Blogs

On the Phone with Whisenhunt and Skelton

Standing on the sidelines during the 49ers and Cardinals Week 12 “Monday Night Football” matchup, John Skelton didn’t like what he saw.

“I remember how bad it was for us offensively,” Arizona’s then-third-string quarterback said during his Wednesday conference call with the Bay Area media. “The Niners have a good defense and we struggled with some of the things they did and we couldn’t get much going.”

Read more »

On the Phone with Spagnuolo and Atogwe

The 49ers are yet to say which Smith will be their starting quarterback on Sunday, but St. Louis Rams’ coach Steve Spagnuolo isn’t fretting over the upcoming announcement.

He’s faced this situation before.

When his team played at Candlestick Park in Week 10 the 49ers were deciding whether to start Alex Smith or Troy Smith. And just last week Spagnuolo wasn’t sure if Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Matt Cassel would be healthy enough to start less than two weeks after he underwent an emergency appendectomy.

Read more »

On the Phone with Carroll and Lynch

Time can be a funny thing for NFL coaches.

Although the Seattle Seahawks’ 31-6 win over the 49ers came just three months ago, Pete Carroll said it feels like years.

His team has been through so much since that Sept. 12 meeting that he can’t really compare the squad he has now to the one he had then.

“We’ve been through a ton of stuff,” Carroll said during his Wednesday conference call with the Bay Area media. “I don’t know if I can even put it all in words how much we’ve changed.”

Read more »

On the Phone with McCarthy and Rodgers

Sitting in his living room on Monday night, Aaron Rodgers was very impressed with what he saw.

The Green Bay Packers’ quarterback always watches “Monday Night Football,” but he paid extra attention this week because of his upcoming game against the 49ers.

And as good as the 49ers looked to Rodgers when he watched them live, he said they looked even better when he turned on the film.

Read more »

On the Phone with Whisenhunt and Wilson

It’s been more than a month since the Arizona Cardinals won a football game, which can feel like an eternity in the NFL.

So even though the Cardinals are just two games out of first place in the NFC West, a division title is the last thing on their minds. Adrian Wilson said he and his teammates need to worry about getting back in the win column before they can start thinking about the playoffs.

Read more »

On the Phone with Morris and Freeman

Raheem Morris had nothing but praise for Troy Smith.

After all, Morris is one of just two current NFL head coaches Smith has won games for. The other will be lined up across from Morris on Sunday afternoon.

Read more »

On the Phone with Spagnuolo and Bradford

Steve Spagnuolo had the perfect answer prepared, thinking he’d be asked which 49ers quarterback he expected to face on Sunday.

“I was going to say, ‘Smith,’” he joked.

But when the St. Louis Rams’ coach was asked which Smith he expected to see, Spagnuolo’s preparation went for naught. Still though, he said it doesn’t matter to him whether his defense takes the field against Troy Smith or Alex Smith. Both quarterbacks are very talented, he said, and both will present his team with unique challenges.

Read more »

Wembley Now More of a ‘Home Away From Home’

Previous NFL international games held at Wembley have turned muddy do to wet weather, but the hope is that won’t be the case today when the 49ers play the Denver Broncos.

Roger Maslin, the Managing Director at Wembley National Stadium, oversaw the installation of a new playing surface since last year’s game.  The field is now roughly three-percent synthetic and should hold up very well with all the various sports that are played here.

“We want Wembley to be a home away from home for the teams when they play here,” said Maslin.

Below is the transcript of my interview with Maslin just a few hours before kickoff.

Read more »

On the Phone with McDaniels and Lloyd

Denver Broncos’ head coach Josh McDaniels did his due diligence, and he came up with a different answer than Mike Singletary.

Neither coach is right or wrong, but both believe their strategy gives their team the best shot at winning.

Read more »

On the Phone with Fox and Moore

Carolina Panthers coach John Fox finds himself in the same position Mike Singletary was in last week.

His team is winless, 0-5, and at the bottom of its division.

And like Singletary, Fox isn’t looking at his situation as an insurmountable obstacle; he sees it as a challenge. He said his team still believes it can turn the season around, and now it’s just a matter of improving every day.

Read more »