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INDIANAPOLIS -- The 2005 Seattle Seahawks just missed the cut when Jamison Hensley and I ranked our 10 best Super Bowl losers. Not that making such a list would provide consolation.

Rocky Bernard collected a career-high 8.5 sacks with that Seattle team, only to suffer through a 21-10 defeat to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL. He's back on the Super Bowl stage with the New York Giants and intent upon at least partially atoning for what went wrong six years ago.

"I don't want to feel that pain again," Bernard said. "It's something you can't get over. You work so hard to get to that point and we were so confident going into the game, felt like we could win."

Bernard, like quite a few Seahawks fans, still feels as though officiating errors played a significant role in the outcome. Bernard brought up that aspect of the game without prompting.

"We kind of felt like it was taken away from us," Bernard said.

Referee Bill Leavy later apologized. The NFL stood by the officiating at the time.

Another NFC West Super Bowl alum, ex-Arizona Cardinal Antrel Rolle, can also offset painful Super Bowl memories if the Giants win. Rolle, whose Cardinals lost to the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, started all 16 games and picked off two passes for the Giants this season.

"Being here one time before and not coming out on top, it's a feeling you never, ever get rid of," Rolle said. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure I'm not on that side of that fence again."

Also: New England Patriots special-teams player Niko Koutouvides was also part of that 2005 Seattle team. He pointed to the camaraderie of the 2005 team as one of the reasons for its success. He said the current Patriots have the same feel to them.

SEATTLE -- Thoughts on the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks following the Seahawks' 30-13 win at CenturyLink Field:

What it means: The Seahawks improved to 6-7 and kept alive their long-shot playoff hopes. They did not play well enough to inspire much confidence heading into games against Chicago, San Francisco and Arizona. Both offensive lines struggled. Sam Bradford struggled and took a beating. This was an ugly game pitting two teams with severe injury problems on their offensive lines and insufficient firepower. Seattle inevitably pulled away. The Rams' pass-happy play calling near the goal line should invite harsh criticism.

What I liked: Marshawn Lynch and Steven Jackson ran exceptionally hard, occasionally with positive results. Lynch broke multiple tackles during a 12-yard run to the St. Louis 10-yard line in the third quarter. Both defensive fronts exploited mismatches exaggerated by injuries along both teams' offensive lines. The Rams, after allowing more rushing yards than any team in the league before Week 14, did a good job against Lynch early in the game. Jackson gained 50 yards on a screen. The Seahawks were at times effective exploiting the perimeter with Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate, an effective strategy against a defense lacking speed outside. Seattle's Brandon Browner made an aggressive, athletic play on the ball to pick off Bradford's pass to open the second half. Browner snagged the ball between his forearm and biceps, controlling it before gathering himself and securing the interception, his fifth of the season. Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson held the ball too long at times, but he improved as the game progressed. Jackson completed 21 of 32 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown and a 96.4 NFL passer rating.

What I didn't like: The Rams goal-to-go offense remained abysmal and was never worse than when Bradford took an intentional-grounding penalty when a touchdown would have pulled St. Louis within three points late in the third quarter. Why were the Rams passing in that situation? Because that is what they do. The Rams entered Week 14 running the ball only 32 percent of the time from inside opponents' 10-yard line. Only Green Bay has a lower percentage. That type of strategy makes sense for the Packers. They have Aaron Rodgers and one of the NFL's best offenses. The Rams have Steven Jackson and not much else. Later, the Rams ran Bradford on a failed sneak from the 1 despite his bad ankle. Also, Rams receiver Austin Pettis and tight end Lance Kendricks, perhaps wary of previous big hits from Seattle strong safety Kam Chancellor, appeared to shy away from contact early in the game. Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis dropped what should have been a momentum-turning pick early in the game. Both quarterbacks struggled against pressure. Seattle's Tarvaris Jackson held the ball too long. Browner and fellow Seahawks corner Richard Sherman again could not keep their hands to themselves, drawing repeated penalties for interference/illegal contact. Sherman also drew a taunting penalty after breaking up a third-and-goal pass from the 1.

Roster roulette: The Rams kept only two quarterbacks active, Bradford and Kellen Clemens, even though Bradford was clearly hurting. Bradford gutted it out and made it through the game. At one point, however, the Rams' medical team was surrounding him while Clemens warmed up along the sideline.

Skittles shower: Fans showered Lynch with his favorite candy after Lynch's touchdown run blew open the game late in the fourth quarter. That run gave him 115 yards for the game and 969 for the season. Lynch topped 100 yards rushing for the fifth time in six games. He scored a touchdown for the ninth game in a row, not counting the game he missed against Cleveland in Week 7.

Bradford did not look right: The Rams' quarterback showed toughness and mettle, but he had trouble driving the ball downfield. Watching him run away from pressure and then feebly succumb to a sack in the final minutes showed how much Bradford's ankle injury was limiting him. A sense of futility pervaded the Rams at times.

Boos rain upon Leavy: Referee Bill Leavy was working a game in Seattle for the first time since his crew's controversial rulings during Supe Bowl XL angered the Seahawks. Fans booed when Leavy waved off an interference call against the Rams in the third quarter. They would have booed that ruling no matter the referee, but if there was a little extra vigor, the history explained it.

What's next: The Seahawks visit the Chicago Bears. The Rams are home against Cincinnati.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Free-agent wide receivers. Sidney Rice, the Seattle Seahawks' marquee addition in free agency, landed on injured reserve following his second concussion of the season. Shoulder, knee and foot injuries bothered him earlier. Another free-agent receiver in the division, Braylon Edwards, was inactive for the 49ers while recovering from knee and shoulder injuries. The 49ers invested far less in Edwards than Seattle invested in Rice. Still, these big-name receivers have seen their stock fall. Cheaper, younger alternatives stepped up Sunday, notably the 49ers' Kyle Williams and the Arizona Cardinals' Andre Roberts. Seattle has gotten strong play from undrafted rookie Doug Baldwin all season.

2. Job security in St. Louis. The Rams have lost twice to John Skelton over the past month. They failed to score against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. They are trending in the wrong direction and appear unable to do anything about it. Consider this your weekly "falling" item on the Rams. Not much more to say.

3. Bill Leavy's self-esteem. What's this about the league assigning the Super Bowl XL referee to work a game in Seattle for the first time since the Seahawks complained about multiple controversial calls in the big game six years ago? It's scheduled to happen Monday night. Fans have long memories and loud voices. This could be a rough night for Leavy.

RISING

1. Jed York, San Francisco 49ers president. The week would have been a success for York and the 49ers even if the team did not clinch the NFC West title. That is because the 49ers secured $850 million in financing for their proposed stadium. Throwing in a 26-0 home victory over St. Louis for a 10-2 record, division title and team's first playoff berth since the 2002 season was certainly nice, of course. Stocks are rising for quite a few other 49ers, including Williams, new franchise career rushing leader Frank Gore, quarterback Alex Smith, receiver Michael Crabtree, rookie outside linebacker Aldon Smith and others. There wasn't space to honor them all.

2. Tarvaris Jackson, Seattle Seahawks QB. Jackson appeared to be winding down for the season until he completed 13 of 16 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns during a 31-14 victory over Philadelphia. Marshawn Lynch certainly could have represented Seattle in this spot as well. He was phenomenal against the Eagles. Lynch's stock was already quite high, however. Jackson's enjoyed a higher percentage gain, for sure. This was probably his best game of the season even though the team lost Rice to injured reserve a few days before the game.

3. Ray Horton, Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator. The Cardinals have won four of their last five games, allowing 63 points in those victories. They held Dallas to 13 points, the Cowboys' second-lowest total of the season. They collected five sacks, a high against Dallas this season. Young outside linebackers Sam Acho and O'Brien Schofield are improving. Arizona has allowed only five touchdowns in its past five games after allowing 20 in its first seven.

The St. Louis Rams managed only 157 yards Sunday, their lowest total since the final game of the 2009 season, when the team finished with a 1-15 record.

The team is now averaging less than one offensive touchdown per game.

Losing backup quarterback A.J. Feeley isn't going to suddenly derail something special, in other words. Still, news that Feeley suffered a broken thumb as Sam Bradford's replacement during a 26-0 defeat at San Francisco carried a what-could-possibly-happen-next feel.

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis says the team isn't sure what the injury means for Feeley, or whether Bradford will return from his ankle injury in time to start at Seattle in Week 14. Coach Steve Spagnuolo: "We'll probably proceed the same way we did last week. When we get to Wednesday we'll decide just how much exertion we want to put on the ankle because the less you put on it, the better off he is when you get down to a game-type decision. That's how these high ankle sprains operate. We'll probably tread lightly Wednesday, the same on Thursday. I don't know, we'll see how Sam feels."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says there's a chance Tom Brandstater could be active and/or start for the Rams at Seattle. Noted: That would be rough. Then again, the team's scoring would not decline from last week.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers thoughts on various Rams subjects, including the team's owner. Miklasz: "So let me see if I understand this correctly: Rams owner Stan Kroenke shows up for the game in San Francisco, visits the locker room after the game, shakes a few hands, says hello to a couple of reporters ... and now we're supposed to make him St. Louis Man of the Year? How about we nominate him for a Nobel Prize? Really, it's come to this? Praising the owner because he appears at his team's game? Moreover, Kroenke's visits to the locker room aren't unusual. I don't see what the big deal is. Maybe I missed something. I guess you had to be there."

Kathleen Nelson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams could be without starting left guard Jacob Bell for the remainder of the season.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers expect linebacker Patrick Willis to miss the upcoming game against Arizona, most likely. Maiocco: "Willis will not require any kind of surgery -- just rest, the source said. The 49ers will have their first practice of the week on Wednesday to begin preparations to face the Cardinals. After Sunday's game, the 49ers will next play Monday, Dec. 19, against the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Also from Maiocco: Jim Tomsula's thoughts on the 49ers' success in the context of what came before.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News offers thoughts from 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on multiple topics. Harbaugh says the team ought to construct a statue honoring Frank Gore.

Also from Inman: Joe Staley asks 49ers fans to cease with the wave.

Keith Goldner of Advance NFL Stats takes a closer look at the 49ers' defense and says, "That's what happens when you have a matchup between the league's worst offense and the second-best defense."

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says Kevin Kolb played well for the Cardinals when they needed him Sunday. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "He got a better feel for the game as it went on. It was nice for him to make those strides. That will give us confidence moving forward, especially if we can continue to run the football."

Also from McManaman: The Cardinals' defense keeps improving. McManaman: "Some critics may contend that it's simply been more a byproduct of the competition. True, two of the wins have come against the 2-10 St. Louis Rams. But two of them also came against the often explosive offenses of the Eagles and Cowboys. And this week, the defense gets a chance to make a serious statement against a 10-2 49ers team whose offense will never be confused with the Packers or the Saints."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune profiles Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times has this to say about the NFL assigning Bill Leavy as referee for the Seahawks' game against St. Louis in Week 14: "Sure, he was the referee of Seattle's Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh, which featured several calls that were scrutinized. Leavy admitted last year to making mistakes that he had a hard time living with. But he's officiated Seattle games since then. None when Mike Holmgren was the coach, mind you, but he was the referee for Seattle's game at San Francisco in Week 2 of 2010, he refereed the Seahawks' exhibition game in Denver and he was even the official of Seattle's game at Pittsburgh in Week 2. So the fact that he will be officiating a game in Seattle for the first time since the Super Bowl should be the next step in putting those officiating mistakes in the past, right?"

The 2011 Official Playing Rules and Casebook of the National Football League devotes 1,127 words to the section on roughing the passer.

Twenty-two words near the end sum up the spirit:

"If in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic on the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer."

That sentence pretty much absolves referees from blame for penalizing acts that seem to be borderline infractions.

We discussed one such penalty against the Arizona Cardinals' Calais Campbell earlier.

Campbell leads the NFC West in roughing-the-passer penalties since 2009 with three. Teammate Clark Haggans, the San Francisco 49ers' Ahmad Brooks, the Seattle Seahawks' Raheem Brock and ex-Seahawk Patrick Kerney have two apiece since then.

Instead of focusing on players, I've put together a chart showing how many roughing calls each of the 17 current referees has called since 2009. Note that Clete Blakeman was not a referee until 2010. Officiating crews change members from time to time, but the referees are the ones responsible for most roughing calls, so these numbers hold up better.

Some referees call more penalties than others overall. Some have surely encountered more instances of roughing than others. But if you're a defensive end eager to mete out some old-school punishment on the opposing quarterback, it wouldn't hurt to know which referee was working the game that day.
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News that Bill Leavy will be working the Seattle Seahawks' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers should come with some fine print:

• Leavy and line judge Mark Perlman are the only holdovers from the crew that ticked off the Seahawks so badly with its officiating in Super Bowl XL following the 2005 season. The chart shows Leavy's crew for the Super Bowl and his crew for the Cincinnati-Cleveland game he worked in Week 1 this season.
• Given the fallout over officiating in the Super Bowl, the league had no good reason for assigning Leavy to another Seahawks-Steelers game. Leavy has worked a Seattle game subsequently and it's only fair for every team to draw from the same group of referees. But why this game? This had to reflect an oversight at the officiating office, one the league couldn't very well undo once news of Leavy's assignment got out.
• Leavy himself made two of the calls against Seattle in the Super Bowl. He called holding against tackle Sean Locklear, a call for which he apologized even though the officiating office did not grade him down for this specific call. Leavy also made the obviously incorrect call against quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for a low block.
• Perlman, as line judge, made the call allowing Ben Roethlisberger's 1-yard touchdown run. The Seahawks felt as though Roethlisberger did not score on the play. Perlman will be serving in the same capacity Sunday if Leavy brings his Week 1 crew to Pittsburgh.
• The back judge in the Super Bowl, Bob Waggoner, made the call for offensive interference against Seahawks receiver Darrell Jackson, negating a touchown that would have given Seattle a 7-0 lead.
• Leavy met with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and staff last season at team headquarters, delivering an annual officiating presentation. Officials brief reporters separately during these visits to training camps. Leavy apologized for Super Bowl officiating errors during the media session.
• Cornerback Marcus Trufant and linebacker Leroy Hill are the only current Seattle players who were on the roster for the Super Bowl. This would be a much bigger deal if Mike Holmgren were still coaching the Seahawks. Carroll has less reason to care.

The differentiation between Leavy's Super Bowl crew and his likely crew for Week 2 seemed important. Leavy's assignment to the game Sunday struck a nerve with some fans I've heard from. I'd call it an honest oversight strengthening perceptions among West Coast teams that the NFL isn't particularly sensitive to their concerns on such matters.

NFL officials flagged Seattle Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung three times in 10 games last season.

They matched that total against Okung in the 2011 opener at Candlestick Park.

The high total confirms in my mind the thinking that Okung wasn't quite up to speed in his first game back from an ankle injury. He was also facing a very strong San Francisco 49ers defensive front featuring Justin Smith, who had two sacks. One penalty was declined. Another was offsetting.

Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 will present similar challenges (insert Bill Leavy joke here). Even though the Steelers struggled in their opening-week defeat at Baltimore, their defense was instrumental in drawing three penalties against the Ravens' offensive line. Officials flagged center Matt Birk, guard Ben Grubbs and tackle Bryant McKinnie for holding in that game.

Officials flagged Okung for holding (twice) and a false start. Okung's three penalties last season were for false starts, with two coming during the second half of a 34-18 home defeat against Atlanta in Week 15.

The first chart shows three-year totals for NFC West teams, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Totals count declined penalties.

The Oakland Raiders have the most during that time with 320, counting a league-high 17 in Week 1. The 49ers rank sixth with 260, followed by the Arizona Cardinals (254) and St. Louis Rams (254). The Seahawks are 15th with 234. The Falcons (176), Indianapolis Colts (177) and Jacksonville Jaguars (184) have the fewest.

Officials have flagged NFC West teams 999 times, more than they've flagged teams from any other division. AFC East teams have drawn the fewest (828).

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The second chart shows NFC West individual leaders for 2011. Officials have flagged five players from the division more than once.

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Out of nowhere during 2010 training camps, NFL referee Bill Leavy took responsibility for calls he'd blown during the Seattle Seahawks' defeat against Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL more than four years earlier.

Leavy's performance during that game had worn on him over the years. He felt compelled to address the matter publicly even though the NFL and even some members of that Seahawks team had long since moved on. Cornerback Marcus Trufant and linebacker Leroy Hill are the only Seahawks player remaining from that Super Bowl team.

What's left for Leavy?

Working another Seahawks-Steelers game, apparently. It's expected to happen in Week 2 when Seattle visits Pittsburgh, according to Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times.

With the Seahawks' offense and special teams faltering in Week 1, Leavy's officiating assignment ranks well down the list of concerns for Seattle heading into this game. The Steelers are coming off an embarrassing defeat at Baltimore and will presumably be looking to get back on track against an opponent still in the early stages of its development.

Officiating isn't likely to play a significant role in the outcome. If it does, however, this story might never end.

An end-of-season look at where NFL officiating crews rank in a few categories where discretion and controversy tend to apply, listed by referee (with Walt Coleman scheduled to work Seattle's wild-card game Sunday):

The second chart breaks down defensive pass-interference numbers by crew for the last three seasons.

The next chart breaks down offensive pass interference by crew for the 2010 season only.
Note that Coleman's crew has called only one such penalty this season, second-fewest in the league behind Seattle favorite Bill Leavy.

The next chart breaks down the offensive pass-interference calls by crew for the last three seasons.

The final chart shows three-year totals for roughing the passer, by crew.

Seattle fans might remember the controversial roughing penalty against Seahawks defensive end Raheem Brock during the team's defeat at New Orleans in Week 11.

The pivotal play did not draw a fine, tacit admission that referee Mike Carey's crew erred on the call.

Coleman's crews have only four roughing calls over the last three seasons, fewest in the league among referees working continuously since 2008.

Note: All info from ESPN Stats & Information and includes declined penalties.

With apologies to St. Louis Rams fans trying to forget about the costly pass-interference call against safety Oshiomogho Atogwe in Week 10, I'll pass along stats showing interference calls by officiating crew.

Referee Ed Hochuli's crew worked the Rams' game in Week 10. His crews have called the most penalties of any kind over the last three seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. His crews rank tied for the most defensive pass interference calls.

The Rams might have picked the wrong officiating crew to tempt with a close call on interference. They might have had a better chance if, say, John Parry's crew were working their game. Parry's crew was off in Week 10, but it has called 15 defensive pass interference penalties since the 2009 opener, compared to 14 for Hochuli's crew this season alone.

Officials are calling more penalties per game overall and more for defensive pass interference, as the final row of the chart indicates.

The NFL is increasingly concerned with protecting quarterbacks.

Sometimes that concern makes it tough for a defensive player to carry out his job aggressively. Sometimes a borderline roughing-the-passer penalty can influence a game's outcome.

When the St. Louis Rams' Oshiomogho Atogwe and Fred Robbins drew roughing-the-passer penalties during a 16-14 defeat at Oakland in Week 2, the plays wound up factoring into the outcome significantly. The foul against Atogwe sustained a Raiders drive to a field goal. The foul against Robbins, which seemed like a borderline call from the Rams' perspective, allowed Oakland to run out the clock.

What if Robbins in particular had known that the referee that day, Tony Corrente, called far more roughing penalties than some of his peers? Might Robbins have backed off instead of giving Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski a little shove? I'll try to ask Robbins Sunday following the Rams' game against Seattle.

It's entirely possible the referees with more roughing calls witnessed more cases of roughing. It's also reasonable to think referees apply slightly different standards when determining whether to call roughing the passer. Crews associated with Corrente and Ed Hochuli call more non-roughing penalties than other referees, so it's no surprise to see them near the top of the list for roughing, too. Al Riveron ranks tied for first in roughing calls and 10th in non-roughing penalties since 2008.

The chart, put together with information provided by Hank Gargiulo of ESPN Stats & Information, shows how many roughing-the-passer penalties each referee's crew has called (including declined penalties) over the last three seasons. Note that Clete Blakeman is a first-year referee. The others listed have worked as referees since at least 2008.

Doug from Fairfax, Va., writes: Mike, great blog, and good take on Sam Bradford-Mark Clayton. One angle to their immediate connection that I think is worthy of further consideration is the University of Oklahoma angle: It's more than just that they both went to OU. Clayton, I believe, regularly came back to campus and participated in drills with Bradford. Additionally, Bradford would have heard over and over from OU guys how much Clayton was a trusted, reliable receiver. Put that experience and that confidence together, and it's only natural that Bradford and Clayton were immediately and will be a great tandem. Keep up the great reporting.

Mike Sando: Thanks, Doug. I should have asked Clayton about that aspect. I'm interested in watching Bradford again in Week 2 to see how he progresses. He looks good, but the more he plays, the more information defenses will have for preparation.

Some thought Bradford might face a considerable adjustment period learning to make plays from within the pocket. The play Clayton singled out as one of Bradford's best Sunday was the fourth-and-goal rollout to the right, punctuated by a perfect strike to Laurent Robinson. Bradford really did look his best on the move. I'll be watching Sunday to see how much damage Bradford can do without rolling out and throwing on the move, and whether he rolls out too frequently. I want to see how the Rams structure the offense for him and, specifically Sunday, whether Nnamdi Asomugha defends Clayton or picks a side.

Clayton's addition is looking like one of the better moves in the division this offseason. He appears to fit this offense. I know the Rams' staff is excited about him. Clayton thinks Bradford is "special" and he anticipates maintaining a very productive rapport. So far, so good, but it's a long season.

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Matt from San Francisco writes: Hey Sando, I breathe your blog, so thanks for maintaining a completely reliable source for my daily/hourly 9er fix. I saw that 'Sing' eluded to the "rat" being outside the building regarding the Yahoo! story on Jimmy Raye's communitation. I think there is another rat situation that no one has discussed. This may be the same rat (Mr Robinson and friends), but I got the impression that the Seahawks knew what the 49ers were doing on most plays. There were no surprises, just player vs. player battles. Yes, the Seahawks played well and the 49ers played poorly, but is it possible the Seahawks benefited from all the former 49ers currently on staff? How much do new players share when they go to a new team, especially if the new and old team play each other? I've never heard this discussed and so am curious if there is an unsaid rule about not sharing info or if it's all free game with new players. Thanks in advance for any light you can shed.

Mike Sando: Thanks, Matt. Players can and definitely do share information. Picking up a quarterback would help more than picking up the typical running back or linebacker. Seattle might have benefited more than usual in this case because this was a season opener and the Seahawks have a new staff. But you can bet that staff probably watched every 49ers game from last season. I just don't think the difference would be decisive. With all that knowledge, Matt Hasselbeck came out and threw an interception on the Seahawks' first offensive play. It was the adjustments Seattle made -- based on information collected during the game, not during interrogation sessions with former San Francisco players -- that helped the team prevail.

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Scott from Washington, D.C., writes: Sando, it looked like the Niners' offensive line had some major problems with Brandon Mebane. My question is whether that's a testament to Mebane or an indictment of the Niners' OL. Is he a special player? Or is it too early to tell either way?

Mike Sando: Mebane is a good player. I would not call him special, but I would say he's a good defensive lineman, probably better than a lot of people realize. I wouldn't judge the 49ers' offensive line after one game.

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Willie from South Bend, Ind., writes: I don't know if you've addressed this in the past, but if I remember correctly, the last time the Seahawks played the AFC West, they played Kansas City and San Diego at home and Denver and Oakland on the road. Aren't they supposed to alternate home and away games? Did the schedule maker drop the ball on this? If brought to someone's attention, is there anything that could/would be done to rectify the situation. After Super Bowl XL I doubt the NFL would even admit the mistake.

Mike Sando: Perhaps Bill Leavy can apologize on behalf of the schedule-makers. Seriously, though, the schedule rotates every 12 years, not every eight years, and this leads to some unexpected pairings. It's not by accident.

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Shawn from Phoenix writes: Sando, you called the Cards' defense vulnerable. Without the two fumbles deep in Rams territory, this wasn't even a game. The Rams had to throw 50 times to get 250 yds passing, and the Cardinals held Jackson to 3.7 yds per carry. The Rams were also max-protecting and still gave up two sacks. The loss of Antrel Rolle is the most overrated of the offseason, and Karlos Dansby never made a Pro Bowl. Watched the game and despite four fumbles, the defense gave up 13 points and that's vulnerable? You're nuts!

Mike Sando: What I said during the most recent NFC West chat was, "They gave up 325 yards, for the record, but I did not see great things from the Cardinals in terms of team defense. Sam Bradford hit a couple long throws. Mark Clayton was wide open for another one, but he dropped the ball. The Rams converted 10 of 23 times on third/fourth downs. The run defense against Steven Jackson was fine for the most part. The safeties made good plays on the ball. I thought the Rams' offensive line held up better in protection than I would have imagined, and Sam Bradford got rid of the ball quickly."

As for Dansby, sounds like he fared OK for Miami in the Dolphins' opener. It's not like reporters covering the Dolphins are lamenting the loss of Joey Porter to this early point, either. We'll find out over the course of the season whether the Cardinals are good on defense. They are healthier than they were when things collapsed late last season. But there's no sense in using a season-opening performance against the Rams as concrete evidence.

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Mike from Washington writes: Hey Mike, I was reading an article on nfl.com in which experts ranked the Seahawks as high as 10 and as low as 26 and the Niners as high as 16 and as low as 28. Im a die-hard Seahawks fan, but don't you think that 10 is a little too high for the Seahawks even for an optimistic fan, and 28 is a little low for the Niners? I appreciate any possible answer. Thanks.

Mike Sando: Yes, I tend to agree with your thoughts. Matt Hasselbeck is the key variable for Seattle. If they can continue to protect him as well as they did in Week 1, Seattle will be much more competitive. Hasselbeck looked like his former Pro Bowl self in that game. My outlook on Seattle will change dramatically if the Seahawks can keep Hasselbeck from danger.

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Jim from Tucson writes: I've been pondering the Cardinals game, and an interesting thought occurred to me. There's no doubt that Derek Anderson looked pretty bad on Sunday, but if you ignore his passes to Larry Fitzgerald, Anderson completed 19 of 26 passes (that's 73 percent) for 254 yards. That's pretty darn solid by itself. I'm not saying Anderson was accurate, and I'm certainly not saying Fitz should have been able to catch those balls -- Anderson was way off on those throws. But that does NOT seem normal. It has to mean something. The timing/chemistry issue between Fitz and Anderson could be much bigger than anyone thinks. If so, it bodes very, very well for the Cardinals' future if those two can get used to playing together.

Mike Sando: You could be right and I do think Ken Whisenhunt is correct in saying the passing game should improve as these guys are together longer. Whisenhunt also said Fitzgerald requires a different kind of ball, so that could be in play. I rewatched the start of that game Saturday night and noticed Anderson hitting Fitzgerald in stride with a beautiful pass for a nice gain right away. They'll improve at it, but we do know Anderson will not be a consistent precision passer. That is not his game. But we also know he's going to complete more than 20 percent of his passes to Fitzgerald.

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Jarrod from Port Angeles, Wash., writes: Hey Sando, love the blog, man. Keep up the good work! I was unable to watch the Seahawks beatdown of the 49ers on TV (I know, blasphemy) so I was wondering, how did Earl Thomas look? Obviously our defense as a whole did pretty good but I was wondering if you could give me any insight into how he played. Thanks!

Mike Sando: Thanks, Jarrod. Thomas looked really good. He's already an upgrade.

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Charlie from Georgia writes: Sando, are you still on the Alex Smith bandwagon? After Sunday's performance, we got exactly what we expected from Alex Smith. I know you're gonna say it wasnt all his fault, but Smith overshot alot of his receivers. Heck, at times, Smith looked like the worst QB in the division. Sam Bradford looked 100 percent better in him in his first game. I know smith is due a good game here and there, but I don't see the 49ers sticking with him, say, if they start 0-2 or 0-3. There's too much on the line here. If they can't win the division now, when will they? The Cardinals aren't playing good offense, the Rams have a rookie quarterback and the Seahawks' offense wasnt spectacular, so now is the time. Six points with the likes of Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn Jr. on offense is just unacceptable. I noticed Smith kept throwing those 5-yard passes and couldn't throw those accurately and the one time he had Ginn deep, he missed him. I don't mind losing, but let's lose with someone else. Smith's days are numbered!

Mike Sando: Don't put me on that bandwagon, Charlie. I thought they should have made a push for Donovan McNabb even though I understood the whole continuity emphasis. Smith is the best option on the team right now and I think it would be premature to make a change. It's not like they have Steve Young in relief. It's also not like it's unusual for Smith to struggle at Seattle (the offense couldn't convert a third down there last season, either). The 49ers are better than they showed in Week 1. Same goes for Smith. As I've said, I do not think the 49ers have shown they're good enough at quarterback to win big games, but they can still be in that 8-8 or 9-7 or 10-6 range this season with Smith doing just enough.

Referee Bill Leavy's surprise admission stands as the most notable officiating-related development in the NFC West this offseason.

A smaller one slipped through unnoticed -- almost, anyway.

Don Carey, the rookie referee San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary confronted at halftime of the 2009 regular-season opener, has been reassigned to work as a back judge under Ed Hochuli.

"You don’t want to hear what I said (to Carey)," Singletary told reporters in the aftermath of the game against Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium. "It was very positive. He may not say that."

Singletary was joking about the "very positive" part.

"Really, what it came down to, when you’re making calls out there, have somebody over there near me that can relay some kind of information and I’ll be fine," Singletary explained at the time. "And that’s what we talked about. That happened in the second half. It worked out a lot better."

Carey suffered two replay reversals in the 49ers' game at Arizona and three more the next week. He finished the season with 11, tied for second-most among NFL referees behind Al Riveron (13). In Week 3, Carey's sixth reversal of the season returned possession to the Chicago Bears following Matt Forte's fumble at the Seattle 1-yard line (David Hawthorne had recovered for the Seahawks). I remember thinking replays did not appear conclusive.

Clete Blakeman, a field judge under Leavy last season, has replaced Carey as referee for 2010. Carey's more famous brother, Mike, remains one of 17 referees (he has been one since 1995).

The NFL has shuffled multiple crews for 2010. Referee Peter Morelli's crew has a league-high seven members new since 2009 (each worked on a different crew last season).

Six officials from 2009 are not returning in any capacity for 2010: John Schleyer, who served as head linesman under referee Jerome Boger; Carl Johnson, line judge under Don Carey; Charles Stewart, line judge under Carl Cheffers; Bill Schmitz, back judge under Morelli; and Clayton Judge, video operator under Al Riveron.

A seventh, back judge Bob Lawing, died from cancer in May. Officials will honor him by wearing a memorial patch on their hats this season. Lawing worked under referee Walt Coleman.

I've been re-reading James Walker's AFC North item quoting former Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, and trying to convince myself Holmgren really took the high road over an issue that has festered inside him for years.

The issue, of course, was the officiating in Super Bowl XL four years ago.

"Of course I was disappointed at the time, and because it was the Super Bowl, I still think about it on occasion," Holmgren said in response to referee Bill Leavy's admission that mistakes were made. "But like anything in this business, if you let it linger it's going to have an adverse effect on what you do moving forward. We didn't play our best football that day. Had we played better and coached better, those calls might not have made a difference. Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, and you can't hold one person accountable for the final outcome of that game."

That comment seemed softer than what I would have expected from Holmgren on this once-sensitive subject matter. But in looking back through past comments from him, this wasn't the first time he downplayed the matter.

Holmgren's latest reaction might also show how disarming it can be when a guilty party takes responsibility for shortcomings. Holmgren would have been piling on had he lashed out at Leavy following the referee's recent admission. But if Leavy had come out and denied making erroneous calls, a stronger response from Holmgren might have seemed warranted.

Update: The comment from Holmgren was issued through the team. That explains everything. Team officials often write statements on behalf of coaches. Coaches merely approve them. This comment from Holmgren reads like something the Cleveland Browns would like him to say. Not that it wasn't genuine. But it was also worded with care.

Mike Pereira of FoxSports.com says NFL referee Bill Leavy did make an error in Super Bowl XL, only to err again when he suggested a fourth-quarter holding call against the Seahawks' Sean Locklear was incorrect. Pereira, the NFL's former director of officiating, had this to say: "Leavy piled on himself by saying that his holding call on Sean Locklear was incorrect. That is not true. It was a hold and should have been called. If anything, you could have made a case that the Steelers were offside and, if the play had been officiated correctly, the penalties would have offset and the down replayed. In any case, the reception would not have been allowed to stand." At this point, I'd like to go back and watch some of those plays again. It's been four years and it's tough to recall each play in detail.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com looks at comments Seattle receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh made to Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports. Houshmandzadeh: "I came from a team with Chad [Ochocinco] and Chris Henry, where I was the go-to guy. People on the outside might think it was Chad, but those who were there know better -- it was me. Not to discredit anybody, but we didn't have a Chad on [last year's] team, and I wasn't the go-to guy. That confused me." Prepare to be confused again. The Seahawks' new staff obviously doesn't care what Houshmandzadeh or anyone else accomplished previously. Coaches are giving younger players opportunities to win playing time. Houshmandzadeh's comments to Silver validate what I thought I saw during the team's scrimmage Sunday: a receiver unhappy when the ball didn't come his way, to the point where Houshmandzadeh took his time rejoining teammates after the ball went to Deion Branch on the other side of the field.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers "hit a wall" in practice Monday and didn't handle it very well, according to coach Mike Singletary.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers are seeking answers from defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer, who did not attended practices Monday. Singletary: "He and I have to talk and we have to figure some things out. He'll be back." That doesn't sound good.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News quotes Singletary as saying he is "not going into that" when asked about Balmer's situation. Balmer made it clear early in camp that he felt as though he should have gotten more playing time last season. Balmer: "Honestly. Honestly. I have to be truthful. I just felt like ... God! I felt like I was ready. I mean, I felt like I had a good preseason. But it isn't up to me who gets an opportunity, you know what I'm saying? I felt like I was ready, but obviously that wasn't the case. You turn on the preseason film, and you make your own judgment."

David White of the San Francisco Chronicle details changes on the 49ers' offensive line as rookies Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis take their spots in the starting lineup.

Peter King of SI.com qualifies praise for Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford, noting that it's too early to write those marks in permanent ink. King: "I still worry. A scrimmage where the quarterback is untouched and knows he's not going to get rapped around is no time to find out if a college phenom is the long-term answer."

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Bradford is well on his way to earning the starting job. Burwell: "The first pick in this year's draft was supposed to be slowly spoon-fed on the demanding challenge of becoming the Rams' starting quarterback. Yet barely two weeks into training camp, instead of a little nibble here and there, the $78-million QB is proving to have a rather voracious appetite for learning. After a sometimes bumpy first week in the NFL, the last six days have been a stunning awakening as he continues to put together eye-opening practice session after eye-opening practice session at such an accelerated pace that (Steve) Spagnuolo's timetable for slowly grooming Bradford into the starter's role might end up being tossed aside before we get halfway through the exhibition season."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says comments from Steve Breaston show the receiver's competitive side. Breaston, when asked about getting frustrated working against Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in practice: "I don’t get frustrated. I beat him sometimes. I ain’t gonna say that, that he locks me down. I get some. I’m not going to short myself here." Rodgers-Cromartie looked good in the practices I watched, but I'll have to side with Breaston in saying the receivers had their moments, too.

Also from azcardinals.com: depth charts.

More from Urban: Beanie Wells should be OK after suffering a rib injury.

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart wants to block out what's being said by outsiders. Leinart: "This camp is a different situation for me, but to be honest, I'm not really worried about anything being said outside. I know I'm doing well. I know the offense has showed a lot of what we can potentially be. I'm just focused on getting better as a quarterback."