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 - 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.

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 Season In Review

By Kalen Patrick

Wow! Well where do I even begin? My last post talked about the Ravens game on Thanksgiving, which was a tough loss. The 49ers went on to finish the season with a 13-3 record, arguably the top defense in the league and a solid offense that centered mostly around not turning the ball over. This was the best record the 49ers have had since Steve Mariucci's first season with the 49ers when he also went 13-3 after taking over for George Seifert in 1997.

Alex Smith finished the year with a career high in passing with 3144 Yards and most importantly he finished with a QB rating of 90.7 and only threw 5 Interceptions all year long. This was basically the philosophy of the 2011 49ers. Play great opportunistic defense (check), play great Special Teams (check) and play smart offensive football, meaning do NOT turn the ball over, settling for 3 points rather than make a risky throw for 7. Basically the 49ers gameplan is to win the field position battle. The 49ers led the league in drives starting in the opponents half of the field. That was Jim Harbaughs plan and it worked very well.

49ERS FUTURE IS BRIGHT WITH JIM HARBAUGH ON THE SIDELINES

Then came the playoffs, on a Sunny Sunday afternoon, the New Orleans Saints came to town and this game ended up being maybe the greatest game of football I have ever seen. The first quarter was ALL 49ers and we jumped out to a 17 point lead. Donte Whitner set the early tone when he gave Pierre Thomas a crushing blow inside the 49ers redzone which led to a fumble which the 49ers recovered. Drew Brees was intercepted by Safety Dashon Goldson. The 49ers were able to capitalize on these mistakes which gave them the early lead.

As the game went on, the 49ers became stagnant offensively, the Saints were finally able to break down the 49ers and got right back in the game. In the 4th quarter the 49ers were leading 23-17, then Drew Brees hit Darren Sproles over the middle and with his explosion he was gone and the Saints took their first lead of the day 24-23. On the following drive, Frank Gore had a big run and put the 49ers in great position to score. It came to a 3rd down and 8 on the Saints 28 yard line. Greg Roman called a gutsy play which was a designed run by Alex Smith, it lead to a 28 yard run for a touchdown by the sideline. The stadium erupted and so did I. The game was far from over however, not long after, the Saints reached in to their bag of tricks, with a handoff to Sproles, who then flicked it back to Brees and hit Jimmy Graham for a 66 yard TD with less than 1 minute left in the game, score 32-29 Saints.

ALEX SMITH 28 YARD RUN FOR THE LEAD

The next drive will never be forgotten for any 49er fan watching that day. The Saints were not playing prevent by any means, and it may have cost them. Saints DC Gregg Williams called a heavy blitz, Smith was able to hit Vernon Davis over the middle who scampered down the field and put the 49ers within FG range to tie the game. However, there was still time on the clock, and everyone on the 49ers sideline had other ideas. 14 yards from the endzone with just over 10 seconds left, Alex Smith fired a rifle between 3 Saints defenders and hit Vernon Davis for the Touchdown and Win. It was a perfect throw at the perfect time. Vernon Davis running off the field crying his eyes out, brought back memories from 1997 when Terrell Owens caught a Steve Young pass to win the game against the Packers in the Playoffs.

VERNON DAVIS CATCH TO SEAL THE WIN

The Vernon Davis catch will go down as one of my greatest 49er and Sports memories ever, up there with the 2002 comeback against the NY Giants, the SF Giants winning the World Series and as a kid the 49ers winning the Superbowl in 1994.

The 49ers went on to lose to the NY Giants in the NFC Championship game. (Can you tell I'm still hurt by this?).

#99 ALDON SMITH WAS RELENTLESS FOR THE 49ERS ALL YEAR LONG

Overall, it was a great season, the 49ers were ultimately 14-4 with a trip to the Championship Game. Before the season on 49erswebzone.com I had predicted a 6-10 season I believe. Obviously they far exceeded any expectations of mine. One of the great stories of the season would be Alex Smith bouncing back from many tough years in San Francisco, also rookie Aldon Smith recording an astonishing 14 sacks in the regular season, and added another 2 in the playoffs. There were so many great moments, from the Ted Ginn returns for TD's to Delanie Walkers catch to beat the 5-0 Lions to Justin Smith sealing the Giants game with a bat down or when he stripped Jeremy Maclin of the Eagles to clinch the win in Philly. This season was so impressive and 2012 will no doubt be a lot of fun to watch, in the words of Bart Scott "CAN'T WAIT"



UP NEXT: 49ers Offseason; What to expect from Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh?

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 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

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 Updates Week 4+5

By Kalen Patrick

The last 2 weeks have been to put it simply "awesome" for the 49ers. Week 4 was a dramatic finish in Philly where the 49ers pulled out a 24-23 victory over the self-proclaimed 'Dream Team'. The 49ers followed that up with a very impressive victory in Candlestick Park against Tampa Bay with a 48-3 ass-kicking of the Bucs. This now leaves the 49ers in great position at 4-1 with a road game against the Lions coming up. That game will be no easy task but a win there would be HUGE going in to the bye week.

ALEX SMITH IN ACTION @ PHILLY IN WEEK 4

Lets take a look back at the last 2 weeks now. The most impressive individual player has definitely been Alex Smith (461 yards 5 TD's 0 INT's and 60% COMP. For a player like Alex Smith, in fact, for ANY QB those numbers are amazing. Alex Smith brought the 49ers back against the Eagles in the 2nd half and was dominant in the Tampa Bay game. The development of Smith has been key to the 49ers 4-1 record. After 5 games Smith has only 1 INT and has been extremely efficient passing the ball.

Gotta credit Justin Smith for stripping the ball off Jeremy Maclin to end any possible comeback for the Eagles in Week 4 and the entire defense was just legendary against a very capable Tampa Bay team.

49ERS CB - CARLOS ROGERS

All facets of the game have been playing very well the last 6 quarters of football. The Offensive-Line has really stepped it up, which has also allowed for Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter to pile up the yards. Most impressive has been the defense. Carlos Rogers has become a stud shut down CB, with INT's in 3 consecutive games. Quieting the myth of him being Mr.Stone Hands. The front 7 has been dominant, with Justin Smith, Ray McDonald, Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis all playing at Pro-Bowl caliber level while Rookie Aldon Smith has been disruptive in passing down situations.

This Sunday in Detroit will be a huge test for the 49ers and Alex Smith in particular. With leading WR Joshua Morgan placed on IR, his weapons on the outside will be Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn, Kyle Williams and newly signed Brett Swain. Expect a big week for Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, and I also expect Gore/Hunter to pile up the receiving yards.

The biggest question on defense is how do you stop Calvin Johnson? Long story short, you don't. All you can do is contain him and hope he doesn't completely kill you. Niners gotta get their run game and short pass game working, to hold the ball, keep it out of Stafford and CJ's hands. I think this will be a very very competitive game. Obviously I'm hoping for a 49er win, and I think it is possible, but even if the 49ers lose, we will be 4-2 at the Bye Week, with 5 divisional games, the Browns, Giants and Redskins all being very winnable games. Pittsburgh and Baltimore will be very tough but could even pull out a win in one of those games.

49ers Stats Leaders
Alex Smith - 965 YDS, 7 TD's, 1 INT, 65.9% COMP with a 104.1 QB Rating
Frank Gore - 400 Rush YDS, 4.3 AVG, 3 TD, 66 Receiving YDS.
Vernon Davis - 22 REC, 263 Yards 3 TD's
Navarro Bowman - 42 Tackles
Aldon Smith - 3.5 Sacks

San Francisco 49ers Week 3

By Kalen Patrick

In week 3 of the NFL Season, the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals. Going in to this game, the 49ers had notable problems playing on the road at 10am PT. The 49ers lost a heart breaker to their long term rivals the Dallas Cowboys last week in overtime. This was the 49ers chance to rebound, and this game was also very important with a tough trio of games coming up in weeks 4-6 (@Philly, Tampa Bay and @Detroit).

CARLOS ROGERS INT IN THE 4TH QT

This game started out extremely slow, by slow I mean the scoring was nowhere to be found. The teams traded field goals back and forth, up until the 4th quarter which is when the 49ers had the one big drive to seal the game. The drive ended with a 7 yard run by rookie RB Kendall Hunter. 49ers went up 13-6 at that point with a matter of minutes left. A Carlos Rogers INT then essentially sealed the game. The 49ers took an intentional safety with no time left to end the game 13-8. This now places the 49ers solely atop the NFC West with a 2-1 record. The NFC West Standings as of week 3 look like:

San Francisco 49ers  2-1
Arizona Cardinals      1-2
Seattle Seahawks      1-2
St. Louis Rams          0-3

What to Improve Upon
The 49ers still have many problems that need attention, and it's all on the offensive side. The run game has been a disaster the first 3 games. Frank Gore has been a huge disappointment so far. All those previous injuries may be slowing him down. He doesn't run with the same drive, speed, confidence and determination as years before. However, I cannot put all the blame on Gore. The offensive line has yet to really gel together and provides little to no gaps for Gore to run through. This is something that the 49ers really need to work on fixing. When your passing game is never gonna be dominant, you gotta be able to run the ball with some level of productivity.

ALEX SMITH HAD A SOLID PERFORMANCE IN WEEK 3 VS THE BENGALS

As for the passing game, overall I have been very impressed with Alex Smith. He looks more confident than ever before and he is doing an excellent job with his reads and decision making. His pass to Vernon Davis over the top of the Bengals CB, was very impressive. He finished 20/30 over 200 yards with no TD's and most importantly 0 INT's. Alex Smith is who he is, he will never be the constant 300 yard passer. But he can make some plays if given the chance. I think we have yet to see the best of Alex Smith this season. New system which everyone is still trying to learn, offensive line play will improve over time and most importantly he has been missing either Michael Crabtree or Braylon Edwards or both for games.

Once you can have Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Braylon Edwards and Frank Gore on the field consistently, then I believe we will start seeing some much improved offense output. For now, the 49ers gotta keep playing great defense, great special teams and make enough plays on offense to win games and minimize mistakes.

The 49ers will stay on the road this week and take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Its questionable whether Michael Vick will be playing for the Eagles after sustaining a hand injury against the Giants. If Vick is out I like the 49ers chances of keeping it close and possibly pulling out the W. With the tough schedule ahead, the 49ers need to take 1 of their next 3. To go 3-3 in to the bye week, have a tough portion of the season over with and be able to work on weaknesses, its possible we could see the 49ers make a playoff appearance. But I cannot get too ahead of myself. We are only just finishing week 3. Lots and lots of football yet to play.

49ers Stats Leaders
Alex Smith - 504 Yards 68.9% COMP  2 TD's 1 INT. 91.3 QB Rating.
Frank Gore - 148 Yards 2.5 AVG 1 TD
Vernon Davis - 15 Catches 179 Yards
Navarro Bowman - 30 Tackles

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.

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.