Author: joelami

49ers Hope to Make it Two Straight Against Struggling Browns

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By: Joe Lami

The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of arguably their biggest win of the season after last week’s overtime 26-20 victory over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The win marked the first time in nearly 30 years the 49ers walked away with a win in Chicago.

They hope to keep the momentum going this week as they travel back to the midwest to take on the Cleveland Browns and get their record up to 5-8 with the win.  Cleveland has had struggles of their own this year with a record of just 2-10 and 1-5 at home. San Francisco has also struggled in Cleveland, not winning there since 1984.

The Browns are giving Johnny “Football” Manziel one final chance after multiple off the field issue by giving him the start against the 49ers on Sunday. Manziel has seen his struggles in the NFL in his young career with the off the field issues making them a whole lot worse. If the 49ers can contain Manziel in the pocket, they are set up for success. Expect a lot of spy packages from the middle linebacker position this week for San Francisco.

Blaine Gabbert proved that he is also a man that can run the ball, something that the Browns are going to need to focus on, as his 44-yard touchdown run last week was the demise of Chicago. The Browns will need to keep an eye on the athleticism of the new 49ers QB, as he can use his legs once again to take San Francisco to victory.

Prediction San Francisco 21 Cleveland 13

Niners Travel to Solider Field to Take on Surging Bears

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By: Joe Lami

The 49ers are coming off yet another loss. This time at the hands of the division leading Arizona. They hope that the 19-13 loss can be something to be built on, as many positives can be taken. Quarterback, Blaine Gabbert had a career day in which he passed for 318 yards and one touchdown. The defense also held the Arizona running offense to only 70 yards.

This week the Niners are matched up against the Chicago Bears. The 5-6 Bears are hoping that the home contest against San Francisco can bring them back to .500 on the season. This would be huge for them as they have been able to string off wins in three of their last four to turn their season around. They’ve also struggled at home with a record of just 1-4.  Jay Cutler is having himself a career year, passing for over 2500 yards and 14 touchdowns while only throwing six interceptions.

The 49ers are winless on the road (0-5) and have been outscored by an outstanding 176-71 margin.

San Francisco will see a familiar face in defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, who was yet another departure from the terrible offseason in Santa Clara. Fangio is ready to shut down his former team but with Gabbert under center, he might not recognize the new 49ers offense. His defense is staying strong against the pass, allowing only 214 yards per game but on the run they’re 29th in the league.

Running back, Carlos Hyde has already been ruled out for the contest, not making the flight to Chicago. This means for the fourth straight game Shaun Draughn will be in the backfield for the Niners. Draughn has 146 yards on 43 carries so far this season in San Francisco and will be huge if the Niners want to have any chance walking out of Solider Field with a victory.

Prediction:

Chicago 21 San Francisco 17

Stars Score in Flurries to Beat Barracuda on Sunday

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By: Joe Lami

Less than 24 hours after a huge win by the San Jose Barracuda over the Texas Stars 5-4 on Saturday, they returned on the ice to a losing fashion 3-2 to the top scoring team in the AHL.

Goals came in flurries for the Stars, as they got on the board less than a minute into the contest. Curtis McKenzie tallied his first of the season just 45-seconds in. He threw the puck in front from behind the net and it found its way off a Barracuda defender past Troy Grosenick for the only goal in the first period.

McKenzie had a chance at his second of the period on a penalty shot after being pulled down on a breakaway with nine minutes remaining in the frame, but Grosenick held strong on the attempt.

The Barracuda had a penalty shot of their own just minutes later. This time, it was Jeremy Langlois that got pulled down on a breakaway. However, San Jose’s leading scorer couldn’t capitalize on the chance.

San Jose finally tied the game at one in the second period. Scott Timmins was awarded the goal off of a deflection out in front of a Joakim Ryan point shot. However, it is believed that Trevor Parkes deflected it after Timmins did. As of now, it remains Timmins goal and is the fifth of the year for him. If the goal is changed to Parkes, it will be his third.

The flurries started back up for the Stars, as 15 seconds would cost the Barracuda the game. Radek Faska scored at the 13:16 marker unassisted and Brendan Ranford iced the game at the 13:31 mark for his sixth of the season. “It’s just frustrating when you put together a pretty good hockey game and a lapse for 15 seconds is a two-goal difference,” added Bryan Lerg.

San Jose attempted to battle back but fell short.  Gus Young made it a contest, scoring his first professional goal at 15:05 of the second period but San Jose was unable to get the puck past John Muse again, as he picked up 33 saves in the victory.

49ers Seek to Get Their Revenge on Division Leading Cardinals

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By: Joe Lami

The San Francisco 49ers are 1-1 in the Blaine Gabbert era, as they fell last week 29-13 to the Seahawks. Their record now stands at 3-7 on the season, tied for last in the NFC.

This week the 49ers get a rematch against the (8-2) Arizona Cardinals, a team that blew them out 47-7 in the third week of the season. However, there is a different quarterback under center from the blowout that saw Colin Kaepernick throw four interceptions, including two for touchdowns in the first two drives of the game.

Kaepernick won’t be facing one of the best defenses this week, as he has been placed on the injured reserve list after receiving surgery on his non-throwing shoulder earlier this week. Instead, Gabbert will get the start against the Cardinals, a team he has never faced in his NFL career.

Earlier in the week, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Tyrann Mathieu commented on the difference of having Gabbert under center for the 49ers, “it seems like Gabbert has a little better grip on what’s going on. He knows where the ball needs to go. I think he gives the [49ers] a better option going forward”.

The Cardinals have been on a tear this year, with the second best point differential at +120 and the highest scoring offense, averaging 33.6 points per game. Quarterback, Carson Palmer, is returning to old form, as he passed the 3,000-yard mark on the season in last week’s win over the Bengals.

It will be interesting to see how Gabbert handles the Cardinals, but like last week Arizona is too strong for the 49ers. However, with a different quarterback it will be a much closer game, assuming Gabbert doesn’t throw four picks as well.

Arizona 24 San Francisco 17

49ers Hope to Turn Around Struggles in Seattle

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by Joe Lami

The San Francisco 49ers return to action this Sunday, as they travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. Seattle has faced their own struggles as well this season with a 4-5 record heading into Sunday. However, three of their five losses have been by less than four points.

It was just a month ago where the Seahawks blew out the 49ers 20-3 on Monday Night Football in Santa Clara. The 49ers offense couldn’t get anything going, even though their defense held them in the game for the majority. San Francisco will have someone new under center from a month ago, as Blaine Gabbert will be starting his second straight.

He won his first start of the year with a 17-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He led two touchdown drives, throwing for 185 yards on 60% pass percentage. The 49ers offense looked revived with Gabbert under center, finally having a quarterback that can get the ball into their receivers hands.

Gabbert’s biggest challenge will come to his right as he will have to avoid Richard Sherman. Sherman hasn’t done much yet this year, with eight pass deflections and no interceptions. Earl Thomas leads the mighty Seahawks secondary with three picks on the year. The 49ers will also be using their make shift running back core, with Shaun Draughn expected to get the majority of carries once again.

San Francisco wasn’t able to stop Marshawn Lynch in their first matchup, who will be looking to have a field day come Sunday.

Seattle has just dominated the 49ers at home in recent years, as San Francisco hasn’t won in the pacific northwest since 2011. The streak will continue this year, as expect Seattle to just dominate the banged up 49ers defense. Gabbert should be able to get something going offensively however.

Seattle 28 San Francisco 13

Is Blaine Gabbert the 49ers Future Quarterback

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By: Joe Lami

With the benching of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers finally have a breath of fresh air in the locker room.  It seemed to work two weeks ago in the 17-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Blaine Gabbert was able to move the ball down the field with efficiency and ended up with 185 yards on 15 completions and most importantly two touchdowns, something that Kaep only did six times before the benching.

Granted that the opposition was the Falcons defense, Gabbert is proving himself that he is a solution for right now. He faces a mountain ahead of him this week by having to go into Seattle and face the Seahawks, something that Kaepernick was never able to conquer.

It’s well known that the 49ers season is over and at this point they are playing for pride, which makes one have to look towards the draft next year in 2016. They are still predicted to have a high pick and have many positions that need to be filled with it, especially at the offensive line.

With it seeming more and more likely that California quarterback Jarred Goff will be staying for his senior season at Berkeley, the 49ers won’t be able to take the quarterback that everyone is predicting they want. With this in mind, do the 49ers waste a pick on the best quarterback available or do they go ahead and fill in some of the holes in some much-needed areas.

If Gabbert can continue as a winning quarterback, he should stay at quarterback for San Francisco in 2016.  It can give the option to us pick to bolster the terrible offensive line in Santa Clara while waiting for a chance at their eventual savior in Goff.  The 49ers just need a QB that can deliver their receivers the ball. San Francisco has one of the best wide receiving cores in the NFL that just need someone that can get the ball in their hands to win ball games and it appears that Gabbert is enough to get that done.

49ers Hope Roster Moves Make Difference Against Atlanta

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by Joe Lami

It appears the San Francisco 49ers have given up on the 2015 season. With a week filled with huge roster mix-ups, and announced lineup changes it looks like the 49ers are starting to look to the future and the 2016 draft.

Earlier in the week they traded away once great tight end Vernon Davis to the Broncos for multiple late round draft picks. The move shocked no one as Davis has been struggling to do anything in the last two seasons. He came out later to blame the locker room atmosphere for his recent struggles.

The 49ers also announced that quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been benched and that Blaine Gabbert will get the start. Kaepernick’s tenure in red and gold appears to be over as his performance is St. Louis was the last straw.

San Francisco’s offense has been horrendous this season and is dead last in the NFL with 109 points. They haven’t scored a touchdown since the win three weeks ago to the Ravens. Gabbert needs to be the 49ers savior, and he has a chance against the 6-2 Atlanta Falcons that have a terrible pass defense.

Hopes shouldn’t be high for a 49ers win on Sunday, but the excitement around a fresh start with the recent moves should help out a little.

Prediction: Falcons 28 49ers 10

It’s Not Getting Any Easier for San Francisco, Face Rams in Week 8

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By: Joe Lami

The 49ers are coming off of another loss at Levi’s Stadium this season where they managed to put up only three points. After getting last weekend off, they returned to the team’s facilities on Monday morning to a controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick and his likability in the locker room. Multiple reports came out claiming the locker room is divided and that no one likes Kaepernick within the 49ers’ organization.

The frustration is at its boiling point on the season and the team that was in the Super Bowl just two seasons ago is now at its breaking point. Many are already calling the season a loss with the 2-5 record for the red and gold. With the Cardinals looking like the dominant team in the NFC West, the 49ers slight chance at the post season appears to be over. However, pride is still involved, and the 49ers are at the cellar of the league.

This week the 49ers will square up against the (3-3) St. Louis Rams. The Rams are surprisingly in second place in the NFC West and have lots to play for as they remain in the hunt to catch Arizona. The Rams are favored by 9.5 points on Thursday entering the contest, as San Francisco has yet to find the win column on the road in 2015. This week doesn’t look too promising either, as the Rams took care of the Cardinals a few weeks back 24-22, a team that blew out the 49ers.

Look for potential offensive rookie of the year, Todd Gurley to have another explosive day for the Rams as he was just awarded the rookie of the month for October with 442 yards on the season for two touchdowns. The Rams new quarterback Nick Foles has thrown for 1119 yards on the season and without safety Antone Bethea he’ll look to torch the San Francisco secondary. His primary target has been Kenny Britt with 442 yards and two touchdowns. The Rams like to spread the ball around a lot with five receivers all over 165 catching yards.

St. Louis also has a stingy rush defense allowing only 649 yards on the year.

It’s going to be another long day for the 49ers offense if they play similar to last week. The inconsistency this year is one of the main effects to their poor play.

Having zero trust in the offense against a division rival, prediction: Rams 27 49ers 3

Can the 49ers Turn Things Around Against the Seahawks

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By: Joe Lami

The San Francisco 49ers (2-4) are coming off a short week this week as they take on the Seattle Seahawks also (2-4) on Thursday Night Football. The 49ers are coming off arguably their best game of the season, as they were able to piece together a passing game. Even though last week’s win over the Baltimore Ravens came down to the last play, the 49ers are looking to build up steam.

No one would have that at the beginning of this year that both the 49ers and Seahawks would have been 2-4, but they are making this a vital matchup in the NFC West. The winner can pull within striking distance of the Arizona Cardinals. A win would mark a season turn around for either club.

Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick is coming off of a week where he threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers were also able to get the long ball working, as he found Torrey Smith on a deep strike touchdown against the Ravens. Now the Seahawks defense is nowhere close to being as horrendous as the Ravens, and it should be a real test for the 49ers.

Seattle comes into the contest winless on the road while San Francisco is 2-1 at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers will seek revenge on Seattle, since the last time the Seahawks visited Levi’s they embarrassed the Niners on Thanksgiving.

Seattle is coming off of a 27-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers, as the Panthers were able to storm back in the 4th quarter in Seattle, something that hasn’t happened to the Seahawks in recent memory. 

The Seahawks are led by Russell Wilson, who has thrown for 1400+ yards on the season for seven scores and three picks.  Marconi Lynch is expected to be back to nearly 100% as he has been banged up in the past.

The 49ers concern still lies in the secondary as they will continue to determine outcomes of games. If they can stand strong against the Super Bowl Winning QB, the 49ers stand a chance at beating their hated rivals.

Prediction: Seahawks 27 49ers: 14

Week Six Sees Two Struggling Teams in 49ers & Ravens

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The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of a tough loss against the New York Giants, as a 4th Quarter comeback from Eli Manning was enough to give the Giants a 30-27 win on Sunday Night Football last week. Despite the loss, the future looks promising for the 49ers as Colin Kaepernick had his best game of the season, going 23 of 35 for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

Kaepernick’s performance brings hope into week six since it’s by far the best he’s looked all year, as the 49ers (1-4) host the Baltimore Ravens, also (1-4).  It’s been a down year for the Ravens as well. Their only win came in week four against the Steelers and they are coming off of a 33-30 loss against the Browns.

Both running backs in the game are questionable, as Carlos Hyde missed two days a practice with a foot injury for the 49ers and Justin Forsett is listed as questionable with an ankle problem. If Forsett can’t go for the Ravens, it’s good news to the 49ers, as he is the fifth leading rusher in the NFL.

The secondary continues to be the biggest issue for the 49ers, as they face another good quarterback in Joe Flacco. His main target at receiver is Steve Smith Sr, who is also questionable for Sunday. If the 49ers front seven can dominate, they should have no problem with Flacco. However, if Flacco gets time in the pocket, it will be a long day for the secondary.

Both teams have had their major issues this year, and it will be a battle of 1-4 teams. The Ravens are the favorites going in, but if Kaepernick can repeat the day he had last week, the 49ers should be lined up for their second win of the year.