all the niner related stuff from peter king
and he got us as 7th
^ i called that
The Niners are kids again.
San Francisco was supposed to be one of those teams that struggled with a new coach, new offensive and defensive systems, new players at new spots ... and no time to adjust with the late resolution of the labor agreement between players and owners. So when new coach Jim Harbaugh saw the early-season schedule (Week 3 at Cincinnati, Week 4 at Philadelphia) he thought: ROAD TRIP!
The Niners beat the Bengals 15 days ago and flew to Northeast Ohio after the game. The team booked a DeBartolo hotel property, a Holiday Inn in Boardman, Ohio, for five nights. On Monday, the offense went to visit sick kids at a children's hospital, the defense to a Boys and Girls Club to interact with kids. They practiced for three days at Youngstown State. They did their walk-through practices in the hotel parking lot. Harbaugh pronounced it an extra week of camp, basically, and told each player to introduce himself to two people he didn't know well every day.
A few of the guys took a hotel van to see The Lion King in 3D. "Not a whole lot to do,'' said defensive lineman Justin Smith. "We were able to focus on the task at hand pretty well.'' Some of the defensive players watched extra film of the Eagles, the next foe, and saw how loosely players carried the balls while running. Sure enough, it was Smith's strip of wideout Jeremy Maclin that clinched the 49ers' 24-23 victory.
The good feelings continued Sunday at home. San Francisco, in something that not even their biggest fans could have expected, routed the Bucs 48-3. Alex Smith continued the kind of play the franchise saw three head coaches ago; in 2005. with a three-touchdown, no-interception game, and the bruising Frank Gore/Kendall Hunter combo at running back ran 29 times for 190 yards.
Who saw this coming: Alex Smith with a 104 rating, a dominating run game, linebackers (Patrick Willis, NaVarro Bowman) versatile enough to stuff the run and play sideline-to-sideline.
"This is the first time since I've been here that we've looked this good,'' said Gore. "Alex Smith is playing great ball, and defenses don't know what to defend.''
That's the idea.
San Francisco was supposed to be one of those teams that struggled with a new coach, new offensive and defensive systems, new players at new spots ... and no time to adjust with the late resolution of the labor agreement between players and owners. So when new coach Jim Harbaugh saw the early-season schedule (Week 3 at Cincinnati, Week 4 at Philadelphia) he thought: ROAD TRIP!
The Niners beat the Bengals 15 days ago and flew to Northeast Ohio after the game. The team booked a DeBartolo hotel property, a Holiday Inn in Boardman, Ohio, for five nights. On Monday, the offense went to visit sick kids at a children's hospital, the defense to a Boys and Girls Club to interact with kids. They practiced for three days at Youngstown State. They did their walk-through practices in the hotel parking lot. Harbaugh pronounced it an extra week of camp, basically, and told each player to introduce himself to two people he didn't know well every day.
A few of the guys took a hotel van to see The Lion King in 3D. "Not a whole lot to do,'' said defensive lineman Justin Smith. "We were able to focus on the task at hand pretty well.'' Some of the defensive players watched extra film of the Eagles, the next foe, and saw how loosely players carried the balls while running. Sure enough, it was Smith's strip of wideout Jeremy Maclin that clinched the 49ers' 24-23 victory.
The good feelings continued Sunday at home. San Francisco, in something that not even their biggest fans could have expected, routed the Bucs 48-3. Alex Smith continued the kind of play the franchise saw three head coaches ago; in 2005. with a three-touchdown, no-interception game, and the bruising Frank Gore/Kendall Hunter combo at running back ran 29 times for 190 yards.
Who saw this coming: Alex Smith with a 104 rating, a dominating run game, linebackers (Patrick Willis, NaVarro Bowman) versatile enough to stuff the run and play sideline-to-sideline.
"This is the first time since I've been here that we've looked this good,'' said Gore. "Alex Smith is playing great ball, and defenses don't know what to defend.''
That's the idea.
Fine Fifteen
Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis drew a pass interference call on this attempted reception during San Francisco's 45-point win over the Bucs.
Cary Edmondson/US Preswire
1. Green Bay (5-0). As my Friday night Versus-mate Mike Florio points out, if the top two teams in the NFC North keep winning, the Packers and Lions will get to their Thanksgiving High Noon showdown 10-0.
2. Baltimore (3-1). Everything is coming up roses for the Ravens. The bye week allows key corner Jimmy Smith to come back from injury in time to face Houston's Matt Schaub in six days ... with Andre Johnson sidelined with the hamstring problem.
3. New England (4-1). Wes Welker, five catches for 126 yards. I'm beginning to think we just might discuss him in the Hall of Fame room someday. Might.
4. Detroit (4-0). Lions Hit The Big Time quiz: (No cheating, please) Who was the Lions' starting quarterback in their last Monday night game? Clue: The game was played 10 years ago in Pontiac, and the Leos were wiped off the floor of the Silverdome by the Greatest Show on Turf, the Kurt Warner-led Rams, 35-0. (Answer in Ten Things below.)
5. New Orleans (4-1). Latest team to survive the Cam Newton express. Ask anyone on the Saints, and they'll tell you there won't be any easy games against the Panthers as long as the Auburn wunderkind is starting.
6. Buffalo (4-1). At some point, we've got to stop putting asterisks on the Bills' wins. They forced five turnovers Sunday and scored 31 points. I don't care who they were playing. It was another good day at the office for The Little Team That Could.
7. San Francisco (4-1). Never thought I'd have the Niners seventh in the NFL this year. Never thought I'd have them 17th, frankly. To beat a playoff contender the way they did Sunday -- pummeling Tampa Bay into the ground -- means the Niners aren't just overwhelming favorites in a bad division. They're rounding into a dangerous January team.
8. San Diego (4-1). Another argument for avoiding style points. The Chargers are winning early in the season, which they haven't done much under Norv Turner, and they're winning at vexing places on the road, doing so Sunday in Denver.
9. Washington (3-1). On their bye Sunday, the Redskins had a very good day. They watched the Giants (3-2) and Eagles (1-4) lose, and they're alone in first in the NFC East.
10. Oakland (3-2). They've had wins as big as Sunday's (Week 9 last year over Kansas City to move to 5-4, for one), but I can't imagine, with the emotion and the obstacles involved, that there's been a bigger win for this franchise since the Super Bowl season nine years ago.
11. Houston (3-2). Mario Williams gets MRI'd today. Could be a torn pec. There are a couple of different varieties of torn pecs, but either way he'd miss more than a month with a tear.
12. Pittsburgh (3-2). I may have been hasty in my career dismissal of Troy Polamalu; he was a major force in the win over the Titans.
13. Tennessee (3-2). I need to see more signs of life in Chris Johnson than 2.88 yards per carry.
14. New York Jets (2-3). Can't win on the road. Unless you don't want to count games in Baltimore, Oakland and New England.
15. Cincinnati (3-2). At some point we have to stop calling this a fluke. Cincinnati's D has held foes under 300 yards in four of five games.
Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis drew a pass interference call on this attempted reception during San Francisco's 45-point win over the Bucs.
Cary Edmondson/US Preswire
1. Green Bay (5-0). As my Friday night Versus-mate Mike Florio points out, if the top two teams in the NFC North keep winning, the Packers and Lions will get to their Thanksgiving High Noon showdown 10-0.
2. Baltimore (3-1). Everything is coming up roses for the Ravens. The bye week allows key corner Jimmy Smith to come back from injury in time to face Houston's Matt Schaub in six days ... with Andre Johnson sidelined with the hamstring problem.
3. New England (4-1). Wes Welker, five catches for 126 yards. I'm beginning to think we just might discuss him in the Hall of Fame room someday. Might.
4. Detroit (4-0). Lions Hit The Big Time quiz: (No cheating, please) Who was the Lions' starting quarterback in their last Monday night game? Clue: The game was played 10 years ago in Pontiac, and the Leos were wiped off the floor of the Silverdome by the Greatest Show on Turf, the Kurt Warner-led Rams, 35-0. (Answer in Ten Things below.)
5. New Orleans (4-1). Latest team to survive the Cam Newton express. Ask anyone on the Saints, and they'll tell you there won't be any easy games against the Panthers as long as the Auburn wunderkind is starting.
6. Buffalo (4-1). At some point, we've got to stop putting asterisks on the Bills' wins. They forced five turnovers Sunday and scored 31 points. I don't care who they were playing. It was another good day at the office for The Little Team That Could.
7. San Francisco (4-1). Never thought I'd have the Niners seventh in the NFL this year. Never thought I'd have them 17th, frankly. To beat a playoff contender the way they did Sunday -- pummeling Tampa Bay into the ground -- means the Niners aren't just overwhelming favorites in a bad division. They're rounding into a dangerous January team.
8. San Diego (4-1). Another argument for avoiding style points. The Chargers are winning early in the season, which they haven't done much under Norv Turner, and they're winning at vexing places on the road, doing so Sunday in Denver.
9. Washington (3-1). On their bye Sunday, the Redskins had a very good day. They watched the Giants (3-2) and Eagles (1-4) lose, and they're alone in first in the NFC East.
10. Oakland (3-2). They've had wins as big as Sunday's (Week 9 last year over Kansas City to move to 5-4, for one), but I can't imagine, with the emotion and the obstacles involved, that there's been a bigger win for this franchise since the Super Bowl season nine years ago.
11. Houston (3-2). Mario Williams gets MRI'd today. Could be a torn pec. There are a couple of different varieties of torn pecs, but either way he'd miss more than a month with a tear.
12. Pittsburgh (3-2). I may have been hasty in my career dismissal of Troy Polamalu; he was a major force in the win over the Titans.
13. Tennessee (3-2). I need to see more signs of life in Chris Johnson than 2.88 yards per carry.
14. New York Jets (2-3). Can't win on the road. Unless you don't want to count games in Baltimore, Oakland and New England.
15. Cincinnati (3-2). At some point we have to stop calling this a fluke. Cincinnati's D has held foes under 300 yards in four of five games.
n. Shaking my head how good the 49ers looked.
9. I think I never thought I would write these words about Week 6 of the 2011 season: San Francisco at Detroit is the game of the week in the National Football League.
