Blogs

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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Morning Tailgate: Nov. 9

Behind the scenes and on the gridiron itself, Randy Moss has endeared himself to teammates and coaches with the San Francisco 49ers.

The veteran wideout with a resume worthy of inclusion into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is coming off his best performance with his new team, a Week 8 effort on “Monday Night Football” that saw Moss level a Cardinals defensive back and score a 47-yard touchdown within span of four plays.

Moss’ hard-work in the run game was recently spotlighted by offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who had plenty of positive things to say about some of the guys on offense who are doing the dirty work behind the scenes, Moss included.

Truth be told, Moss has added value to the 49ers in the run game, not just the pass game. That aspect was covered in depth by Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

“Moss has been only a small part of the 49ers’ success on the field. He has 13 catches – fifth on the team – for 235 yards and two touchdowns,” Barrows wrote. “He’s been the team’s third- or fourth-most used wide receiver, depending on the game. On many plays, he’s merely a decoy, lining up far wide of the formation and taking a cornerback and safety downfield with him as Alex Smith hands the ball to Frank Gore.

Barrows went on to write, “The fear heading into the season was that a disengaged Moss would be a disruptive Moss. That he hasn’t had a large role in the passing game, however, doesn’t mean he’s not plugged in. Along with everyone else – the media, opposing coaches, opposing linebackers – Moss appears to be rapt by the 49ers’ complex running attack.”

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Niner Talk: 49ers-Rams Week 10

Delanie Walker has been a fan-favorite throughout his seven seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

It’s not hard to understand why.

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Morning Tailgate: Oct. 9

The 49ers have moved past last week’s historic 45-3 win over the Buffalo Bills. When the reigning Super Bowl champions are coming to town, you don’t have much time to celebrate.

The New York Giants visited Candlestick Park twice last year, losing a heated 27-20 regular season matchup before escaping with a 20-17 overtime victory in the NFC Championship game. The contests were just the latest chapters in what’s been a decades-old rivalry between the two storied franchises.

Shortly after last week’s career day, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith said there’s a little “unfinished business” to settle with the Giants given the recent history between the two teams. Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group previewed the NFC title game rematch and how both teams have evolved since January.

“The 49ers (4-1) are riding a wave of momentum into Sunday’s rematch against the Giants (3-2) at Candlestick Park,” Inman wrote. “As opposed to their last meeting, the 49ers look more capable of keeping pace with the offensive-minded Giants, who went on to win last season’s Super Bowl.”

Today’s Morning Tailgate also features news on Randy Moss, Jim Harbaugh and the NFC West’s impressive collection of defenses.

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Morning Tailgate: Aug. 16

Following the offense’s best showing of 49ers Training Camp presented by HP, the unit backed it up with another positive performance.

In particular, undrafted wide receiver Chris Owusu continues to progress. The former Jim Harbaugh-coached wideout from Stanford has made several catches in practice after being the team’s leading wideout in the preseason opener.

Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee noted that Owusu got past starting cornerback Tarell Brown to catch a deep corner route from quarterback Josh Johnson. “Owusu made several nice catches during the team portion of practice, including two from Scott Tolzien,” Barrows added.

More 49ers headlines can be found after the jump.

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Morning Tailgate: Aug. 1

Good morning 49ers Faithful, Training Camp will begin promptly at 9:15 this morning. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the top 49ers headlines from San Francisco’s first day off at camp.

Respected NFL writer Peter King of Sports Illustrated visited 49ers camp on Monday and filed a must-read report. According to the longtime NFL scribe, the 49ers are in the best shape he’s seen in years.

“Long-term this is the best I’ve felt about the 49ers since Steve Young walked off the field for the last time in 1999,” King wrote.

In another appearance on NFL Network, King told host Rich Eisen just how impressed he was with veteran wideout Randy Moss.

“When I saw Randy Moss come off the line of scrimmage and fake Perrish Cox so severely that Cox slipped and Randy Moss ran across the middle and caught a beautiful crossing throw,” King told Eisen. “And then ran a 9-route, you know, the long deep ball down the sideline, and beat Carlos Rodgers, who had an excellent year last year.”

More 49ers headlines can be found after the jump.

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Tight End Tandem Pushes the Envelope

What’s better than having Vernon Davis on your team? Having Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker.

The 49ers are spoiled when it comes to talented tight ends, featuring one of the best duos in the league. Davis and Walker have grown tight as teammates in their six years together on the 49ers and have become a headache for opposing defenses.

While Davis’ prowess in run-blocking and the passing game is well-noted throughout the league, Walker has quietly become one of the most valuable players on the 49ers. Used in various roles on offense – on the line, split out wide or in the backfield – and also on special teams, Walker has gained the trust and confidence of his head coach Jim Harbaugh.

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Morning Tailgate: July 30

Real football, according to offensive coordinator Greg Roman, began on Sunday for the San Francisco 49ers. Pads were out in full-effect, as evidenced by All-Pro defensive tackle Justin Smith consistent manhandling of opposing offensive linemen.

Smith’s dominance was noted extensively by CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco and Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee.

Other Sunday practice reports focused on the production of the team’s young wide receivers. After Jim Harbaugh defended A.J. Jenkins’ performance with the club this offseason, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reviewed the first-rounder’s first day with the pads and added this note on another young 49ers wideout: “Nathan Palmer, undrafted out of Northern Illinois, continues to impress and made several nice grabs today, starting with one against Carlos Rogers in one-on-one, press-coverage drills.”

More 49ers headlines can be found after the jump.

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Photo Blog: 2012 49ers Youth Football Camp

Campers at the 49ers annual three-day Youth Football Camp were treated to a top-notch experience this week in Santa Clara.

Current players like Delanie Walker and Ian Williams, as well as former 49ers greats Guy McIntyre, Eric Wright, Dennis Brown, J.J. Stokes and Joe Nedney also spent time giving tips to this year’s campers.

“I spent the last 20 years of my life kicking the ball and now that I’m done, teaching other people how to do it is just as fun,” said Nedney, a 15-year NFL veteran who retired last training camp after spending six seasons with the club.

“Knowing that the Niners are having their kids camp today, I was more than happy to come out here and work with them,” added Nedney, who connected on 86.6 percent of his field goals and never missed an extra point during his time in San Francisco.

The San Jose State alum still lives close to the 49ers facility in Santa Clara and jumped at the chance to share his wisdom.

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Morning Tailgate: July 10

Players might be on vacation, but there’s plenty of action happening around 4949 Centennial Blvd. Construction work continues at the new Santa Clara Stadium site at a constant pace. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers’ three-day Youth Football Camp is taking place on the team’s practice fields next door.

Former players like Guy McIntyre, Eric Wright, Dennis Brown and J.J. Stokes, plus current 49ers like Delanie Walker, have joined the campers to share wisdom from their football experiences. Check out photos of Walker mingling with the campers on day one of camp.

While most of the 49ers are elsewhere getting their minds and bodies right for training camp (16 days away), that doesn’t mean they’re not being recognized in the media. All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman was recently named the No. 5 most underrated player in the NFL by the staff at Pro Football Weekly.

Bowman wasn’t a Pro Bowler last season, but his All-Pro selection and inclusion on PFF’s list should be considered as a nice consolation prize.

More 49ers headlines can be found after the jump.

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