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PoLLo LoC831

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Morgan Ruled Out
November 12th, 2008

Wide receiver Josh Morgan missed practice with a groin injury, and has been ruled out of Sunday’s game.



Running back Frank Gore missed Wednesday’s practice with a neck injury that was sustained in the final drive against the Cardinals when he tried to make a block to help spring Jason Hill for additional yards after a catch. Gore is expected to be fine by Sunday’s game.



Tight end Delanie Walker (shoulder) and tackle Barry Sims (ankle) also missed practice. Walker was injured in the Monday night game, while Sims has been out since the Seattle game.



Wide receiver Arnaz Battle and safety Dashon Goldson have also been ruled out of Sunday’s game. Both players missed the 49ers game against Arizona.



The 49ers signed Mark Bradford to the practice squad on Wednesday. The former Stanford receiver spent training camp with the Dallas Cowboys.
 

PoLLo LoC831

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http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcwest/0-5-134/Game-mismanagement-falls-on-49ers--not-ref.html
To hear coach Mike Singletary and offensive coordinator Mike Martz tell it, the San Francisco 49ers got a raw deal Monday night.

In reality, the 49ers might have been better off with ESPN's Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski managing the final four seconds of their 29-24 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals.

There can be no other reasonable conclusion after a careful deconstruction of the facts.
To the 49ers' credit, they acknowledged mistakes that let precious seconds run off the clock prior to the final four ticks. But if those final four seconds raised questions about the 49ers' game-management skills, the subsequent explanations from Singletary and Martz validated those questions, and then some.

Before we count the ways, let's consider the facts leading up to Michael Robinson's failed 1-yard run on the final play.

Head linesman John McGrath spotted Frank Gore's progress just outside the 2-yard-line after Gore came up short on a second-and-goal run to the left side.

Gore set down the ball in the end zone.

Umpire Steve Wilson picked up the ball and spotted it just outside the 1.

With no timeouts, the 49ers scrambled to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball to stop the clock with two seconds remaining.

Here's where things get tricky.

Officials flagged 49ers tight end Billy Bajema for illegal formation on the spike play, but Corrente intervened with news that replay official David Coleman initiated a challenge to see if Gore had been down by contact. The challenge wiped out the penalty and accompanying 10-second clock runoff, which would have ended the game.

"The review is to determine if the runner was down by contact," Corrente announced over the stadium address system.

Replays showed Gore was indeed down by contact.

Without a review, the penalty against Bajema would have stood, ending the game. If anything, officiating helped the 49ers.

We continue.

"After reviewing the play," Corrente announced over the stadium address system, "the runner was down by contact at the 2 1/2-yard line. The clock will be reset to four seconds and it will start on my signal."

Tirico: "It will be third down. The Niners know this, so they are going to get ready."

Jaworski: "Yeah."

Tirico: "So it's on Corrente's signal. He is telling Shaun Hill. So, this will be the last play of the game, barring a defensive foul."

Jaworski: "No, he could spike it."

Tirico: "You're right, he could."

Not according to the 49ers.

"The ref was over the ball," Singletary told reporters. "To me, what's supposed to happen is the guy standing over the ball, he backs up, and then that starts. He's over the ball and as he is moving back, simultaneously the clock is moving, so it's very difficult to try and get something going with four seconds left if that's the scenario. To me, it was not the correct protocol in order to try and get the spike and go from there."

The correct protocol for the 49ers would have been for Martz and Hill to discuss all possible scenarios during the replay review. Cameras showed Hill meeting with Singletary and line judge John Hussey. There was certainly time for Singletary or Martz to set up a spike play.

Once the ball was set, the umpire stood over the center, preventing the snap while Corrente spent about four seconds consulting with Hill. The primary reason to consult with Hill would be to remind him that the clock would start on the whistle, not the snap.

"You get the other information that says the ball -- the clock -- is going to start on the whistle, rather than the snap of the ball, that changes the dynamics of things," Singletary said.

The clock was running before the replay review, which meant the clock would be running when play resumed. Coaches should have known this.

All the while, Martz said he thought the ball was at the half-yard-line or close to the 1, but no farther.

"There was a lot of confusion there at the end," Martz told reporters. "The only thing I wish had happened -- and the officials always do this -- the officials always come over and explain to you what's going to happen based on what they saw on the replay, and for whatever reason they neglected to do that.

"That's a courtesy that's always afforded. Why they didn't do that, I don't know. We did not know the ball was going to be on the three-and-a-half [yard line], obviously, or we would have never called that play."

Two problems: One, Martz said he found out the ball was at the 3 1/2-yard line only after former 49ers coach Mike Nolan called to tell him Tuesday. Two, the ball was never placed anywhere near the 3 1/2-yard-line.

It's probably not a good sign when the current offensive coordinator is getting his information from the recently fired head coach. It's worse when that information isn't correct.

And yet Martz charged on: "[Nolan] was the only one that was smart enough to look at the TV, and he knew immediately. He's the only one that really knows football well enough to know exactly what happened."
The 49ers thought Corrente might restore an additional 12 seconds to the game clock after the review. That would have restored the clock to the general point when Gore's knee touched the ground prior to the initial spotting of the ball and subsequent replay challenge.

That was never a realistic option.

"We thought that we were going to be given back time on the clock," Martz said. "We thought the ball was going to be somewhere around the 1-yard line.

"The play made 2 yards, so it's a moot point whether it was on the 1 or the one-half [yard lines]. It doesn't matter. He would have scored. If it's on the three-and-a-half, obviously, we don't do that play."

Wrong again.

The ball was closer to the 2-yard-line than the 3 1/2-yard line, and Robinson officially gained 1 yard on his run.

"We had to run that play," Martz said. "You couldn't change anything. I thought that was unfortunate. We just got kind of caught (as) the victim. We were trying to spike the ball. Had we been allowed to spike the ball [on second down], none of this would have ever happened.

"Then, if they had decided to review it, then they review it, but the clock was stopped. We could have gotten the personnel in that we wanted to do, and whether you score or not, whatever, but you're going to do a play that you want from the three-yard line or the two-and-a-half, or the three-and-a-half or wherever the hell it is. At least you can change what you want."

Wrong again. Officials had flagged Bajema for a procedural penalty right before the replay challenge. The clock was running at that point because the Cardinals had tackled 49ers receiver Jason Hill inbounds on the previous play.

Without the challenge, the penalty would have stood. Again, the mandatory 10-second clock runoff would have ended the game.

At which point the 49ers would have had no one to blame but themselves.
 

PoLLo LoC831

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49ers' Gore backpedals on details of injury
http://www.sacbee.com/sf49ers/story/1396920.html
By Matthew Barrows
[email protected]
Published: Friday, Nov. 14, 2008 | Page 6C

SANTA CLARA – Frank Gore told reporters Thursday that he suffered a concussion late in Monday's 49ers loss to Arizona, but by the end of the day both the running back and his coach were insisting it was just a neck strain.

"Frank Gore is a football player. He does not know what a concussion is," coach Mike Singletary said jokingly. " … It may feel like a concussion. I talked to Fergie (trainer Jeff Ferguson), who is one of the finest trainers in the country. He does not have a concussion. He's OK. He'll be good to go."

During the open locker room session at midday Thursday, Gore told reporters he still had a "bad" headache from what he described as a concussion. He said he butted helmets with Chike Okeafor in the final minute Monday while attempting a crack-back block on the Cardinals defensive end.

Gore was slow to get up following the play. Singletary said that Gore was "tired, a little woozy, a little nauseous" after that play.

"Guys get tired," Singletary said. "We had guys getting IVs left and right. We had guys that were nauseous. We had guys throwing up. We had guys cramping up – all kinds of stuff."

Following Singletary's late-afternoon session with reporters, Gore was brought into the media trailer, where he told reporters the problem was indeed with his neck.

"It was a pretty good hit and I kind of had my neck in a weird position," he said.

Asked whether anyone told him he had a concussion, Gore said, "Nah. I just thought it. … I just thought I had one."

The difference between the two injuries is stark. If Gore had a concussion, he should not have been permitted to return to the game and it would be unclear if he would be out for Sunday's game against the Rams. Gore said he would play Sunday.

Gore did get back in the contest Monday night and was part of the frantic two-play sequence to close the game. With 20 seconds remaining, Gore seemed to have an easy path to the end zone and the game-winning score, but he stumbled before reaching the goal line. Gore was asked whether his injury had a bearing on his final run.

"It's just something that probably wasn't meant (to be)," he said. "To see me fall down … any other play, I would have made that play."

Gore suffered a concussion during a 2006 game in Detroit. After that game, Gore said he was woozy for a "couple" of days and didn't practice that week. Gore rushed for 159 yards against the Lions in that game and a franchise-record 212 yards the following week against the Seahawks.

Gore said he did not feel like he did in 2006.

"Nah, I feel good," he said. "I feel I could have practiced (Thursday), but coach Singletary and the team trainers and everybody wanted me to just chill out."

Gore said he planned to practice today.

If Gore were unable to play Sunday, DeShaun Foster, who has 11 carries this season, likely would step in at tailback.

Singletary, however, refused to entertain that notion.

"In all honesty, I don't want to go there," he said. "To me, he's going to play."

Asked when that determination would be made, Singletary said, "Today. He's going to play. As far as I know, he's going to play."
 

PoLLo LoC831

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Sing's Notebook: Nov. 14

http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4893&section=PR News

RE: Where is Jonas Jennings as far as getting back on the field and being in the starting lineup?
“I don’t know. Right now…We have to earn that. I think [Adam] Snyder is working his tail off. Snyder is doing a good job. He’s done the things that we’ve asked him do. Right now, Snyder is the guy.”

RE: Is Jonas healthy enough to come back right now?
“I don’t know that. We’re working him in as much as we can. There’s no guarantee with that shoulder. But at the same time, he’s doing what he can. You really won’t know unless we need him. To me, right now, I’m worried about getting better and getting stronger.”

RE: Were you impressed by Snyder’s play in the Arizona game?
“I was, yes, I was. I was impressed by the entire offensive line. I thought they did a good job. I thought that the things that we talked about all week – being physical up front, going downhill – I thought they did them for the most part.”

RE: You talked a lot about, obviously, the importance of finishing. Is there anything that you guys have kind of done to stress that? I don’t know how you practice for that. Is there anything that you do differently based on that concern?
“When you talk about finishing, it’s all about execution. [When] you start a block, you finish that block. You don’t really stop the block until something signals that, or you go get another block. You catch a ball; you watch the ball all the way in; you throw a ball; you go through the technique that you have; your tackling. Obviously you can’t tackle here [in practice], but you can have the right leverage and tag off. So there’s a lot of things that you can do to practice finishing. And it’s constant. It’s very, very monotonous to get into it. You just have to keep reminding players ‘let’s finish, let’s finish.’ I know they’re tired of hearing it, but that’s what it’s going to take.”

RE: Is it something that you think you’ve coached more and said more this week, or more since the day you took over the team?
“The whole time.”

RE: How is Frank [Gore] today?
“He’s fine. He moved well. He ran well. He did a good job.”

RE: Your safeties are kind of banged up. Is Keith Lewis ready for a bigger role if called up on Sunday?
“If he has to, yes. He’d be the guy. He’d be ready to go. I think Roman [inaudible]. It was good to see him out here today moving around a bit. So, it will be a game time situation with him.”

RE: Same with Delanie, game time decision with him. Delaine Walker?
“That’s really a questionable situation right now. We will just have to see as we get closer to it.”

RE: Is there any chance that Sean Ryan could play a little bit in the game coming up?
“It’s possible, but it’s not something that we’ve talked about a whole lot right now. But, it’s possible.”

RE: When Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt were together for those six years, do you think they were possibly the best tandem in league history?
“It’s quite possible. They were dynamic. There is no doubt about that.”

RE: Are Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald entering that discussion?
“You have to put them in there somewhere. Those guys do a great job together. Of course with [Kurt] Warner throwing the ball the way he is, they’re very good. They’ve been good for awhile.”

RE: In your new role, have you talked to Isaac Bruce one-on-one?
“Oh, yeah. We’ve talked a couple of times. Not like heart-to-heart, but we’ve talked. He’s a very quiet guy, a personal guy, but he’s been great. He really has.”

RE: Mentioning Shaun Hill as a blue-collar guy the other day, what kinds of things define him?
“Leadership. I think leadership is one of those things that really jumps out at you when you see him practicing and the way he plays.”

RE: What exactly defines him when he steps into the huddle?
“I think it’s the presence. I think presence would be one thing. His body language when he steps into the huddle, there is a command. ‘This is the play that we got to execute and this is what we’re going to do.’ But, there is substance there. That is part of that leadership. That is what I like about him. I don’t care what the situation is or how crazy it is, you see him and there is poise about him. I think he brings that to the huddle.”

RE: Is Shaun Hill practicing better than maybe he was a few weeks ago?
“Oh, yeah. Anytime you have a chance to get more reps, you’re going to get better. He’s that kind of guy. If a quarterback doesn’t get a chance to throw the ball a lot, chances are the timing is not going to be there. The confidence is not going to be there when he throws the ball, in terms of the trust of the receivers and their routes. Obviously, it all goes together. He just continues to get better with each throw.”
 

PoLLo LoC831

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Sing’s Monday Presser (Rams)
http://49ers.com/blog49/
November 17th, 2008

Head coach Mike Nolan typically gave the players the day off after wins, but Mike Singletary had his team report as usual on Monday.


“I like to see the players the next day. I like them to come in and talk about it. I think you can bond from it. You don’t have to go practice. There’s some downtime, some bonding time, looking at the film and enjoying those moments.”



Singletary said it’s not to say he wouldn’t ever announce a “See you Wednesday,” but that right now, he felt the team should come in.



Singletary elaborated on a point he made following Sunday’s win, which his intentional focus on getting all three phases of the team to complement each other.



“When we were going to play against a very difficult offensive team and the quarterback was really hot and everything else, I’d talk to Jim McMahon and say what are you guys thinking this week? ‘Well, Mike, we are thinking about throwing the ball and we think we can score some points, or you know what, help us out a bit.’ That’s the way we talked, and it got back to the coordinators and we talked to Coach Ditka, and those things would happen because We were thinking about winning; we weren’t just thinking about stats. We weren’t just thinking about how good the defense could be. It goes back and forth. That’s really when you begin to win and that’s when you begin to think of a family and a team.”



The offensive line has given up only three sacks in the last two games, which is a serious reduction than what had occurred during the first half of the season. Singletary said it’s been due to a combination of factors.



“I think it is a combination of the offensive line playing longer together. I think the continuity is better, the communication is better. When that happens, you get in sync, which is extremely important. Then, you get a quarterback and understand where he’s going to be and where he’s going to step and that gives you a better idea of where protection is going to need to be set. It’s a combination of things.”



Singletary also said that it has to do with playcalling by Mike Martz for his two different quarterbacks.



“When you look at Shaun Hill vs JTO, there are certain things you call for this quarterback maybe a little different than the other.”



Singletary thinks the 49ers are in good shape injurywise. RB Michael Robinson has a banged up shoulder, but should be fine. CB Tarell Brown went out of the game with a tight neck, but should be okay. S Michael Lewis suffered a knee injury but finished out the game. He also said that WR Josh Morgan is coming along from his groin injury.



LB Patrick Willis wore the defensive headset for a few games, but the 49ers have gone back to safety Mark Roman. Singletary said that given the communication that goes on in the backend, he felt that it was quicker for Roman to handle the responsibility with the headset and realy things to the secondary, and allow Willis to take care of the front seven.

Monday Morning Quarterback
November 17th, 2008

I’ve been re-watching the game this morning, something I’ve tried doing for most of this season because it happens so fast live and since I’ve got so many spots on the site to update during the game, it’s hard to keep track of everything going on.



It was obvious in Sunday’s post-game press conference that everyone is wondering why Shaun Hill hasn’t been the team’s starting quarterback all along. Right now, Hill is crushing the poll on the homepage in terms of what most excited our fans.



Personally, I voted for the turnovers by the defense, but then again, Hill is playing the way I expected him to play.



Singletary expressed similar sentiments when he was asked if he’s surprised by what Hill has done.



“I knew that last year, way before training camp. I mean, last year when I saw him play, I really liked what I saw, I thought he did a good job. He managed the game, he made some throws, guys were excited. In training camp, I just thought it was a manner of him learning the offense and having some confidence going forward. Sometimes, it may take a little while.”



Hill started off training camp in competition primarily with Alex Smith. As we all know, JT O’Sullivan emerged and Hill never saw much time in the preseason other than cleanup duty. I think part of the reason was both Hill and Smith were learning the offense, but I also think it’s because Hill plays his best in games, not practice.



As Frank Gore said after the game, “He’s not the prettiest quarterback you’re going to see, but he’s a football player. Shaun is just a football player. When we’re practicing, he might have a tough week, but when he’s in the game, he’s a gamer.”



Hill is still going to have some bad throws now and then in a game, and he got away with one on Sunday. I think it was to Jason Hill, but it was off the mark and fortunately fell incomplete, but he’s not going to force a throw to a receiver if he’s not open, he navigates the pocket well and avoids sacks, and he doesn’t panic. He keeps looking downfield and will find an open man. Best case in point on Sunday, the throw to DeSean Foster.
Would our record be better than what it is had the move been made to Hill earlier? Who knows? JTO looked pretty convincing after wins over Seattle and Detroit, and polls on nfl.com even included him as a potential first-time Pro Bowler.



But Hill is definitely getting the job done and he played a clean game as far as turnovers, which is the usually the most determining factor in wins and losses, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do the remainder of the season and whether or not he’ll be the guy in the future.



I also think the overall offensive philosophy has been adjusted the last two weeks as the 49ers have been able to stick with the run, shy teams away from the blitz, and create some longer drives.

It’s been good to see so many more guys involved too, including Foster, who looked solid all through the spring, particularly in the passing game.



A few other quick hits before I head down in a few minutes to blog from the presser…



CB Walt Harris notched the interception, but another huge play by him helped set the tone of the game early on and that was when he got a hand in to break up a pass to Donnie Avery on a post pattern, that likely would have either gone for a touchdown or set the Rams up inside the 5 on their opening drive. St. Louis instead had to settle for a Josh Brown field goal from 48 yards out, which he missed. That was his first miss from under 50 yards on the season.



Ball security can’t be stressed enough for the 49ers offense, but safety OJ Atogwe came up with a picture perfect punch to cause the Frank Gore fumble. He used his left arm to secure the tackle and then just swung his right arm up to pop the ball out.



Right tackle Adam Snyder pulled on the play and Gore actually cut inside of him and just found a huge hole that was sealed off by Joe Staley and David Baas.



The subsequent stop by the defense was another HUGE momentum builder. Marc Bulger went to Kenneth Darby on a 3rd and 1, but Patrick Willis exploded downhill to make the stop short of the first down. Notching a three and out after the turnover really helped the offense put the mistake behind them, as they went on to score a touchdown on their next drive.



In talking to some of the coaches, safety Michael Lewis had one of the better games among the defensive players. Lewis finished with 11 total tackles to lead the team, a sack, a tackle for a loss, a quarterback hurry, and a pass deflection that resulted in the Nate Clements interception. Lewis was shaken up on a 1st and 10 play in the 3rd quarter on what looked to be a dirty and late hit to his knee, but the veteran safety returned to action.

Tags: shaun hill
Posted in Nuggets
Post-Game Injuries
November 16th, 2008

Safety Michael Lewis suffered a knee injury but finished out the game.

Cornerback Tarell Brown was forced out of the game with a neck strain.

Running back Michael Robinson also suffered a stinger in the game.

Posted in Gameday, Injury News
Sing Postgame
November 16th, 2008

Head coach Mike Singletary is happy over the win, but he was also clearly disappointed over the second half play somewhat.



“I won’t use the word displeased. I was very, very proud that they played hard and that we won the game. I wasn’t displeased, but I pointed those things out that we had to correct.”







The corrections all boil down to finishing.



“Finishing means, the offensive line when we were backed up drives it out. Finishing means we don’t jump off-sides. We don’t walk off the field, we jog off the field.”



In terms of his first win as the team’s head coach, Singletary said he wondered if his parents, who are deceased now, saw the win.



In one of the funnier moments of the post-game presser, Singletary said that he was proud of Mike Martz controlling himself and not continuing to wing the ball and score 80.



Singletary said he just kept offering positive reinforcement to his offensive coordinator Mike Martz for running the ball.



As to the play of Shaun Hill, Singletary said, “The first half was outstanding. I thought he did a great job. For the most part in the second half, I thought he did a pretty decent job. Then things started to break down a bit, not all his fault. We just have to continue work on it – offensive line, running back, everybody.”



Singletary said coming into the game that the 49ers defense knew it had to control the Rams vertical passing game. But early on, it was a few big runs by Antonio Pittman that hurt the 49ers defense. Singletary talked it over with defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, who made the proper adjustments.



“They got some runs early and it shocked me a little bit. We’d slant one way and they’d adjust and we would not and guys were getting caught in the slide and getting cutoff and getting slashed. We corrected that going into the second half.”



Singletary also commented on an exchange between Vernon Davis and DeShaun Foster along the sidelines that was caught on television.



“All I can tell you is this, sometimes in a family you have disagreements. No one is perfect. You just have to learn to work through things together. Learn how to respect each other and work with each other so we can accomplish what we want to accomplish without hurting feelings.”
 

PoLLo LoC831

NINER EMPIRE
Mar 20, 2005
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Sing’s Monday Presser (Rams)
http://49ers.com/blog49/
November 17th, 2008

Head coach Mike Nolan typically gave the players the day off after wins, but Mike Singletary had his team report as usual on Monday.


“I like to see the players the next day. I like them to come in and talk about it. I think you can bond from it. You don’t have to go practice. There’s some downtime, some bonding time, looking at the film and enjoying those moments.”



Singletary said it’s not to say he wouldn’t ever announce a “See you Wednesday,” but that right now, he felt the team should come in.



Singletary elaborated on a point he made following Sunday’s win, which his intentional focus on getting all three phases of the team to complement each other.



“When we were going to play against a very difficult offensive team and the quarterback was really hot and everything else, I’d talk to Jim McMahon and say what are you guys thinking this week? ‘Well, Mike, we are thinking about throwing the ball and we think we can score some points, or you know what, help us out a bit.’ That’s the way we talked, and it got back to the coordinators and we talked to Coach Ditka, and those things would happen because We were thinking about winning; we weren’t just thinking about stats. We weren’t just thinking about how good the defense could be. It goes back and forth. That’s really when you begin to win and that’s when you begin to think of a family and a team.”



The offensive line has given up only three sacks in the last two games, which is a serious reduction than what had occurred during the first half of the season. Singletary said it’s been due to a combination of factors.



“I think it is a combination of the offensive line playing longer together. I think the continuity is better, the communication is better. When that happens, you get in sync, which is extremely important. Then, you get a quarterback and understand where he’s going to be and where he’s going to step and that gives you a better idea of where protection is going to need to be set. It’s a combination of things.”



Singletary also said that it has to do with playcalling by Mike Martz for his two different quarterbacks.



“When you look at Shaun Hill vs JTO, there are certain things you call for this quarterback maybe a little different than the other.”



Singletary thinks the 49ers are in good shape injurywise. RB Michael Robinson has a banged up shoulder, but should be fine. CB Tarell Brown went out of the game with a tight neck, but should be okay. S Michael Lewis suffered a knee injury but finished out the game. He also said that WR Josh Morgan is coming along from his groin injury.



LB Patrick Willis wore the defensive headset for a few games, but the 49ers have gone back to safety Mark Roman. Singletary said that given the communication that goes on in the backend, he felt that it was quicker for Roman to handle the responsibility with the headset and realy things to the secondary, and allow Willis to take care of the front seven.

Monday Morning Quarterback
November 17th, 2008

I’ve been re-watching the game this morning, something I’ve tried doing for most of this season because it happens so fast live and since I’ve got so many spots on the site to update during the game, it’s hard to keep track of everything going on.



It was obvious in Sunday’s post-game press conference that everyone is wondering why Shaun Hill hasn’t been the team’s starting quarterback all along. Right now, Hill is crushing the poll on the homepage in terms of what most excited our fans.



Personally, I voted for the turnovers by the defense, but then again, Hill is playing the way I expected him to play.



Singletary expressed similar sentiments when he was asked if he’s surprised by what Hill has done.



“I knew that last year, way before training camp. I mean, last year when I saw him play, I really liked what I saw, I thought he did a good job. He managed the game, he made some throws, guys were excited. In training camp, I just thought it was a manner of him learning the offense and having some confidence going forward. Sometimes, it may take a little while.”



Hill started off training camp in competition primarily with Alex Smith. As we all know, JT O’Sullivan emerged and Hill never saw much time in the preseason other than cleanup duty. I think part of the reason was both Hill and Smith were learning the offense, but I also think it’s because Hill plays his best in games, not practice.



As Frank Gore said after the game, “He’s not the prettiest quarterback you’re going to see, but he’s a football player. Shaun is just a football player. When we’re practicing, he might have a tough week, but when he’s in the game, he’s a gamer.”



Hill is still going to have some bad throws now and then in a game, and he got away with one on Sunday. I think it was to Jason Hill, but it was off the mark and fortunately fell incomplete, but he’s not going to force a throw to a receiver if he’s not open, he navigates the pocket well and avoids sacks, and he doesn’t panic. He keeps looking downfield and will find an open man. Best case in point on Sunday, the throw to DeSean Foster.
Would our record be better than what it is had the move been made to Hill earlier? Who knows? JTO looked pretty convincing after wins over Seattle and Detroit, and polls on nfl.com even included him as a potential first-time Pro Bowler.



But Hill is definitely getting the job done and he played a clean game as far as turnovers, which is the usually the most determining factor in wins and losses, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do the remainder of the season and whether or not he’ll be the guy in the future.



I also think the overall offensive philosophy has been adjusted the last two weeks as the 49ers have been able to stick with the run, shy teams away from the blitz, and create some longer drives.

It’s been good to see so many more guys involved too, including Foster, who looked solid all through the spring, particularly in the passing game.



A few other quick hits before I head down in a few minutes to blog from the presser…



CB Walt Harris notched the interception, but another huge play by him helped set the tone of the game early on and that was when he got a hand in to break up a pass to Donnie Avery on a post pattern, that likely would have either gone for a touchdown or set the Rams up inside the 5 on their opening drive. St. Louis instead had to settle for a Josh Brown field goal from 48 yards out, which he missed. That was his first miss from under 50 yards on the season.



Ball security can’t be stressed enough for the 49ers offense, but safety OJ Atogwe came up with a picture perfect punch to cause the Frank Gore fumble. He used his left arm to secure the tackle and then just swung his right arm up to pop the ball out.



Right tackle Adam Snyder pulled on the play and Gore actually cut inside of him and just found a huge hole that was sealed off by Joe Staley and David Baas.



The subsequent stop by the defense was another HUGE momentum builder. Marc Bulger went to Kenneth Darby on a 3rd and 1, but Patrick Willis exploded downhill to make the stop short of the first down. Notching a three and out after the turnover really helped the offense put the mistake behind them, as they went on to score a touchdown on their next drive.



In talking to some of the coaches, safety Michael Lewis had one of the better games among the defensive players. Lewis finished with 11 total tackles to lead the team, a sack, a tackle for a loss, a quarterback hurry, and a pass deflection that resulted in the Nate Clements interception. Lewis was shaken up on a 1st and 10 play in the 3rd quarter on what looked to be a dirty and late hit to his knee, but the veteran safety returned to action.

Tags: shaun hill
Posted in Nuggets
Post-Game Injuries
November 16th, 2008

Safety Michael Lewis suffered a knee injury but finished out the game.

Cornerback Tarell Brown was forced out of the game with a neck strain.

Running back Michael Robinson also suffered a stinger in the game.

Posted in Gameday, Injury News
Sing Postgame
November 16th, 2008

Head coach Mike Singletary is happy over the win, but he was also clearly disappointed over the second half play somewhat.



“I won’t use the word displeased. I was very, very proud that they played hard and that we won the game. I wasn’t displeased, but I pointed those things out that we had to correct.”







The corrections all boil down to finishing.



“Finishing means, the offensive line when we were backed up drives it out. Finishing means we don’t jump off-sides. We don’t walk off the field, we jog off the field.”



In terms of his first win as the team’s head coach, Singletary said he wondered if his parents, who are deceased now, saw the win.



In one of the funnier moments of the post-game presser, Singletary said that he was proud of Mike Martz controlling himself and not continuing to wing the ball and score 80.



Singletary said he just kept offering positive reinforcement to his offensive coordinator Mike Martz for running the ball.



As to the play of Shaun Hill, Singletary said, “The first half was outstanding. I thought he did a great job. For the most part in the second half, I thought he did a pretty decent job. Then things started to break down a bit, not all his fault. We just have to continue work on it – offensive line, running back, everybody.”



Singletary said coming into the game that the 49ers defense knew it had to control the Rams vertical passing game. But early on, it was a few big runs by Antonio Pittman that hurt the 49ers defense. Singletary talked it over with defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, who made the proper adjustments.



“They got some runs early and it shocked me a little bit. We’d slant one way and they’d adjust and we would not and guys were getting caught in the slide and getting cutoff and getting slashed. We corrected that going into the second half.”



Singletary also commented on an exchange between Vernon Davis and DeShaun Foster along the sidelines that was caught on television.



“All I can tell you is this, sometimes in a family you have disagreements. No one is perfect. You just have to learn to work through things together. Learn how to respect each other and work with each other so we can accomplish what we want to accomplish without hurting feelings.”
 

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/19/SP2R1477NQ.DTL
Jennings out for season
Shoulder surgery may end his career with the 49ers

John Crumpacker, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

(11-18) 19:01 PST -- He spent more time on the injury list than anyone on the roster and when tackle Jonas Jennings was placed on injured reserve Tuesday by the 49ers following shoulder surgery, it probably ended his tenure in San Francisco, given that he will count against the salary cap in 2009.

Jennings, an eight-year veteran who turns 31 Friday, had surgery on his right shoulder at Stanford Hospital, where team orthopedist Dr. Tim McAndrews performed the operation.

To take Jennings' spot on the roster, the 49ers signed tackle Jacob Bender, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound player, off the Patriots' practice squad. Jennings was not available for comment Tuesday.

"It wasn't getting any better. Surgery was inevitable," 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan said. "His right shoulder came out. They went in and tightened it down to get it fixed."

The 49ers signed Jennings to a seven-year contract worth nearly $44 million in 2005 as an unrestricted free agent from the Bills; the last year, 2011, is an option year. He was given a signing bonus of $6.5 million.

Jennings has a 2008 base salary of $3.45 million with a cap value of $5.842 million. He will count $6.592 million against the salary cap in 2009, including a base salary of $4.2 million.

Asked if his looming cap value spells the end of Jennings as a 49er, McCloughan said, "We'll address that at the end of the season. He's got two years left under his contract. Durability has been a question. It's not his fault he got hurt. When he did play for us, he played well. We've had success with him as a tackle, and they're hard to find."

When healthy, the 6-3, 328-pound Jennings was a capable tackle with superior footwork. But injuries torpedoed his career. Since coming to the 49ers, Jennings has missed 25 of 58 games to various injuries.

By the end of this season, he will have played in 72 of a possible 148 games for the 49ers and Bills over eight seasons, four of which (2003, '05, '07, '08) ended with him on injured reserve.

Jennings' one healthy season with the 49ers was in 2006, when he started 13 games at left tackle. Not coincidentally, Frank Gore rushed for a franchise record 1,695 yards that season and the 49ers ranked as the No. 6 rushing team in the NFL.

Jennings started the first two games of this season at right tackle before his right shoulder forced him to the sideline. Barry Sims started the next six games at right tackle before injuring an ankle. Adam Snyder has started the last two games at the position and the 49ers want to keep him there for the rest of the season.

"If we didn't have Snyder the way he's playing at right tackle and we didn't have Sims to back up, we could have kept him (Jennings) as an emergency tackle the rest of the year," McCloughan said. "But because of the numbers we have, we felt fine doing the surgery now."
 

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Hill Wins NFC Honors
http://49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4905
November 19, 2008

Quarterback Shaun Hill has been named as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week by the National Football League for his performance in the 49ers 35-16 victory over the St. Louis Rams last Sunday.

Hill responded impressively in his second start of the season, completing 15-of-20 passes for 213 yard, two touchdowns passing and one rushing with a 142.3 passer rating. Hill became the first 49ers starting QB to post a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in the first half. The previous best was Steve Young’s 156.5 rating vs. New Orleans (9-14-97). His 192 yards in the first half are the most by a 49ers quarterback since Jeff Garcia threw for 221 first half yards against Arizona (12-7-03).

Hill also had the longest pass completion of his career when he connected with Bryant Johnson for a 42-yard gain in the second quarter. His previous best was a 31-yard touchdown pass to Josh Morgan at Arizona last Monday night (11-10-08). Hill directed five first-half scoring drives. The 49ers 35 first half points are the most they have scored in the first half since the 49ers scored 42 points vs. Atlanta (10-18-92), which are the most points they ever scored in a half. The team had a 28-point second quarter to match the team record for most points scored in one quarter. The team has scored 28 points in a quarter five other times. It is the first 28-point quarter since the 49ers scored 28 points in the fourth quarter vs. Chicago (12-23-91) in a 52-14 win.

This is the first time Hill has received recognition from the NFL. It is the first time in 2008 that a 49ers player has been recognized as Player of the Week and the first for the 49ers since RB Frank Gore was awarded following a 116-yard rushing performance in the 49ers 37-31 overtime win at Arizona on November 25 of the 2007 season.
 

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Martz fined $20,000 for critical comments of refs after 49ers' loss
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3715102&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who publicly blamed the officials for the chaotic ending to the Nov. 10 game against the Arizona Cardinals, has been fined $20,000 for those comments.

The league confirmed the fine to ESPN.com.

Martz made his comments after the 49ers, unable to bulldoze the last 2½ yards into the end zone with time running out, lost to the Cardinals 29-24.

The 49ers had called for a running play, believing the ball was spotted at the 1, when in fact it was at the 2½-yard line.

At issue was Martz's contention that the 49ers never got a chance to change their play after they found out the spot had been moved back, following a review.

Martz said on Nov. 11: "It cost us the game. We go to the 1 -- or the half-yard line -- then spike the ball when, all of a sudden, officials tell us they're going to look at the replay. While they're looking at it, the ball stays at the 1. So we send in a play. Then, when they make their decision, they move the ball back to the 2½ and tell us they're going to start the clock on the official's wind.

"We couldn't change the play. We had to go with what we called. If it would've been at the 1, we would've made it. But they moved it and didn't give us any time. So what are we going to do? If they would've moved it to the 10 we still would've had to run the play that was called. We got screwed because of the spot, first and foremost."

Mike Pereira, the league's vice president of officiating, said the 49ers were notified of the spot when referee Tony Corrente made an announcement over the PA system, but one member of the 49ers' organization who was on the sideline that evening said it was difficult, if not impossible, to decipher announcements in the last minutes of the game.

"Obviously, if we had had time we wouldn't have called that play for that situation," Martz said, according to CBSSports.com. "We would've called a double fade and passed it. I didn't expect anything like that. We had no recourse. We got screwed every way possible."
 

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Singletary's Notebook: Nov. 21
http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=4920&section=PR%20News

RE: You’re in Dallas on the 45th anniversary of the JFK assassination. Any thoughts on that?
“That’s really interesting. I remember what kind of day that was for the country, even as a kid. No, that’s very interesting.”

RE: A year and a half ago when you interviewed for the Cowboys job, how did you leave that interview as far as the impression you had of the Cowboys organization as a whole?
“I was very impressed. Every interview I’ve had I’ve been very impressed, very thankful, very humbled by the fact that they took the time or thought enough to interview me. So, it was a great experience.”

RE: I’m sure you’ve learned from each of those interviews. What did you go away from that interview learning, or learning about yourself or what you had to sort of work on to get that opportunity again?
“After that interview, it was just a matter of when I talked to Jerry Jones he just said, ‘Mike, it’s just a matter of the fit. I don’t know you as well as I know a couple of the other guys, just being very honest. I wish I knew you more, but I know some of those other guys. I work with them. I feel more comfortable with them.’ So he really…that’s what it was.”

RE: Have you gone about trying to meet more of the owners around the league so that they get to know you a little bit?
“No. The most important thing for me in the game since I’ve been in it, I never wanted to do any marketing, never wanted to network. Just let me do my job and hopefully the word gets out. Hopefully somebody is interested down the road. I just trust in our prayers that those things work themselves out.”

RE: Do you not like that aspect of it – sort of the glad-handing, marketing as you call it?
“Well, I’m not very good at it, number one. I don’t know. I feel very comfortable just being myself. I’m not good at the other stuff.”

RE: Do you have time to go to Waco or to go back to Baylor on this trip, or is that out of the question?
“Out of the question.”

RE: Are you going to have people come in?
“My daughter. My son is practicing, but my daughter will have a chance [and] I’ll have a chance to see her.”

RE: Which daughter is that?
“That’s the oldest one: Kristin. So I’ll see her. That’ll be great.”

RE: Do you have extended family there?
“I’ve got a lot of extended family, but I’ve already told them, ‘We will get together after the season. The rest of you, some of you I’ll see you at Thanksgiving, but this is a business trip.’”

RE: Will you be getting most of those injured guys back or available for Sunday’s game?
“We’ll get some. We’ll get [Barry] Sims back. That’s nice. He’ll be up.”

RE: He’ll be a swing guy [on] both sides, either side?
“Yes.”

RE: And then [Arnaz] Battle, [Josh] Morgan and [Dashon] Goldson are out?
“They’re still out, yes.”

RE: How’s Patrick [Willis] after missing a couple of days this week?
“He looks fine. Pat is Pat. He’s going to get his work in. He’s going to do the things he needs to do. Probably couldn’t have gotten him to rest as much as he has in the past couple of days, so I just think he needed to relax a bit and rest a bit, and heal up with that. It’s good for him.”

RE: Delanie [Walker]: how’s he looking?
“Delanie’s fine. I’ve spoken with Delanie a couple of times. It’s very short: ‘How you doing? How you feeling?’ He’s doing fine, ready to go.”

RE: Any decision on Chilo [Rachal]?
“We’re just going to hold it as long as we can and see how it goes on Sunday. He’s been doing well this week.”

RE: Game time decision?
“Yeah, I would say we’re pretty sure in our minds. We’re leaning towards him right now, but it’ll be a game time decision.”

RE: I know you mentioned that part of the reason why Shaun’s [Hill] been not sacked is continuity on the line. So why change it?
“Well, I trust in our offensive people. I trust in the coaching staff, and we sat down and we talked about it, and it’s…Chilo is the guy that if he can give you all he has without taking a step backwards, the upside is pretty good. If he can’t, then we’ll find out. If it’s too big for him, we’ll find out. We thought it would be a good time to find out.”

RE: You have so many players that are from Texas, from the Dallas area. Does that ever worry you when you’re visiting a place where people are from that they could get distracted with family, with friends?
“No, it’s just…These guys, they know what we’re all about. They know what we’re going to Texas for. They know that. And I’ve shared what I’m going to do. I’m going to see my daughter but all of my family, and I’ve got tons of family there being the last of 10 kids, they come from everywhere. But I’ve already told them, ‘You know what? We’ll see each other at family reunions or whatever. I’ve got to take care of business. It’s my responsibility. It’s my job. So respect what I’m doing and we’ll get together later.’”