The 49ers fell to 0-2 on the season in heartbreaking fashion as Garrett Hartley hit a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Saints a 25-22 win.  Instead of saying that his team should have won this game, Mike Singletary focused on the turnovers that proved to be crucial.

Here’s instant analysis from the game.

Standout Stat: The 49ers finished Monday night minus-4 in turnover differential.  The 49ers knew it would be a tough game going against the Super Bowl champs, but as Singletary noted, the turnovers did not put them in position to win the game.

Highlight Reel: The 49ers’ eight-play, 82-yard drive in just 53 seconds took the honors for highlight of the night.  There were some fantastic individual plays made, including Alex Smith’s 41-yard strike to Vernon Davis in the third. Even more impressive, the 49ers’ final drive to tie things up at 22.  Smith twice scrambled for 12 –yard gains and also had three passes of 15-plus yards to three different receivers.

Put it in Perspective: The attitude in the locker room following the game was optimistic.  The team recognized the mistakes they made and will focus on limiting turnovers against Kansas City next week.  Alex Smith finished 23-of-32 for 275 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.  Frank Gore racked up 112 yards rushing on 20 carries and added 56 yards receiving.  He had two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving.  Josh Morgan also had a nice game with six catches for 70 yards.  There were several positives from Monday night’s game, but the 49ers will have to rebound in the coming weeks as they hit the road, traveling to Kansas City and then to Atlanta.

Quotable: Alex Smith – “I think the one thing I take away…we put the workload on the offensive line.  They knew they got challenged.  They knew this was going to be on them and they stepped up.”

Right guard Adam Snyder felt the same way.  ”Obviously there are things we need to get better at to win games.  I believe in us and I know everybody in this locker room believes in us.  And that’s all we need – to believe and keep going.”

Fans are in the stands clapping and that can only mean one thing – the players are warming up for Saturday’s open afternoon practice. They’re in shells, so no pad-crunching hits, but plenty of plays are out there to be made.

Kickoff return is up first instead of individual drills. Like yesterday Ted Ginn Jr. is the first returner, followed by Kyle Williams, LeRoy Vann and Dominique Zeigler. As it takes place, Frank Gore works on ball security on the other practice field. He’s holding a football covered with a thick elastic cord that’s being yanked by a training camp assistant.

Offense works on two-minute drill. After a couple of completions, Smith found Michael Crabtree, who put an impressive open-field move on Patrick Willis.

Best catch of camp (perhaps) just happened as Williams caught a one-handed rope during route-running drills. The rookie never broke speed and still managed to catch the ball as if his hand was covered in glue. Crowd erupted with applause immediately following the catch.

First turnover of the day took place during 7-on-7 period. Alex Smith threw a deep out intended for Josh Morgan but the third-year wideout stumbled out of his break leaving Nate Clements all alone to make the interception. It’s Clements’ first takeaway of camp.

Opening team period is highlighted by Zeigler’s diving catch on a skinny post pattern. Ball from David Carr. Next play Carr leaves it short for tight end Tony Curtis, cornerback Will James nearly picks it off but fails to secure possession.

Dashon Goldson picks off Nate Davis’ over-the-middle pass. The fourth-year safety now has three INTs in camp so far.

Offense is forced to pick up fourth down with less than a minute left. Smith finds Crabtree over-the-middle who puts on a nice open field move on Patrick Willis. Next play, Smith completes pass to Josh Morgan for a 20-yard gain. Twenty seconds left on the clock ball is spotted on the 15-yard line. Singletary calls the drill over after Morgan’s catch put the offense in field goal range. Second-team offense and defense are up next.

Carr launches deep ball for tight end Joe Jon Finley, who was then flagged for pushing off on linebacker NaVorro Bowman. Offense unable to get in scoring range and drill ends on downs.

Offense and defense split fields and work on walking through plays separately. Looks like that’s it for practice.

Injury update from public relations: Linebacker Ahmad Brooks suffered a kidney laceration in a previous practice and will re-evaluated in two weeks.

Here’s some photos from the afternoon practice.

Goldson waits for teammates to celebrate his interception with.

Here’s the move Crabtree put on Willis in the open field.

Rookie guard Mike Iupati signs autographs for the 49ers Faithful.

The six-year pro recorded his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season (1,120 yards) despite missing two games in 2009 , and that impressed the staff enough to put him behind a host of other talented runners in Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice.

An improved 49ers offensive attack and the selection of two offensive linemen in the first round were also likely factored into their decision.

Knowing how competitive Gore is, the ranking will only serve as motivation for the fourth leading rusher on the 49ers all-time rushing list (5,561 yards).

But good news for Gore, he’s the highest-ranked Miami Hurricane on this year’s list of rankings, ahead of many from his alma mater like, Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (No. 9), Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne (No. 20), Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis (No. 76) and Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee (No. 119).

For those wondering about the rankings of other key members of the 49ers, they are as follows: tight end Vernon Davis (No. 46), wide receiver Michael Crabtree (No. 55), quarterback Alex Smith (No. 117), 49ers defense (No. 176) and wide receiver Josh Morgan (No. 193).

Want to draft all the 49ers on your fantasy team? Click here to sign up for NFL.com’s FREE fantasy football service. Crate your own league with friends, or compete against fellow Faithful fans like yourself.

Do you agree or disagree with the rankings assigned to the 49ers this year? Where would you draft them? Feel free to leave your explanations in the comments section below.

Well… Josh Morgan and Dominique Zeigler certainly can. That’s because it was yesterday for them. Literally.

But the pair of blossoming 49ers wide receivers haven’t signed up for your typical apprenticeship.  They finished up another day of their offseason internships at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area on Tuesday night, helping out in the production of Chronicle Live. They also appeared as guests on the show. Host Greg Papa even let Morgan do the interviewing.

The internship idea first came up when Morgan approached 49ers Director of Player Development Ty Knott about getting involved in broadcasting. From there, Knott found an opportunity that worked best with Morgan’s busy offseason schedule.

Once a “special” unpaid internship opportunity arose, Morgan jumped at the chance to learn more about sports broadcasting. And after hearing from his teammate on the quality of his experience, Zeigler asked to be an intern at Comcast as well.

Now, both wideouts are assisting Comcast SportsNet at various sporting events in the Bay Area and have photo credentials with their names written on them to prove it. They visit Comcast headquarters once a week to take part in the special internship.

“It’s been great so far,” Morgan said. “We did the pregame show for the (Oakland) A’s – I was one of the stage managers. I had the headset on, counting the hosts down, five, four, three… all that.”

In addition to getting up close experience in the production of various sports telecasts, the players are getting a better understanding of the business and ultimately if it’s something they’d like to pursue after their football careers.

“I like sports a lot, so getting to find out how they make highlights was great for me,” Zeigler said. “It was pretty neat getting to be back there with the production people. I didn’t know it really took that much just to make a 30-minute show. There’s a lot of yelling if things don’t go right, because if one person is telling someone to “cue B” and he cues “A,” then maybe it messes up the next six clips.”

Just like how football players depend on the other 10 players on the field to execute the coach’s play call?

“Exactly. It might look like they’re just doing TV, but there’s a lot of work that they put into it,” Zeigler said.

The players won’t have too much availability as the offseason rolls along. The duo only have four weeks left in their broadcasting crash course, but will value each new experience as they come.

“Next week we’re going to work on the camera stuff and it’s just a good experience,” Zeigler added. “If you have all day to lift weights, might as well to do something at the end of the day.”

Zeigler’s passion for all sports has rubbed off on Morgan throughout the process. Morgan, a self-described football and basketball lover has opened up room in his heart for other sports because of his internship.

“I don’t know a whole lot, but I’m learning about hockey and baseball. I’ve always been into basketball and football and that type of stuff,” Morgan said. “Zeigler is teaching me a lot about baseball. I’m learning on the run.”

Being on the run shouldn’t be too difficult for Morgan. After all, it’s a big part of his current job.

The 49ers first pair of pad-less practices in 2010, otherwise known as organized team activities (OTAs) came and went earlier in the week at an efficient pace. But that didn’t stop veterans like Frank Gore and Vernon Davis from sticking around 49ers headquarters to get in quality work with their teammates and coaches in the 49ers offseason conditioning program.

Many of the 49ers who reside on the East Coast train close to home, opting to spend time with family and work out with personal trainers. But with the first OTA practice officially marking the start of a new season, several of the team’s key players remained in town to continue working with teammates and building camaraderie.

“We had two OTA practices, they went pretty well. It’s the same offense, so we don’t have to start over again,” Gore said to TV49 earlier in the week. “We can clean up all the mistakes we had last year and move forward.”

Head strength and conditioning coach Duane Carlisle put the team’s two-time Pro Bowl back and others through a couple of extensive workouts on the practice field and in the weight room, adding to what has already been a very successful offseason program.

“The last couple of weeks have gone really well for us,” Carlisle said. “Guys have improved their body composition, you can see guys are getting leaner, stronger and they’re getting in better condition, which is the goal of the first four weeks of training.”

In a normal week of Carlisle’s offseason conditioning program the players rotate from weight room training to field training. But with OTA practices starting earlier in the week, Carlisle’s program was slightly adjusted.

“The practice replaces the movement training and the guys still do their extensive lifts,” Carlisle explained. “We don’t modify the lifts.”

The strength coach doesn’t have to push the players to get into weight training after OTA practices, because “they know the drill.”

“They come in, they’re ready to work, they put their hard hats on and they go,” Carlisle said. “That’s the great thing about our guys. We’re here to coach them and make sure they’re doing everything right technically, but in terms of the effort, they bring it all the time.”

In the same way Carlisle appreciates the effort from his players, his pupils hold a high regard for the instruction they receive in the 49ers offseason program.

“He’s a good strength coach,” Gore said. “He changes things a lot. We had a good workout, ran 20, 100’s. Coach Carlisle will push you, he wants the best for you and he’s doing a great job in the weight room.”

The Miami native does his offseason workouts close to home, but was pleased to be re-united with his other “family” this past week by having two productive practices and extra time in the weight room.

“I was happy to get back and see those guys,” Gore said. “When you’re away for awhile then you come back, you look forward to be back with your family out here. We’re trying to get better. I was happy to get back with Vernon, Moran (Norris), (Michael) Crabtree, Josh (Morgan), Delanie (Walker), all my offensive guys, my offensive buddies. We’re trying to having a good year.”

Morgan agreed with the sentiments of his starting running back and was encouraged to see all of the offensive guys get in a few more quality workouts in together before a few days off for Easter break.

“We’re about to put on a show for 2010,” Morgan said. “We’re ready. We’re in here working. Everybody’s feeling the excitement and we’re just ready to go work for the Super Bowl. All of us are trying to be great, all of us. We’re going to do whatever it takes.”

Davis said being around for the rest of the week has allowed him to spend time with new teammates and new coaches. It’s also allowed him to observe the young players who have made strides this offseason.

Davis added that second-year running back Glen Coffee and third-year safety Reggie Smith are the ones who have caught his eye immediately. Davis said the two have improved from seeing what the veteran players have done ahead of them and now they’re following in their footsteps.

As for his own offseason motives, Davis is looking to work on ball skills.

The team will have the first two days of next week off thanks to Carlisle allowing players to spend Easter weekend with their families. They’ll return on Wednesday to resume the fourth week of the 49ers offseason conditioning program.

“We move into our last week of training, and specificity becomes the most important factor. The guys on the field are doing position-specific drills,” Carlisle said. “Inside, the focus goes from a strength base to improving strength and power. It shifts from a general approach to a specific approach and the intensity of the workouts go up both outside and in the weight room.

Check out some screen grabs from inside the 49ers weight room and our sights and sounds video from the offseason conditioning program.

Tw0-time Pro Bowl RB Frank Gore

Jansen walked the two offensive linemen, guests and Gold Rush cheerleaders through a series of warm-up movements and then broke down the golf swing step by step.

“It was a lot of fun,” Wragge said.  “Karen taught me that the basic principles of the swing haven’t changed, but they need to be perfected.  That’s one of the things I really need to work on as a big guy.  I need to work on my flexibility, core strength and the basics.  I need to focus on following through properly.  I don’t always get out enough since I’m focused on football, but I always like to improve my game.”

With a golf club not much more than two feet long, Wragge did feel somewhat awkward while receiving the instruction.

“The club probably goes up to my mid-thigh so it was kind of goofy but the principles were still the same,” Wragge said.  “It makes a lot of sense when you use the club, but it started to feel like kiddie golf for since I’m so big.”

There will be an ice sculpting demonstration and competition at 1:00, followed by a Chalk Talk session with the players and coached at 3:00.  Stay tuned!

UPDATE: 2:00

We just got finished with the ice carving competition where teams were asked to carve 49ers helmets.  Each team of two went with their own creative touches, including everything from hollowing out the face mask as well as adding eyes and cracks from game play.

“We have fractures in the top of the helmet,” said Seth Gersch, 49ers Foundation board member.  “We have a bad, bad bruise in the front of the helmet.  We have a very abstract look to our helmet and we’re very pleased with the result.”

“This is the helmet after the Super Bowl game,” added James Kyson-Lee, the actor who play’s Ando from Heroes.  “It’s a true work of art.  It represents the journey of an athlete through the Super Bowl after an NFL season.”

Pictured: Seth Gersch and James Kyson-Lee

While Kyson-Lee and Gersch were thrilled with their final product, linebacker Parys Haralson was left frustrated after experiencing technical difficulties when his drill bit broke.

“Our drill bit was a little short,” Haralson said.  “I told [the instructor] my bit wouldn’t get deep enough because we were trying to get up in there.”

Josh Morgan also had some hardware problems after giving his carving took to the neighboring Takeo Spikes.  Morgan’s team still managed to finish with a very nice looking helmet.

“I was the inspiration, but my partner did most of the work,” Morgan said.  “We carved it to perfection.  We were doing fine until we tried to share [with Spikes] and be good sports and they broke our tool so that put us back a little bit.  We’re going to win.  We have the eyes, my umber in the back and the S-F.  If it wasn’t melting so bad, it would look perfect.”

The teams will have to wait until the dinner reception tonight to find out who won.

4:30 UPDATE

The Chalk Talk this afternoon was a huge success.  Head coach Mike Singletary started the event by stating the team’s philosophy and mission heading into the 2010 season.

Then, running backs coach Tom Rathman demonstrated the four points of pressure in order to ensure ball security, the key component of Rathman’s coaching philosophy.   It was evident that Rathman had given his daughter Samantha the same instruction as his players as the coach enlisted her help to go over proper ball carrying technique.

Each of the players also walked the audience through several plays in a film session similar to what the they might go through in one of their team  meetings.

One of the most interesting moments came in the Q&A session that followed, when quarterback Alex Smith broke down offensive play calls, describing what each part of the call means and the many options he has  to change a play after it has been called in the huddle.  Having played in several different offensive systems, he described the different ways of calling plays in the digit system the team uses currently and the West Coast offense which Smith ran during his first year in the NFL.

“It was incredible,” Eileen Goodwin said after the conclusion of the Chalk Talk.  “As a person who watches football but has never played, they really made it understandable.  Every one of them has a terrific personality and it really came through in their answers.”

Goodwin was also the winner of the raffle for an autographed football.  However, since Rathman drew her number, the coach pulled a pop quiz and made her recite the four points of pressure he taught earlier.  Being put on the spot, Goodwin passed and was able to receive her reward.

“I remember when he played and I can see why he’s a great coach,” Goodwin said about Rathman.  “It stuck in my head.  Having his daughter come up and demonstrate made it easier for me to perform it later.”

The evening schedule is the same as Friday night.  There is a reception and silent auction at 5:30 followed by dinner and a live auction at 6:30.

UPDATE: John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls closed the event with an exclusive concert for all the guests at the Celebrity Winter Fest.  Here are a few photos from the final night.

The day is finally here for the beginning of the 10th Annual Celebrity Winter Fest, a great event presented by Thomson Reuters benefiting the 49ers Foundation.  Guests began to check in around noon and once again, there’s gorgeous weather up here at The Resort at Squaw Creek.  I’ll keep you updated on the blog throughout the conclusion of the event Sunday morning.

4:00 UPDATE

Former 49ers defensive lineman Dwaine Board just checked in.  All guests go straight to the registration desk and then down to the Maui Jim kiosk to pick up their Maui Jim sunglasses.  Josh Morgan should arrive in about and hour so I’ll have more info when he arrives.  There is a reception scheduled for 6:00 tonight, followed by a S’mores roasting session out on the deck.  Stay tuned!

6:00 UPDATE

Offensive linemen Adam Snyder and Cody Wallace just checked in at the hotel.  Snyder had his hands full, pushing the stroller for his son Kael.  This will be Snyder’s fourth time attending the Celebrity Winter Fest as it’s become a tradition he looks forward to.

“It’s a great group of people and we’re supporting a great foundation,” Snyder said.  “Being a part of this is really special for us.  My wife does a lot of work with the 49ers Academy and we enjoy being around this great group of people.”

Snyder, a native of Southern California, is also an avid surfer, but hasn’t yet seen if his skills riding the waves can translate to the slopes.

“Playing football, I’ve never had the chance to do it,” Snyder said.  “I think my skills would translate well though.”

Last year, Snyder’s son was too young to play in the snow, but this year, he’s become much more adventurous.

“This is his second year up here,” Snyder said.  “Now he’s walking and he might have a little more fun this year running in the snow.  We brought him some shovels to play with so it should be a really nice stay up here.”

Add in great food, lots of fun activities and terrific local wines and it’s a time everyone can enjoy.

6:30 UPDATE

Josh Morgan just checked in, see the photo above.  The evening reception is underway so I have to run in there to make the last hour, then off to roast the perfect s’more.

9:30 UPDATE

I just got back to my room after a highly entertaining evening.  After a reception featuring excellent food, Josh Morgan and Cody Wallace got competitive by the fire pit to see who could make the best s’more.  Wallace went with two helpings of chocolate on his first attempt and immediately regretted his decision while Morgan was just focused on completing the task since it was his first time making the fireside treat.  The Gold Rush also assisted some of the children at the event and made a few for themselves as well.  Here’s a few more photos from the evening below.  Things get started again early tomorrow, so stay tuned for more updates.

It was a great trip to Indianapolis this past weekend at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine. We spoke with the countless NFL prospects, interviewed two of the NFL’s top information men from two major networks, spoke with our head coach and general manger, toured the 49ers interview room and even caught up with the athletic training staff.

On top of all that, interviewing groups of players over a four-day period gave us a lot of information on this year’s prospects.

It also gave us insight on members of the 49ers current roster. 

For instance, Virginia Tech punter Brent Bowden recalled how talented of a player 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan (49ers sixth-round pick, 174^th overall in 2008) was during their time as college teammates.

“Josh Morgan used to strike fear in the front line of our punt team,” Bowden recalled. “Whenever we would do it in practice every day, I’d used to hear my snapper or one of my guards talk about, ‘Man, Josh Morgan is the hardest dude ever to block!’”

Bowden said he and the rest of his teammates on the punt team took pride watching Morgan play with the 49ers over the past two seasons.

“Whenever they’re on TV I try to catch them because I know he’s playing there. I know he’s doing a pretty good job.”

The 49ers first-round pick of 2009, (10^th overall) also was praised by one of his teammates.

Guard Brandon Carter, known for his imaginative face-paint worn on gamedays in college and pass protection for Red Raider quarterbacks, had rave reviews for his former teammate Michael Crabtree.

“He deserves a lot of credit, he was a great player and he was a hard-worker,” Carter said of his teammate who caught 41 touchdowns in college. “I did follow what he did this season and I think he did well. He’s going to do a lot better in years to come. I always had all the respect in the world for him. He was a great player and a good guy in the locker room.”

Likewise, Pittsburgh tight end Dorin Dickerson followed the play of his college teammate, Scott McKillop (49ers fifth-round pick, 146^th overall in 2009).

“I heard he was Special Teams Player of the year for the 49ers, that’s pretty good.”

Dorin ran an Eric Dickerson-like 4.4, 40-yard dash at the Combine thanks to all the hard work in his preparation. McKillop noted in his last rookie diary he was working out with his former teammates, Dickerson being one of them.

“He was telling us what to expect here at the Combine,” said the impressive, 6-2, 230-pound tight end.

Dickerson might have received a head’s up on what to expect, but once he arrived at Lucas Oil Stadium, the magnitude of the event struck him instantly.

“I’ve been watching the Combine since I was little, it’s kind of cool actually seeing yourself there. When I pulled up, I was looking at the stadium like, ‘This is the real deal.” So you have to be prepared for it.”

In case you missed any of the headlines, photos, or interviews from the Combine, check out 49ers Combine Central for a comprehensive look at 49ers.com’s coverage.

And for all the best Combine performances, NFL.com has the top workout numbers posted here.

In the coming days we’ll have more Combine-related content including  1-on-1 interviews with a handful of the draft’s top prospects from both sides of the ball, including one Bay Area talent you might be familiar with.

Until then, put on your GM hat and discuss your draft opinions in the comment section of this post.

NinerCam followed Josh Morgan last weekend when he performed with the Harlem Globetrotters at HP Pavillion.  As expected, the athletic wide receiver showed that his ability translates well to the hardwood, dunking the ball with ease.  Click here to watch the video on our brand new 49ers YouTube Channel.  Subscribe to our channel and watch many of your favorite TV49 videos.

Apparently the man known as “Samurai” Mike during his playing career isn’t very handy with a carving knife on Thanksgiving Day.

“I carve the turkey, I mess it up pretty much.” head coach Mike Singletary said with a smile when I asked him what his typical role was on the holiday. “My wife is still gracious enough to let me do it every year.”

Singletary enjoys helping out as much as possible, just as long as he’s able to spend quality time with his family.

“The biggest part is we just have a good time. It’s my day to serve and try to get my wife to sit down somewhere. That’s what that day is all about for me.”

The 49ers will hold practice on Thursday, but will have enough time in the day to spend time with family and friends. Singletary said in his Wednesday media session that the focus will remain the same while the players at team headquarters.

“We’ll just try and get everything done that we need to get done here in terms of keeping the focus on performing well this Sunday and trying to come away with a win. And at the same time, taking that day to enjoy your family, finding the balance between the two. That’s really it. I’m going to enjoy my family and encourage everybody else to do the same.”

Here’s what some of the players will be doing this year for Thanksgiving:

Wide Receiver Josh Morgan #84

-Plans for Turkey Day?

-“I’m not even sure what I’m going to do yet. I’m going to one of these people’s houses and eating something. I’m from the East Coast, so I’m going to go to somebody’s house and eat some good food. Whoever calls me first, that’s where I’m at. Or from my position, I can pick and choose. I can go to one house and eat something, then go to another house and eat something different. I could go to about six houses and eat different meals! I know a lot of people who can cook, so I’m going where the food’s at!”

-Favorite food to eat on Thanksgiving?

“My favorite food on thanksgiving is the turkey of course. I also love the stuffing and macaroni and cheese. I like all of that. I like food period.”

-Any Thanksgiving traditions?

“As a kid, we would play football all of the time on Thanksgiving. All my cousins were there. After we come in, they would wash all of us up. Then we would watch whatever football game was on. It usually was the Lions. We’d watch Barry Sanders go crazy on Thanksgiving. That was our ritual. Both Vernon Davis and I have played on Thanksgiving before. That’s when the high school football championship was in D.C. It’s called the Turkey Bowl. We won of course. I remind Vernon all of the time. He’s upset right now, because my school is in the Turkey Bowl again tomorrow and his school didn’t make it this year. He’s a little upset right now, but he’ll get over it.”

Center Cody Wallace #59

-What’s it like having your birthday on Thanksgiving Day?

“It’s cool. It’s happened a few times in the past. We’ve always been off for school, so I haven’t gotten to fully enjoy it.”

-What are your plans?

“Practice, then head over to my girlfriend’s house and spend time with the family. Then I get to meet all of them and hang out.”

-What do you do to help out?

“I don’t think they should let me be near the food when it’s getting prepared. I’ll wait until it’s all done.”

-What’s your favorite food?

“Just the turkey and the dressing. That’s the big thing every year and my favorite thing to eat.”

Cornerback Dre’ Bly #31

-What are your thoughts on Thanksgiving?

“There are going to be a lot of guys in the “hot box” (sauna) on Friday and might be doing some extra cardio to try and burn off some of that extra fat that they gained from Thursday night.”

-What are your memories of playing on Thanksgiving while playing in Detroit?

“Normally on that Wednesday you want to eat as light as you possibly can going into a game. You don’t want to go into a game full. But after that game, it was on.”

- Favorite food on Thanksgiving?

“Everything. I always have my in-laws come in to town and help my wife cook. I pig out. I would probably say sweet potato pie. That’s my downfall. Banana pudding too.”

Tackle Barry Sims #65

-What’s the team’s mindset on Thursday?

“The plan is to get our work done obviously, that’s the most important thing. After that, we’ll get a chance to spend some time with our families and be thankful for what we have.”

-What are you thankful for?

“I’m thankful for my family and my friends. I’m thankful for the opportunity that I have to play football in the National Football League. To be healthy, there is a lot to be thankful for and too many things to mention. Those are the top of the list right there. I’m thankful that my wife is doing the cooking. But in our house, each person contributes in their own way. We’ve got certain people who run to the grocery store. We have helpers to help. Everybody’s going to contribute. It’s not just her cooking. But, she cooks a mean ‘bird and we’ve got a big one this year.”

-Do you carve the turkey?

“I’m not a carver. I have carved in the past, but I’m not very good at it. It’s not that fun for me. I worry about cutting my fingers off and I worry about sweating into the food. My role is to bring humor to the situation. I like to come in from a long day and tell everybody that I’ve been working while they’ve been doing nothing. We have fun and enjoy being together as a family. I enjoy having a nice sit down meal. There are only a couple times in the year when we can do that.”

Guard Chilo Rachal #62

-What are Plans for Thanksgiving?

“Just to spend time with my family; my son, my mother, and my father and to be appreciative for everything I’m thankful for.”

-What are you thankful for?

“My son. The opportunity to have this job that I love doing the most. Having time to spend with my family.”

-What’s your role on Thanksgiving?

“I’m the person who has to bring in the grocery bags from the car and into the house. I also take all of the trash out. I’ve got to be the handy man since I’m the big man.”

-How much food does an offensive lineman like yourself actually eat on Thanksgiving?

“I do some damage now. It depends on how I approach it. I start with a little bit, then come back with another little bit. Then I go full force, throttle in, goggles on and everything. I knock it down.”

Kicker Joe Nedney #6

-How do NFL players typically spend Thanksgiving?

“I’ve never spent Thanksgiving on the football field. I haven’t done that yet and it was kind of one of those little goals. My in-laws do an amazing, big, family spread. There’s the table that’s really long and one person’s on one side yelling for the salt and pepper and all that. All you see are hands and spoons and forks and all of that. There’s a lot of action, a lot of noise, and a lot of chaos. That’s Thanksgiving in my family now. It was given to me from my wife’s family. It’s a pretty amazing deal. My mother in-law takes any stragglers off the road; anybody who has nowhere to go for Thanksgiving dinner and brings them to her house and cooks an amazing meal. It’s a lot of fun and there’s about four generations of people who are at the meal.”

-What is Joe Nedney doing to help out on Thanksgiving?

“There is a head of the table that the Patriarch sits at and I’m at the butt of the table. My job is to basically keep wine in people’s glasses. Sometimes I’ll go and do some dishes after. I’ll make sure if anybody needs any color commentary during the football games that are going on, I’ll provide some insight because kickers are so knowledgeable about that stuff. That’s my day. Eat a lot of food. Unbuckle the top button. You kind of fall unconscious for a while, and that’s it.”

-What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?

“I love a well cooked Turkey obviously. I’m a big stuffing fan. One of the staples in my families Thanksgiving is ravioli. Ever since I’ve been married we’ve eaten ravioli’s for dinner and it’s become a holiday staple in the family. My daughter, whatever’s on the plate, she’s going to eat. My son sticks to the rolls and anything with cheese in it, then he’s happy.”