Niner News Thread
- Thread starter Chree
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Check 49ers.com throughout the day for more information and reactions from Crabtree and head coach Mike Singletary, who will both address the media.
Those press conferences will stream live on 49ers.com, but a time has not been set quite yet. Check our Twitter page for updates throughout the day including the time of the press conferences.
Those press conferences will stream live on 49ers.com, but a time has not been set quite yet. Check our Twitter page for updates throughout the day including the time of the press conferences.
It's official: Crabtree puts his name on the contract
Michael Crabtree is officially a 49er, and he'll take part in his first-ever practice with the 49ers when the team hits the field at 12:50 p.m. But first he'll take part in a 11:45 a.m. press conference with Mike Singletary. I'm sure this is going to be painful for both. Singletary won't like the distraction and would rather focus on the Falcons. Crabtree, meanwhile, is notoriously camera shy and he's bound to be asked some pointed questions today. No details on his deal yet, although I'm told that the guaranteed portion of the contract is "around" $18 million. The player picked directly ahead of him, Green Bay's B.J. Raji, has $17.7 million guaranteed. Of course, Raji's deal is for five years, Crabtree's is for six.
Michael Crabtree is officially a 49er, and he'll take part in his first-ever practice with the 49ers when the team hits the field at 12:50 p.m. But first he'll take part in a 11:45 a.m. press conference with Mike Singletary. I'm sure this is going to be painful for both. Singletary won't like the distraction and would rather focus on the Falcons. Crabtree, meanwhile, is notoriously camera shy and he's bound to be asked some pointed questions today. No details on his deal yet, although I'm told that the guaranteed portion of the contract is "around" $18 million. The player picked directly ahead of him, Green Bay's B.J. Raji, has $17.7 million guaranteed. Of course, Raji's deal is for five years, Crabtree's is for six.
As Falcons gear up for 49ers, praise for Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/...s-praise-for-patrick-willis-and-vernon-davis/
Meanwhile, back to the game this Sunday at Candlestick Park …
Quarterback Matt Ryan and Coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons were nice enough to call the 49ers media trailer for a conference-call with Bay Area scribes this morning.
The Falcons had a bye last week, which gave them plenty of time to observe the 49ers’ 35-0 victory over the Rams. As you can imagine, a certain 49ers linebacker caught their attention.
“Gosh, you can’t say enough about Patrick Willis,’’ Smith said. “He might be the top linebacker in all the league right now, arguably. He fits that description.
“He had a monster game. A interception for a touchdown, 2 ½ sacks, and three tackles for a loss? That’s a season for a lot of linebackers.”
The Falcons head for Candlestick Park on Sunday ranked 12th in total offense and 15th in total defense. Smith said he has been disappointed by the defensive play so far. “It’s not at the level that we wanted,’’ he said of the Falcons’ first three games.
Smith said a key concern will be the matchup problems created by tight end Vernon Davis, who has three touchdowns over the past two games. “Vernon Davis is very impressive guy. He’s got to be the fastest tight end in the NFL.
“Shaun Hill is obviously getting a connection down with him, especially in the red zone. (Davis) is someone who creates matchup problems.”
On offense, Ryan raved about off-season acquisition Tony Gonzalez. He knew the tight end was talented, having seen occasional Chiefs highlights over the years, but had idea of Gonzalez’s skills until he saw them up close.
“You get out there on the practice field and he’s even better than he looks on tape,’’ Ryan said.
The 49ers hold a 44-28-1 advantage over the Falcons in a series that dates back to 1966. The 49ers are 26-10 against Atlanta in home games.
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/...s-praise-for-patrick-willis-and-vernon-davis/
Meanwhile, back to the game this Sunday at Candlestick Park …
Quarterback Matt Ryan and Coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons were nice enough to call the 49ers media trailer for a conference-call with Bay Area scribes this morning.
The Falcons had a bye last week, which gave them plenty of time to observe the 49ers’ 35-0 victory over the Rams. As you can imagine, a certain 49ers linebacker caught their attention.
“Gosh, you can’t say enough about Patrick Willis,’’ Smith said. “He might be the top linebacker in all the league right now, arguably. He fits that description.
“He had a monster game. A interception for a touchdown, 2 ½ sacks, and three tackles for a loss? That’s a season for a lot of linebackers.”
The Falcons head for Candlestick Park on Sunday ranked 12th in total offense and 15th in total defense. Smith said he has been disappointed by the defensive play so far. “It’s not at the level that we wanted,’’ he said of the Falcons’ first three games.
Smith said a key concern will be the matchup problems created by tight end Vernon Davis, who has three touchdowns over the past two games. “Vernon Davis is very impressive guy. He’s got to be the fastest tight end in the NFL.
“Shaun Hill is obviously getting a connection down with him, especially in the red zone. (Davis) is someone who creates matchup problems.”
On offense, Ryan raved about off-season acquisition Tony Gonzalez. He knew the tight end was talented, having seen occasional Chiefs highlights over the years, but had idea of Gonzalez’s skills until he saw them up close.
“You get out there on the practice field and he’s even better than he looks on tape,’’ Ryan said.
The 49ers hold a 44-28-1 advantage over the Falcons in a series that dates back to 1966. The 49ers are 26-10 against Atlanta in home games.
Leaders emerging as 49ers feed off Singletary
http://sfo.scout.com/2/907052.html
As the 49ers gradually mature into a winning team, leaders on the playing roster are stepping up to say things that need to be said.
And that's exactly the way Singletary wants it.
"The less I say, the better I feel because I'm going to say what has to be said and hopefully they beat me to it all the time, so we can stay on the same page," Singletary said.
Singletary believes San Francisco’s surging defense already is full of leaders. That unit ranks No. 6 this week in the NFL in total defense after last week’s 35-0 blanking of the St. Louis Rams, the 49ers’ first shutout in 119 games.
“You can pick any guy on defense,” Singletary said. “The leadership on the defensive side of the ball has really picked up, whether it’s Justin Smith, Patrick (Willis), Takeo (Spikes), Michael Lewis… All those guys are talking.”
Willis, already a two-time All-Pro, is taking on a much more visible leadership role in his third season, not just on defense, but also before the entire team.
But the 49ers need those kinds of leaders on offense, too. On the first day of training camp, Singletary challenged offensive leaders to step forward.
And after Shaun Hill was named the starting quarterback for the regular season, that is exactly what Hill has done.
“Shaun Hill has really stepped up and has been a real bright spot in terms of the leadership and, ‘Hey guys, we have to do this, we have to do that. This is what we said we were going to do and let’s do it,’” Singletary said. “So that’s great to see.”
Hill said the 49ers feed off Singletary’s leadership, which in turn makes it easier for individuals to emerge as leaders themselves.
“(Singletary) is so unique as a head coach, far different than anybody I’ve ever had,” Hill said. “It did take a little bit of time for me to adjust to the way he does things. But having those eight games (as a starter) under my belt last season, having this whole offseason with him, that has really helped. As far as echoing what he’s saying, the whole locker room has bought into it. This whole team has bought in. I think you can see that. So what he’s saying, everybody is feeling and everybody believes in.”
After a lackluster performance in the first half last week – the 49ers led 7-0 at halftime only because of a gift touchdown on special teams – Singletary briefly addressed his team, then let his players take over and do the rest.
The 49ers then came out and blitzed the Rams 28-0 in the second half.
“I saw a lot of guys disappointed in the way the first half went,” Singletary said. “There were no shouting matches. It was just a matter of, ‘Guys, just remember what we said we needed to do.’ They kind of took it from there. ‘Yes, we’ve got to go out and we’ve got to do this. And, we’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to execute better.’ The coaches didn’t really have to talk a whole lot. Whenever you have that situation, you know you’re going in the right direction.”
Hill was one of the players who stepped up and took charge at halftime.
“I’m not a guy that’s going to necessarily say something at all times,” Hill said. “Whenever I do feel like I need to speak up, I will though. It’s not one of those things where I’m scared to say anything, because I’m not. It’s just my personality and the way I am. I don’t necessarily talk all the time.
“But I think it’s a good combination. Coach Singletary likes to get in the mix and say what he needs to say, so I feed off that as well. I think what we have going is a good combination.”
Hill said his leadership style is a lot different than Singletary's. Hill, for instance, went to Josh Morgan after he dropped a deep pass that would have went for a touchdown against the Rams and told Morgan he'd come back to him later in the game for a big play.
Morgan remained focused and ended up catching a 24-yard touchdown pass from Hill in the fourth quarter – the first touchdown reception by a San Francisco wideout this season.
Singletary also singled out linemen Joe Staley and Eric Heitmann as leaders on offense. Hill threw in a few other names that are emerging as leaders on that side of the ball.
“Eric Heitmann obviously does a good job with those guys up front, and (tight end) Vernon (Davis) can be vocal in the right sense,” Hill said. “Frank (Gore) is a vocal guy. Isaac (Bruce) is a leader without even saying much. Joe Staley is another guy that gets vocal when it needs be. There’s plen
http://sfo.scout.com/2/907052.html
As the 49ers gradually mature into a winning team, leaders on the playing roster are stepping up to say things that need to be said.
And that's exactly the way Singletary wants it.
"The less I say, the better I feel because I'm going to say what has to be said and hopefully they beat me to it all the time, so we can stay on the same page," Singletary said.
Singletary believes San Francisco’s surging defense already is full of leaders. That unit ranks No. 6 this week in the NFL in total defense after last week’s 35-0 blanking of the St. Louis Rams, the 49ers’ first shutout in 119 games.
“You can pick any guy on defense,” Singletary said. “The leadership on the defensive side of the ball has really picked up, whether it’s Justin Smith, Patrick (Willis), Takeo (Spikes), Michael Lewis… All those guys are talking.”
Willis, already a two-time All-Pro, is taking on a much more visible leadership role in his third season, not just on defense, but also before the entire team.
But the 49ers need those kinds of leaders on offense, too. On the first day of training camp, Singletary challenged offensive leaders to step forward.
And after Shaun Hill was named the starting quarterback for the regular season, that is exactly what Hill has done.
“Shaun Hill has really stepped up and has been a real bright spot in terms of the leadership and, ‘Hey guys, we have to do this, we have to do that. This is what we said we were going to do and let’s do it,’” Singletary said. “So that’s great to see.”
Hill said the 49ers feed off Singletary’s leadership, which in turn makes it easier for individuals to emerge as leaders themselves.
“(Singletary) is so unique as a head coach, far different than anybody I’ve ever had,” Hill said. “It did take a little bit of time for me to adjust to the way he does things. But having those eight games (as a starter) under my belt last season, having this whole offseason with him, that has really helped. As far as echoing what he’s saying, the whole locker room has bought into it. This whole team has bought in. I think you can see that. So what he’s saying, everybody is feeling and everybody believes in.”
After a lackluster performance in the first half last week – the 49ers led 7-0 at halftime only because of a gift touchdown on special teams – Singletary briefly addressed his team, then let his players take over and do the rest.
The 49ers then came out and blitzed the Rams 28-0 in the second half.
“I saw a lot of guys disappointed in the way the first half went,” Singletary said. “There were no shouting matches. It was just a matter of, ‘Guys, just remember what we said we needed to do.’ They kind of took it from there. ‘Yes, we’ve got to go out and we’ve got to do this. And, we’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to execute better.’ The coaches didn’t really have to talk a whole lot. Whenever you have that situation, you know you’re going in the right direction.”
Hill was one of the players who stepped up and took charge at halftime.
“I’m not a guy that’s going to necessarily say something at all times,” Hill said. “Whenever I do feel like I need to speak up, I will though. It’s not one of those things where I’m scared to say anything, because I’m not. It’s just my personality and the way I am. I don’t necessarily talk all the time.
“But I think it’s a good combination. Coach Singletary likes to get in the mix and say what he needs to say, so I feed off that as well. I think what we have going is a good combination.”
Hill said his leadership style is a lot different than Singletary's. Hill, for instance, went to Josh Morgan after he dropped a deep pass that would have went for a touchdown against the Rams and told Morgan he'd come back to him later in the game for a big play.
Morgan remained focused and ended up catching a 24-yard touchdown pass from Hill in the fourth quarter – the first touchdown reception by a San Francisco wideout this season.
Singletary also singled out linemen Joe Staley and Eric Heitmann as leaders on offense. Hill threw in a few other names that are emerging as leaders on that side of the ball.
“Eric Heitmann obviously does a good job with those guys up front, and (tight end) Vernon (Davis) can be vocal in the right sense,” Hill said. “Frank (Gore) is a vocal guy. Isaac (Bruce) is a leader without even saying much. Joe Staley is another guy that gets vocal when it needs be. There’s plen
49ers, Falcons tight ends could shine Sunday
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txfalcons49ers&prov=st&type=lgns
SAN FRANCISCO(AP)—Vernon Davis(notes) credits Tony Gonzalez(notes) for offering some tips over the years. They both can credit Jimmy Raye for giving them plenty of chances along the way.
Davis is taking on a bigger role for the San Francisco 49ers each week under Raye’s direction as the team’s seventh offensive coordinator in as many years. Gonzalez is the rock of stability in the Atlanta passing game.
These two could be central figures come Sunday when their teams face off at Candlestick Park. The 49ers (3-1) are on a roll and sitting atop the NFC West standings, the Falcons (2-1) are looking to bounce back from a 26-10 loss at New England before their bye week.
“See who outperforms who,” Davis said with a grin. “Of course I’m going to step my game up.”
Davis is tied for ninth among NFL tight ends with 17 receptions to go with three touchdowns, all in the past two games, and Gonzalez is one of three ranked 13th with 13 catches. He has two TDs and leads Atlanta with 160 yards receiving. Gonzalez also has gone 134 consecutive games with at least one catch.
Davis had a career-high seven receptions for 77 yards in his only game against the Falcons, a 20-16 Atlanta win in the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 4, 2007.
Raye coached Gonzalez from 1998-2000 in Kansas City. Raye has ties to the Falcons, too, having served as wide receivers coach from 1980-82 and again from 1987-89.
He believes Davis could one day be considered among the top tight ends, right up there with Gonzalez.
“There are some similarities,” Raye said. “Vernon, if he continues to progress and play the way he has played, I think he can develop into an upper-echelon player at that position. He has one of the great prerequisites to playing the position: He has wide receiver speed for his size. He’s an excellent blocker. He’s a problem for the defense in the middle of the secondary. … And, his attitude has been good in that direction, so I would expect that to happen.”
Gonzalez was a star college player at California in Berkeley and grew up watching and admiring the 49ers during their best years: Jerry Rice(notes), Joe Montana, Roger Craig.
Former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci was at Cal for a short time with Gonzalez before leaving for the NFL.
“That was one of the teams I wanted to play for,” Gonzalez recalled. “I remember thinking ‘Man, I’d love to go there.’ Jerry Rice was still there, Steve Young was still there. It was a pretty good football team. But, you know, times have changed.”
Perhaps they have, but the 49ers are off to their best start since 2002 - their last winning season - and already consider themselves a playoff contender in coach Mike Singletary’s first full season in charge.
There’s a new mentality around this franchise, a winning mode based on Singletary’s team-first philosophy. His players bought in from the start.
Even Davis has come around, maturing enough for Singletary to make him a captain. That after the fiery tight end was sent to the showers in the fourth quarter of Singletary’s debut last October for his behavior following a personal foul penalty against Seattle.
While Singletary provides Davis’ biggest influence these days, he still appreciates Gonzalez’s helpful words over the years.
“He’d always give me pointers on the game. I remember we’d always talk football,” Davis said. “I know Gonzalez really well. We’ve met at a lot of places, charity events, things like that.”
Both offenses could use big production from their tight ends this week. The 49ers, who will be missing star running back Frank Gore(notes) for the second straight game because of an ankle injury, are looking to become more balanced.
The Falcons’ running game has struggled and could be up for another tough day against a relentless San Francisco defense that has made its share of game-changing plays in recent weeks. Led by star linebacker Patrick Willis(notes), the 49ers have risen to a No. 6 ranking among NFL defenses.
Atlanta is 25th in rushing and leading runner Michael Turner(notes) has just 226 yards on 65 carries with two touchdowns through three games.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan(notes) is always looking to Gonzalez as a target, especially with a lackluster ground attack.
“He’s such a talented guy, you have to do things differently to take advantage of his talent,” Ryan said. “I expected him to be great but I hadn’t grown up watching the Chiefs. I hadn’t seen a lot of tape on the Chiefs. You get out on the practice field and he’s even better than he looked on tape.”
In three games, Ryan has completed 60 of 91 passes for 648 yards and five touchdowns.
Gonzalez is confident the Falcons’ offense will get going soon in all phases.
“We are this close to breaking a big one,” he said of the run game. “It seems like everybody is blocking and then maybe one person is not picking up his guy. And I’ve been one of those guys who hasn’t been getting to my guy. I think we all have to take that and be accountable. I know we’ll get it going sooner or later and hopefully it will be this week.”
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txfalcons49ers&prov=st&type=lgns
SAN FRANCISCO(AP)—Vernon Davis(notes) credits Tony Gonzalez(notes) for offering some tips over the years. They both can credit Jimmy Raye for giving them plenty of chances along the way.
Davis is taking on a bigger role for the San Francisco 49ers each week under Raye’s direction as the team’s seventh offensive coordinator in as many years. Gonzalez is the rock of stability in the Atlanta passing game.
These two could be central figures come Sunday when their teams face off at Candlestick Park. The 49ers (3-1) are on a roll and sitting atop the NFC West standings, the Falcons (2-1) are looking to bounce back from a 26-10 loss at New England before their bye week.
“See who outperforms who,” Davis said with a grin. “Of course I’m going to step my game up.”
Davis is tied for ninth among NFL tight ends with 17 receptions to go with three touchdowns, all in the past two games, and Gonzalez is one of three ranked 13th with 13 catches. He has two TDs and leads Atlanta with 160 yards receiving. Gonzalez also has gone 134 consecutive games with at least one catch.
Davis had a career-high seven receptions for 77 yards in his only game against the Falcons, a 20-16 Atlanta win in the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 4, 2007.
Raye coached Gonzalez from 1998-2000 in Kansas City. Raye has ties to the Falcons, too, having served as wide receivers coach from 1980-82 and again from 1987-89.
He believes Davis could one day be considered among the top tight ends, right up there with Gonzalez.
“There are some similarities,” Raye said. “Vernon, if he continues to progress and play the way he has played, I think he can develop into an upper-echelon player at that position. He has one of the great prerequisites to playing the position: He has wide receiver speed for his size. He’s an excellent blocker. He’s a problem for the defense in the middle of the secondary. … And, his attitude has been good in that direction, so I would expect that to happen.”
Gonzalez was a star college player at California in Berkeley and grew up watching and admiring the 49ers during their best years: Jerry Rice(notes), Joe Montana, Roger Craig.
Former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci was at Cal for a short time with Gonzalez before leaving for the NFL.
“That was one of the teams I wanted to play for,” Gonzalez recalled. “I remember thinking ‘Man, I’d love to go there.’ Jerry Rice was still there, Steve Young was still there. It was a pretty good football team. But, you know, times have changed.”
Perhaps they have, but the 49ers are off to their best start since 2002 - their last winning season - and already consider themselves a playoff contender in coach Mike Singletary’s first full season in charge.
There’s a new mentality around this franchise, a winning mode based on Singletary’s team-first philosophy. His players bought in from the start.
Even Davis has come around, maturing enough for Singletary to make him a captain. That after the fiery tight end was sent to the showers in the fourth quarter of Singletary’s debut last October for his behavior following a personal foul penalty against Seattle.
While Singletary provides Davis’ biggest influence these days, he still appreciates Gonzalez’s helpful words over the years.
“He’d always give me pointers on the game. I remember we’d always talk football,” Davis said. “I know Gonzalez really well. We’ve met at a lot of places, charity events, things like that.”
Both offenses could use big production from their tight ends this week. The 49ers, who will be missing star running back Frank Gore(notes) for the second straight game because of an ankle injury, are looking to become more balanced.
The Falcons’ running game has struggled and could be up for another tough day against a relentless San Francisco defense that has made its share of game-changing plays in recent weeks. Led by star linebacker Patrick Willis(notes), the 49ers have risen to a No. 6 ranking among NFL defenses.
Atlanta is 25th in rushing and leading runner Michael Turner(notes) has just 226 yards on 65 carries with two touchdowns through three games.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan(notes) is always looking to Gonzalez as a target, especially with a lackluster ground attack.
“He’s such a talented guy, you have to do things differently to take advantage of his talent,” Ryan said. “I expected him to be great but I hadn’t grown up watching the Chiefs. I hadn’t seen a lot of tape on the Chiefs. You get out on the practice field and he’s even better than he looked on tape.”
In three games, Ryan has completed 60 of 91 passes for 648 yards and five touchdowns.
Gonzalez is confident the Falcons’ offense will get going soon in all phases.
“We are this close to breaking a big one,” he said of the run game. “It seems like everybody is blocking and then maybe one person is not picking up his guy. And I’ve been one of those guys who hasn’t been getting to my guy. I think we all have to take that and be accountable. I know we’ll get it going sooner or later and hopefully it will be this week.”
49ers defense shining during fast start to season
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-49ers-risingdefense&prov=ap&type=lgns
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP)—The San Francisco 49ers are playing some of their best defensive football of the past decade, and it’s just about the entire unit that’s doing it.
The team is getting contributions from every area on a defense that has climbed to No. 6 this week in the NFL rankings and been largely responsible for a 3-1 start that has the first-place 49ers in early command of the NFC West.
San Francisco recorded its first shutout in 119 games with last week’s 35-0 rout of the St. Louis Rams, the latest testament to how well the unit is grasping defensive coordinator Greg Manusky’s 3-4 scheme.
“After you’ve been around a system for a while, you know exactly what to expect from your other guys and what to expect from me calling the plays,” Manusky said Thursday. “That is a comfort level for everybody. They understand where everybody’s supposed to fit, where everybody’s supposed to be, and they’re flying around doing good things and playing hard, playing physical and playing fast.”
San Francisco’s defense scored as many points as its offense last week as linebacker Patrick Willis(notes) returned an interception for a touchdown and defensive lineman Ray McDonald(notes) scored after recovering a fumble.
Those kinds of big plays are becoming typical for a unit that ranks sixth or higher in the NFL in eight statistical categories and is second in the league in fewest points allowed per game.
“You can definitely tell we’re on track,” free safety Dashon Goldson(notes) said. “It’s all coming together because we believe in this defense and we love to play together. We’re all playing for one another and we know what we can do as a unit. So now it’s all about getting it done.”
The improvement actually began near midseason last year after the 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan and gave complete control of the defense to Manusky. Nolan often tinkered with the defensive strategy and called for a hybrid attack that used 4-3 sets.
The 49ers finished 13th in the NFL in total defense last season, matching San Francisco’s highest final ranking since the team led the league in defense in 1997.
The defense has built on that finish this year to carry a team that ranks 28th in the league in total offense. A quarter into the season, the 49ers have allowed more than 300 yards and more than 16 points in a game just once.
Willis continues to emerge as one of the NFL’s dominant defenders and combines with veteran Takeo Spikes(notes) to give San Francisco one of the most productive inside linebacker tandems in the league.
That pair had 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks last week in a scheme that’s designed for them to make plays. They have been free to swarm to the football because of the play of nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin(notes), who is off to the best start of his career.
“It all starts off with the nose and Aubrayo is having a heck of a season so far,” Manusky said. “The last four weeks he’s been one of the better nose tackles in the league. That’s a position that’s a big focal point in any 3-4 defense. He’s taken the challenge in not only controlling the running game and making tackles, but also keeping guys off Patrick and Takeo.”
The 49ers rank No. 4 in the league in stopping the run. They’ve yet to allow more than 95 yards rushing in a game despite so far facing the likes of reigning NFL rushing champion Adrian Peterson of Minnesota and Steven Jackson of St. Louis.
Now come the Atlanta Falcons and running back Michael Turner(notes), who finished second in the NFL to Peterson last season with 1,699 yards rushing. The 49ers host the Falcons on Sunday in a matchup that will take San Francisco to its bye week.
“Our mindset going into every game is to stop the run,” Franklin said. “If we can get those guys in third-and-long situations, we can control the game. We take it as a challenge as a defensive line to hold guys under 100 yards (rushing) and that’s what we’re going to try to do the rest of the season.”
The 49ers also have been getting solid play from a secondary that has been forcing turnovers and playing well in coverage. San Francisco ranks 10th in the league in pass defense.
“It’s everybody doing it,” Franklin said. “We’re doing the same things we’ve always done and making opponents adjust to us now. We’re playing together and having fun and that’s what we strive for, because we’re only as good as our unit is.”
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-49ers-risingdefense&prov=ap&type=lgns
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP)—The San Francisco 49ers are playing some of their best defensive football of the past decade, and it’s just about the entire unit that’s doing it.
The team is getting contributions from every area on a defense that has climbed to No. 6 this week in the NFL rankings and been largely responsible for a 3-1 start that has the first-place 49ers in early command of the NFC West.
San Francisco recorded its first shutout in 119 games with last week’s 35-0 rout of the St. Louis Rams, the latest testament to how well the unit is grasping defensive coordinator Greg Manusky’s 3-4 scheme.
“After you’ve been around a system for a while, you know exactly what to expect from your other guys and what to expect from me calling the plays,” Manusky said Thursday. “That is a comfort level for everybody. They understand where everybody’s supposed to fit, where everybody’s supposed to be, and they’re flying around doing good things and playing hard, playing physical and playing fast.”
San Francisco’s defense scored as many points as its offense last week as linebacker Patrick Willis(notes) returned an interception for a touchdown and defensive lineman Ray McDonald(notes) scored after recovering a fumble.
Those kinds of big plays are becoming typical for a unit that ranks sixth or higher in the NFL in eight statistical categories and is second in the league in fewest points allowed per game.
“You can definitely tell we’re on track,” free safety Dashon Goldson(notes) said. “It’s all coming together because we believe in this defense and we love to play together. We’re all playing for one another and we know what we can do as a unit. So now it’s all about getting it done.”
The improvement actually began near midseason last year after the 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan and gave complete control of the defense to Manusky. Nolan often tinkered with the defensive strategy and called for a hybrid attack that used 4-3 sets.
The 49ers finished 13th in the NFL in total defense last season, matching San Francisco’s highest final ranking since the team led the league in defense in 1997.
The defense has built on that finish this year to carry a team that ranks 28th in the league in total offense. A quarter into the season, the 49ers have allowed more than 300 yards and more than 16 points in a game just once.
Willis continues to emerge as one of the NFL’s dominant defenders and combines with veteran Takeo Spikes(notes) to give San Francisco one of the most productive inside linebacker tandems in the league.
That pair had 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks last week in a scheme that’s designed for them to make plays. They have been free to swarm to the football because of the play of nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin(notes), who is off to the best start of his career.
“It all starts off with the nose and Aubrayo is having a heck of a season so far,” Manusky said. “The last four weeks he’s been one of the better nose tackles in the league. That’s a position that’s a big focal point in any 3-4 defense. He’s taken the challenge in not only controlling the running game and making tackles, but also keeping guys off Patrick and Takeo.”
The 49ers rank No. 4 in the league in stopping the run. They’ve yet to allow more than 95 yards rushing in a game despite so far facing the likes of reigning NFL rushing champion Adrian Peterson of Minnesota and Steven Jackson of St. Louis.
Now come the Atlanta Falcons and running back Michael Turner(notes), who finished second in the NFL to Peterson last season with 1,699 yards rushing. The 49ers host the Falcons on Sunday in a matchup that will take San Francisco to its bye week.
“Our mindset going into every game is to stop the run,” Franklin said. “If we can get those guys in third-and-long situations, we can control the game. We take it as a challenge as a defensive line to hold guys under 100 yards (rushing) and that’s what we’re going to try to do the rest of the season.”
The 49ers also have been getting solid play from a secondary that has been forcing turnovers and playing well in coverage. San Francisco ranks 10th in the league in pass defense.
“It’s everybody doing it,” Franklin said. “We’re doing the same things we’ve always done and making opponents adjust to us now. We’re playing together and having fun and that’s what we strive for, because we’re only as good as our unit is.”
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-sound-efx/09000d5d8133b564/Sound-FX-49ers-tough-love
Singletary mic'd up during the massacre of the lambs
SING 4 Coach of the Year
Singletary mic'd up during the massacre of the lambs
SING 4 Coach of the Year
