Tag: San Francisco 49ers

49ers Preview vs. Texans

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By: Joe Lami

Saturday begins a brand new season for the 49ers, as they travel to Houston to take on the Houston Texans in their first pre-season game of the year. Thus ending one of the roughest offseason’s the Niners have had in recent memory.  With the latest happening Friday, as San Francisco announced the release of Aldon Smith.  The release came after a report that the 25-year old linebacker had been arrested on Thursday night for the fifth time since 2012.  49ers coach, Jim Tomsula, commented on the release “We’re not worried about football. It has nothing to do with football”.

Fortunately for the Niners, they’re able to get back on the field this Saturday. With that in mind, there are a few things to keep an eye on as we move forward in the pre-season. The first of which is to find out who will be replacing Smith as the outside linebacker.  Tomsula commented on losing one of the best pass rushers in the game, “Well, I mean, we’ve drafted. We have a group there. I mean, it’s an area that, regardless if that area, if we felt that area was loaded or we had a lot of people, a lot of good quality talent in the group, which we do. But, that would not have factored into this decision. Not in this case”.

Navorro Bowman will also be returning to the field for the first time since the 2013 NFC Championship game, as he will need to be the savior on defense this season. Getting to see how his leg holds up in limited action will be a gauge of how really prepared he is for this coming season.  Word has it that he is 100%, and he was looking outstanding at training camp, but the eye test isn’t complete until he plays in a real game situation.

Besides the mess at linebacker that will begin to be settled on Saturday, the first preseason matchup of the season will give a chance for fans to see “the new” Collin Kaepernick.  Kaepernick had been working with former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner during this offseason to improve his motion.  From what I could tell at training camp, it was looking a lot better compared to last season.  Kaepernick also was looking a lot more comfortable in the pocket and was able to move around and find an opener receiver.  However, with this observation occurring at training camp, where Collin knows he won’t get hit, he was good.  Come Saturday, when J.J. Watt will be rushing him off his right side, we will see how comfortable he is moving around in the pocket.  Will Kaepernick be this new quarterback we’ve been hearing about or will he return to his old self, being forced into bad decisions?

Finally, the 49ers will get to see their first look at new arrivals Reggie Bush and Jarryd Hayne. Both Bush and Hayne will be competing for the backup running back spot with much excitement coming for both men.  Hayne, a former rugby star in Australia, looking to make a NFL roster spot will be sure to bring a nice physicality to the position.  Bush is entering his tenth season in the NFL, with over 5,000 career rushing yards and 35 touchdowns.  He’s looking for a much needed bounce back season, after only getting 76 touches for 297 yards last season for the Detroit Lions.  Bush will also be bringing his speed to the kick return game, as he was getting reps in training camp.

Lon Simmons sitting with Willie Mays

Hall of Fame Broadcaster Lon Simmons Dies at age of 91

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By Jeff Hall

SAN FRANCISCO –

It is with great sadness we share the news regarding the loss of a Bay Area Legend, Lon Simmons

The Hall of Fame broadcaster passed away on Sunday at the age of 91.

Simmons did play calling for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco 49ers

The Giants announced that Simmons died peacefully, saying, “The Giants family and Bay Area sports community lost a true gentleman.”

Giants President and CEO Larry Baer shared his thoughts, “Like many fans, my earliest Giants memories were listening to Lon and Russ on my transistor radio,” Baer said. “He will be deeply missed by all of us.

Simmons won the Ford C Frick award in 2004 and was known for his signature home run call saying “Tell it goodbye!”

Simmons had the voice that all aspiring broadcasters dream of having and would often get us to laugh with his quick wit sense of humor in his broadcasts.

Simmons death will be considered a great loss to all of the Bay Area since He spent many years at the microphone for both Bay Area baseball teams and many great San Francisco 49er moments.

During his season with the A’s broadcasts The late Bill King would often turn the microphone over to Simmons on a major baseball historical moment, including when Rickey Henderson set the major league stolen base record.

The A’s noted that Simmons ”called some of the greatest moments in Oakland history, including the final three outs of the A’s 1989 World Series championship.”

Simmons will always be remembered for His memorable 49er call in 1988 when Steve Young scrambled against the Minnesota Vikings in 1988.

“Young, back to throw, in trouble, he’s going to be sacked. No, gets away, he runs, gets away again, goes to the 40, gets away again, to the 35, cuts back at the 30, to the 20, the 15, the 10. He dives. Touchdown, 49ers!”

49ers CEO Jed York said the team ”was deeply saddened to lose one of our own today with the passing of Lon Simmons.”

Simmons — who spent much of his time in the radio booth alongside Russ Hodges — dealt with cancer more than once in recent years. He requested not to have a memorial service, the Giants said. He attended selected games last season and still worked as a community ambassador for the Giants after retiring in 2002.

“I’m grateful for the support of the Bay Area fans,” Simmons said upon being selected the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award. “The fans are more important to me than anything else because those are the people I tried to please the 40 years.”

Jim Tomsula Has Work Cut Out As 49ers’ New Head Coach

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By: Eric He

After weeks of speculation following a chaotic beginning to the offseason with the departure of Jim Harbaugh, the San Francisco 49ers have connected the first piece of the puzzle.

Long-time defensive line coach Jim Tomsula will take over the reins of the 49ers, a decision that was announced late Wednesday afternoon by the team.

Tomsula is a rather surprising and under-the-radar hire, considering the 49ers had interest in bigger names such as Rex Ryan, Mike Shanahan, Todd Bowles, and Adam Gase. They also passed over well-respected defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who is expected to leave the team with the hiring of Tomsula.

A lot will be riding on Tomsula to clean up the complicated mess he is inheriting, and the expectations will be ramped up. Trying to fill the shoes of Harbaugh — an immensely popular coach who brought immeasurable success to the franchise his first three seasons — will be no easy task for anyone, let alone Tomsula, who has referred to himself as “Jim Nobody From Nowhere.”

No one knows how he will turn out as a head coach, but the general perception is that this is a rather underwhelming hire — after all the frustrations of this past season and all that has unfolded this offseason, the answer to the 49ers’ complicated problems is…”Jim Nobody From Nowhere”?

That nickname, though, is a testament to Tomsula’s dedication to football, working his way to the top. As profiled in this 2011 story in The Press Democrat, Tomsula got his start as unpaid assistant at Catawba College (ever heard of that school?), working four jobs to make ends meet. He caught his break when he was hired to coach oversees at NFL Europe, and then came back to the states in 2007 as a defensive line coach for the 49ers. He has stayed in that position for eight years, save for one game when he served as interim head coach at the end of the 2010 season. So we know his background, we know players respect him, and we know that he’s the longest-tenured coach on the 49ers.

But as the head coach, the man tabbed to resurrect the franchise after the good times came to an abrupt halt thanks to mediocre play on the field and an overzealous owner?

Jed York repeatedly noted the 49ers’ goal to win the Super Bowl “every year,” but he should worry about getting his franchise stabilized before shooting for the stars. He may have his man in Tomsula, but there are many questions to be answered. The team is currently without an offensive and defensive coordinator, with Greg Roman leaving for Buffalo and Fangio likely pursuing other opportunities.

With Tomsula specializing in defense, hiring a good offensive coordinator is a must, particularly considering the offense sputtered mightily last season. Colin Kaepernick looked lost way too often last season for a quarterback with more postseason road wins than Joe Montana and Steve Young. Frank Gore is aging, and is no lock to return. Vernon Davis was almost invisible, and the offense seemed to stray away from the run game, the 49ers’ bread and butter. Finding a coach who can solve the offensive woes will do wonders for Tomsula.

The coming days will be pivotal as the 49ers shore up their vacancies on the coaching staff. The coming weeks and months will be just as important, because the 49ers need to re-assess and put together a formidable roster if they have any hope of contending right away in the Tomsula era. The NFC West is a rugged division — the Seahawks and Cardinals are playoff teams, and the Rams are not far off from being a presence. The 49ers trended backwards in 2014, and now the ball is in Tomsula’s hands to right the ship and become a “Jim Somebody From Somewhere.”

49ers look to finish season strong

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By: Phillip Torres

SANTA CLARA- The San Francisco 49ers (7-7) will host the San Diego Chargers (8-6) on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The 49ers will look to play spoiler for the first time since head coach Jim Harbaugh joined the team in 2011. Last week San Francisco was officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss to Seattle. The 49ers will now just look to finish the season with two consecutive wins to finish the disappointing season at 9-7.

San Diego is looking to make their second consecutive playoff appearance as they are tied for second place in the AFC West. They would need a lot of help to get into the tournament, but they still have postseason hopes. The Chargers are coming off of a 22-10 loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos, and are in the midst of a two game losing streak. Their last victory came on November 30 as they beat the Baltimore Ravens 34-33.

The 49ers are not playing any better currently, as they are skidding and in the middle of a three game losing streak. San Francisco’s last victory came on November 23 against the Washington Redskins. San Francisco finds themselves in an unfamiliar place this week. They will being playing in a game that essentially does not mean anything for them. With the loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, the 49ers were eliminated from playoff contention. The last time the 49ers did not make the playoffs was in 2010.

With what has been a roller coaster season so far, the saga for the 49ers continued on Wednesday. Defensive end Ray McDonald was released after a sexual assault issue was brought up on Wednesday. With the release of McDonald, Tank Carradine is expected to start the remaining tow games. Carradine is excited for the opportunity that is presented as he looks to win a starting job for 2015.

Other drama that is surfacing the 49ers is the fact that the University Michigan has reportedly offered Jim Harbaugh a six year $49 million contract. Michigan is Harbaugh’s alma mater and they have shown significant interest in the 49ers head coach throughout the season. Harbaugh has said all season that his focus is on the season with San Francisco and nothing else. But, with just two games remaining in the 2014 regular season and Harbaugh’s future with the Red and Gold in doubt, the offer from Michigan makes sense.

San Francisco will finish off the season at home. The next two games will be against San Diego on Saturday, and the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday. Arizona has already clinched a playoff spot but will be looking to secure the number one seed. The Cardinals will face Seattle this week. A victory for the 49ers on Saturday will put them back over the .500 mark. at 7-7, this will be the first season that San Francisco will not finish with at least 11 wins under Harbaugh. Kickoff On Saturday will be at 5:30.

Raiders off to KC looking for seconds

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — After a dominating performance on both sides of the ball in a 24-13 victory over their cross-bay rivals the San Francisco 49ers at O.co Coliseum last Sunday, the Raiders look to take that momentum into Kansas City Sunday against their arch rival the Chiefs.

Oakland (2-11) earned their first win of the season with a 24-20 victory over Kansas City in Week 12 at the Black Hole and would like nothing more to take the season series from the Chiefs.

Raiders’ signal caller Derek Carr played more like a 10-year veteran than a rookie, completing 22-of-28 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers No. 2 ranked defense that gave up two touchdown drives of 80 yards and rarely pressured Carr.

Carr completely outplayed 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who didn’t fair too well against a Raiders defense that sacked Kapernick five times, two apiece by rookie linebacker Khalil Mack and defensive tackle Antonio Smith.

“This week it was preached to us just how important this game was,” Smith said after the game. “This week more and more of us became true Raiders, knowing what the heritage is about, knowing what this game was about, how important it was to this city.”

Safety Charles Woodson sealed the victory (and possibly San Francisco’s playoff chances) in style with a fourth quarter interception.

Kansas City (7-6), are coming off close 17-14 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona last Sunday, their third straight loss dating back to their first encounter with Oakland on Nov. 20.

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith completed 26-of-39 passes for 293 yards one touchdown and an interception. Running back  Jamaal Charles finished with 10 carries for 91 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown run. Charles’ second touchdown (an 18-yard toss from Smith), gave Kansas City a 14-6 halftime lead only to see the lead slip away.

Oakland could have some trouble against a Chiefs team that is No. 5 overall in defense, and No. 2 against the pass and who are desperate to end their three-game losing streak and stay afloat in a tight AFC playoff race.

Players to Watch

Kansas City, OLB, Justin Houston.

Houston has been nothing less then stellar for Kansas City this season. With 16 sacks (a career-high), Houston is tied with Baltimore outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil for the most in the NFL. The fourth-year pro from Georgia recorded a sack the last time Oakland saw Kansas City.

Oakland, QB, Derek Carr.

There is no question that Carr is Oakland’s quarterback for the next five-to-10 years. That should be music to the ears of Raider Nation, who’ve had 18 different starting quarterbacks since Rich Gannon in 2003. Carr leads all rookies in touchdown passes (17) and passing yards (2,676).

49ers and Seahawks meet for Thanksgiving date

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By: Phillip Torres

SANTA CLARA-The San Francisco 49ers (7-4) are set to host the Seattle Seahawks (7-4) on Thanksgiving Night. The date between the two division rivals is the first of the season. The playoff hopefuls will then see each other again just 17 days later in Seattle. The meeting on Thursday Night is huge for both teams.

Both teams come into the game at 7-4 and just two games back of the first place Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals will be hosted by the Atlanta Falcons (4-7) on Sunday. On paper Arizona is the clear favorite to win the ballgame, but Matt Ryan has great numbers when playing at his home field. So, the winner between San Francisco and Seattle could possibly be just one game back in the division after Sunday.

The 49ers are coming off of a game where it was a must win against the Washington Redskins (3-8) on Sunday. The defense of the Red and Gold came up big once again with another sensational performance. Robert Griffin III was sacked five times, twice by Aldon Smith. The two sacks by Smith now give him career 44 sacks in 44 career games. Justin Smith recorded the fifth and final sack of Griffin inside the last minute of the game forcing a fumble that fell into the arms of Ahmad Brooks. Chris Borland also led the team with eight tackles, two of which went for a loss.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has thrown touchdown pass in 18 consecutive games, tying Hall of Famer Steve Young for the longest streak in that category in 49ers franchise history. The dual threat quarterback will look to continue his fine season with a huge win against Seattle and add to his total of 15 touchdown tosses this season. His go to target this season is yet again, Anquan Blodin. Boldin needs to record 175 yards to earn his second 1,000 yard receiving season with San Francisco in as many years.

The Red and Gold will play three of their remaining five games at home this season. One of those two away games will also be played in Oakland, CA, just down the freeway. That means San Francisco will only have to travel one more time during the regular season, and that is in two weeks when they make the short trip to Seattle to face the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. The 49ers are 3-2 at Levi’s Stadium this season.

Kickoff between the 49ers and the Seahawks this Thursday will be at 5:30 pm.

San Francisco seeks third straight win against Washington

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By: Phillip Torres

SANTA CLARA- The San Francisco 49ers (6-4) will host the Washington Redskins (3-7) on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers are seeking their third consecutive victory as they are coming off of two great defenses performances. Last week against the New York Giants, the 49ers defense forced five turnovers, all via the way of interception. San Francisco’s defense held the Giants to just 10 points on the afternoon.

The 49ers have forced eight turnovers in the past two games and despite all of the defensive shuffling that has occurred this season, San Francisco has the second ranked defense in the league. With Aldon Smith’s return last week, and rookie linebacker Chris Borland’s emergence, the 49ers defense has not skipped a beat. Although he did not record a sack in his Week 10 return, Smith made his presence felt on the field at MetLife Stadium against Eli Manning and the Giants. The pressure he put on the quarterback was known and he cleared the way for the rookie pass rusher Aaron Lynch to get to Manning.

Borland was named the NFC’s defensive player of the week after another sensation performance against New York. Borland recorded 13 tackles and became just the second 49ers linebacker in 40 years with two interceptions in one game. The rookie has 47 tackles in the month of November; 11 more than anyone else in the league.

Despite All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis being lost for the season, it looks like the 49ers defense will be getting healthier very soon. Nose tackle Glenn Dorsey was activated earlier this week after a torn biceps on August first. Also, fellow All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman returned to practice nearly 10 months after suffering a devastating injury knee injury and broken leg in the NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks in January.

This is a big game for Jim Harbaugh and San Francisco as they look to improve to 7-4 before they host Seattle on Thanksgiving night. After Sunday the Giants will face rival Seattle twice within in a span of 18 days. San Francisco and Seattle know how big the match ups are between them because with the 9-1 Arizona Cardinals sitting atop the NFC West, there might not be room for the two division foes in the 2014 playoffs. There are also four teams in the NFC East and North sitting at 7-3 coming into week 11.

Robert Griffin III and the Redskins are coming off of a 27-7 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Washington has averaged just 13 points per game when RG3 has been under center. The Redskins have put up nearly 11 more points in the games where Griffin has either not started or finished.

49ers face Giants after big win in New Orleans

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By: Phillip Torres

SANTA CLARA- The San Francisco 49ers (5-4) will be hosted by the New York Giants (3-6) on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The 49ers are coming off a huge 27-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints last week. The Giants are coming off of a big 38-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a game in which the led for a while, but Seattle came roaring back to win it by a wide margin. The 49ers victory put them a game over .500 and perhaps saved their season.

San Francisco was on the verge of going 4-5 with a loss to the Saints. Statistics show that teams that start the season 4-5 only make the playoffs 13% of the time. While 5-4 teams have an extremely higher percentage of getting into the tournament. The win helps the 49ers keep pace in the tough NFC West Division with the Arizona Cardinals and the Seahawks. Both teams won on Sunday, and Arizona improved its NFL best record to 8-1.

The Red and Gold received both good and bad news this week that will impact their game plan for the rest of the season. The bad news is that All Pro linebacker Patrick was put on the season ending injured reserve list because of his toe. Willis is set to have surgery on the toe sometime next week. The good news is that San Francisco will be getting one of their All Pro linebackers back. Aldon Smith was officially reinstated by the NFL on Tuesday after a nine game suspension for substance abuse.

Some other notable game notes for this upcoming Sunday is that cornerback Tramaine Brock will miss yet another game this season. He has offically been ruled out for the Giants game. Brock has been in limited action this season because of multiple injuries. The 49ers leader in interceptions a year ago was named the number one corner coming into the season, that role has since been claimed by the man who took over for Brock after his week one injury in Dallas, Perrish Cox. Cox leads the team with four interceptions thus far this season.

Rookie linebacker Chris Borland will remain the starting middle linebacker in place of Willis for the rest of the season. Borland has made a huge impact in his first two career starts recording 35 tackles between the two contests. He’s the first 49ers rookie linebacker to record back to back 10 tackle games since Patrick Willis back in 2007. Borland provides the San Francisco defense with a spark and his hustle will only rub off in a positive way for Vic Fangio and his defense.

Every game right now feels like a must win game for Jim Harbaugh and his 49ers. Being in the division that they are in, they cannot afford to lose any games that they are supposed to win. With San Francisco facing the Giants on Sunday, the Cardinals (8-1) will host the Detroit Lions (7-2) and the Seahawks (6-3) will be hosted by the Kansas City Chiefs (6-3).

Kickoff from MetLife Stadium will be at 10:00 A.M Pacific Standard Time.

Legends send off Candlestick

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By: Phillip Torres

SAN FRANCISCO-On Saturday night the Legends and All Stars came together to send away Candlestick Park. Former San Francisco 49ers legends such as Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jeff Garcia, Jerry Rice, and many more showed up to play in the last ever game at “The Stick”.

Perhaps the most important person playing on the field was Eddie D. Bartolo. The man who is forever connected to the San Francisco 49ers. The heart and sole of the Franchise caught the game winning touchdown from 49ers legend Joe Montana.

The legends beat the All Stars 45-40 in the last game ever at Candlestick Park. The Stick concluded with a great send off to over 40 plus years of games.

49ers now Intend to have Contractor Diversity

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By: Phillip Torres

SANTA CLARA- The San Francisco 49ers have been accused of leaving out minority-owned firms when they issued big contracts to build Levi’s Stadium a little over a year ago. The contracts that the 49ers gave out were for the construction of the new $1.2 billion stadium.

Since this has been observed, the 49ers are now changing the way that they are doing business. There are now a lot more minority firms that have been hired and are playing roles in building the gorgeous facility. According to the teams top contractors, the minority firms will also be even more involved when the doors open for the facility on August 2, 2014. 

There are some critics that are happy with how the 49ers handled the situation and are pleased that there are now minorities on the project. However, there are also many critics that are believe that the team will not be able to make up for fact that they did not do the right thing until the facility was two-thirds built.

The 49ers are committed to their new way of business and ensure that a situation like this will not happen again.