to bring the score a whole lot closer. Literally from start to finish I feel the 49ers were comfortably in control. Alex Smith finished off the opening drive with a great over the shoulder pass to Vernon Davis for a Touchdown. That opening drive was incredibly impressive. The teams went back and forth, the Lions made the score 7-6 after Kendall Hunter fumbled the return after the Lions first Field Goal.

LED BY ALEX SMITH, THE 49ERS OFFENSE IS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS

Not long after, 49ers RB Frank Gore burst in for a 1 yard TD run, a drive that started with a Dashon Goldson INT, followed by 2 key penalties against the Lions (running in to the kicker, and then Defensive PI in the endzone). The score was 14-6 and from then on out the Lions never really got any closer. The 49ers closed it out in the 4th quarter when Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis again, this time, Vernon made some nice moves to get in the end zone.

Some of the key things I want to mention is that Alex Smith was incredibly impressive yet again. For the 2nd straight game he threw for 2 TD's without an interception. He was 20-31, and if you look at the tape of his 11 incomplete passes, I remember 5 of them being very poor drops by the receivers and another 2 being "catchable" balls. For example, when Alex Smith passes to Vernon deep and he couldn't hold on. Despite all of this, after week 2, Alex Smith has the #2 QB Rating in the NFL and is showing yet again, hit ability to not turn the ball over, but is making more plays with the improved weapons he has.

ANOTHER BIG GAME FOR 49ERS TE VERNON DAVIS

The 49ers did an excellent job at exploiting weaknesses in the Detroit defense and they were able to run the ball with relative ease. It seemed like every time Gore got the ball he got big chunks of yards (5.2 YPC) and Hunter although seeing limited action did a good job too (4.6 YPC), the 49ers gashed the Lions in the run game and out gained them 148 - 82 yards. Obviously Vernon Davis had a great game, and for the 2nd week in a row, Michael Crabtree made his presence felt. He was key down the stretch picking up multiple 1st downs and keeping the ball out of Matt Staffords hands.

DASHON GOLDSON HAD A POLAMALU TYPE GAME

Overall the defense yet again had another very good game, you know your run defense is amazing when you feel the Lions ran well, and then you look at their stats and they averaged only 3.2 YPC. In pass defense the 49ers played a lot of Cover 2, and I have to credit the Secondary for doing a great job, especially Dashon Goldson who seemed to be every where. Not only did he pick off Stafford but he did an excellent job in run support, covering a lot of ground and making some big stops for the defense.

The Lions O-Line did a great job in stifling the pass rush, Stafford seemingly had a lot of time to throw back there. The nickel front four (Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald) really didn't have their best game. And even then, Aldon Smith had 2 sacks and essentially made the Lions pass game look average at best. This defense is legit and it's going to be hard for any team to score on them consistently.

Anyways, another very convincing victory for the 49ers, and rightfully sit atop my updated Power Rankings which can be viewed on the side bar. Check back for a preview of the Week 3 match up when the 49ers take on the Vikings in Minnesota.

Over and Out.

49ers - Ready or Not (Offense Edition)

By Kalen Patrick

Exactly 1 week from right now the 49ers season will officially be underway, being an avid 49er fan I'd love nothing more than coming away from Green Bay with a 'W'. It's gonna be a great well fought game no doubt about it and despite it being week 1 I expect a very well played game (assuming the replacement refs don't stop that from happening.) The 49ers have their 53 man roster in the books so let's take a look at some of the players who are Ready and some who are Not.

Ready - Alex Smith QB - You know that the 49ers starting QB is more than ready to go when he doesn't need much playing time in preseason to look in regular season form. Of course Alex Smith is heavily scrutinized being a former #1 Overall Pick, but just let these numbers sink in and you will know Alex Smith is ready: From the 2009-2011 seasons (40 starts including playoffs) Alex Smith has 54 TD's to only 17 INT's. Alex Smith has NOT thrown an Interception in his last 7 starts and he has a total of 215 pass attempts in those games. He has never been more ready for a season in his life. And I haven't even mentioned all the weapons the 49ers have added this offseason (oh wait.....)

ALEX SMITH IS READY FOR THE 2012 SEASON - ARE YOU?

Not - Colin Kaepernick QB - I really loved the job Kaepernick did in the preseason this year and it is obvious that he is progressing and developing as an NFL QB. I still believe that Kaepernick will not be launching his attack on Alex Smith for 49ers starting QB until next year. The excellent job Colin did in the preseason bodes well for the 49ers moving forward knowing they have a good QB developing well. He has all the tools to be an excellent QB going forward, big arm, mobility and accuracy but he will need to develop further in his ability to read complex defenses, know when to use his mobility as an asset rather than liability. He is getting there, and the future looks bright for Mr. Kaepernick.

Ready - Michael Crabtree WR - This is the first time in his NFL Career that Michael Crabtree will have been able to work out extensively. Of course we all remember his rookie season holdout and last season's NFL lockout. Add in that in all his years in the NFL he has had foot issues that have kept him out of Training Camps and preseason games. Every year Crabtree has progressed in both catches and yards, 48-625 in 2009, 55-741 in 2010 and 72-874 last year. I think 2012 could be the year when Michael finally eclipses 1000 yards and I'd like to see him haul in at least 7 TD's. The situation and offense is perfect for a receiver with Crabtree's skill set and experience.

MICHAEL CRABTREE IS READY FOR THE PRIME TIME

Not - AJ Jenkins WR - While I believe that Jenkins won't have much of an impact in his rookie year, don't take that as a knock against him or against Baalke for drafting him in the 1st round. This season in the first in many that the 49ers have good-great depth at WR. Jenkins was drafted more to be a big contributor in a year or two down the line. He is definitely a raw player, will need a year of seasoning to be able to get the offense down, to be able to read defensive schemes to adjust routes accordingly and of course his route running abilities can be improved upon. I can see he and Crabtree being the 49ers 1 and 2 receivers going forward for a long time.

That was the Offense Edition for my 'Ready or Not' Column in part of my 49ers preview for the 2012 NFL Season. Check back for my Defense Edition of 'Ready or Not'.

Over and Out.

My Take on the 49ers 53 Man Roster

By Kalen Patrick

It is the time of year that players on the bubble of making a team fear the most. Competition is fierce in each and every play of practice. Some of these guys know this could be their last Training Camp, some of these guys will be in different parts of the country playing for different teams. Here at the Sports Cave we focus particularly on San Francisco Bay Area Teams. So lets now go ahead and I will give you guys a preview of what MY 49ers 53 man roster would look like.

OFFENSE (25)
QB - Alex Smith
        Colin Kaepernick
        Scott Tolzien

ALEX SMITH LEADING THE 49ERS HUDDLE

RB - Frank Gore
        Kendall Hunter
        LaMichael James
        Brandon Jacobs
FB -  Bruce Miller

WR - Michael Crabtree
         Mario Manningham
         Randy Moss
         Ted Ginn Jr
         Kyle Williams
         AJ Jenkins

TE - Vernon Davis
        Delanie Walker

OL - Joe Staley-Mike Iupati-Jonathan Goodwin-Alex Boone-Anthony Davis
         Jason Slowey-Leonard Davis-Chase Beeler-Daniel Kilgore

The Offense is very difficult when it comes down to the final cuts, some hard decisions for sure. The 49ers have a lot of depth at RB and WR, I managed to get in all of the offensive playmakers including Ted Ginn Jr who will primarily be the Returner for the 49ers. The hardest part is the Offensive Line, there is a lot of depth at the interior of the Line, should anything happen to any of the Guards or Center we are covered well. If Joe Staley or Anthony Davis go down, then Boone can take their spot and either Leonard Davis, Daniel Kilgore or Slowey can take Boone's spot.

DEFENSE (25)

THE 49ERS VAUNTED DEFENSE

DL - Ray McDonald-Isaac Sopoaga-Justin Smith
        Demarcus Dobbs-Ricky Jean Francois-Ian Williams-Will Tukuafu

LB - Ahmad Brooks-Patrick Willis-NaVorro Bowman-Aldon Smith
        Larry Grant-Parys Haralson-Tavares Gooden-Eric Bakhtiari

CB - Carlos Rogers                      S - Dashon Goldson
        Tarell Brown                             Donte Whitner
        Chris Culliver                            Trenton Robinson
        Perrish Cox                              CJ Spillman
        Tramaine Brock                        Colin Jones


The 49ers defense is stacked. All 11 starters return, plus there is great depth essentially all over the defense. Safety depth is a little worrying and most of the backups here are Special Team stars (Spillman and Jones in particular). Hard to beat the depth and talent at DL, LB and CB.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
K - David Akers
P - Andy Lee
LS - Brian Jennings

Notes: Rookie LB Darius Fleming will be on IR. Rookies Cam Johnson, Chris Owusu and Joe Looney to the Practice Squad, along with 2nd year TE Konrad Reuland. Demarcus Dobbs versatility allows the 49ers to get away with only 2 TE's on the 53 man roster. Very solid team top to bottom and that about sums it up.

Over and Out.

49ers Training Camp Battles

By Kalen Patrick

Of course there will be many battles going on for the 49ers at many positions, but to me, the two most intriguing competitions will be at RB and WR. Long have these positions been one of weakness for the 49ers, especially when you wanna look at the depth at these spots. It suddenly seems that the 49ers are stacked at both RB and WR and there could very well be some tough cuts prior to week 1 vs the Green Bay Packers.

49ERS RB - KENDALL HUNTER

At RB, of course Frank Gore has held down that spot for the last 6 years or so, but now he has some fierce young competition. Kendall Hunter was the primary backup to Gore last season and showed flashes of quality running. However, I don't really ever envision Hunter becoming a full-time, carry the load type RB, more complementary if anything.

Where the strongest competition will be ultimately coming from will be rookie RB LaMichael James. It may take James a little while to get acclimated to the intricacies of the position (knowing blocking schemes, adjusting to audibles etc.) but going forward I see James and Hunter splitting a lot of time at RB. I think Gore holds down the spot for this season, but don't be too surprised if the 49ers look at interest around the league for Gore's services. (No disrespect to Gore, I love him and everything he has done, but with his injury history and the short shelf life of RB's, he realistically doesn't have more than 1-2 more productive years left.)

Sticking with RB but more for the bruiser type RB is another interesting competition between Brandon Jacobs and Anthony Dixon. Jacobs has experience on his side, being a 2 time Superbowl Champion, he also has proven himself in the role and can be very effective. While experience is a plus it also plays in to Dixon's favor too. He can feed off Jacobs' experience, learn a few things from him, and with youth on his side he will no doubt give Jacobs a run for his money.

Lets turn our attention to WR now. The 49ers looked for Crabtree to be the #1 WR but he has yet to fully claim that spot, and more handed that spot if anything. On a 53 man regular season roster, you expect a team to carry 5 WR's. The 49ers have Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, AJ Jenkins, Ted Ginn Jr and Kyle Williams. Of course that is 6 WR's right there, now the 49ers could decide to keep all 6, have 1 inactive on gameday and the other 5 ready to play. Ginn Jr would mostly be a returner and see little action at WR. Leaving Crabtree, Moss, Manningham and Jenkins as your top WR targets in my opinion.

49ERS WR - RANDY MOSS, LOOKS REJUVENATED IN HIS RETURN TO FOOTBALL

The tricky thing here is that Jenkins seems to be a more raw player, maybe not ready to contribute a whole lot immediately, but obviously being a 1st round pick there is no chance he would ever get cut any time soon. So it is definitely possible Jenkins could be the guy inactive on Gameday and Kyle Williams could get more time on the field.

Everything seems good IF 6 WR's are kept on the 53 man roster. If not, I expect there to be a very tough decision to come for the 49ers coaching staff. Ultimately, this is a good "problem" to have, what I mean is that should the 49ers return to the playoffs, we won't be trotting out Brett Swain or Joe Hastings on to the field like last year.

San Francisco 49ers Week 11

By Kalen Patrick

I'm running out of ideas how to open up my weekly recap without repeating myself too often, however, yet again, the 49ers Win! Another very strong convincing performance by the San Francisco 49ers as they dismantled the visiting Arizona Cardinals 23-7.

MICHAEL CRABTREE HAD A BIG DAY WITH 7 CATCHES FOR 120 YARDS

As usual the 49ers defense didn't allow the opposition to do much of anything, the Cardinals only had 2 first downs and less than 60 yards in the entire first half. Meanwhile the 49ers failed to capitalize on opportunities yet still had a 9-0 lead at the half. In the 3rd quarter is where it all went wrong for Arizona. The 49ers opened the 2nd half with a very very long drive that ended in an Alex Smith TD pass to the emerging Kyle Williams. Just on cue the 49ers (Donte Whitner) then picked off John Skelton, which then led to another Alex Smith TD pass but this time to TE Vernon Davis. Davis has now passed Brent Jones on the franchise list for most TD's by a TE for the 49ers.

That put the game at 23-0 entering the 4th quarter and it was pedestrian from there on out. The 49ers got conservative and ate up the clock. The Cardinals did have a TD, but proved to be nothing more than a consolation prize.

AT WHAT POINT WILL THE NFL BELIEVE IN ALEX SMITH AS A GOOD QB?

Alex Smith had himself another very solid game going 20/38 for 267 Yards with 2 TD's and 1 INT. By QB Rating it was Smith's worst game of the year, but it was more than enough to beat the very weak Arizona Cardinals. Michael Crabtree had a breakout game with 7 Catches for 120 yards. Credit needs to go to the Offensive Line, no Sacks given up and they paved the way for over 160 rushing yards.

As for the defense? Well what can you say? Dominating performace, only giving up a meaningless garbage time TD. 2 Sacks, 3 INT's. What more is there to say? Aldon Smith is continuing his impressive rookie year adding another sack, to make his total 7.5 on the year. Willis had another great game, led the team in tackles and had 3 passes defensed and an INT.

SMOTHERING 49ERS SPECIAL TEAMS

Looking forward the 49ers have a short week, traveling to Baltimore to take on the Ravens on Thanksgiving which will be labeled the 'Harbowl', as brothers Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh will face off. The 49ers have already had great success on the road, especially on the East Coast. This match up will truly be an exciting one. Honestly have no idea which way it will go. In the words of Bart Scott, "CAN'T WAIT"

49ers Stats
Alex Smith - 1976 YDS, 13 TD's, 4 INT's, QB Rating 93.9
Frank Gore - 870 YDS, 4.6 AVG, 5 TD's
Vernon Davis - 39 REC, 446 YDS, 5 TD's

Navorro Bowman - 95 Tackles
Carlos Rogers - 5 INT's
Aldon Smith - 7.5 Sacks

San Francisco 49ers Week 8

By Kalen Patrick

Well the 49ers were able to avoid the trap game that was the Cleveland Browns and won the game 20-10. The 49ers absolutely dominated the Browns the entire 1st half and it is mind boggling the score was only 10-0 at the half. The 2nd half was mostly sloppy play on both sides, the Browns at one point did pull within 17-10, but a late David Akers FG sealed the game for the 49ers, who won for the 5th consecutive game. It's been 13 years since the 49ers have been 6-1.

The respective stars of the game were Frank Gore on offense and Navarro Bowman on defense. Frank Gore essentially had his way with the Browns defense rushing for over 130 yards (and passing Roger Craig for 2nd on the 49ers all-time rushing list). The 49ers had a solid pass attack, with some very clever trick plays thrown in (passes to LT Joe Staley and NT Isaac Sopoaga).

ILB NAVARRO BOWMAN HAS BEEN RELENTLESS BESIDE PATRICK WILLIS

The defense lead by Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman was stout yet again. Not until the 4th quarter did the Browns ever really get anything going. The defensive line had another great game and the 49ers got great pass rush from Ahmad Brooks, Aldon Smith and Justin Smith.

#21 FRANK GORE HAS BEEN ON A MISSION IN 2011

The one key area for the 49ers to really improve upon is becoming more consistent in the passing game. Almost the entire 2nd half Alex Smith seemed out of sync with the offense and never really looked like much of a threat. Thanks in big part to the effective running of Frank Gore, that Smith didn't need to light up the stats sheet in order to get the win. I'm looking forward to seeing the 49ers open up the passing game more. However, the running game is working so well, it's very hard to go away from that. Ultimately, if it ain't broke then don't fix it. I'm liking the connection Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree have shown and look forward to more Braylon Edwards.

The 49ers will travel back to the East Coast to take on the struggling 3-3 Washington Redskins this Sunday. It's never easy to go West to East, and while I like the 49ers chances, especially against Grossman/Beck, anything can happen come Sunday. The 49ers do have a shot at wrapping up the division ridiculously early. Not sure whether thats a good thing or bad thing.

49ers Stats Leaders
Alex Smith - 1267 YARD's, 9 TD's, 2 INT's, 95.7 QB RATING
Frank Gore - 675 YARDS, 5 TD's
Vernon Davis - 297 YARDS, 3 TD's

Navarro Bowman - 68 TACKLES
Aldon Smith - 6.5 SACKS

San Francisco 49ers Week 7 - Bye Week

By Kalen Patrick

After a great come back win over Detroit, and a very successful first 6 weeks to the season, the 49ers had themselves an extra week to relax and then game plan for the Cleveland Browns who will be visiting Candlestick Park this Sunday (1PM PT/4PM ET - CBS). The 49ers are at a very impressive 5-1, however, there is still a lot to work on. I think the main issue that needs to be addressed is the passing game. While the passing game is by no means awful (8 TD's and only 2 INT's), getting in to more of a rhythm and being able to execute more consistently will be key moving forward.

ALEX SMITH #11 TO MICHAEL CRABTREE #15

Alex Smith has been very efficient this season, and while he did pile up the yards in a very impressive come back victory against the Eagles, it would be nice to see him move the ball for effectively. The 49ers struggle on 3rd downs, a lot of this has to do with QB-WR chemistry, timing of the short passes, or making sure the route will take the receiver beyond the 1st down marker. What I did like was the ability of Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree to regain that confidence in each other as they hooked up for 9 receptions in Week 6 at Detroit. Improving upon this and the return of Braylon Edwards will be big for the passing game.

BRAYLON EDWARDS #17 IS EXPECTED TO RETURN THIS SUNDAY

When a team is 5-1 it can be hard to point to too many flaws. The defense and special teams have been incredible, Rookie Aldon Smith has been a beast the last 3 games (5.5 sacks). Ted Ginn and the special teams look like a threat every time he is ready to return a punt/kickoff. Also on offense the run game has really come together with Frank Gore going over the 100 yard mark 3 straight games and Kendall Hunter has provided a nice change of pace.

I do expect the 49ers the open up the pass more as they are able to delve more in to the playbook. With an effective passing attack, it will open up the running game that much more, and could make the 49ers a serious threat come playoff time.

Also to note, all 3 other NFC West teams lost in Week 7, the NFC West has been a total and complete disaster besides for the 49ers, and it could be very early that the 49ers clinch the division assuming they can keep up the level of play they have showed so far.

I like the 49ers chances against the 3-3 Cleveland Browns, especially with it being a home game. Even though teams coming off bye weeks have struggled this year, I still expect a W from this game. Should be a good one.

NFC West Standings
San Francisco 49ers - 5-1
Seattle Seahawks -     2-4
Arizona Cardinals -     1-5
St. Louis Rams -         0-6

Break Out Players - 2011 NFL Predictions

By Kalen Patrick

Every year there are players who just seem to take the league by storm and no one saw them coming. I remember predicting Frank Gore to have a break out 2006 season and he ended with 1695 rushing yards that year. Last year both Arian Foster and Peyton Hillis were huge Break Out players, also Michael Vick was quite a surprise too. So the plan here is to predict who I think will break out this year and then re-visit and see how my aim was. So lets get this started.

Matt Stafford QB Detroit Lions - This guy would already be a rising superstar were it not for his injuries, this year I predict him to play more or less the entire season and possibly lead the Lions to the playoffs. He has all the tools and talent in the world, he is a leader (watch the Lions - Browns game where he dislocated his shoulder and came right back out to throw the game winning TD and 2-point conversion). Not only does he have the talent himself, but he also has more than ample talent around him, of course there is Calvin Johnson who is a top 3 WR in the NFL, he also has some other nice options in the passing game with Nate Burleson, Bryant Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler. Also rookie Titus Young the WR from Boise State is the perfect slot receiver. Stafford has been in Scott Linehans offense for a few years now and I see a big year for him.

MICHAEL CRABTREE - 49ERS WR

Michael Crabtree WR San Francisco 49ers - The 3rd year is always the year where WR's are gonna show their true colors. Crabtree has put up more than solid numbers, in only 27 games with the 49ers he has 103 REC, 1366 YARDS and 8 TD's. All this with a super conservative defensive minded HC dipping his thoughts in to the offense way too much. Now Crabtree is gonna be under the tutelage of HC Jim Harbaugh, and according to many experts, Crabtree's skill sets are tailor made for the West Coast Offense. I'm definitely not saying he is gonna be Jerry Rice Part 2, but he will have a big season, I'm thinking 1000-1100 YDS, 8-12 TD's and in the conversation for a pro-bowl selection.

James Laurinaitis MLB St. Louis Rams - A natural born leader who coming out from Ohio State had all the qualities you look for in a great linebacker besides for elite athleticism. So many of these guys get overlooked in the 1st round and then have the instincts to just be great. Another example in Brandon Spikes in New England. I see Laurinaitis is his 3rd year with Coach Steve Spagnoulo having a HUGE year. The rams have the outside rushers, they have a good line in front of him, it is his chance to explode on to the scene and put him in the discussion with the likes of Jon Beason and Brian Urlacher.

Joe Haden CB Cleveland Browns - It's rare for a rookie CB to have a good year never mind a great year. I see Joe Haden as the next elite CB in the league. I imagine in 2 years time Haden will be in the thick of the discussion with Revis and Asomugha as the top CB in the league. As early as next year I predict offenses game planning away from him. The Browns added a stud DL in the draft and if their pass rush can improve and force opposing QB's in to mistakes. Expect some nice numbers from Haden.

JOE HADEN, SOON QB'S WILL LEARN THEIR LESSON

There we have it, 2 players on offense and 2 players on defense. Let me know what you guys think of my predictions and give me feedback on who you think will be the breakout players.

Could the 49ers use another Rice?

#80 JERRY RICE IS THE GOAT

By Kalen Patrick

We all know the greatest Wide Receiver of all time is and probably always will be Jerry Rice, name every noteworthy receiving record and odds are you will see Jerry Rice's name there. He will always be remembered for his superb superbowl performances, work ethic and being unstoppable once he put on #80. The times sure have changed in San Francisco, but maybe we can see another Rice sporting the Red and Gold. I am talking about Sidney Rice who is a free agent.

Sidney Rice has proven to be a legitimate threat in the West Coast offense up in Minnesota, funny, the 49ers just hired a guy who will be running that offense in Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers starting receivers are Josh Morgan and Michael Crabtree. I do love Crabtree's potential, but I just don't know if or how much he really wants to be in San Francisco. First the obvious long hold out his rookie year, then sitting out the entire pre-season last year and this year he is the last of the notable players to show up for offseason workouts. Again, I love his potential and think he CAN be a superstar player, he just doesn't want to be....in San Francisco. I think you can invest in Sidney Rice, maybe swing a trade to get rid of Crabtree. Does seem a little drastic, and I'm basing this off pure speculation, but it may be what's best for the 49ers.

HE BELONGS IN A 49ERS UNIFORM

Lets summarize: He has the experience in a West Coast offense, he has leaping ability far superior to any other 49er receiver and would make for a redzone nightmare for opposing defenses and just by his last name the fans would immediately flock to stores to buy the jersey and would become a fan favorite in no time. It's a perfect match, Kaepernick is gonna need a big target on the edge and Mr. Rice is the right guy for the job.

It will have been a long time since the 49ers will have seen a Wide Receiver sporting a Rice jersey on the field, but to me it would be an excellent fit. Of course Sidney can't wear the #80 but I'm thinking Rice #18 would look pretty darn good. Sidney Rice, Josh Morgan, Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Frank Gore in a west coast offense AND add in an extra 2nd round pick for Crabtree? I like that. I like that a lot.