Tag: San Francisco 49ers

49ers’ signing of Sherman is a stellar move

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

Photo credit: @NFL

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Contributor

Not like the San Francisco 49ers needed any validation from this guy typing here, but the signing of cornerback Richard Sherman was a huge win for the organization and for Sherman.

According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Sherman and the 49ers came to terms on a three-year deal worth $39.15 million on Saturday after five hours of negotiating. Sources also mentioned that Sherman represented himself during those negotiations.

News broke out Friday that Sherman was having dinner with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and spent most of Saturday meeting with team officials in Santa Clara, where he also took a physical.

He became a free agent once the Seattle Seahawks released the veteran cornerback Friday to avoid paying the $11 million salary he was due in 2018. It will be very weird at first to see Sherman don the Red and Gold this season after spending his first six seasons in Seattle tormenting the 49ers for much of that time.

While in Seattle, Sherman was voted First-Team All-Pro three times and voted to the Pro Bowl four times and alongside safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, formed the feared “Legion of Boom” secondary. From 2012-16, Seattle led the NFL in scoring defense for four straight seasons.

Sherman, the 6-foot-3, 195 pound cornerback, will turn 30 on March 30, is coming off a torn right Achilles tendon suffered in November that limited him to just nine games. It was the first time in his career that Sherman didn’t play a full 16-game schedule. The original timetable for Sherman’s return to football-related activities was 6-to-8 months, which would make him available by mid-May to early-July.

Since entering the NFL out of Stanford in 2011, Sherman leads the league with 32 interceptions and 99 passes defended.  Opposing quarterbacks are completing just 47.4 percent of their passes with a 50.9 passer rating, which is first in the NFL among cornerbacks with a min of 300 targets in coverage according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Jacksonville’s A.J. Bouye (54.9), Los Angeles Chargers’ Casey Hayward (57.7), Los Angeles Rams’ Marcus Peters (60.7), and the retired Darrelle Revis (66.0) round out the top five.

Sherman is long and rangy with extreme football smarts that makes him one of the more feared cornerbacks in the game today, when healthy.

Sherman arguably made the biggest play in Seahawks history in the final minute of the NFC Championship game in January 2014 when he deflected a Colin Kaepernick pass intended for wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the end zone. Linebacker Malcolm Smith, now with the 49ers, intercepted the pass which sealed Seattle’s second NFC title and propelled the organization to its first and only Super Bowl title.

That season, Sherman finished with a career-high eight interceptions.

Since that game, the 49ers have lost nine straight head-to-head matchups with their bitter rivals from the Pacific Northwest.

With Sherman on board, the 49ers have a veteran cornerback that they can pair with Ahkello Witherspoon, who had a strong rookie season with two interceptions and seven pass breakups. At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Witherspoon is similar in size to Sherman.

Outside of the promising Witherspoon, the 49ers didn’t have a premier cornerback on the roster last season. By signing Sherman, the 49ers filled one of their biggest holes heading into this offseason and gives the team  a legitimate cornerback that opposing offenses will need to account for.

After watching their divisional rival the Los Angeles Rams add two top-flight cornerbacks in Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib in separate trades within the last two weeks, landing Sherman wasn’t a bad fallback plan for the 49ers and the vocal Sherman, who wanted to play for “a contender.”

With just over $70 million in salary cap space according to Overthecap.com, the 49ers can still address the offensive line and remain play for former Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who is an unrestricted free agent and the most coveted cornerback on the market.

The 49ers are expected to be one of the better story-lines heading into the 2018 season and have just gotten more interesting with the addition of Sherman, who gets to remain in the NFC West and face Seattle twice a year.

A win for Sherman, who will play with the ultimate chip on his shoulder, especially in those matchups. Motivation can be fuel for anyone. For Sherman, who many believe has lost a step due to the Achilles injuries (he had a “procedure” to clean up his left Achilles this offseason too), will be out to prove that he is still the best cornerback in football.

49ers Sign Cornerback Richard Sherman: Match Made in Heaven?

Published on by joelamiLeave a comment

Photo credit: @BaySportsOne

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The most exciting off-season in a decade is officially underway for the San Francisco 49ers, as they inked all-pro cornerback, Richard Sherman, to a three-year deal on Saturday afternoon. According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, the deal is reportedly worth up to $39 million.

The deal comes the day after Sherman was released by the Seattle Seahawks as the team continues to tear apart the Legion of Doom. Sherman spent all of his seven seasons with Seattle and made it his priority to sign with a contending team. He will now have the opportunity for revenge playing against the Seahawks twice a year.

Sherman is the ideal cornerback the 49ers were looking for. The big-bodied 6-foot-3-inch 195 pound defensive back can bring loads of experience with him to a rather young 49ers organization. Once the most-feared corner in the league, Sherman has 32 interceptions, 99 pass deflections, and 279 tackles in his career.

However, despite all of the experience and accolades, Sherman is not a lock, as he is coming off a torn Achilles after getting surgery on his other Achilles. Sherman is also turning 30-years old later this month, which leaves some to question how much more he may have in the tank. Last season was the first time he didn’t play all 16 regular season games when he finished with nine.

Regardless, the signing is an exciting one for San Francisco at a position that they desperately need. The move shows that John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan think they aren’t far off from bringing San Francisco back to the playoffs and competing with Los Angeles for the NFC West title.

San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor: Either way, Foster could be gone or suspended for six games

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @112BREAKING

On the San Francisco 49ers Podcast with David Zizmor:

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ruben Foster is either looking at a six-game suspension or getting released by the 49ers for his alleged domestic violence charge. The 49ers are waiting for to hear back from Los Gatos Police. Foster is charged with domestic violence, criminal threats, possession with a assault weapon. Foster is accused of dragging his girlfriend to the doorway of his Los Gatos home and throwing her belongings out the balcony and front doorway of the home.

Dave takes a look how this most recent charge impacts the team after they had a cavalcade of players who previously were arrested or had issues with law enforcement over domestic violence issues or DUIs. If the police do not charge Foster, the NFL can turn around and charge Foster for domestic abuse violating his contract and suspend him six games.

Dave Zizmor does the San Francisco 49ers podcast report at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

 

 

49ers string off fifth straight win, close out 2017 with 34-13 blowout over Rams

Published on by joelamiLeave a comment

San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde, right, celebrates after scoring against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By: Joe Lami

The Jimmy Garoppolo era in San Francisco continues to amaze as he remains undefeated as a starter after the 49ers beat the Rams 34-13 to close out the 2017 campaign.

Already making the playoffs, the Rams decided to sit stars Todd Gurley and Jared Goff and the Niners used it to their advantage, dominating from the opening kick-off.

Garoppolo finished the day with two touchdowns, and two interceptions and was 20-of-33 for 292 yards. His first touchdown came in the first quarter as he found his favorite target, Marquise Goodwin, from eight yards out.

Goodwin suffered a concussion later in the game and was taken to a local Los Angeles hospital, but is doing a lot better. He only had one other catch for a total of 28 yards.

Garoppolo later found Aldrick Robinson in the fourth quarter to make it 34-6.

Upon speculation of his last game in the red and gold, Carlos Hyde had one of his best games of the season, running for 90 yards and hammering in two touchdowns.

Sean Mannion was clearly no Goff for the Rams, as he struggled most of the way. The Rams secondary passer threw for 169, completing 20 of 34.

Lance Dunbar scored the only Rams touchdown in garbage time with 6:40 remaining.

The 49ers finish their season, having won five straight and six of their last seven. Since Garoppolo became the starter, they have been one of the best teams in the league and have looked unstoppable.

The excitement is finally felt in the Red and Gold faithful, creating one of the most important offseasons in franchise history. With the winning streak, they’ve thrown together, San Francisco has gone from selecting second in the NFL Draft to selecting ninth.

Most shockingly, the 49ers and Raiders finished 2017 with the same record.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Jimmy Garappolo Changed the 49ers’ Trajectory

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, left, hugs Los Angeles Rams quarterback Sean Mannion after their 34-13 win against the Rams during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

San Francisco 49ers ended the season with lots of hope for the future. The main reason is their everyday quarterback, Jimmy Garappolo, who is 26 years of age and has played football at Eastern Illinois University, was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

With the Patriots, he was the back-up for the great Tom Brady, San Mateo’s own, and future member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Garoppolo. experienced what it was to play on a team with one of the all-time greats. Garoppolo would finish the season for the 49ers with a 34-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams, who had won their division. On this last Sunday and last day of the year 2017, Garappolo completed 20 of 33 passes for total of 292 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The final record of the 49ers this season was 6-10. As a starting quarterback, Garappolo won the last 5 games of the season.

Considering that the 49ers have not enjoyed a winning season since 2013, when they finished 12-4, this season that ended Sunday was very positive and hopeful for the team. After the Colin Kaepernick years (2011-16) and after the controversy towards the end of his tenure, the 49ers were making more news because of political reasons than football reasons. 2016 was the last year for Kaepernick with the 49ers as he started 11 games that season, but became a huge distraction, not for what he could not do during the games, but what he did, before the games. Considering that a player in any sport, gets paid for what he does during the game, common sense tells you that the ownership of the 49ers was not thrilled about his antics. After those 11 games, he would join the unemployed.

In 2017, the 49ers had Brian Hoyer as a quarterback for six games, then C.J Beathard for five games, and then on December 3, at Chicago, Garoppolo got his first opportunity to start, and although he was far from perfect, he managed to bring home a winner, a 15-14 victory over the Chicago Bears.

Nobody can predict the future, who would have predicted the last month for the 49ers? Did you see it coming? Did you put back in your car that 49ers flag that you took away at the end of last season? C’mon, let’s be honest.

But seriously, and one thing for sure, the 49ers have found a quarterback than stands up for the National Anthem, and can also stand-up to win games. Regardless how you feel about Kaepernick (whom I respect and has the right to demonstrate for his cause, although I do not agree he should have done it on the field), the 49ers have totally changed their image from a loser to a winner in a span of a few weeks. In football, it has been proven again and again, that you cannot win without a good quarterback.

We all remember the 49ers during their glory years: the Bill Walsh offense, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, and all those great players and Super Bowls that made this franchise the top professional sports franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area, with five Super Bowl titles. It was a lot of fun covering those winning years at old and decrepit Candlestick Park. I covered those teams for Telemundo and it was always fun, from the tailgate parties to the post game interviews.

Rejoice 49ers fans, for your team, has found a leader on the field!

Happy New Year!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary and Podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

 

 

San Francisco 49ers-LA Rams preview: Rams to rest starters vs. 49ers

Published on by jeremy2878Leave a comment

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) passes against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

By Jeremy Harness

SANTA CLARA–The 49ers are riding a wave of optimism and excitement that was not there earlier in the first few months of 2017, and from the way things are going, there’s a good chance that it will keep going into 2018.

San Francisco has won each of its past four games with new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under center, including the team’s signature win of the year last Sunday, a 44-33 victory over the playoff-bound Jacksonville Jaguars, which has kicked the excitement for the team’s future prospects into high gear.

They will close out the season in Los Angeles this Sunday against another playoff team in the Rams.

The Rams, who have clinched the NFC West and a first-round home playoff game but cannot earn a first-round bye, will rest most, if not all, of their key players when they take on the 49ers on Sunday.

Among those expected to sit out the game are quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley as well as top offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth. Also not expected in the lineup for the Rams is top pass rusher Aaron Donald.

What this means for the 49ers is a chance to make even more headway in the hopes of having a major carryover effect for next season. The 49ers have been depleted by injuries for much of this season, but unlike the earlier part of this year, the team now has a quarterback that many believe will hold the foreseeable future of the offense in his right arm.

For the 49ers, most of those who were limited in practice last week have been full participants this week, including cornerback Greg Mabin, tight end George Kittle and linebacker Reuben Foster. Meanwhile, safety Adrian Colbert was limited with his shoulder injury but is expected to play Sunday, as is receiver Marquise Goodwin (back) and receiver/kick returner Trent Taylor (shoulder).

Jeremy Harness previewed all home and away San Francisco 49ers games each week during the 2018 season at http://www.sportsradioservice.com.

 

The Jimmy Garappolo show continues as 49ers beat Jaguars 44-33 for fourth straight win

Published on by joelamiLeave a comment

Photo credit: @ESPNStatsInfo

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The 49ers saved the best for last on Faithful Appreciation Day, as they put up their highest point total of the season in a 44-33 victory over the AFC South Champion, Jacksonville Jaguars, at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

The Jimmy Garappolo show is thriving in Santa Clara as San Francisco has won four straight games for the first time since the 2013 season–the last one played at Candlestick Park. The Niners have also won five of their last six and might as well be the hottest team in the NFL, especially with a victory against one of the best teams in the league.

The buzz surrounding the 49ers is impressive for a five-win team in December. but is felt all around the locker room and the minute one walks into Levi’s Stadium.

Jacksonville secured the playoff spot right as the game kicked off with the Rams’ 27-23 victory over the Tennessee Titans, but played their starters the entire game, yet it still wasn’t enough.

Sunday marked the first time in NFL history with a final score of 44-33 as it played very similar to a basketball game with both teams going on runs.

San Francisco started hot out of the gate. Garoppolo marched the offense immediately down the field on a 79-yard drive lasting 4:42, capped off by a Garoppolo punch-in touchdown. The Niners would go up 16-0 before the Jags got on the board, thanks to a 27-yard Robbie Gould field goal and a 50-yard pick six from Dontae Johnson.

On the ensuing point after attempt, Gould’s PAT was blocked and returned for a two-point conversion by Aaron Colvin. The special teams’ play was enough to jump-start the Jags’ offense, as they were able to string off 19 straight points to take the 19-16 lead with 10:26 left in the third. However, San Francisco would recapture the lead with 6:46 to go in the third and not look back.

San Francisco’s offense saw contributions by nearly everyone. Garoppolo ran one touchdown in and threw for two. George Kittle and Trent Taylor were the recipients, while Carlos Hyde and Matt Breida also ran in touchdowns.

Brieda finished the day leading the team in rushing yards with 74 over 11 carries, while Hyde carried the ball 21 times for 54 yards.

Pro-Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk led the team in receiving yards, as he caught all five targets for 76 yards. Kittle was also perfect, catching all three targets for 42 yards. Garoppolo did an excellent job of spreading the ball around as nine different Niners had at least one reception.

Most impressively, the offensive line stopped one of the best pass rushes from getting to Garoppolo, as “Sacksonville” only sacked Garoppolo once.

San Francisco’s recent performances would be nothing without the work of the defense. The strongest third of the 49ers’ season has been getting overlooked now that they have support from the offense, but once again, they were a vital part in Sunday’s win.

Forcing bad throws from Blake Bortles all day cumulated in three interceptions from Johnson, K’Wuan Williams, and Ankello Witherspoon.

Bortles struggled most of the day, finishing 32-of-50 for 482 yards and two touchdowns. The Niners’ front seven also shut down one of the best rushers in the league, as Leonard Fournette carried the ball 18 times for only 48 yards.

While the 49ers remain one of the hottest teams in the NFL, they hope to close out their season with five straight wins against the Los Angeles Rams next weekend before one of the biggest offseasons in franchise history.

San Francisco 49ers preview: Jaguars’ pass rush provides unique challenge to surging 49ers

Published on by jeremy2878Leave a comment

Photo credit: @AroundTheNFL

By Jeremy Harness

Jimmy Garoppolo is now 3-0 as the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback, but this week will present a challenge that the last three teams were unable to bring.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are among the league’s leaders in sacks, making the offensive line’s ability to protect him much more important. In addition, even though they have locked up their first playoff spot in 10 years, the Jaguars have the inside track on winning the AFC South and have a chance of getting a first-round bye.

In short, Jacksonville still has a lot to play for as they head into Week 16, when the two teams will meet at Levi’s Stadium on Christmas Eve.

Another huge challenge for the 49ers is Jacksonville’s running attack, which leads the NFL in rushing yards and appears to have returned to full strength at this point. Running back Leonard Fournette, who has had a wildly-impactful rookie season, practiced on Wednesday after sitting out last week’s game with a quadriceps injury.

As for the weekly injury report, that list has grown once again for the 49ers. Cornerback Greg Mabin was completely held out of practice on Wednesday due to a calf injury, while receiver Marquise Goodwin also missed practice, partially due to a back ailment.

Meanwhile, backup running back Matt Breida (knee) was among the ones limited in practice on Wednesday. Safety Adrian Colbert, whom the 49ers are expecting big things from and has shown flashes of his potential this season, is currently in concussion protocol and also has a thigh injury that limited his participation Wednesday.

One player not listed on the injury report is fullback Kyle Juszczyk, but he was recently named on another list. This week, he was the only 49er on the NFC’s Pro Bowl team, and in fact, he was named a starter.

Jimmy G, 49ers beat Titans 25-23 for third straight win

Published on by jeremy2878Leave a comment

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo fields questions after an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

By Jeremy Harness

The feeling that Jimmy Garoppolo will be the one to help the San Francisco 49ers return to glory is in full swing now. The new guy under center brought the 49ers back from behind on two different occasions in the fourth quarter against a playoff contender in the Tennessee Titans, before Robbie Gould, who has been as clutch of a kicker as there is in the NFL, came through with a walk-off 45-yard field goal to give his team a 25-23 win at Levi’s Stadium Sunday afternoon.

This marks the 49ers’ third win in a row, which so happens to be the number of games that Garoppolo has started for his new team, and Sunday marked his first home start in a 49ers uniform.

He finished with 381 passing yards, while completing 31 of his 43 throws, one of those finding the end zone for a touchdown. He continually made the right decision and found wide open receivers, repeatedly exposing the Titans’ secondary and put his receivers in position to make big plays, particularly down the stretch.

After Ryan Succop nailed a 50-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 23-22 lead with 1:07 remaining, Garoppolo got right to work. He completed passes in the middle of the field, but he was able to get his team down the field efficiently enough that they did not have to burn their last timeout prematurely.

In fact, they did not even have to spike the ball in order to stop the clock. Because of that, they were able to preserve that last timeout until three seconds remaining, with the 49ers sitting at the Titans’ 27-yard line, setting up Gould’s game-winner.

The 49ers will have a pair of very tough games to close out the 2017 season, as they will face the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars before taking on the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams, who drubbed the Seattle Seahawks, who had had a stranglehold on the division since 2013, Sunday afternoon.

The Titans, however, remain in the AFC’s wild-card spot, and that they still have a chance to win the AFC South if they win out.

Marcus Mariota had a bounce-back performance on Sunday, completing 23 of his 33 passes for 241 yards along with a pair of scores. He did not throw an interception.

Surging 49ers hope to keep streak going; host Tennessee in week 15

Published on by jeremy2878Leave a comment

Photo credit: @WBLZSports

By Jeremy Harness

Despite the fact they have owned one of the worst records in football this year, the San Francisco 49ers were known to be one of the most upbeat, positive teams in the NFL on a weekly basis–all because of the simple fact that there’s a new regime in place with a fresh outlook on the game.

The 49ers have seemed to have hit a nice stride these days, particular after a 26-16 win on the road against the Houston Texans, giving the team their second win in a row and their third win in four games, after losing their first nine games of the season.

The only thing that could be considered a negative is that they appeared to have blown their chance to get the top pick of next year’s NFL draft.

Looking forward to Sunday, the 49ers face an uphill battle against the 8-5 Tennessee Titans, a team that’s shooting for a playoff spot at this point, something that the 49ers don’t plan to see for another couple of years.

For the 49ers, the two keys remain the same: hope and improvement. Those two are as strong as ever right now. The team’s new quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, has won his first two starts with his new team, and this Sunday marks his first home game as a starting quarterback.

Despite their record, the 49ers have remained competitive in most of their games this year, and under different circumstances, the team could be much closer to .500.

However, the 49ers’ injury report has grown a bit from last week, as tackle Trenton Brown didn’t practice Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, while tight end Garrett Celek (knee) and safety Adrian Colbert (thumb, thigh) were both limited in practice.

Another addition to this list is safety Eric Reid, who has a rib injury and a knee ailment. He has been dealing with both injuries for most of the season. He was limited in practice on Wednesday.