Tag: San Francisco 49ers (Page 10 of 34)

      Frank Gore suffers fractured hip, is done for the season

      November 30, 2010 /
      San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (C) finds the hole and runs for a first down in the first quarter of the 49ers game against the Arizona Cardinals San Francisco 49ers at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ November 29,2010. UPI/Art Foxall Photo via Newscom

      The 49ers better hope that Brian Westbrook has found the fountain of youth because their chances of making the playoffs just took a major hit.

      NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that Frank Gore will miss the remainder of the season with a fractured right hip. He suffered the injury in the first half of the Niners’ 27-6 victory over the Cardinals on Monday night, although what’s interesting is that he returned to the game after initially heading to the locker room for treatment. He did not receive X-rays during that time, however, and he eventually carried the ball once more before leaving the game for good.

      While the team has yet to make an official announcement on his timetable to return, it’s probably safe to assume that his season is over. Westbrook and rookie Anthony Dixon will now split carries in the Niners’ backfield.

      It came against the Cardinals’ shoddy front seven, but Westbrook looked great on Monday night. He rushed for a season-high 136 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown and showed some of the cutting ability that made him popular in Philadelphia. Considering how well he ran, it makes you wonder why Mike Singletary and his coaching staff didn’t get him more involved until now. (He had just five carries coming into the game.)

      With the win, the 49ers find themselves back in contention in the worst division in football. And seeing as how they play the Rams and Seahawks (two teams with one more win than San Fran) in December, it’s not unrealistic to think that Troy Smith and Co. can win the NFC West. But losing Gore was a major blow and it puts even more emphasis on Smith getting up to speed with the offense so that the Niners can open things up in the passing game.

      External Sports, NFL

      Cassel, Orton combine for 765 yards & eight touchdowns; Seahawks back in first

      November 14, 2010 /
      Denver Broncos starting quarterback Kyle Orton throws against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter in their NFL football game in Denver November 14, 2010. REUTERS/Rick Wilking (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      In a game only an Area Football fan could be proud of, the Broncos hammered the clueless Chiefs 49-29 on Sunday.

      Matt Cassel threw for a career-high 469 yards and four touchdowns, while Kyle Orton threw for 296 yards and four scores. Neither quarterback was picked off, although it’s important to note that they were playing against air.

      Dwayne Bowe’s assault on defensive backfields continued, as he caught 13 passes for 186 yards and two scores. He now has eight touchdowns in his last five games, which is enough to make any fantasy owner who dropped or traded him earlier in the year when he was laying goose eggs want to take a bath with a toaster.

      With Kansas City’s loss, the AFC West is now up for grabs. The Chiefs and Raiders are now tied for first place at 5-4, while the Chargers (who we all know will win this juggernaut of a division with a 9-7 record when it’s all said and done) are 4-5. At 3-6, even the Broncos aren’t totally out of the picture if they can string a couple of wins together, and this is a team that gave up 59 points to Oakland three weeks ago.

      Speaking of bad football, the Seahawks crushed the Cardinals 36-18 on Sunday. The win, coupled with a Rams’ loss to the 49ers (23-20 in overtime), puts Seattle back in first place at 5-4 in the NFC West. If you can find a worse division in football, let me know.

      Sam Bradford put together a nice drive late in the fourth quarter to push the game into overtime. Of course, had St. Louis’ defense held on to a 7-point lead with about six minutes remaining in the game, the Rams wouldn’t had needed Bradford’s heroics. The Rams remain winless on the road this year.

      Troy Smith has given the 49ers new life at quarterback. He completed 17-of-28 passes for 356 yards and one touchdown, while compiling a 116.7 QB rating. He also had a couple of touchdowns wiped off the board because of penalties. Despite their back-to-back wins, San Francisco remains a poorly coached team and Mike Singletary’s in-game management should continue to draw criticism from the media.

      External Sports, NFL

      Why not Troy Smith?

      October 27, 2010 /
      HERTFORD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: Troy Smith (L) and David Carr of San Francisco 49ers in a training session at The Grove Hotel on October 27, 2010 in Hertford, England. The San Francisco 49ers will meet the Denver Broncos in the NFL International Series regular-season match at Wembley Stadium on October 31. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

      Mike Singletary has come to the same conclusion that coaches in Houston, Carolina and New York came to before him: that he’s seen enough of David Carr to know that he can’t be counted on as a starter.

      Alex Smith is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury and while some 49er fans want to see Carr take the snaps this Sunday in London, Singletary has already named Troy Smith the starter.

      Hey, why not?

      Look, Carr is nothing more than a backup and will be nothing more than a backup. The same could be said about Smith, but the former Heisman Trophy winner has one thing Carr doesn’t: upside.

      Smith’s height is a major issue, but his athletic ability makes him intriguing and he has a strong enough arm to make all the throws at this level. Seeing as how he’s been running the scout team offense in practice, it would be wise if offensive coordinator Mike Johnson built his game plan around Frank Gore this week and limited Smith’s throws to screens, roll outs and three-step drops. That said, once Smith gets more comfortable with the offense, there’s no reason to think Johnson can’t expand the playbook.

      There’s an argument to be made that Singletary didn’t give Carr a fair look, but what more does he need to see? What more does anyone need to see out of Carr to know that he can’t run an offense? When the Texans finally released him, everyone thought that with a good offensive line he would turn his career around. But he had a decent O-line in Carolina and he struggled. The Giants, who have had been searching for a backup for Eli Manning before trading for Sage Rosenfels, also didn’t see the need to keep Carr around.

      He is what he is, which is why Smith is worth the risk for the 49ers. Will it ultimately be the right decision by Singletary? Who knows – time will only tell. But at least Smith’s ceiling hasn’t been met, unlike Carr’s.

      External Sports, NFL

      49ers owner John York commits to Mike Singletary for rest of season

      October 26, 2010 /
      CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 24: Head coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers watches on against the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

      Fans that were hoping Mike Singletary would get the boot during the season won’t have their prayers (for lack of a better word) answered anytime soon.

      49ers owner John York says that he’s committed to Singletary through the duration of the season despite the team’s 1-6 start. The Niners were the preseason favorites to win the NFC West but despite all their talent they can’t get it together on Sundays.

      Barring a miracle second half, Singletary is likely out at the end of the year. His rah-rah style was great when the Niners showed steady improvements but it has obviously started to wear on players. And if the players don’t want to fight for their head coach in good or bad times, then there’s no sense keeping him employed.

      What’s really interesting is the idea that Singletary may not get another head coaching job after bombing so badly in San Francisco. That might be premature of me to write, but he’s shown an inability to make in-game adjustments and is turning into a P.R. nightmare. This isn’t a movie – you can’t give the “halftime speech” every week and then get your ass handed to you on the field. Winning is the only thing that matters in the NFL.

      Even if he’s fired by the 49ers, Singletary needs to use these last nine games as an audition for other teams. Because unless he wants to go back to being a linebackers coach, he needs to prove that he can outmatch other coaches in the league.

      External Sports, NFL

      Mike Singletary isn’t long for his job with the 49ers

      October 24, 2010 /
      San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary reacts on the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles during their NFL football game in San Francisco, California October 10, 2010. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Even after the 49ers’ 23-20 loss to the previously winless Panthers on Sunday, Mike Singletary said he still felt that that his team could reach the playoffs this year.

      But he’s clearly delusional.

      At 1-6, the 49ers don’t have a realistic shot at making the playoffs – I don’t care what division they play in. It’s the same story every week: They’re undisciplined, mistake-prone and the coaching staff is unable or unwilling to make adjustments. It’s almost like Singletary and his crew put together a game plan throughout the week and if it works, great, if it doesn’t, so be it. But come hell or high water, they’re not going to make any in-game adjustments (at least ones that work, anyway). It’s ridiculous.

      I don’t see how Singletary hangs onto his job. The Niners would have to win out and make the playoffs and that’s not going to happen. Alex Smith suffered an injury on Sunday and was replaced by David Carr, who went 5-for-13 for 67 yards and an interception. Smith isn’t good, but Carr isn’t the answer either. This team is hapless.

      After their victory last Sunday over the Raiders, the Niners had a shot to turn their season around if they could beat the brutal Panthers. But once again, Singletary’s squad showed its true colors again. With a trip to London coming up, the front office won’t make a move this week. But either way, Singletary’s time in San Francisco is running out.

      External Sports, NFL

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