Brandon Moore was named NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week.
Moore recorded a career-high 14 tackles (four of them for a loss), three quarterback pressures and 2 1/2 on his way to capturing his first Defensive Player of the Week award. The effort came in the Niners’ 9-3 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
The dominating performance came in just the third start of the season for Moore, and a game in which 10 of his tackles were recorded within two yards of the line or scrimmage or behind. He also made a crucial play in the fourth quarter, assisting defensive end Bryant Young with a quarterback sack that forced a fumble. San Francisco recovered the ball and tacked on a field goal on the ensuing drive.
A five-year veteran, this is the first time Moore has captured the Player of the Week award.
The San Francisco 49ers announced that rookie LB Parys Haralson has been placed on injured reserve with a tear to his pectoral muscle that occurred late in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. Haralson underwent surgery today to repair the injury.
The 49ers replaced Haralson on the 53-man roster with LB Roderick Green. Green (6-2, 270) was claimed by the 49ers off waivers from Baltimore after the final cut this past summer. He played in a reserve role in the 49ers opening game at Arizona and was inactive against St. Louis before being waived.
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. That is the approach Mike Nolan is taking this week with his defense. After holding the Minnesota Vikings to three points and the first time in his tenure a defense has held an opponent to under double digits. Mike Nolan has decided to stick with the defense that started against the Vikings. This means that Brandon Moore will start over Jeff Ulbrich and Keith Lewis will start over Mike Adams. Lewis and Adams however will continue to split time, while Moore gets to play all game.
I stole this breakdown from someone else, from Nolan’s latest press pass. Enjoy.
*Win means nothing if they can’t get back to back wins.
*Impressed with effort from defense and special teams. Hopefully builds confidence.
*Better tackling, Swarming to ball.
*Better at 3rd down defense (still struggled early in the game)
Key to get offense back on field.
*Outstanding onside kick.
*Turnovers very important. (Should score after them)
Read more…
By: Nick Newton 11/6/06
Do you realize that if Seattle (who is playing Seneca Wallace tonight) loses to a surging Oakland (yes, I know, unlikely) then we will have a good shot at the divisional lead. Check it out: Seattle is 4-3 and St. Louis is 4-4. Both teams are on a 2 and 3 game losing streak respectively. If the Hawks lose tonight then they are tied with the Rams at 4-4. Next week Seattle has to play the Rams in Seattle, who they should easily handle even if they start Seneca Wallace. That would put the Rams at 4-5. After we beat the Lions (not to overlook them, but it is a very winnable game for us) that will put us at 4-5, technically ahead of the Rams because we defeated them in week 2. Our very next game is in San Fran against Seattle and that would be for the division lead. Think about it.
Are you buying or selling Nick Newtons theory? Leave your comments below.
Even when Joe Nedney’s kicks weren’t perfect, his lobbying was flawless in a surprising win for the San Francisco 49ers.
Nedney kicked his third field goal with 7:15 to play after convincing the officials to give him another chance, and San Francisco’s maligned defense improbably shut out the Minnesota Vikings in the final three quarters of a 9-3 victory Sunday.
The 49ers (3-5) managed just 133 total yards in a miserable offensive performance, but still eked out their third home victory with outstanding defense from the same unit that gave up 41 points by halftime last week at Chicago.
Alex Smith passed for just 105 yards and Frank Gore rushed for only 41 as San Francisco hung on for its eighth straight home victory since 1988 over the Vikings (4-4), who’ll be shaking their heads all the way back to the Twin Cities after failing to mount any significant offensive attack.
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Finally. Harris was riding the pine during the 2nd quarter. There is a God.
Derek Smith who has the lazy eye syndrome has decided against surgery which basically would have ended his season. Smith tried last week to wear a helmet shield which would have helped corrected his vision problem, but he felt it didn’t help at all so he removed it. The 49ers and Smith both feel the eye condition has resulted in his poor play. So instead of opting for surgery and letting someone else fill his spot and make tackles, Smith has decided to stay on the field and play through the eye condition.
Newcomer Donald Strickland had a chance Wednesday to do something he has dreamed about since he was little—put on a 49ers uniform.
“It was a blessing,” said Strickland, a defensive back who grew up in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood a block and half from Monster Park. “The 49ers are an organization I grew up with. I always envisioned myself playing for the team.”
Strickland said he sneaked inside the stadium several times as a boy but has yet to step onto the field as a player. The 49ers want him to focus on free safety, where they have not been satisfied with starter Mike Adams’ play. As for playing time, Strickland said it would depend on how fast he picks up Mike Nolan’s defense.
“As soon as I learn it, I think I can be a contributor,” he said.
[Sacramento Bee]
Matt Maiocco of the Press Democrat reported that around the trade deadline the 49ers targeted only one player. That player was Nate Clements. The 49ers however did not want to give up a 2nd round pick to acquire Clements. Clements is a free agent after this season, so if the 49ers still want him they’ll have to go out and pay him.
My guess is that Kwame Harris must have pictures of head coach Mike Nolan in a compromising position and is blackmailing him or Adam Snyder must have kicked Nolan’s dog. How else after being humiliated against the Bears can Harris still have the starting right tackle spot. You gotta wonder.
Brian Urlacher’s one-handed interception was headed to the highlight reel as soon as he tumbled to the ground after somehow batting the ball to himself.
Urlacher’s stellar play symbolized what kind of afternoon it was for the refreshed and still unbeaten Chicago Bears – and how frustrating the day was for the San Francisco 49ers.
Wearing bright orange uniforms and showing their speed on defense and special teams, the Bears overwhelmed the 49ers from the outset. They jumped to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and 41-0 halftime cushion before coasting to a 41-10 victory Sunday.
At 7-0, Chicago is off to its best start since the 1985 Super Bowl champions won their first 12 games.
“It was amazing. Twenty-four points in the first quarter? That’s pretty impressive, especially in this league. It doesn’t happen a lot,” said Rex Grossman, who rebounded from his poorest performance to throw three TD passes.
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A league source tells us that 49ers running back Frank Gore has defected from Dunn, and has signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Gore, a former Miami tailback, is one of the few ball-carriers from the “U” (or the “M” if your adopted last name rhymes with “Moonshine”) who wasn’t already in the Rosenhaus stable. The Miami-based agent already represent Edgerrin James, Willis McGahee, and Clinton Portis.
Word is that Gore is angling for an extension with the 49ers (and that the team has expressed interest in doing so), and that Gore was uncomfortable with the uncertainty surrounding Dunn.
Gore was a third-round pick in 2005, and is signed through 2007. He’s earning $350,000 this year and will make $385,000 next year.
[ProFootballTalk]
Joe Montana says he sees progress in the young 49ers offense, but something remains missing.
“They need a game-breaker somewhere, someone they can rely on, which I don’t think they have yet,” the former 49ers quarterback said during a Thursday conference call about the upcoming 25th anniversary of “the Catch.”
“They’ve got some talented guys, but no one’s stepped up to be that Dwight Clark or Jerry Rice kind of guy that you can depend on all the time.”
As you might expect, the comment didn’t sit too well with the player the 49ers brought in this offseason to be that dependable receiver, Antonio Bryant.
“How do you establish yourself as the go-to guy when you don’t even have opportunities to do that?” the combustible Bryant said. “When the ball is thrown, I make the best of every opportunity. So for people on the outside to say that—you have never seen this team throw Antonio Bryant 10 passes. The most passes I’ve been thrown in a game has been seven passes.”
[Bryant looks for more touches] – Sacramento Bee
Smith’s vision: Linebacker Derek Smith stayed on the practice field for a long time with a team doctor to discuss a new visor to be installed in his facemask.
Smith said he has a “lazy eye” and apparently needs corrective goggles or a visor when he plays.
That explains everything…
