Tag Archives: San Francisco 49ers

NFL Week 5: First Quarter Report Cards

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Tonight’s game between the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys marks a quarter of the 2012 NFL season will be in the books. Last year we had twists and turns that could be blamed on the lockout where this one doesn’t have a scapegoat. Alright maybe it does with the replacement officials yet in hindsight they only affected one game. Aside from the Seattle Seahawks v Green Bay Packers Monday Night tilt, there were bad calls on both teams to even things out. Yet the regular officials were back yesterday and made a call that surprised me and will be the last we’ll say about the referees for awhile.

Doug Wiliams injuring his knee and dropping the football in Super Bowl XXII. The ruling then was he gave himself up therefore the ball was dead. Yesterday the NFL refs ruled differently.

Taken from The Chancellor of Football’s Facebook page: In yesterdays Jets v 49ers game, Santonio Holmes injures his knee, drops the football and turned it over to San Francisco. In Super Bowl XXII, Denver was up 10-0 on the Washington Redskins when Doug Williams dropped back, injured his knee, drops the football as he is writhing in pain just like Holmes. He hadn’t been touched down and Rulon Jones recovered the ball. The explanation THEN was Doug Williams “gave himself up (injury) therefore the ball was dead” Huh? The Denver Broncos would have had the football at the Washington 22 with a chance to go up 17-0. A turning point of a game that NEVER got talked about. So either the Broncos got cheated in Super Bowl XXII Dennis Smith Karl Mecklenburg Eric V. Lockett or they screwed up yesterday. Which is it!?!?!?!?

The point maybe moot with the 49ers handing the Jets one of their worse home loss in years but we are here to hand out report cards.

The 49ers swallowed the Jets offense yesterday 34-0.

Receiving an “A” grade:

Atlanta Falcons – On course for a possible trip to the NFC Championship Game or beyond. Matt Stafford trapped on his own 1 with :59 left and down 28-27 hits Roddy White for 59 yards. He completed 3 passes and moves the team 70 yards and they win 30-28. Could be a team of destiny with a win like that. An absolute championship building block.

Minnesota Vikings- Christian Ponder has yet to throw an interception and this team is not beating itself. Yesterday’s 20-13 win over Detroit was the Vikings first divisional win in 2 years. By moving to 3-1 with a head to head victory on Detroit gives them a 3 game lead over the Lions. As time goes on and Adrian Peterson gets comfortable with his recovered knee…look out.

Houston Texans- Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and Arian Foster are powering the only team in the AFC South. J.J. Watt and the defense has played solidly yet this team hasn’t played anyone yet.  We’ll know if they stay on the “A” list when they take on the Baltimore Ravens in week 7. That’s the team that eliminated them last year.

Arizona Cardinals -Surprisingly this team has become a defense first football team. They had a signature win over the New England Patriots in Foxboro two weeks ago. They have won in spite of their offense sputtering in 3 games and rotating quarterbacks in Skelton and Kevin Kolb. Right now they are 4-0 and playing strong football. Patrick Peterson is about to become the cover corner and is blossoming into a great player.

San Francisco 49ers – Last week when they lost to the Vikings everyone wanted to attribute it to jetlag. Maybe the Vikings are that good and surprised San Fran. Yet Harbaugh’s bunch exposed the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions to start the season off right. Yesterday’s 34-0 destruction of the New York Jets showed how physically imposing this team is. They are rushing the football with authority and playing thunderous team defense. They will definitely be there in the end.

Brian Dawkins was honored at halftime of last night’s game.

Receiving a “B” grade:

Baltimore Ravens – This team should be on the “A” list but were undone by Joe Flacco’s 4 for 16 2nd half performance in the 24-23 loss to the Eagles. The defense has played lights out football with Haloti Ngata, the best defensive lineman in the NFL, and Ray Lewis still playing at a high level. Ray Rice is still running the football hard and has 317 yards rushing on the young season. Flacco is still checking the ball down too much to Rice and if he doesn’t improve on this they won’t make it to an “A”.

Philadelphia Eagles – Michael Vick has had a rough first quarter yet he did march them to a winning score with a minute to go against Cleveland. As an encore, he brought the Eagles back last night against the world champion Giants. What has been lost in this great start is how the defense has been playing. Everyone besides Namedi Asoumgha… What has happened to him?? Right now they are 3-1 and as the Cardinals keep winning, that one loss doesn’t seem like such an upset.

Chicago Bears – Last night showed how a team can play when they are hitting on all cylinders. Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are making progress. You saw how Devin Hester can be freed with defensive attention on Marshall. Once the team is totally in an offensive rhythm once Matt Forte is at 100%, you can see how Hester can become the Bears answer to Minnesota’s Percy Harvin. On defense, it was pointed out that the Bears are playing fundamental 4-3 defense without any gimmicks. Solid pass rush, strong linebacker play and Charles “Peanut” Tillman has been the most consistent corner over the last 5 years. All they have to do is get Cutler to have a good game once they face the Packers. They’re records keep going as they are and they won’t have to worry about Green Bay. A serious NFC darkhorse in Chicago.

New England Patriots – Early on they had some protection issues and were going away from Wes Welker. With yesterday’s blistering 45 point second half in their 52-28 win in Buffalo, they may have righted the ship. In doing so, the Patriots had two 100 yard rushers in Stevan Ridley (137 yards) and Brandon Bolden (137 yards) and should bode well the rest of the season. Even though they are 2-2 on the season, they lost to 4-0 Arizona and 3-1 Baltimore. Brady can get hot and now that they have awakened from their early season slumber the Patriots will be off and running from this point forward. Next up they host the Denver Broncos. Tom Brady v. Peyton Manning. You don’t think Brady will be up for this one?? Another 40 point outing awaits…

San Diego Chargers – Just making this list by virtue of their record are the 3-1 Chargers. In reality they are the best of the weaker teams and have a weak schedule to thank. The Titans, Raiders, and Chiefs have a combined record of 3-9. When they lined up against the Falcons, they couldn’t stay on the field and were crushed 27-3. Their offense is ranked 24th in the NFL and will need to remain turnover free to keep this up.

Cincinnati Bengals – On a 3 game winning streak, this is the surprise team of the early season in the AFC. Right now Andy Dalton has connected on 67.5% of his passes and 8 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions. Cincy is playing wide open football and are ranked 10th in all of football. Do they have the ability to run the football with muscle when they need it?? They were exposed in that 44-13 opening day loss to Baltimore for lacking that. They have to develop some strong running game to combat all of their division rivals.

Marshawn Lynch has enjoyed a rebirth in Seattle.

Receiving a “C” grade:

New York Giants – Eli Manning has been saving this team all season and nearly pulled out another game last night against the Eagles. So if Manning didn’t throw for more than 250 yards and 25 fourth quarter points, where would the Giants be?? Where is their pass rush?? They have had a few injuries and they still need to run the football with authority. They need to make Andre Brown (5.2 yards per carry) the running back the rest of the season. Ahmad Bradshaw is not an every down running back.

Denver Broncos – Every thought has been on Peyton Manning and will the Broncos make it to the Super Bowl. At 2-2 with a trip to Foxboro coming up, this game is when we find out about this team. They beat the hapless Raiders and an undermanned Steelers defense. Yet against teams with real Super Bowl aspirations, they are 0-2 and face the defending AFC Champions. They beat this  Patriot team then talk to the Chancellor.

Washington Redskins – Robert Griffin III has made this team one to be reckoned with. Not only have they been competitive, they are 10 points away from being 4-0. Right now they are feeling the loss of Bryan Orakpo on defense. However after several years of solid defense, this team is transitioning into an offensive team that can run the football and rest their defense. With 8 rushing touchdowns to go along with 69.4% completion percentage, 1,070 yards and 4 touchdowns, Griffin will be more dangerous as defenses tire.

Seattle Seahawks – Everyone is upset that a bad call gave them a victory over the Green Bay Packers but a truth was overlooked by the finish. This team has been playing defense as though Buddy Ryan is coaching them. They sacked Aaron Rodgers 8 times in that game and almost knocked him from the game. The Seahawks are ranked #2 in total defense and the defense held the mediocre Cowboys to just 7 points when they came to visit. So keep in mind in home games, they have only given up an average of 9.5 points per game. This is a growing trend. Once the offense with Rookie QB Wilson can get some consistency in the passing game, this team will move into the “B” category.

Well these are the teams that have made the grade. So if you don’t see your team here, they have to return with a signed report card from their parents. Either they are going in the wrong direction or flat-out don’t grade above a “D” or an “F”. It is what it is… so they better crack open the books and get their game-plan together. Report cards are always tough elixirs for some to take. Remember this isn’t about cheering for a team, this is about assessing their performance.

[Dallas Cowboys] – Listen…not only do they not get a passing grade but everything that was discussed by The Chancellor before was evident last night. https://taylorblitztimes.com/2012/05/26/the-chancellor-weighs-in-on-jerry-jones-comments-on-cowboys-super-bowl-window-closing/ This team does not have a player at any position aside from DeMarcus Ware that is either the best at his position or a player other teams would replace their player for one that plays for the Cowboys. They’re just not that good. Seattle and Chicago both manhandled them in their two losses and they were sporadic in a lackluster 17-9 win over Tampa. They were fired up for game 1 against the Giants, which now looks like a fluke win. Now they’re season gets tough with four of the next five on the road in Baltimore, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Carolina. Who are they better than of that bunch?? Come on now Cowboy fans…

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NFL Week 3: NFC West – Not Just The Province of The 49ers

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Cardinals reaction to Gostkowski’s blown field goal in their 20-18 upset of New England

Last year the San Francisco 49ers ran away with the division and it seemed a forgone conclusion they would repeat that performance this year. So far San Francisco has proven to be the vanguard of the NFC with convincing wins in Lambeau over the Packers, then the Lions. However there is more than a pulse being generated by fellow NFC West teams.

The biggest upset of the season so far was the dominant defensive performance put on by the Cardinals in New England. With a 20-18 victory the Cardinals proved they’re a force to be reckoned with. All day they made Tom Brady uncomfortable with an array of blitzes and crisp tackling once he checked down to backs and receivers. A performance for the ages when you consider the offense needed Kevin Kolb to come off the bench for an offense that was outgained 387 to 245 in the game.  They came up with timely stops and played a physical brand of football that kept Gillette Stadium quiet from the beginning of the game. This week they face Michael Vick and the NFL’s #1 offense at home. So far they haven’t given up more than 20 points in a game. If they can come up with another defensive gem and come out of this 3-0, look out. On top of that Kevin Kolb gets a shot at the team that traded him away. Our CEO thinks they’ll get it in this week’s upset special. Cardinals should beat the Eagles.

Lets take a look at the NFC West Standings:

West Division

W

L

T

PCT

PF

PA

HOME

ROAD

DIV

CONF

STRK

LAST5
Arizona Cardinals Cardinals 2 0 0 1.000 40 34 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 W2 2-0
San Francisco 49ers 49ers 2 0 0 1.000 57 41 1-0 1-0 0-0 2-0 W2 2-0
St. Louis Rams Rams 1 1 0 .500 54 55 1-0 0-1 0-0 1-1 W1 1-1
Seattle Seahawks Seahawks 1 1 0 .500 43 27 1-0 0-1 0-1 1-1 W1 1-1

Seahawks score on special teams to get the Seattle crowd fired up to a fevered pitch.

So after two weeks who has the best defense in the NFC West?? A surprising look at the statistics will show you the Seattle Seahawks are 6th in the NFL in total defense. The highest ranking in the division. On Sunday they punched the Dallas Cowboys square in the mouth as they held the Cowboys to under 300 yards of offense in winning 27-7. You saw a team flying to the football when they burst out of the locker room. The special teams got into the act blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown and got the 12th man into the game.

For all the talk of Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck, its time to give fellow rookie QB Russell Wilson some credit. He’s looked comfortable and hasn’t turned the football over. Did you know he has a 1.9% interception ration after two games?? Sure he has only thrown for 304 yards in two games but he has Marshawn Lynch (207 yards in 2 games) to do the heavy lifting. He will improve as the season goes on and has big play WR Sidney Rice right there to help with that development. This week is a true test as they host the Green Bay Packers. If they play with emotion and can get an early lead they could pull off another shocker. Again they need to put themselves in position to run the football at the Packers 27th against the run defense. Can they do it again?? If they do it again, how serious does the rest of the NFL have to take them?? Pete Carroll has a sneaky fast, aggressive team.

The Rams got off the canvas after a week 1 narrow defeat in Detroit and outlasted the Redskins 31-28. They had a huge game from WR Danny Amendola (the new Wes Welker) who torched the Skins for 15 rec. for 160 yards and a touchdown. However the Rams have allowed way too many yards and points per game. In week 1 they were opportunistic with 3 interceptions, including two near the goal line. Yet last week Griffin III torched them going 20 for 29 206 yards and a touchdown. His rushing for 82 yards and another 2 touchdowns kept the Rams off balance all day. Had the Redskins not incurred a dumb unsportsmanlike conduct foul, Billy Cundiff would have had a more reasonable field goal attempt. Jeff Fisher has to get his defense playing more stout and he has to get the football to RB Steven Jackson. Right now Sam Bradford is completing 71% of his passes (508 yds / 4TDs/1int) in what has become a bounce back season for him. Can they beat the Chicago Bears (with 10 days off) this week?? Not sure about that one but they better bring a defense.

Frank Gore gashed the Lions on the ground Sunday Night.

Which brings us back to last week’s marquee matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions. In a 27-19 win again showed a penchant for smash mouth straight ahead football. With teams rushing themselves in exotic 4 receiver sets, this team lines up with H-Backs, multiple tight end sets and comes off the ball like a team of yesteryear. They have a battering ram in Frank Gore (89 yards / 1TD against Detroit) and Kendall Hunter (23 yards) to keep him fresh. Understand the old axiom: Rushing the football with power wears down the defense late in games. They impose their will on their opponent.

Do you realize we have to go back 9 games (incl. playoffs) to find the last time Alex Smith threw an interception?? That’s going back to November 24th against the Ravens. How about the fact Smith has only thrown 6 interceptions in his last twenty three games?? That is a phenomenal number. His stat line is 40 of 57 (70.2%) for 437 yards and 4 touchdowns on the new season. Can you say Pro Bowl quarterback?? The Chancellor can. There are some pessimistic fans who are waiting for the old Alex Smith to show up but they need to wake up. The team still hasn’t really worked LaMichael James and Randy Moss totally in the mix yet. It’s scary as to how good this San Francisco team can be. Right now the league is playing right into their hands from a tactical standpoint. If everyone keeps lining up and passing, passing, passing…this team will continue to come off the ball and beat teams that are playing too high. Better get your pad level low.  The second you do, Smith is popping up and off play action is getting the ball downfield to one of the best tight ends in football.

Right now this is the best team in the NFL. Looking ahead, they go to Minnesota then off to the New York Jets. Unless they lose a game where they’re weary from travel, it’s hard to find a spot on their schedule where you can see a loss coming. However it looks like some of the best competition surprisingly may come from inside their own division. Arizona is looking the strongest and split with the Niners last year and don’t look now but the season finale has these two playing it out in Candlestick. Could be a big one brewing there.

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2012 NFC Picks & Prognostications

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Well the 2012 season is upon us and the question beckons: Who will make it to Super Bowl XLVII?? Every NFL team believes they have made moves to improve their roster yet only 15 or so really has a legitimate shot to make it to New Orleans. Each NFL season takes on a new look as new players make names for themselves, injuries derail teams and give hope to others, and then you have teams that come from out of nowhere. The latter rarely happens but when it does it makes for great theater.

An interesting thing happens the season after a surprise champion wins it, everyone thinks the team that should have won it, will win it the next year. Many are pointing to last year’s 15-1 Green Bay Packers to win it all. They were defending Super Bowl champions last year right? If the NFL were a television show like the NBA has become, I could understand your argument. However injuries and performance peaks and valleys alter a football team’s fortunes every season. In 2010, the Green Bay Packers were 10-6 with 16 players on injured reserve. Yet they rode the momentum of winning their final regular season game all the way to a championship. Last year they rested their players going into the playoffs and the Giants promptly took their lunch money in a quiet exit from the playoffs. The Giants used the same method Green Bay had used the year before: Get hot going into the playoffs.

As for The Chancellor’s crystal ball on the NFC this year:

2012 NFC Playoff Predictions

1. Detroit Lions 13-3 ##  NFC North Champs Homefield Advantage

2. Atlanta Falcons 11-5  NFC South Champs

3. San Francisco 49ers 11-5 NFC West Champs

4. New York Giants 10-6 NFC East Champs

5. Green Bay Packers 11-5 Wild Card

6. Chicago Bears 10-6 Wild Card

NFC CHAMPION: Detroit Lions

It’s hard for some to wrap the thought of the Lions playing in the Super Bowl but this team is growing in stature and has the perfect blend of youth and talent. The strides they made last season with a healthy Matthew Stafford were immense and puts them in position to come out of the pack in 2012 a better football team. They will mature into that team as this season progresses. The NFC North as a whole will be the scourge of the league with the Packers and Bears also making the playoffs. The Packers took a big loss when they placed 2011 leading tackler Desmond Bishop on injured reserve. If they lose 15 more, that’s the recipe for their winning it in 2011…

Many folks point to the Philadelphia Eagles as a team to come into this season with something to prove. Yet their recent history has Michael Vick missing several games due to injury and 2012 will be no different. In the first six games he faces 3 of last year’s top ten defenses. Andy Reid’s job will be on the line with another 8-8 season as owner Jeffrie Lurie alluded to, but they will win 10 games.

Now many Saints fans will think their team is back in the hunt with the suspensions of Jonathon Vilma and Will Smith overturned. The Chancellor doesn’t see that. First off, the team has an interim coach standing in for interim coach Joe Vitt. The game plans of Sean Payton and in-game adjustments will be missed. The loss in continuity with players missing all those practices and which coach has what responsibilities will result in a few clock management mistakes. Count on it. Many point to Drew Brees as though he can overcome all of these obstacles, not without his confidant in Payton. The Saints will struggle.

As for the Dallas Cowboys, right now they have the number one defense in the NFL… except no one else has played. They did look good  in the win over the New York Giants. DeMarco Murray ran hard. However it was just week one and the NFL season is a marathon, not a short sprint. In a long race, the NFC North Champion Detroit Lions will be the team standing at the finish.

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On This Date In 1994: Jerry Rice Eclipses Jim Brown’s Touchdown Record

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On this date 18 years ago, Jerry Rice scored this touchdown against the Raiders. It was his 127th touchdown to break the record of legendary running back Jim Brown.

On the first Monday Night Game of the 1994 season, there was an outside chance Jerry Rice could break Jim Brown’s touchdown record of 126. He entered the season with 124 and was in the prime of his career. The San Francisco 49ers were retooling their team to take down their arch nemesis in the Dallas Cowboys who bested them in the last two NFC Championships. At this time fellow Hall of Fame member Michael Irvin was starting to move into the “best receiver in the NFL” talk as well. All of this kept an already certain Hall of Famer Jerry Rice motivated.

In came the Los Angeles Raiders who had been a playoff team the year before. They had a defense that ranked 9th overall in 1993, and fifth against the pass. To bolster their defensive secondary they signed free agent CB Albert Lewis formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders had just lost Howie Long to retirement yet thought this game would show they were still among the league’s elite. Surely with a young Terry McDaniel and Albert Lewis manning the corners they would stop Rice in the season opener…right??

In what was a microcosm of the 1994 season, the 49ers slaughtered the Raiders 44-14 on national television. This was the great 49er team that signed Deion Sanders, who went on to be NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and multiple free agents from the 1993 Pro Bowl. They would coast to a fifth Super Bowl trophy four months later.

Looking back at how great that team was with Sanders, Ricky Jackson, Richard Dent, Steve Young, and Jerry Rice all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame now was the greatest of the 1990s. In fact it was one of the best in history and the man who led by example on this day 18 years ago became the all time touchdown record holder. His record of 208 touchdowns will never be broken.

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2012 San Francisco 49ers Preview

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Alex Smith celebrating with Vernon Davis after “The Catch III”

With all the excitement that Candlestick Park saw last season, it’s hard not to think of the contrast between the ending of their two playoff games. First the frenzied, raucous crowd who witnessed “The Catch III” as the Niners beat New Orleans in the final seconds. Then, the  fans that quietly filed out after Lawrence Tynes overtime field goal sent the Giants on to Super Bowl XLVI. It was a season where the ending was so abrupt, you could feel everyone in the stadium felt the 49ers let a golden opportunity slip away. Then have to watch with abject horror the Giants throttle the Patriots, and San Francisco had an even better defense… Yes, they let a possible sixth Super Bowl trophy vanish like a mirage in the desert. So will they come back baring emotional scars from the NFC Championship meltdown, or will they gain psychological momentum from a triumphant season culminating with the win over the Saints??

Quarterback: Back in 2009, the Packer insider had an article comparing the paths that Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith had taken since they hailed from the NFL ’05 draft. http://packersinsider.com/2009/11/class-of-2005-alex-smith-vs-aaron-rodgers/ Of course it was written because Rodgers, having the better path of the two, was going to face Smith in a regular season game. That was nearly our match up in last year’s NFC Championship. Yet unlike Rodgers, who laid an egg in an upset playoff loss to the Giants, we saw Smith come of age in his first playoff game. Sure Smith still has his detractors, however they were nowhere to be found in the midst of the noisy celebration in the comeback win.

Coach Harbaugh will have his work cut out for him to do better than his 13-3 inaugural season with the club.

Last year Head Coach Jim Harbaugh “Trent Dilfer-ized” the offense. By asking Smith to acquiesce throwing high risk passes downfield, the offense played to it’s strengths. The running game and the defense carried this team through the early part of the season yet he started to mature into his role and started to take shots downfield with TE Vernon Davis. The Chancellor believes Smith has turned a corner. First off he comes into the 2012 season having gone his last 8 games without an interception which includes two playoff games.  You have to go back to the November 24th game with the Ravens when he last threw a pick. If you look at his 7 games going into the NFC Championship, he had gone 111 of 189 for 1,327 yards and 7 TDs. Even in the championship against the Giants he threw 12 completions in 26 attempts for 196 yards and 2 more TDs. He didn’t force the ball downfield into coverage and the 49ers have given him weapons this year. Has the emotional fallout completely healed from Niners brass courting Peyton Manning and letting Smith dangle in free agency?? We’ll have to wait for a rough patch during the season to see if it has… Until then, we have to give the quarterback position a playoff caliber grade.

Frank Gore is a workhorse running back.

Offensive Backfield: Now who can remember all the “I want to be traded” talk from Frank Gore (The [[_]]) as the team came back from the lockout?? Funny how winning cures all that negative talk in the locker room huh?? Not a peep out of Gore as the team stormed to a 9-1 start. Gore bludgeoned his way to 1,211 yards, 8TDs and had an average of 4.3 yards per carry. His 2011 yardage was second highest for his career, and  was his fifth 1,000 yard rushing season in the last six seasons. He is the last of a dying breed…. The big running back that can control the game and the clock.

Kendall Hunter was a good change of pace running back that had a combined 668 yards from scrimmage, 473 of which rushing.  Yet the 49ers drafted speedy LaMichael James out of Oregon. James brings an explosive element to an offense that desperately needs it. We know he’ll play on 3rd downs, passing situations and special teams at least. With his falling to them in the draft, we believe the odd man out will be free agent Brandon Jacobs. His lack of versatility will make him expendable as we reach September. With Hunter and James to take some of the load off, it should keep Gore fresh for the stretch run. Running back is above average or as we say around here, playoff quality.

Receivers: Here is the position that let the team down last year and could be the difference between the 49ers playing in Super Bowl XLVII, or watching it. TE Vernon Davis is one of the emotional leaders of this football team. Last year Davis had 67 receptions for 792 yards and 6 scores. He has been the target most teams try to take away first in the Niners passing game and he still manages to get the football. Davis should return to the Pro Bowl now that he will receive some help on the outside. With the signing of Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, and the drafting of A.J. Jenkins in the first round, the Michael Crabtree / Ted Ginn Jr experiment is over. Ginn should be cut this summer. These two can’t get open on a consistent basis and neither has been able to get deep. If Randy Moss can provide that element as he did for the 2007 Patriots, this could swing the offense wide open. Three receiver sets may become more prominent which could even open space for James coming out of the backfield. Moss as a veteran, could be a locker room presence since most of these players grew up watching his exploits. If he can still get deep, this is a playoff quality group yet will have to go through some growing pains to start the season and find everyone their role.

Offensive Line: Last year this line was good enough to rank a respectable 8th rushing the football and 10th in rushing first downs with 101. However protecting the passer they were 25th in allowing 44 sacks and ranked 24th in QB hits allowed with 82. Let’s face it,  on some of those plays Smith held the ball too long, yet at times against top defenses this line couldn’t hold up. When rushing the football in obvious power situations, they converted 44% to the strong side and 67% up the gut. Those need to improve on the strong side for a heavy rushing team. They spent two draft picks in G Joe Looney of Wake Forest and they took C Jason Slowey from Western Oregon with the 199th selection. Looney should be able to contribute immediately. Slowey could push journeyman center Jonathon Goodwin who is entering his 10th season. This line will be asked to protect better or they may be relegated to another “Trent Dilfer-ized” season as an offense. They want a vertical passing game with Moss and Manningham which calls for 5 and 7 step drops. They have to get better.  Until we see them improve in the pre-season we have to give them a below average grade.

Ray McDonald making his presence felt in last year’s NFC Championship Game.

Defensive Line: Aside from Patrick Willis on the defense, has there been a steadier performer than Justin Smith?? He’s a complete motor guy who gets by on hard work who plays the run as well as the pass. He just came off his 3rd straight Pro Bowl berth with his best season. With 65 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles he paces a defensive line that was stout against the run. Pass rush specialist Aldon Smith teamed with Smith to form a formidable rush and he tallied 14 sacks. As a team they produced 42 sacks which was 7th best in football.  Keep your eye on Ray McDonald #91. This could be his breakout year. He recorded 43 tackles along with 5.5 sacks, all produced from the lines interior. He was all over the place in the NFC Championship game sacking Eli Manning 2.5 times. He should be in Hawai’i in about 7 months. Mark it down.

The three man line even more so than a four man line is there to keep blockers off the linebackers. This unit didn’t allow a rushing touchdown for the first ten games of the season. Every team in NFL history that was able to do that made it to the conference championship game. Smith (Justin) is going into his 12th season and they may want to sub for him a little more to keep him fresh by seasons end. He did record sacks in each playoff game last year but there is a lot of mileage on his spedometer. Defensive line is Super Bowl quality by the Bay.

Linebackers: Did we say something about the defensive line keeping blockers off of the linebackers?? How about to the tune of 305 tackles by the top three guys… Navarro Bowman with 150, Patrick Willis with 105 although he missed a game, and Ahmad Brooks with 50. Yikes!! That is a lot of scraping into the hole and meeting runners before they can get started. How Bowman was named 1st team All Pro (along with Justin Smith & Patrick Willis) and NOT the Pro Bowl is beyond me. This group is active and instinctive and plays extremely fast. Willis forced 4 of the team’s 20 forced fumbles on the years. In addition, Bowman and Willis produced 2 sacks each during the regular season. This is a Super Bowl quality group who should actually get better given their relative youth.

Rogers has found a home after leaving the Washington Redskins

Secondary: Retaining CB Carlos Rogers was essential in keeping this defense playing at a high level. Last year he went to the Pro Bowl with a 55 tackle, 6 interception season. He can man up against the fastest receivers and turn and run with them. He should make it to Hawai’i again. The quiet secret to this defense is the safety play of safeties Dashon Goldson and Dontae Whitner. At first glance SS Whitner’s 65 tackles don’t impress you until you realize how many were gobbled up by the linebackers. He did intercept two passes and was rarely out of position. Folks, like our CEO still wish he were in Buffalo. Goldson covers serious ground and did make the Pro Bowl thanks to a 69 tackle, 6 interception season. Whitner and Goldson are 26 & 27 respectively and should be stout for another 3 seasons. A veteran secondary that is Super Bowl quality as well.

Overall: This team is returning all of the starters from the 4th best defense in football. One that held opponents to 35% conversion rate on 3rd down (76 of 216) and should have another outstanding season. It’s imperative that they do since they start the 2012 campaign in Green Bay, then host the Lions on Sept 16th. They could be 0-2 to start the season. Hopefully they can keep the same hunger as they did last year. They were 6-2 on the road yet this year bring not only the aforementioned trip to Lambeau, add a trip to New England, and another against the revenge minded Saints. They also host the tough Chicago Bears and the Super Bowl champion Giants, so anticipate a tougher year. They should still win the west but their record will slip to to 11-5. They face some potent offenses from the AFC East which are better than the AFC North offenses of a year ago. In the Chancellor’s crystal ball, the 49ers should return to the NFC Championship Game barring injuries. Games one and two against the Packers & Lions could well decide which team will host it.

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Next up: Green Bay Packers

The Soul of The Game: Ronnie Lott

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Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott

One of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history was Ronnie Lott. He carried on the type of physical play that made Jack Tatum feared by receivers in the 1970’s. Lott was drafted out of USC in 1981 by the San Francisco 49ers as a safety, yet had to play out of position as a cornerback his first 5 seasons. He supported the run as fiercely as the pass and made plenty of hits on receivers crossing into his zone. His highlight package contained here have more bone jarring collisions once he was moved back to safety starting in 1986.

A notable point to make about Lott’s aggressive play was how clean it was. You’ll see him close on a receiver and always hit him with a shoulder or forearm and never lead with his helmet. Furthermore he didn’t hit receivers in the head either. As the modern NFL is changing the rules to protect defenseless receivers, Ronnie’s play shows that you can hit these players without it being a cheap shot.  There were several times when he came out on the short end of the stick. I can remember once in 1982 when he was knocked cold by powerful Atlanta Falcon RB William Andrews, as he was by the Vikings RB Alan Rice #36 shown here) in the ’87 playoffs.

It’s the will to stick their nose in and take on all comers that make great hitters immortal.

Epilogue: Walking through my favorite part of Newport Beach after my wife and I were just married and going over to Catalina I walked passed this on the way to breakfast.

Ronnie Lott was a collision waiting to happen. Thanks for all the great memories!