Over the last few years in baseball, it almost seemed like a trend or better yet a given that the game's marquee free-agents would either land in New York, Philadelphia, or Boston during the off-season. But since last season, no place has been a better big name attraction than Los Angeles. Better known for its warm weather and sandy beaches, L.A. has quickly formed into a baseball haven.
As if the Los Angeles Dodgers weren't already the team to watch in the National League next season preparing to begin their 2013 campaign with the super team they tried forming during mid-season last year, they've surely solidified their case this off-season. Continuing what began in late July last season when the Dodgers traded for former NL Batting Champion Hanley Ramirez and All-Star reliever Brandon League before later adding Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto in an August blockbuster deal with the Boston Red Sox, the Blue Crew have yet to put down their checkbooks and take a break from their free-spending. Earlier this week Dodgers GM Ned Colletti confirmed the signings of Korean All-Star hurler Hyun-Jin Ryu and 2009 Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.
Refusing to play second fiddle in the city of angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who had the most expensive off-season ever last year when signing Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson to a combined $317.5 Million, the Dodgers have quickly evolved into the NL's version of the New York Yankees and have been this year's most active ball club. Shortly after committing close to $62 Million on Ryu which included the $25.7 Million posting fee to negotiate with the Korean Baseball League veteran, the Dodgers made Greinke the highest paid right-handed pitcher in MLB history, inking him to a six-year, $146 Million pact. Hoping to improve in the pitching department, seeing as their nemesis in northern California -- the San Francisco Giants just won their second World Series title in three years backed by a dominant pitching staff, the Dodgers plan to make some noise of their own by adding a second Cy Young Award winner into the rotation.
The combination of Clayton Kershaw who took home NL Cy Young honors in 2011 and Greinke who won the hardware in the AL while with the Kansas City Royals in 2009 could be a lethal duo in an already pitching dominant division and should challenge the Giants for the NL West title. Splitting the season with the Milwaukee Brewers before being traded to the Angels in late July, Greinke posted a record of 15-5 with an ERA of 3.48 in 2012, eclipsing the 200 mark in both strikeouts and innings pitched. A season after the franchise filed for bankruptcy before falling into the hands of Guggenheim Baseball Management which includes former NBA great Magic Johnson for $2 Billion, the Dodgers who's current payroll sits at $225 Million, will more than likely begin the 2013 season with the highest payroll in baseball history, surpassing the previous mark set in 2005 by the New York Yankees ($209 Million).
And while the 2013 payroll of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim doesn't quite compete with that of their southern California relatives, sitting at $160 Million, that doesn't mean they don't have a team that's even better on paper. Though the Dodgers own a better pitching staff than their cross-town rivals, the Angels' lineup is much more superior thanks in large part to owner Arte Moreno's spending which enabled GM Jerry Dipoto to land the most coveted player in free-agency for the second consecutive year. A year after signing Albert Pujols to a mega deal and prying former Rangers ace C.J. Wilson from the hands of their division rivals, the Angels have once again made it clear that they're going for it all in 2013, this time by adding former AL MVP Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125 Million contract. Finishing his 2012 season with a .285 batting average, 128 RBIs, a .930 OPS and a career-high 43 home runs, Hamilton finished fifth in the AL MVP voting and was named Silver Slugger for the third time in his career.
While many are quick to say the Angels have taken a roll of the dice with the blockbuster signing of Hamilton, a 5-time All-Star who brings baggage along with him which includes a history of injuries as well as alcohol and drug problems, Moreno sees it as a way to improve the ball club and enhance their chances of bringing the organization its second World Series Championship and its first under Moreno who bought the team in '03. Though one relapse can spell doom for the 31-year old Hamilton, he'll have a supportive cast to keep him clean along his journey. Alongside his family, Hamilton will have Pujols, Wilson who lives a straightedge lifestyle and his accountability partner, Shayne Kelley to help keep him out of trouble and away from his former demons that derailed his career in earlier years. Along with stealing their best player, the acquisition of Hamilton should also be enough to steal the AL West in 2013, leaving the Texas Rangers and Oakland A's on the outside looking in.
Hoping to improve their starting rotation following the departures of Greinke and Dan Haren, the Halos have acquired Tommy Hanson, Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas this off-season and have added Ryan Madson and Sean Burnett to their relief corps. But even with an average pitching staff led by ace Jared Weaver, the Angels will be doing most of their winning with their offense. With Mike Trout leading off, Hamilton will more than likely protect Pujols as Anaheim's cleanup hitter which gives them three potential MVP candidates. Not to be forgotten is the power-hitting hometown kid -- Mark Trumbo. Combined they form a nice little rendition of the 1927 New York Yankees better known as "Murderers' Row." But along with the excitement revolving this new breeding ground for baseball superstars comes the expectations of winning championships. Something the Dodgers haven't done since 1988 and the Angels haven't accomplished since 2002. With a Battle of the Bay as well as a Subway Series World Series already in the books, could this be the year we're finally treated to a Freeway Series in the Fall Classic?
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If there was any one game football fans had circled on their calendar in week 15, it was the Sunday Night showdown between the 9-3-1 San Francisco 49ers and the 10-3 New England Patriots. In what many predicted to be a Super Bowl preview coming into the season, the meeting between these two teams would be nothing short of a classic. Expected to be a dog fight from play one in the cool, rainy climate of New England's Foxborough Stadium, all eyes were on the 49ers and how well they would adjust to the conditions. Having won 21 straight games at home in the month of December, the Patriots would witness one of the greatest streaks in NFL history finally come to an end.
Making his return to New England where he called home for 3 1/2 seasons and set numerous receiving records alongside Tom Brady, Randy Moss would make this a homecoming to remember as he capped off the 49ers opening-drive on offense by hauling in a 24-yard touchdown reception to put San Francisco up early, 7-0. After a Steven Gostkowski field goal, Colin Kaepernick connected with his tight-end Delanie Walker from 34-yards out for his second touchdown pass in as many quarters. In what would be a slippery turnover fest highlighted by five fumbles and an interception, the 49ers took a 17-3 lead into the locker room at the half following a David Akers field goal, but could have easily been up by more.
Facing the team he grew up rooting for, Tom Brady would soon find himself needing to channel his inner boyhood idol in Joe Montana as the Patriots found themselves trailing, 31-3 in the third quarter after the 49ers capitalized on a Steven Ridley fumble and a Brady interception. San Francisco turned the two costly mistakes into 14-points in a matter of only 18 seconds, giving New England their largest deficit at home since November of 1998 vs the Atlanta Falcons. While the game appeared to be out of reach right then and there as San Francisco had their boot on the neck of their opponent, Brady rallied the troops and eventually tied the game as the Patriots scored 28 unanswered-points to tie the game at 31-all. Though blowing a 28-point lead would be demoralizing for the average quarterback making only his fifth career start, the debacle only fueled Colin Kaepernick who stole the momentum right back by finding Michael Crabtree for a 38-yard touchdown set up by a brilliant 62-yard kick return from rookie LaMichael James.
In need of some help from the Niners defense which would later allow the most points ever under coach Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco got back-to-back stops including a turnover on downs that gave New England a season-high four turnovers and set David Akers up for his second field goal on the day. Brady would follow up by marching his team down field for a field goal of their own to bring them within a touchdown, but his late game heroics wouldn't be enough as New England failed to recover the ensuing on-side kick, giving the 49ers the 41-34 win, snapping the Patriots seven game winning-streak and handing them their first home loss in the month of December since 2002. For the 49ers, the win against the Patriots was their first since 1995 and the first on the road in New England since '92. With the victory, San Francisco improved to 10-3-1 on the year and clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season.
Noteworthy: 49ers defensive-end Aldon Smith failed to tally a sack to add to his league-leading sacks total and chase of Michael Strahan's single-season sacks record, but did manage to record his first career interception. Tom Brady threw for 443 yards on 65 attempts, while throwing for a touchdown and rushing for another. Colin Kaepernick threw for a career-high 4 touchdowns against only 1 interception and added 221 passing yards. Frank Gore led all rushers with 83 yards on 21 carries. Michael Crabtree hauled in 7 receptions for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead SF. Former 49er Brandon Lloyd finished with 10 receptions for 190 yards. San Francisco won the turnover battle, 4-2.
Week 16 Preview: In case Week 15's visit to New England wasn't enough, the 49ers will get set to pay Seattle a visit where they'll take on the red-hot Seattle Seahawks and the 12th Man in the most hostile environment known to a visiting football team. With the NFC West still undecided, the 49ers can clinch the division with a win against the Seahawks, but it won't be an easy task as Seattle appears to be a different team since their Week 7 meeting in which the 49ers won at home, having scored 50-points or more in back-to-back games. But after watching the 49ers defining all odds to leave New England with a win, I'm putting my money on San Francisco winning this one, 24-17, in what should be a game highlighted by defense and some power running from both Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch.
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Coming off a disappointing loss on the road to the St. Louis Rams who the 49ers fell to in overtime in Week 13, Colin Kaepernick and company returned home in hopes of avenging the young quarterback's first career loss as a starter by getting back in the win column and inching closer to a second consecutive NFC Western Division title. Facing a Miami Dolphins team led by rookie quarterback Ryan Tannenhill, all signs pointed towards the 49ers having a relatively easy day. But with neither team off to a hot start, the game remained close and would be up for grabs until the final minutes.
With the Dolphins winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, it was up to the 49ers to set the tone on offense. Wasting no time to challenge Miami's defense, Kaepernick, the second-year QB out of Nevada, connected with his tight-end Delanie Walker for a 20-yard pickup on the first play from scrimmage. But a fumble just several plays later on the same drive would derail any plans the 49ers had of getting on the board early. Luckily offensive tackle Anthony Davis was nearby to recover the ball after the sack and prevent an early disaster. With both teams exchanging punts, the game would remain scoreless heading into the second quarter. But not for long as the combination of Tannenhill and running back Reggie Bush stringed together a nice drive on Miami's second possession, ending in a Dan Carpenter field goal to put the Dolphins on top, 3-0.
Answering with a field goal of their own and with the game tied, 3-3, the 49ers began marching down the field with ease and seemed destined for the end zone. But with no timeouts left and the clock being a factor, San Francisco's most successful drive yet would be cut short, forcing coach Harbaugh to bring in David Akers for his second field goal of the day to give the 49ers a 6-3 lead at the half. With three-and-outs from both teams to begin the second half, the Dolphins special teams would shoot themselves in the foot with a costly turnover as Marcus Thigpen's muffed punt return set the 49ers up inside the 10-yard line and once again within striking distance. Two plays later, Frank Gore would capitalize on the miscue by plowing into the end zone from 1-yard out for the easy score. And while Gore would later eclipse the 1,000 yard mark for the sixth time in his career during the game, the touchdown tied him with Joe Perry and Roger Craig for the most rushing touchdowns in 49ers franchise history with 50.
Trailing 13-3, Miami would make it a 7-point game after Carpenter's 53-yard field goal. But another rushing touchdown this time from Anthony Dixon, would increase San Francisco's lead to 20-6 in the 4th quarter. In need of a touchdown to stand any chance of making a comeback, the Dolphins found themselves in a fourth and goal inside the 5 yard line. Throwing into the left corner of the end zone, Tannenhill connected with his tight-end Anthony Fasano who made a spectacular one-handed grab to make it a 20-13 game and pull his team within a touchdown. After turning the ball over on downs with a chance to tie it following another San Francisco three and out, Colin Kaepernick would put the finishing touches on the ballgame by trotting into the end zone untouched from 50 yards out for the dagger, sealing the 27-13 victory.
Noteworthy: Rookie running back LaMichael James who was a standout at the University of Oregon and set numerous rushing records at the collegiate level, made his NFL debut, logging 30 yards on 8 rushes. Frank Gore and Reggie Bush each ran for 60+ yards. Michael Crabtree led all receivers with 93 yards on 9 receptions. Colin Kaepernick threw for 185 and Ryan Tannenhill tallied 150 yards passing.
Week 15 Preview: Improving to 9-3-1 on the year after their rout of the Dolphins, the 49ers get set to hit the road for a 2-game road trip against two of the most difficult teams to face in their respective venues. And though the 49ers do own a pair of solid road wins under their belt this year at the disposal of the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 and the New Orleans Saints in Week 12, their Week 15 match-up is a whole different animal. Having won 21 consecutive games at home in the month of December, the 10-3 New England Patriots will look to add to that mark in front of a nationally televised audience as both teams get set to square off on NBC's Sunday Night Football in a clash between the league's most stingiest defense and the NFL's highest-scoring offense. Winners of their last seven games including a blowout win on Monday night over the visiting Houston Texans which boasts one of the top defenses in the AFC, the Patriots have already won the AFC East and hope to ride their hot streak into the playoffs. And just like the 49ers defense which will have their hands full with MVP candidate Tom Brady, New England's offensive-line will also have plenty on their plate as they hope to contain 49ers defensive-end Aldon Smith who enters Sunday's meeting three sacks behind Michael Strahan's single-season sacks record (22.5).
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If you love the San Francisco Giants as much as I do, you're probably still celebrating the fact that for the second time in three years they're World Series champions. And while the fans and players are still busy soaking it all in, the Giants front-office has been equally as busy this off-season, making moves in preparation of doing it all over again next year. With key contributions during the team's improbable playoff run coming from Jeremy Affeldt in the bullpen and both Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro at the plate, general manager Brian Sabean made it his off-season priority to bring back all three players. And on the opening day of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings, Sabean who also had his contract extended on Tuesday, managed to have all three players crossed off of the Giants wishlist.
Though reliever Jeremy Affeldt who's become a mainstay in the Giants bullpen since 2009 signed his new three-year, $18 Million deal several weeks ago in mid-November, the Giants filled not one, but two vacancies in their batting order on Tuesday by signing Pagan to a four-year, $40 Million contract and Scutaro to a three-year, $20 Million pact after the two were said to have spoke to other teams. While the Philadelphia Phillies reportedly offered Pagan a four-year deal, the St. Louis Cardinals who Marco Scutaro took home NLCS MVP honors against with a .500 batting average, offered the 37 year old second baseman a multi-year deal. But at the end of the day, it was San Francisco where both players found themselves signing. And after winning it all for the first time in their career, why not take another shot at it with a chance to defend your title with virtually the same exact group of guys you won it with?
While Scutaro showcased just what he could do in front of a nationally televised audience during the postseason after being traded from the Rockies mid-season where he'd hit .362 in 268 regular season plate appearances with the Giants, Pagan shook off a cold start to his 2012 campaign by setting career bests in doubles and runs as well as set a single-season franchise-record for triples with 13 which also led the National League. And though a four-year deal wasn't ideally what Sabean wanted to award the 31 year old Pagan with, he did what he had to in order to lure in the spark plug of the Giants offense. The re-signing of Pagan also means Bruce Bochy will have a speedy lead-off man who's a threat on the base paths to depend on in the outfield for at least a few more years. Bochy who's been the skipper of the Giants since 2007, will also be around a little longer as he too had his 2014 option picked up by team president and chief executive officer Larry Baer.
With the Giants lineup for the 2013 season just about in place with the likes of Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence, Gregor Blanco and Pagan and Scutaro, Sabean and company hasn't shot down the possibility just yet of adding another piece to the puzzle, one that would most likely be an outfielder, meaning Blanco would have to surrender his duties in left. Such names as Ichiro Suzuki and Nick Swisher who according to reports has San Francisco atop his list of desired destinations have both been thrown around, but might be asking for more greenbacks than what the Giants brain trust has in mind.
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Having played some of their best football over the past two weeks with a dominant win at home over the Chicago Bears and a stellar outing on the road against the Saints, the 49ers payed a visit to St. Louis where they'd take on the division rival Rams. Despite the mismatch of records as San Francisco entered Sunday's game at 8-2-1 compared to St. Louis' 4-6-1, with the way the game played out you'd think this was a battle for first place in the division. And with their first meeting this season ending in a 24-24 tie three weeks ago at San Francisco's Candlestick Park, the 49ers knew not to underestimate the Rams. And just like in their first meeting in week 10, four quarters wouldn't be enough to determine a winner.
With little to cheer for from either side in the first half, the only scoring in the first two quarters would come on a 1-yard touchdown run from Frank Gore, putting the 49ers up 7-0 where the score would remain going into the half as Rams rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a field goal from 58-yards out, failing to put St. Louis on the board. With Colin Kaepernick doing a lot of running with little to show for in the first three quarters, the Rams defense would force the young quarterback into a safety to make it a 7-2 ballgame. After a David Akers field goal made it 10-2 in favor of San Francisco, the St. Louis defense forced Kaepernick to make yet another costly mistake, this time in the form of a fumble as he threw an errant pitch over the head of Ted Ginn Jr. which Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins scooped up and returned into the end zone from 2 yards out for St. Louis' only touchdown on the day. Following a successful two-point conversion, the Rams found themselves in a tie game thanks to their defense.
With sub-par performances from both quarterback's, both team's would depend on the leg of their kickers who would also see better days. Though David Akers would hit his first two field goal attempts including one that gave the 49ers a 13-10 lead in the fourth quarter before St. Louis answered with a field goal of their own, he would miss the third try with the game on the line. As the game went into overtime, both teams failed to score on their first two possessions. With a chance to win the game, Akers missed wide right from 51 yards out. Hoping to capitalize on the 49ers blown opportunity and in good field position, the Rams offense would only need to move the chains once to get into Greg Zuerlein territory where he would be given a chance to make up for his missed field goal earlier in the game. And with just 30 seconds remaining, the rookie out of Missouri Western would do just that, splitting the uprights from 54 yards out to lead his team to a 16-13 victory, avoiding becoming the first pair of teams to tie twice in the same season since the 1963 Eagles & Steelers and handing the 49ers only their third loss of the season.
Having now given the 49ers a tough outing in both of their meetings this season which resulted in a loss and a tie, I think it's safe to say Jeff Fisher has Jim Harbaugh's number and should not only help St. Louis improve moving forward but also breath life back into this long lived 49ers-Rams rivalry. For San Francisco, the loss to a weaker opponent will only add more fuel to an already hot fire as the quarterback controversy will continue to spark for another week.
Week 14 Preview: With their two-game road trip in which they finished 1-1 finally coming to an end, the 49ers hope to get back on winning track at home where they'll take on the 5-7 Miami Dolphins. With a rookie quarterback in Ryan Tannenhill on tap for Miami, the 49ers should be in store for a dominant game on defense, but will in no way be able to sleep on running back Reggie Bush who had one of the best games of his career against the 49ers back in 2006 while with the Saints. In that '06 meeting Bush compiled 168-all purpose yards and went on to tie a single-game franchise record by scoring four touchdowns in a win over San Francisco. Though a similar performance is highly unlikely against this stout 49ers run defense which has allowed an average of only 90.6 yards on the ground, you know the star back out of USC is going to try to duplicate that performance. Unfortunately for him, I have him failing to put up similar numbers and see the 49ers winning 27-13.
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Amid a quarterback controversy that had everyone including 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh pondering who San Francisco's QB would be come Sunday in America's game of the week against the New Orleans Saints, the last minute decision to go with the hot hand and start the young Colin Kaepernick over the veteran Alex Smith would prove to be a successful one. Despite having to play in one of the more hostile venues in the NFL for a visiting team, Kaepernick seemed virtually unscathed by the raucous crowd of 70,000 screaming Saints fans and sparkled in his first career start on the road.
After a dismal 0-4 start to their 2012 season, the New Orleans Saints have since been one of the hottest teams in the league, winning 5 of their last 6 games, including a win over the NFC leading Atlanta Falcons, their only loss of the season thus far. But with a stout 49ers team in town, Drew Brees and company would be stopped in their tracks. Sending pressure Brees' way early and often, the 49ers defense forced back-to-back three and outs before drawing first blood. A pair of passes to Mario Manningham for a total of 53 yards would set up Kaepernick for an easy 7-yard touchdown run to give San Francisco an early 7-0 lead. Answering right back, Drew Brees would lead New Orleans on a successful drive of their own, as David Thomas tied the game at 7 all with a 6-yard Touchdown grab.
Leading the league with the fewest giveaways this season, the 49ers would encounter two early turnovers, the first being a muffed punt by return man Ted Ginn Jr. which the Saints turned into seven points to take a 14-7 lead. After exchanging punts, Kaepernick would be picked off for the first time in his career on a pass intended for Kyle Williams. With New Orleans at mid-field and threatening to take a double-digit lead into the half, the 49er defense would step up when needed. With 31 seconds remaining before half time, linebacker Ahmad Brooks who's played second fiddle and has received little notoriety playing alongside the superstar tandem of Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman, picked the perfect time to come up with his first interception of the season and first career touchdown as he picked off Drew Brees and returned the ball 50 yards to tie the game at 14-14 heading into the half.
Appearing to have stolen all momentum heading into the locker room at the half, San Francisco would open the second half just as strong as they finished the first. After hitting tight-end Delanie Walker from 45 yards out on third down, Kaepernick fed Frank Gore with a short 6-yard touchdown pass to give the 49ers a 21-14 lead. With a blink of an eye, that lead would extend to 28-14 just two plays later as Brees would be intercepted for another pick six, this time by Donte Whitner who returned a 42 yarder into the end zone. Finally redeeming himself for the 21 unanswered points scored by the 49ers, Brees would get the Saints offense back on track with his third touchdown pass of the ballgame to bring his team within seven points. That was until San Francisco put together an early fourth quarter drive that lasted over nine minutes long and covered 85 yards on 16 plays. The drive would also be San Francisco's longest this season and fourth longest of any team in the NFL this year which saw the 49ers convert on three consecutive third downs before having to settle for a David Akers field goal.
From then on the rampant 49ers defense would prove to be too much for the Saints as Brees was sacked for a total of five times, preventing any chance of a miraculous comeback from the Pro Bowl QB. Far from his awe inspiring performance against the Chicago Bears last week, Colin Kaepernick threw for 231 passing yards as his team routed the Saints by a final of 31-21 to improve to 8-2-1 on the year. Meanwhile, New Orleans fell to 5-6.
Week 13 Preview: Next Sunday will see the 49ers take on a St. Louis Rams (4-6-1) team in which they played two weeks ago in a 24-24 tie. And though a winner failed to be determined in their first meeting this season at Candlestick Park, a tie in the rematch is unlikely as the Rams get set to play host this time around. Since their week 10 tie just two weeks ago, the Rams have gone 1-1 where they lost at home to the lowly New York Jets and won at Arizona against the Cardinals. Whereas the 49ers have handily won both of their games the last two weeks at home against the Chicago Bears and on the road against the Saints. Having played some of their best ball the last two weeks and behind a red hot Colin Kaepernick, look for the 49ers to continue to ride the wave of their streaking quarterback and return home from their two game road trip with a 27-17 win over the Rams.
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Heading into Monday Night's 49ers-Bears game which featured two backup quarterbacks as well as the top two scoring defenses in the league, a hard fought battle between two NFC heavyweights was expected to be on display. Instead, fans would be treated to a one-sided shellacking as only one team showed up to play. Having lost their last eight meetings in San Francisco and without Jay Cutler, the Bears would turn to Jason Campbell who last started a game in October of 2011 with the Oakland Raiders. As for the 49ers, with Alex Smith sidelined with a concussion, coach Jim Harbaugh would be forced to turn to Colin Kaepernick who's first career start would end up being one for the books.
The Chicago Bears entered Monday's game as one of only two teams who've yet to allow opponents to score on opening possessions this season (Packers the other). But a blazing start from Kaepernick would put an end to that as the second-year QB who set numerous records at the collegiate level with the Nevada Wolf Pack, got the 49ers on the board on their first four possessions sparked by a David Akers field goal on San Francisco's opening-drive. After marching down the field with ease on their first possession, Kaepernick would throw his first career touchdown pass on the following drive, a 3-yard toss to tight-end Vernon Davis. Showing no signs of a young inexperienced quarterback, Kaepernick's second possession would be even more impressive than his first as he drove the team down-field, setting up Kendall Hunter for an easy run in to cap off an 8-play, 96-yard scoring drive to put the 49ers up, 17-0, before later adding another Akers field goal.
Keeping the chain gang busy by picking up first down after first down, San Francisco's punting unit wouldn't be called upon until their fifth offensive possession, a three-and-out forced by the Chicago defense with 51 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Having been outplayed in every asset of the game in the first two quarters and a 20-0 score at the half to prove it, the Bears would face their largest deficit since 2010. A deficit that would increase to 27-0 once Kaepernick connected with Michael Crabtree in the end zone from 10 yards out. After a nightmare of a first half for Jason Campbell who tallied just 21 yards on 4-of-8 passing attempts and an interception, the only bright spot for the Bears second-string QB would be a 13-yard touchdown pass to receiver Brandon Marshall late in the third quarter. The rest of the game would be better off forgotten for Campbell who was under pressure almost all game long, mostly thanks to 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith who entered Monday's game with 9.5 sacks on the year before adding 5.5 more to pass Denver's Von Miller for the league lead with 15.
The duo of Aldon Smith and Justin Smith or better known as the "Smith brothers", would prove to be too much for a worn out Bears o-line that saw Campbell get sacked a total of six times and throw for two interceptions. The stingy 49ers defense also added a safety in the fourth quarter. With a league-best 31 takeaways, the Chicago defense would fail to add to their turnover total as Colin Kaepernick played a near perfect game, making the dominant Bears defense look rather pedestrian. With 243 yards through the air and a pair of touchdowns, Kaepernick finished Monday's stellar performance with a passer rating of 133.1. Coach Jim Harbaugh who was checked into a nearby hospital earlier in the week due to an irregular heartbeat, would have little to stress about in this one as his boys handily defeated the Bears by a score of 32-7, as Kaepernick became only the third QB over the last 10 seasons to win on Monday Night Football in his first career start.
Something Harbaugh might lose a little bit of sleep over in the near future however, is the quarterback controversy that is bound to surface once Alex Smith is cleared to play. Will he go with the guy that led the 49ers to within a game of the Super Bowl last year or this young kid coming off an impressive victory in his first career win? Whatever he decides to do, Harbaugh will be the first to tell you that having two good quarterbacks is a good problem to have.
Week 12 Preview: As the 49ers get set to hit the road for a 2-game road trip, their week 12 stop at New Orleans will be no walk in the park. After losing their first four games of the season, the Drew Brees led Saints (5-5) have recently caught fire, winning five of their last six games. And with the 49ers quarterback position currently in the air, whoever gets the nod will have to play through the raucous crowd that the Superdome has become known for over the years. Expect whoever is under center for the 49ers to get the job done on Sunday with a 24-21 win that could very well come down to the final possession.
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With the San Francisco 49ers coming off their bye week, Sunday's meeting against the division rival St. Louis Rams was expected to be just another day at the office for Jim Harbaugh's squad. Instead it would turn out to be anything but as both teams struggled to best one another in a game that would surpass the 4-hour mark and head to overtime. But even an extra quarter wouldn't be enough to help decide a winner as the Rams and 49ers became the latest teams to have their game end in a tie.
With St. Louis also fresh off a bye week, the 49ers looked as if they were still on theirs in the game's early going as the Rams jumped out to an early 14-0 lead. Former number one overall draft pick Sam Bradford showed no signs of intimidation against the league's number one ranked defense as he and Pro Bowl running back Stephen Jackson who eclipsed the 100-yard mark, marched down the field with ease on St. Louis' first two drives on offense. After being shutout in the first quarter, Alex Smith and the 49ers offense began to show signs of life as Smith found a wide-open Michael Crabtree for a 14-yard touchdown to put San Francisco on the board. But not before Smith had his bell rung with a shot to the head a few plays earlier when trying to scramble for a first down. Though Smith managed to complete the drive, he showed signs of discomfort while on the sideline and was escorted to the medical facility where he was later treated for a concussion.
With the NFL's ruling on concussions and blows to the head as strict as ever, Smith would be unable to return and saw his day come to an early end as backup Colin Kaepernick prepared to take over the quarterback duties. After a successful college career for the Nevada Wolf Pack where he had just as much success running the ball as he did passing, Kaepernick would showcase his running ability in the fourth quarter. Trailing 17-7, coach Harbaugh drew up a run play for his second year QB who ran it in from 7-yards out to bring his team within a field goal. Having played 3+ quarters of turnover-free football, the game would then see its first hiccup from either team as the Rams fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, setting up San Francisco for a chance to take their first lead of the game. On the very next play Frank Gore would do just that, dashing into the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown run to put his team on top, 21-17.
After a miraculous turn of events that saw everything including the momentum shift in San Francisco's favor, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher would then go to his bag of tricks. With San Francisco awaiting a punt, Fisher had other plans as St. Louis' special team burnt that of the 49ers by converting on not one but two fake punts in the ball game, the second coming with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. Several plays after their display of trickery, Bradford found a wide-open Austin Pettis in the back of the end zone to reclaim the lead. In need of a field goal to tie or a touchdown to win, Kaepernick would be called upon to put together some late-game heroics with just over a minute remaining. And with a number of short passes and runs of his own, Kaepernick would setup kicker David Akers for a 33-yard field goal to send the game into overtime tied, 24-24.
But it would be in overtime where both teams struggled to put anymore points across the board as both team's kickers had chances at winning the game with field goals but failed. Greg Zuerlein who missed from 58 yards out after earlier knocking down a 27 yarder and David Akers who with the exception of his week 1 performance against Green Bay has been a ghost of his 2011 self, having missed six field goals already this season including a 41 yard try in OT which is usually a chip shot for him, would both fail to get their team a win on Sunday. With both teams unable to score in overtime, the 49ers and Rams would play to the NFL's first tie in 4 years (first since Eagles vs Bengals in 2008), an oddity in today's game. While the 49ers remain atop the NFC West at 6-2-1, a game ahead of the 6-4 Seattle Seahawks, the Rams sit at 3-5-1 behind the 4-5 Arizona Cardinals.
Week 11 Preview: With the exception of their week 7 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers have yet to run into a team that's better known for their defense than they are for their offense. That's exactly what they'll see in week 11 against the visiting 7-2 Chicago Bears on ESPN's Monday Night Football in a battle of NFC heavyweights. While defense is expected to steal the spotlight, the game could very well be a face off between backup QB's. Though it's currently unknown as to whether or not 49ers QB Alex Smith will be cleared by doctors to play on Monday, Chicago will be without quarterback Jay Cutler who also suffered a concussion last week and will be replaced by backup Jason Campbell. But unlike Campbell who's been a starter in the league for the past six seasons, Kaepernick is inexperienced outside of the handful of snaps he's taken this year and has yet to face a defense of this caliber. With the Bears defense leading the league with 30 turnovers and 19 interceptions, the second-round pick out of Nevada could be in for a long day if he's given the nod. But if Smith gets the green light, I like the 49ers chances of bouncing back from their sloppy performance on Sunday and coming out on top, 20-10.
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This off-season saw not one, but two blockbuster moves from the Los Angeles Lakers who put together an All-Star cast of players by acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to join Kobe Bryant and company in Tinseltown. But with big names comes big payrolls which often leads to high expectations. The Lakers are no different so it came to the surprise of many after L.A. finished their preseason with a franchise-worst 0-8 record. And though we thought the win-less preseason was nothing more than a rough patch of exhibition games that meant nothing, little did we know that the Lakers' struggles would follow them into the regular season where they'd begin their quest for a 17th NBA title 0-3 before finally logging a win at home on Sunday against the lowly Pistons, only to lose their next game against Utah, falling to a disappointing 1-4 on the year.
The slow start coupled with an injury to Steve Nash in the team's second game would lead to many overreacting and wanting answers as to why this supreme team had yet to gel together. Wasting little time to make an adjustment, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak decided to fire head coach Mike Brown less than a season and a half into his four-year, $18 Million deal. At the time of his hiring, Rick Adelman, Jeff Van Gundy and the more obvious Brian Shaw who was thought to be Phil Jackson's successor in L.A. having served under Jackson as an assistant for several years, were all better options to coach the Lakers than Brown. But Brown's resume which included a trip to the NBA Finals in 2007 and a defense-first mentality was what eventually won the Lakers front-office over and landed him the job. However, one of the reasons Brown was initially hired would also lead to his departure after.
When a team isn't playing stellar defense which just so happens to be the head coach's specialty, there's definitely a problem. And with the Lakers behind the pack in defense this season, something needed to be done. Although Brown wasn't the right guy to begin with, if you're going to stick with the guy heading into the season, you've gotta stick with him until the season ends or at the very least until mid-season if all else fails and things just aren't clicking. Instead Kupchak prematurely pulled the plug just five games into season two. To his credit, Kupchak knows the window of opportunity for this Laker team won't be open for long and is aware that losing is something this team could ill-afford with the All-Star cast of aging players that was built to win now. Something the team won't be able to do until finding a man fit for the job under the most brightest of lights.
Unfortunately, L.A.'s options will be limited as both Rick Adelman who is now the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brian Shaw who's an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers have found work elsewhere since being turned down for the Lakers head coaching position a little over a year ago. That leaves Jeff Van Gundy who seems to have found his place as a commentator and analyst for ESPN as the only remaining option from those the Lakers had in 2011. Then of course there's the always popular thought of bringing back Phil Jackson. No matter how long he's away from the game, he's never too far from the Lakers given his longtime girlfriend Jeanie Buss is the team's vice president. Jackson was rumored to have been spotted at the Lakers' practice facility this week, but there's no telling if he was visiting with the GM Kupchak to discuss the head coaching position or just paying his lady friend a visit.
Sadly, unless fly-fishing season is over and he ran dry of peyote, I don't see the Zen Master returning for a third stint to coach the Lakers in hopes of winning a 12th championship. But according to sources, the job is Jackson's to lose. If he does return to utilize the triangle offense, it'll be the first time Jackson has coached since the 2010-11 season when the Lakers were swept in the Conference Semifinals by the eventual world champion Dallas Mavericks. Though Jackson is the most popular option among Laker fans, he's not the only option in Lakerland. Mike D'Antoni who served as Steve Nash's head coach for four years in Phoenix is said to be neck and neck with Jackson as the leading candidate. But those who've seen D'Antoni coach in Phoenix know he likes to utilize the run and gun offense, something this Lakers team wouldn't be very good at given their lack of youth, something D'Antoni had plenty of during his time with the Suns.
Longtime Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan, Nate McMillian and former Lakers coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. round out the rest of L.A.'s preferred list of possible head coaches. And while it remains unknown who will be the next coach at the helm of the Lakers, hopefully the next decision will be the right decision from Kupchak who told the media yesterday that we can expect a decision to be made sooner than later.
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After an off-season that saw the release of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and the drafting of phenom sensation Andrew Luck who was taken with the no. 1 overall pick, the Indianapolis Colts were dealt a blow just three games into their season when the team received tragic news that first year head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. Putting a damper on the Colts locker room, the news added to the team's 1-2 start. In a situation in which most teams would feel lost without their coach and leader, the Colts instead used Pagano's fight with cancer as motivation to fuel their will to win. Proving just that was their miraculous win against Green Bay in their first game after it was learned Pagano had cancer.
After a difficult bye week which left more than football on the minds of Colts players and personnel alike, QB Andrew Luck led Indianapolis to an 18-point, second half comeback over the reigning MVP Aaron Rogers and the Packers. Following their 30-27 victory over Green Bay, interim head coach Bruce Arians delivered the game ball to the 52-year old Pagano's nearby hospital bed. On Sunday, Pagano who has since progressed in his fight against cancer, made his first trip to Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium since being diagnosed with leukemia and witnessed his quarterback make history by throwing for an NFL single-game rookie record with 433 passing yards, surpassing the previous mark of 422 yards set last year by Carolina's Cam Newton. Watching from a far, Pagano's Colts improved to 5-3 on the year with their 23-20 win over the Miami Dolphins. The best part of all, however, would be Pagano's emotional post-game speech following the win which sent chills down the spine of any true sports fan.
Though Pagano returned to the hospital on Monday to undergo his second of three chemotherapy treatments, he'll be with his team in spirit in week 10 when the team travels to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. And in case you aren't convinced just yet that the Colts are the feel good story of 2012, on Tuesday players and coaches did the deed of shaving their heads in support of Pagano, proving that the group of guys Indianapolis has is more than a team, they're family. And after appearing to have started the season in the rear-view mirror of Washington's Robert Griffin, Andrew Luck has since leapfrogged RG3 in the race for the Rookie of the Year Award and is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Not to mention he's already paved his path to become a pretty darn good QB having already surpassed Peyton Manning's win total who finished 3-13 in his 1998 rookie campaign with the Colts. All of this has quickly made the Indianapolis Colts one of the teams to watch in the NFL once again and for undoubtedly many years to come. Get well soon, coach!
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Heading into Week 8's Monday Night match-up in the desert against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers would be given a chance to pad their lead in the NFC West standings before entering their BYE week in week 9. And with the game expected to be a close battle between two stout defenses coming in, it would instead end up being a one-sided shellacking. The story of the game, however, would be the near perfect performance from 49ers QB Alex Smith. After a career year last season in which Smith saw career-highs in just about every offensive category, 2012 has already had its fair share of ups and downs for the former number one overall pick out of Utah.
On this night Smith would be at his best, completing 18 of 19 passes for 232 passing yards and tying a personal best with three touchdowns in the 49ers 24-3 walloping of the Cardinals. Though he didn't awe fans with his number of yards, he did with his accuracy as his 94.7 completion percentage set an NFL record with a minimum of 15 attempts. Two of Smith's three touchdown grabs were made by Michael Crabtree who racked up 5 receptions for 72 yards and proved to be a headache for Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. Randy Moss who's seen limited action as a 49er this season saw much of the same, making only one grab but he turned it into a 47-yard touchdown, displaying cuts and juke moves that resembled the old Randy Moss. Arizona's John Skelton threw for 290 yards, but wasn't able to do much else as Aldon Smith and company kept the Cardinals QB from putting any points on the board.
The 49ers run combination of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter had another decent game nearly combining for 100 yards rushing, compared to Arizona's ground attack which was kept in check the entire meeting by the NFL's no. 1 ranked defense while being held to only 7 yards. Had it not been for Cardinals kicker Jay Feely who split the uprights from 28 yards out in the third quarter, the 49ers would've had their second shutout victory of the season. But as coach Harbaugh would say, a win is a win. And a win heading into the BYE week makes things that much easier and relaxing during the team's week away from competition. With a stellar defense and run game, San Francisco's air attack has been their only concern this season and has been the only thing that's kept any doubts the critics may have of the 49ers winning a sixth Super Bowl title alive. But if Smith can continue to have games similar to this one, not necessarily completing a record setting number of his passes, but playing mistake-free football and not trying to do too much with the ball, San Francisco might be on their way to their second straight NFC Championship game.
Preview & Prediction: When the 49ers return to the playing field in Week 10, they'll host a 3-5 St. Louis Rams team that has lost three straight. And just like the 49ers, the Rams are coming off a BYE week of their own. Unfortunately for them not only will they be welcomed by another well rested team, but they'll be welcomed by arguably the best team in the league. Expect a big day from the 49ers offense which should get huge contributions from both the rushing and passing department as well as a dominant performance from the San Francisco defense that'll keep Rams QB Sam Bradford on his heels, scrambling around all game long and cause him to make numerous turnovers in a 27-6 win for the 49ers.
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Game 1: Pandamonium - Prior to Game 1 of the World Series, pundits gave the San Francisco Giants little chance against the reigning AL Cy Young & MVP Justin Verlander and predicted the Detroit Tigers would make quick work of game 1 starter Barry Zito. Little did they know the exact opposite would take place. Having won Zito's last 13 starts, it was thought that the Giants would have their work cut out for them if they planned to make it 14, but a guy who goes by the nickname 'Kung-Fu Panda' would prove otherwise. Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval who was left off of the postseason roster in 2010 alongside Zito when the Giants brought their first World Series title back to the city by the bay, made up for lost time with two home runs in his first two at-bats versus Tigers ace Justin Verlander who also surrendered a bases-clearing triple to Sandoval in July's All-Star Game which awarded the Giants home-field advantage in this year's Fall Classic.
Sandoval's home run in the first inning which came on an 0-2 pitch and gave the Giants an early 1-0 lead was the first homer Verlander had allowed in an 0-2 count this season. Sandoval's heroics would continue just two innings later when Angel Pagan sparked a 2-out rally in the third with a double that appeared to be on its way to the glove of Miguel Cabrera but instead bounced off the third base bag and rolled into the outfield. Marco Scutaro drove in the game's second run by lacing an RBI single up the middle, bringing Sandoval to the plate a chance to cause more damage. Two pitches later he would do just that, sending a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for an opposite-field home run, giving the Giants a 4-0 lead and causing Verlander to mouth the words, "Wow." Verlander's rough outing would continue in the fourth as Brandon Belt led the inning off with a walk and later scored on a single off the bat of Barry Zito as the Giants became the first team in postseason history to have their pitcher drive in a run in four consecutive games.
With Verlander's night coming to an early end after being roughed up for five earned runs on six hits and a walk through four innings, his shortest outing of the season, Sandoval's dominance at the plate would continue as he greeted Tigers reliever Al Alburquerque who came in for Verlander by hitting his third home run of the ballgame. With his trio of long balls, Sandoval became only the fourth player to ever hit three home runs in a World Series game, joining the likes of Babe Ruth who accomplished the feat twice, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols who did it in last year's World Series. Sandoval, however, was the only player to do it in his first three plate appearances. Sandoval would finish the game 4-for-4 by adding a single in the seventh. Detroit's only runs would come in the form of an RBI single from Miguel Cabrera off Zito in the sixth and a 2-run home run from Jhonny Peralta off George Kontos in the ninth. RBI singles from Scutaro and Buster Posey in the seventh would round up the scoring for the Giants who would go on to take game 1 by a final of 8-3.
Game 2: Bumgarner outduels Fister - With the Tigers allowing more runs in game 1 of the World Series than they allowed in the entire ALCS against the Yankees (six), they'd turn to pitcher Doug Fister in game 2, hoping to calm the Giants bats and avoid heading to Detroit down 0-2. And with the Tigers going up against Madison Bumgarner who entered Thursday's game having struggled of late with an ERA north of 11.00, many expected Detroit to bounce back and even the series. Bumgarner, however, would have other plans, challenging Fister to a duel. Fister who entered the game with an ERA under 2.00 this postseason, would pitch as good as advertised, but would be outdone on this night.
Shutout only twice during the regular season, a league-low, Bumgarner would stifle the Tigers lineup by allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 over seven stellar frames, proving too much for Jim Leyland's ball club. Detroit's only chance to plate a run came in the second inning when Prince Fielder was hit by a pitch and tried scoring from first on a Delmon Young double to left field. Gregor Blanco fielded the ball and luckily overthrew the cutoff man Brandon Crawford, hitting Marco Scutaro who made the catch and rifled a strike to Buster Posey who tagged the sliding Fielder just in time before touching home. Fister would overcome a scary moment in the second inning when taking a line drive off the side of his head that Blanco reached to first on for a single. Fister would prove to be fine, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters he faced.
With the game still scoreless heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, the Giants would get their first chance at a big inning after Hunter Pence, Brandon Belt and Gregor Blanco all reached base with a single, a walk and a bunt. With Brandon Crawford stepping to the plate, Tigers reliever Drew Smyly limited the damage by getting the Giants shortstop to ground into a double-play as a run came in to score. The Giants would execute a bit of small ball to plate another run in the eight inning as Angel Pagan, Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey all drew walks, setting up Hunter Pence who hit a sacrifice fly to right field to give his team a 2-0 lead heading to the ninth inning. A shutout eight inning from Giants reliever Santiago Casilla would setup the bearded Sergio Romo who slammed the door on any chance of a Tigers rally by hurling a 1-2-3 ninth inning, sealing the 2-0 victory and giving the Giants their fifth straight postseason win, a franchise-record in which they've only allowed a total of 4-runs.
Unfortunately for the Tigers who hope a trip to Detroit will help summon their offense, 41 of the 52 teams who've taken a 2-0 lead in the World Series have gone on to win it all. But to their credit, the Tigers are yet to lose at home this postseason, where they currently boast a 4-0 record. The Giants, however, are the perfect team to put an end to that streak as they've proven during this postseason that they're even better when playing on the road. The only difference being they'll have to emulate their play under American League rules, using a designated-hitter which Giants skipper Bruce Bochy will most likely hand the reigns to backup catcher Hector Sanchez. And similar to game 2, game 3 could very well be another low-scoring affair not only because of who will be on the mound for each team, but because the weather forecast is expected to be in the low 40's. While the Giants hope to ride the arm of Ryan Vogelsong who's been arguably their best pitcher this postseason, the Tigers will look to mid-season acquisition Anibal Sanchez who in the past has been tough on the Giants during his days with the Marlins. And though I expect Detroit to have much better luck at home than they did on the road, I'm sticking with my prediction of the Giants winning it all in six games.
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Two years removed from winning their first World Series title in 56 years and a year removed from failing to make it to the postseason, the San Francisco Giants are heading back to the Fall Classic after one of the more improbable playoff runs in recent memory. Last night's Game 7 victory over the defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals only added to what the Giants have done all postseason long -- winning with their backs against the wall. After becoming the first team to ever overcome a 2 games to 0 deficit and win three straight games on the road in the new Division Series playoff format against the Cincinnati Reds, the Giants continued their postseason magic.
Down 3 games to 1 in a pivotal game 5 at St. Louis' Busch Stadium, the unlikeliest hero Barry Zito hurled a superb 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball to keep the Giants alive and send the series back to San Francisco for game 6. With a win the following night, the Giants set up a winner-take-all game 7 in which they had all the momentum coming in. History, however, would be on the Cardinals side. While St. Louis entered Monday's meeting winners of 11 elimination game 7's, good enough for the most all-time, the Giants on the other hand came in owning a league worst record of 0-5 all-time in game 7's. But like the saying goes, there's a first for everything. The San Francisco offense would prove just that by scoring runs in each of the first two innings before chasing Cardinals ace Kyle Lohse after only 2 frames in which he was tagged for 5 runs. By the end of the third inning the Giants were up 7 to 0 and never looked back. At San Francisco's AT&T Park, facing All-Star pitcher Matt Cain with a 7-run deficit, St. Louis had no chance to work the magic we've grown accustomed to seeing them pull off dating back to last year's World Series.
With the 9-0 victory, the Giants became only the third NL team to comeback from a 3 games to 1 deficit and go on to win the series and only the second team in MLB history to win six consecutive elimination games, tying the 1985 Kansas City Royals who won the World Series that year. Giants second baseman Marco Sctuaro would make some history of his own by being named NLCS MVP after batting .500 (14-for-28) in the series, setting an LCS record with 6 multi-hit games and becoming one of only two players to follow up a 20-game hit streak during the regular season with a 10-game hit streak during the postseason in the same year (Mike Piazza being the other in 2002 with the Mets). What's most baffling about the Giants' epic NLCS comeback is that Buster Posey was virtually a non-factor at the plate. That'll have to change, however, if the Giants plan to win their second Championship in three years as they set their sights on the Jim Leyland led Detroit Tigers who are coming off an impressive sweep of the New York Yankees and are seeking their first World Series title since 1984.
Just like they were in 2010 when they upset the Texas Rangers, the Giants will once again be the underdogs facing an offensive juggernaut this time in the form of the Detroit Tigers' lethal duo of this year's triple crown winner -- Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. Not to be forgotten is ALCS MVP Delmon Young who always seems to come through at the plate during the postseason. Facing one of the games premiere pitchers in Cliff Lee who San Francisco beat not once, but twice in the 2010 Fall Classic, Giants hitters will face another tall order and be given the daunting task of having to go up against last year's Cy Young Award winner and reigning MVP Justin Verlander who plans to avenge his World Series defeat in 2006, entering the series a perfect 3-0 this postseason with 25 K's and an ERA of 0.74. Giants manager Bruce Bochy hopes to counter by naming Barry Zito the starter for the Giants in game 1. Equally as good as Verlander has been is Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer who posted a combined ERA of 0.66 in the ALCS. But unlike the struggling Yankees who simply failed to show up at the plate, the Giants' scrappy bats won't make it easy on Detroit's stellar rotation.
How they match up: Though the Tigers benefit from a starting rotation that has dominated this postseason where as San Francisco has been inconsistent prior to Zito's gem in game 5 of the NLCS, their bullpen lacks the depth that the Giants possess. Giants manager Bruce Bochy owns the better team defensively, but Detroit's ability to hit the long ball takes the cake. Along with two of the best managers in the game today, these two teams facing off also means the two MVP front-runners of their respective leagues will be showcased in a series that I'm expecting will go no less than six games with the Giants prevailing. And while the previous three teams that have come off a seven-game LCS have went on to win the World Series when facing a club coming off a sweep, the Giants have to like their chances of making it four consecutive.
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Entering Week 7's Thursday Night meeting between the 49ers and Seahawks, both teams stood at 4-2 in a tie for first place. And with much being said about both team's defenses coming in, both of whom allowing fewer than 16 points, a low-scoring affair was to be expected. Having played all their games thus far against opponents outside of the West, San Francisco would get their first look at a division opponent this year in prime time as 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh renewed his rivalry with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
49ers running back Frank Gore has feasted on the Seahawks in the past and has had some of the best games of his career against Seattle so it was only appropriate Harbaugh went with a steady diet of run plays to his Pro Bowl back. Running for 131 yards on 16 carries to go along with 51 yards on 5 receptions, Gore would once again log another stellar day at the office versus his favorite team to run against. However, his counterpart Marshawn Lynch who ended San Francisco's streak of not allowing a rushing touchdown or 100-yard rusher last season until Week 16 at Seattle, came into the game as the NFC's top rusher and would also log a decent game, compiling 103 yards on 19 carries. As for the passing game, both Alex Smith and Russell Wilson would see better days as both QB's threw for under 150 yards passing and tossed an interception.
The only touchdown in the ball game would come in the third quarter when Alex Smith connected with his tight-end Delanie Walker who displayed nice footwork, getting a foot over the goal-line and in the end zone before being pushed out of bounds. The score ended a seven quarter touchdown-less drought and proved to be the difference in a 13-6 win for the 49ers as kickers David Akers and Steven Hauschka did the rest of the work in the scoring department. The win gave San Francisco sole possession of first place in the NFC West, a position they plan to maintain into the playoffs.
Week 8 Preview: With 11 days off until their Monday Night meeting against the 4-3 Cardinals at Arizona, the 49ers will be well rested and will get even more rest the following week with a BYE in week 9 as the team prepares for the final stretch of the season. A BYE week in which I'm predicting the 49ers will remain atop the division after a 17-10 win in Arizona which will once again see two stellar defenses face off.
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After back-to-back blowout victories over the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills in which the 49ers outscored their opponents 79-3, the 49ers had the tables turned on them Sunday in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship. Expected to be a hard fought battle between NFC heavyweights, Sunday's 49ers-Giants game was anything but. Used to being on the giving end of shellackings, Jim Harbaugh's squad was on the receiving end as his team followed up a record-setting, 600+ yard performance against the Bills just a week ago with one of their weakest offensive outings yet, translating to the team's worst loss under the second-year head coach.
Equally as bad as San Francisco's offense which saw QB Alex Smith throw for 3-interceptions and the running back tandem of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter combine for only 62-yards rushing, was the 49ers defense. Allowing a 100-yard rusher or a rushing touchdown has become a rarity for the 49ers defense, but on Sunday they'd allow both as Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 116 yards to go along with his rushing touchdown. The combination of New York's rushing attack and stellar defense which has been unseen prior to Sunday would be enough for the Giants who improved to 4-2 on the year despite needing little production from Eli Manning who played a turnover-free ballgame, throwing for 193 yards and a touchdown. Completing the trifecta was the 49ers poor play in the special teams department which allowed two kick returns of over 40 yards including a 66-yard run back which set up an easy Giants touchdown to begin the second half.
An early missed field goal by the 49ers veteran kicker David Akers who's been nothing short of brilliant since putting on a 49ers uniform last season would be a sign of bad things to come. Missing wide right on a 43-yard attempt on the 49ers' opening possession, Akers would split the uprights from 42-yards out on his second try in the first quarter to give San Francisco an early 3-0 lead before later missing his second field goal on the day before halftime, a 52-yard attempt, swaying wide left. That would be the only scoring the 49ers would get as the offensive opportunities were cut short thanks to 3-interceptions, 2 of which to Giants safety Antrel Rolle as Alex Smith threw into traffic, something we haven't seen a lot from him since Harbaugh's arrival. Though we're used to seeing Eli Manning work his magic in the passing game by picking apart defenses, the 2-time Super Bowl MVP simply didn't have to as his running back Bradshaw bullied a usually stout defense in New York's 26-3 win.
The smack talk which took place earlier in the week between Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh added hype and ended up being more entertaining than the game itself. Gilbride took shots at 49ers Pro-Bowl defensive-end Justin Smith, saying he "gets away with murder" holding linemen. Harbaugh fired back with some choice words of his own saying Gilbride's comments were "outrageous" and were made to "criticize and influence officiating." Unfortunately Harbaugh's response was better than the way his team played on Sunday.
Preview & Prediction: The 49ers will have little time to recuperate and lick their wounds as they have a Thursday night meeting versus the division-rival Seattle Seahawks in Week 7 with first place on the line. With both teams atop the NFC West standings at 4-2, the team with the number one ranked defense last season will be met by the team with the number one ranked defense so far this season. Last year it was the 49ers who quickly became known for having the most feared defense in the NFL. That label has since been handed down to their division foe as Seattle hopes to silent the naysayers with a win on the road. Coming off a comeback win over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, rookie quarterback Russell Wilson will look to face off against the 49ers for the first time. However, I think running back Marshawn Lynch will be the one who the 49ers have close tabs on. Expect a low-scoring affair with the 49ers coming out on top in a close one, 20-17.
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