Blogs

On the Phone with Whisenhunt and Snyder

It might be the last week of the season, but the 49ers will have plenty to play for when the Arizona Cardinals come to Candlestick Park on Sunday.

San Francisco is part of a muddled NFC playoff picture that has plenty of moving parts. The 49ers (10-4-1) currently hold the No. 3 seed in the NFC, but can finish anywhere from the No. 2 to No. 5 slot when all the dust settles after Week 17.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, won’t be playing past Sunday after losing 10 of their past 11 games following a 4-0 start to the year.

“It’s been tough,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said on Wednesday’s conference call. “This business is about winning games. When you don’t do that it makes everything more difficult.”

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49ers Sign Divens, Taylor to Practice Squad

The San Francisco 49ers have signed DT Lamar Divens and S Curtis Taylor to the practice squad.

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Morning Tailgate: Dec. 26

The San Francisco 49ers were defeated 42-13 by the Seattle Seahawks and may have lost Mario Manningham for the rest of the season according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jim Harbaugh did not offer any specifics on Manningham’s knee injury suffered against the Seahawks when speaking to the media on Monday, but should shed light on the wide receiver’s long-term status when the 49ers coach meets with the media Wednesday afternoon.

If Manningham is out for the postseason run, Randy Moss will likely be inserted in the starting lineup opposite of Michael Crabtree. The veteran wideout has 26 receptions for 406 yards and three touchdown catches on the season. Furthermore, Moss has totaled 11 receptions in Colin Kaepernick’s six starts.  Read more »

Week 16 Game Notes

A 42-13 loss at Seattle moved the 49ers’ record to 10-4-1 on the season, but San Francisco still leads the NFC West heading into the regular-season finale against Arizona. 49ers Public Relations presents the following game notes from the Week 16 matchup.

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Morning Tailgate: Dec. 24

The 49ers suffered a humbling 42-13 defeat in Seattle on Sunday night, but still woke up on Christmas Eve with a half-game lead in the NFC West over the Seahawks. With a victory on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick Park, San Francisco will capture their second straight division crown.

Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group examined the lopsided loss and what it means for the 49ers. “Both the 49ers and Seahawks are assured playoff berths,” Inman wrote. “The 49ers clinched at least a wild-card spot a week ago after outlasting the New England Patriots 41-34. The Seahawks earned their playoff ticket with Sunday’s prime-time win.”

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate looks at the defeat and possible playoff scenarios for the 49ers.

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49ers Promote LB Cam Johnson

The San Francisco 49ers announced they have promoted LB Cam Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster, signing him to a two-year contract.

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Ricky Jean Francois Ready if Needed

Ricky Jean Francois was a wanted man inside the 49ers locker room on Friday.

After Justin Smith missed his third straight practice with an elbow injury, his streak of 185 straight starts, the third-longest active streak in the NFL, appears to be in jeopardy. Once Smith went out in the second half at New England last week, Jean Francois filled in for Smith and even contributed a crucial sack of Tom Brady in the late stages of the game.

So as Jean Francois fielded questions from reporters at his locker, Randy Moss and Mike Iupati couldn’t help but jump into the media scrum and ask some questions of their own.

“Do you think you’re pretty strong?” Moss asked Jean Francois.

“I squat about 700 (pounds), is that good enough?” Jean Francois responded.

Moss laughed and let Jean Francois go after that, but the point was made. Ricky is ready.

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Kap-to-Crab Connection Growing Strong

Michael Crabtree is already having a career year, and he still has two games to go.

The former first-round pick has emerged as Colin Kaepernick’s go-to guy on the perimeter this season. For Kaepernick, the reason is simple.

“He’s open,” Kaepernick said.

Crabtree has been open often this season, leading to new career highs of 73 catches and seven touchdowns, while his 868 yards are just six shy of his career best set in 2011.

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Morning Tailgate: Dec. 21

Many 49ers are creatures of habit. For Michael Crabtree and Joe Staley, it’s all about looking good and feeling good on gameday. Abe Schwadron of TDDaily.com spoke to Crabtree and Staley about their pre-game rituals.

“For 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, everything has to feel—and look—perfect,” Schwadron wrote. “‘Aw man, the preparation of getting dressed, the clothes, the fashion. You’re looking at your shoes, your socks, making sure your pants are right, your jersey, all of that stuff,’ says Crabtree, now in his fourth NFL season. ‘I’ve got to have my chewing gum, any chewing gum, but I really like Juicy Fruit. The trainers are on the sideline with the Juicy Fruit ready. You gotta have your music. Gotta have your gameday music, it’ll get you right.’”

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate looks at Crabtree’s evolution as a receiver, similarities between the 49ers and Seahawks and more.

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Niner Talk: 49ers-Seahawks Week 16

The longest tenured member of the San Francisco 49ers joined us for this week’s Niner Talk podcast.

Brian Jennings, a two-time Pro Bowl long snapper in his 13 seasons in San Francisco, checked in this week to discuss a number of topics near and dear to the specialist’s heart.

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