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Every team in the NFC West had a 1,000-yard rusher last season.

Coaches in Seattle, San Francisco and St. Louis have promoted run-first philosophies. Arizona has invested first- and second-round picks in running backs Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, respectively.

Run, run, run.

And yet the division focused on the passing game quite a bit during the 2012 NFL draft -- on both sides of the ball. NFC West teams drafted a league-high three wide receivers in the first two rounds. Teams from the division drafted three cornerbacks in the first three rounds, tied with the NFC North for most in the league.

The charts show how many receivers and corners each division added through the first three rounds. The combined total for the NFC West (six) was the most for any division, one more than the NFC North.

St. Louis drafted cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins (second round) and Trumaine Johnson (third round). Arizona used a third-round choice for cornerback Jamell Fleming. Arizona (Michael Floyd) and San Francisco (A.J. Jenkins) used first-round picks for receivers. St. Louis added receiver Brian Quick in the second round (and another receiver, Chris Givens, in the fourth).

NFC West pass defenses could face additional pressure given the scheduling rotation in 2012.

Every NFC West team faces New England with Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker.

The division also faces Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers, Jermichael Finley, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson), Detroit (Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew) and Chicago (Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall).

San Francisco draws New Orleans (Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston) and the New York Giants (Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz). Arizona faces Philadelphia (Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin) and Atlanta (Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Julio Jones). Seattle faces Dallas (Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Dez Bryant) and Carolina (Cam Newton, Steve Smith).

The top five teams in 2011 passing yardage -- New Orleans, New England, Green Bay, Detroit and the Giants -- show up on NFC West schedules. Green Bay, New England, the Giants and Saints comprised the top four in yards per passing attempt. The top seven teams in passing touchdowns -- Green Bay, New Orleans, Detroit, New England, Dallas, Atlanta and the Giants -- play a combined 16 games against the NFC West.

And, of course, NFC West teams must face each other, which means games against Larry Fitzgerald, Vernon Davis, Randy Moss, Sidney Rice and others.

The fourth, seventh and 21st players drafted in 2001 play or have played for the San Francisco 49ers.

The second overall choice from that class might join the list.

Leonard Davis, who earned Pro Bowl acclaim with Dallas after leaving the Arizona Cardinals, plans to visit the 49ers after never seeing game action in 2011, Matt Maiocco reports.

Current 49ers defensive end Justin Smith was the fourth player chosen in 2001. Former 49ers Andre Carter (seventh) and Nate Clements (21st) were also first-round picks that year.

Davis would qualify as a stopgap at right guard, where the team has struggled recently. Adam Snyder, valued mostly for his versatility as a backup, became the starter last season after Chilo Rachal struggled. Snyder is visiting the Arizona Cardinals. He and Rachal are unrestricted free agents.

Daniel Kilgore, a rookie draft choice in 2011, projects as a candidate for the role eventually.

Davis, 33, has started each of the 155 games he has played with Arizona and Dallas. He is a massive man, listed at 6-foot-6 and 355 pounds. Pairing him with tackle Anthony Davis would give the 49ers close to 700 pounds of Davises on the right side, expandable to more than 900 pounds when tight end Vernon Davis lined up next to them.

Imagine a San Francisco 49ers personnel group featuring Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd.

The team is 80 percent there after signing Moss this week.

Lloyd, who began his career with the 49ers and revived it with Denver, is apparently a receiver of interest as well. Lloyd, expected to visit the 49ers on Wednesday, has 147 receptions for 2,414 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Broncos and St. Louis Rams over the past two seasons.

The 49ers appear determined to protect themselves from the manpower issues that affected them at receiver last season. A primary question with Lloyd focuses on to what degree his recent success would transfer from a system other than the one Josh McDaniels ran in Denver and St. Louis.

Lloyd, 30, did catch 48 passes for 733 yards and five touchdowns with the 49ers in 2005, when the team was running a West Coast system under then-coordinator Mike McCarthy. San Francisco runs a version of the West Coast offense under current coach Jim Harbaugh and coordinator Greg Roman.

Lloyd would provide the 49ers with a proven veteran option at a position of need. He has consistently demonstrated a flair for the spectacular catch. He finished last season with 145 targets, sixth-most in the NFL. He had 70 receptions for 966 yards and five touchdowns, with four dropped passes, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

A few thoughts after the San Francisco 49ers reached agreement Monday on a one-year deal with receiver Randy Moss:

• The 49ers needed to do something at the position. They probably still do. But there's at least an outside chance Moss will help them open up the passing game and threaten opponents down the field. There was less chance of that happening without Moss on the roster.
• San Francisco's low-risk investment in Braylon Edwards did not work out last season. Edwards suffered knee and shoulder injuries. He appeared to become frustrated. The 49ers cut him late in the season even though they needed manpower at the position. Moss is the new Edwards, a big-name receiver trying to revive his career on the cheap. Edwards was a strong vertical threat before joining the 49ers, but that aspect of his game never materialized in San Francisco. The 49ers' yards-per-catch were down across the board. That changed in the playoffs when Vernon Davis got going. Can Moss provide something similar, even in small doses? Davis is much younger and more athletic than Moss at this point.
• What will Moss offer in the locker room? How will he mesh with Michael Crabtree? The 49ers were generally pleased with Crabtree last season. They loved the way he blocked. They appreciated the plays he made in crucial moments, including against Cincinnati (negated by a bad officiating call) and at Seattle (clutch catch down the sideline). There's still a sense from the outside that Crabtree hasn't fully bought into what the team is doing, as reflected by some of his comments and, in the past, his lack of participation in various offseason practices. Those perceptions might not line up with how coach Jim Harbaugh views Crabtree, however.
• A one-year contract gives Harbaugh and the organization all the leverage. The 49ers can release Moss at any time. That makes this signing a low-risk proposition. Skepticism should prevail until Moss proves he can be more effective than he was while bouncing from team to team to team during a lackluster 2010 season. He's 35 years old and has been out of the game for a year. We're more likely to see an old Moss than the Moss of old, and the nature of the 49ers' offense wouldn't seem to facilitate downfield strikes.
• Assistant head coach and special-teams coordinator Brad Seely was with Moss in New England. His presence provided the 49ers with an honest first-hand assessment of what Moss might offer. Then again, Moss was catching passes from Tom Brady in New England. How will he react with Alex Smith as his likely quarterback?
• Minicamps and training camp just became more interesting for the 49ers. Moss will be the center of attention. I'm looking forward to seeing him match up against Arizona's Patrick Peterson and the big, aggressive corners in Seattle.

Your thoughts on Moss to San Francisco? Fire away.

Facebook friend Jonathan makes a simple request of the San Francisco 49ers: get Mike Wallace.

"How valuable could the 30th pick be?" he asks.

This is the most enticing argument for chasing after a young, talented restricted free agent such as Wallace, who might qualify as the best deep-threat receiver in the NFL. NFC West fans might remember Wallace's 95-yard touchdown reception against Arizona last season, or his 53-yard reception against Seattle, or his 46-yarder against St. Louis.

Wallace would give the 49ers the deep-threat wideout their rotation has been lacking.

A few considerations:

• Price: The 49ers would have to pay Wallace enough for two things to happen. One, Wallace would have to sign an offer sheet, forcing the 49ers to outbid any other suitors. Two, the deal would need to be structured so that Pittsburgh would not match it. The 49ers would then have to send their first-round choice, 30th overall, to the Steelers.
• Fit: The 49ers have carefully identified which players in their locker room to hold up as leaders. Patrick Willis, Joe Staley and Vernon Davis have gotten lucrative long-term deals. Justin Smith and Frank Gore have also been highly paid. Smith is the perfect example of a free agent from another team who was worth the investment. The 49ers would have to feel good about how Wallace would react to a payday. Signing him affects dynamics at the position, putting Wallace over Michael Crabtree and the other receivers.
• The pick: It's easy to discount the value of that 30th choice because so many draft choices fail to pan out. But that is why teams employ personnel departments. The 2009 first round was largely disappointing, but the Green Bay Packers nonetheless landed B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. Tennessee stood pat at No. 30 and drafted Kenny Britt, who averaged 17.5 yards per reception with 15 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending knee injury early last season. Niner fans will point to the 2004 draft, when San Francisco took receiver Rashaun Woods at No. 31. But a look at receivers drafted from the 28th through 32nd picks since 2001 shows Woods was more exception than rule. Hakeem Nicks, Britt, Craig Davis, Anthony Gonzalez, Michael Jenkins and Reggie Wayne were the other receivers in that group.
• The offense: Would the 49ers maximize their investment in a deep-threat receiver? Would Wallace open up their offense, taking them to another level? Or would the nature of the 49ers' approach and potential limitations at quarterback leave us wondering why Wallace's production had failed to carry over?

I'd have a hard time criticizing the 49ers if they made a strong play for Wallace. They need help at the position. Wallace is only 25 years old. Wallace is established and ascending.

It's true that receivers often disappoint, but very few in Wallace's position hit the market. The new labor agreement gives the best restricted free agents more freedom. This would seem to be a relatively low-risk proposition for the 49ers as long as Wallace's personality and work ethic checked out.

INDIANAPOLIS -- If you just saw the blur of a blue parka sprinting down the streets of downtown Indianapolis, well, don't worry. That was just me hustling back to my laptop, slobbering and panting all the way, in an effort to start blogging the surprising news of the Green Bay Packers' two-year contract agreement with tight end Jermichael Finley.

Finley's status as a pending free agent had drawn widespread debate on this blog. Some of you were nervous about making a huge commitment, both in cash and cap space, to a player who could politely be called a young 24. Others were worried how he might react to receiving a relatively cheap franchise tag assignment of $5.5 million, and many of you were concerned about a key part of the Packers' offensive success in recent seasons bolting to another team.

My educated guess is that you could find members of the Packers organization with similarly split viewpoints. So in the end, it made sense to offer Finley a deal that averages about $7.5 million per year -- the annual market rate for top-flight tight ends -- but falls way short of the long-term commitment that the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL have received. (It's worth noting that $7.5 million is about the midpoint of the franchise figures for tight ends and receivers. We discussed earlier Wednesday the possibility of the sides compromising on the issue of what position Finley truly plays.)

Why would Finley take this deal rather than seek one that paid him the way the Seattle Seahawks paid Zach Miller (five years, $34 million with $17 million guaranteed) or the San Francisco 49ers paid Vernon Davis (five years, $37 million with $23 million guaranteed) in the past year? Finley might not have gotten that kind of money elsewhere, but Finley didn't give himself a chance to find out. In the end, his decision represents a calculated bet. Finley is thinking that two more years of putting up big numbers for the Packers will put him in that position. After the 2013 season, remember, Finley will still only be 26 years old.

I don't blame the Packers for stopping short of the kind of deal Miller and Davis got. A player's second contract is typically his most lucrative payday, but Finley has not had a typical career. If all goes well, the Packers -- or someone else -- will pay him his market-adjusted Miller/Davis deal in the spring of 2014.

I'll be back in a bit with a discussion of what the Packers might do, if anything, with their franchise tag.

The San Francisco 49ers aren't the only NFC West team needing help at wide receiver. The St. Louis Rams stand ahead of San Francisco in that line, particularly if Brandon Lloyd departs in free agency.

Where the 49ers pick in the 2012 draft's first round -- 30th overall, compared to second for the Rams -- led longtime NFL analyst Pat Kirwan, now with CBS, to list San Francisco among three potential trade suitors for Pittsburgh Steelers restricted free agent Mike Wallace.

One of our blog regulars, Johnny Alcatraz, pointed me toward Kirwan's piece in the comments section of our first item Monday. As Kirwan notes, the new labor agreement eliminated high tenders for restricted free agents. Teams signing away restricted free agents from rival teams now would risk only a first-round draft choice, down from first- and third-round choices under the previous labor agreement.

Wallace, with three years of NFL experience, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent. The Steelers could match any offers to him or command a 2012 first-round pick from any team signing him.

The way Kirwan sees things, the 49ers and other receiver-needy teams holding low first-round choices might value Wallace enough to part with their choices near the bottom of the round. The Steelers, averse to overpaying and facing those aforementioned cap concerns, might prefer a first-round choice to a cap-averse contract.

Such a scenario, though unlikely to play out, makes for a worthwhile mental exercise. Among the considerations:

• The Steelers and NFL teams in general want to keep their best young players. Wallace is 26 years old and has averaged 1,068 yards per season and 18.7 yards per reception. Subtracting Wallace would diminish the Steelers' return on their primary investment, Ben Roethlisberger.
• Without the high restricted tender, teams could be tempted to use the recently discounted franchise tag for players such as Wallace. That is an option for the Steelers.
• Making a splashy move for another team's player goes against the way San Francisco has operated recently. Think about it this way: Prying away Wallace from the Steelers would require parting with draft compensation and valuing Wallace more than Pittsburgh values him. That is an unlikely double. The 49ers have taken care in determining which players to value the most, focusing on their own. That will presumably continue.
• The 49ers might not agree with outside assessments of their roster or team needs. A rookie contract dispute, injuries, coaching changes and a lockout have prevented Michael Crabtree from experiencing a normal NFL offseason. That should finally change in 2012. Crabtree generally played well during the regular season. Vernon Davis came on strong as a receiver late in the season, once he had time to digest the playbook. The 49ers might be more apt to supplement their receiving ranks, as opposed to overhauling it from the top down.

The AFC North blog's Jamison Hensley addressed potential interest in Wallace from Baltimore and Cincinnati. Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome used the phrase "double-whammy" when describing the draft compensation and inflated contract required to land a prized restricted free agent. The Bengals already have A.J. Green, making Wallace seem more like a luxury than a player Cincinnati needs to have.

Wallace would look good in any NFC West uniform. Imagine the damage he could do opposite Larry Fitzgerald or Sidney Rice, even amid quarterback concerns. The Rams obviously need weapons for Sam Bradford as well.

The Steelers will ultimately control whether Wallace leaves. They have every reason to keep him, in my view.

Welcome to the 2012 NFL season. The games are not yet here, of course, but most teams have long since shifted their mindsets forward.

Tuesday brought a first look at free agency for NFC West teams. Now comes a first look at the draft, to be revisited as teams add and subtract players in free agency.

Thanks to those who left comments suggesting topics for this space. I've targeted a few for future items and drawn on the general thrust — more free agency and draft stuff, please — for this one. The comments affirmed how much we look forward to NFL offseasons.

Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. offered general thoughts on potential considerations for each team.

Here we go ...

St. Louis Rams

First-round position: second overall.

Three primary needs: WR, OLB, OL

In the spotlight: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Mocking it up: Kiper has the Rams selecting Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. McShay has them selecting USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil.

Muench's thoughts: "The first thing that jumps out at me is the value at No. 2. Blackmon is the best receiver in the group, but No. 2 is way too rich to take a receiver in this draft, especially Blackmon, who is not Julio Jones or A.J. Green. The Rams need help at outside linebacker, but the value is not there. This defensive tackle class is very poor. When you look at those offensive tackles and what the Rams have already spent on the position, I understand the hesitation, but going after Kalil or Iowa's Riley Reiff, depending on which one they like, would make sense. Reiff is more balanced and fundamentally sound. Kalil has more talent. Blackmon would make sense if the Rams traded back, but if they are stuck at No. 2, offensive tackle makes the most sense."

Sando's follow-up: The top two needs listed are the same ones I listed in a similar item one year ago, but there are new needs sprouting up. Defensive tackle was the third need one year ago, and it remains a big need for St. Louis. The situation on the offensive line is unsettled enough to give that position a priority. Using another early choice for a tackle would not inspire much excitement in St. Louis. The need for playmakers appears paramount. Whatever the Rams do, they absolutely, positively must give quarterback Sam Bradford a fighting chance. Another season filled with sacks and injuries could inflict long-term damage to his career. Coach Jeff Fisher and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will gear the offense toward the ground game in an effort to protect Bradford.

Seattle Seahawks

First-round position: 11th or 12th overall

Three primary needs: QB, DE, LB

In the spotlight: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

Mocking it up: Kiper has the Seahawks selecting South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram. McShay thinks Alabama running back Trent Richardson could be the choice.

Muench's thoughts: "The Seahawks are not in a great spot given their needs. Quinton Coples from North Carolina could be the edge rusher who starts from Day One and is more than just a situational player, but I do not think he'll be there when Seattle picks. He is almost 6-foot-6 and weighs 281 pounds. A lot of guys with his talent protect themselves during the offseason, but Coples worked his butt off at Senior Bowl practices and had a great game, too. Ingram does not have great size, but he is explosive enough and strong enough to play defensive end. At quarterback, there's a big drop after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Ryan Tannehill could go at the end of the first round, but No. 11 or 12 is way too rich. Brock Osweiler moves very well for a quarterback of his height. These are interesting guys and all it takes is for one team to fall in love with them, but you are reaching if you do it at No. 11 or 12. The reality is that there are so few good quarterbacks in most drafts. It usually doesn't work out when you force the issue."

Sando's follow-up: Finding a long-term quarterback remains the top priority for the Seahawks, but once again the planets appear reluctant to align for them. Parting with Matt Hasselbeck and passing over Andy Dalton have left Seattle with Tarvaris Jackson and developmental quarterback Josh Portis. Chasing after Peyton Manning could make sense for the Seahawks. They have good young players. Adding a front-line quarterback could put them over the top in the division. Linebacker has replaced the offensive line as a primary need for the Seahawks. That should not be the case, in theory, because the team had so much invested in a couple of relatively young linebackers. Aaron Curry and Lofa Tatupu are gone, however, and David Hawthorne is a free agent. The team could move K.J. Wright into the middle.

Arizona Cardinals

First-round position: 13th

Three primary needs: OT, LB, WR

In the spotlight: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

Mocking it up: Kiper has the Cardinals taking Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin. McShay has them taking Martin's teammate, guard David DeCastro.

Muench's thoughts: "Kalil and Reiff are the highest-rated tackles. I doubt either one will be there at No. 13. Martin makes sense because of his upside more than anything, but he is not a mauler. He could be gone at 13 if there is a run on tackles, but he might be a reach that early, anyway. There is another dropoff after him, too. This is not a great tackle class. Thirteen is a little early for Kendall Wright, the Baylor receiver, even if he has a good combine. Wright's stock is rising, but because of his size (5-10, 194), he won't win as many one-on-one battles. There was a big jump from 2010 to 2011 in his consistency with his hands and his route running. Adding a pass-rusher is more interesting for me because Ingram and Alabama's Courtney Upshaw could fit. Upshaw doesn't have that idea closing speed, but his initial burst and power are impressive. He can get off blocks. He will be a productive edge rusher. Some 3-4 teams prefer taller outside linebackers, but Arizona and Pittsburgh have gotten away with shorter guys. Ingram and Upshaw are both in that 6-1 or 6-2 range. Neither will be great in coverage, but that has been overrated a little bit. Basically, he has to be able to hold up in underneath zone."

Sando follow-up: The Cardinals haven't drafted an offensive lineman early since selecting Levi Brown fifth overall in 2007. If Brown returns, it will be at a reduced rate. Upgrading the pass protection seems important, in my view, because quarterback Kevin Kolb has not shown great pocket awareness. He has also had injury problems. Landing Manning would obviously change those dynamics. Manning has succeeded for years without top talent across the line. The depth at receiver could use stabilizing, particularly if Early Doucet becomes the latest secondary Arizona target to depart. But with Larry Fitzgerald on the team, the position is in good hands. Very good hands. Some Cardinals fans have pointed to strong sack numbers as evidence Arizona doesn't need to make significant upgrades in that area. Have you ever met a defensive coordinator satisfied with his pass rush? O'Brien Schofield and Sam Acho have shown promise. They are not good enough for the Cardinals to lean back in their chairs and feel great about their outside rush for the next few years.

San Francisco 49ers

First-round position: 30th

Three primary needs: WR, CB, OL

In the spotlight: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Mocking it up: Kiper points to South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery as a possibility. McShay goes with Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard.

Muench's thoughts: "Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Wright will be gone. That is your top tier of receivers. In a perfect world, you hope Wright or Floyd slips to you. Floyd makes sense in that scheme because of his ability to stretch the field, which could help Michael Crabtree underneath and Vernon Davis over the middle. Wright has speed, but he is not the traditional target to win one-on-ones. After that, we have three receivers with second-round grades. LSU's Rueben Randle, Jeffery and Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu are all vertical threats who must work on their route running. Randle might fit the Jim Harbaugh offense because he is quicker off the line. Jeffery must work on his release. Sanu might be the best for that scheme because he is a better route runner and is more consistent with his hands, but he has not shown the same kind of big-play ability. Jeffery's stock has fallen; he doesn't separate particularly well. He did have a good game against Dennard, who is a solid second-round prospect, but he is much bigger than Dennard. Sanu's size is insane and he has great body control, but can he keep his weight down? I do like Dennard at corner. He didn't have a great Senior Bowl week and he is small, but he is tough and I think that is going to go a long way to slow down receivers at the line of scrimmage. He has a short memory and that is so important. Janoris Jenkins and Kirkpatrick are two corners to watch. Both have off-field concerns. I think someone will fall in love with Jenkins and take him before the 49ers pick. Kirkpatrick is a bigger, longer corner. He can be physical. There is a good chance neither makes it that far, but if they do, it would be hard for San Francisco not to snatch one. More than likely, that would offer more value than any receiver they could get in that spot."

Sando follow-up: The 49ers have few obvious, immediate needs. That is a credit to their personnel department and to their coaches. Smith's expected return puts off for at least one season the need for San Francisco to pursue a quarterback. It probably removes the 49ers from the Manning conversation. I think the 49ers have tremendous flexibility picking this late in the draft. They do not need to target a receiver even though the position could use reinforcing after injuries knocked out Josh Morgan and diminished what Braylon Edwards could offer. Re-signing Carlos Rogers would stabilize the cornerback position, as well. The 49ers could justify going in just about any position with this pick.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Yes, it's cold here in central Indiana. But not NFL scouting combine cold.

The weather for Super Bowl week is exactly freezing at present, with moderate winds adding bite to the winter air, but I've felt a much colder chill while spending roughly two months of my life covering various combines over the years.

It's still strange being here for a Super Bowl instead of the NFL's signature predraft event. The combine will return in a few weeks, as usual.

The Monday before the Super Bowl is arrival day, even for teams getting into the host city a bit earlier. It's the day when players and coaches start to feel a gathering media storm unlike anything NFL players experience in any other setting. It's the day when they know they've arrived on sports' biggest stage.

The schedule calls for the AFC champion New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and various players, including NFC West alum Deion Branch, to appear beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The NFC champion New York Giants are on the schedule an hour later. Seeing their various names listed on the schedule -- Tom Coughlin, Victor Cruz, Mathias Kiwanuka, Eli Manning, Antrel Rolle, Chris Snee and Justin Tuck are up Monday -- recalled in my mind the Giants' 20-17 victory against the San Francisco 49ers eight days ago.

This could have been the 49ers' stage.

The Super Bowl could have been welcoming Jim Harbaugh instead of Coughlin, Vernon Davis instead of Cruz, Patrick Willis instead of Kiwanuka, Alex Smith in stead of Manning, Carlos Rogers instead of Rolle, Joe Staley instead of Snee, Justin Smith instead of Tuck. The 49ers surely would have found a spot for Frank Gore in there, too.

Watching this week from afar will presumably magnify in the 49ers' minds just how close they came.

Not that the NFL has any reason to complain. A Giants-Patriots rematch of the Super Bowl four years ago carries obvious appeal.

I'll be heading to both teams' media sessions later Monday, with a few NFC West angles in mind.

The media workroom here at the J.W. Marriott hotel was empty when I arrived early Monday. That is beginning to change, but it's still early. Momentum will begin to build late this afternoon.

One of the greatest Super Bowls in history is coming out for an encore, as the New York Giants and the New England Patriots hook up Feb. 5 in Indianapolis in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII just four years ago. There are 15 Giants and seven Patriots still left from that game, which the Giants won to spoil New England's perfect season. But this year's matchup has plenty of its own storylines without dredging up the old ones. AFC East blogger James Walker and NFC East blogger Dan Graziano will both be on hand in Indy, but in the meantime they've joined forces to break down Super Bowl XLVI way in advance.

Graziano: Well, James, just as everyone predicted, the Super Bowl features the team that finished 27th in total defense in the regular season against the team that finished 31st. Having watched the Giants' last 10 games, I've seen their defense transform from one of the league's most vulnerable into a tight, cohesive, disciplined bunch that bears almost no resemblance to what they were running out there in the middle of the season. When I've watched the Patriots' defense, it's looked to me like one of the worst I've ever seen. What have they been able to do lately in terms of adjustments to limit their opponents and get this far?

Walker: Hey, Mr. Pineapple… I mean… Dan. I don’t know if you’re more shocked the Giants are going to Indy, based on your earlier “I’m a pineapple” statement, or that the Patriots will join them. You were pretty adamant about the Baltimore Ravens exposing New England’s defense last week — and I can’t blame you. I have been one of their harshest critics. But it’s time to give this group some credit. New England has allowed just 30 points the past two games, and the biggest reason is the front seven. Defensive lineman Vince Wilfork, and linebackers Brandon Spikes, Jerod Mayo and Rob Ninkovich, have simultaneously taken their games to another level. That is what you want this time of year. They are dominating the line of scrimmage and getting pressure on the quarterback. New England has eight sacks in the playoffs. I don’t know where this version of the Patriots’ defense has been all season, but in talking with players the past two weeks, I don’t think they care. The defense is happy to finally make plays to help the Patriots win.

Graziano: So it looks as though both teams have overhauled or tightened up some things since the Giants went up there in Week 9 and beat the Pats in Foxborough. I'm curious to see what role that result will play in this game and the preparation for it. Justin Tuck told me Tuesday that he expects Tom Brady to do completely different stuff this time around, because he's got such great ability to adjust to what the defense is trying to do to him. And unlike the Giants' last two games, which avenged regular-season losses to Green Bay and San Francisco, this is a rematch of a regular-season game the Giants actually won. I can't help but think the success they had against Brady in Week 9 — not to mention in the Super Bowl four years ago — has to help the Giants' mental state as they prepare. If you can strip away some of that unbeatable veneer from Brady, that's a big psychological assist.

Walker: I agree, Dan. I don’t see either team lacking confidence. The Giants have it from beating New England in Super Bowl XLII and the regular season. The Patriots have it from reeling off 10 straight victories. The Patriots feel they are a much better team than what the Giants faced in Week 9. I think New England took a lot from those back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh and New York in the regular season. The Patriots knew they were good, but it was questionable whether they were mentally and physically tough. That has been the case since those two losses. The Patriots have overcome a couple of big deficits in the regular season, then lambasted Denver and showed grit against Baltimore in the playoffs. But enough about defense, Dan. We can’t do a Double Coverage without talking in-depth about the quarterbacks. How do you size up Brady, who is elite, versus Eli Manning, whom many feel just catapulted into elite status with his second Super Bowl run?

Graziano: You can make the argument that Brady is the best quarterback in the history of the sport. And because of that, any other quarterback is going to have a tough time in this comparison. But I'll say these things about Eli: He's gotten better every year. Last year, the knock on him was interceptions, and he got those down. He's been smart with his decision-making and responsible with the ball. He was winning games by himself this year when the Giants couldn't stop anyone on defense and couldn't run the ball at all. His teammates trust and believe in him totally. His demeanor never changes, regardless of the intensity of the situation, and that's why he's able to excel in spots that cause other players to shrink. Every single one of those things can be said about Brady, and the fact you can also say them about Eli at this point in his career gives the Giants a huge assist in a matchup like this. Because to beat Brady, you need to have a quarterback on your side who's at least capable of outplaying Brady on any given day. Eli has shown he has that capability, and that's another reason the Giants have been able to close the psychological gap the Patriots have held over so many other teams in recent years.

Walker: Manning and the Giants certainly present a challenge that Tim Tebow and Joe Flacco did not. But if I’m choosing which of these two quarterbacks I want leading my team in the Super Bowl, I’m taking Brady every time. He just tied Joe Montana for the most playoff wins in NFL history with 16. Brady can surpass Montana for postseason wins and tie Montana and Terry Bradshaw’s four Super Bowls victories by beating the Giants. Some might point to Brady struggling against Baltimore’s elite defense in the AFC title game. But I think that makes the ultra-competitive Brady even more focused and more dangerous in the Super Bowl. When was the last time Brady played two duds in a row? New England had some issues passing for a ton of yards against Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed and Baltimore’s big, athletic corners. But New York’s secondary doesn’t have nearly the same talent. I expect Brady to bounce back and do some damage passing against the Giants’ defense, especially in a dome and on the fast track at Lucas Oil Stadium. I think the biggest issue is the Patriots’ ability to pass protect against New York’s monster front four.

Graziano: The Giants will come after Brady. They believe that's the best way to rattle him, because they believe that's the best way to rattle any quarterback. And the Giants know that their defense really only works if it gets pressure on the quarterback with the front four. Their coverage in the secondary has improved in recent weeks, but as Vernon Davis proved, it can get exposed when the pressure is insufficient. I'm fascinated to see how they handle the Patriots' tight ends after they were able to neutralize Jermichael Finley two weeks ago and got burned by Davis last week. Do they have to worry about Rob Gronkowski, or is the ankle injury going to give them a break?

Walker: Gronkowski won’t be 100 percent, but who is this time of year? There are two reasons I’m sure he will play. First, he returned to the AFC title game in the fourth quarter. Second, he said he won’t miss the Super Bowl. Of course, there could be setbacks, but Gronkowski seemed confident it won't keep him off the field. Whether we see Gronkowski at 70 percent or 90 percent is up to how well his rehabilitation goes. But he has to be accounted for as long as he’s on the field. This could mean more chances for fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez. He’s slightly more athletic and stretches the field more than Gronkowski, which may work better against the Giants’ defense. Should we make our predictions now, Dan, or wait until next week? What say you?

Graziano: As I tell my followers every time they ask, I make my predictions on Fridays. So I’m going to wait until Friday, Feb. 3, to make my pick for this game. That gives me another week-plus to mull over whether the Giants have an answer for the Gronk, and I look forward to talking it over with you in Indy, James. See you there in a few days.

Alex Smith finished the San Francisco 49ers' two-game playoff run with five touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 101.0 NFL passer rating.

The seventh-year quarterback was a primary reason -- perhaps the primary reason -- San Francisco won a shootout victory over Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round.

Smith did enough to give the 49ers a strong chance against the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game, too. He certainly was not the goat. But Smith also missed opportunities, notably on third down and when he overthrew a wide-open Kyle Williams for a potential touchdown.

Despite 73- and 28-yard scoring passes to Vernon Davis, Smith emerged from the game with his fifth-lowest Total QBR score of the season, a 30.6 out of 100. That was by far his lowest QBR score of the season at home, where he had played at a Pro Bowl level this season.

The Giants' Eli Manning fared about the same (30.9). Both quarterbacks struggled against strong defenses and amid tough weather conditions. Manning took six sacks, fumbled and averaged 5.4 yards per pass attempt (the Giants averaged 3.9 yards per play overall, their lowest figure since 2008).

Smith's QBR lagged largely because the 49ers converted just once in 13 chances on third down, a problem area for the 49ers all season.

The 49ers' weakness at wide receiver stood out during this game, in my view, but Smith also could have done more.

NFL Films' Greg Cosell took a closer look at the coaches' video and found evidence Michael Crabtree was correct in suggesting the team had opportunities downfield. Cosell pointed to the 49ers' first third-down play of the game. Crabtree got open on a sail route.

"Smith, with no pressure in the pocket, did not pull the trigger," Cosell wrote. "It was a throw that had to be made. The result of the play was an incompletion on a late check-down to Frank Gore."

Cosell saw a more confident 49ers quarterback against the Saints. Smith said the Giants were effective in mixing up their coverages to a greater degree than when the teams played in Week 10. He also said changing weather conditions, specifically second-half winds, bothered him. Those factors could have made Smith tentative.

The clutch-weight average column reflects game situations, not how well players performed during those situations. Any clutch average above 1.0 reflects a quarterback performing in higher-pressure situations.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Surely it could not end this way for the San Francisco 49ers.

A fumble during a punt return, in overtime? The New York Giants recovering the ball and kicking a gift 31-yard field goal to reach Super Bowl XLVI against New England?

Never in a hundred years could Jim Harbaugh's mighty men let it end this way: 20-17 at Candlestick Park, their usually impeccable special teams letting them down twice.

"It's tough, real tough," running back Frank Gore said.

Imagine how Kyle Williams feels. The 49ers' second-year backup receiver muffed one punt before his killer fumble. Those mistakes led to 10 points for the Giants.

"You hate to be the last guy that had the ball, to give it up that way in that fashion and to lose a game of this magnitude," Williams said. "It is what it is."

Coach Jim Harbaugh used the word "cruel" to describe the Giants last week. The adjective applies more succinctly to the postseason rivalry between these teams.

Roger Craig's late fumble doomed the 49ers to a 15-13 defeat in the NFC title game 21 years ago. More than a decade passed before Trey Junkin's unfortunate field-goal snap for the Giants delivered a 39-38 victory to the 49ers in the wild-card round. And now, Williams.

Cruel, indeed.

"It's hard to swallow," 49ers defensive end Justin Smith said, "but what else are you going to do?"

Upgrade at wide receiver, for starters.

Williams, Michael Crabtree, Ginn and Brett Swain combined to catch eight passes for 51 yards on 29 targets in two playoff games. That is unacceptable.

Williams and Swain get a pass. They're young. They're backups. Ginn gets a pass. He was injured. That leaves Crabtree, the 10th player chosen in the 2009 draft. He was invisible in two playoff games, erased completely on Sunday by Giants cornerback Corey Webster.

It's tough to blame quarterback Alex Smith for Crabtree's irrelevance when Smith was completing game-changing passes to tight end Vernon Davis throughout the playoffs.

Smith targeted Crabtree 10 times in the divisional round against New Orleans. Crabtree turned those chances into four receptions for 25 yards. He lost at the ball more than once.

Crabtree caught one pass for 3 yards Sunday. A postgame interview wasn't productive, either.

"Sometimes you just gotta move the ball, man," Crabtree said. "You gotta make plays. You gotta give people a chance to make plays. You gotta make plays."

Give people a chance to make plays? Crabtree did not appear to be running wide open through the secondary in either of these playoff games.

Smith had problems, too. After completing 2 of 7 passes for 79 yards in the rain-soaked first half, he struggled with windy conditions thereafter.

"I felt great in the first half going either direction," Smith said. "I personally struggled with going from soaking wet in the first half and then in the second half, it dried out and your hands dried out and you're licking them the whole time in the second half, trying to get some of that tack."

Mother Nature wasn't the only one mixing it up on Smith. When these teams played in Week 10, the Giants gave the 49ers opportunities downfield by playing single-high safety looks designed to stop the run. That led to more one-on-one matchups outside.

"They just mixed it up a lot more, played a lot of two-high (safety) this game on first and second down, a lot of third down, especially those third-and-longs that we could not convert," Smith said.

On the surface, this season would end how it began, with the 49ers realizing just how much Ted Ginn Jr. meant to them. Ginn's two return touchdowns in Week 1 held off a late Seattle rally only days after the team had pressured him into accepting a pay reduction. Ginn's injury-related absence Sunday forced the less accomplished, less seasoned Williams into punt-return duty.

The results were disastrous, the lessons simple.

The 49ers were horrible on third down most of the season. They were worse against the Giants, converting one time in 13 chances. Touchdown passes to Davis covering 73 and 28 yards should have been enough on a day when the 49ers held Eli Manning and the Giants to 3.9 yards per play -- the lowest figure for a Giants offense since a Dec. 14, 2008 meeting with Dallas, a span of 52 games, counting playoffs.

Under less cruel and less unusual circumstances, the 49ers would have made up for their third-down issues by hawking the ball and forcing turnovers. But a secondary that had picked off 24 passes in 17 games fell all over itself trying to collect passes Manning threw right to them. Dashon Goldson collided with Carlos Rogers to foil one sure pick. Goldson and Tarell Brown collided to wreck another freebie.

Even when the 49ers appeared to force and recover an Ahmad Bradshaw fumble, head linesman Mark Hittner ruled San Francisco had stopped Bradshaw's forward progress before the ball came out.

"Every play that happened in the game, except that one, was played out to the completion of the play," Harbaugh said.

That was as close as the 49ers came to complaining about factors beyond their control. They lost this one more than the Giants won it. That is what hurt them the most.

A successful first season under Harbaugh guarantees nothing for the future. The rest of the NFC West appears to be gaining. The offseason will give the 49ers' future opponents time to figure out what this coaching staff sprung on the NFL so impressively this season.

The 49ers are unlikely to encounter a lower Super Bowl bar than the one they tripped over Sunday. All they had to do was beat a 9-7 team at home.

Pregame talk casting the Giants as a red-hot team amounted to nothing. The 49ers jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first nine minutes. They led 14-10 late in the third quarter and tied it late in the fourth without making a third-down conversion until the final play of regulation. The Giants did little to win the game late until forcing that fumble and centering the ball for Lawrence Tynes' winning kick.

"This is the hardest loss of my career in football, especially with it being so close, being in it the whole game," left tackle Joe Staley said. "A lot of missed opportunities."

SAN FRANCISCO -- A couple of thoughts about the New York Giants' 20-17 overtime victory over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Candlestick Park.

What it means: The Giants, who lost four games in a row in late November and early December, who were 7-7 after their second loss of the season to the Washington Redskins, who finished 27^th in the NFL in total defense and 32^nd in rush offense, are going to the Super Bowl. It’s a testament to the greatness of their quarterback and an organizational philosophy of perseverance and self-belief. These are not the same Giants that struggled through so much of this season. This is a healthy, hungry confident bunch of Giants who believe no one can beat them.

Turnovers kill: The 49ers were plus-28 in turnover margin in the regular season, plus-4 in their first playoff game and had 11 total turnovers in 17 games this season prior to Sunday night. But they turned it over twice in this game -- a muffed punt and a fumble on a punt return by backup return man Kyle Williams -- and the second of those set the Giants up in position to win the game in overtime. The Giants did not turn the ball over once in this game, and for the second week in a row they won a road playoff game by winning the turnover battle against a team that almost never loses the turnover battle. The Packers, who they beat last week, were plus-24 in the regular season.

It's all on Eli: Quarterback Eli Manning has been the Giants' unquestioned MVP this year, and this game was a clear demonstration of the fact that this year's Giants' offense runs through him. The Giants tried to run the ball, and they got a couple of yards here and a couple there against the toughest run defense in the league. But it seemed like the main purpose of their running was to keep the 49ers' defense off of Manning and the passing game. When Manning was on his game and completing third-down passes, the Giants' offense was tough to stop Sunday. When the Niners kept stopping him on third down in the third quarter, the Giants' offense bogged down. And when Manning converted two third downs on the short touchdown drive that followed the 49ers' muffed punt in the fourth quarter, the Giants' offense came back to life.

Cruz control: Manning completed passes to eight different receivers, but second-year breakout star Victor Cruz was his favorite target. Cruz had eight catches on 125 yards in the first half alone and finished with 142 yards on 10 catches after the 49ers justifiably began devoting extra attention to him. You never know who's going to be the star in the Giants' receiving corps from one week to the next, but after two weeks in which Hakeem Nicks was the big-play guy, Cruz was the man in the NFC Championship Game.

Penalties kill: The Giants committed a number of bad penalties that cost them chances to get the 49ers off the field. They did a pretty good job of stopping the 49ers' offense for the game's first 52 minutes, allowing just the two big pass plays to Vernon Davis for touchdowns. But four of their penalties gave the Niners first downs, including a defensive holding penalty on the fourth-quarter drive on which the 49ers tied the game at 17-17.

Third and wrong: The Giants' defense was especially tough when it needed. The 49ers were 1-for-13 on third-down conversions, converting only right at the very end of regulation when the Giants were in ultra-prevent mode with no time left on the clock. The 49ers' defense was absolutely phenomenal in the second half, beating the Giants' offensive line up front over and over again. The Giants converted five of their first six third downs in the game, but then just two of their next 14 after that. Had the muffed punt not given the Giants a short field, it's possible the Niners could have pitched a second-half shutout. But the offense offered San Francisco little help, and a big reason for that was the job the Giants did against them on third downs.

What's next: The Giants will play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis. It’s the fifth Super Bowl appearance in Giants history. They are 3-1 in their previous four, including a victory over the then-unbeaten Patriots four years ago in Super Bowl XLII.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A few quick thoughts on the San Francisco 49ers as they head to halftime trailing the New York Giants, 10-7, in the NFC Championship Game:

• The 49ers' pass rush is the key to the second half. San Francisco isn't getting enough pressure. Eli Manning has too much time to throw, particularly on third down. That is making it tougher for the 49ers to force turnovers.
• Victor Cruz's eight-catch, 125-yard first half for the Giants jumps off the stat sheet. Cruz is winning his matchup with Carlos Rogers. The 49ers' ineffective pass rush is the key variable, however.
• Frank Gore is running the ball well for the 49ers, but the team hasn't sustained drives well enough. Gore appears close to breaking a long run, in my view. But the 49ers will need to show more of a passing threat to create opportunities for Gore.
• Alex Smith's 73-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis got the 49ers going early, but that was a rare highlight in the passing game. Smith missed one chance when he threw too long for Kyle Williams running open deep in the Giants' secondary.
• The rainy weather appears to be hurting the 49ers more than it is hurting the Giants. Manning is commanding the ball better than Smith is commanding it. Is the weather to blame for the 49ers' weak pass rush, though? I'm not so sure. The team didn't get enough consistent pressure in the Week 10 meeting between the teams, either.

That's it for now. Enjoy the second half.

SAN FRANCISCO -- There are enough New York Giants fans in the crowd here at the NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park that you can hear shouts of "Cruuuuuuuuuuuz" whenever the Giants' Victor Cruz makes a catch. They've had plenty of chances to make noise so far.

Cruz had eight catches for 125 yards in the first half as the Giants built a 10-7 lead over the San Francisco 49ers. Giants quarterback Eli Manning has done just about everything he's wanted to do, completing 16-of-27 passes for 181 yards as his offensive line has protected him well against the 49ers' fearsome front. And he's completed passes to seven different receivers. But Cruz, the breakout second-year star who finished the regular season third in receiving yards, has given San Francisco the most trouble.

The Niners took an early lead on a 73-yard touchdown pass by Alex Smith to Vernon Davis -- a play on which Davis got behind Giants safety Antrel Rolle and never looked back. But San Francisco had just 71 total yards on their other 21 first-half plays. So other than one big play, the Giants' defense has held up.

I would keep an eye on the 49ers' running game going forward, as the line was opening big holes and Frank Gore was moving the pile on their second-to-last drive. But the story of this game so far is a Giants offense that possessed the ball for a whopping 18:03 in the first half in spite of only rushing for 35 yards on 13 carries and has yet to turn the ball over. If those trends continue, the Giants are in a good position to cash in some of that offense for points in the second half.