Blogs

New Year’s Eve Tailgate: Dec. 31

From all of us with the San Francisco 49ers we’d like to wish you a very safe and happy New Year. Fresh off Sunday’s 27-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers have clinched consecutive NFC West titles and NFC No. 2 seeds.

It was a solid team effort against the Cardinals, followed by some anxious television watching as the Minnesota Vikings narrowly defeated the Green Bay Packers to give San Francisco a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Re-live Sunday’s season finale in today’s roundup of the top 49ers headlines from the Week 17 victory.

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Gameday Story: Five Guys

Thanks to a pair of Pro Bowl starters and a trio of Pro Bowl alternates on the offensive line, the San Francisco 49ers boast the league’s No. 4 rushing attack.

The 49ers running game excelled in 2012 thanks to the hard work of Joe Staley, Mike Iupati, Jonathan Goodwin, Alex Boone and Anthony Davis.

Those efforts were chronicled in our season finale Gameday magazine. The “Five Guys” on the offensive line came into greater focus thanks to team photographer Terrell Lloyd and team graphic designer Ben Mayberry, who used an outdoor setting to showcase the unique personalities on the offensive line.

Get to know those “Five Guys” in this story.

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Niner Talk: 49ers-Cardinals Week 17

It all starts with Jonathan Goodwin.

The 11-year veteran starts every single offensive play for the San Francisco 49ers. He’s also one of the hardest-working centers in the game. We caught up with the Pro Bowl alternate for this week’s Niner Talk podcast to hear his thoughts on San Francisco’s Week 17 matchup against Arizona with the  NFC West title on the line, as well as some of his favorite aspects of family life and his review of 2012.

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Morning Tailgate: Dec. 28

As the regular season winds down, the 49ers are starting to fill up 2012 award lists and the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Mike Sando of ESPN.com offered his all-NFC West team and listed 11 49ers among the best players in the division.

Among San Francisco’s players on Sando’s list included wideout Michael Crabtree, who is having a career year in his fourth NFL season. 49ers Public Relations director Bob Lange shared this cool photo spread of Crabtree explaining his ability to make sideline catches to ESPN the Magazine reporter Anna Katherine Clemons.

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate looks at Justin Smith’s injury, Vernon Davis’ return to practice and more.

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Morning Tailgate: Dec. 27

Nine Niners made the 2013 Pro Bowl on Wednesday. However, it is now a goal for those members of the San Francisco 49ers to not play in the game.

Joe Staley, Mike Iupati, Frank Gore, Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner all would rather play in the Super Bowl than the league’s annual All-Star game.

Nonetheless, it was still remarkable for the 49ers to send nine players to the Pro Bowl for a second consecutive season. Furthermore, San Francisco led the NFL with nine Pro Bowl selections.

“The 49ers sent two-fifths of their starting offensive line and six members of their defense to the Pro Bowl,” noted ESPN.com’s Mike Sando.

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Aldon Smith Earns Pro Bowl Invite

Aldon Smith didn’t get to his first Pro Bowl alone. On Wednesday, the second-year sackmaster was named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad along with eight of his teammates, the most of any NFL team.

“It says a lot about the team – how many guys are playing at a high-caliber and how many guys are playing at an elite level,” Smith said. “It shows everybody that we’ve got a team full of guys that are talented individuals.”

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Whitner Makes Pro Bowl Debut as Starter

For the first time since 2005, a safety tandem from the same team has been named as starters for the NFC.

Safety Donte Whitner, a first-time Pro Bowler, joins teammate Dashon Goldson, as this year’s NFC safety tandem.

“It’s a long time coming,” said Whitner, a seven-year veteran who was previously honored as an alternate for the Buffalo Bills and again on last year’s 49ers team.

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Iupati Joins Staley in Pro Bowl

It was just a matter of time before the word got out. Mike Iupati is really good.

The third-year player was selected to his first Pro Bowl on Wednesday, as he was recognized for his season-long punishment of opposing defenses in the trenches.

“I’m very grateful and very blessed,” Iupati said. “Credit to my teammates and everybody, especially the front line – they sacrificed, too. Also a credit to our coaching staff, (Mike) Solari, coach (Paul) Wulff and coach (Tim) Drevno for preparing us every week, every day, to go out there and execute our plays.”

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NaVorro Bowman Makes First Pro Bowl

NaVorro Bowman was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2011, but did not make it to the Pro Bowl.

Bowman, however, won’t have that problem this year. The third-year inside linebacker was named to his first Pro Bowl on Wednesday. Soon, All-Pro honors are likely to follow.

“It just means a lot,” Bowman said of his selection as an NFC reserve linebacker. “When I didn’t go last season, for me personally, it was to work harder and not let it affect me.”

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Nine 49ers Named to 2013 Pro Bowl

San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, free safety Dashon Goldson, running back Frank Gore, guard Mike Iupati, outside linebacker Aldon Smith, defensive tackle Justin Smith, tackle Joe Staley, strong safety Donte Whitner and inside linebacker Patrick Willis have been selected to participate in the 2013 Pro Bowl. Goldson, Iupati, A. Smith, J. Smith, Staley, Whitner and Willis were named starters on this year’s NFC squad.

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