The 49ers enjoyed the light mood of media day on Tuesday as they were peppered with football and non-football questions by thousands of credentialed media members on the turf of the Superdome. There was a super hero, free tattoo sleeves for the players, 49ers Kaepernicking and more.

Peter Schrager of FOXSports.com offered his take on the best and worst of media day for Super Bowl XLVII.

“This is the new normal at Super Bowl Media Day, an NFL cultural and journalistic melting pot that puts Miss Alabama and Brent Musberger favorite Katherine Webb, in the same room as 84-year-old Hall of Fame journalist Edwin Pope,” Schrager wrote. “It’s no longer about the players’ answers; it’s about the folks asking the players the questions.”

The 49ers would also like to announce that Vernon Davis is holding a charity raffle to win an all expense paid trip to New Orleans for the Super Bowl. The deadline for the drawing is on Thursday (tomorrow).

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate features the top quotes and story lines from the hectic media day scene.

Rembert Browne of Grantland.com offered a photo blog of media day.

Dan Hanzus of NFL.com gave a rundown of the highlights of media day.

Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News gave his take on the current state of media day.

Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group shared insight on Jim Harbaugh’s hour-long media day session.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com passed along comments from Randy Moss.

Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group spoke to Ahmad Brooks about the Quest for Six.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle took a look at Harbaugh’s media day responses.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee discussed the relationship between Moss and Colin Kaepernick.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com took a look at Aldon Smith’s sack numbers.
Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com analyzed Moss’ place in NFL history.

Mark Purdy of the Bay Area News Group wrote that Kaepernick was candid with the media on Tuesday.

Maiocco examined Michael Crabtree’s development as a player.

Carl Steward of the Bay Area News Group discussed Smith.

Maiocco spoke to Mario Manningham about last year’s big Super Bowl catch.

Vic Tafur and Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle offered a notebook of memorable quotes.

TV49′s CLIP OF THE DAY

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Up and at em….. Getting better this morning focused on a Epic Finish….Let's get it….Goodmorning everybody!!—
Anthony Dixon (@Boobie24Dixon) January 30, 2013

On to the next.

NEW ORLEANS – Good morning, it’s Media Day at Super Bowl XLVII. If the San Francisco 49ers thought they’d been a part of a media swarm before, Tuesday’s annual media day will crush that in comparison.

Thousands of credentialed reporters will get their chance to speak with the 49ers Tuesday morning in the Superdome. It should be quiet the scene compared to Monday’s media session which can be viewed in this 49ers.com photo gallery.

Only a handful of players have spoken to the press so far, but the entire team, plus coaches, will be available. It should make for quite the day, 49ers.com will have it all covered LIVE. That’s right, LIVE.

Visit 49ers.com/live during Media Day at Super Bowl XLVII for unprecedented access to the 49ers.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News wrote about the 49ers improvements since the last time they faced Baltimore.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle shared how Jim Harbaugh helped his father in a time of need.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee explained which team awards were won by the Smiths, Justin and Aldon.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com shared insight on Randy Moss’ leadership to teammates and also reviewed Anthony Davis’ blocking matchup against Paul Kruger.

Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke with Saints linebacker Jon Vilma about former teammate Frank Gore

Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group profiled 49ers Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati.

Dennis Dillon of SI.com reviewed how the Harbaugh brothers have dealt with Super Bowl media attention thus far.

49ers.com shared Aldon Smith’s comments on being named team MVP, a look at Frank Gore’s determination to win, as well as transcripts from offensive and defensive players.

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NOLA showing love! #Niners #SuperBowl http://t.co/6o0IBLYr—
Vernon Davis (@VernonDavis85) January 29, 2013

Who’s got it better than us?

Have no fear 49ers Faithful, it’s almost here. Yes, playoff football is right around the corner. But before the Green Bay Packers come into town for a Saturday night Divisional Playoff clash, there’s still plenty of telling statistics to comb over prior to kick-off.

Good thing Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com uncovers those interesting details as well as anyone around. In his recent matchup column, Silva shared plenty of valuable notes on the 49ers opening playoff matchup.

Here are just a few of the many interesting items from Silva’s writeup:

-Aaron Rodgers has completed 102 of his last 149 passes (68.5 percent) for 1,310 yards (8.79 yards per attempt), with 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions.

-Rodgers hasn’t been intercepted in 177 throws.

-When the teams met in Week 1, Rodgers completed all nine of his passes targeted to Randall Cobb for 77 yards.

-Greg Jennings, not Cobb, has been Green Bay’s most productive receiver as of late. Jennings led the Packers in receptions (19), receiving yards (226), and touchdowns (3), over the past three weeks.

-Colin Kaepernick had possibly his best start in San Francisco’s Week 17 win over Arizona. Kaepernick completed a career-high 276 yards on 28 attempts against Arizona’s top-five pass defense. Kaepernick averaged 9.9 yards per attempt without a turnover.

-Most importantly of all, Silva predicted a 34-30 victory for the 49ers.

ESPN.com’s Elizabeth Merrill profiled 49ers sack-leader Aldon Smith and his impressive 2012 season.

Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group caught up with Justin Smith’s father for this must-read piece on San Francisco’s Pro Bowl defensive tackle.

Jeff Faraudo of the San Jose Mercury News profiled Pro Bowl free safety Dashon Goldson, who is much more than a physical force on the field.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com continues his key matchup series with a look at Joe Staley’s task of blocking Clay Matthews in a battle of Pro Bowl performers.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News offers updates on Justin Smith and Saturday night’s weather.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee checked in with Billy Cundiff, who is hopeful about making his Candlestick debut.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle examined Green Bay’s rejuvenated running game led by DuJuan Harris.

CSN Bay Area’s Mindi Bach recently visited Kaepernick’s hometown of Turlock, Calif.

49ers.com caught up with a determined Michael Crabtree, plus shared Frank Gore’s comments on Randy Moss and detailed Goldson’s thoughts on the matchup with Green Bay.

TV49’S CLIP OF THE DAY

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Only one more day to win tickets to Saturday's game against the Packers. Enter before 9am PT Friday: bit.ly/RElW1E—
San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 10, 2013

#QuestforFreeTickets.

The San Francisco 49ers were defeated 42-13 by the Seattle Seahawks and may have lost Mario Manningham for the rest of the season according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jim Harbaugh did not offer any specifics on Manningham’s knee injury suffered against the Seahawks when speaking to the media on Monday, but should shed light on the wide receiver’s long-term status when the 49ers coach meets with the media Wednesday afternoon.

If Manningham is out for the postseason run, Randy Moss will likely be inserted in the starting lineup opposite of Michael Crabtree. The veteran wideout has 26 receptions for 406 yards and three touchdown catches on the season. Furthermore, Moss has totaled 11 receptions in Colin Kaepernick’s six starts. 

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle elaborates on Schefter’s report concerning Manningham’s injury.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News looks at Moss’ role with the pending injury news.

Jerrell Richardson of CBS San Francisco covers Patrick Willis’ impact on and off the field.

Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today examines the rooting relationship between Aldon Smith and some of the NFL’s other top pass-rushers.

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Tune in to a special edition of Total Access today (7pm ET) for the unveiling of the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters. on.nfl.com/W52A2D—
NFL Network (@nflnetwork) December 26, 2012

Tune in  and see who made the NFL’s All-Star team.

Ricky Jean Francois was a wanted man inside the 49ers locker room on Friday.

After Justin Smith missed his third straight practice with an elbow injury, his streak of 185 straight starts, the third-longest active streak in the NFL, appears to be in jeopardy. Once Smith went out in the second half at New England last week, Jean Francois filled in for Smith and even contributed a crucial sack of Tom Brady in the late stages of the game.

So as Jean Francois fielded questions from reporters at his locker, Randy Moss and Mike Iupati couldn’t help but jump into the media scrum and ask some questions of their own.

“Do you think you’re pretty strong?” Moss asked Jean Francois.

“I squat about 700 (pounds), is that good enough?” Jean Francois responded.

Moss laughed and let Jean Francois go after that, but the point was made. Ricky is ready.

While Smith didn’t participate in Friday’s practice session, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said the veteran did some rehabbing, strengthening and conditioning throughout the day.

“He’ll be questionable for the game,” Harbaugh said.

If Smith is unable to go, they’ll need all of Jean Francois’ strength on the defensive line as they face Marshawn Lynch, who has reeled off back-to-back, 100-yard efforts against the 49ers dating back to last year. Jean Francois said he’s preparing as if he expects to start on Sunday.

The third-year defensive lineman has been a key backup to the starters, occasionally spelling Smith, Ray McDonald and Isaac Sopoaga throughout the season.

“I’m happy to play any position,” Jean Francois said. “If (defensive coordinator) Vic (Fangio) sees me at a different position and sees we have an advantage somewhere with me, I’m happy to play nose tackle and end to show I have versatility.”

But when Jean Francois comes in for Smith, who is renowned for rarely coming off the field, it’s usually for a play or two while Smith catches his breath. So as he stayed in the defensive huddle against the Patriots, Jean Francois admitted he was expecting Smith to come substitute him out of the game.

“I was like that for a few minutes,” Jean Francois said. “I was, like, 1, 2, 3. Hold on, I’ve been in three plays, that’s too long.”

Once Jean Francois returned to the sidelines and found out Smith was in the 49ers locker room for evaluation, he changed his mindset and told himself he would probably have to finish out the game. Likewise, Jean Francois changed up his study habits this week with the possibility he could get his second start of the year and fourth of his career.

“This week’s preparation was a little bit different,” Jean Francois said. “More film and more details on their offense. Usually I’m on the sideline, so I can gather their offense and see what they like running back and forth. Now I’m going to be actually on the field, so I have to get that from looking at film before anything.”

Pro Bowl tackle Joe Staley has practiced against both Smith and Jean Francois over the past four seasons. While no one can replicate Smith’s value to the team in the trenches, Staley said Jean Francois should be able to step in and contribute to the 49ers, who are tied with Seattle as the top-ranked scoring defense in NFL (15.6 points per game).

“He’s a very good player. He could start for a lot of football teams in the NFL,” Staley said of Jean Francois. “Fits the scheme really well, knows exactly what we’re doing. Obviously, Justin is Justin Smith and one of the best players in the NFL, but Ricky does a terrific job of going in there with a next-man-in kind of mentality. … If he’s in there, we expect him to do great things for us.”

Harbaugh on Friday also revealed that rookie linebacker Cam Johnson, the team’s seventh-round pick out of Virginia, could be a candidate to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster as the 53rd man.

The San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots will face-off in a nationally televised game Sunday night, something that seems quite insignificant in light of today’s tragedy in Newtown, Conn. The 49ers expressed condolences to all those affected by the senseless act and will continue to honor those who lost their lives along with the Patriots. Football is not the most important thing at this time, but when it comes time to play, the healing process will continue with a showcase game for many of the top players in the National Football League.

To discuss this week’s 49ers matchup, we welcomed one of those of the laundry list of talented players, special teams standout C.J. Spillman, to this week’s Niner Talk podcast.

San Francisco’s talented coverage units are highlighted by Spillman’s play, a big reason why he leads NFC Pro Bowl voting for special teams play. Spillman’s role on the 49ers comes into greater focus this week with his appearance on the Week 15 edition of Niner Talk.

In the interview, Spillman discusses the camaraderie on the special teams units, his relationship with Randy Moss and his passion for Kentucky basketball

For the New England Patriots perspective, we welcomed Andy Hart, assistant editor of Patriots.com, to hear his thoughts on New England’s impressive season and key matchups to Sunday night.

Click here to listen to the Niner Talk podcast, which is also available on our 49ers Gameday live App.

Here are some of the highlights from both interviews.

C.J. SPILLMAN

[1:45 – Spillman’s thoughts on facing one of the best AFC teams this late in the season.]

“It’s always a great feeling to play one of the elite teams in the NFL that have had a great winning tradition. Over the past few years, I think it’s a great task in front of us to go out and show what we can do.”

 [8:40 – Spillman’s explains his unique relationship with Randy Moss, a fellow Marshall Football alum.]

“I was very excited and happy to have him as a teammate, to learn from him, and also to talk to him and see about different things whether on the field or off the field. With him being on this team, he’s really and truly helped me and brightened my vision to see things in a different light.”

ANDY HART

[18:40 – Hart summarizes the Patriots locker room’s thoughts on Randy Moss’ return to New England.]

“They’re going to downplay it. They’re going to pay him his respects, because they loved him here. (Tom) Brady loved having him here as a playmaker. (Bill) Belichick always lauded Moss’ football intellect, his preparation, work ethic and all that. I think there’s still a lot of respect for Randy Moss and certainly a lot of gratitude for what Randy Moss did when he was here.”

 [10:50 – Hart’s thoughts on Steven Ridley’s increased role in 2012.]

“They came in this year wanting the running game to be more complimentary, it wasn’t very good last year. They’ve had years where the committee worked, but last year it didn’t really work. Opposing defenses just simply didn’t respect the running game and it’s not to say they’re a run-first offense now. Obviously, they’re not, but they do have a 1,000-yard running back and a guy who not only takes advantage of his carries, but maximizes runs… Ridley continuously breaks off 10-yard, 14-yard, runs. He struggled a bit early on against the Texans. They were bottling him up, they were getting him in the backfield, but he still found ways.”

There’s a new video posted on NewSantaClaraStadium.com that all 49ers Faithful fans will want to check out.

The video features incredible aerial views of the new Santa Clara Stadium, future home of the five-time Super Bowl champs.

Book your own tour of the new stadium site and learn more about securing a seat in the new building.

Long snapper Brian Jennings explained his background in yoga with ESPNW.com.

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle looked at two ways the 49ers can defeat the Patriots on Sunday night.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News examined Randy Moss’ comments on returning to New England.

Inman also noted Mario Manningham returned to practice on a limited basis.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee wrote about Colin Kaepernick’s experience in bad weather games.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com wrote about Kaepernick taking the same approach while preparing for the Patriots.

Maiocco also looked at Chad Hall’s scout-team role as Wes Welker.

49ers.com looked at Larry Grant’s recent charity work, Mike Iuapti’s Pro Bowl-caliber play, Carlos Rogers’ matchup against Welker in the slot, Bill Belichick and Welker’s conference call comments, Moss’ outlook on facing the Patriots and Kaepernick’s steady development.

TV49’S CLIP OF THE DAY

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Just another game for Justin Smith. #TheCowboy instagr.am/p/TLqAvICemI/—
San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 13, 2012

Tough.

Wearing his blue and white No. 81 jersey, Randy Moss rewrote the NFL record books with Tom Brady from 2007-2010. On Sunday, Moss will return to Foxboro, Mass., wearing No. 84 in the white and red threads of the 49ers, trying to help San Francisco secure its second straight playoff berth.

Since Moss left New England, Brady and company have maintained their status as one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history. The Patriots enter Sunday’s contest averaging 36.3 points per game, a shade off the NFL-record pace they set in 2007, when Moss hauled in 23 touchdown catches to help the Patriots score 36.8 points per contest.

“It’s going to be a hard-fought game coming from the offensive side because of their ability to put points up,” Moss said. “Hopefully we can complement our defense.”

Moss’ resume was already impressive by the time he latched on with New England, but working with Brady and coach Bill Belichick helped the future Hall of Famer achieve new heights. From watching recent tape this week, Belichick said Moss still looks like a dangerous threat, while adding Moss is the “greatest deep-ball receiver that’s ever played.”

“He’s an explosive, dynamic player that’s probably the smartest receiver I’ve ever coached,” Belichick said in a conference call Wednesday. “I know he absolutely knows what he’s doing, knows what the defense is doing and knows how to attack the defense.”

Likewise, Moss had praise for Belichick for helping his development as a football player.

“Before I got to New England, I thought I knew a lot about football,” Moss said. “But I think he taught me a lot from A to Z and I still carry it to this day. … The complements are good and I respect coach Belichick and that organization still to this day.”

Moss is fully focused on his role with the 49ers now, one which increased last week in the absence of receiver Mario Manningham.

The veteran leadership of Moss has been well-documented throughout the season, but he’s taken on an even bigger role in recent weeks with second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is 3-1 as a starter since taking over for Alex Smith. Moss has been seen and heard talking to Kaepernick on the sidelines during games, giving words of encouragement to the young, talented signal-caller.

“Kap’s been able to come in and lead us as a whole unit,” Moss said. “Any time a guy can come in and lead like that – and I don’t mean verbally, I think leading by example is what we as football players look for in a player, especially a quarterback. I really just compliment his leadership and going out there and leading our offense up and down the field.”

Despite their past history, don’t expect Moss or Belichick to go easy on one another Sunday night. The Patriots (10-3), who have lost their three contests by a combined four points this season, have already wrapped up the AFC East but both teams are jockeying for playoff byes in January.

True to Jim Harbaugh’s message of trying to get one mile an hour faster every day, cornerback Carlos Rogers said the 49ers might try to pick Moss’ brain for insight into the New England offense. Listening to Moss, he’s not sure how much he could ultimately help.

“Everybody knows Bill Belichick is a so-called genius and he changes it up every week,” Moss said. “There’s not really much input I can give for the week. I just said, ‘Have your head on a swivel and be ready for anything.’”

It’s going to take a group effort to limit the production of New England Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker.

At least that’s the assessment of Carlos Rogers, San Francisco’s starting cornerback, who will line up in the nickel package this Sunday night against one of the most productive wideouts in the NFL.

Welker, New England’s shifty slot playmaker, ranks ninth in receiving yards (1,116), fourth in targets (142) and third in receptions (95).

He also needs five catches to become the first player in league history with five, 100-catch seasons.

It’s a challenge that San Francisco’s Pro Bowl defensive back is ready to face.

“He runs a lot of option routes,” said the 49ers starting corner when asked about Welker’s best talents. “Those quick guys like that, especially when you face a good quarterback, it’s going to take a lot, not just me sticking him, but Dashon (Goldson) coming down inside, some of the D-ends hitting those guys.”

It’ll be a group effort to limit the production of Welker and tight end, turned slot wideout, Aaron Hernandez. It also extends to the 49ers offense.

Points are at a premium, but the same can be said for time of possession. Rogers believes the longer San Francisco’s offense can sustain drives, the better the 49ers match up against New England and MVP candidate Tom Brady.

“Tom makes this offense go,” Roger said point-blank.

“Brady’s going to make plays, his offense is going to make plays,” Rogers went on to say. “Our defense is going to make plays; we just want to make more than him at the end of the game.”

It sounds rather basic, but it’s quite true. Both teams reached their respective conference championships last year and have just three losses each through 14 weeks in 2012.

Come Week 15, both sides expect to be in for a 60-minute contest.

Furthermore, Rogers and his teammates are looking at it like a playoff-like contest. Not only is it a road game in a cold environment on a national stage, but a victory will cement San Francisco’s postseason bid.

Win, and the 49ers are in the playoffs.

With a second consecutive postseason appearance on the line, the 49ers are treating the remaining games with the utmost focus.

“You’ve got to take these last four games with that mindset,” Rogers shared. “It is seeding for the playoffs. We’ve got guys right on our back if we lose, so it would make next week that much bigger.”

Those “guys” are the 8-5 Seattle Seahawks who are one of two NFC West clubs to defeat the Patriots this season, along with the Arizona Cardinals.

Rogers and the 49ers aim to be the third NFC West opponent to defeat New England and first to do it in the month of December where the Patriots have won 20 consecutive home games in the final month of the regular season.

“If you take care of business right now,” Rogers said, “it’ll make your path easier going into the playoffs.”

That’s why Rogers is taking advantage of everything in sight. The veteran cornerback is picking the brain of Donte Whitner, a longtime rival of Brady and the Patriots from his days in the AFC East.

Rogers is also seeking the wisdom of former Patriots wideout Randy Moss, the very same player who recorded 50 touchdown receptions in 52 games for New England from 2007-10.

“He knows Brady’s checks,” Rogers said of Moss. “He knows where the ball is going.”

Moss will be a welcomed party-crasher in this week’s defensive back meetings. The former Patriots wideout will surely be a help, but as Rogers pointed out, it’ll take in-game execution to limit the high-powered opponent.

When it comes to defending the slot, Rogers is ready for the challenge of defending Welker, Hernandez and New England’s numerous option routes.

“When you have a lot of options routes, whatever leverage you show, they’re going to run opposites,” Rogers detailed. “It’s going to take a lot of pressure, Aldon (Smith) and those guys getting to Brady to mix up their looks –get him off his spot so he’s not back there picking us apart.”

In Rogers’ mind, it’ll take “The Team, The Team, The Team,” to beat the Patriots Sunday night.