San Francisco 49ers Week 1

By Kalen Patrick

TED GINN - 49ERS HERO

The 49ers opened up the Jim Harbaugh era with a 33 - 17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. While the victory was far from pretty, a win is a win at the end of the day and I feel that the 49ers executed their gameplan well. I believe it was Jim Harbaugh's plan to minimize using Alex Smith and to not take risks and put his faith in the defense, special teams and run game. 2 out of 3 of these were very successful. While the defense only had 1 notably bad play (Baldwin 55 yard TD), for the rest of the game they were lights out. I think we all know how amazing the Special Teams and Ted Ginn were.

First things first. Lets focus on the positives and then I will take a look at what the 49ers will need to do to be successful going forward.



POSITIVES
Ted Ginn - Not a shock here at all, returning a kickoff and punt for TD's back to back to me won the 49ers this game. The Seahawks had all the momentum when they scored to make the score 19-17 to the 49ers with plenty of time left. Then comes Ted Ginn and suddenly its a 26-17 game and the pressure is back on Seattle. Then Ted Ginn gets another chance and puts the game away making it 33-17 with only a few minutes left. The 49ers cannot rely on this production throughout the year but Ted Ginn was easily Player of the Game for me.

Ray McDonald - I questioned making McDonald a starter on the D-Line, I thought he was more suited to being a role player. If last Sunday was anything to go by, then I will gladly admit how wrong I was. McDonald was excellent in defending both the pass and run game. Pressuring the QB, stopping the run at or behind the line of scrimmage. Very impressive, he also had a sack and deserved about 3.

49ERS DEFENSE SMOTHERED THE SEATTLE OFFENSE ALL DAY

Justin Smith - You gotta love Justin Smith, always goes 100% whether its the first play of the game or the 4th quarter. He had 2 sacks and similar to McDonald, he was relentless in chasing Tarvaris Jackson, and was excellent against the run. I like this D-Line a lot.

Parys Haralson/Aldon Smith - Haralson looked much much better than I have ever seen him before, he was applying pressure and being disruptive, also Aldon Smith did a great job for his 1st ever game, tipped a ball and always did well against his blocker. Throw in Brooks, and the d-line and I think this defense will pile up the sack numbers.

Vernon Davis - Despite the 49ers shying away from the passing game, Vernon not only led the team in yards but also came up with the big plays when they needed them most. Expect another big year from him, can;t wait until Harbaugh opens up the playbook more and to see what he really plans to do with Vernon.

THINGS TO WORK ON
The 49ers offensive game plan for week 1 was very conservative, I believe they did this knowing they could contain the Seattle offense, however, this Sunday against Dallas is a whole other story. Romo will pile up the yards and they will run the ball better than Seattle. In order for the 49ers to keep up, they will have to put the ball in Alex Smiths hands more. They have some very well respected weapons with Vernon Davis, Braylon Edwards and Michael Crabtree. Gore and Hunter are also good receiver out of the backfield.

CAN JIM HARBAUGH TRUST ALEX SMITH ENOUGH TO PUT THE GAME IN HIS HANDS

Doing this should also allow Gore to have a better day running the ball. I suspect Dallas will stack the box to stop the run, expect some play action early in the game, to catch the weak Dallas secondary off guard. As positive as I can be, I can only expect so much from the 49ers and I think we won't be able to hold up to Dallas quite yet. I expect a score along the lines of 27-17. Unless the defense can have another HUGE day and maybe get lucky with Ted Ginn again. I do expect a loss, but it will be competitive. After the Dallas game I really like the 49ers chances against the Bengals in week 3.

Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

Top 5 NFC West Must Haves in Fantasy Football

By Kalen Patrick

The NFC West isn't exactly a goldmine for Fantasy Football talent, but there will be some players who will have big impacts on your teams this year. I want to take a look at who are the 5 players from this division that should be on your radar as you prepare your fantasy football teams this season.

1.  Larry Fitzgerald WR Cardinals - Fitzgerald is the one and only Cardinal who should absolutely be a starter on your team. Think about this, last season Larry Fitzgerald had a QB combination of Derek Anderson, Max Hall and John Skelton throwing to him. That in my books is one of the worst QB situations I have ever seen. What were Larry's stats last year? 90 catches for 1137 yards and 6 TD's. While Kevin Kolb is still somewhat of a mystery, he will be better than those QB's and expect another big year from Fitzgerald.

VERNON DAVIS TE 49ERS

2. Vernon Davis TE 49ers - There are many reasons why Vernon Davis is a must have in Fantasy Football this year. Antonio Gates still has lingering issues with his foot, Peyton Mannings status still seems up in the air which effects Dallas Clark. That leaves fewer TE's you can depend on. Vernon is one guy you can depend on however, he has a great connection with QB Alex Smith and the 49ers offense under Jim Harbaugh will likely lean heavily on the Tight Ends. Expect another big year for Vernon, and with other TE's value in question, Vernon is a must have.

3. Steven Jackson RB Rams - Jackson is the most reliable RB from this division, he has played 31 of 32 games the last 2 years and has gone over 1000 rushing yards every year since 2004 (rookie year). While last year he had a career low in YPR (yards per rush), he is still the one RB in this division you can absolutely depend on to get you production. And with the Rams and young Sam Bradford moving to a new offensive system, expect the Rams to lean heavily on him.

4. Frank Gore RB 49ers - If you are in a PPR league, then Frank Gore is a must have. With his injuries it will drop his draft status and allow you to get him later than normal. However, Gore has always been the focal point of the offense, and he is excellent at receiving too. He will be excellent in PPR and a great addition to any of your teams. Don't make him your feature back but having him would be a wise move. There will be weeks where he will carry your team. Expect multiple 100+ yard rushing and 50+ yard receiving with a TD or 2 thrown in. Again Gore is no longer a feature back, but he is an excellent #2 RB for your team.

5. Sidney Rice WR Seahawks - Sidney Rice has all the talent in the world, and will be reunited with Tavaris Jackson in Seattle. While Tavaris is hardly the ideal QB to have throwing to your WR, he does have a connection with Rice and so you can expect very solid numbers. Rice is made for red zone opportunities, so while his yards may not be too high, I would expect his TD's numbers to be high. Normally in this division a guy like Rice would be higher, but there are question marks surrounding him and his situation. Rice should not be your #1 option at WR, but is a solid #2.

SIDNEY RICE WR SEAHAWKS 

Longshot Option: Danny Amendola WR Rams - If you play in a PPR league he could be a huge surprise addition for your team. He had 85 catches last year, and will now be in a Josh McDaniels offense. Expect a possible Wes Welker part 2 type of season. While he did come on to the scene last year, he will still be invaluable to the Rams in short pass yardage situations. Could turn out to be a great guy to have even at the bottom of your FF roster.

That about sums up my thoughts on the NFC West. You should avoid at all costs having an NFC West QB be a starter on your team. Sam Bradford and possibly Kevin Kolb will make solid backups for your team. The defenses to keep an eye on are the 49ers and possibly Rams.

NFC West - Free Agent Moves That Need to Happen

As I wrote in one of my previous posts, the NFC West is unquestionably the worst division in football. All 4 of the teams in this division have a lot of work to do. Here are some free agent additions I think each of the teams should make. These additions should be taken in conjunction with the trades that I wrote about before. Hence, the following trades have occurred:
Arizona gets Carson Palmer, Seattle gets Kevin Kolb and the one change I wanted to make was St. Louis trades for Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers instead of Chad OchoCinco. Smith has already stated he wants out, and while Smith is not drama free, he won't be as much a distraction as 85 and would provide a receiver that would fit perfectly with Sam Bradford. Also will add a trade the 49ers could explore in addition to a Free Agent signing.

 

The NFC West was a combined 25-39 last season, with 7-9 Seattle winning the division

Arizona Cardinals
Barrett Ruud - Middle Line Backer
The Cardinals added a franchise QB in Carson Palmer in my projected trades that need to happen. That along with the addition of RB Ryan Williams in the draft should go a long way to improving the offense. Now lets take a look at the defense. The Cardinals have one of the more talented secondaries in the NFL, and pro-bowl caliber lineman in Darnell Dockett. While Dockett is a vocal leader, they really need a strong presence in the Middle of the defense. With the departure of Karlos Dansby, there was a clear lack of talent at the linebacker position. Ruud, in my opinion, is perfectly suited to play in this defense, he racks up tackles and can make plays with INT's. One of the more underrated players in the NFL and could vault the Cardinals defense in to one of the better ones in the NFC. With adding Palmer and Ruud, the Cardinals would be a perfect candidate for bounce back team of the year. Something I also touched on in a previous post.


San Francisco 49ers
Jonathan Joseph - Corner Back
In the draft, the 49ers were hoping and praying that someway, somehow, LSU CB Patrick Peterson would fall to them at 7. This was not to be as the Cardinals took Peterson with the 5th overall pick. The 49ers did select talented sack artist in Aldon Smith. Now what the 49ers need is a top end CB. While the only 2 true shutdown CB's in the NFL are Darrelle Revis and Nnamdi Asomugha, Joseph would be an excellent addition to the 49ers defense. Joseph gets overlooked playing for the Bengals and playing beside Leon Hall, but he is one of the better CB's that doesn't get talked about.
While the Pass Rush was a problem for the 49ers last season, their secondary was the major weakness of the defense. By adding Aldon Smith and Jonathan Joseph, the defense under new coordinator Vic Fangio would get a huge talent injection, to go along with other excellent players in Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Aubrayo Franklin (who the 49ers need to re-sign) and Takeo Spikes.

Jonathan Joseph would be the ideal consolation prize for the 49ers after missing out on Patrick Peterson in the draft

49ers trade 5th round pick to Tampa Bay Buccaneers for QB Josh Johnson
The reasoning behind this trade? 49ers HC Jim Harbaugh was Josh Johnson's college coach, and thus Johnson would be familiar with Harbaugh's offense. While I am not expecting Johnson to start, his impact would be more in helping the other QB's (Colin Kaepernick and Alex Smith) in learning Harbaugh's offense. With the shortened offseason the 49ers QB's will need all the help they can get and having a guy in the locker room who spent years with Harbaugh would be invaluable. Not only this, but it was in Harbaugh's offense which put JJ in the position to be drafted where he was, and I think back in this offense he would make for a solid backup QB in the long term behind Kaepernick. Also acquiring JJ means no more David Carr which is always a good thing for any team.


Seattle Seahawks
Logan Mankins - Offensive Guard
It appears to me that Mankins is not committed to staying with the Patriots, it also looks obvious that he is after a big payday. Well it just so happens that Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen is one of the richest men in the World and when it comes to his Seahawks he is not afraid to spend money. Recently Seattle has invested high draft picks to shore up the Offensive Tackle positions (Russell Okung at LT and draftee James Carpenter at RT), but questions still remain in the interior of the O-Line. By adding Mankins, Seattle would be regaining a LG and LT combo with the potential to be as dominant as Steve Hutchinson and Walter Jones were for years up in the Pacific Northwest.
If we take my projected trades, Seattle would have added Kevin Kolb, who would immediately become the franchise QB. Not only would adding Mankins help Kolb in the passing game, but he would be a vital piece in establishing an effective run game. Seattle's biggest problem on offense in 2010 was consistency, at times look great, and at times look awful. Improving at the QB position and adding 2 major additions to the O-Line (Mankins and Carpenter) would go a long way to making the Seattle offense that much more consistent.


St. Louis Rams
Darren Sproles - Running Back/Kick Returner
The future in St. Louis is all about Sam Bradford and putting him in the best position to succeed. Trading for Steve Smith, gives Bradford a legit pass catcher and by adding Sproles, the Rams would get a change of pace back who would compliment Steven Jackson perfectly. Sproles is a home run hitter in the run game, while Jackson is more of a bruiser who excels at pounding the defense for gains of 5-10 yards. Sproles will also be a huge help in the return game, putting Bradford and the Rams offense in better field position consistently.

The NFC West has essentially been the laughing stock of the NFL the last few years, highlighted last year by the winner having a pathetic 7-9 record. The first time ever a division winner having a losing record. I believe that with the trades and free agent signings made, that would go a long way to improving this division and bringing it back to respectable.

From Worst to First - NFL Edition

The great thing about the NFL is how a team can go from bottom 5 to playoff contender in 1 season. Recent examples of this include: Miami going from 1-15 with Cam Cameron at HC to 11-5 and winning the division the very next year with Tony Sparano, also the Buccaneers having the 3rd overall pick in the 2010 draft to going 10-6 later that year and just missing out on getting a playoff spot.

So lets turn our attention to which team is most likely to be the next example of this, I had planned to do both an NFC and AFC example, but the top teams in the AFC are just too good for this to happen. Denver, Tennessee and Cincinnati are going through Head Coaching and/or QB changes, with a shortened offseason that is just a recipe for disaster. While Buffalo are just simply not good enough to compete with the likes of the Patriots and Jets.

I think the most likely team to go from bottom of the division to the top is the Arizona Cardinals. I fully expect them to trade for a QB (Palmer, Kolb or Orton) and lets face it, the NFC West is easily the worst division in football.
The 49ers are definitely in a transition year, new coach (LOVE the Jim Harbaugh hiring by my Niners) and new QB. The 49ers are gonna be good........but in 2012. The Seahawks had by far the worst draft of all the NFC West teams. I don't expect any impact players this year, from their draft class and Matt Hasselbeck is another year older and even more likely to get hurt. I see them being a 7-9 team again. The Rams are interesting, they got their franchise QB in Sam Bradford, however they are changing offensive systems and we all know about the sophomore slump. The Rams are not sneaking up on anyone this year like they did last season.

              The Cardinals and Larry Fitzgerald would thrive again with a new QB

Now back to the Cardinals and why they should be better (Assuming they do trade to acquire a QB). They could not possibly do worse at QB then they had last year. QB is by far the most important position in the game and any one of the three QB's mentioned would be a massive upgrade. They added maybe the best prospect in Patrick Peterson CB from LSU. Peterson, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes headline an extremely talented secondary.
The Cardinals have a talented defense especially if they can add some pass rush help when ever Free Agency does start. Add that defense with impressive RB depth and huge obvious upgrade at QB and an easier schedule, as they play against the bottom teams from the NFC South (Panthers) and NFC North (Vikings).

The Seahawks and 49ers are a transition team this year and the Rams have sophomore slump written all over them. The Cardinals and Ken Whisenhunt are in win now mode, they will get a QB, and for a good bet, I suggest putting some money down on the Cards.

Just for fun, if I HAD to choose which AFC team was capable of doing this then I'd have to go with the Titans. I think they will also be another team acquiring a veteran QB. While Jake Locker has huge potential, he is very raw and will need at least a year on the bench. I think a guy like Kyle Orton would fit perfectly with them. Good defense, Excellent run game and improvement at the QB position with less off field drama. Sounds like the AFC version of the Cardinals, Jags and Texans are likely .500ish teams. Manning is coming off another neck surgery and he looked like his age a lot more than ever before.

             Jake Locker is the future for the Titans but he is just not ready yet.

San Francisco Giants Update
Would like to finish off by saying that was a huge win for the San Francisco Giants today, and to send my congratulations to the local product Brandon Crawford from Mountain View, CA. His first career hit was a Grand Slam, which ended up being the winning hit as Tim Lincecum earned his 5th win of the season while the Giants took the series opener 5-4. Big come from behind win, to not only end the 3 game skid but maybe help mend the emotions and raise the spirits of Giants players, coaches and fans after the Buster Posey incident. Look forward to seeing a whole lot more of Crawford and also how prized prospect Brandon Belt will do in his return to the Majors. Tomorrow we have the matchup of:
Jonathan Sanchez (3-3, 3.47 ERA) vs Randy Wolf (4-4, 3.70 ERA) at 1:10PM Pacific Time.

The NFC West - Trades That Should Happen

The NFC West is easily the worst division in football, after the draft not much has changed in that regard. Why is the NFC West the weakest division? Lets take a look at the projected starting QB's for the teams in the NFC West as it stands right now:
Arizona - John Skelton, San Francisco - Alex Smith, Seattle - Matt Hasselbeck and St.Louis - Sam Bradford. Besides for Bradford, the rest of the projected starters leave a lot to be desired. However, once the lockout is over and trades can happen, I can see the NFC West being extremely active in acquiring QB's. So these are my projected trade ideas.


Trade 1
Kevin Kolb to Seattle for two 2nd rounders and Matt Hasselbeck (essentially do a sign and trade). Lets look in to the reasoning of each team in this trade, and why it makes sense.
For Seattle - They need a new QB, the fact that they didn't draft any in April is telling to me. In this trade Seattle would get a young potentially franchise QB. Not only this, but they get a QB who is familiar with the West Coast Offense, so even in a shortened offseason, the transition to Seattle won't be too difficult for Kolb.

                Kevin Kolb would be a welcome addition to the Seattle Seahawks


For Philadelphia - I'm thinking behind the scenes in Philly that Kolb has been hinting at wanting out. He feels he deserves a starting job and he won't get that in Philly. So in this scenario, Philly gets two 2nd rounders and they get an excellent veteran in Hasselbeck. Should Vick go down during the season Hasselbeck would be an ideal back up for Andy Reid.

Trade 2
Carson Palmer to Arizona for 1st and 3rd round picks.
For Arizona - I keep reading on ESPN how the Cardinals will go get Kolb, but the better fit is definitely Carson Palmer. Now of course you guys reading will quickly think, "oh but the Bengals won't trade Palmer!" well I say read my post titled "The Carson Palmer Dilemma". Now the price is quite steep from a Cardinals perspective, but they showed how good they can be with an established veteran QB. Palmer has more years in him than Warner did when he took over the starting gig in Arizona. You know Fitzgerald is pushing for a big move to get a QB and not drafting a QB tells me they are looking at trade options. Ken Whisenhunt cannot afford another season like last year. They go with the big splash, and something tells me this move will keep him in Arizona for some time.

For Cincinnati - Andy Dalton is the QB of the future in Cincy, there is way too much bad blood between Carson Palmer and the Bengals organization to stay together. Eventually the Bengals will wise up and trade him. In this scenario they get some nice picks to build their franchise from. Odds are Cincy won't be too competitive starting the rookie Dalton. So having two 1st round picks, two 2nd round picks (explained later) and two 3rd round picks should go a long way to getting them back in playoff contention.

Now, not all the trades in this division will involve QB's, lets take a look at what else I think should happen.

Trade 3
Chad OchoCinco and 4th round pick to St. Louis for a 2nd round pick.
For St. Louis - Lets face it Sam Bradford needs weapons. He did a solid job with some not so spectacular options at WR. OchoCinco would instantly become the best WR on the team, would provide a reliable productive target for the young Sam Bradford and honestly, he would bring some media attention to the Rams. They have almost become forgotten after so many awful seasons. Now they are ready to take the leap in to the big stage.

                   How good would OchoCinco look in a St. Louis Rams uniform?

For Cincinnati - Its rebuilding time in Cincinnati, and they need a fresh start. They need to move on from Palmer and OchoCinco. Opposite to St. Louis, Cincinnati needs less unnecessary attention in the media while they get this team rebuilt. I can't imagine OchoCinco being too happy to get passes from a rookie with little to no workouts in the offseason. This trade helps give Cincy 2 picks in each of the first 3 rounds.

As for San Francisco, I don't project any major trades to occur for them and I don't think they should be looking for a big trade. Their future at QB is Colin Kaepernick, and they have a nice surrounding cast for him on offense with Gore, Vernon Davis and Crabtree. I do see them looking in Free Agency at a CB like Ike Taylor or Jonathan Joseph.