ESPN NFL

The San Francisco 49ers' NFC West rivals might as well start working on their divisional concession speeches.

That is because the 49ers, after one good season, suddenly tower over the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams by just about every meaningful on-field franchise marker.

That was my somewhat skeptical takeaway from the "NFL Future Power Rankings" projecting where teams are headed by 2015, using a weighted formula reflecting rosters, quarterbacks, drafts, front offices and coaching.

The 49ers, easily underrated while charging to a 13-3 record last season, appear overrated in relation to their division rivals by this ranking, in my view. Can we really say their front office blows away those for the other NFC West teams by an 8.5-to-5 margin across the board? A five-game cushion in the 2011 division standings says we can, but that will be a tough edge to maintain. Then again, last season did happen. It has to count for something, and the front office usually had the right answers.

"This category weighs each team's front office in terms of its ability to manage its roster and bring in new talent via free agency or trades," the methodology reads. "It also factors in a team's willingness to spend money, and a market's attraction to free agents. A 10 represents a team that has the ability to spend freely and obtain top-choice talent on a regular basis. A one represents a team that has little ability to spend, has no track record of bringing in quality free-agent talent or, worse, has spent big on free agents that have made little-to-no impact."

The 49ers hit big on Aldon Smith in the 2011 draft while finding outstanding free-agent value in Pro Bowl cornerback Carlos Rogers. They succeeded in keeping together their defense. CEO Jed York appears to have made the right move for a general manager even though fans were hardly chanting for Trent Baalke to assume the role. York and Baalke landed Jim Harbaugh as head coach.

On the flip side, the 49ers' front office has done less heavy lifting than the front offices for Seattle and St. Louis in particular. San Francisco stayed the course to a greater degree than those other teams, relying upon a new coaching staff to get more from Alex Smith and others. But the Rams remain in the early stages of a rebuild, while the Seahawks will need better on-field results to validate the high-impact moves they've made since Pete Carroll arrived in 2010. Seattle's unsettled fate at quarterback stands as another key variable.

Overall, the 49ers finished ahead of their division rivals in all five core categories except for one. They were second to St. Louis in projected quarterback strength. Having Sam Bradford gave the Rams 6.25 points out of 10 in that category, ahead of scores for Seattle (4.5) and Arizona (3.75).

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on how these teams are set up for the future. I suspect a 2008 projection would have expected more from the Cardinals in 2011.

As the piece freely admits, these projections cannot anticipate everything.

"But they do provide some interesting conclusions about what's truly important to succeeding on a perennial basis in the NFL, specifically the value of a franchise QB," the piece notes. "And while some teams may experience a down year, the squads at the top of this list are well suited for sustained success over the long term."

Note: Gary Horton, Matt Williamson, Trent Dilfer and Mel Kiper Jr. worked with Bill Polian in putting together these projections.

Figuring out who makes the personnel decisions for the Arizona Cardinals isn't easy.

More than any team in the NFC West, the Cardinals seem to take a group approach involving general manager Rod Graves, coach Ken Whisenhunt, president Michael Bidwill, and vice president of player personnel Steve Keim.

All four have been together since 2007, when Whisenhunt became coach.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says Keim's role has grown, making him a logical candidate to succeed Graves in the GM role. Bickley: "Keim isn't a general manager by title. But he talks like one. He acts like one. He's not shy with his opinions. Recent draft classes reveal a franchise operating in sync, and a team enjoying a steady influx of young players. He knows what Ken Whisenhunt wants in a player, and over time, has earned the coach's trust." Noted: Sounds like an invitation to compare recent draft classes for NFC West teams. I'll take a look this week, although comparing one team's draft success against that of another can be tricky. For example, in recent seasons, the Cardinals have drafted later in the first round on average than any team in the division, about 19th overall since 2009. That compares to about eighth overall for St. Louis, 13th overall for Seattle and 15th overall for San Francisco.

Also from Bickley: The Cardinals have reason to consider legal action after losing 3,200 parking spots at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee runs through the San Francisco 49ers' undrafted free-agent class. Barrows: "Among the standouts are the three Stanford players, Chris Owusu, Matt Masifilo and Michael Thomas, and running back Jewel Hampton, whom I wrote about earlier in the week. Also of note is Clemson's Kourtnei Brown, who has Aldon Smith-like dimensions and who ran his 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range."

Also from Barrows: Perrish Cox's legal troubles aren't finished. The cornerback, acquitted on criminal sexual assault charges, faces a civil suit stemming from the case.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame welcomed Marcus Trufant and Jacob Green as members. Trufant: "This is a very cool deal. Just the whole organization in general is a good deal. There are a lot of important people here who have done a lot of good things in this area for a long time -- and they haven’t done it to make a lot of money, they’re doing it for the community and they’re doing it for the kids. So just to be mentioned in the same light as those people, it’s a big deal to me."

Also from Farnsworth: a look at the Seahawks' quarterback competition. Coach Pete Carroll: "There’s no timeline. The format is really just to do everything I can to organize it and orchestrate it so that they get a legit shot at showing what they can do with all the guys that are available. We’re going to have to mix and match it, and just make it a real cool process, and hopefully it will show itself somewhere down the road and we'll figure it out then."

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says Carroll seems to be welcoming the quarterback competition in Seattle, counter to the way most coaches view uncertainty at the position.

Art Thiel of Sports Press Northwest says the Seahawks haven't had a quarterback competition like their current once since Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Dilfer were competing a decade ago.

Liz Mathews of 710ESPN Seattle passes along thoughts from Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill regarding the evolution of his game. Hill: "I wanted to hurt you and hit you harder than you hit me. That's how I played, and I think it caused a lot of injuries early on in my career. Now that I'm getting older, I'm more about making the tackle -- just get the man down. I want to play the way that I played, just in a more veteran way, you know?"

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle thinks Gus Bradley, the Seahawks' defensive coordinator, projects as a head coaching candidate. Noted: Not many coordinators keep their jobs when a team changes head coaches. Bradley did, remaining in the role after the switch from Jim Mora to Pete Carroll. Mora had planned to name Dan Quinn coordinator, but Bradley impressed him so much during his interview that Mora decided to make him coordinator instead.

Albert Breer of NFL Network runs through Rams GM Les Snead's priority list for St. Louis this offseason: "Snead, formerly personnel director for the Atlanta Falcons, was hired by the Rams in mid-February. His self-imposed directive since then has been to focus on four aspects of roster management. They were, in order, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of his new club; deal the second pick in the draft; prepare for and complete free agency; and then do the same with the draft. ... Snead can unpack and find a place to live now. His vision for the Rams, in this job he spent the better part of two decades preparing, is beginning to take shape."

Katie Felts of KDSK.com checks in with new Rams coach Jeff Fisher.

Moderately accomplished quarterbacks are more likely than great ones to mentor a young prospect, in my view.

They have less to lose.

The "Outside the Lines" video above provides fresh and archived interviews with NFC West alums Joe Montana, Steve Young and Trent Dilfer while taking a closer look at the dynamics. Montana wasn't interested in mentoring Young for obvious competitive reasons. Dilfer warmed to mentoring Matt Hasselbeck.

Young NFC West quarterbacks are largely without veteran mentors heading toward the 2012 season.

San Francisco 49ers starter Alex Smith might be the closest thing to a mentor in the division. He has the experience and personality to become a resource for second-year pro Colin Kaepernick. To what degree that has happened, I'm not sure. Smith returns as the starter, but the situation is competitive, too.

The St. Louis Rams have no veteran mentor for Sam Bradford. The Arizona Cardinals have none for Kevin Kolb or John Skelton. The Seattle Seahawks have none for new quarterback Matt Flynn, although Tarvaris Jackson is nearly 3 years older and does have 34 career regular-season starts.

Having a veteran backup as a resource makes sense in theory, especially when his presence isn't seen as an imminent threat to the young starter's job security.

Among NFC West teams, the Rams would seem to benefit the most from adding a veteran backup. They're the one team in the division with a young starter and no plans for competition at the position.

Current backup Kellen Clemens has only 12 career starts, but he does have considerable knowledge of the offensive system Bradford is learning for the first time.

The chart reflects Flynn's status as the expected starter. He has not yet won the job, however.

ESPN's Trent Dilfer played for the Seattle Seahawks years ago, but he had serious questions about them last offseason.

Dilfer criticized their 2011 draft class, specifically the decision to draft offensive lineman James Carpenter over quarterback Andy Dalton.

But with fifth-round cornerback Richard Sherman emerging as part of a strong Seahawks secondary, Dilfer has pointed to the Seahawks as a potential surprise team in 2012.

Dilfer, Chris Mortensen and Mel Kiper Jr. focused on several other potential surprise teams in the "On the clock" video above. Dilfer explained his thinking on the Seahawks later in the segment. He likes Matt Flynn's addition and Seattle's ability to play pass coverage.

Quarterback perceptions can be volatile.

In my view, negative perceptions regarding Kevin Kolb have made it easier for analysts to discount the Arizona Cardinals' 7-2 record to finish last season. The feel was quite different last offseason, before Kolb had played for the team and struggled.

Tying up loose ends on a Tuesday that began with the NFL and Nike unveiling new uniforms for the 2012 season:

• Paul Lukas' column affirms that Seattle was the only team to completely redesign its uniforms. But he notes that pants for the San Francisco 49ers and some other teams might appear less metallic than in the past.
• Rules prevent teams from redesigning their uniforms more frequently than every five seasons. The 49ers last redesigned their uniforms in April 2009. The Arizona Cardinals redesigned theirs in 2005. The Rams overhauled their uniforms in 2000.
• The Rams have ditched their gold pants, according to Jim Thomas.
• The Detroit Lions' equipment manager, Tim O’Neill, said the new uniforms are especially snug-fitting, which could make it tougher for opponents to grab onto jerseys. ESPN's Trent Dilfer and Marcellus Wiley touched on that aspect in the video above. O’Neill : "If we hung a jersey on a hanger, it would look like a medium T-shirt."

All for now. Enjoy your Tuesday night.

You might have noticed that ESPN's Skip Bayless occasionally invites debate by taking hard stands on issues relating to sports.

His position recently: Jim Harbaugh deserves 100 percent of the credit for the San Francisco 49ers' improvement from 6-10 to 14-3.

Harbaugh obviously has played a leading role in the turnaround, but 100 percent? Purely for entertainment, imagine for a moment that a leading academic from a university sports management program were advocating the same position in even tones.

ESPN's Trent Dilfer had this to say during his latest conversation with Scott Van Pelt: "In the NFL, everybody wants to give all the credit to one person, and the Niners' story is so much different. There is so much credit to be spread out."

Dilfer gives Harbaugh significant credit for his approach with Alex Smith -- specifically, for working with Smith from a base of affirmation. That audio is here. Dilfer also credits general manager Trent Baalke, who he promotes as the NFL's clear executive of the year.

The video featuring Bayless is below, featuring an appearance from Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely.

Kevin Kolb will emerge from the 2011 NFL season with an incomplete grade, whether or not he plays for the Arizona Cardinals in their Week 17 game against Seattle.

The reviews have been mostly negative. Kolb was the starter when the Cardinals were opening the season with a 1-6 record. The team won six of its next seven games, but Kolb was the primary quarterback for only one of them. Backup John Skelton hasn't shined in relief, but he did play well enough late in a few victories for the Cardinals to capitalize on defensive improvements and big plays on special teams.

Kolb suffered injuries from head (concussion) to toe (and foot) this season. Durability was a problem for him previously in Philadelphia. Upon seeing Kolb at Cardinals camp, his demeanor and rapport with teammates instantly impressed me. But he also appeared less sturdy looking than I had anticipated. He will benefit from a full offseason working under the Cardinals' noted strength and conditioning coach John Lott.

A full offseason in Arizona should also help Kolb make a smoother transition into an offense that was new to him.

The highlight for Kolb this season was probably the 73-yard touchdown pass he threw to Larry Fitzgerald at Washington in Week 2. Kolb knew he was going to take a crushing hit on the play. He waited long enough for Fitzgerald to get deep, sacrificing his body to deliver in the clutch. The play gave the Cardinals a 21-13 lead early in the fourth quarter.

With and without Kolb, the Cardinals have struck for far more big plays this season than last. They have more pass plays covering 40-plus yards (14) than ever team but the New York Giants and Detroit Lions. Even the Green Bay Packers (13), New England Patriots (12) and New Orleans Saint (10) have fewer. Arizona had only three such plays last season, tied for the NFL low. Larry Fitzgerald's yards per reception has spiked from career-low levels in 2009 (11.3) and 2010 (12.6) to a career-best 17.8. Those are encouraging signs.

But it's also clear the team needs to improve its pass protection. Kolb needs to gain a better feel for the pocket and when to get rid of the football. He need to improve dramatically on third down, as the chart indicates. A deeper knowledge and comfort with the offense should help in those areas, but there are no guarantees. The Cardinals could be back in the market for another starting quarterback one year from now.

As Kent Somers noted Wednesday, the team plans to pay a $7 million bonus to Kolb this offseason, assuring Kolb's return to the team for a second season. That makes sense given what the Cardinals have invested and the alternatives likely available to them. It's also worth pointing out that other quarterbacks acquired by trade enjoyed success after inauspicious debuts with their new teams. The chart below shows stats for Kolb and future Pro Bowlers Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Schaub in their first seasons with new teams.

Hasselbeck in particular struggled during an injury-marred first season with Seattle after the Seahawks acquired him from Green Bay. He was 26 years old in 2001, his first year with the team. Kolb is 27. Unlike Kolb this season, Hasselbeck in 2001 was running the same offense he had learned from the same head coach, Mike Holmgren. But the Seahawks benched him after one year and nearly gave up on him altogether before a season-ending injury to Trent Dilfer gave Hasselbeck another chance.

There is still time for Kolb, in other words.
.

Week 16 brought great clarity to the NFL playoff situation in the NFC West.

The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals are out. The San Francisco 49ers are strong favorites to emerge as the second seed in the NFC. They can no longer challenge for the No. 1 seed after Green Bay defeated Chicago. But if New Orleans loses to Atlanta on Monday night, the 49ers will clinch the second seed -- and a first-round playoff bye -- without needing to beat St. Louis in Week 17.

Brian Burke of Advanced NFL Stats spells out the value of getting a first-round bye relative to reaching a Super Bowl. Burke: "The No. 1 seed has about six times the chance of a wild-card team to make it to the Super Bowl. The No. 2 seed has nearly five times the chance. These are enormous differences, and they’re due to seeding effects alone. Right now, the 49ers and Saints are jockeying for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The loser of that battle will fall from a 29 percent shot to an 11 percent shot at making the Super Bowl." Noted: I think there's value in an unestablished team claiming a wild-card victory before taking on one of the higher-seeded teams. But the first-round bye removes all risk of defeat in the wild-card round. That's a huge payoff.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers' Alex Smith was more than just a game manager during San Francisco's 19-17 victory over the Seahawks. Barrows: "With his 49ers reeling and the Seattle crowd roiling in the fourth quarter, the normally cautious quarterback reared back on second and 18 and heaved a 41-yard pass to Michael Crabtree, setting up a 39-yard David Akers field goal that gave San Francisco the lead."

Also from Barrows: An all-Harbaugh Super Bowl isn't so far-fetched.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers are running out of healthy pass-catchers. He also updates the 49ers' turnover numbers. Branch: "The 49ers haven’t committed a turnover in 18 straight quarters, a streak that dates back to an interception Smith threw late in the second quarter of a 16-6 loss to the Ravens on Nov. 24. Since that pick, Smith has thrown 129 passes without an interception and San Francisco, which leads the NFL with a plus-26 turnover differential, has forced 10 turnovers. Entering Saturday’s game, the Seahawks had forced 18 turnovers in their previous six games and had collected at least one turnover in every game since Week 4."

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis captures what is wrong -- and also what is right -- with the 2-13 St. Louis Rams. Steven Jackson is the good. Coach Steve Spagnuolo: "On a level of admiration on a scale of 1 to 10, I’m at a 15. I don’t know how else to say it. He is a very passionate football player. He’s passionate about how he plays, the way he plays; he’s passionate about the team he plays for; he’s passionate about the guys he plays for. He’s been that way ever since I’ve gotten here. He hasn’t changed and I think people see that in the way he plays, and he was certainly that way today."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch updates Jackson's contract situation: "With 32 yards rushing in the season finale Sunday, Jackson will reach half of a two-tiered trigger that could void the final two years of his contract. But he needs 198 yards receiving to reach the second part of the trigger — and that's not going to happen, unless Jackson has the receiving game of a lifetime. But even with all the losing, Jackson seemingly has no desire to play anywhere else."

Also from Thomas: Injuries at cornerback have led the Rams to use extra safeties in their nickel and dime packages.

Mike Salk of 710ESPN Seattle says Tarvaris Jackson has outperformed expectations, but isn't good enough for the Seahawks to take the next step. Salk: "It is OK to be a game manager. Alex Smith has won 12 games this year in that capacity and surely we know the stories of Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson and even a young Tom Brady winning Super Bowls. Game managers win by controlling the ball, understanding the importance of field position, and getting the ball in the hands of the playmakers. But they also have to lead important drives late in games because their teams typically haven't scored enough points to win it handily. Tarvaris Jackson has not done that this year. In limited opportunities, he has failed at that important skill. And I think it will be the reason his time in Seattle will end sooner rather than later." Noted: Jackson would be the ideal backup behind a front-line starter.

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle says Heath Farwell and the Seahawks exploited the 49ers' tendency to release into coverage early in blocking Andy Lee's fourth-quarter punt Saturday. Henderson: "Farwell had seen that reserve linebacker Blake Costanzo, who lines up as a left tackle on the punt unit, was often quick to disengage from his block and head down the field toward the returner, leaving an unobstructed path to the punter. Farwell, whose job on the punt return team is normally to slow the opposing team's tackle at the line of scrimmage, took advantage of that tendency." Noted: I spoke with Costanzo about the play and he said that's exactly what happened. He took full responsibility. The play proved costly at the time, but the 49ers now have time to adjust before such a problem arises in a playoff game.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times notes that the Seahawks were only 4-4 at home this season. Noted: Blowing a 17-7 lead to lose at home against the Washington Redskins stands out as the most lamentable home defeat for Seattle.

Also from O'Neil: thoughts on a 49ers assistant coach shouting, "Merry Christmas!" while leaving the Seahawks' press box.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals' propensity for slow starts on offense caught up to them during a 23-16 defeat at Cincinnati. Urban: "With Kevin Kolb still suffering from concussion symptoms -- his availability for the finale seems in doubt at this point -- John Skelton got the start. Skelton was terrible for three quarters as the Cardinals failed to cross midfield and trailed, 23-0. Then he turned into Super Skelton in the fourth quarter -- as usual -- and nearly shocked everyone. Just 8-of-19 for 93 yards, with three interceptions and five sacks, through the first three quarters, (coach Ken) Whisenhunt admitted he considered benching Skelton for Rich Bartel. But Skelton completed 15-of-25 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the final quarter." Noted: Skelton has proven he's worth keeping around for developmental purposes, but not yet ready to start. That is OK. He was a fifth-round pick only last year. The fact that he won a roster spot, kept that spot, won a few starts and even briefly led some to think he should remain in the lineup means he has already outperformed expectations.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Skelton's accuracy must improve.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic blames the Cardinals' defeat more on Skelton than on Early Doucet's stumble late in the game.

ESPN's Trent Dilfer shed fresh light on the San Francisco 49ers' offense during a podcast Tuesday.

His basic point: The 49ers rely heavily on Alex Smith's ability to get them into favorable plays at the line of scrimmage. This helps their offensive efficiency, but the team pays a price on critical downs and in the red zone because it's tougher for quarterbacks to maximize play selection in those situations.

Dilfer also sized up the 49ers' chances in the playoffs. He does not think teams are likely to win a Super Bowl playing offense the way the 49ers are playing offense, but he also thought San Francisco's defensive front seven could match up favorably against Green Bay and New Orleans.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A blown transformer outside Candlestick Park knocked out power to the stadium roughly 10 minutes before the Monday night kickoff between the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The stadium went pitch black immediately. Backup generators soon restored minimal stadium lighting, but conditions were far too dark for a football game. A team official, Bob Lange, then told reporters in the pressbox that city engineers expected to have power restored within 5-10 minutes.

Lights inside the pressbox have been restored. Signage inside the stadium appears lit. Minimal lamppost lighting is allowing for some visibility of the field from high above. The color guard has not moved and remains standing near midfield, awaiting the national anthem. Lights on the "SportsCenter" set have been restored, making analyst Trent Dilfer's dome stand out like a beacon.

Internet service in the pressbox, notoriously spotty by NFL standards, continued working throughout the outage.

More details as we get them.

Trent Dilfer's latest Insider piece should interest those wondering whether the 2011 San Francisco 49ers resemble the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl-winning team from 2000.

Dilfer was the "game manager" at quarterback for that Ravens team. He finds quite a few similarities and a few important differences. Dilfer also explains how both teams played to their strengths even when it meant sacrificing big plays on offense.

My initial reaction to the Ravens-49ers premise: Baltimore was better on defense. Those Ravens also struggled to find their identity early in the season, winning only five of their first nine games before closing the regular season with seven consecutive victories. The current 49ers are who they thought they were -- a team that could win with defense, special teams, the running game and efficient quarterback play.

That Baltimore team faced relatively weak quarterbacks at a time when defenses could get away with more menacing play. Former Ravens coach Brian Billick addressed this during an NFL.com column addressing the Ravens-49ers comparisons.

"When we won our championship, there was a void of great quarterback play in the league," Billick wrote. "Running the ball well, and not turning it over, was enough to augment our great defense. At the time, the Elways, Marinos, Montanas and Aikmans of the world were transitioning out of the game, and we were a few years away from the emergence of the great quarterbacks of today."

Those Ravens lost games against Jay Fiedler, Brad Johnson and Kordell Stewart. They went 1-1 against Steve McNair and 2-0 against Mark Brunell. They beat Vinny Testaverde and a young Jake Plummer. They also collected victories against an over-the-hill Troy Aikman, plus Kent Graham, Tim Couch, Scott Mitchell, Akili Smith, Doug Pederson and Ryan Leaf.

The current 49ers have gone 8-1 against a mix of opposing quarterbacks. They lost in overtime to Tony Romo, but also defeated Eli Manning and Matthew Stafford when those quarterbacks were at their best. They beat Michael Vick and Josh Freeman, who have subsequently struggled. They beat Andy Dalton, who appears promising, and also collected victories against Tarvaris Jackson, Colt McCoy and John Beck.

How these 49ers finish will ultimately determine whether the comparison holds up. My favorite line from Dilfer's column: "When I was asked this week if the San Francisco 49ers of 2011 reminded me of that 2000 Ravens team, I wasn't offended. I get it: great defense, good coaching, quarterback you hope doesn't ruin it."

Smith is playing better than that, and Dilfer says so. But that line captures the feeling quite a few 49ers fans had early in the season, if not as much lately.

Brock Huard of 710ESNP Seattle says the San Francisco 49ers' success is legitimate and stands as a long-term threat for coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks. Huard: "Jim Harbaugh has had success at every turn. He is building something very special in San Francisco. For Pete Carroll and John Schneider, this is not going to be the woeful NFC West that Mike Holmgren had for a decade. This is going to be a brutal, black-and-blue division for a long time." Noted: The Seahawks have won four division titles since 1999 without exceeding nine victories. The have won two additional division titles during that time without exceeding 10 victories. Only once since 1985 have the Seahawks exceeded 10 victories in a season. That was in 2005, when the team went 13-3 on its way to the Super Bowl.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com compares the Seahawks' current struggles and those experienced during Holmgren's early years with the team. Farnsworth: "After Holmgren was hired in 1999, the Seahawks backed into the playoffs and an AFC West title in his first season. Then, Holmgren decided to remake the roster. Twenty-five games into his tenure (including playoffs), Holmgren had an 11-14 record and was struggling to find a quarterback from a group that included Jon Kitna, Brock Huard and Glenn Foley. Holmgren’s QB quandary remained unsettled even after he made a trade with the Green Bay Packers to acquire Matt Hasselbeck and signed Trent Dilfer as a free agent in 2001. An injured and ineffective Hasselbeck struggled through the 2001 season. Dilfer was named the starter in 2002, only to be injured twice." Noted: There's a tendency to recast unplanned events as planned ones when things work out. The fact that Seattle eventually succeeded under Holmgren doesn't mean all the early failures were necessary ones. Holmgren seemed to have turned the page on Hasselbeck, who might not have gotten another chance with the team had Dilfer avoided injuries. But because Hasselbeck succeeded ultimately, it's as though Holmgren and the rest of us knew it would happen all along. We did not know that.

Also from Farnsworth: The team has allowed only two second-half touchdowns all season, the lowest figure in the league through Week 8. The Ravens (three), Browns (four) and Lions (four) are next.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says quarterback Kevin Kolb feels like a "weenie" for being sidelined by a turf-toe injury. Kolb: "I remember Deion Sanders was the first one I have ever saw that had 'turf toe,' and I was thinking the same thing as a fan: 'What? Why is (he) out for two weeks with a turf toe?' Then you get one and realize it's a little more painful than it comes across as." Somers: "Turf toe involves sprained or torn ligaments in the metatarsophalangeal joint, which indicates why the injury goes by a much shorter name. Kolb also has a mid-foot sprain in other ligaments and a bone bruise. It is not a lisfranc injury, which is more serious. Kolb has to be able to plant and drive off the foot to get full power on his throws."

Also from Somers: Fullback Reagan Maui'a says an alcohol problem led to his suspension earlier in the season.

More from Somers: Beanie Wells is not yet practicing, but he's expected to play Sunday.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com profiles the team's young outside linebackers Sam Acho and O'Brien Schofield. The two have divergent personalities, something Schofield has fun with. Schofield: "Everybody says Sam is the brain guy, so I’m like, 'Damn, so then I’m stupid?' "

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is inching closer to returning from a high-ankle sprain. Sounds like Bradford will not be ready this week, however. Thomas: "The silver lining to the injury is that Bradford has been able to talk with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on game day, not just when the Rams' defense is on the field but also when the Rams' offense is out there. It has allowed Bradford to get a better feel for McDaniels -- why he calls certain things at certain times, and what he's seeing during the ebb and flow of a game."

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com says the team has until early next week to activate receiver Mark Clayton from the physically unable to perform list or lose him for the season. An Achilles problem has stunted Clayton's return from a knee injury.

Also from Wagoner: the latest on Bradford, and a note about how cornerback Marquis Johnson played well in his return from injury.

More from Wagoner: an update on Robert Quinn's development.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers' Dashon Goldson isn't happy about being wrongly penalized for what officials called an illegal blow to the head against Cleveland. Goldson: "I'm good. I knew it was clean . . . If it was a blow to the head, I would've had a $15,000 or $20,000 fine in my locker right now. But I got penalized. That could've cost us the game."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers defensive end Justin Smith missed practice on a veteran's courtesy, not because of an injury. Smith has started 162 games in a row.

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat sees 49ers quarterback Alex Smith pick up traits from coach Jim Harbaugh. How thick is the 49ers' playbook each week? State secrets.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says the 49ers should be able to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Kawakami: "Because of their walloping defense, the 49ers should realistically aim for the No. 2 seed, and a first-round bye. And because the 49ers offense remains less than dynamic (though effective), they should really want that No. 2 seed, so they can avoid the prospect of having to play a first-round shootout against a team such as Philadelphia or Atlanta. But to do that, the 49ers have to beat out the winners of the NFC East and South divisions -- it looks like a 12-4 record is the most realistic way for the 49ers to do that." Noted: The 49ers' offense has outscored the Falcons' offense 167-116 this season. The Eagles' offense has 173 points. More on this in a bit.

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

FALLING

1. Mike Sims-Walker, ex-Rams WR: That did not take long. Sims-Walker went from key free-agent addition to dropping three passes against Washington to being named inactive to being released in a short period of time. Perhaps now we know why the Jacksonville Jaguars decided against bringing back Sims-Walker even though they lacked proven players at the position. Sims-Walker was the logical Rams receiver to go once the team acquired Brandon Lloyd from Denver. The team expects to welcome back veteran Mark Clayton from the physically unable to perform list at some point, too.

2. Lockout grace periods: It's tough for the San Francisco 49ers' division rivals -- and other teams -- to complain too loudly about the lockout setting them back. The 49ers have gotten to 5-1 despite changing over just about all of their coaching staff and installing new schemes. As Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said following his team's 1-4 start, "A lot of guys are making mistakes. Can you say, 'Well, gee, that is lack of offseason?' We're now into October. We now should be able to clean up those things. These are professional athletes and they have to rise to the occasion. And none of the other 31 teams had an offseason, either. We shouldn't be at that much of a disadvantage where we've only won one game."

3. Shawntae Spencer, 49ers CB: Spencer was a starter last season and arguably the best cornerback on the team. He's not getting on the field at this point because Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown and rookie Chris Culliver are ahead of him on the depth chart. The 49ers did a good job addressing the position in the offseason. Had they stood pat, Spencer would probably be starting. Injuries have also set back Spencer this season.

RISING

1. Aldon Smith, 49ers OLB: The player San Francisco drafted in the first round is quickly becoming a candidate for defensive rookie of the year, along with Ryan Kerrigan of the Washington Redskins. Smith has 5.5 sacks over the 49ers' last three games. He is playing well and benefiting from the talent around him. Opposing offenses must funnel additional resources toward defensive end Justin Smith in particular.

2. Vic Fangio, 49ers defensive coordinator. The 49ers' defensive performance on the road against the Detroit Lions was mostly dominant. The defense provided a safety and held the Lions to two third-down conversions in 15 opportunities. Fangio and the personnel department deserve much credit for putting together the right mix of players on defense. Drafting Smith seventh overall and Culliver in the third round helped the defense right away. Other moves that have worked out well: adding Rogers to replace Nate Clements, moving NaVorro Bowman into the lineup at the expense of Takeo Spikes, signing and moving into the lineup Ray McDonald and remaking the safety position without losing Dashon Goldson. The 49ers took some heat for not signing Nnamdi Asomugha, but no one is complaining now.

3. Delanie Walker, 49ers TE: Walker now has touchdown receptions in consecutive games. He has three for the season after catching none since 2008. Years ago, when Trent Dilfer was still playing for the 49ers, I remember him saying Walker was one of the most talented players on the team. Year after year, Walker seemed on the verge of becoming a bigger factor, but it would never happen to the extent anticipated. It's looking like the new coaching staff is finding ways to get more key plays from Walker. His game-winning touchdown reception in the final minutes Sunday stands as a career highlight, but perhaps not for long.

Cool note from ESPN Stats & Information: First-year San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is the last quarterback other than Peyton Manning to start a regular-season game for the Indianapolis Colts.

That will change when Kerry Collins replaces an injured Manning in the Colts' lineup for Week 1.

The first preseason game I covered as an NFL beat reporter featured Manning making his first start against the Seattle Seahawks in the Kingdome. His very first pass found Marvin Harrison for a 49-yard touchdown. Preseason games are generally without much meaning, but could there have been a more fitting beginning for Manning?

For a fuller appreciation of Manning's durability and consistency in starting 227 consecutive games, I went through Pro Football Reference counting how many quarterbacks had started for current NFC West teams since Manning made his regular-season debut. There have been 48. That figure includes 14 for the St. Louis Rams, 13 for the 49ers, 11 for the Arizona Cardinals and 10 for the Seahawks.

A few notes on the 48 players to start for current NFC West teams since 1998:

• There have been two Brocks (Berlin, Huard), two Charlies (Frye, Whitehurst), two named Chris (Chandler, Weinke), two Jeffs (Plummer, Martin), three Johns (Friesz, Navarre, Skelton), one Jon (Kitna), two Matts (Hasselbeck, Leinart), two Shauns (Hill, King), three Steves (Young, Bono, Stenstrom) and two Trents (Dilfer, Green).
• Two, Young and Warren Moon, have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame since Manning's streak began.
• Dilfer and Warner started for more than one current NFC West team since Manning's streak began. Warner started 57 games for Arizona and 50 for St. Louis. Dilfer started 12 for Seattle and six for San Francisco.
• Hasselbeck has the most total starts for current NFC West teams with 131, followed by Marc Bulger (95 for St. Louis), Jake Plummer (73 for the Cardinals) and Jeff Garcia (71 for the 49ers).
• Smith -- Alex, not Troy -- owns the most starts among current NFC West players with 50, all for San Francisco.
• Eight of the 48 were one-and-done as starters: Berlin, Scott Covington, Ty Detmer, Glenn Foley, Friesz, Frye, Navarre and Weinke. Nineteen have made at least 10 starts.

The NFC West will have two starters new to the division in Week 1: Tarvaris Jackson and Kevin Kolb.

The chart shows start totals by team for the 48. The NFC West changed membership with realignment in 2002. I'm going back to 1998 for the four teams currently in the division.

Back in 2002, when Matt Hasselbeck had not yet won over fans and veteran Trent Dilfer was recovering from injury, the Seattle Seahawks signed an over-the-hill Mark Rypien as veteran insurance.

Rypien hadn't started a game in his previous three seasons. He never made it out of camp and soon retired.

Later that season, when a ruptured Achilles tendon landed Dilfer on injured reserve, the Seahawks signed another past-his-prime passer, Jeff George.

George, like Rypien, would never again attempt a regular-season pass in the NFL.

All of this comes to mind as the San Francisco 49ers consider signing 34-year-old Daunte Culpepper as veteran insurance for starter Alex Smith and rookie second-round draft choice Colin Kaepernick.

Culpepper would not compete for the starting job. Adding him to the roster would not demand full-scale reassessment of the position. In a best-case scenario, Culpepper would become another George -- an experienced player the team would never need to take a regular-season snap.

As then-Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren put it regarding George in relation to Hasselbeck back then: "It's important for our football team that Matt gets another shot at this thing, with the fans. It's important for everyone to understand what we are really doing. Jeff George is coming in to fill a particular role."

Adding Culpepper would not muddy the 49ers' meaningful plans for the position.

Smith would remain the projected starter for the short term, playing under terms of his guaranteed contract. Kaepernick would remain the projected starter for the longer term. Culpepper would provide a low-cost insurance policy if the team could not find a superior option over the coming weeks.

More than any 49ers coach in recent years, Jim Harbaugh deserves the benefit of the doubt on quarterbacks. He played the position at the NFL level. He developed quarterbacks at the college level while with San Diego and Stanford.

It's not like he would be bringing in Culpepper to start.