It doesn’t seem like Colin Kaepernick is taking time to rest and relax this offseason. It’s not a shocker, either. The San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback appeared at an award show, began working out with teammates at a training facility in Atlanta and recently took part in an event hosted by the first lady, Michelle Obama.

Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign received help this week from Kaepernick, plus Olympic athletes (Dominique Dawes, Gabby Douglas, Allyson Felix) and tennis star Serena Williams among others.

Details of the event, shared by The Washington Post, touched on Mrs. Obama’s quest to help schools become more active in saving physical education programs nation-wide. Kaepernick, an example of physical condition, has proven to be a strong force in the community, not just on the football field.

The 49ers quarterback will also appear on NFL Network on Thursday at 3 p.m. PT to join the network’s “Path to the Draft” show.

Yahoo! Sports’ Shutdown Corner Blog has the 49ers drafting Ohio State defensive lineman Jonathan Hankins with the No. 31 overall selection in their latest mock draft.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com examined the risers and fallers post-NFL Scouting Combine.

Russ Lande of The National Football Post discussed nine players who struggled at the combine.

49ers.com announced the 2012 team award winners, led by Justin and Aldon Smith.

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Ready to start this yoga class—
Tarell Brown25 (@TarellBrown25) February 28, 2013

Stronger than you think.

Jim Harbaugh enjoyed his annual golf weekend in Pebble Beach, wrapping up the AT&T Pro-Am in 13th place with partner Jason Day. The 49ers coach will likely retire his golf clubs until next year’s Pro-Am, as he gets ready to return to work for next week’s NFL Scouting Combine and April’s NFL Draft.

Mark Purdy of the Bay Area News Group recapped Harbaugh’s weekend on the links. “Harbaugh and Day were the pro-am leaders at the midway point but lagged a bit Saturday and couldn’t make up ground Sunday,” Purdy wrote. “It didn’t really matter. Four days of listening to encouragement from the galleries definitely left the coach in a better mood just seven days after his team’s agonizing defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans.”

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate looks ahead to possible offseason moves for the 49ers and more.

Dave Feldman of CSN Bay Area served as Harbaugh’s caddie and interviewed him after the golf tournament.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle broke down the free agent picture for the 49ers this offseason.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee examined Percy Harvin as a possible target for the 49ers.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com also looked at Harvin as a potential addition to the 49ers.

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Another day,another blessing #BelieveInYou—
Tarell Brown25 (@TarellBrown25) February 11, 2013

Wise words from Tarell Brown.

The San Francisco 49ers are set to make the franchise’s 14th appearance in the NFC title game and second in as many seasons this Sunday in Atlanta.

It will also be a homecoming for Augusta, Ga., native Carlos Rogers, one of San Francisco’s starting cornerbacks.

Rogers joined our Niner Talk podcast this week to discuss his return to his home state in addition to a number of topics. The veteran defensive back also touched on his relationship with fellow starting corner Tarell Brown, plus discussed the matchup against Atlanta’s talented receiver tandem of Roddy White and Julio Jones.

Rogers also explained why he’s not into social media, but how fans can get hear his thoughts on the team all season long.

For the Falcons perspective, we welcomed Jay Adams, the Digital Media Manager for AtlantaFalcons.com, to hear his thoughts on Atlanta’s winning ways in the Georgia Dome, the Falcons challenge of stopping Colin Kaepernick and his keys to the game.

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.

CARLOS ROGERS

[1:00 – Rogers’ thoughts on the 49ers reaching the conference championship for a second consecutive postseason.]

“It’s a privilege to be back in this game. Eight years in this league, my last two years, last year and this year, I had an opportunity to go to this game. I was telling some of the younger guys, ‘This doesn’t come around too often.’ To get this opportunity two years in a row, this is the year I feel we really need to grab it and take advantage of this opportunity. Last year, New York came in here in our home and took it from us. We need to send that same message and go to Atlanta and take it from them.”

 [3:30 – Rogers’ thoughts on the matchup vs. Atlanta’s receivers.]

“Man, those guys, it’s like Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson on both sides of the field, along with a Hall of Fame tight end in the middle and a real good quarterback to throw them the ball. It’s going to be a difficult challenge. A lot of the teams we’ve faced that got all the talented receivers and tight ends usually throw a lot, these guys have a balanced attack. They’ve got a running game, they’ve got a passing game – got great guys on the outside to stop. So it’s going to take a good week of preparation, studying what they do, great calls from Coach Vic (Fangio) and great exectution.”

JAY ADAMS

[11:50 – Adams’ thoughts on Atlanta’s reasons for sustained success at home under Mike Smith.]

“A lot of it has to do with the crowd. Against the Seattle last week, the crowd as loud as its ever been inside the Georgia Dome – there’s a lot of excitement in this city. But there has been ever since Mike Smith came into town in 2008 so I think that’s a big part of it. Matt Ryan is just one of those quarterbacks, he feels more comfortable at home, being able to work his offense in friendly confines. He just seems to have that intangible quality that makes him successful at home, being comfortable and being able to basically run the offense the way he wants to and not let a crowd dictate what he’s doing. I think all those things come into play and come together to make Atlanta so successful in the Georgia Dome.”

 [19:20 – Adams’ storyline of the game to track on Sunday.]

“The big one for me is the run game and how important it is for Atlanta to establish that run game, go to it, and rely on it to extend drives. I think the San Francisco defense is most difficult when they turn you into a one-dimensional team. Although the Falcons have had a lot of success in the passing game, I think they’re going to want to have that running game to go to when they need to, in order to keep drives alive, keep Matt Ryan from being hit too much. The offensive line did a great job against Seattle, I think he was only hit once. But against a San Francisco defense that brings a lot of pressure, that has Pro Bowl players on the defensive front, it could be a little more dicey. To me, getting the running game going for the Falcons is 1-A.”

Looking for an unsung hero on the San Francisco 49ers defense? Look no further than sixth-year cornerback Tarell Brown.

The 5-foot-10, 193-pound cornerback continues to be one of the key contributors on a 49ers defense that stands one win away from reaching the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl.

Brown recorded a career-high 59 tackles in the regular season to go with 14 pass breakups and two interceptions.

Quietly, Brown has come up big all season for the 49ers. The fundamentally-sound defensive back intercepted a pass in San Francisco’s Week 17 win and followed it up two weeks later with an impressive interception in the 45-31 Divisional Playoff win over the Green Bay Packers.

For a second consecutive postseason, Brown turned in a key interception.

Brown’s efforts, however, aren’t going unnoticed. ProFootballFocus.com reviewed the 49ers dominant victory over the Packers and singled out Brown’s performance. According to PFF, Brown was thrown against on four different occasions by Green Bay’s high-powered passing attack. In the end, Brown allowed two receptions for 16 yards. His interception, a quality over-the-shoulder reception of a deep Aaron Rodgers throw, was also returned 39 yards.

With the NFC title game just around the corner, the 49ers defensive back will be counted on once more against Atlanta’s impressive passing arsenal.

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports wrote a compelling feature story on Colin Kaepernick

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times shared details on Jim Harbaugh’s latest motivational tactic involving high school photos.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News looked at the comments of safety Donte Whitner who sees a better 49ers team entering this year’s NFC title game.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com continued his matchup series with a look at Patrick Willis’ challenge of covering Tony Gonzalez.

Maiocco also shared a transcript from former 49ers coach Mike Nolan, Atlanta’s defensive coordinator.

Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about the striking contrast between Kaepernick and Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News examined Atlanta’s challenge of defending Kaepernick.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News caught up with CEO Jed York to discuss his social media presence on Twitter.

CSNBayArea.com recently aired this video on a Los Angeles Bar being filled with 49ers Faithful watching the win over Green Bay.

49ers.com caught up with Vernon Davis to discuss the upcoming NFC title game, plus looked at LaMichael James’ confidence towards big games and the defense matching up with another elite quarterback.

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Work work work work—
TWHITNER (@DonteWhitner) January 16, 2013

In case you were wondering.

Fresh off a bye week, the San Francisco 49ers remain in first place of the NFC West with a 1.5 game lead over the Seattle Seahawks, who defeated the Minnesota Vikings 30-20 at home on Sunday.

The 49ers, themselves, will play a third consecutive division game in Week 10 when the St. Louis Rams visit Candlestick Park.

While the Rams are alone in last place in the NFC West at 3-5, Sunday’s game remains pivotal for both teams.  Since 2000, 29 teams have reached the halfway point of their season with a .500 or below winning percentage and proceeded to the playoffs, including at least one in each season.

The 49ers aim to make sure the Rams aren’t the 30^th team to make the group.

San Francisco is coming off a strong showing in Week 8, a 24-3 win over Arizona that featured impressive quarterback play from Alex Smith.

The NFC’s Week 8 Offensive Player of the Week’s performance was reviewed in greater detail by Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, who believes the 49ers remain Super Bowl contenders heading into the second half of 2012.

“I really like what I’ve seen out of him this year, mostly,” King wrote about Smith, who is second in the NFL with a 69.4 completion percentage. “He’s as accurate an intermediate passer as I’ve seen this season. I think he’s going to be asset, not a question mark, as the 49ers make a Super Bowl push.”

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers a comprehensive review to the first half of the 49ers season including some strong thoughts on the 49ers improved pass defense. Maiocco: “With 15 sacks in the first half, the 49ers are on pace for 30. They had 42 sacks last season. But the pass rush is doing plenty right. After all, opposing quarterbacks do not have enough time to sit in the pocket and pick the 49ers apart down the field. Third cornerback Chris Culliver has made the biggest improvement, and starter Tarell Brown is also having a good season. Carlos Rogers has been solid, as well. As a result, the 49ers are allowing just 184.0 yards passing per game. That’s an improvement of 46.9 yards per game over a year ago.”

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee graded the offense, defense, special teams and coaching of the 49ers thus far. Barrows: “The 49ers are more mature, more complete and better than they were a year ago. Through eight games, they are perfectly positioned to realize those lofty offseason expectations. Grade: A-.”

Sheerly Avni of the San Francisco Chronicle shares details on Aldon Smith’s acting role in a short film.

49ers.com profiled the broadcasting duo of Eric Davis and Ted Robinson, two of the hardest working broadcasters in the business. Robinson also joined our latest Niner Talk podcast.

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Feels odd to get on one of these on a Sunday morning. instagr.am/p/RnEkgjkNX-/—
jonathan goodwin (@jgoody59) November 04, 2012

Veteran move.

The 49ers, Cardinals and Monday Night Football are no strangers to each other. In fact, San Francisco has six MNF matchups with Arizona all-time, including five of the past six years. Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group examined tonight’s tilt in the desert and the burgeoning rivalry between the two divisional foes.

“No, it’s not as historic as the Bears-Packers, Cowboys-Redskins or Raiders-Chiefs,” Inman wrote. “It’s also not the type of high-stakes rivalry the 49ers have forged with the Cowboys and Giants. But the 49ers and Cardinals aren’t friendly neighbors in the increasingly competitive NFC West.”

Today’s Morning Tailgate rounds up the best headlines from the weekend and offers more insight on tonight’s primetime showdown.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle previewed the 49ers-Cardinals Week 8 matchup.

NFL Network explained why Frank Gore could play a huge role on Monday night.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com listed the Tarell Brown vs. Larry Fitzgerald and Mike Iupati vs. Calais Campbell matchups as ones to watch.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee noted that the 49ers are giving up few big plays through the air in 2012.

Inman spoke to legendary NFL coach John Madden, who is impressed with the 49ers offensive line.

Branch passed along comments from people around the league who are speaking highly of guard Mike Iupati.

Barrows analyzed the impact of 49ers tight end Vernon Davis.

Inman relayed the comments of offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who discussed the measures opposing defenses have taken to slow down Davis this season.

Inman also took a look at the Andy Lee vs. Patrick Peterson matchup in the punt game and noted that Michael Crabtree is on the verge of catching a pass in 50 straight games.

NFL Films put together a video preview for 49ers-Cardinals.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com examined the strong run defenses in the NFC West and wrote that the Cardinals have an uphill battle against the 49ers.

49ers.com’s weekend coverage included Jim Harbaugh’s comments on the birth of CEO Jed York’s son, Brown vs. Fitzgerald, the latest Niner Talk podcast with Bruce Miller, Donte Whitner’s new blog post and updates from Andy Lee and Clark Haggans.

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Congrats to the @SFGiants winning the World Series!!! City is crazy right now! #SFGiants—
Daniel (@DanielKilgore67) October 29, 2012

Congrats to the SF Giants for their second title in three years. #SFUnite

The San Francisco 49ers have one of, if not the, best rush defenses in the NFL. Filled with multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl players, it’s hard for all 11 deserving players to get recognition.

One of the most unheralded defenders is defensive tackle Ray McDonald, a hard-working lineman who’s earned the respect of his teammates and coaches with his consistent approach.

McDonald continues to be at the forefront of San Francisco’s tough defense and maintains his role as one of the locker room’s favorite players. This week’s Gameday Magazine cover story touched on McDonald’s respect amongst his peers in their words only.

The cover imagery of McDonald running out of the cover was shot by team photographer Terrell Lloyd and designed by team graphic designer Ben Mayberry.

Find out why everyone loves Ray McDonald.

Everyone Loves Ray
[Just not the opposition.]

By Taylor Price, 49ers.com

This isn’t a story for stats or analysis – it’s a collection of real-life words about a dominant San Francisco 49ers defender. The anecdotes, descriptions and opinions come directly from the people who know Ray McDonald best, his teammates and coaches. That’s it. Pure and simple.

San Francisco’s 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle continues to endear himself to those who know him well. McDonald does it all while distancing himself from those who have the unenviable assignment of blocking one of the strongest players in the National Football League. McDonald’s come a long way when you consider that the 49ers third-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft entered the league with health questions. But what many viewed as a concern, McDonald has used as fuel. The defensive tackle has missed two games in five seasons; all while becoming one of the most underrated players in the game today.

The people who spend the most time with McDonald know that and so do the people who break down his game tape. That’s why they wrote this story. In it, teammates and the San Francisco defender himself, discuss everything on McDonald’s rise from a National Championship experience at the University of Florida, to him overcoming major knee injuries (both in college and his rookie season), to evaluating his exceptional game tape, to mastering the no-sack dance, to his diverse musical interests and lastly, a breakdown on the mutual respect that’s prevalent in the 49ers locker room.

Everyone loves Ray (McDonald). Here are the reasons why, from the people who know him best.

“Everyone Loves Ray”

STARRING:
RM: 49ers Defensive Tackle – Ray McDonald.

CO-STARRING:
VF: Defensive Coordinator – Vic Fangio.
JT: Defensive Line Coach – Jim Tomsula.
JS: All-Pro Defensive Tackle – Justin Smith.
DG: Pro Bowl Safety & 2007Draft Class Member – Dashon Goldson.
TB: Starting Cornerback & 2007 Draft Class Member –Tarell Brown.
PH: Outside Linebacker & Six-Year Teammate –Parys Haralson.
RJF: Defensive Tackle & Understudy – Ricky Jean Francois.

SCENE 1 – MOVING UP THE RANKS.

“I don’t want to take anything for granted when it comes to this game. Before my injuries, I loved football, but I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have. When I had that (season-ending) injury my rookie season, it opened my eyes like, ‘Hey, this game can be taken away from you at any point or time.’ Every day I wake up, I’m thankful to God and I appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given. I don’t take anything for granted so I give it 110-percent each day.” –RM

“I remember him still driving the same car that he’s had for many years. He’s very low-key, really not flashy or flamboyant. What you see is what you get.” –TB

“He’s the type of guy who makes sure you don’t feel sorry about the draft. He’ll tell you it’s just another way to get into the league – ‘You got drafted; it’s over with, now you have to show the teams what you’re about.’ That’s one thing he showed me – don’t put a third-round tag over his head. Don’t look at him like a third-rounder. Look at him as a starter on a great defense. He basically can do everything for us and he teaches us at the same time. He shows us a lot on the field.” –RJF

“Ray McDonald has been given nothing and Ray McDonald has had to overcome big things. And he has. The one thing I’ll tell you with Ray, the head’s never down, the attitude is never bad. He fights through everything and keeps pressing on. You see his work ethic – everybody here sees it. It’s constant. It never stops. The physical aspects of it – the mental aspects of it – the training room aspects of it. He’s unbelievable in his approach, but that’s just who Ray is. It’s his makeup.” –JT

“It’s been a long road for me. Those knee surgeries really made me appreciate the game. I enjoy every Sunday, every snap.” –RM

SCENE 2 – GAME TAPE.

“We want to be perfect. We know we haven’t been perfect, that’s why we go in there and watch film every day.” –RM

“The thing that stands out to be about Ray is the quality of his play. He’s one of the best interior linemen in the NFL. He does a great job of playing the run and rushing the passer. We wouldn’t want anyone else doing that job for us.” –VF

“He’s a very important piece to our defense, our front line. Ray’s one of those guys that doesn’t get a lot of credit for what he does because a lot of people don’t understand our scheme of defense and the work he puts in to keep those offensive linemen off our linebackers. They don’t know about all the double teams he has to take on. We see it on film, he’s taking on double-teams and still making tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He’s still getting sacks, making tips, stuff like that. He’s a very important part of our defense and we’re glad to have him here.” –DG

“He does a lot for the team – he sets the tempo. He’s a straight-forward guy – he gets straight to the point. He’s not going to give you a story. He’s probably one of the strongest guys on the team and can teach a lot of the young guys more things than what we see on the actual film.” –RJF

“He does the job that doesn’t get glory, but he does it well. Go and ask Pat (Willis), (NaVorro) Bow (Man), you can ask anybody, they all know he’s helping the linebackers by taking on double-teams so they can run free. That’s what he does and he does it really well. He’s powerful. He’s strong. And he understands the game. He understands what teams do to him from his preparation during the week. That’s why he’s able to do everything so well.” –PH

“He’s a hard-working guy. All of us as D-linemen, we’re always competing against each other and trying to keep up with one another. Ray is definitely one of those guys that sets the tempo. He’s one of the strongest guys on our team and in the NFL. So you always want to keep up with him.” – JS

SCENE 3 – ULTIMATE TEAMMATE.

“The thing about Ray is a lot of people see what they see on Sundays, but in all actuality, he’s quiet. On Sundays, he’s not quiet. But the thing about him is he goes about his business as far as learning and game preparation. When it comes to that he’s about as serious as anyone I’ve ever known.” –PH

“He’s all about making plays and helping the team win. He went through that in college, won a National Championship and it’s something he is used to. Talking to him, it’s something he expects. In the past he’s said, ‘I’ve never dealt with a losing team or season or situation.’ Just the way he handles it, he expects to win and doesn’t celebrate when it happens.” –JS

“I’m real thankful. In my career I’ve been surrounded by guys who were older and were willing to teach me tidbits the game has. Justin, he’s been doing it since he’s been here. You don’t have to, but he’s been like the angel on my shoulder I guess for the past four years. And Jimmy’s (Tomsula) on my other shoulder. Jimmy’s a great guy, I love Jimmy. When he called me on draft day and told me he was going to bring me in, I already knew what I was in store for. I knew what kind of guy he was when I met him at the combine and he’s the same guy every day. He’s a good guy, who will always give it to you straight. He’s a hard worker. You want to be around guys like that.” –RM

“Quiet. Low-key. Dominant force on the field. If you ever met him or had the opportunity to meet him, you’d never think he was as explosive or as dominant as he is, he’s not very vocal. He doesn’t say too much, but he has that little look that he’s ready to work every day.” –TB

SCENE 4 – NO SACK DANCE NECESSARY.

“He’s extremely quiet until you get him going on something. But yeah, he’s extremely comfortable with silence which I find odd, but whatever.” –JS

“I don’t really have a sack dance – I don’t. I feel like celebrations are made for after the game. If you celebrate by yourself, you’re kind of glorifying yourself and I’m not really with that. I’d rather celebrate with my teammates and come up with some kind of dance with them than try to glorify myself – I’d rather wait until after the game to celebrate.” –RM

“I told him he doesn’t have rhythm. Ray can get up and walk back to the huddle looking real hard, but him having a sack dance? No. Ray has no rhythm. I can say that hands-down.” –RJF

“You always have respect for those type of guys because they’re blue-collar guys. They come in every day and just work. They don’t want recognition; they just want to do their jobs and be solid and just keep being a force on the field. You always praise those guys when you get an opportunity because they’re not going to do it themselves.” –TB

SCENE 5 – FRANK SINATRA.

“I could say I’m pretty plain, but I’m open to things. I listen to different music.” –RM.

“What do I know about Ray? I know he listens to Frank Sinatra.” –PH

“I’d say I became a fan about three years ago. This older dude I used to hang out with showed it to me. I had heard of Frank Sinatra before, but he played a few songs and I took a liking to it.” –RM

“Ray shocked me, he was playing music one day and he played Frank Sinatra. He shocked me. When he had that playing, that opened my eyes about Ray. I thought he was not the type of guy to play music like that, but he shocked me when he played that music.” –RJF

“’Fly me to the moon,’ – I like that one. There’s another one (I like)… I listen to it before the game. ‘Come fly with me,’ – I like that. ‘I’ve got you under my skin.’ – that’s a good one, too.” – RM

“Ray kind of reminds you of ‘Old Blue Eyes.’ That’s Ray – he’s a cool cat… Nothing surprises me about Ray. He’s really a unique guy, an awesome guy. But yeah, I could see that, I knew there was something I really dug about Ray.” –JT

SCENE 6 – EVERYONE LOVES RAY.

“I’d agree with that. Everybody likes him as a teammate and you’ve got to respect the way he plays and competes.” –JS

“Very true, hands-down. He’s one of the favorites in this locker room, favorites on this team and definitely a leader in my eyes.” –TB

“Absolutely. You know everybody loves Ray… sometimes.” –PH

“Everybody loves Ray-Ray! Of course everybody appreciates Ray. He’s a hard-worker, one of the strongest dudes on our team. He works hard every day and it shows on Sundays.” –DG

“Everybody loves Ray? Yeah, everybody loves Ray – I love Ray. Yeah, I believe it.” –JT

“They do because he’s a team-player. He’s a great player and when you’re a team player and a great player, what’s not to like?” –VF

“I think you receive what you give. I know I’m a good guy to people. In return, they want to be a good guy back to me – that’s what that means to me. Everybody loves Ray because they know what type of person they’re getting. I’m not going to talk behind anybody’s back. I’m going to come in, work hard and treat everyone with respect. I think that’s why everybody is cool with me. They give me what I give them and that’s respect.” –RM

The San Francisco 49ers have moved on from a 27-19 win over the Detroit Lions to prepare for another NFC North opponent, the Minnesota Vikings.

After two wins over 2011 playoff teams to start the year, the 49ers are one of six undefeated teams left in the NFL. San Francisco (2-0) sits atop the NFC West along with the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers, however, stand alone in other rankings, most notably NFL power rankings posted from various sports websites. ESPN and NFL.com both have the 49ers as the No. 1 team in the NFL through two weeks.

ESPN’s Sports Nation also lets you rank the NFL teams all yourself.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com looks at the future roles for veterans on the 49ers offense. Maiooco: “Brandon Jacobs and Ted Ginn have not played in the 49ers’ first two games of the season. And Randy Moss has played fewer than one-third of the team’s offensive snaps. That could change in future weeks, and coach Jim Harbaugh likes the mystery to build.”

Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee looks at the extraordinary people who’ve spoken to the 49ers in the Jim Harbaugh era. Barrows: “Jim Harbaugh has invited colonels and generals andNavy SEALs to talk in front of his team. He had actors Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn on the sideline during Sunday’s game and in the locker room afterward. But two of the figures he’d really like to have on the premises are Willie Mays and Muhammad Ali.”

Barrows also offers his game film evaluation form the 49ers-Lions game. Barrows on Joe Staley:  “The 49ers left tackle bounced back with a vengeance against the Lions. Staley got into the second level of the Lions defense all game long and he was one of several linemen with big blocks on Frank Gore’s standing up one-yard touchdown run.”

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Focus on the task at hand..No outside distractions #LifeOfAWorkaholic #STUT#Blessed—
Tarell Brown25 (@RealTB25) September 18, 2012

Cornerback Tarell Brown offers a glimpse into the team’s Week 3 mindset.

Calvin Johnson’s injured foot is the hot-topic as the 49ers continue to prepare for a Sunday night home opener against the Detroit Lions.

The wideout gracing this year’s EA Madden video game cover did not practice on Wednesday but returned to work on Thursday according to multiple reports.

In order to stop the wide receiver who has caught 45 touchdowns since 2008, the most in the NFL, the 49ers will use many defensive looks. The same coverage or defensive philosophy just won’t work for 60 minutes against Johnson.

Cornerback Tarell Brown is “geeked” for the challenge, writes Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.

“Brown and the rest of the 49ers secondary will likely need all available senses on Sunday night when the Lions arrive with All-Pro wideout Calvin Johnson, who led the NFL in receiving yards (1,681), ranked second in touchdowns (16) and was fourth in receptions (96) last year,” Branch wrote.

CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco and Mindi Bach also discussed the challenge of stopping the player known as “Megatron” in their latest Matt & Mindi segment.

Maiocco caught up with Steve Young, who recently had his franchise record of 184 passes without an interception broken by 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. Maiocco: “Smith has thrown 11 touchdown passes since his last interception. During that time the 49ers have also gone 26 consecutive regular-season quarters without a giveaway of any kind.”

Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee looked at the development squad players on the 49ers roster and their impact in a Week 1 victory. Barrows: “Neither first-round draft pick A.J. Jenkins nor second-round pick LaMichael James played against the Packers. But both were integral in preparing for them. During practice, Jenkins lined up as Rodgers’ favorite target from 2011, Jordy Nelson. This week, Jenkins has an even bigger assignment. He’s tasked with giving the defensive backs a taste of Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who is five inches taller and at least 40 pounds heavier than Jenkins and who led the NFL in receiving yards last season.”

Steve Palazzolo of ProFootballFocus.com offers more analysis from San Francisco’s win in Green Bay: “The Packers did not attempt a run to the left of center all game. Probably a good idea as that’s where reigning PFF Defensive Player of the Year Justin Smith resides.”

49ers.com’s coverage included a story on the defense’s ball-hawking ways, a look at the offense’s emphasis on ball security, plus Kyle Williams’ growing confidence and a recap of Jim Schwartz and Matt Stafford’s conference calls.

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Thanks to all the #49ers #Faithful who came out for today's #RedandGoldRally. instagr.am/p/PfT3N_Cesb/—
San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 12, 2012

See everyone Sunday.