Saturday, November 30, 2013

Week 12: Kaepernick, 49ers shine in team's first Monday Night game of the season

Last year San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick and Washington's Robert Griffin III took the National Football League by storm. The duel-threat QB's helped their teams make it to the playoffs and even punch a ticket to the Super Bowl for Kaepernick's 49ers, while RGIII took home Rookie of the Year honors. But so far, 2013 hasn't exactly treated the pair of young, gifted quarterbacks as nicely. Aside from his Week 1 performance against Green Bay, Kaepernick has struggled mightily with a thin receive corps, whereas Griffin who's sophomore campaign has had its fair share of ups and downs, has clearly not been the same QB since undergoing surgery on his right knee. Struggles aside, one QB would have another win to hang to their total as they faced off against one another for the first time in their bright career.

During Kaepernick's struggles, it's been tailback Frank Gore and the running game that's been the catalyst to the 49ers offense and has provided for the team. Not in this one, however, as Gore was kept relatively quiet with just 31 yards on 13 carries. With the 49ers ranked last in the league in passing yards entering the week, Kaepernick would face one of his most favorable match-ups yet. Planning to exploit that and dig the Niners' mediocre aerial attack from out of the gutter, Kaepernick would log one of the finest outings of his career and easily his best since Week 1 by throwing for 235 yards and 3 touchdown while completing 15 of 24 pass attempts and amassing a career-best passer rating of 134.5. No duo has been more productive and has meant more to their teams' receive corps as Vernon Davis and Anquan Boldin. And with a bulk of Kaepernick's passes going in their direction, each managed to find the end zone like they've done so often this year. Davis caught four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown while Boldin hauled in five receptions for a game-high 94 yards and a pair of TD's.  
But where Kaepernick and the 49er offense excelled, Griffin and the Redskins struggled. Completing 17 of 27 passes, RGIII threw for only 127 yards and was picked off for the 11th time this year, more than double the amount of interceptions he threw last season. Needing a win to keep a stranglehold on a playoff spot, the 49ers defense entered Monday night's game having allowed 12.5 points per game since week 4, the fewest in the league. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive-coordinator Vic Fangio would see that number decrease as Washington was kept out of the end zone the entire game and logged only 190 yards of total offense, their lowest total since a blowout loss to the Bills in 2011. To put Griffin's awful night into perspective, Washington was held to just 30 yards of offense in the second half as the second-year QB was under constant pressure by San Francisco's swarming defense which tallied four sacks on the night. It also marked the first time an RGIII led offense was held touchdown-less in his career, including his years in college with Baylor where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2011.

The Niners also got plenty of help on defense from defensive-end Aldon Smith who in his second start since taking nearly a two month hiatus while being treated at a rehab facility, looked like the Aldon Smith of old as he recorded his first sack since Week 3. Smith would finish the game with 2 sacks and made a number of hits on the Redskins quarterback as San Francisco won, 27-6. The win was the fifth straight for the 49ers on Monday Night Football and put an end to their two-game losing skid as they improved to 7-4 on the year and more importantly held on to their wild card spot in the NFC Playoff race. As for Washington, the Redskins have now lost 4 of their last 5 games and continue to fall behind in the NFC East as they dropped to 3-8 on the year. Griffin, who's asked the Redskins coaching staff not to show tape of his negative plays during team meetings, will likely see a plethora of negative plays from this one considering that's all there was on Monday by the Washington quarterback.
Week 13 - Owning the tie-breaker over the division-rival (7-4) Arizona Cardinals for the second NFC wild card spot, the 49ers will look to improve on their record on Sunday when they return home to host another division foe in the St. Louis Rams. Sitting at the bottom of the NFC West at 5-6, the Rams have been playing their best ball of the season as of late despite being without their starting quarterback -- Sam Bradford and are coming off back-to-back blowout wins against two pretty darn good teams in the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. Earlier this season when these two teams met in St. Louis, the 49ers pulled off a blowout 35-11 win in Week 4. But with the Rams eyeing the .500 mark and hoping to play the role of spoiler, don't expect anything to be given to Colin Kaepernick and company as they return to the Stick. Week 4 saw Frank Gore explode for his first big game of the season when he torched the Rams for 153 yards rushing to go along with a touchdown. With coach Harbaugh likely to get his running back back on track after sub par performances in each of his last two outings, we could be in store for a steady diet of Gore in this one. Week 13 will also see the return of wide-out Michael Crabtree. With Kaepernick's favorite target slated to return for the first time this year since tearing his Achilles during training camp in May, we just might see a TD reception by someone not named Boldin or Davis for the first time this season.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Giants sign former All-Star Hudson, retain Lopez

For the second time in three years, the San Francisco Giants have followed up a successful World Series triumph with a disappointing season in which they've failed to make the postseason. Trying as hard as ever to manufacture a team capable of climbing back to the pinnacle of baseball immortality, Giants general manager Brian Sabean has already done some early shopping and knocked off a few key needs on the team's Christmas list. With outfielder Hunter Pence signing a 5-year extension one day before the end of the 2013 regular season and pitcher Tim Lincecum inking a new two-year deal just weeks later, Sabean continued his early spending by landing another seasoned veteran in right-hander Tim Hudson as the team officially cut ties with Barry Zito. 

Hudson, 38, signed a two-year, $23 Million deal earlier this week. Along with his veteran leadership and valuable knowledge of the game, Hudson brings a repertoire of pitches that includes everything but the kitchen sink as well as over 200 career wins along with him to the bay area where he first established himself as a big league pitcher from 1999-2004 with the Giants' cross bay rival -- Oakland A's where he helped create 1/3 of the Athletics' "big three" alongside Mark Mulder and Barry Zito. Through 15 big league seasons, the last 9 of which with the Atlanta Braves, Hudson has been named to three All-Star teams and has yet to log a season in which he's recorded a record at or under .500. 2014 will see the return of Hudson to the baseball diamond after a fractured right ankle in July put an abrupt end to his 2013 campaign. A season in which the Braves finished the regular season 96-66, good enough for the number 2 seed in the National League before being bounced out of the postseason by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series. 
Hudson logged an 8-7 record and an ERA of 3.97 in 21 starts in 2013 before being bit by the injury bug. Better known for their dominant pitching over the last few seasons that saw a World Series Championship in 2010 and another just two seasons later in 2012, Hudson joins a Giants starting pitching staff that looked very much unlike itself this past season by boasting an overall ERA of 4.37, the third highest in the National League. What direction Sabean and skipper Bruce Bochy look to head in with the team's fifth starting pitching spot is not yet known. While Ryan Vogelsong remains an option, the Giants may look elsewhere and sign another lefty to join Madison Bumgarner, granted Matt Cain, Linececum and Hudson are all right-handers. One southpaw the Giants will for sure be bringing back, however, is reliever Javier Lopez. Coming off his best Major League season yet (1.83 ERA), Lopez, who's been nothing but nails for the Giants since being traded in 2010 from the Pittsburgh Pirates, entered the offseason as one of if not the top left-handers on the free-agent market and was said to have drawn the interest of at least 10 other ball clubs before San Francisco retained one of its key cogs in the bullpen.

While the Giants still have a hole to fill in left field, GM Brian Sabean has been very on point thus far in the offseason in addressing the teams top priorities. And given how Sabe's likes to do his work early in the off-season, don't be surprised if he makes a move anytime soon and surprises us with an early Christmas present before the holiday.


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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Week 11: 49ers lose second straight after Bogus call in the Bayou

Entering Sunday's game, the San Francisco 49ers had their work cut out for them as they were given the daunting task of having to face the (7-2) New Orleans Saints at home where they're unbeaten in five games this season. Expected to be a showdown between two NFC heavyweights, it wouldn't be long before the officials made a plethora of terrible calls from beginning to end, none worse than the one with 3:12 remaining in the fourth quarter as the 49ers appeared to be on their way to putting an end to New Orleans' perfect home record. Leading 20-17, Niners linebacker Ahmad Brooks who earlier in the game collected his first interception of the season, sacked Saints quarterback Drew Brees, forcing him to fumble on third down as the ball was recovered by Patrick Willis near midfield.

However, there would be a flag on the play as the officials called for a personal foul on Brooks for illegal contact despite him hitting the quarterback cleanly without any helmet to helmet or hands to the head contact. One word to describe the call -- bad. How bad you ask? So bad that two former Pro Bowl linebackers in Ray Lewis and Tedy Bruschi both offered to pitch in and help Brooks pay for the ridiculous $15,750 fine that is being issued for the hit. The penalty would negate the sack and forced fumble that would've setup Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco offense at midfield and in position to potentially add to their lead and put the game away for good. Instead, Brees and the Saints were awarded the ball back with an extra 15-yards as they eventually tied the game five plays later thanks to a Garrett Hartley field goal. In an attempt to make up for the call, the officials missed what should have been a safety on the 49ers as Kaepernick got away with an intentional-grounding call inside the five yard line.
After a punt following a three and out on San Francisco's ensuing drive, the 49ers would shoot themselves in the foot when Kaseem Osgood interfered with the Saints' Darren Sproles who had called for a fair catch. The 15-yard penalty put New Orleans near midfield and with a 1:40 remaining, Drew Brees did the rest, marching his team down field and once again setting up his kicker Garrett Hartley for the game-winning field goal as time expired. Brees threw for 1 touchdown and 1 interception while compiling 305 yards through the air, giving him eight games with at least 300 yards passing this season, trailing only Peyton Manning who's eclipsed the 300 yard mark nine times this year. As for Kaepernick, the struggling QB threw for a pair of touchdowns and just one interception but only amassed 127 yards passing. Through the air, Kaepernick has yet to connect with someone in the end zone not named Anquan Boldin or Vernon Davis this season as all 11 of his passing touchdowns have been thrown in their direction. That trend continued in this one as both Boldin and Davis hauled in a TD reception.

The 49ers who scored 17 of their 20 points off turnovers, got things started in the second quarter as they cashed in on a muffed punt by Saints receiver Lance Moore. Two plays later, Kaepernick would find Boldin from 11-yards out in the end zone for his first receiving touchdown since week 4. Jim Harbaugh and company would get a huge sigh of relief in the second quarter when Kaepernick was picked off by Corey White who filling in for the injured Jabari Greer, dove in front of Mario Manningham for the interception and returned it 43 yards before leaping into the air and losing the ball just before crossing the goal line. The ball sailed into the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback as San Francisco retained possession. But that would be the only break in favor of the 49ers all afternoon long. Though it's hard not to blame the loss on the bogus call that cost the 49ers a possession and the chance to add to their lead, Kaepernick and co. let a number of opportunities slip through their hands on Sunday. Literally. Midway through the fourth quarter, Kaepernick had a wide-open Frank Gore who had nothing but real estate ahead of him but he was unable to corral the low pass as San Francisco dropped its second straight game, 23-20, falling to 6-4 on the year and tying them for second place in the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals, winners of three straight.
But back to the Ahmad Brooks hit. Over the last several years, the NFL has made strides in protecting players most notably at quarterback. With hits to the knees outlawed as well as those to the helmet and head area, defensive players are already given a tiny area on the body in which they can hit the quarterback. And with the player in motion, that area becomes even smaller given they can duck at anytime. But with these new rules in place where almost every hit on a quarterback is illegal it seems, the defensive player is left with little to work with when it comes to making a play on the quarterback. Of course we'd all love to see an end to the devastating concussions that have proven to be even more serious to a players long-term safety, the latest banning of hits on the quarterback is beginning to take away from the game as well as the play we know as the "sack." Keep that word in mind because at this rate it might be erased from both the game and our memories as we know it, given the recent direction of the NFL and their overly obsessive love craze for protecting the quarterback. Franchise player or not, those at the quarterback position knew what they were signing up for the moment they put on a helmet and pads for the very first time, just like their peers at every other position on the gridiron. It's game changing plays like this that are causing teams key games all too often and are making it easier for people like me to become less of a fan of a sport I've been watching and have loved since a child. So don't be surprised if and when the NFL adopts a two-hand touch or flag football type of deal for the quarterback position. *Rant over*

Week 12 Preview - Entering the 2013 NFL season, many believed the Washington Redskins would be one of the teams the San Francisco 49ers would have to fend off if they planned on winning a second consecutive NFC Championship. That couldn't be any further from the truth as the 'Skins currently sit at the bottom of the NFC Eastern division standings at 3-7. In what's been an up and down season for Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, the former Heisman Trophy winner and last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year has had a hard time adjusting to his one dimensional ways as his surgically repaired knee has kept him immobile for the most part. With three of San Francisco's remaining six games against NFC Western division opponents and the Arizona Cardinals breathing on the back of their neck with their eyes set on a wild card spot, the 49ers cannot afford to lose a game against a sub .500 opponent. But with this one being on Monday Night Football and on the road in the nation's capital, you better believe RG3 and company will give it their all. With upcoming dates with the Rams, Cardinals and Seahawks all ahead for San Francisco, this will be one of the more favorable match-ups for 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick. 


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Week 10: 49ers bitten by Panthers behind poor offense

With a BYE Week in Week 9 after their trip across the pond in London, Jim Harbaugh's 49ers came into Week 10 with plenty of time to rest and prepare for their next opponent -- the Carolina Panthers. Both teams entered Sunday's meeting riding win-streaks of four and five games respectively, but only one would be able to improve on that mark. Unlike San Francisco who many had predicted would be in the discussion for another NFC Championship this season, Carolina has been one of the league's surprise teams, trailing the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints by only a game. Much like the 49ers, Carolina's been winning games led by their stout defense which had yet to allow a first quarter touchdown in 12 consecutive games dating back to last year.

Though the 49ers would fail to put an end to that streak, they did manage to draw first blood by opening the game with a successful drive that saw Phil Dawson split the uprights from 53-yards out to give San Francisco an early lead. It would be the beginning of a busy day for the 49ers kicker who nailed three field goals to account for the only scoring by San Francisco all day. The 49ers' aerial attack has been one of the worst in the league thus far this season and though they would welcome the return of receiver Mario Manningham who saw his first snap since late last season when a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year, the team would be held in check through the air. With two speedy duel-threat quarterbacks that were selected in the same draft class (2011) and have been exciting to watch throughout their young careers in Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick, the same couldn't be said for their performance on Sunday as both quarterbacks completed only half of their passes and were kept out of the end zone.
Kaepernick would finish with one of the worst games of his brief NFL career, failing to surpass the century mark by throwing for a career-low 91 yards and an interception as he was under constant pressure by Carolina's swarming defense who compiled a total of six sacks. Newton on the other hand would be just slightly better than his counterpart, throwing for 169 yards and an interception while being taken down five times. Frank Gore led all rushers with 82 yards on 16 carries but it would be Carolina's run game that got them on the board. Aside from a 27-yard touchdown run by Panthers running back DeAngelo Hall, Carolina would have very little to cheer about in the first two quarters as they headed into the locker room trailing at the half in a game for the first time all season long. San Francisco would be dealt a huge blow in the second half as they'd be without one their key cogs on offense for most of the game. Tight-end Vernon Davis who's been Kaepernick's most lethal weapon in the passing game, would leave the field in the second quarter after sustaining a concussion.

Standout rookie safety Eric Reid would later join Davis after suffering a concussion of his own before also losing tight-end Garrett Celek and defensive-tackle Ray McDonald to injuries. In his first game back since undergoing treatment at a rehab center following the Week 3 loss to the Colts, Aldon Smith saw limited action on Sunday and was a non-factor on defense. After putting up more than 30-points in each of their last five games, the 49ers offense came out of their BYE Week flat and was unable to solve one of the best defenses in the league as Panthers kicker Graham Gano made up for a missed field goal earlier in the game with a 53-yarder in the fourth quarter to give Carolina a 10-9 lead. That lead would hold up as Kaepernick and company struggled to get anything going on two last-ditch efforts and failed to pull off the comeback victory as the 49ers fell to 6-3 on the season, snapping their five-game winning-streak. The Panthers got the hallmark win they needed to quiet some of the naysayers and keep within striking distance of the Saints, improving to 6-3 for their fifth consecutive win, their longest such streak in eight years.
Week 11 Preview: With a horrific and down right embarrassing performance offensively at home after a BYE Week now behind them, the 49ers will now have to get ready to face one of their toughest tasks of the season as they head to the Superdome to face the New Orleans Saints. Though the team has lots to improve on before Sunday's game, New Orleans played host to Kaepernick's first big game on the road last season as he led the 49ers to a 31-21 triumph. The Superdome was also the site of Super Bowl XLVII. In other words, he's no stranger to the loud, hostile environment that awaits him. Unfortunately, this year's Saints team isn't the same one he and his teammates saw a year ago. With New Orleans head coach Sean Peyton back at the helm after serving a suspension last season, the Saints, led by QB Drew Brees are 5-0 at home and are coming off a record-breaking performance against the Dallas Cowboys in which they converted on 40 first downs. So if any time is a good time for the 49ers offense to wake up, it's now as this one will likely be a shootout.


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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Beast of the East

With the start of the 2013-14 NBA season in full effect, one of the main storylines to keep an eye on is who if anybody can dethrone the Miami Heat out east. Since LeBron James made his highly criticized 'Decision' to take his talents to South Beach and join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in the Summer of 2010, Miami has had little competition in the Eastern Conference having made three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, winning the last two. But last season saw the Heat meet their toughest match yet in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Indiana Pacers gave LeBron and company a run for their money. And though Miami eventually won the thrilling best-of-seven series in a lopsided game 7, the Pacers showed to the rest of the league that the Heat could in fact be beaten. And had it not been for a coaching blunder by Pacers head coach Frank Vogel in game 1 when he chose to sit his best defender in Roy Hibbert who's absence in the paint proved to be costly, allowing LeBron James to drive through the lane for the game-winning lay-up, we could very well be looking at a different NBA champion. 

But enough with all the ifs and buts, the fact remains that last year the Indiana Pacers came within one win of upsetting the defending world champion Miami Heat, something they plan on accomplishing this season if given a second chance. Proving that last season was no fluke, the Pacers who finished last season with an overall record of 49-32, are off to their best start in franchise history having won all 8 of their games this year, standing tall as the league's last and only unbeaten team. Allowing a league-low to opponents in both points per game and field goal shooting percentage, Indiana once again poses the biggest threat to LeBron James and the Miami Heat's chances of making it a three-peat. And with one of their best players in Danny Granger expected back sometime in the near future, the Pacers could get even better. But depending on what role coach Vogel decides to use his All-Star forward in, the wrong move could cost his team in the long run. The absence of Granger who led the Pacers in scoring in each season from 2007-08 to 2011-12 before missing all but the first five games last year due to a knee injury, allowed Paul George to breakout and rise to stardom while being named to his first All-Star team and taking home the NBA's Most Improved Player honors. 
Another player who's benefited from Granger's absence is Lance Stephenson who took over the starting role and is off to the best start of his career this season. So plugging Granger back into the starting lineup might not be the easiest thing to do for coach Vogel, nor would it be the smartest. At least not yet. Having Granger come off the bench could give the Pacers a jolt both offensively and defensively as he plans to get back onto the court for the first time since straining his left calf almost a month ago. A limited role would allow him to get back into the gist of things physically without disrupting what the Pacers currently have going with their starting lineup. After all, if it ain't broken don't fix it, right? But back to Indiana's biggest concern -- the Miami Heat. The Pacers are the one team in the east that can match up best with Miami on both sides of the ball while teams like Chicago and New York lack the depth and physicality that Indiana possesses. As for Brooklyn, another team likely to make the playoffs, let's just see if their old, fragile lineup can make it to season's end in one piece.

The Pacers are also one of the deeper teams in the league after adding depth in the offseason by acquiring power forward Luis Scola from the Phoenix Suns via trade. All of this coupled with Indiana's stellar play could help the Pacers who are coming off their first Central Division title since 2004, get over the hump and surpass the Miami Heat for Eastern Conference supremacy. Locking up home-court advantage would definitely increase Indiana's chances in doing so as we all witnessed just how important playing at home was last year when the Heat held off the Pacers in Miami in the decisive game 7.


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