Blogs

Westbrook Ready for Familiar Foe

Brian Westbrook was one of the smartest players Andy Reid ever coached with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles head man said as much earlier in the week when speaking in a conference call with the Bay Area media.

Westbrook spent eight seasons with Reid and is the Eagles all-time leader in yards from scrimmage (9,875). But for all he’s accomplished, Westbrook has yet to make his mark with his new team.

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On the Phone with Smith and Finneran

Brian Finneran said he can barely remember what he had for lunch yesterday, so of course the Falcons wide receiver will be a little shaky when asked to conjure up seven-year-old memories.

But still, Finneran recalls when 49ers new offensive coordinator Mike Johnson was Atlanta’s play caller for the final two games of the 2003 season. The details are a little fuzzy, but Finneran said Johnson was a “competitor” who has an “aggressive kind of mindset.”

“He’ll find a way to match his guys up where he wants them so they can try to make some plays against us,” Finneran said in his Wednesday conference call with the Bay Area media. “The No. 1 thing is he is just a competitor and he loves to win.”

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On the Phone with Payton and Brees

Sean Payton is over it.

He’s past last year’s Super Bowl title. It’s not that the New Orleans Saints coach wants to forget about winning it all, but he’s moved on.

That was last year. Now his sole focus is on the 2010 season, specifically this week’s game against the 49ers.

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On the Phone with Carroll and Hasselbeck

The 49ers might not recognize their opponents when they travel to Seattle for the season opener on Sunday.

Yes Seattle is a division rival, and yes the teams have faced each other twice a year since 2002, but with a new head coach and 27 new players on their squad, the Seahawks have a totally different look and feel to them this season.

The same can’t be said for the 49ers, at least that’s what three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said in his conference call with Bay Area reporters on Wednesday.

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Dialing in with Detroit

As is customary, the Bay Area media got a chance to speak with with the head coach and a key player from the visiting Detroit Lions.  The two men on the conference call this week were Jim Schwartz and linebacker Julian Peterson.

Peterson knows the 49ers very well, having played in San Francisco from 2000-2005.  He also had plenty of opportunities to suit up against the 49ers while playing with their NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks from 2006-2008.  The Pro Bowl linebacker had positive things to say about Alex Smith, who Peterson said is playing better than he ever has.

Schwartz talked about some of the challenges his team has faced this season as well as his decision to give Drew Stanton his first-career start this Sunday against the 49ers.  The rookie head coach was also a candidate for the 49ers vacancy in 2005 when the organization ultimately hired Mike Nolan.  He described the 49ers coaching search as very professional and was pleased to get his first head coaching interview with San Francisco.

Make sure you listen to the conference calls with Peterson and Schwartz.

On the Phone with Philly

Eagles head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb called in to the 49ers media room today for their game week conference calls.  Both Reid and McNabb described the 49ers as a “dangerous” football team and stressed the importance of Sunday’s matchup to both clubs.

McNabb also said that the 49ers middle linebacker tandem of Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis has the makings of a Hall of Fame combination.  He also spoke glowingly of his former teammate Michael Lewis who in his opinion, is a natural leader.

Reid reflected on the team’s decision to draft DeSean Jackson in 2008.  The coach said he didn’t have any reservations about Jackson after being well-informed by California head coach Jeff Tedford.

Take a listen to the entire conference calls of Reid and McNabb and be sure to check back each week as we’ll post the audio of the opposing coach and one key player.

Willis: ‘They will not run the ball on us’

The Arizona Cardinals have strived for increased balance on offense, seeking to add a potent running game to complement an already impressive passing attack.

Linebacker Patrick Willis doesn’t see this Monday night playing out like the Cardinals may hope.

“We know they’re going to throw the ball and they’re going to try to run the ball,” Willis said. “We’re not worried about them running the ball. They will not run the ball on us. We’re not worried about that, but we will have to stop their pass.”

The 49ers defense did just that in Week 1 when they intercepted Kurt Warner twice and held him to just 26 of 44 passing.

“We made plays when we were supposed to and we made plays for ourselves,” Willis recalled. “That’s what we’re going to have to do this week.”

The 49ers should be well prepared this Monday after having what Willis called a very focused week of practice. While the team’s playoff chances may be slim, the Pro Bowl linebacker has been pleased with what he’s seen from his teammates despite the circumstances.

“At 5-7, we go out there and work our tails off,” Willis said. “Other 5-7 teams probably hang it up and work on next year. We’ve had a great week of practice. It gets to the point where you also have to play for pride. We’re better players than that and we have more character than that.”

Staley on the Mend

Joe Staley is listed as questionable on the injury report after going through his first week of practice since Week 8.

“I think it’s going to be decided on game day or tomorrow,” Staley said about whether not he will suit up against the Cardinals.

Sitting out for the last five weeks has been difficult for Staley, who’s not accustomed to watching from the sidelines.

“Of course I’m anxious,” Staley said. “But I’m not going to be dumb about it. I’m going to be smart and make a good decision. I’m not going to risk it to the team, trying to be a tough guy. But if it feels good and I want to be out there, I’m going to be out there.”

Help support our “New Toy Drive” by bringing in new toys to the game, to benefit “Operation Dream.”

Conference Calls with McCarthy and Rogers

On Wednesday, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rogers spent some time on a conference calls with the Bay Area media.  Rogers discussed the 2005 draft that saw him go to the Packers as Alex Smith was selected by the 49ers.  The former Cal standout mentioned his affinity for the 49ers as a kid and his relationship with Smith.

With the Packers (5-4) one game ahead of the 49ers (4-5) in the NFC Wild Card race, the outcome of Sunday’s game could mean much more by the end of the season.

Click here to listen to Mike McCarthy’s conference call.

Click here to listen to Aaron Rogers’ conference call.