San Francisco 49ers Draft Preview

By Kalen Patrick

The 2013 NFL Draft takes place on April 25th, the 3 days of drafting will shape franchises for years to come. Some players will become stars, some will become busts, some will surprise and some will disappoint. The NFL Draft is one of the biggest events on the NFL Calendar and there is certainly a lot of intrigue as we lead up to the main event. Of course this is the San Francisco Sports Cave so I am gonna take a look at some of the 49ers draft needs and which players the 49ers might be looking at. Overall the 49ers have 15 picks in this years draft, and with multiple big contracts looming in the coming years, being able to draft effectively is going to be key for the 49ers to remain towards the top of the NFL.

49ers Position Needs and Potential Targets
Defense
What is very interesting is that the 49ers have been known for their stout defense, but this time around the 49ers have multiple needs on the defensive side.

Safety: The departure of Dashon Goldson in Free Agency and the decline in performance from Donte Whitner makes Safety arguably priority number 1 for the 49ers heading in to the draft. The 49ers hold the 31st, 34th and and 61st picks within the first 2 rounds. I am making an absolute guarantee that with one of those picks (or via a trade) the 49ers will draft a Safety in either round 1 or 2. In my opinion, some of the main Safety prospects the 49ers will focus on will be Jonathan Cyprien (Florida International) and Matt Elam (Florida). Addressing this position early is vital, I don't think any of us 49er fans will forget Joe Flacco torching Whitner and Goldson on all of those deep passes in the Superbowl.

Note: The 49ers did sign Free Agent Craig Dahl, but he in my opinion is definitely a backup talent but may see time in Nickel or Dime packages.

MATT ELAM COULD BE SOMEONE THE 49ERS WOULD TARGET IN THE 2ND ROUND

Defensive Line: There are 2 reasons why defensive line is a huge need for the 49ers. 1- The 49ers lost valuable depth in Free Agency with Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean Francois gone. 2- We all saw how much the absence of Justin Smith effected the 49ers defense. While Justin will be ready to go for Training Camp, he will be turning 34 around the start of the Regular Season. This means he won't be at his high caliber for many years and also he is more likely to get injured and "dinged up" and miss time. With the now lack of depth the 49ers will need to address the defensive line. The 49ers could target Sylvester Williams (North Carolina) if he is available at the end of round 1, the one issue with him is the recent bust Kentwan Balmer played the same position and came from the same school. This may affect the 49ers thought process with Williams. Other potential prospects around the 49ers early picks which could be targeted are Kawann Short (Purdue) and Bennie Logan (LSU).

Note: The 49ers signed Glenn Dorsey who I think could blossom in San Francisco, however the need is still there and I expect the 49ers will add another D-Lineman early.

Offense
The 49ers starting offense is all but set in stone, the key for the 49ers will be acquiring key depth at certain positions.

ZACH ERTZ WOULD BE AN IDEAL PICK

Tight End: We all know how much the 49ers love using the pistol offense and 2 Tight End formations and the departure of Delanie Walker means there is a notable void. I don't believe Garrett Celek is ready to be that guy, with other teams Celek could be a number 2 TE but with the amount the 49ers utilize that position, expect an upgrade somewhat early in the draft. The ideal selection would be Zach Ertz (Stanford) with the 61st pick but it's very likely he will be gone by then. Another possibility could be Jordan Reed (Florida).


Backup QB: After Colin Kaepernick, the only other QB on the roster is Scott Tolzien, who looks solid in the pre-season but should be nothing more than the #3 QB option. Kaepernick is the Franchise QB but with the abundance of picks the 49ers have, it never hurts to have a very solid backup QB. Also with Jim Harbaugh's ability to develop and get the best out of QB's, it's possible the 49ers could develop the back up QB and the trade him to stock up on picks in a similar trade to Matt Schaub to Houston or Alex Smith to Kansas City. Some options the 49ers could look at in the 3rd round are Matt Scott (Arizona), Tyler Bray (Tennessee) or Tyler Wilson (Arkansas).

Lets not forget the 49ers also have two 3rd rounders, (74th and 93rd overall picks). The 49ers will have a lot of flexibility in being able to move and trade to get the players they want. This draft could really set the 49ers up for the next 5+ years and the 3 draft days in April and its success could cement Trent Baalke's reputation as being the top GM in the NFL.

That's it for now. Check back soon for more updates. Over and Out.

49ers Aim to Make Their Special Teams Special

By Kalen Patrick

In my opinion one of the biggest misconceptions of the 49ers is the fact that we have a dominating Special Teams unit. That may have been the case in 2011 with standout ST players like Blake Costanzo on the roster and David Akers being Mr. Automatic, but the 2012 version left a lot to be desired. It's a terrible sign when you feel incredibly uneasy about your kicker when the Field Goal attempt is less than 40 yards. Also all us 49er fans will remember the first play of the 2nd half in the Superbowl when the Baltimore Ravens returned the kickoff for a Touchdown.

THE 49ERS COVERAGE UNIT, NAMED "TONY MONTANA SQUAD"

PHIL DAWSON IS THE 49ERS NEWEST KICKER

There were many cases during the season where the Special Teams cost the team big, in particular the kicker. So what did 49ers GM Trent Baalke do? He only went out and signed the best Free Agent kicker and one of the better kickers of the last decade in Phil Dawson. Dawson has been overlooked and in obscurity due to the fact that he kicked for the consistently bad Cleveland Browns his entire career. Looking at the Numbers Dawson has been among the most consistent and accurate kickers in the league. While this is obviously a temporary solution at the position, you really can't do much better than Dawson. He has experience kicking in an outside stadium where weather conditions are hardly favorable. He will have to adjust to the wind at Candlestick Park, but that is something where his experience will prove invaluable.

Another one of the main areas of concern in my opinion was punt and kickoff coverage. Losing Blake Costanzo to the Chicago Bears in Free Agency in 2012 hurt, also trading Colin Jones to the Carolina Panthers just before the 2012 season also was a noticeable loss on the Special Teams unit. The 49ers have made an effort here by signing Dan Skuta from the Cincinnati Bengals. A standout Special Teams player who will be a vocal leader along with other members of the 49ers ST unit such as CJ Spillman and Tavares Gooden.

Ultimately I feel Trent Baalke and the 49ers have done a great job in addressing a significant weakness in the team with the additions of Dawson and Skuta. Lets not forget that most Special Team additions occur during the draft where the 49ers have a boatload of picks (14 in total).

Coming up on the SF Sports Cave: Gearing up for the SF Giants 2013 season, and a look at the 2013 NFL Draft.

Over and Out

The 49ers QB Situation

By Kalen Patrick

Well I guess to start off, I wanna say that it has been a while since I have posted. Been very busy with work and visiting family and what not. Gonna be getting back in to the blog in a big way to end the year and look for some big things happening in the New Year. My own website will be launching, I am looking to get in to coaching at the Pee-Wee/High School Football level and of course all my thoughts on sports throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, along with thoughts on the biggest topics in Sports too. Anyways, let's get to the biggest story that has taken over the 49ers recently.

 I realize that I am a few weeks late on this whole topic but I wanted to just share my thoughts on this topic. First of all, I do have to say and admit that I trust the decision Harbaugh makes, his regular season record speaks for itself (21-6-1). Secondly, Jim Harbaugh knows his players way way better than I or any other person in the media does. However, I am entitled to my opinion and I won't be holding back when expressing that.

JIM HARBAUGH IS ALL IN ON QB COLIN KAEPERNICK

I would NOT have named Colin Kaepernick the starter going forward this season, and here's why. By going with Kaepernick (barring injury) you cannot go back to Alex Smith and start a QB carousel. Just will not work, never has and never will. So Harbaugh has left himself with zero flexibility. Teams will be watching tape on Kaepernick and just like the Rams showed, with a little film, it is amazing how Defensive Coaches can come up with ways to slow down a QB who is a new starter in the NFL. For the 49ers sake, we hope that Kaepernick and the offense can overcome this and come up with new plays and schemes and be able to stay ahead of the defense.

Difference is, as a starter in Harbaugh's system Alex Smith was 19-5 and posted some very impressive numbers to go along with all of those wins. He proved that he was able to stay ahead of the curve and came within a few bounces of a Super Bowl, even with all the tape a defense could ask for on him. Another advantage of going with Alex Smith (once he was cleared to play obviously) would be, you know that should Alex struggle and not play well, you can always go to Kaepernick, and at least there is some justification among the team and fans and organization for making that decision. You have flexibility, which is key in the NFL. Heck, you could start Alex Smith and then maybe give Kaepernick 5 snaps a game. Keep defenses guessing.

ALEX SMITH MAY HAVE STARTED HIS LAST GAME AS A 49ER

The St. Louis game really opened my eyes, with Harbaugh, I have never seen an Alex Smith led 49ers look so ordinary and unproductive against a team the quality of the Rams, and with the defense playing as well as it was to back up the offense. I know the NFL is about taking risks and big plays and what not, but sometimes conservative can be the logical way to go and Alex Smith will not lose you a game, and he has shown multiple times this year he can take over and win games (Buffalo, @Arizona, @Green Bay).

I do admire and root for Alex Smith, but my allegiance is and always will be to the 49ers and whoever is the QB will have my unquestioned support (whether its Tim Rattay, Cody Pickett, Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick). I certainly hope Kaepernick can evolve and progress his game to take this team to the Superbowl. I trust Jim Harbaugh and this is a huge risk that he is taking, but with his record it's hard to argue with him.

That's it for now. It's good to be back writing and please check back for updates.

Over and Out.

Week 4: 49ers vs Jets Preview

By Kalen Patrick

One of the better games this week will be taking place in East Rutherford, NJ when the 49ers (2-1) take on the Jets (2-1). The 49ers are coming off a bad loss to the Vikings, while the Jets won a dramatic game over the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. The 49ers are looking to bounce back from their loss, while the Jets are anxious to show they can win without their star CB Darrelle Revis. This being the SF Sports Cave I will being focusing on what the 49ers can and need to do in order to leave week 4 with a Win and head back to SF with a 3-1 record.

I think the biggest thing the 49ers will need to improve upon is their Pass Rush. Last week against the Vikings the 49ers ran what seemed to me, to be a very basic defense. I rarely saw any Safety or CB blitzes, I felt that the ILB's Willis and Bowman were blitzed sparingly. It is not a matter of just blitzing extra players, it's more keeping the opposing offense off balance and not knowing what to expect. Blitz Dashon Goldson and make Aldon Smith drop back in coverage for example. Just mix it up is what I'm saying. Mark Sanchez has shown that he will force some throws when under pressure. The 49ers have to make sure to get to him early and rattle him and shake his confidence.

THE LAST MEETING BETWEEN THE JETS AND 49ERS (2008) WAS A 24-14 VICTORY FOR SF

The 49ers were able to get some late, almost meaningless turnovers against the Vikings last week, but this week, they need to be able to turn the ball over early and get a lead. We know that the 49ers will be able to stop the run and I really don't see many threats in the Jets backfield that will beat the 49ers defense. It's a matter of getting a good, consistent pass rush. What I'm trying to say is that I want to see the 49ers defense that rattled Drew Brees and Eli Manning and not the one that let Christian Ponder pass and run all over them.

On offense, I think the 49ers really have to stick to what they do best, run the ball with Frank Gore and then hit the Jets on short/intermediate passes and occasionally take a shot down the field. I wanna see much more of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter this week, get Brandon Jacobs in there too to get some tough yards. If I were the 49ers I would go with mostly Gore in the 1st quarter. Then hit the Jets with Hunter and Jacobs in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, when the defense is weak and been pushed around all day, go with Gore again and get those big chunks of yards.

49ERS OFFENSE LOOKS TO GET BACK ON TRACK AFTER A WEEK IN YOUNGSTOWN, OH

I really love how well Crabtree is doing this year, I would just like to see the 49ers take some shots down the field to Moss and Ginn Jr so they can make the defense respect the deep pass, which will naturally open up Crabtree, Manningham and Vernon up on the intermediate routes. Also as I mentioned earlier Darrelle Revis is OUT so you have to take advantage of that and put the pressure on the Jets defense. Especially at home, there is no way the Jets are going to be an easy game and this could very well become a slugfest.

If I had to guess I would say the 49ers do win, but it will be a very close game. Something along the lines of 27-24. I just can't imagine any scenario where Jim Harbaugh will allow his players to play and coaches to coach like they did against Minnesota last week. Let's see if the 49ers can get back on track this Sunday.

Over and Out.

Week 3 Recap of 49ers vs Vikings

By Kalen Patrick

The San Francisco 49ers suffer their 1st loss of the season to the Minnesota Vikings today by the score of 24-13. One of the things I heard throughout this game was that the Vikings were beating the 49ers by playing the 49ers style of football. This is something I could not agree more with. Besides for the Kyle Williams return, the Vikings soundly beat the 49ers in all 3 phases of the game. In my opinion this was the worst overall game the 49ers have played under Jim Harbaugh. The key to the Vikings win was their 3 touchdown drives, each of which went for 80+ yards on the highly regarded 49ers defense. I do want to give the entire Minnesota Vikings team props for their sound beating of the 49ers. There is no doubt they deserved to win the game.

JIM HARBAUGH WAS NOT A HAPPY MAN TODAY IN MINNESOTA

Lets now discuss some of the reasons why I feel the 49ers were beaten badly today.

1. ZERO Pass Rush - It seemed that for the vast majority of the game the 49ers simply rushed their front  four (Ahmad Brooks, Aldon Smith, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald) and they rarely got near Ponder. There was little to no variety in the blitzes, very rarely did I see guys like Aldon Smith drop into coverage and see blitzing LB's or Safeties. I don't know if Fangio just put too much faith in his front four to get pressure or what, but what I do know is that he was definitely out-coached by Vikings OC Bill Musgrave. I would love to see some major changes in the blitz packages in the coming game against the Jets.
2. Lack of Frank Gore - The Vikings opened up the game with an exhausting drive, then it seemed like the 49ers reacted (panicked?) and they went Pass, Pass, Pass. Almost immediately the 49ers went away from what they do best, which is run the football, and then hit on short/intermediate passes off the play action. Frank Gore had only 6 rushes in the entire 1st half. This is simply unacceptable. The 49ers made themselves 1-dimensional (which is usually what the 49ers FORCE other teams to do). For most of the game the 49ers just didn't run the ball and the Vikings were able to tee off on the pass. 



ALEX SMITH IN ACTION AGAINST THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS

3. Defense couldn't make THE stop - At halftime the score was 17-3, then quickly the 49ers made the score 17-13, Kyle Williams return set up a David Akers FG, then Minnesota had a 3 and out, followed by a 49ers TD drive. ALL the momentum was with the 49ers. Then what happened? Oh just an 80 yard TD drive that ended with a one handed catch by Kyle Rudolph in the endzone. Not only is it terrible to give up the TD, but a LONG drawn out time consuming drive is just a killer. Suddenly it's back to a 2 score game and it's around the 4th quarter. That was the stop the defense needed to make, not even a 3 and out, just a stop. Of course, the reason why they couldn't stop the Vikings was largely due to point #1, in addition to the defense never being able to stop the short dump off passes to Percy Harvin and others. The following 49ers drive resulted in a Frank Gore fumble, the defense kept them in the game after that, but the entire 4th quarter was filled with harmless turnover prone offense.

Ultimately it was a really poor and sloppy performance by the 49ers and I really want to chalk this one up as one of those games that every good team has at some point during the season. Me trying to be as optimistic as possible, I will look at this as a "kick in the ass" game and maybe get the players working extra hard and not taking any game or play for granted.

Week 4 against the Jets is going to be a slugfest. Neither team is really capable of putting up huge offensive numbers and the defenses will most likely control the game. I'd like to see the 49ers become much more creative with their defense, and on the offensive side, maybe take more chances down the field. I'm not saying abandon what we have been doing, but you have to adapt in the NFL or else other teams will catch up. One thing I do know is that Jim Harbaugh is gonna make sure the 49ers are better prepared for next weeks game. I expect to see quite a few new wrinkles to the offense in particular.

Over and Out.

Week 2: 49ers vs Lions Preview

By Kalen Patrick

Two years ago this would have been one of the least anticipated games of the week, fast forward to 2012 and this is now a marquee match-up as we get week 2 in to full swing. Both teams are coming off wins from Week 1, the Detroit Lions escaped their home opener with a sloppy win against the lowly Rams, while the 49ers entered Lambeau Field and dominated the Green Bay Packers. There are going to be some very intriguing match ups in this game, with the abundance of talented football players on both teams. Here are some key battles that will be taking place:

49ers Offensive Line vs Lions Defensive Line
The latest injury report for the game has the Detroit Lions likely to be missing 3 of their 4 starters in the secondary. Safety Louis Delmas and CB Chris Houston are Doubtful, while CB Bill Bentley has been ruled out. We saw what Alex Smith was able to do against a more talented secondary in Green Bay (20-26 211 Yards 2 TD and 0 INT, 125.6 QB Rating), if he (Smith) gets ample time in the pocket, the 49ers now have the talent at WR to really exploit the Lions weak secondary. Smith is looking extremely comfortable in the 49ers offense now, even getting sacked 4 times last Sunday he never looked out of rhythm. Alex Smith is playing at a level we have never seen from him, he has (including playoffs) attempted 241 consecutive passes without an Interception.

LAST SEASON'S MATCHUP ENDED IN A DRAMATIC 49ER VICTORY

The Lions D-Line has a very tough challenge ahead of themselves, they can't count on their coverage to bail them out on passing plays, they will also have the unenviable task of trying to shut down the 49ers run game. They should expect Frank Gore early in the game, then a lot of Kendall Hunter in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, and just as they are getting worn down, I'd expect the 49ers to use a heavy dose of Gore again to pick up good consistent chunks of yards in the 4th quarter.

Suh, Fairley and Corey Williams will have be at the top of their game to allow edge rushers Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch wreak havoc on the outside. Even if they do pressure Smith a lot, he has shown the ability to take the sack rather than force a throw into coverage. Jim Harbaugh has no problems with this and trusts his defense to win him the game. The Lions D-Line will need to have an A+ type game for 60 minutes.

Matthew Stafford vs 49ers Pass Rush
In Week 1 vs the Rams Stafford threw 3 INT's in the game and the Lions still won. If he does that against the 49ers, I give the Lions 0.01% a chance of victory, and that is only because anything is possible in Football. The 49ers run defense is so good and the Lions have a serious lack of talent at RB, that this game is going to be on the shoulders of Matt Stafford. However, the 49ers Pass Rush has been relentless since Vic Fangio became the Defensive Co-ordinator, and you can bet guys like Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald are licking their chops at all the long developing passing plays the Lions incorporate into their offense.

WILL THERE BE ANY POST-GAME DRAMA THIS TIME?

Stafford is going to be making throws with pressure in his face, and if they Lions want to have any chance at winning, they better hope those passes end up in the hands of guys like Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew and Nate Burleson. Ultimately, we all know that Calvin Johnson is going to get his catches and yards, and maybe even a TD or two, but the game will come down to the "other" guys making plays for the Lions. Along with the Lions D-Line having the game of their lives.

I think that with the game being in San Francisco, on a most likely cold and windy Sunday Night at Candlestick, I like the 49ers chances of coming away with a victory. I hate guessing scores, but if I had to I would say the 49ers win 27-17. The 49ers are just too complete of a team, too talented and playing at such a high level, that it will be incredibly difficult for ANY team to win in San Francisco on a night game. We all remember what the 49ers did to the Steelers on Monday Night Football last year. That's it for now, check back Monday or Tuesday for an in-depth recap of the game.

Over and Out.

49ers vs Packers Week 1 Recap

By Kalen Patrick

The San Francisco 49ers left Lambeau Field with a BIG 30-22 win to open up the 2012 Season. In my opinion, this was the most impressive win of Jim Harbaugh's tenure as the 49ers Head Coach. To go in to Green Bay and beat Aaron Rodgers is one of the most, (if not the most) difficult thing to do in the NFL today. The 49ers beat the Packers from start to finish on both sides of the ball. Lets take a closer look at the game.

To me the game ball should go to 49ers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman. The whole game the 49ers were able to find great mismatches and called the right plays at the right time. Of course, so much credit needs to go to the players who pulled off the plays with excellent execution and precision. The plays that stood out to me were:

1. Randy Moss' Touchdown Reception. Green Bay was weak defending the middle of the field, and especially more so when Desmond Bishop went down with injury. The 49ers motioned Delanie Walker right before the snap, confusing the coverage down the middle and left Randy Moss wide open for an easy TD Reception. 
2. 4:40 left in 2nd quarter, Alex Smith pass to Mario Manningham for 11 yard completion for 1st down. The 49ers motioned Bruce Miller out to the far right leaving Manningham in the slot. This motion caused Green Bay to put a CB on Bruce Miller, leaving a slow LB on Manningham, which resulted in an easy 1st down completion. 
3. 18 seconds left in the 1st half, bring in Kaepernick for a design run play. In a potentially pivotal moment of the game, the 49ers go with Colin Kaepernick, catches the defense off guard and picks up 17 yards and puts the 49ers in position to score at the end of the 1st half.

ALEX SMITH AND RANDY MOSS CONNECT FOR A TD

These are just some examples of how the 49ers exploited the Green Bay defense. Alex Smith finished the game with a 125.6 QB rating, going 20/26 and throwing for 211 yards with 2 TD's 0 INT's. Smith looked comfortable throughout the entire game despite taking 4 sacks. The 49ers also gashed the Packers for 186 rushing yards with 5.8 YPC. Gore did the most damage getting 112 yards on 16 carries with a TD, and seemingly always picking up big chunks of yards each and every time he had the ball. In summary, Greg Roman and the 49ers offense made Dom Capers Green Bay defense look pretty bad.

TARELL BROWN DENIES JAMES JONES

The 49ers defense did a great job on Aaron Rodgers all day long and only gave up 14 points to the Green Bay offense (Packers scored a TD on a punt return, obviously the defense isn't at fault for that). The 49ers shut down the Packers run game from the get go. The only real rushing yards the Packers got was when Rodgers had to scramble. NaVorro Bowman picked off Aaron Rodgers once and the defense had 3 sacks on Rodgers which is very difficult considering his ability to release the ball so quickly. I have to give 2 specific players shout outs:

1. NaVorro Bowman - Not only did Bowman pick off Rodgers at an extremely pivotal moment of the game, but he was also EVERYWHERE on the field. Bowman lead the 49ers with 11 tackles and had 2 more defended passes. He was sensational the entire game and in my opinion has emerged as the best Linebacker for the 49ers. Yes, you read that right. 
2. Tarrell Brown - Brown has turned in to a shut down corner, and never was this more evident than when Brown denied James Jones on a deep pass from Aaron Rodgers that would have put the Packers within the 49ers 5 yard line. In man to man coverage Brown was lock down all game long, the only times I saw him get "beat" were in zone coverage when the 49ers were only rushing 3. Chris Culliver and the rest of the 49ers secondary deserve an honorable mention too.

ALEX SMITH AND AARON RODGERS MEET IN MIDFIELD

The 49ers did what many football experts considered the impossible and took a game from Green Bay at Lambeau Field. This was a complete win in all 3 phases of the game (really harsh take up the flag when Anthony Dixon got clearly blocked from behind on the return that lead to a Packers TD). On to week 2 where the 49ers face another big challenge when they host Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. Go Niners!


Next on the SF Sports Cave: 49ers vs Lions Preview. Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants race to the playoffs.

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 - Texans, Who to Watch

By Kalen Patrick

A week ago I talked about which players to keep an eye on for the 1st preseason game. I'm going to essentially be doing the same thing for tomorrow's game against the Texans. Typically with Preseason it is the 2nd and 3rd games where you get to see a little more from the team, not only this, but you get to see the guys who are fighting to make the 53 man roster push it to the limit. So here are the guys to watch.

Eric Bakhtiari OLB/DE - Bakhtiari has been the talk of 49ers Training Camp so far. With the injuries to Aldon Smith and with Ahmad Brooks and Parys Haralson seeing only limited time so far, Bakhtiari has made the most of his opportunities. With 2 sacks in game 1 against the Vikings, look for him to be going all out in game 2 to continue his impressive offseason. Keep in mind that not only is Bakhtiari fighting for a spot on the very talented 49ers defense, but he is also on display for the entire NFL to watch. There will be another team ready to snatch him up should he not make the 49ers roster.

49ERS OLB ERIC BAKHTIARI - MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF

AJ Jenkins WR - Jenkins has definitely had his ups and downs early in his 49ers career, and the same could be said for his performance against the Vikings. Jenkins had 2 nice catches and 2 bad drops, so I would definitely love to see some more consistency out of AJ. One of his strengths is definitely his speed so I would like to see him use that and maybe make a big play.

ALEX SMITH QB 49ERS 

Demarcus Dobbs TE/DL - Up to their tricks again the 49ers have tried using Dobbs on the offensive side of the ball at TE. With the injury to Delanie Walker at Training during 49ers FanFest and with Nate Byham out for the season, this is the perfect chance for Dobbs to prove his worth and earn a spot on the roster.



Alex Smith QB - Everything I have heard about Alex's performance in Training Camp has been very positive, I saw for myself at FanFest and I believe Alex was definitely the most impressive QB. I am looking for him to play the entire 1st quarter, I really don't care about stats or whatever, I'm just looking to see him have command of the offense, make smart decisions, and above all I would love to see accuracy and consistency on the deeper passes.

These are the guys I will be watching in particular, Overall I really don't put too much stock in to preseason games with regards to players who basically have their starting positions locked down. It's in the backup position battles where you see the real good stuff.

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 Draft Preview

By Kalen Patrick

The 49ers have managed to bring back all 11 starters on a defense that is a top 3 defense in the NFL. Even the backups are extremely talented. The 49ers main focus needs to be on the offense early in the draft. The biggest weaknesses entering the draft are RG and WR. I really think that Alex and Pat did such a great job on their mock draft of identifying the 49ers needs and addressing them in the first 2 rounds. Alex Young & Pat Tulini Mock Draft

I think when it comes down to it, the 49ers need more consistency on offense, the best way of getting that done is staying in the same offense (check) QB returning (check) and then improve O-Line and Receivers. The 49ers  added Mario Manningham and Randy Moss to their receiver corp. 2 very solid additions, when you add in Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams it's a solid set of receivers. The one issue is that there are no clear #1 receivers among them, just a lot of #2's and #3's. I'd like to see the 49ers go for a luxury high risk high reward type WR in the draft.

I really like Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech, I think he can be a real good addition and possibly develop in to that #1 WR the 49ers have lacked since the trade of Terrell Owens. Going by the Mock Draft by my friends Alex and Pat, I think Brandon Brooks would be another great addition to the O-Line and could battle with Kilgore for the RG spot.

I full expect the 49ers to go WR and RG with their 1st and 2nd round picks, but I'm not sure which order they will do that. Through the rest of the draft, expect the 49ers to add depth at D-Line and Safety in particular. The draft is only 2 days away, I can't wait to see who the 49ers add. It's gonna be fun!

NFL Week 12 Pick 'Em

By Kalen Patrick

Minnesota @ Atlanta
Cleveland @ Cincinnati 
Tampa Bay @ Tennessee
Carolina @ Indianapolis
Arizona @ St. Louis
Buffalo @ New York Jets
Houston @ Jacksonville
Chicago @ Oakland
Washington @ Seattle
New England @ Philadelphia
Denver @ San Diego
Pittsburgh @ Kansas City
New York Giants @ New Orleans


I am at 2-1 this week having picked Green Bay, Dallas and San Francisco to win.

HAR-BOWL Preview

By Kalen Patrick

So not only is tomorrow the day where America will consume hundreds of millions of pounds of Turkey, but we got some 49ers football to look forward to. This years Thanksgiving lineup has to be one of the better lineups in recent years. It kicks off with the Undefeated Green Bay Packers taking on the Detroit Lions who this year will actually put up a fight. Then the surging Miami Dolphins who have won 3 straight will take on the Cowboys in what should be another great game. Finally after dinner, we will be treated with the Har-Bowl. As my San Francisco 49ers take on the Baltimore Ravens, Jim Harbaugh vs John Harbaugh.

JIM HARBAUGH VS JOHN HARBAUGH - HAR-BOWL

The 49ers, who have won 8 straight take on a legit Ravens team in Baltimore. Immediately I have to say that the Ravens have the advantage as the 49ers have to travel across country on a short week. That and home field advantage in general mean the Ravens should be slightly favored anyways, but I think the outcome may be totally different. I actually really like the 49ers chances in this game, the team is playing not only with confidence, but with a very business like approach. They will not be intimidated by the Ravens crowd and have already played and won 4 times in the Eastern Time Zone this year.

Why I like the 49ers chances? I have to bring it own to consistency, the Ravens while they have swept the Steelers, have lost to the likes of Seattle in recent weeks. Joe Flacco has not had a great year at all, in fact his 54% completion and 12 TD's to 8 INT's put him at a below average 74 QB rating, while Alex Smith has a rating of 94, with 64% completion and 13 TD's to only 4 INT's. Now I know that QB rating is not gospel but a 20 point difference is huge and even the numbers suggest just how much better Alex Smith has been. It's a good sign right there when your QB has been much better and consistent than an opponents QB.

As for defense, the Ravens are famous for it, however the 49ers have been just as good if not better this year, and the Ravens may be without Ray Lewis, or even if he does play he definitely won't be 100% or near it. The Ravens defense is still extremely stout, however, the 49ers defense may be one of if not THE best in the entire league. 49ers are great against the run, they lead the league in turnovers created and they have some solid pass rushers in Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks and Justin Smith, who all seem to be all over the opposing QB.

This team is actually very similar to each other, both teams tend to rely more on defense and rushing rather than an explosive pass game. The Ravens rely more on deep passes to speedsters like Torrey Smith and Lee Evans, while the 49ers tend to focus more on short/intermediate routes to Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis.

This game is going to be close, it is going to be a dogfight, it is going to show you what the 49ers are really made of. CAN'T WAIT!

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

NFL Week 11 Pick 'Em

By Kalen Patrick

OK so I have been pretty crappy at keeping up with this. 2 weeks ago (week 9) I went 8-5. Lets see how I do this week. Winners in BOLD

Jaguars @ Browns

Panthers @ Lions

Bucs @ Packers

Bills @ Dolphins

Raiders @ Vikings

Cowboys @ Redskins

Bengals @ Ravens

Seahawks @ Rams

Cardinals @ 49ers

Titans @ Falcons

Chargers @ Bears

Eagles @ Giants

Chiefs @ Patriots

San Francisco 49ers Week 10 + Week 11 Preview

By Kalen Patrick

So I have been MIA for a while, but back doing what I love (talking about my 49ers). Gonna do a recap of the game last Sunday against the New York Giants, and then preview this week's action against divisional opponent the Arizona Cardinals. Lets do this.

The 49ers added to their win streak with a 27-20 win over the visiting New York Giants. There were some big turning points in this game. The 49ers decision in the 2nd quarter to go for an onside kick which was successful, and then in the 4th quarter, scoring a TD, followed by an interception off Eli Manning which lead to another quick score.

The game was very back and forth for the first half, trading field goals all the way through the first half, leaving the score at 9-6. Then came the TD's. In the 4th quarter the 49ers held a comfortable 27-13 lead, then Eli led a very impressive drive in a short time to make it 27-20 with time left. The Giants had one more drive, it was 4th down inside the 49ers 20 yard line, Eli was looking in the direction of Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz, when Justin Smith batted down the pass to secure the game for the 49ers and put them at 8-1, for the first time in 14 years.

The quality performers and MVP's of the game are as follows:
Offense: Alex Smith
Defense: Justin Smith/Carlos Rogers/Patrick Willis

ALEX SMITH, COOL CALM AND COLLECTED IN ORCHESTRATING A WIN FOR THE 49ERS

The 49ers essentially put the offensive game on the shoulders of Alex Smith. The 49ers came out passing, and even when we ran Gore/Hunter never managed to get a consistent run game going. Alex Smith however was accurate and efficient enough to be more than capable of moving the football himself. Hitting receivers in stride  and being confident and standing in the pocket played a big part. Alex moved around the pocket well, and was able to escape pressure and pick up some rushing yards when needed. Considering he had zero help from the run game, I would say this was one of Alex Smith's more impressive games I have ever seen. He did end with 250 yards 1 TD and 1 INT(not Alex's fault, thanks Ted Ginn), but it was more the way he played.

On defense it is very difficult to pick an MVP, Justin Smith played an all round great game and had the game ending batted ball. Carlos Rogers had 2 INT's but did give up some big plays and then Willis was everywhere and had that big tackle when Eli went scrambling and forced a Giants punt. Honestly, going with any of these guys would be a right answer.

JUSTIN SMITH AND PATRICK WILLIS CELEBRATE THE GAME ENDING PLAY

What I like most about this win was that the 49ers beat a very capable team in the New York Giants, and they didn't even play their best game. The run game was ineffective, the defense was good but we all know it can play better. On Special Teams I do have to give a big shout out to Kicker David Akers. He has been money all year, what a great pickup by Trent Baalke. He quietly may have had one of the best offseasons of any GM.

Now lets take a look forward to Week 11, the 49ers will host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday 1:15PM Pacific Time. The Cardinals will be coming in with some confidence in this game having won back to back games (Rams and then Eagles). John Skelton will be the QB this Sunday and he has done a very solid job. Of course the big question is how to stop Larry Fitzgerald from killing you. I expect to see the bigger physical Chris Culliver matched up on Fitz with a lot of help from Dashon Goldson.

Division games are never ever a given considering how well the teams know each other. You cannot expect an easy win ever in the NFL much less against someone in your division, I do however expect the 49ers to win this game. I feel the defense is capable of stopping the Cards enough, Patrick Peterson is dangerous in returns but the 49ers special teams have been outstanding so far this year and I like our chances at moving the ball on this defense.

Let's speak hypothetically right now, IF the 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, then the 49ers would have a 6 game lead with 6 games left in the regular season and have the division essentially wrapped up. Not bad that's a distinct possibility before Thanksgiving.

49ers Stats
Alex Smith - 1709 YD's, 11 TD's, 3 INT's. 95.8 QB Rating
Frank Gore - 782 YD's, 5 YD's, 4.7 AVG
Vernon Davis - 379 YD's, 34 REC, 4 TD's


Navorro Bowman - 92 TCK
Carlos Rogers - 5 INT
Aldon Smith - 6.5 SACK

Which Draft had the Best QB Class? (2005-2010)

By Kalen Patrick

So I was just browsing over the previous few seasons drafts, and noticed quite a lot of big names in the 1st round. What I thought was interesting was maybe comparing each year and see which one looks the best. I left out the rookies this year, while guys like Andy Dalton and Cam Newton have been very impressive, 8 games just isn't enough of a sample size in my opinion. So here are the candidates?

2005 - Aaron Rodgers, Alex Smith, Jason Campbell

SO MUCH HOPE AND PROMISE AT THE TIME

2006 - Jay Cutler, Vince Young, Matt Leinart
2007 - Jamarcus Russell, Brady Quinn
2008 - Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco
2009 - Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman
2010 - Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow



What year to you jumps out to be the best of that whole bunch? Between all those QB's only 1 has a Superbowl Victory (Aaron Rodgers). In my opinion immediately you gotta wipe out 2007. Jamarcus Russell was a colossal bust and Brady Quinn will be a #3 QB at best.

The next year that I would take out would be 2006. Leinart is barely in the league any more. While Vince Young has an impressive W-L ratio, it looks like personal issues and what not will keep him from ever being a consistent starting QB, as for one Jay Cutler? The guy has talent, serious talent, but he is way too erratic and is over confident in his abilities. So now we have 2 down.

Before this season I would have gone with 2005 (will explain later), but now I will go with 2010. Tebow doesn't look like an NFL QB, still has a super slow wind up, he can make throws, they certainly are not pretty. He reminds me of Shaun Hill a lot, Hill had some solid games for the 49ers and Lions. Unfortunately Tim Tebow is such a big name, it will be hard for him to fly under the radar as a backup QB. As for Sam Bradford? Yeah the dude has talent, but overall it's hard to come away too impressed after 22 games. He has a 75.3 QB rating and in his last 11 games he has only thrown 4 TD's to 9 INT's. I don't know whether this is sophomore(ish) slump, or the NFL figuring him out or what. But those numbers are concerning.

Now I will have to go with 2009 (yes! shock! horror!) but hear me out. Mark Sanchez has average at best numbers. Luckily he has played for teams with awesome defenses and running games. He hasn't been asked to do much and even with that he can't display good numbers (like Alex Smith this year). Josh Freeman was looking to be a future stud, but this year has been nothing short of a disaster for him. His incredibly inconsistent play has held the Bucs back this year. I will admit Matthew Stafford is playing stud like this year, but Stafford alone is not enough to carry this group.

Next comes 2005. Now this group includes the QB's of the 2 teams with the top records in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are 8-0, and Alex Smith and the 49ers are 7-1. Aaron Rodgers is the best QB in the NFL right now and Alex Smith is now playing at a level never thought possible for him. He has 10 TD's with only 2 INT's. He has been very efficient (64.1% Completion) with a very respectable 97.3 QB rating. Then finally we have Jason Campbell, Mr. Mediocre. Well  I think we can all see what the loss of Campbell is doing to the Raiders now, essentially since he has gone down, the Raiders have been humiliated in back to back games against division rivals Kansas City and Denver. You have Jason Campbell in those games, and I bet they win one if not both.

THESE QB'S HEADLINE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL QB CROP IN RECENT YEARS

So that leaves 2008 as the winner and lets face it, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco have had nothing but success since coming in to the NFL. Leading their respective teams to impressive records, multiple playoff appearances and many more to come. Both of these guys, while they can be shaky at times, in general are very capable and going to be good for a long time. I think it's only a matter of when not if one of these guys is hoisting a Lombardi trophy. And there we have it, so let's sum up the rankings:

1 - 2008
2 - 2005
3 - 2009
4 - 2010
5 - 2006
6 - 2007

San Francisco 49ers Week 9

By Kalen Patrick

Say hello to your 7-1 San Francisco 49ers? Really before the season who would have thought we would ever be saying that any time soon? Crazy huh? I predicted a 7-9 season at best! The 49ers emerged victorious again this Sunday with a 19-11 win over the Redskins (weird score I know).

This game reminded me of the Cleveland Browns game a lot. The 49ers were in control of the game the whole way, but failed to put the team away and made the game a little more interesting at the end. This was a game that the 49ers struggled to convert 3rd downs, and thus had to settle for FG's a lot. Alex Smith did have a key 30 yard TD pass to FB Bruce Miller, and at that point the game was essentially sealed. Like the Browns game, the 49ers relied on an effective run attack, Smith being efficient and not turning the ball over, and solid Special Teams play.

ANOTHER BIG DAY FOR 49ERS RB - FRANK GORE

The defense put up another amazing performance (bar the redskins TD drive when they went prevent). The only points the Redskins scored were a record setting 59 yard FG. Thats it! The star of the defense on Sunday was absolutely Patrick Willis. He led the team in tackles and he forced two fumbles which were just amazing heads up plays by Willis. Of course Justin Smith was awesome, Brooks created pressure and Safeties Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner both had great games too. Carlos Rogers was solid on his return to Washington too.

BRUCE MILLER, CELEBRATES HIS FIRST NFL TD WITH JOE STALEY AND ALEX SMITH

Overall I was very happy with the performance, and going across country to the Eastern Time Zone definitely makes it more difficult. I just really wanna see Alex Smith show me a little more, I mean don't get me wrong, the guy is having a great season. He just needs another game to shut everyone up, another Philly game. I would like to see them attack down field more, but that will be going against the philosophy. The 49ers strategy is simple, play great defense and special teams, run the ball well and let Alex Smith not make mistakes and do just enough to win the game. Simple strategy and its been working. Essentially, Jim Harbaugh is getting the 49ers to do what Mike Singletary wanted, difference is Harbaugh knows how to you know coach?

So lets take a look forward to Week 10. The 49ers will host the New York Giants in Candlestick Park. This my friends, is gonna be an awesome game. Eli Manning is having a great season and the Giants are the leaders in the NFC East. But the 49ers won't make things easy for him, and expect another heavy attack with Gore and Hunter, maybe even expect a little more Alex Smith this week. This will be a good one.

I went 8-5 in my pick 'em last week (totally forgot to pick the MNF game)

NFC West Standings
San Francisco 49ers - 7-1
Seattle Seahawks -     2-6
Arizona Cardinals -     2-6
St. Louis Rams -         1-7

San Francisco 49ers Stats Leaders
Alex Smith - 1467 YDS, 10 TD's 2 INT's, 97.3 QB Rating
Frank Gore - 782 YDS, 5 TD's, 4.9 YPC
Vernon Davis - 339 YDS, 3 TD's

Navarro Bowman - 61 tackles
Aldon Smith - 6.5 Sacks
Carlos Rogers - 3 INT's

College Football Recap and NFL Week 9 Preview

By Kalen Patrick

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECAP
Well what a day in College Football! One of the all time great defensive battles between LSU and Alabama, while Kansas State and Oklahoma State were involved in a shootout. Not only this but we had some big upsets with Northwestern topping Nebraska, Iowa beating Michigan and also UCLA taking it to ASU.

While LSU were victorious over Alabama, the Crimson Tide squandered many opportunities to walk away with the W. Missing 4 FG's including 1 in OT killed any chance of winning a game like this. Defensive struggles tend to be a rarity in College Football, but this one I feel may go down as one of the all time classic SEC games. This is one game I'm sure Les Miles will never forget. Now we go from that game to KSU and OSU where there were 11 Offensive TD's in this game. Wide Receiver Justin Blackmon ruled the day with 13 catches, over 200 yards and 2 TD's. OSU's QB had a monster day with Brandon Weeden throwing 4 TD's and for over 500 yards.

LSU EMERGED VICTORIOUS OVER ALABAMA IN A  BATTLE OF DEFENSES

The biggest shocker of the day was definitely Northwestern beating the #10 ranked Cornhuskers IN Nebraska. Not an easy task for any team. Northwestern did it through the air and on the ground and came away with what will no doubt be their biggest win of the season. Denard Robinson could not do enough to lift Michigan over Iowa as the Wolverines are headed towards another somewhat disappointing for such a prestigious program.

NFL WEEK 9 PREVIEW
We have some very good divsional match-ups coming tomorrow. First off we have the Baltimore Ravens traveling to Pittsburgh, with the Steelers looking to take revenge for that embarrassing week 1 humiliation in Baltimore, when the Ravens won 35-7. Another interesting match-up will be the New York Jets vs the Buffalo Bills. Believe it or not, but the Bills are actually leading the AFC East. The Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson has claimed this game to be the do or die game of the season for the Jets. While I don't know if that's true, it will make it very difficult to get to the playoffs should the Jets fall to the Bills.

STEELERS-RAVENS WILL CLASH ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 

Some other big games include; the Giants vs the Patriots, 2007 SuperBowl Revenge game perhaps? Anyone remember when the Patriots have lost back to back games? But don't count out the Giants either, Eli Manning is quietly having an amazing season (102.1 QB rating, with only Brady and Rodgers higher than him). There will also be a big game in the NFC South with the Bucs going up against the Saints in New Orleans. Can the Saints rebound after a huge upset against the Rams last week?

Other games that are sure to be good are Bengals at Tennessee, San Francisco at Washington, and on Monday Night Football, Chicago takes on Philly.

OK so I'm obviously late to start this BUT I am gonna start doing a Pick 'Em every week now. I figure I will give it a shot now and get it going fully next season. The team I pick to win will be in bold

Miami @ Kansas City
Atlanta @ Indianapolis
Tampa Bay @ New Orleans
NY Jets @ Buffalo
Seattle @ Dallas
Cleveland @ Houston
San Francisco @ Washington
Cincinnati @ Tennessee
Denver @ Oakland
NY Giants @ New England
St. Louis @ Arizona
Green Bay @ San Diego
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh