NFC West: final word
» Conference Championship Final Word: Ravens-Patriots | Giants-49ers
Three nuggets of knowledge about Sunday's Giants-49ers NFC Championship Game:
1. Wide receivers wanted: Alex Smith's passes to tight end Vernon Davis were the difference in the 49ers' 36-32 victory over New Orleans in the divisional round. San Francisco could use more production from its wide receivers against the Giants. Smith averaged a whopping 20 yards per attempt when targeting Davis, but the averages were minuscule for wideouts Ted Ginn Jr. (3.7), Michael Crabtree (2.8) and Kyle Williams (2.4). Crabtree had only 21 yards against the Giants in Week 10, his second-lowest figure of the season. Time to step up?
2. Breaking tendencies: In Week 10, the Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul injured 49ers running back Frank Gore with a violent tackle on a predictable running play from San Francisco's 22 personnel grouping (two backs, two tight ends). At the time, I thought the 49ers could benefit from mixing in downfield strikes when using heavier personnel, especially in short-yardage situations. They have not attempted a pass this season when using 22 personnel with 1-2 yards needed for a first down. They had 21 runs and a quarterback scramble on those plays. The 49ers have called passes 15 percent of the time when needing a yard for a first down. The league average is 30 percent. This might be a good week to break from tendency.
3. Keeping Manning honest: Giants quarterback Eli Manning was 7-of-9 for a season-high 155 yards and two touchdowns when using play fakes against Green Bay last week, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The 49ers should fare much better in this category if their run defense continues to hold up without committing additional defenders to the box. The 49ers' defense led the NFL in fewest rushing yards, yards per carry and rushing first downs allowed. The Giants' offense was 32nd, 32nd and 24th in those categories, respectively.
Three nuggets of knowledge about Sunday's Giants-49ers NFC Championship Game:
1. Wide receivers wanted: Alex Smith's passes to tight end Vernon Davis were the difference in the 49ers' 36-32 victory over New Orleans in the divisional round. San Francisco could use more production from its wide receivers against the Giants. Smith averaged a whopping 20 yards per attempt when targeting Davis, but the averages were minuscule for wideouts Ted Ginn Jr. (3.7), Michael Crabtree (2.8) and Kyle Williams (2.4). Crabtree had only 21 yards against the Giants in Week 10, his second-lowest figure of the season. Time to step up?
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Cary Edmondson/US PresswireThe 49ers stand to benefit from better production from receiver Michael Crabtree against the Giants.
Cary Edmondson/US PresswireThe 49ers stand to benefit from better production from receiver Michael Crabtree against the Giants.3. Keeping Manning honest: Giants quarterback Eli Manning was 7-of-9 for a season-high 155 yards and two touchdowns when using play fakes against Green Bay last week, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The 49ers should fare much better in this category if their run defense continues to hold up without committing additional defenders to the box. The 49ers' defense led the NFL in fewest rushing yards, yards per carry and rushing first downs allowed. The Giants' offense was 32nd, 32nd and 24th in those categories, respectively.
» Divisional Final Word: Saints-49ers | Broncos-Patriots | Texans-Ravens | Giants-Packers
Three nuggets of knowledge about Saturday's Saints-49ers divisional game:
Cracking the code on Brees: The 49ers led the NFL in turnover differential at plus-28 this season. They tied for second in interceptions with 23. Carlos Rogers, Dashon Goldson and Tarell Brown have combined for 16. But in Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the 49ers are facing the all-time record holder for consecutive postseason passes without a pick. Brees' streak is at 215 pass attempts and counting. This stat, provided by the NFL, seemed improbable. The Saints lost to Seattle in the wild-card round a year ago, after all. But the numbers are even better than the 215-attempt streak would indicate. Brees has 13 TD passes without an interception in his past five playoff games. He has 18 TDs with two INTs in eight career playoff games. Brees last threw a postseason pick during a Jan. 21, 2007, defeat at Chicago. Detroit missed a couple of chances in the wild-card round.
About the contrasts in style: The Saints' 626-yard total against the Lions last week exceeded by 41 yards the 49ers' combined yardage totals for their games against Dallas (206), Seattle in Week 1 (209) and Baltimore (170). Fortunately for the 49ers, the Saints will not have the Dallas, Seattle or Baltimore defenses on their side. The Saints allowed 18 touchdowns in 18 red zone possessions against Green Bay, Chicago, Carolina (Week 5), Tampa Bay (Week 6), Indianapolis, St. Louis and Detroit (wild-card round). Those shortcomings proved critical in defeats to the Packers, Bucs and Rams. The 49ers' red zone touchdown percentage bottomed out during a six-game stretch with only three TDs in 18 such possessions. The 49ers need to build on recent improvement in that area by featuring Vernon Davis and their ground game.
If it comes down to a kicker: We've broken down this matchup from the major angles. Special teams are another consideration. The 49ers have dominated in that area most of the time. Their kicker, David Akers, made the most of the team's red zone issues, setting a league record for field goals in a season. The 49ers battled high-scoring teams to close finishes. If it happens again, the kickers could prove decisive. We know about Akers. He was sensational amid trying circumstances. The Saints' kicker, John Kasay, has been around, too. He broke into the league with Seattle in 1991. Kasay has made a higher percentage outdoors (14 of 16) than indoors (14 of 18) this season. Those numbers correlate with his totals on grass (13 of 15) and turf (15 of 19). Kasay has made a higher percentage when the Saints were trailing (7 of 7) than when they were leading (17 of 21). He has made 4 of 6 kicks in fourth quarters, and both misses were from 50-plus yards. Kasay, 42, has made 1 of 4 tries on the road from 50-plus yards. He has attempted two kicks from 40-49 yards in tie games, missing both.
Three nuggets of knowledge about Saturday's Saints-49ers divisional game:
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Derick E. Hingle/US PresswireNew Orleans QB Drew Brees has recorded 18 TDs and two interceptions in playoff games.
Derick E. Hingle/US PresswireNew Orleans QB Drew Brees has recorded 18 TDs and two interceptions in playoff games.About the contrasts in style: The Saints' 626-yard total against the Lions last week exceeded by 41 yards the 49ers' combined yardage totals for their games against Dallas (206), Seattle in Week 1 (209) and Baltimore (170). Fortunately for the 49ers, the Saints will not have the Dallas, Seattle or Baltimore defenses on their side. The Saints allowed 18 touchdowns in 18 red zone possessions against Green Bay, Chicago, Carolina (Week 5), Tampa Bay (Week 6), Indianapolis, St. Louis and Detroit (wild-card round). Those shortcomings proved critical in defeats to the Packers, Bucs and Rams. The 49ers' red zone touchdown percentage bottomed out during a six-game stretch with only three TDs in 18 such possessions. The 49ers need to build on recent improvement in that area by featuring Vernon Davis and their ground game.
If it comes down to a kicker: We've broken down this matchup from the major angles. Special teams are another consideration. The 49ers have dominated in that area most of the time. Their kicker, David Akers, made the most of the team's red zone issues, setting a league record for field goals in a season. The 49ers battled high-scoring teams to close finishes. If it happens again, the kickers could prove decisive. We know about Akers. He was sensational amid trying circumstances. The Saints' kicker, John Kasay, has been around, too. He broke into the league with Seattle in 1991. Kasay has made a higher percentage outdoors (14 of 16) than indoors (14 of 18) this season. Those numbers correlate with his totals on grass (13 of 15) and turf (15 of 19). Kasay has made a higher percentage when the Saints were trailing (7 of 7) than when they were leading (17 of 21). He has made 4 of 6 kicks in fourth quarters, and both misses were from 50-plus yards. Kasay, 42, has made 1 of 4 tries on the road from 50-plus yards. He has attempted two kicks from 40-49 yards in tie games, missing both.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 17:
Draft order disorder. Every NFC West team but San Francisco faces a potential significant shift in draft order based on Week 17 results. The St. Louis Rams will emerge with the No. 1 overall pick if they lose to the 49ers while Indianapolis defeats Jacksonville. The Colts will pick first if they lose, or if the Rams win. The winner between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks will finish 8-8 instead of 7-9, producing likely a swing of several spots in the order. The 7-9 team with the easiest strength of schedule will pick ninth. The 8-8 team with the strongest strength of schedule would pick 20th.
Gunning for the record. Two of the NFL's sack leaders will stand on opposite sidelines at the Edward Jones Dome. San Francisco's Aldon Smith has 14 sacks, one more than St. Louis' Chris Long. The NFC West in its current form has never produced two players with as many combined sacks in the same season. Smith needs one more to break the NFL rookie record Jevon Kearse set in 1999 (records kept since 1982). Smith and Long are both close to setting an NFC West single-season record since realignment in 2002. Bertrand Berry had 14.5 sacks for Arizona in 2004. Patrick Kerney had the same total for Seattle in 2007.
Alex Smith's improbable rating. The 49ers must be pleased to know that Smith, with a 90.1 NFL passer rating through 15 games, has a chance to finish with a better single-season mark than Joe Montana posted with the team in 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988 or 1990. Passer rating is but one tool for measuring quarterback performance. No one is saying it's perfect, or even that Smith has played better this season than Montana did during those five seasons. Still pretty tough to believe, though, right?
Battle of the backs. Frank Gore leads NFC West running backs with 1,202 yards even though his production has trailed off late in the season. Marshawn Lynch would have to outgain Gore by 85 yards to overtake him for most rushing yards in the division. That is unlikely, but Lynch has set a furious pace lately. He leads the NFL in rushing since Week 9, gaining 855 yards over that eight-game period. The Rams' Steven Jackson ranks eighth in the league with 620 yards during that time. Arizona's Beanie Wells is 15th (541 yards), one spot ahead of Gore (527). All four primary backs in the division have topped 1,000 yards.
Spagnuolo's last stand? The Rams started the season with an 0-6 record. They're in danger of finishing it with seven consecutive defeats. No team in the NFL has a worse record than the Rams since Steve Spagnuolo became head coach in 2009. St. Louis, shut out by the 49ers earlier this season, needs 10 points to avoid becoming the lowest-scoring Rams team since the franchise left Los Angeles. The 49ers, meanwhile, are allowing a franchise-best 13.46 points per game. The 1946 team, which played in the AAFC, allowed 13.5. The current team can break that record by allowing 13 or fewer points. The 1976 team holds the NFL-era franchise record at 13.57 points per game allowed. The current 49ers could break that record by allowing no more than 15 points to the Rams.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 17:
Draft order disorder. Every NFC West team but San Francisco faces a potential significant shift in draft order based on Week 17 results. The St. Louis Rams will emerge with the No. 1 overall pick if they lose to the 49ers while Indianapolis defeats Jacksonville. The Colts will pick first if they lose, or if the Rams win. The winner between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks will finish 8-8 instead of 7-9, producing likely a swing of several spots in the order. The 7-9 team with the easiest strength of schedule will pick ninth. The 8-8 team with the strongest strength of schedule would pick 20th.
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Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesAlex Smith has had quite a 2011 season, including a passer rating that could eclipse some of Joe Montana's seasons.
Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesAlex Smith has had quite a 2011 season, including a passer rating that could eclipse some of Joe Montana's seasons.Alex Smith's improbable rating. The 49ers must be pleased to know that Smith, with a 90.1 NFL passer rating through 15 games, has a chance to finish with a better single-season mark than Joe Montana posted with the team in 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988 or 1990. Passer rating is but one tool for measuring quarterback performance. No one is saying it's perfect, or even that Smith has played better this season than Montana did during those five seasons. Still pretty tough to believe, though, right?
Battle of the backs. Frank Gore leads NFC West running backs with 1,202 yards even though his production has trailed off late in the season. Marshawn Lynch would have to outgain Gore by 85 yards to overtake him for most rushing yards in the division. That is unlikely, but Lynch has set a furious pace lately. He leads the NFL in rushing since Week 9, gaining 855 yards over that eight-game period. The Rams' Steven Jackson ranks eighth in the league with 620 yards during that time. Arizona's Beanie Wells is 15th (541 yards), one spot ahead of Gore (527). All four primary backs in the division have topped 1,000 yards.
Spagnuolo's last stand? The Rams started the season with an 0-6 record. They're in danger of finishing it with seven consecutive defeats. No team in the NFL has a worse record than the Rams since Steve Spagnuolo became head coach in 2009. St. Louis, shut out by the 49ers earlier this season, needs 10 points to avoid becoming the lowest-scoring Rams team since the franchise left Los Angeles. The 49ers, meanwhile, are allowing a franchise-best 13.46 points per game. The 1946 team, which played in the AAFC, allowed 13.5. The current team can break that record by allowing 13 or fewer points. The 1976 team holds the NFL-era franchise record at 13.57 points per game allowed. The current 49ers could break that record by allowing no more than 15 points to the Rams.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 16:
About those playoff scenarios. The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks must win Saturday to remain in contention for the fifth or sixth seed in the NFC. But if Detroit beats San Diego and Atlanta wins against New Orleans, both NFC West teams are out regardless. That is because all scenarios placing an NFC West team in the postseason require the NFC West team going 2-0 while Detroit and/or Atlanta goes 0-2. The Falcons and Saints do not play until Monday night, so the Seahawks and Cardinals could remain in suspense all weekend even if they win. Update: The Falcons directly affect the Cardinals' eligibility for postseason; they affect only the Seahawks' ability to claim the fifth or sixth seed.
The Rams and draft order. Indianapolis' second consecutive victory following an 0-13 start has left the Colts tied with St. Louis (2-12) and Minnesota (2-12) for victories this season. But if Indy loses to Jacksonville in Week 17, the Colts will hold the No. 1 overall choice in the 2012 draft, no matter what happens with the Rams or Vikings. Another Colts victory would open the door for the Rams to land the top overall choice. But if the Rams and Vikings tie for the worst record at 2-14, Minnesota would have the inside track on the No. 1 choice based on an easier strength of schedule. The Rams finish the season against Pittsburgh and San Francisco. The Vikings face Washington and Chicago.
Big plays aplenty. We should expect the Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals to strike for big gains through the air, provided A.J. Green's shoulder injury allows for it. Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and the Bengals' Green each entered Week 16 with seven receptions of 40 yards or longer, one behind Detroit's Calvin Johnson for the NFL lead. Fitzgerald had only one 40-plus reception last season. He had zero in 2009, when Kurt Warner's shoulder injury affected his ability to throw downfield. The seven receptions for 40-plus yards are a season high for Fitzgerald. He had 17 in his previous seven seasons. That helps explain why Fitzgerald is averaging 17.8 yards per reception, up 5.2 yards from last season and well above his previous season high (14.9 in 2008).
Chasing the rookie record. The 49ers' Aldon Smith, with 13 sacks through 14 games, needs an additional 1.5 sacks to tie and two to break Jevon Kearse's rookie record for most in a season, set in 1999. The record dates to 1982, when sacks became an official NFL stat. The Seahawks will presumably take extra precautions in guarding against sacks while playing their third game without injured left tackle Russell Okung. Last season, they allowed eight against Oakland when an injury sidelined Okung. They allowed none against the sack-happy New York Giants one week later, also without Okung. Scheming made the difference. So far this season, the Seahawks are gaining fewer yards per rush (4.0 to 2.9) and allowing fewer sacks per pass attempt (.09 to .04) without Okung, but a small sample size diminishes what the numbers say. Okung has played about 84 percent of the offensive snaps, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Pro Bowl marketing drives. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has been promoting quarterback Alex Smith for the Pro Bowl. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has been promoting cornerback Brandon Browner the same way. The matchup between Smith and the Seahawks' ball-hawking secondary stands out as critical to the game's outcome. Browner, despite leading the NFL in penalties, has six interceptions, two returned for touchdowns. He has five picks in Seattle's past four games. The 49ers lead the NFL in takeaways this season, but Seattle ranks fourth -- and first since Week 10, just ahead of San Francisco. Smith has done an outstanding job protecting the ball. He has no interceptions in his past three games and only five all season. He's facing a Seattle defense that has steadily improved and now ranks eighth in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 16:
About those playoff scenarios. The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks must win Saturday to remain in contention for the fifth or sixth seed in the NFC. But if Detroit beats San Diego and Atlanta wins against New Orleans, both NFC West teams are out regardless. That is because all scenarios placing an NFC West team in the postseason require the NFC West team going 2-0 while Detroit and/or Atlanta goes 0-2. The Falcons and Saints do not play until Monday night, so the Seahawks and Cardinals could remain in suspense all weekend even if they win. Update: The Falcons directly affect the Cardinals' eligibility for postseason; they affect only the Seahawks' ability to claim the fifth or sixth seed.
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AP Photo/Rick Osentoski49ers linebacker Aldon Smith needs just two more sacks to break Jevon Kearse's season record for rookies.
AP Photo/Rick Osentoski49ers linebacker Aldon Smith needs just two more sacks to break Jevon Kearse's season record for rookies.Big plays aplenty. We should expect the Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals to strike for big gains through the air, provided A.J. Green's shoulder injury allows for it. Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and the Bengals' Green each entered Week 16 with seven receptions of 40 yards or longer, one behind Detroit's Calvin Johnson for the NFL lead. Fitzgerald had only one 40-plus reception last season. He had zero in 2009, when Kurt Warner's shoulder injury affected his ability to throw downfield. The seven receptions for 40-plus yards are a season high for Fitzgerald. He had 17 in his previous seven seasons. That helps explain why Fitzgerald is averaging 17.8 yards per reception, up 5.2 yards from last season and well above his previous season high (14.9 in 2008).
Chasing the rookie record. The 49ers' Aldon Smith, with 13 sacks through 14 games, needs an additional 1.5 sacks to tie and two to break Jevon Kearse's rookie record for most in a season, set in 1999. The record dates to 1982, when sacks became an official NFL stat. The Seahawks will presumably take extra precautions in guarding against sacks while playing their third game without injured left tackle Russell Okung. Last season, they allowed eight against Oakland when an injury sidelined Okung. They allowed none against the sack-happy New York Giants one week later, also without Okung. Scheming made the difference. So far this season, the Seahawks are gaining fewer yards per rush (4.0 to 2.9) and allowing fewer sacks per pass attempt (.09 to .04) without Okung, but a small sample size diminishes what the numbers say. Okung has played about 84 percent of the offensive snaps, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Pro Bowl marketing drives. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has been promoting quarterback Alex Smith for the Pro Bowl. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has been promoting cornerback Brandon Browner the same way. The matchup between Smith and the Seahawks' ball-hawking secondary stands out as critical to the game's outcome. Browner, despite leading the NFL in penalties, has six interceptions, two returned for touchdowns. He has five picks in Seattle's past four games. The 49ers lead the NFL in takeaways this season, but Seattle ranks fourth -- and first since Week 10, just ahead of San Francisco. Smith has done an outstanding job protecting the ball. He has no interceptions in his past three games and only five all season. He's facing a Seattle defense that has steadily improved and now ranks eighth in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 15:
Forget about running the ball: The San Francisco 49ers own the NFL's longest ongoing streak of games without allowing an individual 100-yard rusher. The streak dates to Ryan Grant's 129-yard game for Green Bay in Week 11 of the 2009 season. The 49ers' Week 15 opponent, Pittsburgh, hasn't allowed very many, either. Baltimore's Ray Rice (twice) and Houston's Arian Foster are the only players to rush for 100-plus yards against the Steelers since the 49ers' streak began. We should not expect much from Frank Gore and Rashard Mendenhall on Monday night, in other words.
Keep an eye on that fourth quarter: The 49ers are allowing only 14 points per game. That would be the second-lowest average allowed in franchise history if sustained over the season. Opponents have scored 42.3 percent of their points against the 49ers in fourth quarters, however. The 49ers have allowed 27 fourth-quarter points in their three defeats this season. Their past eight opponents have scored only 104 points, or 13 per game, but they scored half of them in fourth quarters. Can the 49ers finish against the Steelers?
Riding the Marshawn Lynch train: Lynch rushed for 573 yards in 12 games with the Seattle Seahawks last season. He has 969 yards in 12 games this season. While Lynch managed only 44 yards on 17 carries against Chicago in his Seahawks debut last season, his hard-nosed running gave Seattle a needed edge in an upset victory. The way Seattle won that game -- with tough defense, a big back and an efficient quarterback -- showed how coach Pete Carroll envisioned winning games. Can the Seahawks do it again?
Nothing comes easy: The Arizona Cardinals are tied with Denver for the most games decided by seven or fewer points this season (10). Fifteen total points separated Arizona from its opponents in the four games won with John Skelton as the Cardinals' primary quarterback. The opponent this week, Cleveland, has played close games against the Cardinals' NFC West rivals. The Browns beat Seattle by three (6-3), lost to St. Louis by one (13-12) and played the 49ers relatively close in San Francisco (20-10). The Browns' likely starting quarterback Sunday, Seneca Wallace, started four games last season. Two were decided by a total of four points.
Shuffling lines: The St. Louis Rams head into their game against Cincinnati having started nine players on their offensive line, tied for second-most in the NFL this season. The Rams and Seahawks are the only teams in the league without any offensive linemen starting all games at the same position, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Seattle has weathered the turnover fairly well, but facing the Bears' Julius Peppers without injured left tackle Russell Okung could be problematic.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 15:
Forget about running the ball: The San Francisco 49ers own the NFL's longest ongoing streak of games without allowing an individual 100-yard rusher. The streak dates to Ryan Grant's 129-yard game for Green Bay in Week 11 of the 2009 season. The 49ers' Week 15 opponent, Pittsburgh, hasn't allowed very many, either. Baltimore's Ray Rice (twice) and Houston's Arian Foster are the only players to rush for 100-plus yards against the Steelers since the 49ers' streak began. We should not expect much from Frank Gore and Rashard Mendenhall on Monday night, in other words.
Keep an eye on that fourth quarter: The 49ers are allowing only 14 points per game. That would be the second-lowest average allowed in franchise history if sustained over the season. Opponents have scored 42.3 percent of their points against the 49ers in fourth quarters, however. The 49ers have allowed 27 fourth-quarter points in their three defeats this season. Their past eight opponents have scored only 104 points, or 13 per game, but they scored half of them in fourth quarters. Can the 49ers finish against the Steelers?
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Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PresswireSeahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has 969 rushing yards in 12 games this season.
Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PresswireSeahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has 969 rushing yards in 12 games this season.Nothing comes easy: The Arizona Cardinals are tied with Denver for the most games decided by seven or fewer points this season (10). Fifteen total points separated Arizona from its opponents in the four games won with John Skelton as the Cardinals' primary quarterback. The opponent this week, Cleveland, has played close games against the Cardinals' NFC West rivals. The Browns beat Seattle by three (6-3), lost to St. Louis by one (13-12) and played the 49ers relatively close in San Francisco (20-10). The Browns' likely starting quarterback Sunday, Seneca Wallace, started four games last season. Two were decided by a total of four points.
Shuffling lines: The St. Louis Rams head into their game against Cincinnati having started nine players on their offensive line, tied for second-most in the NFL this season. The Rams and Seahawks are the only teams in the league without any offensive linemen starting all games at the same position, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Seattle has weathered the turnover fairly well, but facing the Bears' Julius Peppers without injured left tackle Russell Okung could be problematic.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 14:
Putting streak on the line: The San Francisco 49ers have tied a franchise record by allowing no rushing touchdowns in their past 13 games. Since the 1970 merger, only the 1985-86 Chicago Bears have gone more games in a row (15) without allowing one. The streak began with a 38-7 victory against Arizona to close last season. It could end against the Cardinals as well. Beanie Wells has nine rushing touchdowns this season, tied for fourth-most in the league. The Cardinals have blocked well in the running game and they won't have to contend with injured 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. Then again, the streak without allowing a rushing TD began the last time Willis missed a game.
Sweeps week: The 49ers-Cardinals series has been lopsided every year since 2004. The Cardinals swept the season series in 2005, 2006 and 2008. The 49ers swept it in 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010. A victory by San Francisco at University of Phoenix Stadium in Week 14 would ensure an eighth consecutive season sweep for one of the teams in the series. The 49ers have won the past five.
Gaining momentum: The 49ers and Cardinals are among 11 teams with at least four victories apiece in their past five games. They are the only such teams playing one another in Week 14. The AFC East, AFC North and NFC West are the only divisions with two such teams. Pittsburgh, New England, Miami, Baltimore, Houston, Denver, Dallas, Green Bay and New Orleans are also 4-1 or better over their past five games.
Prepping for the Steelers: The Cardinals provide the 49ers with a good test run for San Francisco's looming Monday night matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. Arizona and Pittsburgh use the same defensive scheme. Ray Horton, the Cardinals' first-year defensive coordinator, spent the previous seven seasons with the Steelers under longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. So while Pittsburgh has 11 days to prepare for San Francisco following a Thursday night victory against Cleveland, the 49ers have been preparing for the Steelers' defensive scheme even longer.
Yes, the Rams and Seahawks play, too: The Monday night matchup between the teams marks the third week in a row with a prime-time game featuring at least one NFC West team. We'll preview that game in greater detail Monday. For now, though, consider this: The 137.0 NFL passer rating Seattle's Tarvaris Jackson posted against Philadelphia last week was higher than any single-game rating by a Rams or Seahawks starter since Matt Hasselbeck's 147.7 against Tennessee in 2005. No Rams starter has posted a single-game rating above 137.0 since Kurt Warner's 145.6 against New Orleans in 2001. Marc Bulger never had one that high as a starter. Hasselbeck had just that one.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 14:
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Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireArizona's Beanie Wells could be a tough matchup for the 49ers, who will be without linebacker Patrick Willis.
Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireArizona's Beanie Wells could be a tough matchup for the 49ers, who will be without linebacker Patrick Willis.Sweeps week: The 49ers-Cardinals series has been lopsided every year since 2004. The Cardinals swept the season series in 2005, 2006 and 2008. The 49ers swept it in 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010. A victory by San Francisco at University of Phoenix Stadium in Week 14 would ensure an eighth consecutive season sweep for one of the teams in the series. The 49ers have won the past five.
Gaining momentum: The 49ers and Cardinals are among 11 teams with at least four victories apiece in their past five games. They are the only such teams playing one another in Week 14. The AFC East, AFC North and NFC West are the only divisions with two such teams. Pittsburgh, New England, Miami, Baltimore, Houston, Denver, Dallas, Green Bay and New Orleans are also 4-1 or better over their past five games.
Prepping for the Steelers: The Cardinals provide the 49ers with a good test run for San Francisco's looming Monday night matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. Arizona and Pittsburgh use the same defensive scheme. Ray Horton, the Cardinals' first-year defensive coordinator, spent the previous seven seasons with the Steelers under longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. So while Pittsburgh has 11 days to prepare for San Francisco following a Thursday night victory against Cleveland, the 49ers have been preparing for the Steelers' defensive scheme even longer.
Yes, the Rams and Seahawks play, too: The Monday night matchup between the teams marks the third week in a row with a prime-time game featuring at least one NFC West team. We'll preview that game in greater detail Monday. For now, though, consider this: The 137.0 NFL passer rating Seattle's Tarvaris Jackson posted against Philadelphia last week was higher than any single-game rating by a Rams or Seahawks starter since Matt Hasselbeck's 147.7 against Tennessee in 2005. No Rams starter has posted a single-game rating above 137.0 since Kurt Warner's 145.6 against New Orleans in 2001. Marc Bulger never had one that high as a starter. Hasselbeck had just that one.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 13:
Clinching time: The San Francisco 49ers can clinch the NFC West title with a win or tie against the St. Louis Rams. Seattle's victory against Philadelphia means there are no other scenarios for the 49ers to clinch in Week 13. San Francisco can tie the 2005 Seahawks as the earliest-clinching NFC West team since divisional realignment.
Harbaugh shifts into passing lane: With a victory against the Rams, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh can improve his record with the team to 10-2. That would give Harbaugh as many victories in 12 games as Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo (10-33) would have after 44 games.
Seahawks hitting snooze button: Having the Thursday night game this week meant Seattle was going to get extra recuperation time anyway. But with the team facing a Week 14 matchup against the Rams in the Monday night game, Seattle will get even more down time. Playing the Monday night game at home means there will be no travel, either. The effect is nearly the same as a second bye week for Seattle.
Rookie record within reach: Patrick Peterson needs 76 yards in punt returns during Arizona's game against Dallas to break Neal Colzie's rookie record through the first 12 games of a season. Colzie had 633 through 12 games with Oakland in 1975. Comments at the time from then-Raiders coach John Madden sounded like something Ken Whisenhunt could say about Peterson: "Neal has unique ingredients for a returner. He's big and still surprisingly quick. He can break tackles and run away from people. He has a good eye for finding a hole and darting through it." Colzie never scored on 170 career punt returns. Peterson has four touchdowns in his first 31 punt returns. The rookie record for punt return yardage in a single season is also within reach. Louis Lipps had 656 yards with Pittsburgh in 1984.
Kevin Kolb's return: The Cardinals rank third in the NFL with nine pass completions of at least 40 yards. Kolb, making his return Sunday after missing a month with toe and foot injuries, has accounted for six of those big plays. He'll be facing a Cowboys defense that has allowed only three pass plays of 40-plus yards, second-fewest in the league. The quarterback metrics favor Dallas all the way. The Cowboys rank second only to Green Bay with a plus-27.6 differential in Total QBR gained (72.4) and allowed (44.8). The Cardinals rank third from the bottom in that category (32.4 gained, 58.5 allowed). On the positive side for Kolb, he gets four home games over the final five weeks, ample time to leave a positive impression.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 13:
Clinching time: The San Francisco 49ers can clinch the NFC West title with a win or tie against the St. Louis Rams. Seattle's victory against Philadelphia means there are no other scenarios for the 49ers to clinch in Week 13. San Francisco can tie the 2005 Seahawks as the earliest-clinching NFC West team since divisional realignment.
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Cary Edmondson/US PresswireHead coach Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers pointed in the right direction this season.
Cary Edmondson/US PresswireHead coach Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers pointed in the right direction this season.Seahawks hitting snooze button: Having the Thursday night game this week meant Seattle was going to get extra recuperation time anyway. But with the team facing a Week 14 matchup against the Rams in the Monday night game, Seattle will get even more down time. Playing the Monday night game at home means there will be no travel, either. The effect is nearly the same as a second bye week for Seattle.
Rookie record within reach: Patrick Peterson needs 76 yards in punt returns during Arizona's game against Dallas to break Neal Colzie's rookie record through the first 12 games of a season. Colzie had 633 through 12 games with Oakland in 1975. Comments at the time from then-Raiders coach John Madden sounded like something Ken Whisenhunt could say about Peterson: "Neal has unique ingredients for a returner. He's big and still surprisingly quick. He can break tackles and run away from people. He has a good eye for finding a hole and darting through it." Colzie never scored on 170 career punt returns. Peterson has four touchdowns in his first 31 punt returns. The rookie record for punt return yardage in a single season is also within reach. Louis Lipps had 656 yards with Pittsburgh in 1984.
Kevin Kolb's return: The Cardinals rank third in the NFL with nine pass completions of at least 40 yards. Kolb, making his return Sunday after missing a month with toe and foot injuries, has accounted for six of those big plays. He'll be facing a Cowboys defense that has allowed only three pass plays of 40-plus yards, second-fewest in the league. The quarterback metrics favor Dallas all the way. The Cowboys rank second only to Green Bay with a plus-27.6 differential in Total QBR gained (72.4) and allowed (44.8). The Cardinals rank third from the bottom in that category (32.4 gained, 58.5 allowed). On the positive side for Kolb, he gets four home games over the final five weeks, ample time to leave a positive impression.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 12:
The NFC West "race" continues. The San Francisco 49ers were in position to clinch the division title with a victory against Baltimore and a Seattle defeat at home to Washington. But with the 49ers losing to the Ravens on Thursday night, it is still technically possible for the Seahawks or Arizona Cardinals to match San Francisco's victory total this season. The 49ers play three of their final four on the road. The home game is against Pittsburgh. The Seahawks play their next three at home against losing teams, followed by a road game against the quarterback-challenged Bears. If the 49ers beat St. Louis in Week 13 and win at Arizona in Week 14, they'll win the NFC West. If they were to drop that Arizona game and then lose to the Steelers, a four-game winning streak by Seattle would make the Week 16 game between the Seahawks and 49ers meaningful. The 49ers have two games remaining against the Rams, making it nearly impossible for them to do anything but win the West.
Airing it out, or erring it out? The Rams have followed through on their pledge to seek bigger pass plays down the field. Quarterback Sam Bradford averaged 6.4 air yards per pass attempt last season, the lowest figure in the league among 43 players with at least 100 attempts. Bradford ranks ninth this season. On average, his passes have traveled 8.9 yards past the line of scrimmage before reaching their targets. The longer passes have not paid off, however. Bradford's completion percentage has dropped, as would be expected for a quarterback attempting longer passes, but his average for yards per attempt has remained flat at a mediocre 6.0. The Rams have taken sacks on 10 percent of pass attempts, up from 5.8 percent in Bradford's rookie season.
Defending the run. Arizona (11), St. Louis (nine) and Seattle (five) have allowed 25 individual 100-yard rushing performances since the 49ers last allowed one 34 games ago. The Seahawks' best run defender, Red Bryant, missed three of those five games and most of a fourth.
About those dynamic tight ends. The NFC West loaded up on tight ends in the offseason. Seattle signed Zach Miller. Arizona signed Todd Heap and Jeff King. St. Louis drafted Lance Kendricks in the second round. The results have been underwhelming. Heading into Week 12, the NFC West featured no players among the 15 most-targeted tight ends in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The 49ers' Vernon Davis ranked 16th with 51 targets. Davis, teammate Delanie Walker and the Cardinals' King are the only NFC West tight ends with touchdown receptions so far this season. Six NFC West tight ends had scoring catches last season.
Uncomfortable fan dynamics. Franchise relocation can create strained relationships between teams and their former players, to say nothing of fans caught in the middle. We've seen Rams great Jack Youngblood complain about the organization's efforts to embrace players from its time in Los Angeles. This week, the Cardinals return to St. Louis, the city they left after the 1987 season. They are seeking their seventh consecutive victory at the Edward Jones Dome, which would represent the longest road winning streak against a single opponent in franchise history. The Cardinals are planning alumni events for a long list of St. Louis-era players, including Mel Gray, Jackie Smith, Roger Wehrli and Larry Wilson.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 12:
The NFC West "race" continues. The San Francisco 49ers were in position to clinch the division title with a victory against Baltimore and a Seattle defeat at home to Washington. But with the 49ers losing to the Ravens on Thursday night, it is still technically possible for the Seahawks or Arizona Cardinals to match San Francisco's victory total this season. The 49ers play three of their final four on the road. The home game is against Pittsburgh. The Seahawks play their next three at home against losing teams, followed by a road game against the quarterback-challenged Bears. If the 49ers beat St. Louis in Week 13 and win at Arizona in Week 14, they'll win the NFC West. If they were to drop that Arizona game and then lose to the Steelers, a four-game winning streak by Seattle would make the Week 16 game between the Seahawks and 49ers meaningful. The 49ers have two games remaining against the Rams, making it nearly impossible for them to do anything but win the West.
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Phil Sears/US PresswireRams quarterback Sam Bradford is throwing down the field more this season, but that hasn't translated into success for St. Louis' offense.
Phil Sears/US PresswireRams quarterback Sam Bradford is throwing down the field more this season, but that hasn't translated into success for St. Louis' offense.Defending the run. Arizona (11), St. Louis (nine) and Seattle (five) have allowed 25 individual 100-yard rushing performances since the 49ers last allowed one 34 games ago. The Seahawks' best run defender, Red Bryant, missed three of those five games and most of a fourth.
About those dynamic tight ends. The NFC West loaded up on tight ends in the offseason. Seattle signed Zach Miller. Arizona signed Todd Heap and Jeff King. St. Louis drafted Lance Kendricks in the second round. The results have been underwhelming. Heading into Week 12, the NFC West featured no players among the 15 most-targeted tight ends in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The 49ers' Vernon Davis ranked 16th with 51 targets. Davis, teammate Delanie Walker and the Cardinals' King are the only NFC West tight ends with touchdown receptions so far this season. Six NFC West tight ends had scoring catches last season.
Uncomfortable fan dynamics. Franchise relocation can create strained relationships between teams and their former players, to say nothing of fans caught in the middle. We've seen Rams great Jack Youngblood complain about the organization's efforts to embrace players from its time in Los Angeles. This week, the Cardinals return to St. Louis, the city they left after the 1987 season. They are seeking their seventh consecutive victory at the Edward Jones Dome, which would represent the longest road winning streak against a single opponent in franchise history. The Cardinals are planning alumni events for a long list of St. Louis-era players, including Mel Gray, Jackie Smith, Roger Wehrli and Larry Wilson.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 11:
Skelton's opportunity: Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton steps up in class when he faces the San Francisco 49ers' defense. The matchup figures to be a tough one from a protection standpoint, but the Cardinals have found ways to strike for big plays this season. They have seven pass plays of at least 40 yards this season, fourth-most in the league behind Detroit, Green Bay and Houston. The 49ers have given up seven such plays, tied for fourth-most in the league. That gives Arizona a puncher's chance against the 49ers. And if Skelton can somehow pull out a victory, his stock will rise considerably.
Ganging up on power backs: Steven Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, Beanie Wells and Frank Gore give the NFC West four running backs able to dish out punishment. All are physical runners. I'm most interested in seeing whether Jackson can top 100 yards rushing for the fourth game in a row. He has 30 career games with at least 100 yards, but none against Seattle. That's surprising given that Jackson has faced the Seahawks more times than he has faced any other team -- 14, counting playoffs.
49ers hold their ground: Every NFL team but the 49ers has allowed at least three rushing touchdowns this season. San Francisco has allowed zero. The 49ers are the first team since the 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars to go nine games into a season without allowing one, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Cardinals rank tied for 11th in the league with eight rushing scores, but they have zero in their past two games. Wells' injured knee has robbed power from him. Wells had only 10 carries for 29 yards against the 49ers last season. He did carry 15 times for 79 yards against them as a rookie in 2009.
Cornerbacks in focus: The St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks will play without cornerbacks Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher, Jerome Murphy, Al Harris, Walter Thurmond or Marcus Trufant, among others. The team best able to exploit issues in the secondary could prevail. Seattle feels better about its cornerback situation, but the raw talent is questionable. Two of the Seahawks' five players at the position were undrafted. Two others are rookies. None of the five was drafted earlier than the fifth round. That was partly by design, however. The team traded 2006 first-rounder Kelly Jennings and 2007 second-rounder Josh Wilson.
Explosive potential in return game: Patrick Peterson and Ted Ginn Jr. give the Cardinals-49ers game big-play potential on returns. Peterson has helped Arizona go from 27th last season to second this season in punt-return average. He leads the NFL in that category with a 17.6-yard average among players with more than 15 punt returns. His three touchdowns on punt returns also lead the NFL. The 49ers' Ginn ranks third in punt-return average and third in kick-return average among players with more than 15 returns in each category. He also has two touchdowns. The Cardinals' kick returner, LaRod Stephens-Howling, has been quiet this season. He scored three times on returns over the previous two seasons.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 11:
Skelton's opportunity: Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton steps up in class when he faces the San Francisco 49ers' defense. The matchup figures to be a tough one from a protection standpoint, but the Cardinals have found ways to strike for big plays this season. They have seven pass plays of at least 40 yards this season, fourth-most in the league behind Detroit, Green Bay and Houston. The 49ers have given up seven such plays, tied for fourth-most in the league. That gives Arizona a puncher's chance against the 49ers. And if Skelton can somehow pull out a victory, his stock will rise considerably.
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David Richard/US PresswireThe Rams' Steven Jackson has 30 career games with at least 100 rushing yards.
David Richard/US PresswireThe Rams' Steven Jackson has 30 career games with at least 100 rushing yards.49ers hold their ground: Every NFL team but the 49ers has allowed at least three rushing touchdowns this season. San Francisco has allowed zero. The 49ers are the first team since the 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars to go nine games into a season without allowing one, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Cardinals rank tied for 11th in the league with eight rushing scores, but they have zero in their past two games. Wells' injured knee has robbed power from him. Wells had only 10 carries for 29 yards against the 49ers last season. He did carry 15 times for 79 yards against them as a rookie in 2009.
Cornerbacks in focus: The St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks will play without cornerbacks Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher, Jerome Murphy, Al Harris, Walter Thurmond or Marcus Trufant, among others. The team best able to exploit issues in the secondary could prevail. Seattle feels better about its cornerback situation, but the raw talent is questionable. Two of the Seahawks' five players at the position were undrafted. Two others are rookies. None of the five was drafted earlier than the fifth round. That was partly by design, however. The team traded 2006 first-rounder Kelly Jennings and 2007 second-rounder Josh Wilson.
Explosive potential in return game: Patrick Peterson and Ted Ginn Jr. give the Cardinals-49ers game big-play potential on returns. Peterson has helped Arizona go from 27th last season to second this season in punt-return average. He leads the NFL in that category with a 17.6-yard average among players with more than 15 punt returns. His three touchdowns on punt returns also lead the NFL. The 49ers' Ginn ranks third in punt-return average and third in kick-return average among players with more than 15 returns in each category. He also has two touchdowns. The Cardinals' kick returner, LaRod Stephens-Howling, has been quiet this season. He scored three times on returns over the previous two seasons.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:
Stepping up in class. The 2011 49ers have faced two quarterbacks with Pro Bowls on their resumes. Those two quarterbacks, Tony Romo and Michael Vick, combined to complete 50 of 79 passes for 761 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Romo had an NFL passer rating of 116.4, a season high. His Total QBR against the 49ers (93.9 out of 100) was the highest in the NFL that week. Vick's NFL rating was 99.5 and his QBR was 89.6, fourth-highest in Week 4. The 49ers face another Pro Bowl quarterback when Eli Manning visits Candlestick Park, making this a measuring-stick game for their defense.
Harbaugh and history. Back in 2004, Jim Mora became the first rookie head coach since the 1970 merger to lead a five-game improvement in the standings through the first eight games of a season. His Atlanta Falcons opened 6-2 after going 1-7 the season before Mora's arrival. The 49ers' Jim Harbaugh has matched Mora's record for improvement through eight games. His team is 7-1 after opening 2-6 last season. Mora's Falcons won their next three games to reach 9-2.
Road worriers. The Arizona Cardinals have lost their last 11 road games, tied with Carolina for the longest active streak in the league. The Panthers are home against Tennessee this week, meaning a Cardinals defeat at Philadelphia would leave Arizona in sole possession of the distinction. This is already the Cardinals' longest road losing streak since the team dropped 17 in a row over the 2002-04 seasons. The game at Philadelphia is the first of three consecutive road games for the Cardinals before a three-game home stand.
Owning third down. The Seattle Seahawks' last three opponents have converted 24 of 52 chances on third down. That percentage would rank 30th in the NFL if applied to this season as a whole. The third-down trouble stands out as a primary concern against Baltimore. The Ravens made first downs 14 times on pass plays alone against Pittsburgh last week, the highest single-game total in the NFL over the last 15 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Time for Bradford to produce. St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford failed to produce a touchdown drive during the team's overtime defeat at Arizona. That was the first time a Cardinals opponent has gone without an offensive touchdown since Arizona defeated Seattle in Week 5 of the 2009 season. Bradford has not thrown more than one touchdown pass in a game all season. He's riding an 11-game streak of such games overall. Factors beyond Bradford's control have contributed to the streak, but at some point, a No. 1 overall draft choice should transcend such things.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:
Stepping up in class. The 2011 49ers have faced two quarterbacks with Pro Bowls on their resumes. Those two quarterbacks, Tony Romo and Michael Vick, combined to complete 50 of 79 passes for 761 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Romo had an NFL passer rating of 116.4, a season high. His Total QBR against the 49ers (93.9 out of 100) was the highest in the NFL that week. Vick's NFL rating was 99.5 and his QBR was 89.6, fourth-highest in Week 4. The 49ers face another Pro Bowl quarterback when Eli Manning visits Candlestick Park, making this a measuring-stick game for their defense.
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AP Photo/Paul SakumaCoach Jim Harbaugh has his 49ers team sitting at 7-1, a vast improvement from last year's 2-6 record to open the season.
AP Photo/Paul SakumaCoach Jim Harbaugh has his 49ers team sitting at 7-1, a vast improvement from last year's 2-6 record to open the season.Road worriers. The Arizona Cardinals have lost their last 11 road games, tied with Carolina for the longest active streak in the league. The Panthers are home against Tennessee this week, meaning a Cardinals defeat at Philadelphia would leave Arizona in sole possession of the distinction. This is already the Cardinals' longest road losing streak since the team dropped 17 in a row over the 2002-04 seasons. The game at Philadelphia is the first of three consecutive road games for the Cardinals before a three-game home stand.
Owning third down. The Seattle Seahawks' last three opponents have converted 24 of 52 chances on third down. That percentage would rank 30th in the NFL if applied to this season as a whole. The third-down trouble stands out as a primary concern against Baltimore. The Ravens made first downs 14 times on pass plays alone against Pittsburgh last week, the highest single-game total in the NFL over the last 15 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Time for Bradford to produce. St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford failed to produce a touchdown drive during the team's overtime defeat at Arizona. That was the first time a Cardinals opponent has gone without an offensive touchdown since Arizona defeated Seattle in Week 5 of the 2009 season. Bradford has not thrown more than one touchdown pass in a game all season. He's riding an 11-game streak of such games overall. Factors beyond Bradford's control have contributed to the streak, but at some point, a No. 1 overall draft choice should transcend such things.
» 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.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 9:
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Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesCowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware will be facing a Seattle Seahawks offensive line that has allowed a league-high 28 sacks.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesCowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware will be facing a Seattle Seahawks offensive line that has allowed a league-high 28 sacks.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.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge for Week 8:
Running into defensive walls: Every NFC West team but St. Louis faces an AFC North opponent this week. And, wouldn't you know it, this is the first week since the 1970 merger when one division -- the AFC North -- features the four top defenses in fewest yards allowed (thank you, Elias Sports Bureau). Arizona faces Baltimore's top-ranked defense, allowing 272.7 yards per game. Seattle faces second-ranked Cincinnati (278.5), while San Francisco faces fourth-ranked Cleveland (291.0). How has the AFC North done it? Not without five games, including four victories, against NFC West offenses.
One reason the Rams are winless: Teams from the NFC East and AFC North have played 14 games against the NFC West. The St. Louis Rams have played zero games against the NFC West. They are the only team heading into Week 8 without a division game in their rear-view mirror. That will not change until Week 9. Even at their worst, however, the Rams have often played Week 8 opponent New Orleans tough. The Saints needed a return touchdown for a 28-23 victory over the Rams in 2009, when St. Louis finished 1-15. And in 2007, when the Rams were 3-13, one of their victories was over the Saints.
Fraying around the edges: The 95-yard touchdown pass Arizona allowed to Mike Wallace last week followed a pattern for the Cardinals. Wallace caught the ball outside the yard-line numbers, where cornerbacks often find themselves without much help. Arizona is allowing 67.0 percent completions and 9.8 yards per attempt on passes outside the numbers, contributing to a league-worst 95.6 Total QBR on these throws, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Ravens' offense has struggled on outside throws in recent weeks, but that could be about to change.
Alex Smith beating pressure: The Browns have sent five or more pass-rushers on better than 46 percent of opponents' dropbacks this season, the fourth-highest rate in the league. Opposing quarterbacks have a 90.9 NFL passer rating when they get rid of the ball against Cleveland in these situations, but 12 sacks in 86 dropbacks have helped the Browns rank ninth in Total QBR allowed (34.9) when they send at least five rushers. The 49ers' Alex Smith trails only Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in completion percentage and NFL passer rating against five-plus rushers, but he has also taken nine sacks, dragging downs his QBR to 52.2, which ranks only 17th.
What's the Bengals' nickel worth? Something has to give Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks flood the field with wide receivers against a Bengals defense that hasn't had its cornerback depth tested much. Seattle ranks 12th in pass plays featuring three or more wide receivers. The Bengals' defense leads the league in fewest yards per pass and carry when opponents use these personnel groupings. However, only four teams have faced fewer dropbacks than the Bengals against three-plus wideouts. That helps explain why Morgan Trent (15.5 percent of defensive snaps) and ex-Seahawk Kelly Jennings (7.5) are the Bengals' only backup corners to play this season. The Bengals have used three safeties, including backup Gibril Wilson, roughly a quarter of the time. Pacman Jones' expected activation as the Bengals' third corner adds another dynamic. The Seahawks need to win their matchups when Sidney Rice, Mike Williams, Doug Baldwin, Ben Obomanu and/or Golden Tate are on the field together. They also need better quarterback play, but that's another conversation.
Five nuggets of knowledge for Week 8:
Running into defensive walls: Every NFC West team but St. Louis faces an AFC North opponent this week. And, wouldn't you know it, this is the first week since the 1970 merger when one division -- the AFC North -- features the four top defenses in fewest yards allowed (thank you, Elias Sports Bureau). Arizona faces Baltimore's top-ranked defense, allowing 272.7 yards per game. Seattle faces second-ranked Cincinnati (278.5), while San Francisco faces fourth-ranked Cleveland (291.0). How has the AFC North done it? Not without five games, including four victories, against NFC West offenses.
One reason the Rams are winless: Teams from the NFC East and AFC North have played 14 games against the NFC West. The St. Louis Rams have played zero games against the NFC West. They are the only team heading into Week 8 without a division game in their rear-view mirror. That will not change until Week 9. Even at their worst, however, the Rams have often played Week 8 opponent New Orleans tough. The Saints needed a return touchdown for a 28-23 victory over the Rams in 2009, when St. Louis finished 1-15. And in 2007, when the Rams were 3-13, one of their victories was over the Saints.
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AP Photo/Rick OsentoskiWhen faced with five-plus rushers, 49ers QB Alex Smith has excelled against the pressure this season.
AP Photo/Rick OsentoskiWhen faced with five-plus rushers, 49ers QB Alex Smith has excelled against the pressure this season.Alex Smith beating pressure: The Browns have sent five or more pass-rushers on better than 46 percent of opponents' dropbacks this season, the fourth-highest rate in the league. Opposing quarterbacks have a 90.9 NFL passer rating when they get rid of the ball against Cleveland in these situations, but 12 sacks in 86 dropbacks have helped the Browns rank ninth in Total QBR allowed (34.9) when they send at least five rushers. The 49ers' Alex Smith trails only Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in completion percentage and NFL passer rating against five-plus rushers, but he has also taken nine sacks, dragging downs his QBR to 52.2, which ranks only 17th.
What's the Bengals' nickel worth? Something has to give Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks flood the field with wide receivers against a Bengals defense that hasn't had its cornerback depth tested much. Seattle ranks 12th in pass plays featuring three or more wide receivers. The Bengals' defense leads the league in fewest yards per pass and carry when opponents use these personnel groupings. However, only four teams have faced fewer dropbacks than the Bengals against three-plus wideouts. That helps explain why Morgan Trent (15.5 percent of defensive snaps) and ex-Seahawk Kelly Jennings (7.5) are the Bengals' only backup corners to play this season. The Bengals have used three safeties, including backup Gibril Wilson, roughly a quarter of the time. Pacman Jones' expected activation as the Bengals' third corner adds another dynamic. The Seahawks need to win their matchups when Sidney Rice, Mike Williams, Doug Baldwin, Ben Obomanu and/or Golden Tate are on the field together. They also need better quarterback play, but that's another conversation.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 6:
Putting Carlos Rogers to the test. Detroit's Jim Schwartz and San Francisco's Jim Harbaugh pointed to the 49ers' front seven when asked why the team has improved in its secondary. The 49ers have had a strong front seven for years, but so clearly something else is different. Doug Clawson of ESPN Stats & Information passes along this note: Rogers, new to the 49ers this season, leads NFL defensive backs with three picks on passes traveling more than 10 yards downfield. The 49ers allowed 10 touchdowns with six interceptions on these throws last season. The TD-to-INT ratio is 2-to-7 this season. Let's see if the trend holds against the Lions. Matt Stafford is tied with Aaron Rodgers for the most scoring passes on these throws. Stafford has seven, five to Calvin Johnson.
Attacking the Lions on third down. Stafford has seven touchdown passes with only one interception on first down this season, matching Rodgers for the best totals in the league. The production hasn't been consistent on third down. Stafford has completed only 50.9 percent of his third-down passes, with two touchdowns, two interceptions and weak efficiency numbers (22.3 Total QBR, 71.3 NFL passer rating). The absence of a conventional ground game could, in theory, set up more third-and-long situations. But according to John Parolin of ESPN Stats & Information, that isn't necessarily the case. A lower than average percentage of the Lions' third-down plays (44.1) have required at least eight yards for a first down. Stafford's first-down-conversion percentage (26.9) on these third-and-long plays ranks only 15th. That lags behind Alex Smith (31.2) and Tarvaris Jackson (30.0). There's been some boom to go with the bust on third-and-long for the Lions, however. Stafford ranks among the NFL's top three in touchdowns (two) and completions of 30 yards or longer (three) on third-and-8 or longer.
Watch for the play-action game. The Lions have thrown out of the shotgun formation more times than any team in the league. They also hand off from the shotgun, keeping teams honest enough for Stafford to lead the NFL in play-action passing in these three areas: completion percentage (80.0), Total QBR (97.5) and NFL passer rating (150.4). The 49ers rank fifth in completion percentage allowed against play-action (53.8), but only 28th in yards per attempt (10.5) and 31st in yards per reception (19.1). Why such a disparity? The Dallas Cowboys set up their 77-yard overtime reception against the 49ers in Week 2 with a play-action fake that worked beautifully. The 49ers' safeties need to stay disciplined.
Mismatch of all mismatches. The Green Bay Packers have scored more points in third quarters (49) than the St. Louis Rams have scored in all their games combined (46). Second quarters are often when teams hit their strides on offense. The Rams have only three second-quarter points all season. Green Bay has 44. Sure, the Packers have played one additional game, but that doesn't begin to account for the disparity. The Packers scored more points against Denver in Week 4 (49) than the Rams have scored this season.
Clay Matthews alert. The Rams' Sam Bradford has absorbed 18 sacks through four games, putting him on pace to take 72 of them over the season. That would rank tied for second in the sack era (since 1982) with Randall Cunningham, three behind David Carr's record. The Packers' Matthews has only one sack through five games. He had 8.5 sacks at this point last season, thanks to a pair of three-sack games. What's up? The Packers are using more three-man rushes. Cullen Jenkins is no longer around to attract attention from opposing lines. Matthews has also been dealing with a quadriceps injury. Might this be his get-well game?
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 6:
Putting Carlos Rogers to the test. Detroit's Jim Schwartz and San Francisco's Jim Harbaugh pointed to the 49ers' front seven when asked why the team has improved in its secondary. The 49ers have had a strong front seven for years, but so clearly something else is different. Doug Clawson of ESPN Stats & Information passes along this note: Rogers, new to the 49ers this season, leads NFL defensive backs with three picks on passes traveling more than 10 yards downfield. The 49ers allowed 10 touchdowns with six interceptions on these throws last season. The TD-to-INT ratio is 2-to-7 this season. Let's see if the trend holds against the Lions. Matt Stafford is tied with Aaron Rodgers for the most scoring passes on these throws. Stafford has seven, five to Calvin Johnson.
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Bruce Kluckhohn/US PresswireThe Lions' Matthew Stafford, among the league's best passers on first downs, has had some trouble producing on third downs.
Bruce Kluckhohn/US PresswireThe Lions' Matthew Stafford, among the league's best passers on first downs, has had some trouble producing on third downs. Watch for the play-action game. The Lions have thrown out of the shotgun formation more times than any team in the league. They also hand off from the shotgun, keeping teams honest enough for Stafford to lead the NFL in play-action passing in these three areas: completion percentage (80.0), Total QBR (97.5) and NFL passer rating (150.4). The 49ers rank fifth in completion percentage allowed against play-action (53.8), but only 28th in yards per attempt (10.5) and 31st in yards per reception (19.1). Why such a disparity? The Dallas Cowboys set up their 77-yard overtime reception against the 49ers in Week 2 with a play-action fake that worked beautifully. The 49ers' safeties need to stay disciplined.
Mismatch of all mismatches. The Green Bay Packers have scored more points in third quarters (49) than the St. Louis Rams have scored in all their games combined (46). Second quarters are often when teams hit their strides on offense. The Rams have only three second-quarter points all season. Green Bay has 44. Sure, the Packers have played one additional game, but that doesn't begin to account for the disparity. The Packers scored more points against Denver in Week 4 (49) than the Rams have scored this season.
Clay Matthews alert. The Rams' Sam Bradford has absorbed 18 sacks through four games, putting him on pace to take 72 of them over the season. That would rank tied for second in the sack era (since 1982) with Randall Cunningham, three behind David Carr's record. The Packers' Matthews has only one sack through five games. He had 8.5 sacks at this point last season, thanks to a pair of three-sack games. What's up? The Packers are using more three-man rushes. Cullen Jenkins is no longer around to attract attention from opposing lines. Matthews has also been dealing with a quadriceps injury. Might this be his get-well game?
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 5:
Burden could fall on Kevin Kolb. Beanie Wells' ability to carry the Arizona Cardinals' offense against the New York Giants might not translate to the team's game against Minnesota in Week 5. The Vikings are allowing just 76.3 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry. Both figures rank among the top six in the league. Minnesota's strong run defense could put more pressure on Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb to carry the offense. Kolb hasn't made consistently good decisions on when to bail from the pocket and what to do once he does. He is completing only 38.9 percent of his throws from outside the pocket, one reason he ranks 27th among 32 quarterbacks in Total QBR from there (6.7).
Introducing the real 49ers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shut out San Francisco at Candlestick Park last season, the 49ers' first home shutout since 1977. So much has changed for the 49ers since that game, however. Alex Smith has replaced Troy Smith at quarterback. Jim Harbaugh has replaced Mike Singletary as coach. Joe Staley is back in the lineup at left tackle. The 49ers will have seven starters on defense different from those from last year, with most representing upgrades. One concern: The 49ers are without nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga, a potential concern against a runner as powerful as the Bucs' LeGarrette Blount. And to think, Blount would have been a 49er had he not reneged on an agreement with the team as an undrafted free agent.
Marshawn Lynch's opportunity. The Seattle Seahawks' offensive line took pride in allowing no sacks in its most recent game. A repeat performance on the road against the New York Giants isn't realistic. However, this game does give the Seahawks an opportunity to improve their unproductive ground game. The Giants have allowed 100-yard rushers in their past two games. The Seahawks have failed to top 64 yards rushing in three of their four games. Marshawn Lynch has gained 61 percent of his rushing yards after contact this season, the fourth-highest percentage in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Seattle's line needs to keep defenders off him a little longer.
An unlikely interception drought. Few safeties cover as much ground as quickly as the Seahawks' Earl Thomas, but that has not translated into interceptions. Thomas, after picking off five passes in his first 10 NFL games, has intercepted none in his past 12, counting playoffs. A penalty wiped out an interception for Thomas against Arizona this season. Seattle has collected only two of the 125 interceptions thrown in the NFL this season, and the Giants' Eli Manning has cut down on turnovers dramatically. A turnover from Thomas certainly would help the Seahawks' chances in a game few expect them to win. He's playing too well to go much longer without picking off passes.
49ers staring down history. A victory over the Buccaneers would leave the 49ers with a 4-1 record for the first time since 2002. Long-snapper Brian Jennings is the 49ers' only remaining player from that season. That 49ers team improved to 4-1 with a 28-21 victory over Seattle. How long ago was that game? One of Jennings' current coaches, Bobby Engram, returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown that day.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 5:
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Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesKevin Kolb is completing just 38.9 percent of his throws from outside the pocket.
Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesKevin Kolb is completing just 38.9 percent of his throws from outside the pocket.Introducing the real 49ers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shut out San Francisco at Candlestick Park last season, the 49ers' first home shutout since 1977. So much has changed for the 49ers since that game, however. Alex Smith has replaced Troy Smith at quarterback. Jim Harbaugh has replaced Mike Singletary as coach. Joe Staley is back in the lineup at left tackle. The 49ers will have seven starters on defense different from those from last year, with most representing upgrades. One concern: The 49ers are without nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga, a potential concern against a runner as powerful as the Bucs' LeGarrette Blount. And to think, Blount would have been a 49er had he not reneged on an agreement with the team as an undrafted free agent.
Marshawn Lynch's opportunity. The Seattle Seahawks' offensive line took pride in allowing no sacks in its most recent game. A repeat performance on the road against the New York Giants isn't realistic. However, this game does give the Seahawks an opportunity to improve their unproductive ground game. The Giants have allowed 100-yard rushers in their past two games. The Seahawks have failed to top 64 yards rushing in three of their four games. Marshawn Lynch has gained 61 percent of his rushing yards after contact this season, the fourth-highest percentage in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Seattle's line needs to keep defenders off him a little longer.
An unlikely interception drought. Few safeties cover as much ground as quickly as the Seahawks' Earl Thomas, but that has not translated into interceptions. Thomas, after picking off five passes in his first 10 NFL games, has intercepted none in his past 12, counting playoffs. A penalty wiped out an interception for Thomas against Arizona this season. Seattle has collected only two of the 125 interceptions thrown in the NFL this season, and the Giants' Eli Manning has cut down on turnovers dramatically. A turnover from Thomas certainly would help the Seahawks' chances in a game few expect them to win. He's playing too well to go much longer without picking off passes.
49ers staring down history. A victory over the Buccaneers would leave the 49ers with a 4-1 record for the first time since 2002. Long-snapper Brian Jennings is the 49ers' only remaining player from that season. That 49ers team improved to 4-1 with a 28-21 victory over Seattle. How long ago was that game? One of Jennings' current coaches, Bobby Engram, returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown that day.
» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 4:
Assessing the 49ers' chances in Philly. The Eagles, losers of two in a row, haven't lost three games in succession since a 2007 stretch played mostly without their starting quarterback. The 49ers, winners at Cincinnati in Week 3, have not won games in successive weeks since the 2009 season (a bye interrupted their lone two-game winning streak last season). They have not won road games in successive weeks since beating Carolina and Indianapolis in Weeks 10-11 way back in 2001. Beating the Eagles in Philadelphia would open eyes to just how much change Jim Harbaugh has affected in a short period of time.
Yakety YAC, help the quarterback. Three NFC West teams rank among the NFL's bottom five in yards after the catch on a per-reception basis, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Seahawks rank 31st at 3.7 yards. The 49ers and Rams are both in the 4.3-yard range. The 49ers have no receptions longer than 39 yards and none longer than 26 by a wide receiver. Michael Crabtree's longest catch this season covered 8 yards. The Arizona Cardinals are the exception within the division. They have five wide receivers and tight ends with at least five receptions and a 5.0 YAC average. Seattle's Doug Baldwin (8.0 YAC) is the only other non-running back in the division to meet that standard. The St. Louis Rams' Brandon Gibson has averaged eight-tenths of a yard after the catch.
Cardinals' pass defense in focus. Few teams push the ball down the field as aggressively as the Cardinals' Week 4 opponent. Giants quarterback Eli Manning ranks third behind Cam Newton and Ben Roethlisberger in how far past the line of scrimmage his passes travel on average. The Giants are one of five NFL teams averaging at least 8.8 yards per pass attempt. The Cardinals are one of eight teams allowing at least 8.0 yards per attempt. Manning, coming off a four-touchdown game at Philadelphia, tossed three scoring passes in his last visit to University of Phoenix Stadium (2008). He ranks tied for second in the NFL with eight completions on passes traveling more than 20 yards past the line of scrimmage.
Sam Bradford's long-term health. The Rams' quarterback has taken 11 sacks in three games, a total he did not reach until Week 5 last season. He's facing a Washington Redskins defense that ranks sixth in sacks per pass play. Anyone else think former Rams coach Jim Haslett, now the Redskins' defensive coordinator, wouldn't mind introducing Bradford to pass-rushers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan? The pressure is on a not-quite-healthy Steven Jackson to give the Rams needed offensive balance.
Seahawks have choices on defense. Seattle was able to shut out the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald in the second half last week in part because Arizona's other weapons weren't all that threatening. Without Beanie Wells to worry about, Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas spent less time in the box and more time helping in coverage. Thomas would ideally provide similar support against Falcons receiver Roddy White this week, but doing so could carry additional risks against an Atlanta offense with more varied weapons. Falcons rookie Julio Jones caught six passes for 115 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 3, including a 49-yarder. On the positive side for Seattle, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has taken 13 sacks, the same total he took into Week 10 last season. That 49-yard strike to Jones marked the first time in eight tries this season Ryan has completed a deep pass (defined as one traveling more than 20 yards past the line of scrimmage).
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 4:
Assessing the 49ers' chances in Philly. The Eagles, losers of two in a row, haven't lost three games in succession since a 2007 stretch played mostly without their starting quarterback. The 49ers, winners at Cincinnati in Week 3, have not won games in successive weeks since the 2009 season (a bye interrupted their lone two-game winning streak last season). They have not won road games in successive weeks since beating Carolina and Indianapolis in Weeks 10-11 way back in 2001. Beating the Eagles in Philadelphia would open eyes to just how much change Jim Harbaugh has affected in a short period of time.
Yakety YAC, help the quarterback. Three NFC West teams rank among the NFL's bottom five in yards after the catch on a per-reception basis, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Seahawks rank 31st at 3.7 yards. The 49ers and Rams are both in the 4.3-yard range. The 49ers have no receptions longer than 39 yards and none longer than 26 by a wide receiver. Michael Crabtree's longest catch this season covered 8 yards. The Arizona Cardinals are the exception within the division. They have five wide receivers and tight ends with at least five receptions and a 5.0 YAC average. Seattle's Doug Baldwin (8.0 YAC) is the only other non-running back in the division to meet that standard. The St. Louis Rams' Brandon Gibson has averaged eight-tenths of a yard after the catch.
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Jeffrey G. Pittenger/US PresswireThe Cardinals' secondary will be tested by Eli Manning, who's coming off a four-TD performance.
Jeffrey G. Pittenger/US PresswireThe Cardinals' secondary will be tested by Eli Manning, who's coming off a four-TD performance.Sam Bradford's long-term health. The Rams' quarterback has taken 11 sacks in three games, a total he did not reach until Week 5 last season. He's facing a Washington Redskins defense that ranks sixth in sacks per pass play. Anyone else think former Rams coach Jim Haslett, now the Redskins' defensive coordinator, wouldn't mind introducing Bradford to pass-rushers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan? The pressure is on a not-quite-healthy Steven Jackson to give the Rams needed offensive balance.
Seahawks have choices on defense. Seattle was able to shut out the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald in the second half last week in part because Arizona's other weapons weren't all that threatening. Without Beanie Wells to worry about, Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas spent less time in the box and more time helping in coverage. Thomas would ideally provide similar support against Falcons receiver Roddy White this week, but doing so could carry additional risks against an Atlanta offense with more varied weapons. Falcons rookie Julio Jones caught six passes for 115 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 3, including a 49-yarder. On the positive side for Seattle, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has taken 13 sacks, the same total he took into Week 10 last season. That 49-yard strike to Jones marked the first time in eight tries this season Ryan has completed a deep pass (defined as one traveling more than 20 yards past the line of scrimmage).
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mike Sando
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
