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Monday’s Locker Room Talk

A day after a frustrating 18-14 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts, the 49ers pointed the blame at themselves for not being able to snap their two-game losing streak, which now stands at three games.

“It was a tough game,” head coach Mike Singletary said at his day after the game press conference. “It was one of those things where we did more than they did. Yesterday was a classic case of an immature team shooting itself in the foot.”

Singletary spoke of penalties and missed assignments that caused the 49ers to come up short, and his players agreed.

“We have the tools, we have the people, we just have to learn how to finish,” running back Frank Gore said.

Although it wasn’t the outcome he was looking for, Singletary felt his team did improve on Sunday by nearly defeating the undefeated Colts.

“We didn’t win yesterday, but we did get better,” he said.

In Singletary’s eyes, his players improved, despite suffering injuries to two key players, one on each side of the ball.

On the game’s very first offensive play, left tackle Joe Staley went down with a sprained knee. Staley underwent an MRI earlier today and the time table for his return will be announced by the team later. Staley was in good spirits in the locker room and was noticeably limping, but able to put weight on his leg.

Staley said it was the first knee injury of football career and the first significant playing time he’s missed since spraining an ankle as a college freshman.

Staley added that he was able to watch the play of his replacement Barry Sims and right tackle Adam Snyder throughout the game and offered tips to them as well.

“I thought Barry did a good job,” Staley said.

Sims, an 11-year NFL veteran with 127 regular season starts, was ready to go when his number was called after the game’s first offensive snap.

“I always draw from my experience,” Sims said of what helped him be ready. “As a backup you prepare yourself as a starter and I started my whole career. I’m aware of what it takes to be the starter. It was unfortunate that Joe went down as early as he did, but at the same time, it was good to be able to get into a rhythm at the beginning and then go from there.”

The 49ers other major injury news on Monday involved cornerback Nate Clements’ fractured right scapula.

“We will not put him on IR,” Singletary said. “If we’re in the playoffs, he deserves to play.”

Clements becomes the third 49ers player to fracture his shoulder this season.

In training camp wide receiver Brandon Jones suffered a fractured scapula and was back in five weeks. Tackle Tony Pashos also suffered the same injury against the Texans, but was placed on IR after.

With this injury, the 49ers expect Clements to be back in time for the end of the season and a possible playoff run.

Clements only has his focus on rehabbing his shoulder to get back on the field.

“I’m just going to focus everything on rehabbing and still staying in on what’s going on with the defense,” he said. “Right now, I have to focus on rehabbing and getting my arm stronger.”

More Monday Notes

-Singletary said a sprained shoulder to defensive tackle Demetric Evans was the only injury to come out of the Colts game, besides the injuries to Staley and Clements.

-Singletary said Tarell Brown will be fine in stepping in for Clements. Asked if Brown can handle those duties, Singletary responded, “Oh yeah, he’s ready.”

-Players on offense were asked about the state of the team’s offense and if going to a spread attack from the shotgun formation would help the team move the ball. Quarterback Alex Smith said answered it best: “I think you want to retain balance. I think you want to be physical, run the ball, as well as at times change the tempo, and spread it out a little bit and then go back to the run. I think those are the things you need to do to be a successful offense.”

-Along those lines, Singletary was asked if he supported the play-calling from offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, to which he responded: “I 150-percent back what he’s doing, absolutely. There’s not one iota that I’m wavering here or there, whatever. Jimmy knows there are some things going forward that he has to learn about our players, what they can and cannot do.”

-Singletary was also pleased with Smith’s play.

-“I thought Alex did very well. I was very pleased to see him make some throws. I was very excited and anticipated this game for him because I knew the rush was going to be coming at him. I knew that it was just a situation where he wasn’t going to sit back there and be comfortable and he got outside of the pocket a few times and he made some good decisions, made some really nice throws. Outside throws, up the field throws, post throws, I thought he made all the throws that he needed to make and he just needed to be more consistent. I thought he handled himself very well in pressure situations and I thought he did a good job.”

49ers Make World Series Picks

There’s only so many times you can get asked the same question during an open locker room period. But I know our guys enjoy an occasional question out of left field.

Having said that, today I asked a question about left field, well sort of.

I asked a handful of guys who they were picking to win the World Series which kicks off tonight between the New York Yankees and the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

And for fun, I asked which players in the locker room would make up the best 49ers baseball team. The answers I got were somewhat surprising:

-“I would definitely have B. Jones [Brandon] as my center fielder,” cornerback Tarell Brown said of his wide receiver teammate, who was a one-time draft pick of the Yankees organization. “I would be a shortstop because I have good range. All the quarterbacks would be our pitchers.”

-“Put me at catcher, I swear I’d be a great catcher. I’d be amazing,” cornerback Marcus Hudson explained. “I’d cover the plate and nobody would steal on me. I would gun them out if they tried to steal on me!”

-“I think Arnaz [Battle] might be a second baseman because he has quick feet and quick hands,” Jones said of the players who would play beside him. “I see Alex [Smith] and our other quarterbacks as our pitchers. We’ll go with a three-man rotation. And on offense, our cleanup hitter would probably be big Mo, Moran Norris.”

-“I don’t know about that – I don’t think Mo has any bat speed!” Battle joked in response to Jones’ opinion.

-“I think Justin Smith would be our first baseman. He seems like he’d be a power hitter,” long snapper Brian Jennings said.

-“Ooh, that’s a pretty good question! I don’t know if Justin could be our first baseman though. He’s a slugger, maybe a DH,” Shawntae Spencer said. “I’m not putting him on the field. I’d put guys with really good ball skills in my infield. Dre’ Bly, Nate Clements they both have good ball skills, the receivers do too.

-“Then, I would go with the coordinators as our bench coaches, because they are good with hand signals. Our base coaches could be special teams coordinator Al Everest and secondary coach Vance Joseph because they send in signals too.”

-“I would be a pitcher, because I’d want to throw the ball. In football I love hitting people and in baseball if I was mad at someone – I could throw the ball at them,” defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga joked.

Here are some of the picks from the 49ers locker room, note that only one player [Spencer] chose the defending champs:

Josh Morgan: Yankees in five games.

“I think it’s the Yankees year.”

Tarell Brown: Yankees in five games.

“Really to be honest with you, it doesn’t mean a whole lot that the Phillies won it all last year. At the end of the day the Yankees are playing great baseball and they have solid pitching. Really, that’s what it’s going to come down to – pitching. Pitching and defense. The Yankees have always been a great offensive team, but their pitching is amazing this year. I’ve been a Yankees fan forever though….”

Shawntae Spencer: Phillies in six games.

“I don’t really like either one of these teams. If the Pirates aren’t in it – I don’t really care! But I guess I got a little bit of love for Philly, but then again, I don’t want them to win because if they do I won’t see the end of it. I have a lot of friends from Philadelphia, so I don’t really want to hear that. I’m just going to watch as a fan. I think it’s going to be a great series, I’ll take the Phillies, since nobody else has.”

Brandon Jones: Yankees in six games.

“You have to figure the Phillies can get a couple of games. They can hit. And, they might even wear Andy Pettitte out in game three. C.C. [Sabathia] might have to come back on short rest and get another win for them. It might go to six, if that happens.”

Barry Sims: Yankees in six games.

“A-Rod is hitting this year and they’re getting good pitching – I think it’s their year.”

Brian Jennings: Yankees in six games.

“If I played baseball I’d for sure want to play for the Yankees.”

Isaac Sopoaga: Yankees in six games.

“I want it to be less games, but I think it would be more exciting if it goes to six or seven games. Then, you’d have more games to watch on TV.”

Andy Lee: Yankees in six games.

Clements and Rachal Break Down the Big Game

On Sunday, the 49ers will square off for the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, but Saturdays always seem to bring out an entirely different competition.  With college football games throughout the day, teammates turn into rivals as they cheer on their former schools.

Today is no different for Nate Clements and Chilo Rachal who have been talking all week (and a good part of the offseason) about tonight’s matchup between Ohio State and USC.

“I’ve been giving Nate and Alex [Boone] a heads up about what’s going to happen,” said the Trojan alum.  “I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces coming back on the plane on Sunday.”

Clements, a former Buckeye, thinks there is no way USC walks out of Ohio State with a win, considering they will have to play in one of the toughest environments in college football.

“Ohio State is going to prevail,” Clements boldly stated.  “They’re playing in the ‘Shoe’ so Ohio State is going to be amped up and ready to go.”

Rachal insists that playing Ohio State on the road is no big deal for his team, which has played well on the big stage.

“It’s no big deal,” Rachal said.  “We play better in big games so that’s just more motivation for us.”

For Clements, the key is going to be the Buckeye defense and their ability to force takeaways.

“The key will be turnovers,” Clements said.  “Whoever creates the most turnovers will win.”

49ers vs. Broncos Live Blog

The 49ers are getting prepared for their first preseason game of the year against the Denver Broncos.  The game is presented by Sports Gallery.  Stay tuned to the blog for drive and score updates.

There is not an inactives list for the preseason game, but the players who did not dress for tonight’s game are Patrick Willis, Ray McDonald, David Baas, Joe Nedney, Michael Robinson, Delanie Walker and Isaac Bruce.

I was just handed the game release by our PR staff.  The 49ers captains for tonight’s game are LS Brian Jennings, LB Takeo Spikes and T Joe Staley.

We’ve received a lot of questions about how to watch the game.  Locally, it airs on CBS 5 and it’s also on NFL Network nationally.  You can listed to the game online at http://www.knbr.com/pages/main

Kickoff

The 49ers began their first drive from the 22 yard line.  On 2^nd down, Shaun hill completed a pass to TE Vernon Davis for a gain of 22 yards.  Two plays later, Hill was brought down by Elvis Dumervil.  Despite a third and long situation, Hill was able to move the chains, finding Davis again for a gain of 18 yards.  On the next play, Hill was flushed from the pocket and scrambled up the middle, picking up 9 yards.  The 49ers then picked up their third first down on the drive behind a short carry for Glen Coffee.  Mario Haggan brought Hill down on the next play for the Broncos second sack of the drive.  Coffee quickly picked up much of the lost yardage with a 15-yard carry.  Coffee was stopped short on third down, bringing out the field goal unit.  With Joe Nedney not dressed for the game, Alex Romero came on to connect on the 38-yard field goal.  It was an 11 play drive that went 58 yards.

49ers 3 – Denver 0

Our PR staff just announced that FB Zak Keasey has a right elbow injury and his return is questionable.

Correll Buckhalter picked up a first down for the Broncos on two carries.  On 3^rd and 11, Orton dropped back and found Eddie Royal for a 7 yard gain, getting down to the 4-yard line.  On 2^nd down, Nate Clements came up huge with an interception, coming back and stepping in front of Daniel Graham.  Clements took a knee in the end zone for the touchback.

Alex Smith takes the field for the 49ers second drive of the game.  The first team offensive line is still in the game.  The only other replacement is Brit Miller who takes over for Keasey.

On 2^nd down, Ryan McBean pressured Smith, bringing him down for the sack.  That brings up 3^rd and 14.  Smith completed the next pass to Josh Morgan, but he was just shy of the sticks.  Lee’s punt was returned to the Broncos 37-yard line.

Update on Keasey: he will not return to the game.

The Broncos start their second drive with a 13 yard gain.  The Broncos picked up their second first down on the drive thanks to the efforts of their 2009 first-round draft pick, Knowshon Moreno.  The 49ers defense came up big again as Dre’ Bly picked off the pass intended for Stokely.  This is why he was 49ers.com’s practice MVP last week!!

After a 7 yard pass from Smith to Battle and a short run by Glen Coffee, the 49ers picked up a first down just past the 40-yard line.  Smith couldn’t connect on third down.  Lee came on to punt, hitting it out of bounds at the 10-yard line.

Third pick by the 49ers secondary, this one by Reggie Smith.  Alex Smith took over hitting FB Brit Miller in the end zone.  The extra point was missed by Romero.

49ers 9 – Broncos 0

The secondary continues to make big plays – this time in the run game.  Dre’ Bly rushed the edge, bringing down Lamont Jordan.  On 3^rd and 10, Orton completed the pass for a short gain to Chad Jackson.  The officials called pass interference on the Broncos, but the 49ers declined, bringing up 4^th and 7.  The 49ers will take over at their own 11-yard line.  Alex Smith is still in with the starting offense.

The 49ers look content to run out the clock and get to the half.  Glen Coffee continues to run very hard, breaking a long run on third down to keep the drive going.  The third-round draft pick out of Alabama gets out to midfield as time expires.

It was an impressive first half for the 49ers highlighted by three picks by the secondary, a touchdown pass from Smith to Miller and several big gains by Vernon Davis.

Halftime score: 49ers 9 – Broncos 0

The quarterback competition looks pretty close in the first half, especially if you’re looking at QB rating.  Smith’s rating was 120.8 while Hill wasn’t far behind at 118.8.

Looks like the night is over for Smith as he’s come back out in the second half without his shoulder pads.  Damon Huard and Nate Davis are getting loose on the sideline.

On 3rd and short, the Broncos covert, taking the ball to midfield behind the legs of Peyton Hillis.  Chirs Simms completed a pass to Nate Swift as the Broncos marched down to the 4-yard line.  Movement on the Broncos’ line back them up 5 yards.  Two plays later Simms hits Jeb Putzier who beat the coverage of Mark Washington for the score.

49ers 9 – Broncos 7

Shaun Hill talked about his performance on the first drive of the game which resulted in a field goal. 

“We were able to move the ball and we had a big conversion on third down,” Hill said.  “That last sack kind of hurt us.  That was completely on me.  The offensive line did a great job out there.  So I’d like to have that play back and I feel like we could have gotten 7 out of that.”

The 49ers will begin their next drive at the 20-yard line with QB Damon Huard at the helm.  On 3rd and long, Huard it Micheal Spurlock for the first down.  Spurlock picked up another first down, making a nice move after a short pass to pick up 10 yards.  Chris Baker brout down Huard, bringing up 2nd and long for the 49ers.  Huard’s third down pass fell incomplete as Joe Jon Finley couldn’t reel it in.

On 3rd and 6, Simms pass was complete to former 49ers WR Brandon Lloyd for the first down.  Great play by the 49ers secondary again as Simms tested Terrail Lambert deep.  Lambert deflected the pass down the right sideline.  That’s the end of the third quarter.

Cornerback Nate Clements spoke about the strong play of the secondary.

“I think that guys were just relaxed out there, taking chances, trusting and believing in what they saw.  We weren’t really worried about what they were going to do.  We were more focused on what we could do.”

Another catch for Lloyd as the Broncos drive to the 49ers 12-yard line.  The 49ers Faithful helped the tea out on 3rd and 6, getting loud as the 49ers flushed Simms from the pocket, forcing him to throw it away.  The Broncos converted the short field goal and took the lead.

Broncos 10 – 49ers 9

The 49ers will begin their drive from the 18-yard line.  Huard is in at quarterback.  Huard nearly hit Spurlock deep, but the pass was batted away by Alphonso Smith.  Big third down conversion as Huard hit Finley just past the sticks.  Huard moved the chains again, hittling Thomas Clayton for a nice gain.  After a short carry, Clayton is down on the field.  As soon as I hear anything about the injury, I’ll pass that along. 

Clayton is being carted off the field now.  His teammates are around him.  Whatever the injury is, it doesn’t look good.

With Clayton out, Kory Sheets is in at running back.  The 49ers continue to play well on third down as Huard found Jason Hill for the conversion.  Wow!  Two touchdowns for FB Brit Miller.  The Denver Broncos sent the house on the blitz.  The line picked it up and Huard found Miller with absolutely nobody around him.  Huard raced in down the right sideline for the 40 yard TD.  The 49ers will go for two.

Wow again!  On the conversion it appeared that Huard’s first read was to Zeigler, but when he was covered, Huard lofted the ball to the back of the end zone.  Bear Pascoe used his height to pull the ball away from one of the Broncos defensive backs and the 49ers go up by a touchdown!

49ers 17 – Broncos 10

Update on Clayton: He has a right knee sprain and is out.

I’ll have to run down to the field as there’s just five minutes left in the game.  Follow us on Twitter for additional updates.