Blogs

Harbaugh Confident in 49ers Youth

San Francisco’s running back reps behind Frank Gore will be a key to Sunday’s game in St. Louis. Whether Brandon Jacobs or LaMichael James becomes the featured No. 2 runner behind Gore remains to be seen.

Jim Harbaugh said the reps against the Rams would be shared “among the other backs.”

With the loss of Kendall Hunter and Kyle Williams to season-ending injuries last week in New Orleans, the 49ers coach will have to find ways of showcasing other players on the roster.

Even so, Harbaugh admitted the injured players will be tough to replace.

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Morning Tailgate: Nov. 29

The 49ers are no strangers to quality quarterbacks. Dating back to the likes of Y.A. Tittle and John Brodie to Joe Montana and Steve Young, San Francisco has been spoiled with signal-callers throughout the years. The 2012 49ers are lucky to have two players under center that have led the team to big victories: Colin Kaepernick and Alex Smith.

A huge contingent of media gathered at 49ers headquarters on Wednesday, as coach Jim Harbaugh revealed Kaepernick will receive the start this Sunday in St. Louis, his third straight for the team. The decision to name the second-year emerging star as the quarterback was dissected every which way by the media, including Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.

“QB coach Geep Chryst and OC Greg Roman are certainly hands-on and deeply involved in all parts of the QB play,” Kawakami wrote. “But I think we have to give most of the credit for this to Harbaugh–who did some things with Andrew Luck, I seem to recall. Harbaugh has a fine focus on the QB spot, and the guy can flat-out coach the position.”

Today’s Morning Tailgate rounds up all the Kaepernick coverage, Pro Bowl voting leaders, Santa Clara Stadium news and more.

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Week 12 Game Notes

The 49ers moved their record to 8-2-1 with a 31-21 victory on the road at New Orleans. 49ers Public Relations presents the following game notes from the Week 12 matchup.

With a Win…

• The 49ers improved to 47-24-2 overall and 24-13 on the road against theNew Orleans Saints.
• San Francisco improved to 10-3 on the road under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
• In the month of November under Harbaugh, the 49ers improved to 5-1-1.
• The Niners improved to 16-4-1 vs. NFC opponents under Harbaugh.
• San Francisco improved its regular season record under Harbaugh to 21-5-1.
• The 49ers have won 8 of their first 11 games for the 2nd consecutive season (9-2 in 2011), the first time the team has accomplished that feat in back-to-back years since 1997-98.

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Morning Tailgate: Nov. 16

Health questions continued to surround the San Francisco 49ers as they prepare for the Chicago Bears on “Monday Night Football.” Days after monitoring the health of quarterback Alex Smith who’s coming off a concussion suffered against the St. Louis Rams, it was announced by the team that head coach Jim Harbaugh had undergone a minor procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat.

In his place, assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Brad Seely led the 49ers through practices and meetings on Thursday. Many players said they expected Harbaugh to return to the team’s training facility as early as Friday. However, a report from ESPN’s Ed Werder said San Francisco’s coach had been back to work as soon as the second half of Thursday’s practice.

It’s not known if Harbaugh has returned to 49ers headquarters officially. The team is scheduled for practice and media availability today, stay tuned for more updates on 49ers.com and @49ers on Twitter.

9:20 A.M. UPDATE

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports Harbaugh has returned to the 49ers facility and will address the media at noon.

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David Akers Addresses OT Miss

The life of a kicker in the National Football League is challenging to say the least. When you make your kicks – you’re the toast of the town. When you miss – people want answers.

David Akers, San Francisco’s All-Pro kicker, found himself in that position on Wednesday. Akers, one of the most accomplished kicker in NFL history, was asked about the 41-yard overtime miss in the 49ers recent 24-24 tie to the St. Louis Rams.

“The one on Sunday, I just tried to smooth the kick, not over-kick it and just kind of fell off the ball,” said the kicker who tied the league’s longest field goal record with a 63-yard make against the Green Bay Packers in the season opener. “When I do that, that’s why it kind of went left.”

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Willis Leads NFC LB Pro Bowl Voting

Patrick Willis is the first player in the history of the San Francisco 49ers to make five consecutive Pro Bowls to start a career.

The star linebacker is on pace to make it six straight appearances in the league’s annual All-Star game with 2013 Pro Bowl vote standings being released on Wednesday. Willis leads the NFC linebacker vote with 91,609 selections with five weeks left in the voting prior to the Dec. 26 Pro Bowl Selection show on NFL Network.

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Morning Tailgate: Nov. 2

Randy Moss has caught 13 passes for 235 yards and has two touchdowns, plus a team-leading average of 18.1 yards per reception in his first eight games with the San Francisco 49ers.

The future Hall of Fame wide receiver has had a positive impact on his teammates and has enjoyed learning the offensive concepts of coordinator Greg Roman. Moss shared these insights in a recent interview with Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

The 49ers wideout who caught a 47-yard touchdown last week in Arizona (photographed above) also tells CSN he plans on being a (high school or junior high) coach when his playing career is over.

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#Vote49ers to the 2013 Pro Bowl

It’s officially voting season for NFL fans.

As of early Tuesday morning, polls are open for fans to select players to the 2013 Pro Bowl, set to be played on Sunday, January 27, 2013 from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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Gameday Story: Original Throwback

Our latest Gameday cover story examined the remarkable career of the 23^rd inductee into the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame, Gordy Soltau.

The three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl player was instrumental in the franchise’s success in the 1950s. For the story we spoke to the versatile 49ers player as well as his son, Mark Soltau, for insight on the proud career Gordy Soltau enjoyed with the 49ers.

The vintage cover layout designed by team graphic designer Ben Mayberry provides a glimpse into the joyful energy Soltau provided to the 49ers locker room. Get to know the latest 49ers Hall of Famer in our latest Gameday cover story.

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Morning Tailgate: Sept. 26

BOARDMAN, Ohio – I used to think Disneyland was the happiest place on earth. Maybe I was a pre-teen at the time, but as of Wednesday morning, my opinion has officially changed. That’s because a group of 49ers reporters (Cam Inman, Matt Barrows, Eric Branch, TV49’s Scott Kegley and myself) all jumped in a car and headed to the most wonderful place on earth – The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Where do I begin on this…

Let me see, the anticipation of driving up to the Hall of Fame was exciting in its own right. But once you pull up to the building and see the exterior (the same one you’ve seen on television for all those years) it hits you right then and there, this is a place unlike any other.

Joe Horrigan, the Hall’s Vice President of Communication and Exhibits and all of his staff members were more than accommodating to us on our visit. Upon entering the “bust room,” Matt Waechter, the Hall’s website coordinator, found us immediately and showed us the most amazing artifacts in the archive room.

From rare helmets, to unique game-worn cleats, to the first ever pylon used in NFL history, to Pat Tillman’s travel bag – there was history all over the room. 49ers.com’s photo gallery showcased some of the rare sights in the room and other 49ers-related images littered throughout the shrine to pro football’s proud history.

All the beat writers further documented their experiences, a must-read for die-hard football fans.

Inman shared the experience through a storify report, recapping his posts on social media. A highlight was the lunch photo of Taggart’s Ice Cream, a lovely Canton eatery that’s been in business since 1926 – 20 years before the San Francisco 49ers were even founded.

By the time we got back from lunch to finish seeing the rest of the hallowed grounds, the Hall of Fame staff notified us that David Akers’ NFL record-tying, 63-yard field goal ball was prominently displayed in the players of today section of the hall.

I also couldn’t help but hook Jerry Rice up with a 49ers New Era hat. Don’t worry, I held it up over Rice’s head, would never disrespect the bust itself.

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