Here are quick-hit previews of the top four games on the Week 5 schedule in the NFL.

1. Patriots (3-1) at Broncos (4-0), 4:15PM ET
Several pundits have remarked that the Patriots are back after beating the Falcons and Ravens in back to back weeks. But some of their struggles still remain. For the most part, Baltimore marched up and down the field on New England’s defense in Week 4 and if it weren’t for a couple of key drops in the red zone, the Ravens could have walked out of Foxboro with a victory. The Broncos need to pressure Tom Brady for four quarters and not stop what has worked for them the first four weeks. Offensively, Knowshon Moreno will have the opportunity to shine today in his first start and as long as Kyle Orton doesn’t turn the ball over, Denver could pull off the small upset.

2. Bengals (3-1) at Ravens (3-1), 1:00PM ET
Who would have thought this would be a big game in Week 5? The Ravens are still seething from their loss to the Patriots last weekend and will look to take it out on an underrated Bengals team. Cincinnati’s 3-1 record is no fluke – they beat the Packers in Green Bay and the defending champion Steelers at home. While they didn’t play well last week in an overtime with over Cleveland, the Bengals proved that they could still wind up victorious even when they make mistakes. Carson Palmer and company won’t get away with turning the ball over today, however. The Ravens feast off turnovers and Cincinnati’s defense will be challenge to slow down Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and the potent Baltimore offense. This game will be a great test to see where the Bengals are.

3. Falcons (2-1) at 49ers (3-1), 4:05PM ET
Nobody wants to define either of these teams. Before the Falcons lost to the Patriots in Week 3, many people thought they were an elite squad. Plenty of pundits want to crown the 49ers a legitimate playoff team, but they need to sustain momentum and beat a good Atlanta team at home. Even without Frank Gore, this is a game San Francisco can control. The Falcons have had issues stopping the run and if the Niners can get Glen Coffee going early, it could open things up for Shaun Hill and the passing game. Mike Singletary’s defense has been great up to this point and if they sell out to stop Michael Turner and the Falcons’ running game, they better be prepared to double team tight end Tony Gonzalez and slow Matt Ryan in the passing game. This should be a fun matchup throughout.

4. Texans (2-2) at Cardinals (1-2), 4:15PM ET
It’s time for one of these teams to step up. The Texans have more than enough offensive weapons to make a playoff run but their defense has issues stopping the run and keeping opponents out of the end zone. The Cardinals have dinked and dunked their way through the first three games but Kurt Warner needs to start testing defenses vertically or else this team will continue to struggle. This is actually a good matchup for Houston because Arizona doesn’t pose much of a ground threat and the Texans have a decent pass defense. If the Cards can’t get Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower going, they will have trouble building and sustaining a lead today. And if they can’t take control of this game, they’ll be at risk of once again losing at home, where they were so dominant last year.

Bucs’ OC Greg Olson wants Caddy to be the featured back. Williams has been productive, but he’s injury-prone, and if the Bucs start giving him 25 touches a game, he’s probably going to break down. This is bad news for Derrick Ward in the short term, but in the long term, it might be a good thing. Ward could be the primary ballcarrier to close the season.

Brandon Marshall seems to be happy again. It’s amazing what a 4-0 start and a sick, game-winning TD catch will do for a guy. Marshall’s talent is undeniable, and it seems like he and HC Josh McDaniels have put the ill will behind them and have found a way to work together. Marshall’s upside is still limited somewhat by Kyle Orton (just ask Eddie Royal owners), but he has been productive of late and has worked his way back to being an every-week start in most formats.

Rashard Mendenhall should start this week. With Willie Parker likely out, look for another big game from Mendenhall as he faces the Lions’ 20th-ranked rush defense.

MBIII is back at practice. The Cowboys face the Chiefs this week, so it’s a nice matchup for the entire offense. Barber should be in most starting lineups, but Tashard Choice is likely to see a lot of work to keep Barber fresh. Choice has been productive, so there’s no reason not to use him.

Frank Gore on track to return in Week 7. The 49ers have a bye next week, so it looks like Sunday may be the last week that Glen Coffee is startable. He has a nice matchup with the 25th-ranked Falcons’ rush defense and should see plenty of work. Regardless, Gore owners should keep Coffee stashed as a handcuff.

The 49ers’ loss in Minnesota on Sunday is the kind of defeat that can deflate a team. But with Mike Singletary in charge, I don’t foresee that happening.

San Francisco flat out blew a win yesterday. Had the Niners not been in a base defense when Greg Lewis got past coverage and Brett Favre found him in the back of the end zone with only seconds remaining, the 49ers would still be undefeated. (And with another win against the Rams coming in Week 4.)

While addressing the media following the loss, Singletary said: “There’s nothing to look at the floor for. We’re gonna get better. We will see them again in the playoffs.”

Singletary isn’t going to allow a good Niners team to dwell on this loss, especially when San Fran clearly has enough talent on its roster to make the playoffs. While losing running back Frank Gore to an injured ankle will hurt, the Niners did a nice job building depth this offseason when they drafted Glen Coffee.

The Niners had several positives come out of their game yesterday, including quarterback Shaun Hill proving that he can make plays in the passing game. The defense is already good enough to hang with most opponents on Sundays and in Singletary, San Fran has a head coach that has instilled hard work and focus into his team.

Ironically, the Niners are probably the class of a weak NFC West considering the Seahawks and Cardinals look vulnerable and the Rams are, well, the Rams. The division is there for the taking and something tells me that San Fran’s loss in Minnesota will only motivate them.

It’s amazing how unsung heroes emerge every week in the NFL.

For the Vikings, the unsung hero in their 27-24 win over the 49ers was receiver Greg Lewis (yes, the same Greg Lewis that never developed in Philadelphia), who made an unbelievable catch on a 32-yard pass from Brett Favre with two seconds remaining to propel Minnesota to victory.

Things looked bleak for the Vikes, who had relinquished several leads throughout the game and who appeared destined for a loss trailing 24-20 with only 1:29 left in the fourth. But Favre led Minnesota to the 49ers’ 32-yard line and with only 12 seconds remaining, zipped a pass to Lewis to earn an improbable win.

For the Niners, things went from bad to worse when it was discovered that running back Frank Gore would probably miss at least the next two weeks with a high ankle sprain. He rushed just one time for four yards against Minnesota before leaving the game.

The good news for San Fran is that although the Vikings took away the Niners’ running game, Shaun Hill was able to make plays threw the air. Vernon Davis had a big day, hauling in seven passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns as San Fran beat Minnesota’s Cover 2 defense by attacking the middle of the field.

The bad news for San Fran is that it blew the final play. Why were they in a normal defense when the game was on the line and Minnesota had to go 40 yards to score a touchdown to win? The 49ers should have had more defenders back to protect the only play that could hurt them and shouldn’t have allowed Lewis to sneak behind their coverage.

But Mike Singletary and the Niners will learn from the loss and move on. This is still a solid team and should be competitive all season.

Here are my four predictions for Week 3 in the NFL. Last week I went 3-1 straight up (friggin’ Titans) and 1-3 against the spread so as usual, gamblers should have no qualms about fading. (These are also my season totals since I didn’t make any predictions for Week 1.)

Titans (0-2) at Jets (2-0), Sunday, 1:00PM ET
It would be foolish to pick against a hot team with everything working in their favor right now…right? Well, I’m going to do it anyway. Jeff Fisher’s team is too good to be 0-2 and while I love what Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez have brought to the Jets, the law of averages suggest that a rookie quarterback is going to struggle at some point. Tennessee’s defense has a way of making opposing quarterbacks look bad (save of their performance last week against Matt Schaub, who threw four touchdown passes) and I’m willing to bet Sanchez suffers some growing pains this week. The key for the Titans is whether or not Kerry Collins can avoid turnovers while facing a New York defense that will use multiple fronts and attack him from all angles. Getting Chris Johnson involved in screen and draw plays would be beneficial for Tennessee, especially if the Jets’ defense continues to be aggressive under Ryan. I don’t see the Titans falling to 0-3 and I think Ryan and Sanchez’s come down to earth a bit this week.
Odds: Jets –3.
Prediction: Titans 16, Jets 13.

Falcons (2-0) at Patriots (1-1), 1:00PM ET
This is the most intriguing game on the Week 3 schedule because it will serve as a great indication of where both of these teams are right now. The Falcons are 2-0 after beating two playoff teams from a year ago (the Dolphins and Panthers, respectively) and Matt Ryan is off to a tremendous start (108.5 QB rating). But Atlanta’s defense will be tested this weekend against a New England offense that was held to only nine points a week ago and will no doubt be focused on rebounding. Tom Brady hasn’t looked comfortable on his surgically repaired knee and seemed confused by the amount of looks that the Jets’ defense gave him last week. If the Falcons can get creative with their front seven, they might be able to generate pressure on Brady and come up with a couple of turnovers. If that happens, Ryan has more than enough weapons (Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White, etc.) in the passing game to pick apart a Patriots’ defense that is riddled with holes right now. It’s usually unwise to go against Bill Belichick and the Patriots when they’re pissed off and needing a win, but this isn’t the same New England defense that we’ve seen throughout the years and I think Ryan will lead Atlanta to a huge victory at Foxboro.
Odds: Patriots –4.
Prediction: Falcons 30, Patriots 27.

Read the rest of this entry »

Along with the odds and over/under totals, here’s a look at some of the marquee matchups for Week 3 in the NFL.

Falcons (2-0) at Patriots (1-1), Sunday, 1:00PM ET
This will be a great test to see where both of these teams currently lie. The Falcons are 2-0 with wins over two struggling 2008 playoff teams, while the Patriots could very easily be 0-2 right now. Behind quarterback Matt Ryan’s (108.5 QB Rating) great start, Atlanta’s offense is gearing up for big things this season, but the defense is giving up 5.1 YPC and just lost starting DT Peria Jerry for the year. New England has its own defensive problems without middle linebacker Jerod Mayo and Tom Brady still hasn’t looked comfortable on his surgically repaired knee. It would be unwise to doubt Bill Belichick and the Patriots, but the Falcons would go a long way in proving that they’re a legitimate Super Bowl contender with a win at Foxboro.
Odds: Patriots –4.

49ers (2-0) at Vikings (2-0), Sunday, 1:00PMET
Who would have thought that the only matchup this week featuring two 2-0 teams would be the 49ers at Vikings? San Francisco’s defense has been solid in the first two games, yielding less than 300 total yards per game and limiting opponents to only 13 PPG. But neither Arizona nor Seattle posed the rushing threat that Adrian Peterson and Minnesota will provide this Sunday. This will be a great test to see where Mike Singletary’s team is and whether or not the Niners are legitimate playoff contenders. Can Shaun Hill beat the Vikings through the air if/when the Williams Wall takes away Frank Gore?
Odds: Vikings –7.

Titans (0-2) at Jets (2-0), Sunday, 1:00PM ET
Panic hasn’t set in yet for Jeff Fisher and the Titans, although a loss this week in East Rutherford would make things unsettling in Tennessee. Jets’ rookie Mark Sanchez has looked more like a five-year pro than a quarterback with only two career starts under his belt, but will this be the week that he finally suffers some growing pains? Tennessee’s defense has a way of making opposing quarterbacks look bad, although that certainly wasn’t the case last week when Houston’s Matt Schaub threw a career high four touchdown passes against the Titans. If Fisher’s squad falls to 0-3, the Titans may never recover. On the flip side, if the Jets start 3-0 they’ll set themselves up for making a run at the AFC East crown.
Odds: Jets –2.5.

(2-0) Colts at Cardinals (1-1), Sunday, 8:20PM ET
If you like watching quick-tempo offenses, then the Sunday night game will be right up your alley. The Colts defeated the Dolphins on Monday might despite only running 35 plays, which means Peyton Manning and the rest of Indy’s offense is already in midseason form. The Cards bounced back from their opening week loss to the 49ers by pounding the Jaguars last Sunday thanks to Kurt Warner’s amazing 24-for-26 passing day. Watching Manning and Warner dissect the opposing defense is going to be one of the more intriguing things to watch in Week 3.
Odds: Cardinals -2.5.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always nice when the football gods can add a little insult to injury.

Such was the case on Sunday when the Seahawks fell to the now 2-0 49ers 23-10 in San Francisco. Seattle signal caller Matt Hasselbeck was knocked out of the game after taking a blow to the back from linebacker Patrick Willis while trying to scramble into the end zone at the end of the first half. The team is calling it a rib injury, although there has to be major concern that Hasselbeck took the hit in the back after he virtually missed the entire 2008 season due to back problems.

The insult to Hasselbeck’s injury came when Seneca Wallace entered the game and couldn’t generate any second half points. He did throw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Julius Jones after Hasselbeck left the field, but that’s about where Wallace’s contributions to Seattle stopped as he often settled for check down and underneath passes.

Read the rest of this entry »

With the 49ers set to interview former Falcons’ head coach Dan Reeves and former Atlanta offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, internet speculation revved up the possibility of San Fran reaching out to suspended quarterback Michael Vick once he gets out of federal prison.

But Matt Maiocco’s of the Press Democrat.com mocks the idea in his latest blog entry:

Put all that together and it seems obvious to me that the 49ers have decided to acquire Vick when/if he is able to resume his career after serving his sentence, as well as any suspension Roger Goodell might impose.

But that is not all I’ve learned in recent days:

–The 49ers’ plan to go after Vick was actually Plan B. The first idea was to acquire Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss, and build a dome to replace Candlestick.

This would’ve been the plan if Scott Linehan had just said yes to the 49ers’ offer to become offensive coordinator. Linehan was coordinator of a top-4 ranked Vikings offense for three consecutive seasons with Culpepper and Moss as his main weapons under the roof of the Metrodome. But when Linehan declined the 49ers’ offer, the 49ers had no other choice but to rip apart that plan and begin their planning to get Vick.

–The 49ers will do whatever’s necessary to select Ole Miss offensive lineman Michael Oher in the draft.

Oher’s first year in college was 2005. That is the same season that Micheal Spurlock concluded his Ole Miss career. The 49ers signed Spurlock to a contract this week. Hel-LOOOO! I mean, can you even conceive a scenario in which the 49ers would sign Spurlock if it wasn’t already a done deal that they’d soon be getting Oher? All you have to do is connect the dots on this one. Oh, yeah, and Patrick Willis is already on the team. This one is just way too easy.

–The 49ers plan to lure Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana out of retirement.

Coach Mike Singletary hired Tom Rathman to join his staff as running backs coach. Singletary is being just a little too obvious about his intentions. Obviously, the best way to get Montana out of retirement is to hire a former teammate to the staff. You read it here first.

Singletary has not announced Shaun Hill will be the starter in 2009 for one very good reason. How can Hill be the starter with Montana on the team?

Even though Maiocco has every right to mock the notion, the idea isn’t that far fetched. After all, Reeves did draft Vick in 2001 and the thought of Dan and Singletary teaming up to straighten Mikey out isn’t that bad of an idea.

But if you remember correctly, Reeves and Vick didn’t necessarily end on the best of terms. They had a great working relationship up until midseason of 2003 when Reeves questioned whether or not Vick was being overly cautious with the fractured fibula he suffered in a preseason game that year. Reeves, presumably worried about losing his job, wanted Vick to play a hell of a lot sooner than Week 13, which was the first time Mike returned to the field after suffering the injury. But Vick kept proclaiming he wouldn’t be 100% if he had come back any sooner than that, so why force it? Reeves was eventually fired a week and a half later and we all know what happened to Vick.

Not that the two couldn’t put that little squabble behind them (if they haven’t already) to work together again, but that’s just another thing to keep in mind if you want to buy the Vick-to-San Francisco rumors that have been circulating. Personally, I don’t think Singletary would take a shot on Vick. He wants players that will be dedicated on the field – not to their twisted hobbies off it.

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network is reporting that the 49ers will interview former Broncos and Falcons head coach Dan Reeves to possibly become their offensive coordinator. Schefter notes that Reeves could be hired as soon as this weekend.

Reversing the league-wide trend of relying on coaching youth, the San Francisco 49ers are bringing in former Broncos, Giants and Falcons head coach Dan Reeves on Friday afternoon to interview for their vacant offensive coordinator job, league sources said.

Reeves last coached in the NFL with Atlanta in 2003 and since has tried on numerous occassions to return to the league. Now he has what might be his best chance.

49ers coach Mike Singletary is looking for a veteran presence to run his offense, someone who relies on running the football, and after Scott Linehan turned down the job, thoughts turned to Reeves. Singletary has had a difficult time finding someone he trusts enough to call the 49ers’ plays, and the feeling is that he would be able to trust Reeves.

Reeves, who turned 65 on Monday, is scheduled to arrive in San Francisco today and could become the team’s offensive coordinator this weekend. Word began to leak out Thursday night that Reeves was flying to San Francisco, and there were questions as to whether it was for an executive job, a consultant job or the offensive coordinator job.

But every indication now is that it’s for the offensive coordinator job. The 49ers could get the type of coach they want, and Reeves could be back in the game.

Wow. There’s no doubt that Reeves was a great coach (he coached in four Super Bowls), but his play calling in Atlanta was as vanilla as they came. I used to joke around with my college roommate that Reeves’ offensive game plan was to run the ball up the middle three times and then get the punt team out there. Everything is predicated on running the ball and play action fakes, which is great, but imagination and in-game adjustments were never Reeves’ strong suits. And at 65 years old, I doubt he’ll change his ways. (He struggled as a GM, too, so it’ll be interesting to see how much input he has on draft day if he is hired.)

Still, he deserves a chance and he’s well respected around the league. And in terms of fantasy, Frank Gore’s value just went up sky high because there’s no doubt Reeves loves to pound the rock.