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RENTON, Wash. -- Thoughts and observations after watching the Seattle Seahawks open their rookie camp Friday:

• First-round pick Bruce Irvin impressed coaches with his ability to grasp defensive concepts. That can be a concern for any rookie and particularly for one with Irvin's unusual background (out of football for two years while living on the streets). Irvin practiced with intensity. He did not get great results immediately and it was easy to see why. Alex Barron, who has practiced against Leonard Little and DeMarcus Ware over the years, was one of the few veterans in camp. While Barron's career has faltered, he remains a first-round talent and it showed in the first practice. The Seahawks are giving him a tryout. Barron, a first-round pick for St. Louis in 2005, is 29 years old and spent last season on injured reserve with New Orleans. He looked healthy and was obviously more talented than the free-agent offensive linemen in camp.
• Coach Pete Carroll raved about running back Robert Turbin. He loved Turbin's quickness and feel for the zone running game. Turbin has huge biceps, but his lower body looks like it belongs to a smaller man.
• Third-round quarterback Russell Wilson took twice as many snaps as any rookie and made a resoundingly positive first impression. Wilson threaded perfect passes all over the field, hitting receivers and tight ends in stride. Height, not talent, is the concern for the 5-foot-11 Wilson. He did have three passes tipped near the line of scrimmage, by my count. A couple deep balls failed to find their targets, Carroll noted. Wilson is going to get the attention of the veteran quarterbacks, it looks like.
• Fourth-round pick Jaye Howard, a defensive tackle from Florida, impressed Carroll with his quickness.
• The Seahawks invited draft choices' families to watch practice. All 10 picks had family in attendance on a spectacularly sunny day on the shores of Lake Washington.
• Linebacker Korey Toomer, a fifth-round pick from Idaho, appeared athletic. He picked off a batted pass and headed for the end zone with it.
• The Seahawks fared well with undrafted receiver Doug Baldwin last season. Phil Bates from Ohio was the undrafted receiver I noticed the most during this practice. He made a leaping grab on a deep ball. He also made a one-handed grab in traffic. He also dropped a pass later in practice. Overall, though, he looked good. Bates is 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds.

Players were wearing helmets, but no pads. It's tough to make lasting judgments from a camp such as this one. First impressions will have to suffice.

This was indeed a special season for the San Francisco 49ers and, by extension, the NFC West overall.

The Associated Press All-Pro Team, announced Friday, includes five 49ers, a league high for any team. Arizona's Patrick Peterson made the team as the return specialist, joining the 49ers' David Akers and Andy Lee to give the NFC West all three specialists.

The 49ers' Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman made it as inside linebackers. Teammate Justin Smith made it as a defensive tackle. He also got votes at defensive end. Smith moves around the line, playing end in the base 3-4.

Aaron Rodgers won 47.5 out of 50 votes at quarterback, a strong indication Rodgers will emerge as the leader in MVP balloting. Those results have not yet been revealed, but they draw from the same group of voters.

The chart shows All-Pro counts by division.

Also making the team: fullback Vonta Leach, center Maurkice Pouncey, guard Carl Nicks, guard Jahri Evans, running back Maurice Jones-Drew, running back LeSean McCoy, tackle Joe Thomas, tackle Jason Peters, tight end Rob Gronkowski, receiver Wes Welker, receiver Calvin Johnson, cornerback Darrelle Revis, cornerback Charles Woodson, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, defensive end Jared Allen, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, linebacker Derrick Johnson, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware safety Troy Polamalu and safety Eric Weddle.

Expanding on an earlier post, this one ranks NFL players by most sacks per pass play through Week 13.

The San Francisco 49ers' Aldon Smith ranks fourth on the list. The St. Louis Rams' Chris Long is 10th. The Arizona Cardinals' Sam Acho ranks 19th. Ex-Seattle Seahawk Lawrence Jackson is 14th. Ex-Ram Adam Carriker ranks 21st.

Smith is keeping impressive company. The next step for him, likely next season, will be to maintain his pass-rush production as an every-down player, when he'll also have to hold up against the run more frequently. So far, so good.

The St. Louis Rams' Robert Quinn did not quite make the chart. He has five sacks and a 2.2 percentage. Seattle's Chris Clemons has eight sacks and a 2.1 percentage.

Sacks are not the only measure of a player's performance, of course. The best pass-rushers tend to collect a lot of them, however.

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"Silent" Stan Kroenke wasn't so silent following the St. Louis Rams' 26-0 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

Brian Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the team's second-year majority owner visited with players individually in the locker room, a sign of engagement from the owner as the season drags on. Burwell: "The man is not taking all this losing lightly. You could see it in his expressions as he moved around the locker room. People who know him well say he is extremely frustrated by what has transpired in his second season as majority owner and at the proper time -- which is not in the middle of the season -- he will decide what needs to be done. They say he is paying very close attention but feels no overwhelming need to prove that he is some boisterous ownership tough guy who needs to stand in front of microphones and TV cameras calling subordinates on the carpet."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says it's tough to see even "a glimmer" of hope for the Rams after their first shutout defeat since the 2009 season. Steven Jackson: "We knew what we were facing. And we knew we were facing a team that was looking to clinch the NFC West, so we knew that we were going to get their best. Hats off to them."

Also from Thomas: Sam Bradford hoped to play Sunday, but the Rams decided to hold him out.

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com offers a postgame Rams report card featuring a "C" grade for the defensive line. Gordon: "Chris Long played on a bum ankle and still earned a couple of sacks. DT Justin Bannan came back from his shoulder injury and helped inside against the run. The group delivered an impressive goal line stand in the second quarter and made several nice stops while holding San Francisco to a 9-0 halftime lead. Unfortunately, the 49ers offense kept coming onto the field . . . and in time the Rams defensive front wore down. These guys are only human." Noted: Long ranks tied for third in the league with 12 sacks, a career high. Only DeMarcus Ware and Jared Allen have more.

Note: Kroenke did not change his name. I changed it for him after mistyping his first name initially.

The NFL named Arizona's Patrick Peterson its special-teams player of the week in the NFC after the rookie scored for a fourth time this season on a punt return.

Baltimore's Terrell Suggs was named top defensive player in the AFC. Washington's DeAngelo Hall won the top defensive weekly honors for the NFC. Beanie Wells arguably should have been a fourth.

That means half the AFC and NFC weekly award winners earned special commendation for their efforts against teams from the NFC West. No asterisks, either.

Peterson's 80-yard touchdown return, his second score on a punt return against St. Louis this season, helped the Cardinals beat the Rams, 23-20. Suggs' three-sack game against San Francisco helped the Ravens beat the 49ers on Thanksgiving, 16-6. And Hall's performance against Seattle, featuring seven passes defensed and a clinching interception, was enough for him to get notice as well.

My early favorites for NFC West-enabled honors for Week 13:

• Demarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys: He has 14 sacks heading into a game against Arizona and one of the NFL's most frequently sacked quarterbacks, either Kevin Kolb or John Skelton.
• Justin Smith, San Francisco 49ers: He gets to work against a Rams offensive line featuring Adam Goldberg subbing at left tackle.
• Aldon Smith, 49ers: Like Smith, he also gets to work against the left side of the Rams' line.
• Frank Gore, 49ers: He faces the Rams' league-worst run defense one week after Arizona's Beanie Wells rushed for 228 yards.
• Jason Babin, Eagles: Babin has 10 sacks this season. He'll be working against the reconfigured right side of the Seahawks' offensive line.

Wells set a franchise record for rushing yards and it wasn't enough for him to beat out New Orleans' Drew Brees as offensive player of the week in the NFC.

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

FALLING

1. Jason Brown, Rams center. The Rams have paid $7 million per season to Brown since signing him for the 2009 season. They replaced him with Tony Wragge, presumably because they wanted their line to project more toughness and tenacity. The move almost surely foreshadows the end for Brown in St. Louis. Wragge, 32, had started only 15 games, 10 of them in 2008, since making his NFL debut in 2002. The San Francisco 49ers cut him after developing Adam Snyder as a backup for additional positions, including center. Wragge made his first Rams start Sunday and the running game carried on.

2. Frank Gore, 49ers running back. Gore carried only six times for zero yards during the 49ers' otherwise memorable victory over the New York Giants. The knee injury Gore suffered did not appear serious, but it's the latest ailment to threaten his availability this season. Ankle injuries slowed him earlier in the season. Gore's franchise-record streak of 100-yard games ended at five, but the injury concerns account for his placement on this list.

3. Rams' secondary. Losing Al Harris to a season-ending and (at his age) career-threatening knee injury weakened an already ravaged St. Louis secondary. One of the few remaining corners, Justin King, suffered a head injury late in the game, although coach Steve Spagnuolo suggested all symptoms cleared quickly. Bradley Fletcher, Ron Bartell, Jerome Murphy and other corners have already landed on injured reserve for the Rams this season.

RISING

1. Ray Horton, Cardinals defensive coordinator. The Cardinals have not allowed a passing touchdown in their last three games after allowing nine in their first six. They became the first team to hold Philadelphia below 300 yards this season. Younger players like Sam Acho, O'Brien Schofield and Patrick Peterson are contributing. Calais Campbell has had some huge games. Yes, the Cardinals have played a couple struggling teams in recent weeks. But after allowing 932 yards over the first two games and 445 to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago, Arizona has stopped the defensive bleeding.

2. Russell Okung, Seahawks left tackle. Okung fared well in matchups against DeMarcus Ware and Terrell Suggs over the past two games. He had help at times, but there's no question Okung is gaining in confidence and ability as his previous ankle injuries fade into the more distant past. His play has helped Marshawn Lynch put together 100-yard rushing performances in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Seattle has allowed only two sacks in its last two games after allowing 14 in its previous three.

3. Alex Smith, 49ers quarterback. Smith doesn't appear higher on this list because his stock has already been rising steadily throughout the season. Even those surprised the 49ers would lean on him so heavily against the Giants had to admit Smith's performance was only mildly (if at all) surprising in the context of this season. Don't be fooled into thinking the 49ers leaned on Smith out of necessity once Gore was injured, either. They threw 11 times in their first 13 plays because that was the offensive plan.

To borrow a baseball analogy, the San Francisco 49ers proved Sunday their offense possessed more than a single pitch.

Their surprising tactics during a 27-20 victory over the New York Giants left them with a two-game lead in the race for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The 49ers also own victories over some of the teams trailing them in the race, notably the Giants and Detroit Lions.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com put it this way: "The 49ers ran the ball 52 percent of the time through the first eight games of the season. On Sunday, Smith dropped back to pass 35 times, while the 49ers called just 14 run plays before Smith took a knee three times at the end of the game to run out the clock." Noted: Even one of the team's early "runs" came on a called pass play featuring a scramble from Smith. When Smith later set up a field goal with a run up the middle, I thought the play appeared to have come off by design. The team sent three players on what appeared to be vertical routes along the left side. Smith quickly took off up the middle. That play was not scripted, however. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Smith ran upon seeing the Giants' coverage.

Also from Maiocco: Justin Smith and Patrick Willis keyed what might have been the team's most impressive victory of the season. Maiocco: "Smith and Willis are legitimate candidates for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, as the 49ers have forged an 8-1 record with seven games remaining. Smith has 4.5 sacks to go along with his two game-clinching plays this season. In Week 4, he wrapped up a 24-23 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles when he chased down speedy wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and forced a fumble that ended the Eagles' final threat. On Sunday, Smith rushed against Giants left guard David Diehl on the final play after playing every defensive snap in the game. He knocked down Eli Manning's fourth-down pass with his right arm." Noted: Smith and Will should get strong consideration for that award, but players with lots of sacks and interceptions have an easier time getting noticed. Demarcus Ware and Jared Allen jump out as obvious frontrunners based on their sack counts.

Also from Maiocco: The Giants' Justin Tuck told Alex Smith he meant no disrespect with comments Tuck made earlier in the week.

Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com says Alex Smith is showing there's no shame in the "game manager" title for quarterbacks. Ratto: "He is about to get the full NFL myth-makeover, because nobody in decades has done what he has done -- toil in abject humiliation for almost twice the length of the average NFL career and then suddenly come up aces and kings. And while he’ll still have the earnest inflections and sincere eyes and aw-shucks demeanor, a little bit of the I-told-you-so will leak out here and there. He has a lot of I-told-you-sos saved up, and now that his allegedly small hands have a firm grip on the second-best team in football, he will let them slip out here and there. He has this coming to him."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Frank Gore downplayed the severity of his knee injury and said he could have continued playing if Tom Rathman, the running backs coach, had allowed it. Noted: This might be a good time for the 49ers to give Gore the week off from practice and possibly even a game off. He's been injured off and on this season, and durability was already a concern after he missed the final five games to a hip injury last season.

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat uses the word "masterpiece" to describe the 49ers' victory. Cohn: "This was a beautiful win for the Niners because the Giants had pulled ahead, as expected, took a gritty, hard-fought 13-12 lead late in the third quarter and it seemed the 49ers were done. Who could blame them? They had held on against these smart, tough, well-coached Giants and it would be no shame to surrender just a little bit. But the 49ers didn't surrender. They came back, Alex Smith throwing a perfect strike to Vernon Davis all alone, and Davis barged ahead like a runaway truck and then jumped in the air and flew into the end zone over the body of Giants safety Kenny Phillips. The man flew. And the Niners took the lead and never gave it up."

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News calls Justin Smith the 49ers' closer while saying this might have been Alex Smith's finest moment with the 49ers.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle offers postgame notes, including one from Giants receiver Victor Cruz, who claimed he got the best of Carlos Rogers throughout the game. Noted: Rogers didn't seem to be the one giving up most of the Giants' yardage, but I'll check out the replay for a closer look.

Also from Branch: Rogers has found his hands.

Five things I noticed while watching the Seattle Seahawks' most recent game, a 23-13 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9:

• Fullback hurt Seattle's defense. Teams cannot always justify playing time for a fullback. The Cowboys did not use one to start the game, but once Tony Fiammetta came onto the field, he was a difference maker. The Seahawks' linebackers had a hard time with him. Murray gained 32 yards on a play resembling the one he broke for 91 yards against St. Louis. Guard Montrae Holland occupied linebacker David Hawthorne. Fiammetta eliminated Malcolm Smith. I'll be interested in seeing how Seattle handles Baltimore's two-back offense. The Ravens' Ray Rice has 111 carries for 444 yards and six touchdowns with fullback Vonta Leach on the field, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
• Okung's progress continuing. The Seahawks had to like what they saw from left tackle Russell Okung. When Okung plays with confidence, he makes the extra shove. I saw that from him early in the game. Okung pushed Demarcus Ware legally but unnecessarily as a play was ending. The whistle had not yet blown, but Ware wasn't a factor on the play. Ware walked toward Okung after the play and said something in his ear, but Okung didn't seem to care. Okung generally fared well when matched up with Ware. He showed good awareness and hustle in retreating to help with Ware on the play Tarvaris Jackson saved with a penalty-drawing throw for Mike Williams.
• Two problems with 39-yarder to Bryant. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo made his 39-yard pass to Dez Bryant up the left sideline appear routine. He had help from the Seahawks. Cornerback Brandon Browner was pressing Bryant at the line of scrimmage, but he gave Bryant a clean release. There was no jam. The Seahawks sent free safety Earl Thomas on a blitz, but Thomas appeared to run into a wall. The Cowboys absorbed him. Blitzing without getting pressure was bad enough. Playing press coverage without getting a jam made it worse.
• Where Robert Gallery stands. At times this season, the Seahawks' veteran left guard and free-agent addition from Oakland has reminded me of another AFC West alumnus in a Seattle uniform. Back in the late 1990s, the team signed Brian Habib from Denver for veteran leadership on the line. Habib started 32 games over two seasons, but he played hurt a fair amount of the time and struggled. Gallery was playing hurt early this season. Ware made him look bad on one play Sunday, but overall, this game represented a step forward. Football Outsiders' Ben Muth, a former Stanford lineman, had some more technical observations on Gallery.
• Strong goal-to-go defense. The Seahawks have gotten quite a bit bigger on defense. This could account for their success in goal-to-go situations. Their big cornerbacks have less ground to cover, so they can play aggressively without giving up the deep ball. They have big, strong players along the line, from Alan Branch to Red Bryant to Brandon Mebane. The Cowboys scored no touchdowns on two goal-to-go possessions. The Seahawks lead the NFL is lowest TD percentage allowed in goal-to-go situations at 38.5 percent. The league average is 66.4 percent.

I'm heading for the airport in a few hours. Hoping to post similar files for the San Francisco and St. Louis games. Already hit Arizona earlier in the week.

The Arizona Cardinals' plans to open contract talks with defensive end Calais Campbell come as NFL teams gain new leverage in negotiations with top players.

Andrew Brandt of National Football Post recently explained how the new collective bargaining agreement will lower valuations for franchise players. Brandt: "The calculation for the tag is now no longer based on the average of the top five salaries for a player’s position for the preceding year, but the average of the top five salaries at a player’s position for the preceding FIVE years! Thus, for 2012, franchise tag calculations compute from the top five salaries at each position -- not from 2011 -- but from an average of the top five salaries at each position for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011." Noted: Teams were already using the franchise tag without giving much thought to the salary-cap implications. Lowering the tag values will only make the tag easier to use.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Campbell's contract runs out after this season and he's a player the team needs to re-sign. Somers: "It's surprising the team has waited this long. Campbell is in the last year of his rookie contract, and he is four months away from unrestricted free agency. The Cardinals have no young players behind Campbell, and losing him would be a blow because they have other needs to address." Noted: The Cardinals had no trouble using the tag for Karlos Dansby, but Campbell's ability to rush the passer should make him more valuable. He should receive a long-term contract.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Darnell Dockett expects the organization to re-sign Campbell. Dockett: "We need to (re-sign him), and I trust Rod Graves and the organization, they’ll do right by Calais. He’s young and is a good leader. He’s only got upside. I don’t think he’s fully developed into his body, to be honest. Another 10 pounds, that dude will be walking around like a gorilla around here." Noted: Campbell, at 6-foot-8 and a lean 300-plus pounds, is one of the most physically impressive players in the NFL.

Also from Urban: Patrick Peterson's development at cornerback.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com explains why Red Bryant is the team's Ed Block Courage Award winner. Bryant: "Getting this honor means a lot, given the fact that I’m coming back from an injury that a lot of people didn’t feel like I would probably come back from -- because I had an ACL coming out of college on the same knee. So, to come back and play at a high level, it’s just a testament to the trainers and the hard work and the encouragement my teammates gave me."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks are happy with their towering cornerbacks.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas has continued to improve despite depressed interception numbers.

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle saw good things from Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung, who fared well against Cowboys outside linebacker Demarcus Ware even when Seattle did not help Okung in protection. Up next: Baltimore's Terrell Suggs.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch checks in with Rams rookie tight end Lance Kendricks, whose role in the offense was diminishing even before a mid-foot sprain sidelined him indefinitely. Thomas: "From Troy Drayton to Ernie Conwell, Roland Williams, Brandon Manumaleuna, Randy McMichael, Daniel Fells, and more, no Rams tight end has caught more than 47 passes for more than 458 yards in a season since the franchise moved to St. Louis in 1995. It looked like that was about to change with Kendricks on the scene. But Kendricks had trouble with drops in the early going, dropping what looked like sure TDs in Game 1 against Philadelphia and Game 4 against Washington."

Kathleen Nelson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Sam Bradford's workload has increased. Coach Steve Spagnuolo: "Got more reps today than he did yesterday and certainly more than he had last Thrusday. And yet, we try not to give them all to him because the more you put on him, then you're going backwards a little bit. I think he's progressing pretty good. He's a tough guy."

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com says the team's ground game is gaining momentum.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com quotes 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman as saying the team's modest offensive stats reflect game situations. Roman: "When you're up, you're not going to throw as much, right? And, probably, your yards-per-carry aren't going to be as high because you're facing loaded defenses. And your defensive stats are probably going to be down because those teams are throwing it around. So the only stat that matters is winning. Everything else is statistical analysis and information gathering. So whatever we need to do to win, we'll do. And if it's throwing it or if it's running it, whatever that equation is on a week-to-week basis, we'll do. Everything else, really, is water cooler talk." Noted: The Green Bay Packers average 105.3 additional yards per game than the 49ers average. They have an 8-0 record and have obviously led their opponents a significant amount of the time. The 49ers are more conservative on offense by design, not just because they've been leading games.

Also from Maiocco: Ray McDonald takes another step in his return from a hamstring injury.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee is interested in seeing how the Giants combat the 49ers' ground game.

Also from Barrows: a look at the alley-oop play R.C. Owens helped make famous.

The facts: The Seattle Seahawks fell to 2-6 with a 23-13 road defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.

The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.

• Marshawn Lynch rushed for 135 yards, his highest total since Seattle acquired him last season. Lynch scored a rushing touchdown in the fourth consecutive game he has played, becoming the first Seattle player to accomplish that feat since Shaun Alexander in 2005.
• The Seahawks allowed no sacks to the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware, who entered the game with 12 sacks this season, including four a week earlier.
• Kennard Cox's tackle during a Cowboys punt return forced Dallas to begin its second drive at its own 2-yard line.
• The Seahawks did not fumble.
• Seattle's league-leading goal-to-go defense allowed no touchdowns in two such situations Sunday. Brandon Mebane blew up one running play. Atari Bigby nearly sacked Tony Romo on another, forcing an incomplete pass.
• The Seahawks won time of possession.
• Free safety Earl Thomas and linebacker David Hawthorne had tackles for loss.
• Strong safety Kam Chancellor continued delivering huge hits, including one that rocked DeMarco Murray at the line of scrimmage on a second-and-4 play in the second quarter. On-field microphones picked up the jarring sound from the collision, followed by crowd reaction.
• Cornerback Richard Sherman forced Dez Bryant to fumble with a big hit near the goal line. Roy Lewis recovered for Seattle.

Looking ahead: The Seahawks return home to face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 9:

Huge weekend for sack opportunities: The Seattle Seahawks, having allowed a league-high 28 sacks, must contend with the Dallas Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware, who collected four of his 12 last week. The San Francisco 49ers' Aldon Smith and Justin Smith have a combined nine sacks over four games. They now face a Washington Redskins offense that took 10 sacks against Buffalo. The St. Louis Rams, coming off a six-sack game against New Orleans' Drew Brees, now face an Arizona Cardinals offense that allowed six against Baltimore last week.

Quarterback continuity at a premium: The 49ers' ability to protect Alex Smith and keep him healthy was a concern heading into the season. Smith had missed games to injury last season. He had missed an entire season previously. He had started 16 games in a season just once. Heading into Week 9, Smith is the NFC West ironman at the position. Arizona's Kevin Kolb has a turf-toe injury that could sideline him Sunday. St. Louis' Sam Bradford, who took every snap in 2010, has missed two games and could miss another. The Seahawks' Tarvaris Jackson is back in the lineup for the first time since Week 5. Smith, meanwhile, is on pace to make his ninth start in a row dating to last season.

More on that 49ers pass rush: The team is getting good pressure despite sending four or fewer pass-rushers on 82 percent of opposing dropbacks, the third-highest percentage in the league, according to Doug Clawson of ESPN Stats & Information. That figure is up from 73.1 percent last season. All four sacks against Cleveland last week came with the 49ers rushing four or fewer. That gives the team added flexibility in coverage. Opposing quarterbacks have been under duress on 20.4 percent of dropbacks, up from 11.9 last season. Aldon Smith's addition is key. Smith, who plays in sub packages, has six of his 6.5 sacks on plays when the 49ers rushed four or fewer.

Marshawn Lynch and the end zone: Getting the ground game going stands as a top priority for the Seahawks over the final nine games of the season. The team expects to have its projected offensive line starting for the second week in a row after not playing together since Week 1. Marshawn Lynch hasn't found much running room, but he does have a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games. He's looking to become the first Seattle runner since Shaun Alexander in 2005 to score one in four consecutive games. The Cowboys allowed 239 yards rushing to Philadelphia last week after entering the game allowing a league-low 69.7 yards per game.

Power backs in spotlight: With Bradford and Kolb limited or out entirely, running backs Steven Jackson and Beanie Wells could play more prominent roles when the Rams and Cardinals play at University of Phoenix Stadium. Both are big, bruising backs. Both are running with attitude. The Rams allowed a season-low 56 yards rushing against a New Orleans team that leans heavily on the pass. Before that, however, the Rams had allowed at least 168 yards on the ground four times. The Cardinals have been more vulnerable against pass than run, but Washington and Minnesota each rushed for 172 yards against Arizona.

DeMarcus Ware starts at right outside linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.

He finishes at the quarterback.

In between, he's all over the place.

The Seattle Seahawks' left tackle, Russell Okung, will match up with Ware some of the time Sunday. Their right tackle, James Carpenter, will face Ware other times. Tight ends, running backs and even interior offensive linemen will contend with him.

Ware, who collected four of his 12 sacks in Week 8, lines up across the formation. He has six of his sacks from the left side of the defense and six from the right, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

This matchup appears particularly tough for the Seahawks. They've allowed 28 sacks, most in the league, despite already having a bye week. The Cowboys' 21 sacks on defense rank sixth among teams with seven games.

The St. Louis Rams attempted 33 passes and took only one sack at Dallas two weeks ago, but they averaged only 9.8 yards per completed pass. Ware had the one sack, plus two of the Cowboys' six quarterback hits.

Seattle has taken 20 sacks in its four road games this season, and at least four in every game but the one against Atlanta, when the Falcons had zero.

Penalties are another concern for the Seahawks' offensive line. The line has committed 19 accepted and declined penalties this season. That includes 12 in four road games and seven in three home games.

Quarterback Sam Bradford did not miss a snap during his 2010 rookie season with the St. Louis Rams.

Bradford did not make it through the Rams' first game this season, missing the final nine offensive snaps against Philadelphia after injuring a finger. The pounding Bradford has taken caught up with him Saturday when the Rams downgraded him to doubtful for their game against Dallas in Week 7.

A.J. Feeley will start. Signing Tom Brandstater from the practice squad indicates Bradford won't be available.

The down time should be good for Bradford, who hasn't practiced since suffering a high-ankle sprain on the Rams' final offensive play against Green Bay last week. If he wasn't healthy enough to drop back and throw in practice Friday, the ankle wasn't going to let him scramble away from DeMarcus Ware and the Cowboys' defense, either.

Bradford's injury comes just as the offense was showing signs of improvement with a 424-yard game against the Packers. Acquiring receiver Brandon Lloyd and welcoming back receiver Mark Clayton from injury (not this week, but soon) will give Bradford a better chance for success once he does return. High sprains can take weeks to heal, however. The injury could affect Bradford for the remainder of the season, but if he has receivers getting open and holding onto the ball, he'll be in better position to find them before pressure arrives.

The last time Feeley, 34, started in the regular season, he completed 19 of 42 passes for 220 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions for Philadelphia during a 2007 home defeat to Seattle. The last time he won a start was in 2004, for Miami. He has a 7-8 career record as a starter.

The San Francisco 49ers are 2-1 and leading the NFC West heading into Week 4. Does that suddenly make them division favorites with the St. Louis Rams sitting 0-3?

"I guess I'm leaning toward San Francisco, but I don't feel confident," Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said this week. "The Rams could finish strong. I can't see Seattle doing it. And I think Arizona is a six-win team, but they are all kind of six-win teams."

The 49ers won six of their final 11 games last season. That makes them 8-6 over their last 14 regular-season games. The Rams and Seahawks are 5-9 during the regular season over the same span. The Cardinals are 3-11.

With that, a closer look at the 49ers from Williamson's perspective:

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  Jamie Sabau/Getty ImagesRunning room has been harder to come by for Frank Gore this season.
  On the struggling ground game: "Frank Gore doesn’t look good. He is not attacking things. Gore looks like he is playing hurt. He has run so competitively in the past. He would not just go in the tank. I think Kendall Hunter is very interesting. He looks like he is playing at a different speed when he goes in there. I don't know if Gore has lost a step, but there is no running room for him. You can see where Gore is frustrated. Their line is abysmal. It is amazing."
• On quarterback Alex Smith: "Smith has exceeded my expectations. He does not make a lot of mistakes. You can grind out some wins. I give Jim Harbaugh credit. He is manufacturing offense. It is a real test for Harbaugh because Smith is so limited. I just don’t think he throws the football very well. He is a good athlete, but he is not big and strong, doesn't make difficult throws, doesn't handle the rush real well, doesn't anticipate things real well. But he is smart and I do think he has some ability. I thought Harbaugh could turn him into a serviceable West Coast guy if he is all he is cracked up to be."
• On the offense overall: "They finally got Vernon Davis involved. They use a lot of double tight end sets. Delanie Walker is a nice player, but too often those guys have had to help the offensive line, especially Davis. I would like to see what the offense can do with both Braylon Edwards and Michael Crabtree healthy for a game or two. Those guys have obvious inconsistencies, but they also have obvious talent. They might be able to open up room for one another, for Davis, for the run game, make life easier for Smith. Overall, if they turn the ball over, they are done."
• On the defense: "Their front seven is fantastic. I don't know if everyone knows how good Justin Smith is, but he is one of the 10 best players in the league on defense. Patrick Willis is, to me, the best second-level defender in football. I'm not saying best linebacker because it's not fair to compare him to DeMarcus Ware, Clay Matthews, those guys. But Willis is the best second-level defender and it's not even close. They have two other guys, NaVorro Bowman and Ray McDonald, playing out of this world. Bowman is a big-time find. The 49ers are tough on all down-and-distances. Not only is the nose tackle (Isaac Sopoaga) playing well, but then he comes off the field and Smith and McDonald go inside, and then the outside guys are a handful, too. Aldon Smith has flashed, Parys Haralson, Ahmad Brooks. I don't love Donte Whitner, but he is an upgrade. They are a corner short even though Carlos Rogers has played very well."

That completes our four-team checkup with Williamson. You can reach him on Twitter as well.

Aaron Rodgers' ascension to the top spot in the weekly MVP Watch requires no rationalization.

The Green Bay Packers are the undefeated reigning Super Bowl champions. Rodgers is their best player, the Super Bowl MVP.

Esquire has taken note by declaring, "In fact, what distinguishes Aaron Rodgers is not his decision making, which, though impeccable, is in the mortal realm. It's his sheer giftedness -- his economic brand of elusiveness matched with a talent for throwing the damned ball that is the equal of Dan Marino's, Warren Moon's, or (hey, why not?) Brett Favre's."

That is good enough for us after Tom Brady, the MVP Watch leader through Week 2, inexplicably tossed four interceptions in losing to Buffalo. Brady lost ground to Rodgers, who is now on pace for 43 touchdowns with three interceptions, and Drew Brees, whose only defeat came against Rodgers' Packers in a memorable season opener.

Seeing some combination of Rodgers, Brees and Brady atop an MVP list comes almost as a matter of course. Matthew Stafford's inclusion at No. 4 was at least remotely foreseeable given heightened expectations for the Detroit Lions this season. But three names on the list this week -- Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson, plus Tennessee's Matt Hasselbeck -- once would have seemed utterly unfathomable as candidates to anyone outside (and probably inside) their immediate families.

There are as many Buffalo Bills in the running as Packers, Patriots and Steelers combined. And the best quarterback in the AFC South right now plays in Nashville, not Indy. Hasselbeck, never known for sheer arm strength, is improbably among the NFL leaders (first in QBR, third in NFL passer rating) on throws delivered outside the yard-line numbers.

"It's early, of course, but Hasselbeck's playing like a guy capable of transforming a franchise," AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky observed.

With Hasselbeck, Fitzpatrick, Dallas' Tony Romo and Oakland's Darren McFadden emerging as MVP Watch-worthy, there wasn't room for every qualified candidate.

NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert rightfully asks whether any non-quarterback has had a greater impact on his team than Detroit's Calvin Johnson. Anyone watching the Cowboys knows the same could be said for the incomparable DeMarcus Ware. The way Joe Flacco lit up the St. Louis Rams caught my attention as well.