Costly Turnovers spell Doom for 49ers

Week 14 - Hanging onto a sliver of hope in the NFC's Wild Card Playoff picture, the San Francisco 49ers (5-7) would take a second crack at winning a home game away from home while having to host the Washington Football Team (5-7) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. For whatever reason, history would not be on the side of San Francisco as teams having to play their "home" game at another team's stadium, boasted an overall record of 1-5 since the 1970 merger entering Sunday's bout. And like many of those other teams who failed before them, the 49ers would resemble anything but a team playing focused and comfortably at home. 

With the main headline entering Sunday's game being the return of Washington quarterback Alex Smith playing against his former team, the likely favorite to win this season's Comeback Player of the Year Award, was not around very long as he was forced to depart Sunday's game early with a leg injury. Unrelated to the devastating lower leg injury that took place just over two years ago that nearly ended Smith's playing career and even worse, his life, Smith's injury was later described as a calf strain. Taking over under center for Smith just before halftime would be second-year QB Dwayne Haskins. But regardless of who Washington had out there playing quarterback, the offense was ineffective and had little to show for as San Francisco jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter following a rushing touchdown from Jeff Wilson Jr. Washington would narrow the deficit with a pair of field goals, but where their offense lacked, their defense surely made up for it as the 49ers' turnover bug continued to bite them. Having suffered 2+ giveaways in six straight games entering Sunday, the Niners had yet another setback with two more in the first half to make it seven straight games of at least 2+ giveaways, their longest such streak since 2008. 

The first big blow to the 49er offense would be dealt by Washington's rookie and 2020 first round pick (2nd overall) Chase Young who had himself a game to remember on Sunday. After already logging a sack on the quarterback and forcing a fumble on the running back, Young scooped up a fumble recovery which he returned 47-yards for a touchdown as Washington took a 13-7 lead into the half. With another field goal to open the second half, the Washington Football Team relied on their defense and the mishaps of the 49ers offense to supply most of their scoring. Trailing 16-7, QB Nick Mullens and the 49er offense embarked on an 11-play drive and made it as far as the Washington 24-yardline before Mullens made an errant pass that was intercepted and returned 76-yards for a pick-six touchdown. With 23 unanswered-points scored by Washington, the 49ers found themselves playing from behind and down two-scores with only a quarter remaining. Their ensuing possession, another 11-play drive, would end much better for the San Francisco offense on their second time around as fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in a 6-yard touchdown reception, followed by a successful two-point conversion from Mullens to receiver Kendrick Bourne. 

Unfortunately for San Francisco, their final three possessions would end in a pair of punts and a turnover on downs as Washington prevailed over the Niners by a final score of 23-15. Having soared near the top of the league in quite a few defensive categories including points allowed and rushing yards allowed, the Washington defense once again stood on its head when they needed it most, seeing as their offense was virtually nonexistent all game long. San Francisco's defense was also stout in the loss, allowing only 193 yards of total offense compared to the 344 yards allowed by Washington, but their inability to force the costly turnovers like those committed by Nick Mullens and the 49er offense, proved to be the major difference on Sunday. For Washington, the defense would score multiple touchdowns in a game for the first time in over 20 years (1997), as the team won on the road without scoring an offensive touchdown for the first time since 1992. With Washington's win coupled with a Giants loss suffered at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, first-year head coach Ron Rivera witnessed his team capture first place in the NFC East as they try to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to make the playoffs after starting the season with a 2-7 record. 

Meanwhile, San Francisco saw their playoff hopes take a major hit as they fall to 5-8 on the year and will be without their dynamic receiver Deebo Samuel for the remainder of the season after he reinjured his hamstring in the first half of Sunday's loss. Samuel finished the game with 1 rush for 9 yards and 0 receptions. Neither Alex Smith (57 yards) nor Dwayne Haskins (51 yards) had much success in the passing game as both QB's failed to throw for 60 yards, but they were able to avoid the costly turnovers that eventually spelled doom for their counterpart in Nick Mullens. The 49ers QB threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, but his costly interception and fumble, both of which leading to Washington touchdowns, dug too big a hole for the San Francisco offense to climb out of. The lone bright spot on the day would be that of Brandon Aiyuk as the 49ers' rookie receiver continued to shine, making a game-high 10 catches for 119 yards.

Week 15 Preview - With division opponents in Weeks 16 & 17 to closeout the regular season, Week 15 will see the last of San Francisco facing foes outside of the NFC West as they make a trip to the lone star state to take on the Dallas Cowboys (4-9). Like the 49ers, Dallas has had to make due without their starting quarterback for most of the season as QB Dak Prescott saw his season come to an abrupt stop after suffering a horrific leg injury suffered back in Week 5. Clearly not the same team without their leader, Dallas is coming off a 30-7 victory against the Bengals in Cincinnati, their first win of the season by more than 3-points. And like their reunion with Alex Smith in Week 14, Week 15 will see the 49ers face off against another familiar face in Dallas' Aldon Smith. The former 49ers Pro Bowl defensive-end turned troubled individual has had somewhat of a resurgence in 2020, helping make plays for the Cowboys defense, while also keeping his nose clean. Unfortunately, this once proud rivalry will not have the same juice that it otherwise would have had both Prescott and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo been healthy. Instead, both franchises are near the bottom of their respective divisions and could very well be fighting for draft position at this point. 

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49ers No Match for Bills on Monday Night

Week 13 - Riding high after an uplifting victory on the road against a division rival, the San Francisco 49ers (5-6) were in prime position to right the ship and improve their record to .500 on the year, while also receiving some help in the division as both the Seahawks and Cardinals suffered losses. However, what was supposed to be a home game on Monday Night Football for the 49ers at Levi's Stadium, would instead take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, home of the Arizona Cardinals. Hoping to still make themselves at home, their Week 13 opponent would be the 8-3 Buffalo Bills who had other plans. While the 49ers have yet to play at State Farm Stadium this season to take on the division rival Cardinals, the Bills would be making their second trip to the desert this season and playing in a stadium that would bring back bad memories of a heartbreaking loss that took place just three weeks earlier. Anxious to avenge that loss at the hands of Arizona which came on the final play of the game, the team that stood in front of them on Monday night did not matter as quarterback Josh Allen and company would not hesitate to take it out on a short-handed 49ers team. 

Having grown up attending 49er games at the now demolished Candlestick Park and a native of Firebaugh, California, Allen's homecoming wishes of facing the 49ers in the Bay Area for the first time, were cancelled due to the strict restrictions put in place by Santa Clara County where the 49ers' new stadium lies, which has banned the play of contact sports for at least the next few weeks. But that wouldn't stop the Bills QB from having a coming out party on primetime television. Seeking their first win on Monday Night Football since 1999, Buffalo came out guns blazing on offense as San Francisco won the coin-toss and elected to differ. Moving the ball with ease, the Bills setup shop inside the red zone before being stood up at the goal-line by the 49er defense after a gutsy decision to go for it on 4th and goal. Taking over at their own 2-yard line, the San Francisco offense would also march their way to their opponents goal-line before being denied at the doorstep and held scoreless. The Niners would be gifted a second opportunity on the very next play as a bobbled handoff exchange from Allen to his running back ended up in the hands of San Francisco's Fred Warner. Though it would take them until third down, the 49ers would finally punch it into the end zone when QB Nick Mullens found rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the 2-yard touchdown. 

If there was anything the 49ers' touchdown did other than give San Francisco the lead, it was anger Allen and the Bills offense which went on a scoring surge of their own by orchestrating six consecutive scoring drives. Highlighting a first half which saw Buffalo take a 17-7 lead into the locker room, the 49ers were left clueless when trying to find an answer for slot receiver Cole Beasley who had a career-high in receiving yards by halftime before finishing with a game-high 130 yards and a touchdown on 9 receptions. While the 49ers did open the second half with a field goal to make it a one-score game, Buffalo answered with a touchdown to maintain their distance. The 49er defense suffered a mental breakdown when defensive-lineman Kentavius Street was called for a roughing the passer penalty that turned a would-be 3rd & 18 into an automatic first down. Making matters worse, the Bills would find the end zone two plays later. Looking to string together consecutive scoring drives of their own, San Francisco would do no such thing as Nick Mullens had his pass intercepted as Aiyuk was unable to come up with the grab which he bobbled into the hands of a Buffalo defender. 

After another Bills field goal, the Niners finally struck pay dirt in the second half as a 49-yard reception by Aiyuk setup fullback Kyle Juszczyk who hauled in a touchdown reception from 6-yards out. A fourth and final Bills touchdown would make it a 34-17 ballgame with the 49ers in desperate need of a touchdown-scoring drive. They would march all the way to the red zone inside the 5-yardline before Mullens was intercepted for a second time on the evening when his pass was pried out of the hands of running back Jeff Wilson Jr. who collided with Buffalo's Tre'Davious White as he came away with the ball. After finally forcing a Bills punt, the 49ers were able to score with a garbage-time touchdown in the final minute when Mullens connected in the end zone with tight-end Jordan Reed. Falling by a final score of 34-24, the 49ers were unable to capitalize on the losses of several teams vying for Wild Card spots in the NFC playoff picture. As for the Bills who will accomplish back to back winning seasons for the first time since 1998-99 under the tutelage of head coach Sean McDermott, Buffalo won their first Monday Night Football game of the century behind a fabulous performance from QB Josh Allen. 

Becoming the first Bills QB to complete 80% of his passes while tossing 4 TD's in a game, Allen completed 32 of 40 pass attempts for 375 yards and 0 interceptions, meanwhile his counterpart Nick Mullens threw for 316 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on 26 of 39 attempts. Aside from the aforementioned Cole Beasley who had a career-game receiving, wide-out Stefon Diggs also had a big night in the Buffalo receiving department, hauling in game-high 10 catches for 92 yards. Rookie Brandon Aiyuk led the way for San Francisco, catching five balls for 95 yards and a touchdown. Neither team had a monstrous game on the ground as Devin Singletary totted the rock 18 times for 61 yards for Buffalo, while both Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert shared the 49ers' workload to rush for 47 and 42 yards, respectively.  

Week 14 Preview - Continuing their stay at their home away from home in Glendale, Arizona, the 49ers (5-7) will play host to the Washington Football Team (5-7) in Week 14. Setting up a date against former 49er QB and first overall pick Alex Smith, Washington is riding high after handing the Pittsburgh Steelers their first loss of the season which took place earlier on Monday before the Niners faced the Bills. In what was their first win over Pittsburgh since 1991, the Washington Football Team has been playing inspiring football as of late after long journeys by both Smith who suffered a gruesome leg injury two seasons prior which almost cost him his leg, and head coach Ron Rivera who has had his own battle with cancer. Any thought of an easy game the 49ers had against Washington several weeks ago, can now be thrown out the window as San Francisco will need to bring their a-game if they want to get back in the win column. One way they can avoid another loss, although easier said than done, is by steering clear of the turnovers as the Monday night loss saw San Francisco commit at least two turnovers for the sixth consecutive game, their longest streak since 2008. If they're unable to do that and unable to hand Washington a loss, they can all but kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

49ers Kick their way to Victory vs Chiefs, 22-17

With the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the buzz heading into the game should have been about Chiefs QB Alex Smith going toe to toe versus his former team for the first time since they drafted him number one overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. Instead, the headlines were focused on Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh who according to reports is no longer wanted in the 49er locker room which resulted in 49ers CEO and team owner Jed York coming to the aid of his head coach via Twitter where he tweeted just hours before Sunday's game, "Jim is my coach. We are trying to win a SB, not a personality or popularity contest. Anymore questions?"

And for the second consecutive game, coach Harbaugh's players came to the rescue on the field. But before the game had ended and players met at midfield to shake hands and exchange pleasantries, the Niners were hoping to add Alex Smith's name to the long list of QB's taken first overall that have lost in their first game vs the team which drafted them. But early on, it was Smith who took it to his former team as he marched the Kansas City offense 81 yards down the field for a successful drive ending with a 2-yard touchdown pass to his tight-end Travis Kelce. The man who replaced Smith as the starting quarterback in San Francisco, Colin Kaepernick, would respond with a scoring drive of his own as veteran kicker Phil Dawson connected with his first of five field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards in what would be a busy day at the office. Kaepernick's lone touchdown pass on the day would come just before the end of the first half as he found Stevie Johnson in the end zone for the second consecutive week to put his team ahead heading into the locker room, 13-10. 

The Chiefs would storm back on offense, opening the second half the same way they did the first -- with a touchdown, this time of the rushing variety as rookie running back De'Anthony Thomas took his only rushing attempt of the ballgame 17-yards to the house for a touchdown. Then came a trio of big plays for the 49ers in the fourth quarter, the first of which coming on a gutsy fourth and 1 call as Harbaugh elected to go with the fake punt on a direct snap to safety Craig Dahl who rushed up the middle for the first down. Several plays later, receiver Brandon Lloyd would come up with yet another acrobatic catch as he leaped into the air and came down with the ball for a 29-yard gain. After regaining the lead with another field goal, the 49ers were in position to improve their lead on what would've been a 54-yard field goal attempt with just over 4 minutes remaining in the fourth, but K.C. would be called for a crucial 12 men on the field penalty which gave San Francisco an automatic first down. The Niners would end up getting a field goal out of it anyway, but the penalty extended the drive and allowed the 49ers to burn another two minutes off the clock.

With just over two minutes remaining and no timeouts left, the ball was in the hands of Alex Smith who had a chance to mimic Joe Montana's game-winning drive in 1994 to beat the 49ers in his second season with the Chiefs and his first meeting versus San Francisco. But that would be too good to be true as Smith instead overthrew a pass on second and 10 that Niners cornerback Perrish Cox picked off for his third interception of the season, tying him for the league lead. From there, all the 49ers had to do was kneel the ball as the clock hit double-zero with San Francisco prevailing, 22-17. Running back Frank Gore totaled over 100-yards in rushing for the second straight game and the Niner defense managed to keep the speedy Jamaal Charles to 84 total yards on the afternoon. Kaepernick logged a turnover-free ballgame by throwing for 201 yards and a touchdown compared to Smith's 158 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. And the San Francisco defense once again came through in the fourth quarter, shutting out the opposition. The win was also the first in five games for the Niners without their Pro Bowl tight-end Vernon Davis while under coach Harbaugh. 

Week 6 Preview: With back to back wins at home for the Niners, Colin Kaepernick and company will look to make it three straight as they hit the road to pay St. Louis a visit in an NFC Western Divisional showdown on Monday Night Football. With QB Sam Bradford out for the season for the (1-3) St. Louis Rams, the 49er defense will focus their attention on Austin Davis who rallied his team to three second half touchdowns in Week 5 @ Phillly and nearly pulled off a 27-point comeback before falling short, 34-28. As for San Francisco, coach Harbaugh and company will be keeping close tabs on TE Vernon Davis for a second consecutive week. One name that will without a doubt see action on Monday night is RB Frank Gore who has had some of his biggest games against the Rams including a 153-yard performance last season. Expect the 49ers to continue the trend in this one. 


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Week 11: Kaepernick, 49ers D expose banged up Bears

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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Week 8: Smith nearly Perfect as 49ers rollover Cardinals

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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Week 6: 49ers go M.I.A. in loss to Giants

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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Week 5: 49ers win another blowout, Bully Bills 45-3

After a dominant shutout victory on the road last week versus the New York Jets, the 49ers would duplicate their blowout performance on Sunday at home in a much cleaner fashion with a record-setting performance from the San Francisco offense. Hosting the Buffalo Bills, Alex Smith and company would string together arguably the best overall performance on offense in 49ers franchise history. Despite the 49ers' rich history, Sunday marked the first time ever that the team compiled over 600-yards of offense, finishing with a franchise-record 621 total yards, something that even all-time greats Joe Montana and Steve Young were unable to accomplish. San Francisco's offensive onslaught was also the most yards ever allowed by a Buffalo Bills team, surpassing the previous total of 598-yards which was also against the 49ers in 1992 and just so happened to be their largest amount prior to Sunday. 

Sunday's game was a game of firsts as 49ers QB Alex Smith threw for a career-high 237-yards in the first half before finishing with 303-yards on the day. Smith, Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, Colin Kaepernick, Anthony Dixon, Bruce Miller and Kyle Williams all contributed in the run game to total 311 yards rushing, making this the first 49ers team ever with 300 yards passing and 300 yards rushing. While Frank Gore led the way with 106-yards on the ground, both Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis eclipsed the century mark through the air with over 100 yards receiving. Crabtree, Kyle Williams and Mario Manningham all caught touchdown passes from Smith, with Gore, Dixon and Kaepernick all scoring on runs, including Kaepernick's second touchdown run in as many weeks. 

The game wouldn't all be about offense, however, as the 49ers defense stepped up and did its part by forcing two turnovers including one fumble and one interception. Meanwhile, San Francisco's only blemish came on a Colin Kaepernick fumble during the first half. Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick who coming into the game led the league in touchdowns with 12, was unable to get anything going against the stingy 49ers D which held the Harvard alum to only 126 yards through the air and no touchdowns. Buffalo's run game which has also been among the league's best was also kept quiet as C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson combined for only 53-yards rushing. The rest of the game would be smooth sailing as Buffalo's lone field goal came in the second quarter which at the time tied the game at three. After striking first in the first quarter with a David Akers field goal, the 49ers never looked back, scoring 42-unanswered points before going on to win, 45-3 and improving to 4-1 on the year. 

Preview & Prediction: Week 6 will see the 49ers get set to face off against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants in a rematch of last year's NFC title game. Tied for first place in the NFC East, the 3-2 Giants are coming off a 41-27 triumph at home against the Cleveland Browns. With Eli Manning under center for the G-Men and playing just as well as anybody, at first glance I'd expect this game to come down to the wire just like it did the last two times these teams met. But coach Harbaugh who is saying Alex Smith's sprained finger on his non throwing-arm is "very much a concern" can make this game a lot more interesting if he chooses to give backup QB Colin Kaepernick more snaps than usual. Regardless of what coach Harbaugh does at quarterback, I still like the 49ers at home coming off of back-to-back blowout wins and expect them to improve to 5-1 on the year with a 24-20 victory. 

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Week 4: 49ers Bounce back, Pummel Jets in shutout fashion

After a loss on the road during Week 3 to Minnesota in which the 49ers were downright outplayed on offense, defense and special teams, Jim Harbaugh and company would use just about anything as a springboard, but would much rather prefer a shutout. Facing a New York Jets team which features a number of question marks on both sides of the ball, the 49ers would get just that. Similar to last year's trip out east when coach Harbaugh decided to keep his team in Youngstown, Ohio where the squad trained following back-to-back games in Weeks 3 and 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles, the man at the helm chose to setup camp in Youngstown for a second time rather than make the flight back to the west coast only to fly back east a few days later. Allowing the team to focus a bit more on the task at hand, the remedy worked once again as the team showed up on Sunday looking like an entirely different team than the one that fell to the Vikings, 24-13 the week before despite not playing to their full potential.

With a combined 246 yards passing between San Francisco's Alex Smith (143 yards) and New York's Mark Sanchez (103 yards), it would be the running game that ignited all the fireworks on offense. Thanks to a number of contributions, most notably from running backs Frank Gore (62 yards) and Kendall Hunter (56 yards) as well as backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick (50 yards), the 49ers ran for a combined 245 rushing yards compared to the Jets' 45 yards rushing, with each player finishing with one rushing touchdown including the first touchdown of Kaepernick's career. The 245 rushing yards allowed by New York marked the most ever for a Rex Ryan coached team. Equally as bad as their defense was at stopping the run, the Jets offense had nothing to show for either as Mark Sanchez  entered the game with the worst completion rating in the league at 49.2%. After early indications of a lackluster offense during the preseason which saw the Jets fail to score a single touchdown on offense, things would only get worse for the Jets. 

Having lost their best player on defense the week before in Darelle Revis, the bad news for Rex Ryan's squad would continue as they would wind up losing wide-receiver Santonio Holmes to a serious foot injury in the fourth quarter, adding to the nightmare that has been the Jets' season. Tim Tebow who was brought in during the off-season and was due for his first snaps in a Jets uniform according to Rex Ryan, saw limited action under center as his first and only pass attempt of the season was a 9-yard reception to wide-out Dedrick Epps who was met by Dashon Goldson before fumbling and losing the ball, the first of four New York turnovers including two other fumbles and an interception. Since last season, winning the turnover battle has been vital to the 49ers' success under second year head coach Jim Harbaugh and has almost always decided the victor. Sunday was no different as San Francisco's stingy defense was +4 in the turnover department as the 49ers bounced back from their Minnesota debacle by trampling the Jets by a final score of 34-0. The 34-point shellacking was also the Jets' biggest shutout loss at home since falling 37-0 to the 1989 Buffalo Bills. 

Week 5 Preview & Prediction: With the 49ers returning home for the first time since their Sunday night affair against the Detroit Lions in Week 2, Jim Harbaugh's squad will host the 2-2 Buffalo Bills. Led by QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who leads the league with 12 touchdowns and is tied for second with the most interceptions (7), the Bills have been just as dangerous through the air this season as they have on the ground. But with the Bills nursing not one, but two star running backs in Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, Buffalo's offense might be in store for a long day as the 49ers D looks to impress and prove that last week's slaying of the New York Jets was no fluke. And with Fitzpatrick coming off a 4 touchdown, 4 interception outing at home against an off and on New England Patriots defense, the Harvard alum will have his hands full with one of the best defenses in all of football. Expect to see Alex Smith rebound from his dismal 143 yards passing, 0 touchdown performance against the Jets with his biggest numbers yet as he and running back Frank Gore lead the 49ers to a 30-17 win at home.


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Week 3: Sloppy 49ers unable to solve Ponder's Vikings

After logging wins against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the first two weeks, both of whom made the playoffs last season, the San Francisco 49ers were given their easiest task yet. So they thought. But the hosting 1-1 Minnesota Vikings would show no signs of intimidation facing one of the league's top teams and refused to be bullied in their own home. They would prove just that by going for it on a gutsy fourth-and-goal call to begin the game that paid off for Minnesota head coach Leslie Frazier. Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder executed Minnesota's opening-drive as well as anybody we've seen the 49ers face this year, capping the series off with a touchdown pass to his tight-end Kyle Rudolph and eating up over half the first quarter in doing so as the 49ers found themselves trailing for the first time this year, 7-0. 

Though the second quarter would treat the San Francisco offense much nicer than the first quarter did, quarter no. 2 wouldn't be very pretty either. 49ers QB Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore got things going on their second drive, as the two combined to get well within David Akers' territory, setting up the Pro-Bowl kicker for a 29-yard field goal to make it 7-3, Minnesota. But Christian Ponder would answer back by doing the unthinkable against the 49ers dominant run defense by scrambling up the middle for a 23-yard touchdown, channeling his inner Randal Cunningham and giving the Vikings a 14-3 cushion. With a chance to inch a bit closer nearing the two-minute warning, Alex Smith and company once again put the offense in position to tack on another three points, but this time David Akers' 43 yarder would be blocked, giving Minnesota a chance to increase their lead. A series of mainly short passes from Ponder would do just that, setting up Vikings kicker Blair Walsh who split the uprights from 52-yards out as Jim Harbaugh found his team down, 17-3 at the half. 

Having been downright outplayed in all three phases of the game in the first half, the 49ers would need both a solution on offense as well as an answer for Christian Ponder. And while they seemed to be on track by opening the second half with a 94-yard kick return from Kyle Williams resulting in another Akers field goal as well as a touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis after forcing a Minnesota three-and-out, it wouldn't be long before the 17-13 deficit would once again reach double-digits for the 49ers. Another 7-minute long drive orchestrated by Ponder ended much like the first with Ponder linking up in the end zone once again with his tight-end Rudolph who this time made a circus catch with one hand. With both the score (24-13) and the clock against them, the 49ers were in need of some magic if they planned on making a comeback. 49ers running back Frank Gore who hadn't fumbled since Week 5 of last year, would pick a terrible time to lose his first fumble of 2012, fumbling on San Francisco's first play of the drive. 

Gore's turnover ended a career-high streak of 255 consecutive carries without a fumble and seemed to have put the game away for good. But after each exchanging a pair of punts, Minnesota's second-string running back Toby Gerhart would fumble not once, but twice on back-to-back drives. But San Francisco would be unable to capitalize as they were courteous enough to give the ball right back on back-to-back turnovers of their own. Alex Smith who's been near perfect this season in the turnover department would be anything but during week 3 as the 49ers final two drives ended in an interception intended for WR Michael Crabtree and a fumble as Jared Allen greeted the quarterback with a sack, forcing another 49er fumble as San Francisco fell for the first time this year, 24-13. Ironically the 49ers first loss came on a day Alex Smith threw for more passing yards than the opposition as his 204 yards on 24-of-35 attempts bested Ponder's 198 yards on 21-of-35 pass attempts.

What was most puzzling regarding the loss was that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was kept out of the end zone and held to under 100 rushing yards (86-yards on 25 carries) and yet the 49ers weren't able to come out on top. And while the 49ers looked unprepared for what they faced in Minnesota, the Vikings appear to be a better team than they've been portrayed to be and deserve all the credit in their upsetting win on Sunday. And though the loss is inexcusable for the 49ers, you can be sure that head coach Jim Harbaugh will take it as a wake-up call similar to the one they got from the early loss to Dallas last season and have his team alert and ready for battle come next Sunday. Hopefully his plan on offense will include more of Randy Moss who made his first trip to Minnesota as a member of the visiting team with only 27-yards and 3 receptions to show for. 

Week 4 Preview & Prediction: Week 4 will see the 49ers continue their current road trip as they get set to face a 2-1 New York Jets team that similar to theirs is best known for their defensive capabilities and run oriented offense. Luckily for Alex Smith and co., the 49ers offense will have one less problem to worry about as the Jets will be without the best cornerback in the game as it was learned that Darelle Revis will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn MCL in his left knee, dealing a huge blow to not only Rex Ryan's expensive D, but also his playoff hopes. The meeting at New York's MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will also mean that the 49ers will get to see their first glimpse of Tim Tebow. Having now taste defeat this season, I expect the tandem of Alex Smith and Frank Gore to have a much better outing on offense this week as well as a bounce back performance from the 49ers defense who should provide plenty of problems for the quarterback duo of Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. With that said, look for the 49ers to return to the bay area 3-1 after a 24-17 win over Gang Green. 


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Week 1: 49ers too much for Rodgers, Packers

With the San Francisco 49ers set to kickoff the 2012-13 NFL season in front of a national audience on FOX as part of America's Game of the Week, the team under second year head coach and the reigning Coach of the Year Jim Harbaugh would be tested right out of the gates and given the daunting task of having to face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field where they haven't won since 1990. As if taking the field against an opponent who they've lost 8 consecutive games against wasn't tough enough, the 49ers would be facing last year's MVP in Aaron Rodgers. But even a date with the game's best quarterback would be an inviting challenge for a stingy 49ers defense which ranked tops in the league last season. And while there may be no such thing as stopping Aaron Rodgers, the 49ers were able to contain him. 

After winning the coin-toss and electing to receive, the 49ers appeared to have a long day ahead of them with Clay Matthews and the Packers D forcing San Francisco to punt on their first drive following a three-and-out. But that wouldn't stop them from getting on the board first as Alex Smith and co. marched down-field on their following drive, setting up David Akers for a 40-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. The successful drive would spark a steak of five consecutive scoring drives for the 49ers offense. On their next possession, San Francisco would get some production from one of their biggest acquisitions during the off-season in Randy Moss. Taking snaps for the first time in over a year, Moss would be targeted by Alex Smith in the end-zone for a 14-yard Touchdown, capping off a 92-yard drive.

But being the player that he is, Rodgers would answer with an impressive drive of his own, marching the Packers down the field and highlighting an 80-yard drive with a 1-yard pass to his tight-end Jermichael Finley to make it a 10-7 ballgame. The rest of the half would be all about David Akers as the 49ers kicker stole the show by etching his name into the record books. Following a 43-yarder, Akers who set an NFL record just a season ago with 44 made field-goals, gave San Francisco a 16-7 lead at the half after splitting the uprights from 63-yards out with the help of the crossbar, tying Tom Dempsey, Jason Elam and Sebastian Janikowski for the longest field goal in NFL history. 

In need of a second-half jolt, the Packers would fail to find it on their first drive of the second-half as they were forced to punt following a three-and-out. The 49ers would then add to their lead as Alex Smith found his favorite target -- Vernon Davis in the end-zone from 4-yards out for another Touchdown. After exchanging a pair of punts, Green Bay would get something working in the special teams department as second year player Randall Cobb returned an Andy Lee punt 75-yards for a Touchdown. With an illegal block in the back by Green Bay during the return, the score looked like it was coming back, but the officials instead picked up the flag and said there were no penalties on the play. With the Packers getting away with one, the 49ers lead was bumped to 8-points as Rodgers and co. converted on a 2-point conversion. Getting the ball back after a San Francisco three-and-out, Rodgers failed to tie the game as Navarro Bowman came up with an interception on a pass intended for Gregg Jennings.

49ers running back Frank Gore would be sure to capitalize on Green Bay's mistake, rushing 23-yards into the end-zone on San Francisco's first play from scrimmage. Down 30-15, Rodgers would refuse to give up, answering with a touchdown of his own, connecting with wide-out James Jones on back-to-back plays before eventually linking up with him in the end-zone from 10-yards out to make it a one possession game. With one last chance to tie it up and potentially send the game into overtime, the game would come down to a final fourth and ten play with Rodgers taking a shot at the end-zone where his pass intended to Jordy Nelson was broken up by cornerback Chris Culliver, allowing Alex Smith to take a knee and milk the clock with the score 30-22. 

Despite allowing 324 yards in total offense including 303 coming through the air, San Francisco's defense for the most part kept Rodgers in check and prevented him from making the big plays when they needed to. And while Alex Smith threw nearly 100 yards fewer than Rodgers, he was able to match him with a pair of TD's and topped him in the turnover department, 0-1, playing mistake-free football. The run defense would be the difference in the game, however, as the 49ers allowed a measly 45 yards rushing on 14 carries compared to the 186 yards rushing Green Bay allowed on 32 carries. Frank Gore would lead the show with 112-yards and a TD. Giving up only 22-points, 7 of which coming off a punt return to a high octane offense such as Green Bay's proves that the 49ers can hang with the best regardless if they're on the road or at home. Winning the time of possession battle 33-minutes to 27-minutes, the 49ers snapped an 8-game losing streak to Green Bay.

Preview & Prediction: With Week 1 in the books, the potent 49ers defense will direct their attention to Matt Stafford and the Detroit Lions in Week 2 as Alex Smith and company look to take the field in front of their home crowd for the first time this season in a Sunday Night battle. Though the 49ers have won the last 8 consecutive meetings versus the Lions, the league's best wide receiver in Calvin Johnson a.k.a. Megatron will do everything possible to put an end to that streak. Unfortunately for them I see that streak reaching a ninth consecutive loss and have the 49ers winning, 27-14.  


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49ers stun Saints, Punch ticket to NFC title match with Giants

This past weekend we were treated to one of the more thrilling Divisional Playoff games in recent years between the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers which had everything one could ask for including big plays, hard hits, costly turnovers and late-game heroics. What began as a one-sided error fest for the Saints, would soon turn into a teeter toter affair that came down to the final seconds of regulation and will forever be embedded in the minds of football enthusiasts and 49er fans alike. Prior to kick-off, the 49ers were ruled underdogs despite being the home team as New Orleans stormed into town riding one of the hottest streaks in all of football, winners of their last eight. Having been rather quiet virtually all year long on the offensive side of things, the 49ers would explode onto the scoreboard thanks to an Alex Smith performance that was seven years in the making.

Entering the game, Saints quarterback and potential MVP candidate Drew Brees hadn't thrown an interception during the postseason in five years and had only two picks throughout his entire postseason career (eight games). The daunting 49ers defense would add to their NFL-best 38 takeaways during the regular season by forcing Brees to throw two interceptions in the first half of Saturday's game alone before later adding three fumbles to eventually win the turnover battle, 5-0. The costly miscues would spell doom for the Saints who came into the hostile environment of San Francisco's Candlestick Park still seeking the franchise's first playoff win on the road (0-4). The Saints appeared to be on their way to their first ever road victory when Brees who finished the game with 462 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes overcame an early 17-point deficit and connected with tight-end Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown reception followed by a successful 2-point conversion to give New Orleans a 32-29 lead with 1:37 remaining on the clock.

After putting San Francisco up, 29-24, with a 28-yard touchdown run on third down with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, former number one overall pick Alex Smith would be called upon one last time to lead the 49ers to a victory and send them to their first NFC Championship since 1995. Having been M.I.A from the playoffs for nearly a decade, the 49er faithful made their presence felt as a sellout crowd of 69,732 screaming fans witnessed the 49ers become the first team in NFL history to score two lead-changing touchdowns in the final three minutes to win a playoff game as Alex Smith channeled his inner Joe Montana by finding Vernon Davis in the endzone to win the game. The 14-yard connection from Smith to Davis was reminiscent of possibly the NFL's most famous play, "The Catch" from Montana to Dwight Clark and even more so to "The Catch Part II" from Steve Young to Terrell Owens as both Owens and Davis were seen in tears following their game-winning grabs, coining Davis' catch as the third installment of "The Catch." Coincidentally this year marks the 30th anniversary of the famed play from Montana to Clark which won the NFC title game back in 1981.

Alex Smith threw for 299 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24-for-42 passing, 7 of which to Vernon Davis who finished the game with 2 touchdowns and 180 receiving yards, setting a record for the most receiving yards in a playoff game by a tight-end. Just a season removed from being pelted with boo's from the home crowd, Alex Smith has now led his team to the NFC Championship and is one win away from returning the 49ers to their sixth Super Bowl, first since the 1994 season when the proud franchise captured their 5th title. Standing in the way of San Francisco making their first Super Bowl appearance since the Steve Young era is a New York Giants squad that is also on a tear. Fresh off their defeat of the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, Eli Manning and the New York Giants will try to avenge their Week 10 loss to the 49ers by putting an end to the Super Bowl hopes.

Preview & Prediction: Unfortunately for them, the game will be played in the same stadium they lost at during Week 10 of the regular season by a score of 27-20. 4-0 all-time in NFC Championship games, the Giants will pay a visit to San Francisco's Candlestick Park where they've lost 11 of their last 14 games (including playoffs) since 1980. Meanwhile, the 49ers boast an all-time record of 4-3 vs New York in the playoffs, including 4-1 at home. And as if the storyline wasn't already an intriguing one, meteorologists are calling for rain which could very well play a factor in Sunday's outcome. Considering the 49ers were able to overcome the hottest quarterback in the entire league entering last week's match-up, I like San Francisco's chances of doing the same against arguably the league's second hottest quarterback in Eli Manning. New York's dominant pass rush could be quite an obstacle, however, but that won't stop me from picking the Niners to come out on top, 27-23, punching their ticket to a long awaited sixth Super Bowl. GO NINERS!


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Harbaugh Coaching The 49ers Back To Glory

Through the first ten weeks of the NFL season no team has made a bigger turnaround than the San Francisco 49ers. After claiming their most recent victim earlier today routing the New York Giants by a final score of 27-20, the 49ers currently sit in the drivers seat in the NFC Western Division with an overall record of 8-1 and have already won more games this season than most experts predicted they'd win as well as eclipsing their win total from last year (6-10). Much of the credit for San Francisco's sudden success goes to head coach Jim Harbaugh who in his first year at the helm is slowly transforming the 49ers back into the proud franchise that made a habit out of winning during the early 80's and on into the 90's.

After taking over a depleted program at Stanford in which he helped rebuild and form what it is today, the 49ers knew what coach Harbaugh could bring to the table and they made him aware of that by offering him a 5-year, $25 Million deal during the offseason. The one thing Harbaugh has done since taking over the job other than winning of coarse is making believers out of his players most notably his quarterback Alex Smith. While many were beginning to write off the six-year QB Smith who entered the offseason a free-agent for the first time in his career, Harbaugh, a former quarterback during his playing days saw what few others saw in Alex Smith -- a second chance. Re-signing the former first overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft was one of the first things atop Jim Harbaugh's to-do list when he landed the job and so far it's worked out quite well as Harbaugh has been able to groom Smith into the quarterback they thought they were drafting nearly seven years ago.

Though Smith hasn't put up the MVP-like numbers you'd expect from an 8-1 team, he's played smart football thus far and has avoided the forced throws and bad decisions that have haunted him throughout his professional career. And with a Pro Bowl running back in Frank Gore the burden is somewhat relieved on offense. Gore who was awarded a contract extension earlier this year has put together one of finest month and halves by any 49er running back in franchise history, logging a club record five consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing. Even more impressive than San Francisco's offense is their defense. Led by one of the youngest and most lethal linebacker tandems in all of football, Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman, the 49er D ranks number one at stopping the run and has worked it's way up the latter in just about every single other statistical category as well.

Coming from someone like myself who's grown up a diehard 49ers fan, I can't begin to put into perspective just how impressive Harbaugh has coached this team considering the lockout-shortened offseason that did nothing but serve as an inconvenience to him and his new squad. But anyone on coach Harbaugh's coaching staff would tell you that he's not yet satisfied with the results and that there's still room for improvement as the playoffs near. Follow the team's journey as the season progresses as they get set to host the division rival Arizona Cardinals next week in San Francisco in hopes of improving their 8-1 record that ranks second in the league to only the undefeated Green Bay Packers.


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Week 4: 49ers pull a Houdini to shock Eagles, 24-23

Coming off an ugly yet hard fought win in Week 3 on the road against Cincinnati, instead of taking the flight back to San Francisco, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to keep his squad out east as the team prepped for their next opponent in Youngstown, Ohio. A move which would later do wonders.

Heading into Sunday's match up, the 49er defense knew they had their work cut out for them facing the dangerous Mike Vick. Despite suffering from a series of concussions and a contusion to his throwing hand in the first few weeks of the season, Vick expressed how healthy he felt coming into Sunday's game saying he was 100% positive he'd start. His performance would look every bit the part as he finished the game with a career-high 416 passing yards to go along with his 75 yards rushing. A number of pivotal mistakes committed by Vick's peers, however, would lead to their demise.

Heading into the locker room trailing at the half down 23-3, all Jim Harbaugh could do was hope his offense would make it to the stadium before the game had ended. Those prayers would be answered as a much more poised Alex Smith would find his groove from the third quarter on, compiling for 201 passing yards on 13-for-17 passing while leading the San Francisco offense on back-to-back touchdown drives, the first a 30-yarder to wide-receiver Josh Morgan and the second a 9-yard pass to tight-end Vernon Davis, bringing the 49ers to within a touchdown.

With both team's quarterbacks doing their part on offense, it would be the kicking units who had some explaining to do as both David Akers and Alex Henery had a hard time splitting the uprights. Akers, who served 12 seasons in Philadelphia before signing with San Francisco in the offseason as a free agent, would convert only one of his three field goal attempts as the first missed wide right and the third was blocked. As for Henery who was brought in to replace Akers, the Philly faithful saw their rookie kicker miss two costly fourth quarter field goals, failing to make it a two possession game and keeping the Niners within striking distance.

Having virtually been a non-factor on offense this season after signing a lucrative multi-year extension, 49er running back Frank Gore was subject to a possible replacement as rookie RB Kendall Hunter was doing everything right to obtain the starting role. And with coach Harbaugh deciding to go with Hunter to start the game due to a sprain to Gore's right ankle, it appeared that all Gore needed to get going was a bit of pressure. Then again the Eagles' horrid run defense helped too. After a series of runs by Hunter on San Francisco's first drive, Gore wasn't ready to give up his starting job just yet as he exploded up the gut for a 40-yard gain. The 2-time Pro Bowler out of Miami wouldn't stop there as he finished the game with 127 yards rushing and the game's go-ahead touchdown to put the Niners on top, 24-23.

Having been outscored 36-0 in the 4th quarter during their last three games (all loses), the Eagles appeared to be on their way to finally put an end to that dreadful mark until WR Jeremy Maclin was chased down and stripped from behind by 49er defensive end Justin Smith as free safety Dashon Goldson recovered the ball with just over two minutes remaining. A steady diet of run plays by Gore and Hunter would help San Francisco milk the clock and pull off the miraculous comeback that put an end to a five-game losing streak against Philadelphia. Although Alex Smith didn't dazzle like his counterpart Vick did who was picked off once, he came through big when needed and other than an early fumble was able to avoid making any costly turnovers.

Week 5 Preview: Given their week 4 success, I'd expect coach Harbaugh to utilize the home away from home method in the coming weeks when the team has back-to-back road games. As for week 5, the 3-1 49ers head back home to Candlestick Park where they'll host 3-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With a potent mixture of both passing and rushing on offense, the 49ers will once again have their hands full on defense. But with the home crowd backing them, I like San Francisco's chances of improving to 4-1.
Prediction: 49ers: 27 - Buccaneers: 17.

Forty Niners x Week 8 x Close But No Cigar

On a day that seen Peyton Manning became the 4th quarterback in NFL history to complete 4,000 passes, his Indianapolis Colts were in hot water facing the 49ers. San Francisco matched well in the early going as they led 14-9 at halftime. The 49er lead was also the first time Indy trailed heading into the half this season. But like always, it doesn't matter how you start the game, but rather how you finish it. & What the Niners did to finish the game was unacceptable. They were kept scoreless the entire second half resulting in a 18-14 win for the Colts.

For a San Francisco defense that's been missing in action since week 4, they were fortunate enough to keep Peyton Manning from adding any damage by completing any touchdown passes. & Although holding Manning touchdown-less is no easy task, they were still unable to prevent him from reaching the 300 passing yard mark. Manning tied a career high for 300 yard games in a single season with his sixth. The former MVP and Superbowl Champion finished the day off with 31-of-48 to compliment his 347 passing yards. All of this helped Indy accomplish their 16th straight regular-season win.

On opposite ends, San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith got his first start since the early weeks of the 2008 season. He didn't have the strongest start, but what he did was keep the 49ers into the game late. He compiled 198 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception off of 19-for-32 passing attempts. & Like usual, the bond between Vernon Davis and Alex Smith grew larger with a 8-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Davis. I was right about my prediction on Smith not being able to have 2 consecutive solid starts, but what more could I have expected against an Indianapolis Colts defense? The 18-14 loss marked the third in a row for the 49ers, so hopefully next Sunday will be a brighter day for San Francisco as they host Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans.

San Francisco 49ers x Week 7 x Houston We Have a Problem

Once again, things got ugly quick for the 49ers, as the San Francisco defense looked as if it was still on it's BYE week the team had in week 6. San Francisco fell behind early and went into the half with a 21 point deficit. Niners running back Frank Gore made his return as he started his first game since getting injured on the first drive in week 3 when the team made a visit to Minnesota. However, Gore had almost no effect as the Niners run game was shut down by Mario Williams & company.

The second half told a different story, as coach Singletary decided to let back up quarterback Alex Smith start the remainder of the game in spot of Shaun Hill. Before Smith took the field I began to worry, then again things couldn't have gotten any worse than they already were, trailing 21-0. Smith, a former number 1 overall pick by the Niners in the 2005 NFL draft has played well under expectations and nowhere near his college career. But as soon as he took over for Hill, the 49er offense began to show a late form of life. Smith went on to throw for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns on 15 for 22 passing, compared to Hill's 45 yards on 6 for 11. Smith's 3 td's all caught by tight end Vernon Davis. Although the Niners were able to rally late in the game, it was still not enough as the Texans D intercepted a 4th and 10 pass by Smith with 30 second remaining ending the possible comeback.

Smith's turnaround performance caught the attention of coach Singletary as he later named Alex Smith the starter for next week's game against the Indianapolis Colts. I agree with the move, given the game Smith had but I'm not convinced he can have back-to-back performances like that. But only time will tell. Alex Smith wasn't the only Niner making headlines, as 1st round draft pick Michael Crabtree finally made his long anticipated NFL debut, leading all 49er wideouts in receptions with 5, for a total of 56 yards. It might not of been the most memorable debut but he showed that he's got great hands as he made a few difficult catches. He also played a lot more than I had expected, so it'll be interesting to see how well he does the rest of the season.

On to week 8, where once again the 49ers will have their work cut out for them, this time against former MVP and SuperBowl champion Peyton Manning & the Colts. *Gulp!*